U.S. Naval War College (NWC) graduated 92 Navy, Marine Corps and Army officers during a graduation ceremony held in Spruance Auditorium, March 1.
The graduates from the College of Naval Warfare (CNW) received master’s degrees in national security and strategic studies while graduates of the College of Naval Command and Staff (CNCS) received master’s degrees in defense and strategic studies – both accredited by the New England Association for Schools and Colleges.
With coursework in national security decision making, strategy and policy, and joint military operations, the two programs are designed to prepare students to think critically, operationally and strategically.
The senior-level CNW course graduated 27 officers. The intermediate-level CNCS course graduated 65.
During the ceremony, the graduates were reminded that their work is not over, but just beginning.
“That it is never sufficient to simply have the ideas—we have to have the courage of our convictions and act on them,” said Andrea Dew, the graduation speaker and assistant professor of strategy and policy at NWC. “It is never sufficient to have just done the reading—that we have to write, to advocate, to articulate, argue and persuade. It is never sufficient to be the smartest person in the room—that we have to make space for the people who don’t look like us, think like us, and act like us. Because it’s their creativity that we need to recognize and harness.”
Photos from the ceremony can be viewed and downloaded at https://flic.kr/s/aHskuGCRRS.
A recorded video of the ceremony can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/usnavalwarcollege.
NWC is a one-year resident program that graduates about 600 resident students and about 1,000 distance learning students each year. Its missions include educating and developing leaders, helping define the future of the Navy, supporting combat readiness, and strengthening maritime partnerships. Students earn Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) credit and either a diploma or a Master of Arts degree. Established in 1884, U.S. Naval War College is the oldest institution of its kind in the world. More than 50,000 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.
By Daniel L. Kuester, U.S. Naval War College Public Affairs
