CWO (retd) S. McNabb

The Canadian Army is transforming to become a more relevant future force. According to the Commander of the Canadian Army (CCA), LGen Erye’s Command Philosophy on professional development he declares that, “I expect all commanders to execute leader development programs, including reading, writing and publishing to contribute to our body of professional knowledge. Our only enduring and meaningful legacy as commanders will be those subordinate leaders we develop who will lead us to success in our next fight.” In order for professional military education (PME) to become sustainable in the Canadian Army (CA), it needs to become embedded in the training and education culture of the Army. The education of NCMs has become more and more important, and it fully recognizes that PME needs to be viewed as a valuable part of a military career. Many other armies, including those within the five-eyes community are in a similar situation, and have also began to acknowledge the value of NCM PME.

PME is imperative in the development of innovative leaders. It provides NCMs with the foundational education required for the profession of arms. PME in the CA is not structured like the formal professional development training each NCM receives throughout their career. PME needs to be a continuous education process, much of which will be self directed. With the increased attention and the value being given to PME, it is my intent to list a few resources available on the internet. These will inspire and support the Commander’s philosophy in the development of a strategically minded and educated NCM, who will be better prepared for positions at the strategic level within the CAF.