Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career. For example, an officer may be sent to various staff courses: as a
captainThe army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
they may be sent to a single service command and staff school to prepare for company command and equivalent staff posts; as a major to a single or joint service college to prepare for battalion command and equivalent staff posts; and as a colonel or brigadier to a higher staff college to prepare for brigade and division command and equivalent postings.
The success of Staff Colleges spawned, in the mid-twentieth century, a civilian imitation in what are called administrative staff colleges. These institutions apply some of the principles of the education of the military colleges to the executive development of managers from both the public and private sectors of the economy. The first and best-known administrative staff college was established in
BritainThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at
GreenlandsGreenlands is a country house situated by the River Thames in Buckinghamshire, just outside Henley-on-Thames. Built in the nineteenth century, it now forms the core of Greenlands Campus of the University of Reading, and is used by their Henley Business School as the base for its MBA and corporate...
near
HenleyHenley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, Oxfordshire and is now re-named Henley Management College.
History
The first modern staff college was that of
PrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. Prussian advanced officer education began under the reign of Fredrick the Great. The Seven Years War demonstrated the inadequacy of the education that Generals had at that time, but it was not until 1801 that staff training in a modern sense began when
Gerhard von ScharnhorstGerhard Johann David Waitz von Scharnhorst was a general in Prussian service, Chief of the Prussian General Staff, noted for both his writings, his reforms of the Prussian army, and his leadership during the Napoleonic Wars....
became the director of the Militarakademie. The Prussian defeats at the hand of
Napoleon INapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
led to the creation of the Allgemeine Kriegsschule (General War Academy) with a nine month programme covering mathematics, tactics, strategy, staff work, weapons science, military geography, languages, physics, chemistry and administration. The German staff courses have been used as a basic templates for other staff courses around the world.
Staff Course Formats
Nations have taken a wide variety of approaches to the form, curriculum and status of staff colleges, but have much in common with the Prussian courses of the early 19th Century. Some courses act as filters for promotion or entry into a specialist staff corps. The length of courses vary widely between three (3) months and three (3) years, with some having entrance and/or exit examinations. The more senior the course, the more likely that it will include strategic, political and joint aspects, with junior courses often focusing on single service and tactical military aspects of warfare.
Idiom
Certain terms of art or
idiomIdiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
have developed in staff colleges over time, and then been used in wider college or university settings and everyday usage, including:
- staff refers to the professional personnel (usually called Directing Staff (DS)) and employees of the college;
- fight the white, normally expressed as do not fight the white (as in do not go against the staff's pre-determined answer), where the 'white' is the question given to students, which may lack realism or not fit current operations. A "pink" is the Staff College's staff answer to a particular problem or issue.
Staff colleges
The following list numerates the known staff colleges around the world, arranged by continent:
Africa
Nigeria
- Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji
The Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji is a training facility for the Nigerian Armed Forces, including the army, air force and navy. It is near the village of Jaji, Nigeria, about 35 km northeast of Kaduna in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria.-History:The Army...
in Kaduna State-History:The state is the successor to the old Northern Region of Nigeria, which had its capital at Kaduna. In 1967 this was split up into six states, one of which was the North-Central State, whose name was changed to Kaduna State in 1976. This was further divided in 1987, losing the area now part...
Kenya
- Defense Staff College, Nairobi
Uganda
- Uganda Senior Command and Staff College
The Uganda Senior Command and Staff College , is a training facility for the Military of Uganda, including the army, air force and special forces.-Location:...
, KimakaKimaka is a neighborhood in the city of Jinja, in Eastern Uganda.-Location:Kimaka is bordered by to the west by the Nile River, , to the south by the Kampala-Jinja Highway , to the east by Qaddafi Barracks and to the north by the area...
in Jinja DistrictJinja District is a district in Eastern Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, it is named after its main municipal and commercial center, Jinja.-Location:...
- Uganda Junior Staff College
The Uganda Junior Staff College, is a staff college in Uganda, East Africa. Typically, graduates are commanders in the Uganda People's Defence Force. Other African countries also send their cadets to the college for training.-Location:...
, JinjaJinja is the largest town in Uganda, Africa. It is the second busiest commercial center in the country, after Kampala, Uganda's capital and only city. Jinja was established in 1907.-Location:...
in Jinja District
The Americas
Canada
- Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College
The Canadian Army Command and Staff College , formerly the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College, is a school for officers of the Canadian Forces, specializing in staff and army operations courses...
- Canadian Forces College
The Canadian Forces College is a military school for senior and general officers of the Canadian Forces. The college provides military education courses meant to enable officers to effectively provide leadership within the Canadian Forces. Additionally, the Non-Commissioned Members Profession...
United States of America
- 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...
- Air University, HQ at Maxwell AFB, Alabama
- Air Command and Staff College
The Air Command and Staff College is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate professional military education school. It prepares field grade and equivalent officers of all U.S...
- Air War College
The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...
- Air Force Institute of Technology
The Air Force Institute of Technology is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force. It is located on Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. A component of Air University and Air Education and Training Command, AFIT has been...
(Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio)
- Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
- Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
- School of Advanced Military Studies
- U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
(Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
- U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College
- Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
in Newport, Rhode Island
- College of Naval Command and Staff
- College of Naval Warfare
- Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...
(Monterey, California) - The Naval War College Monterey is a satellite office of the United States Naval War College, College of Distance Education (CDE) located on campus at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California. NPS itself is not a NWC school and is not a Staff College.
- Marine Corps University
The Marine Corps University reports to the United States Marine Corps Training And Education Command. It was established on August 1, 1989 by General Alfred M...
