Joint Professional Military Education

Last updated
The National War College was the first senior school for JPME National War College - Roosevelt Hall.jpg
The National War College was the first senior school for JPME

Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) is a form of Professional Military Education (PME) in the United States that emphasizes a multiservice approach. [1] Joint Professional Military Education was established following greater awareness during World War II of a need for effective cooperation between the branches of the United States armed forces. [2] While some institutions had previously served to provide joint training, notably the Army and Navy Staff College that operated in the last years of the War, the first senior school for Joint Professional Military Education was founded in 1946 under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The 1986 passage of the Goldwater–Nichols Act caused increased interest in Joint Professional Military Education and created a standard. As of 2005, JPME contains five levels, successful completion of two of which are among the qualifications for the designation Joint Service Officer. Joint Professional Military Education levels are available at a number of colleges and JPME Institutions.

Contents

History

Prior to World War II, the branches of the United States military generally trained their staff independently, [3] but new demands for collaborative efforts by services dedicated to ground, sea and air made clear the need for joint education. [4] In December 1942, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces, General Hap Arnold, proposed a War College that might train officers for joint operations between the United States Army and Navy and develop new methods and doctrines for cooperative efforts during the war. [2] To meet this need, in 1943, Arnold and his fellow Joint Chiefs of Staff established a temporary Army and Navy Staff College that provided four-month courses for officers through the end of the war. [4]

During its operation, the Army and Navy Staff College's commandant, Lieutenant General John Dewitt was invited to lead a panel to develop recommendations for the future of joint military education, and the panel recommended the establishment of a national university that would incorporate a joint industrial college, joint war college and State Department college. [5] At the same time, the Special Committee for Reorganization of the National Defense headed by Navy Admiral James Richardson (the Richardson Committee) began conducting national interviews that led to a highly controversial recommendation for a unified armed forces as well as a list of "three basic requirements" for joint military education and training: (1) adequate training to allow juniors to cooperatively enact joint plans, (2) joint education to allow officers to work together in drafting and enacting joint plans, and (3) joint education to allow officers at high levels to formulate and command large-scale, joint operations. [6] While the United States Congress set about the slow course to developing the Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military personnel were at work attempting to structure joint military education. [7]

The first few years after the war saw significant movement in these efforts. In 1946, the National War College—the first senior school for JPME under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—was founded, [8] as one of the recommendations by a study headed by Lieutenant General Leonard Gerow. [9] That same year, the Armed Forces Staff College (renamed in 2000 the Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC)) was opened under operation of the Chief of Naval Operations, [4] "to train selected officers of the armed forces in joint operations." [10] Two years later, the recently renamed Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) was also a designated a "joint educational institution" and put under the direction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [11] When, in 1976 a National Defense University (NDU) was created to provide structure to military education, the National War College and Industrial College of the Armed Forces were its first two constituents for joint military education. [3] In 1981, the Armed Forces Staff College was also assigned to NDU. [4]

Ongoing challenges in United States military preparedness for joint action was highlighted by 1980's Operation Eagle Claw, and events such as the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing emphasized the need for proper cooperative training. [12] The 1986 passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act meant to help overcome barriers between intraservice cooperation popularized JPME by making it a requirement for becoming a Joint Staff Officer. [13] [14] The Act also mandated standards for JPME education. [15]

JPME levels

There are five levels of JPME defined by the Officer Professional Military Education Policy issued in December 2005:

  1. preparatory JPME taught to undergraduates and during primary military education;
  2. Phase I taught at intermediate and senior levels;
  3. Phase II;
  4. single-phase programs offered at select institutions; and
  5. General/Field Officer course. [14]

Successful completion of both Phase I and Phase II of the JPME are among the qualifications for the designation Joint Staff Officer (JSO). [1] [16]

Program for Joint Education

The Program for Joint Education (PJE) is an umbrella term used to refer to the approach utilized in JPME. Multiple aspects of Joint Professional Military Education are encompassed in the term; curricula, standards and education objectives are a component of PJE, as are the ratio of military branches represented among students and faculty and the ratio of student to faculty. [1] The PJE is assessed through the Program for Accreditation of Joint Education (PAJE) administered by PAJE teams appointed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [17]

Institutions

Under the umbrella of the National Defense University (NDU), JPME is offered by a number of joint colleges and four JPME institutions: the National War College, the College of Information and Cyberspace, the College of International Security Affairs, the Eisenhower School, and the Joint Forces Staff College. [1] These institutions maintain a joint focus and a multiple-service student body and faculty.

