Adam Scher
In 1947, Colonel George Lincoln, head of the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy at West Point organized and hosted the first National Debate Tournament. The modern version of intercollegiate debate remained at USMA for 20 years, before the tournament began to rotate through different schools. The Army Debate Team still resides within the Department of Social Sciences and continues to win tournaments across the nation. I competed on the Army Debate Team from 2000 to 2004 and coached the Army Debate Team from 2013 to 2016. The lessons I learned through debate continue to serve me today.
Based on my experience I learned debating, I see the opportunity within our Army’s centers of excellence to strengthen the profession by growing and developing junior leaders through the vehicle of debate.
The Value of Debate
Debate supports strengthening the profession in two ways: at the individual leader level and at the institutional decision-making level. Increasingly, junior leaders are required to be excellent communicators—thinking, speaking, and writing coherently, cogently, and effectively. Our platoon leaders must write orders and deliver presentations, and also talk to their soldiers about everything from tactical missions to ethics.
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