Professional Military Education Courses

Our Objective & Mission

The primary objective of the Maritime Staff Operators Course (MSOC) is to comprehend, analyze, and apply MOC processes and procedures necessary to plan, prepare, execute, and assess complex maritime operations in a dynamic environment. Its mission is to educate and prepare students to immediately and effectively serve on maritime operational-level staffs. This course began in 2007 and now educates about 400 students each year.

About This Course

This course examines both the art and science associated with military activities across the range of military operations. It includes recently developed MOC concepts and substantial application of the Navy Planning Process (NPP). MSOC incorporates seminars, lectures, and practical exercises using a realistic maritime scenario. It culminates with a synthesizing Battle Lab exercise designed to replicate the organization, processes, procedures, and command and control tools of a nominal MOC.

The focus of this course is on maritime operations at the operational level of war. The construct is inherently joint, and uses both Navy and joint doctrine as standard references. Accordingly, it emphasizes the applications of maritime capabilities through a Combined/Joint Force Commander. Students apply planning skills and maritime staff processes and procedures across numerous maritime lines of operation/lines of effort (LOO/LOE), which include, but are not limited to, sea control operations, maritime interception operations, noncombatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations, and multi-service/interagency/multinational operations. This is accomplished through a regimen which uses a dynamic contemporary scenario set in 2020.

A practitioner’s approach is applied requiring hands-on student participation. Students produce deliverables including military briefings and mission-type orders (e.g., Operation Orders and Fragmentary Orders and Daily Intentions Messages).

The course builds on fundamentals and culminates with the planning of multiple LOO/LOEs during the execution phase of MSOC. This course is designed to produce personnel who are capable of performing in a high-tempo, fluid operational environment. Officer graduates of MSOC acquire the Additional Qualification Designation (AQD) of Joint Operations Maritime and Senior Enlisted graduates acquire the Navy Enlisted Classification of Joint Maritime Staff Operator (831A).

About This Course

The Maritime Operational Planners Course (MOPC) exists to produce planners proficient in applying Navy planning methodologies to solve operational level problems for Navy Component Commanders (NCC) and Numbered Fleet Commander’s (NFC). The demands on staff officers at fleet MOCs have significantly increased as the Navy’s operational level of war capabilities have evolved. Evolving strategies and future crises require NCCs and NFCs to have an increased planning capability and capacity to meet both routine and crisis planning requirements while simultaneously supporting ongoing operational plan(s) development. In response to these demands, NWC created this intermediate level planners course.

MOPC develops planners capable of performing in dynamic, complex, and high-tempo maritime operational environments. The curriculum is based on Navy, naval, and joint doctrine; emerging concepts at fleet Material Processing Centers; and observations from Naval War College‘s Assist and Assess Team’s visits at maritime headquarters. The course is available to a select group of officers, O3 to O5 en-route or already assigned to a maritime headquarters. MOPC produces officers capable of forming, organizing, and leading operational planning teams and are proficient in the detailed application of the NPP. Graduates of the MOPC are designated Maritime Operational Planners, acquiring the AQD of JPM.

About This Course

The Executive Level Operational Level of War Course (ELOC) is focused at the senior leadership (O6) level, and ensures attendees are properly educated in and understand the intricacies of effectively participating in the decision making process and managing a MOC and its resources.

The course provides the Fleet staff principal with insights to be an effective and efficient manager of the people, processes and resources of the staff to support the commander in timely, informed, and proactive decision making and execution of command responsibilities. Course objectives are to allow attendees to: understand the Maritime Operational Level of War and the central role the fleet staff plays in orchestrating tactical actions in consonance with strategic guidance; understand how staff principals participate in and apply the operations and supporting processes; discuss the roles, relationships, and evolution of maritime Command and Control relative to the staff, MOC, and subordinate commands; discuss, and provide fleet insights into staff resource challenges and level of decision authority in managing the staff and MOC; and appreciate the staff principals’ pivotal position in facilitating internal staff communication and in translating the Commander’s operational desires into action, both within and external to the staff.

About This Course

The Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) course is a one-week, flag level class that addresses the operational level maritime security challenges faced by the nations of a specific region. It is comprised of flag and general officers from all U.S. services, as well as from invited nations that operate in the region. Two or three courses are held each year, hosted by regional US Navy commanders (i.e., US Pacific Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/U.S. Naval Forces Africa, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command). It is taught at the unclassified level.

The course develops a network of leaders, focused on the operational level, in support of cooperation in the theater, and oriented toward maritime security. It also helps to evolve Combined Maritime Command and Control concepts, while advancing the understanding of security issues facing participating nations.

The CFMCC Flag Course provides executive level attendees with the background and perspective to effectively and efficiently integrate unique maritime capabilities, in support of the objectives of the combined force, while recognizing the possibility of competing national objectives of participating nations.

About This Course

The Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) course is a one-week, flag level course conducted at the Naval War College. It is designed to prepare future maritime component commanders to plan and execute complex maritime operations. Taught at the classified level, only United States flag officers and equivalents are permitted to attend. Students come from each of the military services as selected by their service headquarters with the majority of them being naval officers.

The JFMCC Flag Course addresses the practical challenges confronting the maritime operational commander. Actual regional concerns, and the JFMCC capabilities to address those concerns, are the basis for course discussions and study. Further, the course considers existing JFMCC concepts and doctrine, operational-level capabilities, command and control processes and applications, and the considerations and expectations of joint force commanders as well as supporting functional component commanders.

The course brings in experienced subject matter experts as session instructors to develop perspectives necessary to effectively employ naval forces in a joint, coalition, or interagency environment.

About This Course

The Maritime Headquarters Staff Course (MHSC) is a three week, online synchronous/asynchronous course that exposes personnel that participate in Maritime Operations to the maritime operational level of war (OLW), maritime headquarters and maritime operations center (MHQ/MOC) concepts, organizational structure, processes, and procedures. Total course commitment is 54 hours over the three weeks. It is hosted online at MilUniversity six times per year.