Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) is a form of

Professional Military Education Professional Military Education (PME) refers to the professional training, development, and schooling of military personnel. It encompasses many schools, universities, and training programs designed to foster leadership in military service members. ...

(PME) in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

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

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

of a need for effective cooperation between the branches of the

United States armed forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

. 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 The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

. The 1986 passage of the

Goldwater–Nichols Act The Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of October 4, 1986 , (signed by President Ronald Reagan), made the most sweeping changes to the United States Department of Defense since the department was established in the ...

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.

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, General

Hap Arnold Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...

, proposed a War College that might train officers for joint operations between the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and develop new methods and doctrines for cooperative efforts during the war. To meet this need, in 1943, Arnold and his fellow

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 The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

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 The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

set about the slow course to developing the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

, 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 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. History The National War Colle ...

—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 Leonard Townsend Gerow (July 13, 1888 – October 12, 1972) was a General (United States), general in the United States Army who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. A 1911 graduate the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), ...

. That same year, the Armed Forces Staff College (renamed in 2000 the

Joint Forces Staff College 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 multina ...

(JFSC)) was opened under operation of the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

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

Industrial College of the Armed Forces The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (Eisenhower School), 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, 20 ...

(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 The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

(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, known as Operation Tabas ( fa, عملیات طبس) in Iran, was a failed operation by the United States Armed Forces ordered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to attempt the rescue of 52 embassy staff held captive at the ...

, and events such as the

1983 Beirut barracks bombing Early on a Sunday morning, October 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut, Lebanon, housing American and French service members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF), a military peacekeeping operation during the Lebanese ...

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 An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fr ...

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 In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

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 The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...

.Muhleman, 109.

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. 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 A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, are approved to provide JPME Phase I credits to their student bodies.Kirby et al, 5. 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 The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military officer ...

, the College of Naval Warfare of the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) 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 associat ...

Marine Corps War College 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 mili ...

and the

Air War College 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 operation ...

were all accredited to offer both Phase I and II.

History

JPME levels

Program for Joint Education

Institutions

References

Further reading