Partners In Progress: Analyzing The Evolution Of Military Professionalism And Its Contribution To AngloKenyan Diplomacy Since 1963
Anne Wanjiku Kamau
Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Mercy Akinyi Ochieng
Department of Social Sciences, Kisii University, Kenya
Abstract
The evolution of militaries worldwide, marked by advancements in size, strength, equipment, weapons systems, and infrastructure, is driven by the ever-changing demands and challenges their nations face. In addition to their core roles, military forces are increasingly required to adapt and undertake innovative tasks in alignment with national objectives. Consequently, modern training approaches have been implemented to ensure the professional competence of military personnel. In this dynamic military landscape, characterized by the deployment of sophisticated weaponry, the demand for highly educated and well-trained officers and soldiers is paramount. As Baratz-Snowden (2009) emphasizes, the right personnel are not just those who can perform their duties but also those who are motivated to do so. Moreover, the right position entails a role that an individual is capable of fulfilling, and achieving the right performance hinges on placing individuals in suitable positions and providing them with the opportunity to excel in their assigned tasks. With the rapid development of technology and the diversification of responsibilities, military training institutions face the imperative to update the competencies of their instructors. This adaptation is essential to equip instructors with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively impart evolving information relevant to the military environment. Consequently, instructors' performance is a key concern for armed forces, as the quality of training largely depends on their knowledge and teaching abilities. Bramley (1991) provides a comprehensive definition of training as the "systematic development of the attitude, knowledge, skill, and behavior pattern required by an individual to perform adequately a given task or job.