米海兵隊の昇任制度と高等教育制度について

—陸上自衛隊・米海兵隊比較を通して—

抄録

This paper clarifies the functions of the United States Marine Corps’ Promotion system for the officers and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Promotion system for the officers through two main factors. The first factor is education, the Military Professional Education (PME) at the Marine Corps University, colleges, and schools that allow the marine officers to be promoted to the next higher rank by learning the military professional subjects required for officers to carry out their missions at higher positions. Second, the acquisition of the master’s degrees at the Military universities and colleges is essential for the promotion of marine officers to a higher rank of Major and Lieutenant Colonel. The JGSDF has no higher education system as the US Marine Corps (USMC). However, it has a non-academic degree-oriented career path through the definite military education system. The comparison between the USMC and JGSDF clarifies the reason such a traditional Japanese education system makes a difference to officers and clues why the JGSDF officers are such educated skillful soldiers, even if they have no academic degrees.