A number of schools, including the NDU and Military Service Colleges, are approved to provide JPME Phase I credits to their student bodies. [18] While formerly JPME Phase II credits were available at a very limited number of schools, recent changes in regulations have expanded their availability. [14] As of 2006, the Joint Forces Staff College was approved to provide Phase II credits, including through its Joint & Combined Warfighting School, while the National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces were entitled to offer both Phase I and Phase II. By 2007, the U.S. Army War College, the College of Naval Warfare of the Naval War College, Marine Corps War College and the Air War College were all accredited to offer both Phase I and II. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian National Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Indonesia

The Indonesian National Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Indonesia. It consists of the Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL), and Air Force (TNI-AU). The President of Indonesia is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. As of 2023, it comprises approximately 400,000 military personnel including the Indonesian Marine Corps, which is a branch of the Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National War College</span> School in the National Defense University

The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of the Philippines</span> Military forces of the Philippines

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The President of the Philippines is the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP and forms military policy with the Department of National Defense, an executive department acting as the principal organ by which military policy is carried out, while the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines serves as the overall commander and the highest-ranking officer in the AFP.

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States, along with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Chiefs of Staff</span> Senior-most military leaders who advise U.S. executive government

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council on military matters. The composition of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is defined by statute and consists of a chairman (CJCS), a vice chairman (VJCS), the chiefs of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Each of the individual service chiefs, outside their JCS obligations, works directly under the secretaries of their respective military departments, e.g. the secretary of the Army, the secretary of the Navy, and the secretary of the Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval War College</span> Staff college for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island

The Naval War College is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associated roles and missions, supports combat readiness, and strengthens global maritime partnerships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldwater–Nichols Act</span> 1986 U.S. law strengthening civilian authority in the Department of Defense

The Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of October 4, 1986 made the most sweeping changes to the United States Department of Defense since the department was established in the National Security Act of 1947 by reworking the command structure of the U.S. military. It increased the powers of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and implemented some of the suggestions from the Packard Commission, commissioned by President Reagan in 1985. Among other changes, Goldwater–Nichols streamlined the military chain of command, which now runs from the president through the secretary of defense directly to combatant commanders, bypassing the service chiefs. The service chiefs were assigned to an advisory role to the president and the secretary of defense, and given the responsibility for training and equipping personnel for the unified combatant commands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Army</span> Land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces

The Pakistan Army, commonly known as the Pak Army, is the land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the supreme commander of the army. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), a four star general, commands the army. The Army was established in August 1947 after Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom. According to statistics provided by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in 2024, the Pakistan Army has approximately 560,000 active duty personnel, supported by the Pakistan Army Reserve, the National Guard and the Civil Armed Forces. Pakistan Army is the sixth-largest army of the world and the largest of the Muslim world.

A unified combatant command, also referred to as a combatant command (CCMD), is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, and conducts broad and continuing missions. There are currently 11 unified combatant commands, and each is established as the highest echelon of military commands, in order to provide effective command and control of all U.S. military forces, regardless of branch of service, during peace or during war time. Unified combatant commands are organized either on a geographical basis or on a functional basis, e.g., special operations, force projection, transport, and cybersecurity. Currently, seven combatant commands are designated as geographical, and four are designated as functional. Unified combatant commands are "joint" commands and have specific badges denoting their affiliation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Defense University</span> Military university in Washington, D.C.

The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense aimed at facilitating high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As a chairman's Controlled Activity, NDU operates under the guidance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), with Lieutenant General Michael T. Plehn, USAF, as president. It is located on the grounds of Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., near the White House and the US Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lesley J. McNair</span> United States Army post in Washington, D.C.

