Newport, R.I. - The U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) College of Distance Education (CDE) celebrated their Naval Command and Staff online program graduation, honoring 306 students April 7.
The graduates, who are military officers in the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps, received the Naval Command and Staff diploma, including the Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase I certification.
The class gathered virtually to hear remarks from Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president, U.S. Naval War College.
“And to the graduates of the Naval Command and Staff online program, I want to take this time to recognize the extra effort and sacrifice that you put into earning your joint professional military education diplomas,” said Chatfield. “You dedicated countless hours in the evenings and on weekends to classes, research, reading and writing. The investment that you have made in your own education and development in order to succeed in your profession is truly admirable.”
Later, Chatfield challenged the graduates.
“Your charge now is to use the education you have received right here in this program to link what you’ve learned to how we fight,” continued Chatfield. “How do you frame problems now? How will you develop and assess solutions in the future? And how are you personally going to contribute to building winning teams? This is just one part of the continuum of learning throughout your career, and you must invest your energy in continuing your development for yourself and for those you lead.”
The Naval Command and Staff online program spans the operational and strategic levels of war. It engages students in the challenging complexities of the national security environment to facilitate critical thinking. Students learn and understand the fundamentals of U.S. national security policy, military strategy, and the relationship between them.
Established in 1884, NWC is the oldest institution of its kind in the world. Over 75,000 students have graduated since its first class of nine students in 1885, and about 300 of today’s active-duty admirals, generals and senior executive service leaders are alumni.
You can watch the graduation on the NWC YouTube channel here: NWC's College of Distance Education Graduation