Fellowship provides broad perspective on Air Force mission Published Aug. 16, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Richard A. Williams Jr. Air Force Public Affairs Agency WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force Manpower and Personnel office announced the plans for its annual Strategic Policy Fellowship Intermediate Developmental Education rotations for 2011-2012, which is set to begin mid-August. The program's goal is to develop competitively selected, officers' understanding of air, space, and cyberspace power and to broaden their enterprise perspectives through personal observation of senior Department of Defense, Air Force, legislative, political, and academic leaders making strategy and policy decisions. The program develops tomorrow's leaders by using a combination of hands-on experience working in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Air Staff or with a governmental inter-agency. "Through emerging programs like this one, our force development objective is to develop innovative Airmen who can influence processes and inspire people to reshape and redefine the battle space," said Maj. Denise Emery, the Developmental Education chief. "This program as well as other Air Force developmental education programs is designed to help prepare Air Force personnel to anticipate and successfully meet challenges across the range of military operations and build a professional corps." The recent changes to the Strategic Policy Fellowship program has allowed the Air Force to further expand strategic force development programs in line with the May 2010 National Security Strategy calls for strengthening National Capacity--a whole of government approach. Specifically the NSS directed the military Services to improve the integration of skills and capabilities within military and civilian institutions, in order to complement each other and operate seamlessly. "We restructured our existing developmental education Strategic Policy Intern program to make it a 'whole of government' Strategic Policy Fellowship program," Emery said. "Beginning this summer, for the first time, Strategic Policy Fellows will have the opportunity to rotate into interagency organizations such as Department of Homeland Security, Congressional Research Services, Department of State, Defense Intelligence Agency and Department of Transportation." The SPFs will each spend approximately six months collaborating on economic and competition policy affecting the air transport industry, facilitating the deployment of U.S. military forces throughout the world by coordinating agreements to meet the nation's security requirements, researching global health issues as they relate to national security and assisting in the development and implementation of one integrated emergency management network communication system. Fellows graduate and receive follow-on assignment to OSD, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of the Air Force or Air Staff where they are able to continue their deliberate development and further their educational experience by having the opportunity to apply gained skills and knowledge to make strategic decisions in a progressively more demanding leadership environment, Emery added.