Unveiling the Harding Project: Revitalizing Writing in the Armed Forces
In the 1930s, Major Edwin "Forrest" Harding revolutionized the U.S. Army's professional journals by introducing new editorial practices that elevated their quality, relevance, and professional appeal. Appointed as editor of the revived Infantry Journal in 1934 by Major General Edward Croft, Harding focused on improving the content, editorial standards, and presentation of these journals to better serve the educational and professional development needs of officers and enlisted personnel.
Fast forward to today, and efforts to renew these essential publications are once again at the forefront. The modernization of these professional military publications now involves adapting to the digital age by leveraging digital platforms, incorporating multimedia content, encouraging open dialogue, and ensuring content relevancy.
The shift to digital platforms aims to increase accessibility, timeliness, and interactivity of the journals. Multimedia content such as videos, podcasts, and interactive graphics are being incorporated to meet contemporary consumption habits. Open dialogue and crowdsourcing of ideas from a broader base of military personnel and experts are being encouraged to foster a more collaborative and inclusive environment. Content relevancy is being addressed by addressing current strategic challenges, emerging technologies, and diverse perspectives within the military community.
The Harding Project, a grassroots effort, is advocating for the renewal of the Army's professional publications. The project aims to perfect the policy to support the transition to web-first, mobile-friendly platforms with robust social media support. Transitioning archives from the issue-level to the article-level and improving metadata could make Army publications more accessible and useful for research.
The Army could also mandate the citation of at least one professional article per written assignment and award noncommissioned officers promotion points for publishing in a professional journal. The Army's journals, such as branch magazines being the venue for discussion of branch issues and associated with the branches' centers of excellence, require renewal due to decreased content, inaccessible archives, and a lack of social media and scholarly engagement.
To address these issues, the Harding Project advocates for four specific actions: updating policy to encourage modernization, educating the force on the professional publication landscape, improving archive accessibility, and empowering volunteer editors. The project believes that volunteer editorial teams could increase the capacity of civilian editorial teams at professional journals, develop a capable cohort of military writers, and better connect professional journals with the force.
The Army's professional military publications have always been indispensable resources, serving as a platform for critical debates over changing tactics and technology before major conflicts. Today, the Army is in an interwar period, seeking to modernize before the next war and needs the input of its entire force to succeed. Renewing these publications is a crucial step towards ensuring the Army stays informed, engaged, and prepared for the challenges of the modern battlefield.
- The Harding Project, reminiscent of Major Edwin "Forrest" Harding's initiative in the 1930s, is advocating for a policy update to support the transition of the Army's professional publications to web-first, mobile-friendly platforms, aiming to encapsulate modern consumption habits and foster a collaborative environment amongst military personnel.
- In line with the need for continuous learning and development in today's military landscape, the Army could instate a policy requiring the citation of at least one professional article per written assignment and reward noncommissioned officers promotion points for publishing in a professional journal, engaging more personnel in the discourse within these publications.
- To ensure the Army's professional journals, such as branch magazines, remain timely, accessible, and scholarly, the Harding Project proposes empowering volunteer editors, aiming to increase capacity, cultivate military writing skills, and bridge the gap between the professional journals and the force.
