Book Description

This thesis examines the aggregate Unrestricted Line Officer financial management responsibilities of commanding officers, executive officers, department heads and division officers as found in public law and Navy Regulations, and compares that aggregate with the contents of current career development courses, management training courses, guidebooks, and major financial correspondence courses. This examination concludes that normal career development courses are inadequate to prepare officers for their responsibilities. However, there appears to be a sufficient number of specialized financial courses to meet aggregate responsibilities. The thesis then attempts to measure (1) the current financial knowledge level of Naval officers, and (2) the impact the specialized courses and one of the guidebooks have had on improving this knowledge level utilizing two surveys conducted at the Naval Postgraduate School. In conclusion, the thesis makes several recommendations for increasing the availability of financial training to the line officer by incorporating it into normal career development courses. It also presents a guidebook developed by the author which can be used in formal training programs or as an ancillary training aid/reference publication for those individual who have not or will not have an opportunity to receive formal financial management training.