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New school options for soldiers

A new menu of military schooling opportunities that earn Intermediate Level Education credits will be available to mid-career officers of the active component in 2011-12.

The ILE, or Military Education Level 4, opportunities reflect an ongoing campaign to encourage basic-branch officers to pursue “broadening” assignments and schooling experiences.

The ILE options announced by the Human Resources Command in mid-May include foreign schools, sister service schools and the Command and General Staff College Interagency Fellowship program.

The primary opportunities for active-component majors and promotable captains to earn MEL IV credit and Phase I certification for Joint Professional Military Education are:

• The 10-month resident course at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for officers of the basic branches and functional areas 30 (information operations), 46 (public affairs), 57 (simulations operations) and 59 (strategic plans and policy).

• The 14-week course at satellite campuses of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Belvoir, Va.; Fort Lee, Va.; Fort Gordon, Ga.; Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and the ILE qualification course for functional area officers, and the distance learning version of the Advanced Operations Course for basic-branch officers.

Alternate U.S. schooling and fellowship opportunities for the upcoming academic year include:

• Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I. – graduates of the three-part course in decision-making, policy and strategy and joint operations earn a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies. 36 seats are available to Army officers.

• Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, Va. Students have the option of completing requirements towards a master’s degree in military studies. About 12 seats are available to Army officers.

Air Command and Staff College, Montgomery, Ala. Graduates earn a master’s degree in military arts and science. About 40 seats are available to Army officers.

• Command and General Staff College Interagency Fellowship Program, Washington, D.C. area. Selected officers will take the ILE common core course at Fort Belvoir, and receive a follow-on one-year assignment to a non-Army federal agency.

Participating agencies will be announced in May 2011, but in the past have included the State Department, Agency for International Development, Defense Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Veteran Affairs and National Security Agency. As many as 36 officers may be selected for this program.

Foreign schooling opportunities for the upcoming academic year include:

• Argentina, Escuela Superior de Guerra, one seat available to a Maneuver, Fires and Effects officer.

• Australia, Australian Command and Staff College, two seats available to officers of any U.S. career field.

• Belgium, Belgian Superior Staff College, one seat available to a Maneuver, Fires and Effects officer.

• Brazil, Escola de Commando e Estado – Maior do Exercito (2d year), one seat available to officer of any functional category.

• Canada, Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, one seat available to an officer of the Maneuver, Fires and Effects category.

• Estonia, Baltic Defense College, one seat available to officer of any functional category.

• France, College Interarmees de Defense, two seats available for officers of any functional category.

• Germany, Fuehrungsakademie der Bundeswehr (two-year program), one seat available to an officer of the Maneuver, Fires and Effects category.

• Ireland, Irish Command and Staff College, one seat available to an officer from any functional category.

• Italy, Istituto di Stato Maggiore Interforze, one seat available to an officer from any functional category.

• Japan, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Staff College, one seat available to an officer from any functional category.

• Kuwait, Joint command and Staff College, one seat available to an officer of the Maneuver, Forces and Effects category.

• Singapore, Singapore Command and General Staff College, one seat available to an officer from any functional category.

• Spain, Spanish Escuela de Estado Mayor, one seat available to an officer from any functional category.

• Switzerland, Swiss Military College, one seat available to officer from any functional category.

• Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Fort Benning, Ga., 18 seats available to officers of all functional categories.

• United Kingdom, Joint Services Command and Staff College, three seats available to officers of the Maneuver, Fires and Effects category, and functional area 48 (foreign area officer).

Officers who are interested in attending a foreign school, a sister-service college or participating in the Interagency Fellowship Program should send a written request to their career management branch, explaining what skills, experience and added value they would bring to the requested school.

Officers are restricted to no more than two school choices.

Requests must be received in their career management branch by Aug. 18.

ILE Course Dates

Here are the school dates for the 10-month Intermediate Level Education resident and the 14-week satellite courses for academic year 2011-12:

Gordon: July 7, 2010-Oct. 20, 2010

Leavenworth: Aug. 9, 2010-June 10, 2011

Lee: Aug. 30, 2010-Dec. 15, 2010

Belvoir: Aug. 31, 2010-Dec. 16, 2010

Redstone: Sept. 1, 2010-Dec. 17, 2010

Gordon: Oct. 29, 2010-March 2, 2011

Lee: Jan. 5, 2011-April 20, 2011

Belvoir: Jan. 6, 2011-April 21, 2011

Redstone: Jan. 7, 2011-April 22, 2011

Leavenworth: Feb. 10, 2011-Dec. 11, 2011

Gordon: March 10, 2011-June 22, 2011

Lee: May 4, 2011-Aug. 17, 2011

Belvoir: May 5, 2011-Aug. 18, 2011

Redstone: May 6, 2011-Aug. 19, 2011