Fort Lesley J. McNair, also historically known as the Washington Arsenal, is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To the peninsula's west is the Washington Channel, while the Anacostia River is on its south side. The fort has been an army post for more than 200 years, third in length of service, after the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Carlisle Barracks. The fort is named for General Lesley James McNair, who was killed in action by friendly fire in Normandy, France during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air University (United States Air Force)</span> U.S. Air Force military education institution

Air University is a professional military education university system of the United States Air Force. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award master's degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Forces Staff College</span> Military unit

The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinational warfighters to plan and lead at the operational level. Military operations increasingly require the Armed Services to work jointly, and JFSC provides students the tools to operate in a joint environment. JFSC is composed of three schools, each with different student populations and purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USAF Air War College</span> Senior professional military education school of the U.S. Air Force

The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, space, and cyberspace in joint operations. Headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, its higher headquarters is the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. It is one of six war colleges within the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase II Education Program for commissioned officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy</span> Military unit

The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, formerly known as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), is a part of the National Defense University. It was renamed on September 6, 2012, in honor of Dwight D. Eisenhower who graduated from this school when it was previously known as the Army Industrial College.

The Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) is situated at Batalanda, Makola (South) 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy & the Sri Lanka Air Force to prepare them for the ranks of junior field officers in the army and the respective ranks of the Navy and Air force. The DSCSC was formerly known as the Sri Lanka Army Command and Staff College (ACSC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Defence University, Pakistan</span> Military university in islamabad, Pakistan

The National Defence University (NDU), formerly introduced as Army War Course (1963–70), the National Defence College (1970–2007), is the military university with additional status of public university of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan focused on military education and training for the armed forces, including Pakistan military forces and two hundred foreign participants. Formerly established on 28 May 1970 at Rawalpindi, its academic principles are focused on command instructions, national security, military strategy, and war studies among other specified academic disciplines. It is one of the oldest military education and training institutes in the country with additional enrollments reserved for the civil servants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (Nigeria)</span> Official defence body overseeing and supervising the Armed forces of Nigeria

The Ministry of Defence is a government ministry of Nigeria with the statutory responsibility of overseeing and supervising the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defence is headed by the Minister of Defence, a cabinet-level head who reports directly to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its main mission is to provide administrative and support services, timely and effectively to enable the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College of International Security Affairs</span> College at the National Defense University

The College of International Security Affairs (CISA), formerly known as the School for National Security Executive Education (SNSEE), is one of five colleges at the National Defense University. It is considered the flagship U.S. Department of Defense institution for education in combating terrorism and irregular warfare at the strategic level. According to a Joint Chief of Staff document, the mission of CIS is to "educate joint warfighters and national security leaders in creative and critical thinking for the strategic challenges of winning strategies for the contemporary security environment."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Corps War College</span> Military training institution in the United States of America

The Marine Corps War College (MCWAR), is the senior school of the Marine Corps University, providing Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) to selected United States military officers, civilian Government officials, and international military officers. The college prepares officers for future senior command and staff responsibilities requiring exceptional operational competence, sound military judgment, and strategic thinking. The college is located within the Marine Corps University aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Muhleman, Lt Col David E. (Spring 1994). "The ABCs of JPME" (PDF). Joint Force Quarterly: 108. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2003. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  2. 1 2 Yaeger, John W. "The origins of Joint Professional Military Education" (PDF). Joint Force Quarterly (37): 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2006. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  3. 1 2 "History of the National Defense University". ndu.edu. Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "History". Joint Forces Staff Center. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  5. Yaeger, 77.
  6. Yaeger, 78.
  7. Yaeger, 79.
  8. Simons, William E. (2000). Professional military education in the United States: a historical dictionary. Greenwood Press. p. 209. ISBN   0-313-29749-5.
  9. Yaeger, 79-80.
  10. Yaeger, 81.
  11. "ICAF History". The National Defense University. Archived from the original on March 31, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  12. Thie, Harry (2005). Framing a strategic approach for joint officer management . Rand Corporation. p.  111. ISBN   0-8330-3772-2.
  13. Simons, p. 165
  14. 1 2 3 4 Watson, Cynthia Ann (2007). Military education: a reference handbook. Contemporary military, strategic, and security issues. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 22. ISBN   0-275-99219-5.
  15. Kennedy, Gregory C. (2006). Military Education: Past, Present, and Future. IAP. p. 156. ISBN   1-59311-407-9.
  16. Kirby, Sheila Nataraj; Al Crego; Harry Thie (2006). Who is "joint"?: new evidence from the 2005 joint officer management census survey. Technical report. Vol. 349. Rand Corporation. p. 6. ISBN   0-8330-3919-9.
  17. Muhleman, 109.
  18. Kirby et al, 5.

Further reading