Joint Forces Staff College
Encyclopedia
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 multinational warfighters to plan and lead at the operational level. Military operations increasingly require the Armed Services to work jointly and JFSC provides students the tools to operate in a joint environment. JFSC is composed of four schools, each with different student populations and purposes.
, is to educate national security professionals in the planning and execution of joint, multinational, and interagency operations in order to instill a primary commitment to joint, multinational, and interagency teamwork, attitudes, and perspectives. Military operations increasingly require the Armed Services
to work jointly; the college provides students the tools to operate in a joint environment. The college is composed of four schools, each with different student populations and purposes.
brought out the urgent need for joint action by ground, sea, and air forces.
To alleviate the friction and misunderstanding resulting from lack of joint experience, the Joint Chiefs of Staff
established an Army and Navy Staff College (ANSCOL) in 1943. ANSCOL conducted a four-month course that was successful in training officers for joint command and staff duties. ANSCOL, which had been established to meet the immediate needs of war, was discontinued upon its conclusion.
A joint committee was appointed to prepare a directive for a new school. This directive, which was approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 28 June 1946, established the Armed Forces Staff College. Responsibility for the operation and maintenance of its facilities was charged to the Chief of Naval Operations
.
Following a temporary residence in Washington, D.C.
, JFSC was established in Norfolk, Virginia
, on August 13, 1946. The site, formerly a U.S. Naval Receiving Station, was selected by the Secretaries of War
and Navy because of its immediate availability and its proximity to varied high-level military activities. There were 150 students from all Services in the first class. They assembled in converted administration buildings on February 3, 1947 to be greeted by the first commandant, Air Force
Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons. The faculty officers came from joint assignments in all theaters of World War II.
With the construction of Normandy Hall in 1962, JFSC completed its transition from a temporary to a permanent institution. JFSC was assigned to the National Defense University on August 12, 1981. In 1999 JFSC opened Okinawa Hall which houses the Congressman Owen Pickett Wargaming Center and the Congressman Ike Skelton Library, which is is a specialized military library, focusing on research in joint and combined operations, military history and naval science, operational warfare, and irregular warfare.
The staff, faculty, and students are assigned by each Service to foster a joint atmosphere.
.
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University
National Defense University
The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral...
in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinational warfighters to plan and lead at the operational level. Military operations increasingly require the Armed Services to work jointly and JFSC provides students the tools to operate in a joint environment. JFSC is composed of four schools, each with different student populations and purposes.
Mission
The mission of the Joint Forces Staff College, a component of the National Defense UniversityNational Defense University
The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral...
, is to educate national security professionals in the planning and execution of joint, multinational, and interagency operations in order to instill a primary commitment to joint, multinational, and interagency teamwork, attitudes, and perspectives. Military operations increasingly require the Armed Services
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
to work jointly; the college provides students the tools to operate in a joint environment. The college is composed of four schools, each with different student populations and purposes.
Schools composing the JFSC
- Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS)
- Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JCWS)
- Joint Command, Control & Information Operations School (JC2IOS)
- Joint Continuing Distance Education School (JCDES)
Academic Programs
- Advanced Joint Professional Military Education (AJPME)
- Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education (SEJPME)
- Joint Transition Course (JTC)
- Homeland Security Planner's Course (HLSPC)
- Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Planner's Course (JIMPC)
History
In the 1930s, few officers were qualified, either by training or experience, to engage in joint operations. The demands of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought out the urgent need for joint action by ground, sea, and air forces.
To alleviate the friction and misunderstanding resulting from lack of joint experience, the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
established an Army and Navy Staff College (ANSCOL) in 1943. ANSCOL conducted a four-month course that was successful in training officers for joint command and staff duties. ANSCOL, which had been established to meet the immediate needs of war, was discontinued upon its conclusion.
A joint committee was appointed to prepare a directive for a new school. This directive, which was approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 28 June 1946, established the Armed Forces Staff College. Responsibility for the operation and maintenance of its facilities was charged to the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
.
Following a temporary residence in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, JFSC was established in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on August 13, 1946. The site, formerly a U.S. Naval Receiving Station, was selected by the Secretaries of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
and Navy because of its immediate availability and its proximity to varied high-level military activities. There were 150 students from all Services in the first class. They assembled in converted administration buildings on February 3, 1947 to be greeted by the first commandant, Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons. The faculty officers came from joint assignments in all theaters of World War II.
With the construction of Normandy Hall in 1962, JFSC completed its transition from a temporary to a permanent institution. JFSC was assigned to the National Defense University on August 12, 1981. In 1999 JFSC opened Okinawa Hall which houses the Congressman Owen Pickett Wargaming Center and the Congressman Ike Skelton Library, which is is a specialized military library, focusing on research in joint and combined operations, military history and naval science, operational warfare, and irregular warfare.
The staff, faculty, and students are assigned by each Service to foster a joint atmosphere.
Location
The Joint Forces Staff College is located in Norfolk, Virginia on land adjacent to Naval Station NorfolkNaval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
.