This qualitative research examines senior U.S. Army officer leaders’ propensity and appreciation to engage in self-devolvement and to develop their junior leaders. The research compares what the Army is prescribing to its leaders with what they are actually saying and doing. It focuses on the decade before the Global War on Terrorism, during the high-tempo war period, and the last ten years. We find that the past 19 years of war have impacted the U.S. Army in countless ways. One is arguably on its most precious capability—its active officer leaders. As the Army rose to war-related challenges, it did so at leader-development costs. Little time, focus, and a battle environment left developing others and oneself low on the list of priorities. Less officer nurturing in the past will have an amplified and harmful effect in the near and distant future; unless, of course, the Army understands its self-development state-of-affairs today and takes action to bolster adult learning. It is no longer a question of if the Army wants to develop its leadership seed-corn, but if they can
