Does the U.S. military need another service academy? Two former graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point think so.
Michael LaValle, a former infantry soldier who now works in finance and retired Army Lt. Col. DeVan Shannon, who teaches at the Joint Special Operations University, envision a full-size military academy — akin to West Point or the U.S. Air Force Academy — dedicated to the military’s use of space, cyber, and robotics. The two believe those subjects will be vital to the military in the future but are given short shrift at current schools.
The two told Task & Purpose that a new approach to academy education would embrace officers learning simultaneously from the public and private sector, where innovation in space, cyber and robotics is moving rapidly.
“The academies aren’t moving fast enough in these directions or at large enough scale, and finally, they’re not recruiting the kids and the talent that are necessary to succeed,” LaValle told Task & Purpose.
