Incorporating Phase II JPME into Air War College

This research paper examines the feasibility of incorporating Phase II of Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) into the Air War College (AWC) curriculum. The research begins with a future look at how the AWC would be organized if it were teaching JPME Phases I and II. The supportive portion of the paper looks at the history and evolution of joint education within joint and combined schools. The overriding reason for JPME is the creation of the Joint Specialty Officer by the Goldwater-Nichols Reorganization Act of 1986. The management of joint officers has promulgated the necessity for joint education policy requirements and reporting. in exploring these policies and reports, extrapolations and comparisons are made between the joint education policy requirements and the Senior-Level Colleges that provide JPME. How well are National Defense University schools able to support the joint duty assignment requirements now and in the future? The main arguments against the Service colleges teaching Phase II are raised and requirements for adapting are recommended through organization structure, faculty and student mix changes. Finally, the benefits and obstacles concerning resistance, economics, and accreditation are discussed. Recommendations are extrapolated to include other Senior Service Schools and the effect on the Joint and Combined Warfighting School at the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia.