Joint Professional Military Education

[1] Joint Professional Military Education was established following greater awareness during World War II of a need for effective cooperation between the branches of the United States armed forces.

Prior to World War II, the branches of the United States military generally trained their staff independently,[3] but new demands for collaborative efforts by services dedicated to ground, sea and air made clear the need for joint education.

In 1946, the National War College—the first senior school for JPME under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—was founded,[8] as one of the recommendations by a study headed by Lieutenant General Leonard Gerow.

[4] Ongoing challenges in United States military preparedness for joint action was highlighted by 1980's Operation Eagle Claw, and events such as the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing emphasized the need for proper cooperative training.

[12] The 1986 passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act meant to help overcome barriers between intraservice cooperation popularized JPME by making it a requirement for becoming a Joint Staff Officer.

A number of schools, including the NDU and Military Service Colleges, are approved to provide JPME Phase I credits to their student bodies.