Research for Battle E

CNA conducted a study for the Chief of Naval Personnel in support of the development of an Education Strategy for the Navy. One major issue is the undergraduate education of officers, in particular, the need for a technical education background. This paper reports on analysis directed at looking for empirical evidence that a technical education has an impact on tactical proficiency. Using 1) a sample of laser-guided bomb (LGB) data on combat operations during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and 2) a sample of destroyers and submarines that either won a “Battle E” Award or did not, we find no evidence that a tactical education enhances tactical performance. Officers with technical educations did not hit more targets in OEF/OIF than their counterparts with nontechnical educations. Similarly, destroyers and submarines that won a “Battle E” did not have a higher percentage of officers with technical education backgrounds.