Professional reading: A great tool for lifelong learning Published April 12, 2010 By Col. Scott Fox 90th Missile Wing vice commander F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- We should strive to improve ourselves everyday -- personally and professionally. One way to do that is through reading. A senior officer once told me that a military professional should always be reading a book on leadership. He would even go as far as asking individuals working around him, "What book are you reading now?" If I asked you that same question today, what would your answer be? In 1996, Gen. Ronald Fogleman created the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Professional Reading Program. From its inception, the program has striven to create a common frame of reference to help each of us, officers, enlisted and civilians, become better and more effective advocates of air and space power. Just last week, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz released the latest version of this exceptional professional development reference. In General Schwartz' words, professional reading is a "valuable way for all Airmen to further their professional education and augment their leadership skills," and today, "in equal measure to physical training, continues to be vital to maintaining our initiative today and our preparation for the future." Said another way, professional reading is a key facet of our continuing military education. It helps enhance and shape our warrior ethos and is a crucial part of our chosen profession -- the profession of arms. In a letter he wrote to his son, then a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. said, "To be a soldier, you must know history." Today, all the services echo that same sentiment in their individual professional reading programs. According to the Army, their professional reading program provokes critical thinking about professional soldiering and the unique role of land power; analysis and reflection on the past and the future; and a deep understanding of the Army and the future of the profession of arms in the 21st Century. The Navy's program, like the Air Force, encourages a life-long habit of reading and learning. The Chief of Naval Operations' reading list provides readers with a deeper understanding and appreciation for military heritage, the profession of arms and the complex modern world in which we operate. The Marine Corps highlights the importance of relating what we have read to what we actually do in training, field exercises, war games, leadership and the like. It encourages us to read and discuss our readings with each other. Finally, the goal of the Coast Guard reading program is to provide a starting point or expand existing knowledge and skills and highlights the fact that the reading list provides a tool for individual leadership growth. You can find the 2010 CSAF Professional Reading Program on the Air Force website at www. af.mil/information/csafreading. The books are grouped in three categories: Mission, Doctrine and Profession; Our Nation and the World; and Military History. In this list, you will find books covering a diverse range of topics: nuclear terrorism, leadership during World War II and counterinsurgency, to name a few. You can learn more about the impact technology and robotics may have on future conflicts, the interrelationship of politics and religion in the Middle East, or the life and impact of Air Force leaders like Gens. Curtis Lemay, Bernard Schriever or George Kenney. If the books from this year's list aren't quite what you are looking for, the website also has links to the lists from the four previous years; I guarantee you will find something that will be both interesting and useful. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Adm. Thad Allen, the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, speak on leadership during a visit to the U.S. Army War College. In the introduction to his own reading list, Admiral Allen says that "Lifelong learning is about challenging yourself through exposure to differing perspectives, new experiences and education. As a leader, I cannot overstate the value of reading in terms of lifelong learning, personal growth and intellectual development." I couldn't have picked better words. Professional reading, no matter what your profession, is a valuable addition to your set of leadership tools. It doesn't matter if you are reading books specifically chosen from a four-star general's official reading list or the daily newspaper. The knowledge you gain will help you develop a wider perspective and an appreciation of views other than our own, and different views and interpretations can be both informative and thought provoking. What's the bottom line? I recommend you decide what works best for you. What type of books do you enjoy reading? What are your professional and personal interests? What looks interesting to you? Advances in technology provide an entirely different set of opportunities for continued learning. Take advantage of it. The base library has an entire section devoted to the CSAF Professional Reading Program, and the books from the 2010 list are on their way. You can also find many of the books for sale in our AAFES military clothing sales store. Are you ready to answer the question, "What book are you reading now?" I hope you are, and I hope the knowledge you gain through your own professional reading program serves you well in everything you do! Weblinks to professional reading lists: CSAF Professional Reading Program www.af.mil/information/csafreading Navy Professional Reading Program www.navyreading.navy.mil Army Professional Reading List www.history.army.mil/reading.html Marine Corps Professional Reading Program www.mcu.usmc.mil/lejeune_leadership/ages/professionalpro.aspx Coast Guard Reading List www.uscg/mil/leadership/reading/ Joint Forces Staff College Commandant's Professional Reading List www.jfsc.ndu.edu/about/reading_list/ National Defense University Library Professional Military Reading List www.ndu.edu/Library/index.cfm?type=section&secid=217&pageid=126