COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Colonel Dave Gerber, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander, returns this week from a course at the Joint and Combined Warfighting School. This ten week course teaches the latest concepts for employment of joint operations and shows lessons learned from past joint experience through seminar instruction and wargaming. The course challenges leaders to expand their understanding of joint operations.
In June of 1946, Joint Forces Staff College was established to eliminate the inefficiencies of inter-service operations experienced during World War II. Earlier that same month, in a memorandum to Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, General Dwight D. Eisenhower stated, "...this is the only college in the school system where the basic mission will be to give instruction on the theater and major joint task force level." As intended, JFSC has remained the nation's premier joint professional military education institution.
Joint and Combined Warfighting School, now a part of JFSC at Norfolk NAS, VA, conducts four classes a year. Each seminar consists of 18-20 colonels all either in command or getting ready for command positions. This environment provides daily interaction and perspective of senior leadership from all the nation's military service branches. The idea of the school is to teach commanders how to think instead of what to think and hits many different parts of the security arena.
During his short trip back to Columbus Air Force Base last weekend, Colonel Gerber explained, "my last joint assignment was in 1999," and continued by saying the course was a great "refresher" on joint concepts. JCWS covers these concepts through its curriculum by hitting four major areas from a combatant commander perspective: strategy, operational capabilities and functions, the joint planning process, and the contemporary operating environment.
An elective program complements the curriculum. In the elective portion, courses are matched to the different needs of the student. The goal of the elective program is to give students understanding and knowledge in their respective staff duties.
The end objective is to produce leaders who can apply joint planning in an ever-changing security environment.
Editors note:"To educate military officers and other national security leaders in joint, multinational, and interagency operational-level planning and warfighting, to instill a primary commitment to joint, multinational, and interagency teamwork, attitudes, and perspectives." is the mission of the JFSC and JCWS