Is There Need for a Soldier-Scientist.

Science has had an ever increasing influence on the conduct of War. This influence has had a corresponding effect on the personnel management of those officers who devote the majority of their career working in various phases of the research and development cycle. The dependence of modern defense and warfare on technology has become part of the military order, requiring highly trained officers capable of managing their technology. The development of specialized skills to meet Army requirements must not be left to chance, but must be governed by well thought out and rigidly executed programs. Military officers who are trained in the scientific arts and who are recognized by the scientific community must be available to the Army to act as transfer agents between the scientific and military communities. As now structured and administered, the Army does not have a program for either procuring, training, assigning or recognizing officers who wish to become Soldier-Scientist. It is recommended that specialist careers be established for officers in the professional field of research and development and only these trained officers be assigned to scientific positions. Modified author abstract