By Vadim Russian military circles see the Pentagon research center in Monterey located between Los Angeles and San Francisco as a kind of spy organization. The better was the invitation from the US Embassy in Moscow to send a correspondent at the Nezavisimaya Military Review for getting study together with American military servicemen in one department of the Institute for management of defense resources. This year the US Navy University with this institute as a part of it marks its 90th anniversary.
First amusing thing by the arriving to the object of military study in Monterey is the lack of any guard. The similar situation is also seen at the U.S. Defense Language Institute, strongly tied by the nature of its activity to several departments of the Navy University. There are not guard teams in other buildings within the military town. Rarely appears a car with policeman but his duty is only ensuring public order. On the question how is it possible to come out without a tough system of pass cards, vigilant guardians which thoroughly identify photos with a person American military men reply with another question: why we should increase the military staff?
As to the military matter, the majority of data you can get easily. And only a small part of it in reality covers military and state secrets. A lot of small rooms in the study building and the library are sufficient for its reliable preservation.
The Navy University in Monterey has the traditional name - school. It goes back to 1942 when Pentagon brought a ruined private hotel and turned it into a study center for training of pilots.
Since the end of World War II a transformation took place: the US Navy Academy in Annapolis sent here its engineering faculties charged not so much with the preparation of military staff but rather with technological "brains" for Navy. These faculties were set up in 1909.
To study at Monterey is considered prestigious. Students around 30 years old are extremely proud of the fact that almost all admiral staff of the US Navy had graduated the study center. They are well aware of their own prospects.
With time, the engineering department has grown. In principal new special formations were set up, for example, the department for national security today located in a separate multi-floor building.
During the Cold War it was the extremely secret object. In 1965 the particular place in the organizational schedule took the Institute for management of defense resources. All professors has a long-term experience of working in well-known US Universities, and half staff are working also at the well-known Stanford University located some dozen miles away. And also Washington is situated in other part of the USA specialists from Monterey frequently receive invitation to come for consultation or get tasks for scientific investigation in Pentagon and other high ranking headquarters.
Every final-year student having studied two years should receive a master's degree. In other words, the level of education is no lower than in leading American Universities. The professors have many times tried without success to bring the exterior form in line with its authentic content but every time were refused from the part of senior officers stubbornly preserving loyalty to the traditions: the Institute would be named as in past time the Navy School although graduating Academy students having served several years in the Navy continue to enter it. The tradition is a sacred matter for American military men such as the flag raising in the mornings to the strains of National
Anthem.
As to the correlation between civil and military professors Monterey is drawn towards a routine University. The number of active officers-professors is very small. This is one of principle of staff policy. It is not important that the Institute has military character. The atmosphere of democracy, free communication between students and professors goes very well with the teaching. Shoulder-strap professor like it or not enslaves, fetters students, and this is cutting down the education's effectiveness. Noteworthy, professors (even if they are officers) as well students can appear during the study only in civil suits.
Since the first day of study at the University students are given to understand that they are already a part of the elite. First of all, unusual study atmosphere contributes to this. Professors evaluate the audience as equal to themselves communicating with it without an arrogance, condescension or any humiliation in regard of studying personality. The preferable matter is cooperation.
At least three circumstances contribute to setting up of similar creative atmosphere. First, the traditions of the American high military school come from the ideology of Oxford University where we see the broadest democracy in relations between students and professors during studies as well at leisure-time. The democracy can be observed also in the method of education which in outward appearance is seen as the student teach professor. The current lesson comes to the end with the professor running a long list of books necessary for working on the theme which will be discussed at the next lesson.
Second, we face an absolutely different approach to teaching. Here it is not seen as a formal and therefore in some degree a forceful act. In the Navy University there are not entrance examinations. The selection of candidates for joining the study is carried out according to their personal bids and documents.
