Civilians May Head Military Academies
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak's power transition team proposed having retired military personnel or civilians head the military academies of the Army, Navy and Air Force, sources from the team said Sunday, aiming to offer ``stable'' military education to cadets and those headed for the Ministry of National Defense, sources said.
Currently, three-star generals head the three services' military academies with tenures of one or two years.
``The chairwoman of the transition team, Lee Kyung-sook, proposed the idea during the Defense Ministry's briefing, based on her long-time experience as a university president, citing the importance for the military education,'' a team official said, asking not to be named. ``It is true the team is reviewing the option.''
But some military officials express skepticism.
``The president of a military academy should have experience as a field officer and an extensive knowledge of military doctrine and defense affairs. That's why it's better for active officers to head the academies,'' a retired Army general said on condition of anonymity.
Extending the tenure for the presidents of the military academies or allowing them to be re-elected could be solutions to ``unsustainable'' education policies at the military schools, he said.