Nobody Asked Me, But . . .

Students at military academies are learning to lead in a world defined by information warfare. The ability to search for, critically assess, interpret, and use information is a mission-essential skill. While the military has long focused on physical and technical training, information literacy often is an afterthought. Many students receive little formal instruction on how to evaluate information sources, distinguish credible data from misinformation, and use insights effectively. Lacking these vital skills can compromise their decision-making in operational settings. In a time when adversaries can manipulate and twist information to deceive and disrupt, the lack of strong information literacy skills can leave even the best-trained service members vulnerable to misinformation and prone to poor judgment.

Managing Data Saturation

Unlike technical or tactical skills, information literacy is often treated as a matter for primary education, during which it typically is introduced in a limited and superficial capacity. Military students, however, must learn how to make quick decisions in complex, high-stakes scenarios, and they are expected to be able to do so without having received comprehensive training in information assessment and verification. While these students, once they graduate, may excel in following orders and applying strategic concepts, they may lack skills needed to analyze, verify, and manage information overload. The idea that these skills will develop naturally through experience is a misconception. Without structured instruction in information literacy, students are left to rely on instinct or fragmented learning that can result in reliance on unverified data, oversimplified conclusions, or decisions lacking the depth of analysis required for modern military information operations.

A bibliography titled “Library Instruction and Information Literacy 2022” cites a number of studies that found a widespread lack of information literacy among students, even after years of academic education. If civilian students struggle with these skills, the challenge is likely even greater for military students facing time-sensitive, high-pressure situations. Future military leaders must leave their studies with the ability to effectively interpret and respond to the vast amounts of information they will encounter in the operational environment.

When that environment is saturated with data, the absence of robust information literacy training leaves military students vulnerable to poor decision-making. Qianxiu Liu, a researcher in information literacy education, states:

Students are used to using internet search engines when facing problems in their daily lives and research. However, the ease of accessing resources from the Internet makes students blindly optimistic about their ability to retrieve information and underestimate the importance of [information literacy] education.

Misinformation and biased reporting can influence strategic decisions, while inability to discern whether information is trustworthy can lead to operational failures, especially when relying on social media and open sources. The rapid integration of large language models (LLMs) and other AI-driven technologies presents another new challenge. These tools excel in analyzing data, recognizing patterns, and making predictions. They rapidly deliver insights that would take most human analysts much longer to achieve. However, LLMs make mistakes, exhibit biases, and can even spread misinformation. If military students lack strong information literacy skills, they may struggle to assess the credibility of AI-generated content, potentially accepting flawed conclusions or unreliable intelligence. It is crucial to evaluate and cross-reference AI outputs with verified data sources to ensure accurate decision-making. Teaching military students to critically assess the reliability of information generated by LLMs would improve their ability to make informed, evidence-based decisions.

Without critical thinking skills, students may struggle to keep up when information changes rapidly or new data contradicts their initial assessments. This can put mission success and lives at risk. For military leaders, the ability to confidently analyze and interpret information is as important as tactical proficiency. During a crisis, they must make decisions quickly despite incomplete or conflicting data. Those with a poor grounding in information literacy will be slower to identify patterns, detect deception, or recognize the limitations of the data available to them.

Building a Curriculum

To bridge this gap, the military must integrate information literacy into its academic curricula and leadership-development programs. A 2021 study by researchers Kirsten Hostetler and Tian Luo found, “Information literacy is a well-studied construct within the library and information science literature, but this has not translated to much exploration beyond the field.” Information literacy training is noticeably absent within higher education. There is a lack of credit-granting courses, and studies of one-shot instructional workshops show limited or no gains of information literacy skills.

The U.S. Military Academy recently created an optional course, RS103, Information Literacy and Critical Thinking. That is an admirable step toward improving information literacy among future officers, but such courses would be more effective as a mandatory part of military education.  Training should focus on building critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills that encourage students to question information sources, recognize biases, and verify data using multiple perspectives.

Military students must learn to approach information with a healthy degree of skepticism, recognizing that even well-sourced intelligence can sometimes be incomplete or misleading. Engaging in scenario-based learning exercises would allow future leaders to hone these skills in simulated environments, challenging them to analyze conflicting intelligence, identify misinformation, and make decisions amid uncertainty. Such activities would help students build the cognitive flexibility military personnel need to handle the unpredictable flow of information in a crisis.

Other defense organizations have recognized the importance of media-literacy training in countering information-influence activities. An article in Armed Forces & Society recognized that rapid changes in the information environment pose significant threats to national security. As part of a study, the authors developed a media-literacy learning platform for the Estonian Defense Forces. While the study does not present empirical results of the instruction, it provides insights on the types of programs that could build information literacy skills within the U.S. military. By instituting similar evidence-based methods, military organizations could strengthen information literacy skills across the force.

Developing a Well-Rounded Understanding

Recognizing information literacy as a vital skill goes beyond military applications. Ukraine’s Learn to Discern (L2D) program was born out of the need to counter the misinformation that surged after the 2014 Russian invasion. The program combined media-literacy models with pragmatic debunking techniques pioneered by StopFake, a website dedicated to identifying misinformation and disinformation. By using libraries as public learning hubs and employing a multilayered training approach, the program taught citizens to critically evaluate media content. Reviews by the International Research & Exchanges Board demonstrated that participants significantly improved their ability to identify misinformation and confidently verify information sources. The success of L2D highlights the potential of education in building resilience against low-quality information. As military organizations work to improve their information literacy training, they would do well to adopt lessons from large-scale civilian programs such as L2D.

Collaboration with experts in information science, intelligence analysis, and digital security could further strengthen the military’s future information literacy initiatives. Interdisciplinary approaches would give military students a well-rounded understanding of the sources from which they derive information. Librarians and information professionals, who are often underused in higher education, offer specialized expertise in evaluating and organizing information. Their guidance could help students create practical strategies for tackling information overload, verifying sources, and identifying disinformation. In addition, it is crucial to keep honing these skills. Information literacy is not a one-and-done deal; it requires regular refinement and practice. Establishing continual training programs, mentorship opportunities, and access to reliable information resources would help students stay sharp as the information environment evolves.

For military students, mastering information literacy skills is just as vital as learning battlefield tactics or strategic planning. Success in future missions will depend not only on superior weaponry and strategy, but also on leaders’ ability to make informed decisions in dynamic environments. By prioritizing information literacy now, the military can strengthen its leadership pipeline. By acknowledging the value of information literacy skills and making them a foundational part of military education, the armed forces can rise to the challenges of the information age with confidence and clarity.

1. Caroyln Caffrey et al., “Library Instruction and Information Literacy 2022,” Reference Services Review 51, no. 3-4 (November 2023): 319-96.

2. Qianxiu Liu, “Information Literacy And Recent Graduates: Motivation, Self-Efficacy, And Perception Of Credit-Based Information Literacy Courses,” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 49, no. 3, 2.

3. Kirsten Hostetler and Tian Luo, “Managing cognitive load in information literacy instruction,” Educational Technology Research and Development 69, no. 2 (February 2021): 583-606.

4. Andreas Ventsel et al., “Building Resilience Against Hostile Information Influence Activities: How a New Media Literacy Learning Platform Was Developed for the Estonian Defense Forces,” Armed Forces & Society 50, no. 4 (2024).

5. Nataliia Tytova and Khrystyna Mereniuk, “Digital Literacy Of Future Teachers In The Realities Of Large-Scale Military Aggression (Ukrainian Experience),” Futurity Education 2, no. 3 (2022).

Source: Proceedings, June 2025… by Jenna Hillhouse