TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01 - TRADOC - U.S. Army

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01Chapter 8Science, Technology, and the Human Dimension8-1. IntroductionS&T plays an important role within the human dimension in the future. Science will continueto investigate the physical, cognitive and, to some extent, the moral components of the humandimension. As the Army applies science toward developing advanced technologies, it will beable to more accurately target its recruiting effort, more effectively train and educate Soldiers,enhance physical and cognitive performance and augment human capabilities with advancedtechnology tools. S&T developments will help the Soldier to not only succeed in combat, butalso to cope with the stress that combat produces, recover from the physical and mental effects ofa hostile OE, and facilitate the Soldier’s reintegration into American society.Human needs and requirements define the goals and objectives of Army S&T efforts. Takingadvantage of unexpected or breakthroughtechnologies as they emerge provides the Armywith the best possible means to accomplish itsmission. While human imagination is unlimited,physical capabilities and the S&T available toaugment or enhance those capabilities presentchallenges to achieving human dreams. Manyfactors drive the S&T effort and S&Tadvancements impact on the characteristics andcapabilities of the human dimension. Forexample, joint and Army concepts envision newways for the military to operate in future warfarethat may exceed current technological capabilities.People have always taken advantage of S&Tadvancements to enhance warfighting capabilities.Demands of modern warfare-While modernwarfare has not hesitated to impress almostevery known science into its service for thepurpose of overcoming man, the trained manhas up to the present time demonstrated hisability to hold his own against the mostterrible odds successfully; and in the end itwill be discovered that it is the man, thecarefully trained and conditioned man, whoalone can make victory possible.- War Department Special Regulation, 23. FieldPhysical Training of the Soldier. War Department,May 10, 1917The continual evolution of the OE influencesboth S&T and the human dimension. Thoughpredicting specific S&T capabilities ten to twentyyears in the future is difficult, it is safe to say thatcapabilities developed to improve the humancondition will find military applications and viceversa. This chapter discusses emerging S&T trends,the integration of S&T into the human dimension atboth the individual and societal levels, and theimpact of this integration on the human dimension.Army leaders must be conversant with newtechnologies and comfortable in their integration intoall aspects of the Army mission, training and171