New Joint Military Education Course Ongoing in Tampa

You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. New Joint Military Education Course Ongoing in Tampa 08/09/2013 01:07 PM CDT New Joint Military Education Course Ongoing in Tampa Joint Forces Staff College NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 9, 2013 - A new-model Joint Professional Military Education Phase II course is ongoing at the Joint Special Operations University in Tampa, Fla. The 10-week course began in January. Two classes totaling 39 students have already graduated. A third class is under way and a fourth is slated to begin in September. Each class has 18 students with equal air, land, and sea service representation. It's anticipated that nearly 80 participants will graduate from the course by the end of the year. The new satellite program course is offered by the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., and hosted by Joint Special Operations University. Because it is offered by JFSC but hosted by JSOU, it is considered "non-resident." However, course participants attend classes full-time during the 10 weeks of instruction. This model reflects input from combatant commands, which preferred the 10-week, full-time option rather than a longer-term, after-hours option that was originally proposed. In the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress authorized a five-year test of non-resident JPME II at no more than two combatant command headquarters. The Joint Staff chose Tampa as the location for its first "satellite" program to maximize exposure to the large population of staff officers requiring JPME II education. Most of the students come from U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. One international fellow and one interagency student also attend each class. Classes are open to other commands as room allows. Congress requires the Secretary of Defense to report on the value of the program in 2015. Pending congressional approval, the satellite option may be offered to other combatant commands as soon as 2016. The satellite program complements the existing JPME II course offered on-site at Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, said Dr. Ken Pisel, who coordinates the non-resident satellite program at JFSC. The satellite version is identical in length and nearly identical in academic content to the on-site version. The only academic difference is in the lessons on the elements of operational design, which use locally relevant case studies. For example, Norfolk-based students focus on the Revolutionary War Battle at Yorktown, Va., and Tampa-based students focus on the Second Seminole Wars in Florida. The JPME II satellite program is open to officers and selected senior enlisted members assigned to Centcom and Socom. JPME II is required for all military officers to become fully joint qualified. Each year, about a thousand students graduate from the 10-week Joint and Combined Warfighting School in-residence program at JFSC. Another 300-400 graduate each year from the 40-week Advanced Joint Professional Military Education program, a near-clone of JCWS designed for Reserve and Guard officers unable to commit to 10 weeks away from home. Each year, about 30 U.S. officers graduate from the 11-month Joint Advanced Warfighting School War College program.   Related Sites: Joint Forces Staff College Joint Special Operations University National Defense University   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense