Joint Professional Military Education

Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) is a form of Professional Military Education

Professional Military Education

Professional Military Education refers to the professional training, development, and schooling of service members in the United States Armed Forces...

(PME) in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

that emphasizes a multiservice approach. Joint Professional Military Education was established following greater awareness during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

of a need for effective cooperation between the branches of the United States armed forces

United States armed forces

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

. 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

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...

. The 1986 passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act

Goldwater-Nichols Act

The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 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 United States military...

caused increased interested 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 Staff Officer. Joint Professional Military Education levels are available at a number of colleges and JPME Institutions.

History

Prior to World War II, the branches of the United States military generally trained their staff independently, but new demands for collaborative efforts by services dedicated to ground, sea and air made clear the need for joint education. In December 1942, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces Hap Arnold proposed a War College that might train officers for joint operations between the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

and Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

and develop new methods and doctrines for cooperative efforts during the war. To meet this need, in 1943 Hap and his fellow Joint Chiefs of Staff

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.

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. 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. While the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

set about the slow course to developing the Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military personnel were at work attempting to structure joint military education.

The first few years after the war saw significant movement in these efforts. In 1946, the National War College

National War College

The National War College 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. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...

—the first senior school for JPME under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—was founded, as one of the recommendations by a study headed by Lieutenant General Leonard Gerow. That same year,the Armed Forces Staff College (renamed in 2000 the Joint Forces Staff College

Joint Forces Staff College

The Joint Forces Staff College 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...

(JFSC)) was opened under operation of the Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

, "to train selected officers of the armed forces in joint operations." Two years later, the recently renamed Industrial College of the Armed Forces

Industrial College of the Armed Forces

The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...

(ICAF) was also a designated a "joint educational institution" and put under the direction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. When, in 1976 a National Defense University

National Defense University

The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral...

(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. In 1981, the Armed Forces Staff College was also assigned to NDU.

Ongoing challenges in United States military preparedness for joint action was highlighted by 1980's Operation Eagle Claw

Operation Eagle Claw

Operation Eagle Claw was an American military operation ordered by President Jimmy Carter to attempt to put an end to the Iran hostage crisis by rescuing 52 Americans held captive at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran on 24 April 1980...

, and events such as the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing

1983 Beirut barracks bombing

The Beirut Barracks Bombing occurred during the Lebanese Civil War, when two truck bombs struck separate buildings housing United States and French military forces—members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon—killing 299 American and French servicemen...

emphasized the need for proper cooperative training. 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. The Act also mandated standards for JPME education.

JPME levels

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

preparatory JPME taught to undergraduates and during primary military education;
Phase I taught at intermediate and senior levels;
Phase II;
single-phase programs offered at select institutions; and
General/Field Officer course.

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

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

Curriculum

See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

, standards

Learning standards

Learning standards is a term used to describe standards applied to education content, particularly in the US K-12 education system. Part of the standards-based education reform movement, learning standards are used to create rubrics for assessment in many schools; standardized tests are often used...

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. 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

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Institutions

Under the umbrella of the National Defense University (NDU)

National Defense University

, JPME is offered by a number of joint colleges and three JPME Institutions: the National War College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Joint Forces Staff College. These institutions maintain a joint focus and a multiple-service student body and faculty.

A number of schools, including the NDU

National Defense University

and Military Service Colleges, are approved to provide JPME Phase I credits to their student bodies. While formerly JPME Phase II credits were available at a very limited number of schools, recent changes in regulations have expanded their availability. 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

U.S. Army War College

The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...

, the Naval War College

Naval War College

The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...

, the U.S. Marine Corps War College

Marine Corps War College

The Marine Corps War College , is the senior school of the Marine Corps University, providing Joint Professional Military Education to selected United States military officers, civilian Government officials, and international military officers...

and the U.S. Air Force War College were all accredited to offer Phase I and II.

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