Why do so many people in the military have useless degrees?

I agree with you, which is why I recently stopped attending the main degree mill the military folks attend. I will say English isn't worthless. If said SM wants to be a teacher after service. But I get what you're saying.

I'd say, like most others who commented, it's a check the block for the army. As for your question of how does it help the army, well the military is so big in terms of personnel, it cannot imo look at degrees for certain usefulness critieria. In some cases. Also, hell some people get a degree in some fields simply out of interest.

The military doesn't care what your degree is in, just that you have one.

Useless is in the eye of the beholder. Frankly most go after degrees to enhance their promotion potential. Beyond that, if you're going to spend the time and effort to get a degree it might as well be in an area of interest to you.

Because education has become a big business and they want that sweet, sweet GI Bill money. So they target advertising toward military veterans, and it works.

Pending your job, I have found that the process of getting a degree is more important than the actual degree. It takes discipline to work through the hard classes and if you are also working full time (what I was doing with my MBA) you have to figure out how to balance life with school. Nobody is making you do it but you are still willing to put in the effort. It's not to say that you can't have that same discipline or be educated without getting a degree, but having the degree shows the world that you have the discipline to see it through. It's like running a marathon by choice. Nobody is making you do it, but you put in the time and effort when you didn't feel like it, but instead of a medal in your bedroom that only a few people know about, you have a piece of paper that you can show employers. That might be a terrible example, but I do a lot of long distance running and that's the first comparison that comes to my depraved mind. Similar mindset. I could talk about all of the other benefits of education, but if you care about being educated you really don't need a degree. You just need an open mind and the desire to learn.

I am not sure there are "useless degrees". Degrees open doors. I have an Environmental Science degree with a Public Health focus. Do you think I am able, with my operational public health background and a degree, to get a job in public health? The answer has been - No!

But I have used that degree in the areas of Disaster Preparedness and Data Science. When combined with my military and post military experience my sciences-based degree has been an asset when applying it to aspects that impart a certain perspective for the task at hand.

Also, COL (Join to see) is correct. There are people, officer and enlisted alike, who cannot string two simple sentences together without creating confusion. Also, the military and not just the Army thrives of diversity, not just in obvious ways, but when different educations are brought together to create a better whole - then all can win; especially, when the senior enlisted or officer can use that education to effectively communicate a common operating picture of shared objectives.

I also tend to agree with 3e5x1-engineering that "...there may very well be some substance too what you are posting, but your approach is completely wrong...." Why?

Because there are those who appear to be well educated unable to use what they have learned more effectively? This addresses the point 3e5x1-engineering also made regarding the "...current CSAF...."

Keep in mind, when people go out of their way to heap praise on someone like the CSAF it is because such leaders have learned how to use their education to advance not only themselves but those men and women they have successfully commanded. Making them better! Lifting your own boat while being determined to sink others so only you will rise is never a good thing.

Also, Underhill makes a good point "...a degree shows a dedication to something and the base skill level that comes with completing a college course..." It is like the < 4% of all Scouts who ever make Eagle Scout, it shows the capacity to stick with something and to finish!!!

BTW, I have looked at some "interdisciplinary studies" programs. They allow the generalist to be flexible and make them an asset, because the person hiring them knows that they have a broad understanding of how things fit together. Such people might be good ab bringing diverse people together with a singular focus to solve a multi-modal issue. Like my dad, now gone who spoke 9 languages. it was nothing for him to speak to a Russian, a German and an Italian who could not speak to each other, but who with his skills come to agreement. Dad did not have a language degree, he had natural skills!

Finally, having a good education is not the same as having common sense. I have known very educated people who could function well in their office, but asked to think their way through something out of their element and to survive was challenging for them. Having a bad officer or senior enlisted is not so much the degree they have, rather it is the human being they are. Pure and simple!

In addition to data science, I am also tasked with doing research for my team. So, I have taken the liberty of doing some research for you. This is not the be all end all, but it is interesting:

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5607712/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5182150/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4896270/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6920635/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4310135/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6367254/

The above are not offered except to share insights regarding leadership. Providing these does NOT mean I agree or disagree with any premises made. It means, I am willing to consider what people have studied and give it a fair evaluation.

Also, if you get the chance please read the book - It's Your Ship. In the meantime, here is the short version: http://www.gary-tomlinson.com/media/Book_Report_-_Its_Your_Ship.pdf. My book copy is dog eared, underlined, highlighted and annotated. The book will make a good weekend read for you!

After you read the book and review the research (limited view) above please share your thoughts.

a useless degree is one that is not used- i.e.- basket weaving for athletes. Since as leaders \, all the degrees you listed are often used frequently.

Most if them just earn a degree to commission. The better question to ask is why is the military not utilizing their specialty degree to the maximum benefit of the formation? You can have somebody who has a specific degree and instead of using that person for that specialty they will assign them something completely different. "Oh you have a degree in chemical engineering? We are gonna put you in the AG corps." ~The military

It's ridiculous!

I have 4 degrees including a PhD and I retired as a USMCR CWO4 after 30 years active and reserve. I taught Computer Science at a Carnegie R2 for 42 years and served as a staff officer with the 24th Marines. My degrees were immensely important in my meager successes as an officer, even though my USMCR work had little to do with computing.

My general education courses in mathematics, English, History, Physics, etc. made me a much better officer. I was effective at communication, I was confident, and I had the education to see how current circumstances fit with the wider world.

I don't think there is such a thing as a "useless degree".

Why do you care? My English degree was a great benefit in my military and civilian careers. I could whip out well written APRs and AARs in no time in the days before computers and auto spell check. Never had one kicked back.