Steven Rogers posted on April 01, 2011 00:06
April 2011 Navy
By LCDR Steven Rogers, USN (Ret)
Several years ago, as a young Ensign, I had the honor and privilege to visit the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. I was so impressed with what I saw and with the faculty I spoke with, that I decided to take numerous correspondence courses for the purpose of developing my leadership skills. Today, I proudly display on the walls of my den the several certificates of completion I earned at that time.
Today’s Navy officers have educational and professional advancement opportunities like no other generation of officers ever had. One institution where you can be sure to find excellent curriculum and faculty is at the U.S. Naval War College.
Take a moment and read the following description of what this fine school has to offer you. It would bid you well to contact a college advisor to speak with about your future in the Navy and perhaps one day you, too, will proudly display a certificate of completion or even a diploma from this fine institution.
The U.S. Naval War College develops strategic and operational leaders by providing professional military education programs that are current, rigorous, relevant, and accessible to the maximum number of qualified U.S. officers and Navy enlisted personnel, civilian employees of the U.S. Government and nongovernmental organizations, and international officers. The desired effect is a group of leaders of character who have trust and confidence in each other and are operationally and strategically minded, critical thinkers, proficient in joint matters, and skilled naval and joint warfighters. The curriculum is based upon three core courses of study: Strategy and Policy, National Security Decision Making, and Joint Military Operations.
The Strategy and Policy course is designed to teach students to think strategically about the theory of warfare from the early battles at sea between Athens and Sparta to the wars of the present day. The focus is on the relationship between a nation’s political goals and the way in which its military means are most appropriately used to achieve those ends.
The National Security Decision Making course is uniquely designed to assist the military and civilian executive dealing with the economic, political, and military factors of decision making in the national security arena. Case studies exploring major contemporary warfare, geopolitical crises, and contingency force-planning issues challenge students to develop the skills to assess the many, often competing, demands involved in the size, shape and budget of future military forces.
The Joint Military Operations course focuses on the translation of contemporary national and regional military strategies into naval, joint, and multi-national operations, with particular emphasis on operational art and employment of the sea services. Historical and contemporary case studies and planning exercises permit students to hone their skills in making sound operational decisions, and to prepare them for critical command and staff positions.
The door leading to a great opportunity is there for you to walk through; all you need to do is to open that door and walk into the halls of the U.S. Naval War College.