- Marine Corps Command and Staff College
- Defense Acquisition University
The Defense Acquisition University is a United States military training establishment that trains and enables the 147,705 military and civilian Department of Defense personnel in the fields of acquisition, technology, and logistics, including leadership, program management and bureaucratic...
- five campuses - HQ at Fort Belvoir, Virginia
- 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 Washington D.C.
- National War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
- Industrial College of the Armed Forces
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...
- Joint Forces Staff College
The Joint Forces Staff College 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...
in Norfolk, Virginia,
Asia
Bangladesh
- Defence Services Command And Staff College Mirpur
Lebanon
- Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College
The Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College is a Lebanese Armed Forces facility that functions as a graduate school for the Lebanese Army in addition to other Arab armies. It was originally established in 1974 as the Center of Higher Military Education...
India
- Defence Services Staff College, Wellington
Japan
- Naval War College (Japan)
The was the staff college of the Imperial Japanese Navy, responsible for training officers for command positions either on warships, or in staff roles....
Pakistan
- National Defence University
The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the Ministry of Defence of Government of Pakistan, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy...
- Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
- PAF Air War College
PAF Air War College is the Pakistan Air Force academic establishment providing training and education primarily to the mid-career officers of PAF as well as to limited number of officers from Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Army and officers of various Allied forces...
- Pakistan Navy War College
Philippines
Singapore
- Singapore Command and Staff College
The Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College is one of five officer schools of the SAFTI Military Institute of the Singapore Armed Forces . It was formerly the Singapore Command and Staff College but was named after Goh Keng Swee in 2011...
Sri Lanka
- General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University located at Kandawala, Ratmalana, Colombo, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are trained before they go for their pre-commission training to their academies...
- Defence Services Command and Staff College
The Defence Services Command and Staff College is situated at Batalanda, Makola 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy & the Sri Lanka Air Force to prepare them for the ranks...
- SLAF Junior Command & Staff College
Europe
France
| | Active duty officers | Reserve officers | Civilians |
| 2nd tier |
Centre des hautes études militaires |
Institut des hautes études de la défense nationale |
Institut des hautes études de la défense nationale |
| 1st tier |
École de guerre |
École supérieure des officiers de réserve spécialistes d'état-major |
None |
- École de guerre ("War School"). Created in 1993 by the fusion of the four Écoles supérieures de guerre ("War Higher Schools"). Formerly known as
- Centre des hautes études militaires ("School of Advanced Military Studies"). Created in 1952. The students must have completed the École de guerre.
- Institut des hautes études de la défense nationale ("School of Advanced Defense Studies"). Created in 1936. The students are civilians, both civil servants and high-profile executives, but the students of the Centre des hautes études militaires also attend the Institut..
- École supérieure des officiers de réserve spécialistes d'état-major ("Reserve Staff Officers School"). Following the defeat of 1870-71 war, it was created in 1899 by a group of Reserve Officers and then officially became a staff college in 1900.
All these schools are seated in the
école militaireThe École Militaire is a vast complex of buildings housing various military training facilities located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, southeast of the Champ de Mars....
in Paris.
Germany
- Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
The Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr is the highest military academy of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr. Established in 1957, and since 1958 located in Hamburg, it is the successor of the Prussian Military Academy that was established in 1810...
, Armed Forces Staff and Command College
- Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik
The Federal College for Security Studies is the Federal Republic of Germany’s interministerial institution for advanced studies, education and training in security policy in the remit of the Federal Ministry of Defence...
, Federal Academy for Security Policy
United Kingdom
- Defence Academy of the United Kingdom (Shrivenham)
- Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving officers of other states.-History:JSCSC combined the single...
for officers (OF2 to OF6) and Warrant Officers (Shrivenham)
- Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
for officers (OF6 to OF7) and civilians (London)
- Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
(1802–1997)
Oceania
Australia
The
Australian Defence CollegeThe Australian Defence College comprises three tri-service educational organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:* the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies ,...
(ADC) was officially opened in 1999 in
CanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. It is a Joint organisation, and comprises:
- the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS), Weston Creek
Weston is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. On Census night 2006, Weston had a population of 3,176 people....
,
- the Australian Command and Staff College (ACSC), Weston Creek, and
- the Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
(ADFA).
Prior to the establishment of the Australian Command and Staff College, middle management officer Command and Staff training was conducted at separate single Service staff colleges:
- the RAN
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
Staff Course at the RAN Staff College at HMAS PenguinHMAS Penguin is a shore establishment of the Royal Australian Navy located at Balmoral on the shore of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman, New South Wales...
in SydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
- the Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
Command and Staff Course was conducted at the Army Command and Staff College at Fort QueenscliffFort Queenscliff, in Victoria, Australia, dates from 1860 when an open battery was constructed on Shortland's Bluff to defend the entrance to Port Phillip. The Fort, which underwent major redevelopment in the late 1870s and 1880s, became the headquarters for an extensive chain of forts around Port...
in VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
; and
- the RAAF
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
Staff Course at the RAAF Staff College at RAAF Base Fairbairn in CanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
New Zealand
- New Zealand Defence College
The New Zealand Defence College is the premier educational institute for the New Zealand Defence Force and is located at Trentham Military Camp, Upper Hutt . The New Zealand Defence College provides professional military education to New Zealand Defence Force officers...
See also
- Staff (military)
- Military Academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
- United States military academies
The United States Service academies, also known as the United States Military Academies, are federal academies for the undergraduate education and training of commissioned officers for the United States armed forces.There are five U.S...
- List of defunct United States military academies
- Higher Command and Staff Course
The Higher Command and Staff Course is a staff course for senior military officers of the United Kingdom armed forces and allies. It is taught at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom....
(UK)
- Air Command and Staff College
The Air Command and Staff College is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate professional military education school. It prepares field grade and equivalent officers of all U.S...