WARRIORS FOR PEACE - THE NEXT-GENERATION OF US MILITARY LEADERS

This article examines the extent to which military socialization at th e United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point prepares future officers cognitively for the changing security requirements of the pos t-Cold War world. The increasing involvement of U.S. armed forces in o perations other than war (OOTW) requires officers to shift with mounti ng frequency from warfighting to peacekeeping and back again as missio ns change. The article contends that the Army's readiness to serve the nation's interests in the future can best be ensured if officers are committed to both the military's traditional combat roles and to its m any new noncombat functions. Using survey methods, the article examine s the social, political, and professional attitudes and values of cade ts at the USMA in order to measure the effects of military socializati on on their level of commitment to the Army's post-Cold War roles.