Joint professional military education will become a reality for enlisted Airmen throughout their careers.

A new Department of Defense policy requires joint learning objectives in all enlisted levels. While the officer corps is mandated by law to include joint education, this policy specifically addresses the enlisted force.

"This matches what we do today -- we work and fight in a joint environment," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray. "It's important that we ensure we have joint training and education throughout our ranks. We recognize the need for every Airman to understand operations in a joint environment."

Chief Murray said the Air Force has already made progress in this joint training process.


For example, after reviewing the basic military training course last year, the Air Force designed a new joint course that includes the basics of identifying other services’ rank structures and the purpose of each service.

"We've incorporated most of the joint PME program objectives into our PME courses already," he said. "We've been working to ensure we have joint education throughout all levels of our enlisted force PME."

Two joint training courses will be available for senior NCOs.

The first is a Web-based course designed for senior NCOs assigned to joint organizations, he said.

"This course addresses requirements of supervising or working for individuals from other branches of the service," Chief Murray said. "It has 11 training modules consisting of National Defense Strategy, joint staff organization, and joint operations."

Service-specific standards are also provided in this course. Those include dress and appearance, fitness requirements, reporting procedures and performance evaluations, he said.

Another course for senior NCOs is the Keystone Course given primarily to chief master sergeants who will be senior enlisted leaders or advisors within joint task force headquarters or areas where they will report to flag or general officers in a joint headquarters.

"Our Airmen serve in tactical, organizational and strategic levels,” Chief Murray said. “We must deliberately develop our education, training and evaluation programs with a central focus -- fighting jointly-- while retaining our service-unique provisions. Joint, interagency and multinational operations require a distinct level of readiness. Methodical incorporation of JPME will raise our capabilities across the spectrum. Jointness is here and now and the future.”