Welcome

The Army War College is a professional development experience which is enriched by academic, physical, social, spiritual and family programs and activities.

Explore the resident student year through this web site that is organized by the six core courses, the capstone exercise and the elective period. For each course, faculty voices introduce what they teach, why, and how.

Each page uses photos and video to demonstrate the activities, programs and opportunities that coincide with the academic courses.  Together, they create the multilayered Army War College experience.

The academic course, Strategic Thinking develops the thinking approaches for strategic leadership: critical thinking, creative thinking, systems thinking, self-reflection, cultures, ethical reasoning and uses of history.

• Faculty insights on 'Strategic Thinking'

• Opening ceremony salutes the news class of students and families
• Carlisle community welcome
• Faithfest
• Gettysburg Staff Ride

The academic course, Theory of War & Strategy introduces political science & international relations theory - to serve as a framework for understanding conflict and strategy

• Faculty insights on 'Theory of War & Strategy'

• Army Physical Fitness Research Institute student programs
• Army Heritage & Education Sep event: Market at Washingtonburg

The academic course, Strategic Leadership studies the unique nature of the strategic leadership environment and the required knowledge, skills and ability necessary to lead in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment. Students address the challenges facing strategic leaders, to include scanning for future trends and issues, managing and changing organizational culture, leading the profession, establishing a positive command climate within the senior leader team, and making strategic and ethical decisions.

• Faculty insights on 'Strategic Leadership'
• The seminar experience

The academic course, National Security Policy & Strategy examines key national security issues, national security policy, the strategy formulation process, the instruments of national power and the US Government processes for integrating, balancing and synchronizing instruments of power in the national interest.

• Faculty insights on, 'National Security Policy & Strategy'
• The student experience

The academic course, Theater Strategy & Campaigning focuses on theater strategic warfare and the combatant commands. Students exercise a realistic future scenario to examine both conventional and irregular warfare, the fundamentals of theater warfare, and employment of national elements of power with an emphasis on military capabilities. The course addresses the commander’s role in framing the problem and providing vision; courses of action development, wargaming, and selection; strategic concept; and combatant commander concept of operations.

• Faculty insights on, 'Theater Strategy & Campaigning'

• USAWC's Senior Citizens Holiday Parties

The academic course, Joint Processes & Landpower Development examines how strategic guidance is used to develop trained and ready combat forces for the combatant commands: systems and processes of OSD, the Military Departments and the Joint Staff. It examines the ability to assess current systems and make improvements.

• Faculty insights on, 'Joint Processes & Landpower Development'

• Secretary Gates address the student body

Strategic Decision Making Exercise is experiential learning for strategic level leadership in a complex virtual environment of multiple crises ranging from major combat operations to humanitarian assistance and stability operations, to domestic response, to terrorism and natural disasters. Students apply both leadership skills and strategic evaluation processes: the interagency policymaking process, the crisis action planning process, the multinational coordination process, and the resourcing process.

• Faculty insights on, 'Strategic Decision Making Exercise'
• SDME Experience

Elective courses give opportunity to create a personalized selection of specialized studies in areas of professional or personal interest. Students take a regional study elective, and choose four additional electives from a field of ~100.

• Faculty insights on electives
• USAWC Graduation

• Jim Thorpe Sports Days
• Army Heritage Day