Improving JPME through Interschool Collaboration
Abstract
The degree of interaction among the intermediate colleges might be compared to that between the Services before the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act. Each college is so busy meeting its own requirements that meaningful collaboration with its sister Service schools is almost too hard to attempt. More to the point, even though each intermediate institution has a joint exercise program, it has proven impossible to link them in a truly joint exercise. In spite of such obstacles, the Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) and the Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) are attempting to introduce a new level of joint collaboration. In March 2008, the schools teamed up to conduct a third annual joint planning exercise, commonly referred to as the Intermediate Level Education Joint Exercise. Such collaborative events represent a significant step forward for joint professional military education. This joint exercise program, however, was started on the initiative of each school's senior leadership. As we all know, the long-term viability of such internal initiatives, no matter how enlightened, is at risk as personalities and conditions change. Indeed, such initiatives usually give way to higher priority requirements when resource constraints tighten. Consequently, it has been difficult to expand this exercise beyond a relatively small percentage of students at each institution, and it has proven impossible to expand the exercise to include students at the College of Naval Command and Staff and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. This article describes this innovative joint exercise program, explains its benefits, and offers a way ahead. Moreover, it suggests that a joint exercise program at the intermediate Service college level has the potential to improve joint professional intermediate education and thereby improve overall American military effectiveness.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA516536
Entities
People
- Bert L. Frandsen
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College