Today, we sit down with Dr. Bruce Fleming, a professor of more than thirty years. Dr. Fleming has been an outspoken critic of the Academy, and the policies he says are not producing the intended result. He says that the service academies have lost their way, and the students who graduate are not prepared for their leadership commands.
After being fired for his outspoken views and teaching methods, a court ruled in his favor and ordered that he be reinstated. And while the USNA complied with the ruling, they have yet to allow him back into the classroom. And now he sits on a forced sabbatical with plenty of time to pen his latest book, “Saving Our Service Academies: My Battle with, and for, the US Naval Academy to Make Thinking Officers .“
“Saving Our Service Academies” is a critical examination of the current state of U.S. military academies by Bruce Fleming, who spent over thirty years teaching at the US Naval Academy. Fleming discusses his struggle to instill maturity and thoughtful leadership qualities in future officers amidst a backdrop of apathy and cynicism caused by a disconnect between the academies’ ideals and their current reality. He criticizes the academies for promoting blind obedience over informed decision-making, a trend he believes weakens military strength. Fleming, who faced dismissal and later reinstatement due to his outspoken views, advocates for a radical reimagining of these institutions. He suggests integrating them with other officer commissioning sources or repurposing them as post-collegiate training facilities to better align with contemporary military and societal needs.
A fascinating conversation and a unique peek behind the walls of The Yard!
Have a listen!
Links:
- Saving Our Service Academies (Amazon)
- Saving Our Service Academies (Post Hill Press)
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