The Joint Advanced Warfighting School, or "JAWS," is a part of the Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, VA. JFSC is one of the five colleges within the National Defense University. JAWS was established in 2004 following a proposal by Andrew Marshall, then the director of the Office of Net Assessment, and the strong support of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers. Modelled after the Service’s advanced studies programs, JAWS provides the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, allied militaries, and other U.S. government agencies with graduates expert in the joint planning processes and capable of critical analysis in the application of all aspects of national power across the full range of military operations.

On behalf of the JFSC Commandant, faculty, and staff, welcome to the Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS) homepage. JAWS is a ten and one half month senior-level school focused on educating expert joint campaign planners. JAWS is a key component of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s vision for expansion and improvement of JPME.

As a student at JAWS, your education will focus on the knowledge required to perform the duties of a senior campaign planner and strategist on any joint, combined, or coalition staff. The curriculum is developed from several sources. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff drives the principal themes at JAWS through the Officer Professional Military Education Policy (OPMEP) and Special Areas of Emphasis (SAE). Second, we stay in close contact with the Combatant Commands, interagency representatives, and our international partners to understand their requirements for their officers and civilians operating in the joint, combined, and coalition staff arena. Third, the faculty contribute their own experiences as senior joint, combined, and coalition officers as well as their academic expertise. Finally, we solicit inputs from class members in a collaborative seminar environment. In sum, the curriculum is built on the foundation of joint doctrine and evolving strategic and operational issues. The combined effect of these efforts keeps our program current and relevant. This is an advanced program, and the work is as rigorous as any graduate academic program. JAWS active duty military students are assigned to predetermined positions, dominantly in the Combatant Commands, following graduation.

Additional JAWS links are available above to provide useful reference and preparation information. If we can assist you in any way, do not hesitate to call the JFSC Registrar & Personnel Services office at DSN 646-6124; COMM (757) 443-6124 or via e-mail at registrar2@ndu.edu.

Joint Advanced Warfighting School

JAWS produces graduates who can create campaign-quality concepts, plan for the employment of all elements of national power, accelerate transformation, succeed as joint force operational / strategic planners and be creative, conceptual, adaptive and innovative.