Modern army needs highly educated soldiers

• Source: Global Times
• [21:44 March 18 2010]
• Comments

Liu Zhenwu

Editor's Note:

Just 10 years ago, only about 2,000 university students joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) each year. But in last winter's intake, more than 130,000 college students entered the PLA. Global Times(GT) reporter Peng Kuang and special correspondent He Yan interviewed General Liu Zhenwu (Liu), vice chairman of National People's Congress Foreign Affairs Committee and former deputy chief of general staff of the PLA, on the changes to the PLA's recruitment process and its impact on both the army and young people.

GT: What are the benefits of recruiting more university students into the army?

Liu: That more university students are joining the army to fulfill their obligations is definitely a good sign for both the development of the army and national defense. It brings at least three benefits.

To begin with, it improves the individual qualities of soldiers. The modernization of armed forces and the revolution in military affairs require modern soldiers to be better educated in order to operate information-based weapons.

In my experience as a commander, better educated soldiers are able to grasp new concepts faster, and they can adapt to new devices more quickly.

Combining this complicated equipment with high technology and well-educated soldiers, more complex tactics can be employed to maximize combat effectiveness.

It also provides a new channel to train officers. Currently, we have two primary methods of training new officers: They are either commissioned from excellent enlisted soldiers, or go through officer training academies. Both methods have their own defects.

To open the way for educated university students to become soldiers provide a new way to train officers.

Finally, this action promotes the concept of national defense among the public. National security is everybody's responsibility.

GT: What are the defects of our current officer training system?

Liu: Promoting enlisted men is a popular method in the army. Soldiers who complete two years service, have excellent military skills, and are recognized as potential leaders by their fellow soldiers may be considered to become officers.

But the main problem of this method is that their lack of higher education limits their development when promoted into the higher ranks. As platoon, company, or battalion commanders, they are pretty good, but when moving to the regimental level, they are probably not qualified.

We also train the officers at military academies, or they have four years of university plus one year of military training, which is called "4+1."

The problem with this is that they have no experience of real leadership, and their military skills are not as good as senior soldiers. As leaders, they don't have the confidence to assign men tasks, and even lack confidence in themselves.

The new method of selecting university students for soldiers provides a new possibility.

Selecting officers from among these soldiers after they have two years of mili-tary service could avoid the defects of both previous systems.

These soldiers will have both military experience and a thorough university education, so they are perfect candidates for the Chinese army of the future.

To serve in the army is not a job, but a duty. Every university student should undertake this duty. For soldiers excellent at performing their duty, to continue to serve as officers is a good choice for them, and also good for the army.