Army fellowship offers paid degree, editor jobs to revitalize journals

The Military introduced a brand new fellowship program this week to teach officers in skilled writing, providing a paid graduate diploma and hands-on journalism expertise as a part of its broader effort to boost navy writing abilities.

The Maj. Gen. Edwin “Forrest” Harding Fellowship is a part of The Harding Mission, an initiative launched in 2023 by the Military’s prime commander to boost and encourage skilled writing throughout the service and introduce new concepts and approaches to the trendy battlespace.

Because the mission’s inception, a dozen troopers have been working to revive the Military’s department journals and magazines, together with the “Infantry,” “Armor,” “Air Protection,” and “Particular Warfare” titles, which function the storehouse for present navy debate and thought.

The fellowship will choose six fellows yearly to spend a yr on the College of Kansas incomes a graduate diploma in journalism earlier than being assigned as full-time editors of one of many Military’s department journals for a two-year stint.

These editors will then carry their experience again to their models.

“Just like the observer controllers who serve at our fight coaching facilities, these leaders will return to operational models as consultants of their branches with superior communications abilities,” stated Gen. Gary Brito, head of the Military’s Coaching and Doctrine Command.

Over the previous decade, some department journals, as soon as the go-to place for specialised navy information and research, have develop into dormant or much less regularly used. For instance, the final time “Armor” journal had an editor serving in uniform was 2006, in line with officers.

The decline is partly as a result of a excessive price of operational commitments but additionally a shift in how troopers and leaders eat info, just like tendencies in civilian media.

When the Harding Mission launched final yr, it adopted a simplified on-line strategy. It makes use of its web site to submit simply searchable articles and blog-style posts. Customers also can obtain a chat software to learn and have interaction with others on their cellular system.

As a part of an consciousness marketing campaign, the Military is releasing a particular difficulty of “Army Assessment” in print and on a brand new on-line platform. The difficulty will included articles on writing strategies, operating a unit writing program and how one can provide respectful dissent in written boards.

The service plans to distribute 18,000 print copies of the journal to battalion-level and better headquarters throughout the subsequent month.

Maj. Emily Lopez, a civil affairs officer, was among the many first crop of editors chosen earlier this yr. She has served as editor-in-chief of “Particular Warfare” journal since June apart Sgt. 1st Class Ben Latigue, a particular forces medic.

“I believe the attractive factor about being a navy editor in chief is we’re a part of the connective tissue again to the drive,” Lopez instructed Military Instances.

Each she and Latigue got here to the positions after operational rotations inside particular operations.

Editors’ duties goes past copyediting and spell-checking articles. One in all The Harding Mission’s priorities is fostering dialog and debate and garnering concepts from the drive.

Lopez and Latigue have spent current months at numerous main navy training occasions and boards, asking college students concerning the sizzling matters of their fields.

Drawing on that viewers suggestions, they purpose to carry extra related content material to readers and enhance troopers’ engagement with the journals and on-line writing boards.

Methods to apply

The Maj. Gen. Edwin “Forrest” Harding Fellowship will settle for submissions by means of Sept. 10.

The fellowship is open to any active-duty captain, grasp sergeant or chief warrant officer 4 within the following branches — infantry, air protection, navy intelligence, chemical corps, engineer, navy police, transportation, quartermaster, ordnance, finance, civil affairs, psychological operations and particular forces.

Candidates should even have graduated from the Captains Profession Course, maintain a bachelor’s diploma with a 3.0 grade level common and never have a graduate diploma that was paid for by the Military.

An Military board will evaluation submissions in late September and introduced the fellows in mid-October, Lt. Col. Zachary Evans, particular assistant to the Military chief of employees, instructed Military Instances.

Utility packet info is out there on the Military’s Human Sources Command web site.