NEWS

NIU and JFSC Stress Military and Intelligence Community Integration

July 13, 2012

National Intelligence University (NIU) President Dr. David R. Ellison met with Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC) Commandant Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph S. Ward, Jr., at Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Headquarters July 12, to outline future avenues of cooperation between NIU and JFSC. Their meeting identified areas of collaboration where the two schools can work closer together in training the nation's warfighters and intelligence professionals. These areas may include joint curricula, sharing lessons learned and strengthening ties between faculty members and students of the two institutions.

The two school heads discussed a range of items of common interest, including accreditation, better integration of intelligence topics into Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) curricula, maintaining the quality of education in resource-constrained times as well as future opportunities for increased cooperation.

The meeting between General Ward and Dr. Ellison follows on the heels of a two-day gathering of all the intelligence community agency representatives to the intermediate and senior-level Department of Defense schools. In keeping with the theme of the event to better integrate intelligence into the curriculum of the war colleges, DIA Deputy Director David Shedd discussed with attendees the importance of their role as senior instructors in instilling a culture of integration throughout the community. Shedd stressed the critical importance of education and training as budgets get tighter and encouraged them to expand their integration and outreach efforts to both domestic and foreign partners. "In these times of diminishing resources, education is even more critically important than before," stated Shedd. "You all, as the IC representatives, have an important role in furthering the culture of integration."

The NIU, established in 1962, and JFSC, established in 1946, both have long and successful histories in preparing national security and intelligence professionals. NIU is an accredited federal degree granting institution educating and preparing intelligence officers to meet current and future challenges to the national security of the United States. According to NIU's website its mission is to prepare intelligence professionals, both military and civilian, through education and research, to work with skill and dedication in identifying and effectively integrating foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of the U.S. interests abroad. While NIU is a service of common concern for the intelligence community, DIA serves as the executive agent of NIU and has been the University's home since its inception 50 years ago.

The JFSC is a component of the National Defense University, an accredited DOD school chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As stated on their website, JFSC is the flagship institution for educating national security professionals involved in planning and executing joint, multinational and interagency operations. It provides the military community with future national security leaders who understand joint doctrine and view the battlefield through a joint, multinational and interagency lens. The JFSC is located in Norfolk, Va.

Dr. Ellison and General Ward will meet again next month in Carlisle Barracks, Pa. for discussions on the future of JPME 2020, an initiative of high interest to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey and the newly installed National Defense University President Army Maj. Gen. Greg Martin.

DIA is the nation’s premier all-source military intelligence organization.

It provides the nation’s most authoritative assessments of foreign military intentions and capabilities. The agency’s four core competencies -- human intelligence, all-source analysis, counterintelligence and technical intelligence -- enable military operations while also informing policy-makers at the defense and national levels.

DIA’s mission is unique and no other agency matches its military expertise across such a broad range of intelligence disciplines.