Newswise — Pentagon officials have partnered with the McConnell Center to host the U.S. Army’s second annual Strategic Broadening Seminar (SBS) currently underway at the University of Louisville. The month long seminar is the brainchild of U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Raymond T. Odierno and solely focused on leadership development for a select group of officers, noncommissioned and civilian personnel.

Pentagon spokesman Robert MacMullen says the seminar provides the next generation of army leaders with the critical knowledge of how to assess a changing geopolitical landscape, needed when making future leadership decisions.

“We think that intellectual capital is important and we need that in our next generation of leaders,” MacMullen said. “This is about building leaders that understand complex environments and you have to be able to have this perspective to understand the broad array of issues that affect national security. If you can get that as a young captain or major it really helps change things on the battlefield.”

Captain Patricia Tuggle is one of only thirty four select personnel from across the world to be selected to attend the SBS. She says the seminar forces soldiers out of their comfort zone and forces them to look past the daily mission at hand.

“As soldiers we get so focused on being tactically proficient that we forget that we have to be that holistic leader,” Tuggle said. “Having that comprehensive viewpoint regarding national security issues is really what we need when facing today’s challenges.”

The McConnell Center, founded 25 years ago by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is hosting the seminar for the second straight year and according to center director Gary Gregg, the Pentagon is seeing significant return on its investment.

“I know for a fact that several soldiers took what they learned last year and are using it back in their units,” Gregg said. “The army has determined that this type of leadership development is worth funding, we are thrilled they asked us to do it again and hope to turn it into a long-term relationship with the army.”

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