Chief of staff to select two captains for PhD program Published Oct. 26, 2011 By Debbie Gildea Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Two Air Force captains will begin Air Force sponsored strategic studies next fall at top tier academic institutions in pursuit of doctorate degrees, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. The personnel center is accepting applications for the 2012 Chief of Staff of the Air Force Captains Prestigious PhD Program through Nov. 14 for doctor in philosophy studies in history, political science, international relations, economics, philosophy, international business relations, international security studies, and political systems and theories. School options for the program include Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Tufts-Fletcher School, University of California-Berkley, UC-Los Angeles, University of Chicago, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Texas-Austin, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Yale. Major commands, combatant commands, direct reporting units and field operating agencies may each nominate one active duty captain, officials said. Officials at the Air Force District of Washington may nominate three from the National Capital Region, but only one of those can be from Joint Base Andrews, Md., AFPC officials explained. The purpose of the program is to identify and develop promising officers early in their careers, according to Col. David Slade, the AFPC assignments director. "Intellectual development, especially in critical thinking skills, early in a career will result in Air Force and joint leaders who are able to communicate at a strategic level with civilian leaders across enterprises," he said. "We and all services are working to build a cadre of strategic thinkers." Candidates will be selected based on academic experience and job performance, the colonel said. Qualified candidates must be line of the Air Force active-duty captains with less than nine years of service as of Aug. 31. They must have completed their bachelor's and master's degrees with grade point averages that meet requirements for whichever school(s) they apply for, he explained. Interested officers will prepare and submit their application packages through their command, FOA or DRU personnel directorate, Slade said. "If you submit a package, you should immediately begin the school application process for whichever institution you're interested in," said Slade. "School application deadlines may be earlier than program selection, so don't wait to find out if you're selected, or it could be too late to apply for the school." A webinar is scheduled for 1 p.m. Central Standard Time on Oct. 28 at https://connect.dco.dod.mil/r17122334 . In addition, interested captains will find a full list of criteria, application package requirements and other information at the Air Force Personnel Services website. "If you're interested, you need to get your package together now," Slade said. "Don't wait until next week. The Nov. 14 deadline is when MAJCOMs, COCOMs, FOAs, DRUs and AFDW must submit their nominees. The process of becoming your MAJCOM nominee will take some time, so don't put it off." For more information about developmental opportunities and other personnel issues, visit the Air Force Personnel Services website.