The Preservation and the Decay of Military Skills

Abstract : Naive observations as well as academic studies of memory indicate that people forget what they have learned. Disuse can lead to skill deterioration, which, in the extreme, might mean that a skill is no longer functional when needed (Healy & Sinclair, 1996). Forgetting depends on a variety of factors, such as the quality of the skills required, the subject's characteristics, etc. Skill decay refers to the loss or decay of trained or acquired skill (or knowledge) after periods of non use. Skill decay is particularly salient and problematic in situations where individuals receive initial training of knowledge and skill that they may not be required to use or exercise for extended periods of time (Wisher, Sabol, Sukenik, & Kern, 1991).