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Why Doesn ’t the Coast Guard Train Officers in Joint Matters?
The Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 requires the Secretary of Defense to establish policies, procedures, and practices to ensure that officers of the military services are trained in joint matters. Joint Professional Military Education has been established to facilitate this and is accomplished in two phases: first, the service-specific command and staff college, and second, the Armed Forces Staff College, the National War College, or Industrial College of the Armed Forces. An officer is designated a joint specialty officer after completing both phases of training and successful completion of a joint-duty assignment.
All of these requirements apply to the Department of Defense but not to the Coast Guard. For the Coast
Guard to integrate itself with the DoD branches of the Armed Forces during any joint evolution, training in joint matters is essential. The Coast Guard is inevitably going to become more involved in joint operations and must
Training in joint operations can only help make a more productive Coast Guard.
train its officers in joint organizational relationships. If we do not act now, we will be playing catch up, expecting our officers and our organization to function properly—despite an inability to do so.
Today, only six senior Coast Guard officers complete annual phase-two training at the National Defense University. The Coast Guard, however, has
sent no one to the Armed Forces Staff College since the program changed to become phase two of the Joint Professional Military Education.
There are very few times when extensive Coast Guard operations will not be joint or combined, and the Coast Guard should pursue the use of all DoD service command and staff schools, both in residence and associate programs. The officer corps needs to be informed that this training is available and is essential to the future of the Coast Guard. Training in joint operations can only help make a more productive Coast Guard.
Lieutenant Commander Rollins is currently an HC-130 pilot assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He served on the joint evaluation staff for Ocean Venture 93 and was the only Coast Guard officer assigned to JTF Proven Force and CTF Provide Comfort.