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Professional military education: Guard and Reserve members

War Colleges

Air War College. This is the senior professional school in the Air Force. Some 260 senior U.S. military officers, civilians and officers from about 40 nations attend the 10-month school each year in residence. Another 4,000 officers attend through seminar and correspondence programs.

Contact: Director of Student Affairs, Air War College, 325 Chennault Circle, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112-6427; (334) 953-5458; www.au.af.mil/ au/awc/awcontac.htm.

Army War College. Located inCarlisle Barracks, Pa., this college provides educational outreach to nearly 7,000 students, program participants and senior visitors each year. About 300 students from all services, other U.S. government agencies and international militaries take the 10-month resident class. The college operates a nonresident course open to reservists.

Contact: Registrar, U.S. Army War College, 122 Forbes Ave., Carlisle, PA 17013-5234; (717) 245-4209; www.carlisle.army.mil.

Marine Corps War College. In Quantico, Va., this 10-month, senior service school provides Phase I (Senior Level) Joint Professional Military Education.

Contact: Director, Marine Corps War College, C401, MCU, 2076 South St., Suite 2, Quantico, VA 22134-5067; (703) 784-4081 or (703) 784-4082; www.mcu. usmc.mil/mcwar/default.cfm.

National Defense University. NDU offers advanced national security studies, focusing on policymaking and strategy, with an emphasis on joint and interagency perspectives.

Contact: National Defense University, Building 62, 300 5th Ave., Fort McNair, Washington, DC 20319; (202) 685-4700; www.ndu.edu.

• Naval War College. This senior U.S. Navy school is for members at paygrades O-4, O-5, O-6 and career civilian equivalents. Qualified graduates of the College of Naval Warfare and College of Naval Command and Staff are awarded master of arts degrees in national security and strategic studies and Phase I Joint Professional Military Education certification.

The Naval War College Distance Education Program is available to actively drilling reserve officers. Reserve officers may complete two programs to receive Phase I Joint Professional Military Education certification.

Contact: http://cde.nwc.navy.mil

The three-year Fleet Seminar Program is offered at 19 locations in the U.S. On top of receiving JPME Phase I certification, students can complete elective requirements to receive a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies. The Web-enabled correspondence program lasts 18 to 24 months and leads to JPME Phase I certification.

Contact: College of Distance Education, Naval War College, 686 Cushing Road, Newport, RI 02841-1207; e-mail cde@ nwc.navy.mil.