THE PRIORITIES OF PROFESSIONAL READING OF THE US NAVY AND COAST GUARD SPECIALISTS

Abstract

The article highlights the experience of the leading US military educational establishments, which demonstrates the importance of professional development of future officers, the urgency of finding new forms of work on mastering the theory and practice of naval force and leadership. The author traces in detail the practice of professional reading in educational establishments that train specialists for the US Navy and Coast Guard, in particular, the Marine Corps University, the Naval Institute, the Coast Guard Academy, as well as the US Army Center of Military History, the Naval Postgraduate School and the Military Officers Association of America. The philosophy of education at these educational establishments and institutions is that through interaction with books and self-study, officers can become more informed and competent. The priorities of the professional reading programmes here are naval history, strategy, naval operations, operational doctrine, theory and practice of management and leadership. The books on the lists of professional reading help future officers to better understand the complexities of the modern world, appreciate the naval heritage, generally build a foundation of knowledge and better master various aspects of the strategic environment, their mission, and the basic requirements of naval force. Attention is focused on the importance of adopting similar practices in the military education system of Ukraine. The books on the list of professional reading can help future officers improve the level of knowledge gained during formal training in military establishments and complement the materials of programme classes. Reading such books provides many opportunities to improve the process of making managerial decisions, is invaluable for developing effective ways to solve problematic situations in everyday life and during combat operations, which is a prerequisite for intellectual superiority over the enemy. In general, it is proved that reading literature is an important tool for developing the operational thinking of future officers, their proper preparation for performing tasks of a higher level of cognitive complexity.