The Foreign Service Journal, June 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2017 31 a specific task or carry out a clearly defined role or mission, whereas education broadens knowledge and thinking. While I was there, the NDU provost often said: “We don’t teach people what to think; we teach them how to think.” NDU prides itself on producing strategic thinkers: a few of its well-known gradu- ates include former Chair- man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell, former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and Mar- tin Dempsey, who retired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2016. State’s presence at each of NDU’s five colleges is significant. On average, the State Department sends 20-25 officers to the National War College and an equal number to the Eisenhower School (formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces) each year. A much smaller number (2-3) go to the College of International Security Affairs, which focuses on coun- terterrorism, and to the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition to students, State has faculty slots in each school and holds the number-two leadership position at the University, the National War College, the Eisenhower School and CISA. Altogether, the State contingent at NDU easily numbers 60-70 per year. Making the Most of the Investment State personnel benefit tremendously from this experience. Classroom discussions offer an opportunity to explore issues (e.g., how to diminish the influence of the Islamic State group) from a new perspective and to hear what others—especially military officers—think about these challenges. Personal interac- tions outside of class provide an opportunity to get to know people our officers might otherwise never come across and to build relationships that often prove to be invaluable later down the line. (If you are interested in bidding on a year at NDU, look for 17 State 41364, Long-Term Training Opportunities, which gives details on how to apply.) There are countless stories of FSOs who graduated fromNDU— whether from the National War College, the Eisenhower School or another component—and encountered a classmate five to 10 years later in an interagency setting. In almost every case, their shared experience as NDU students facilitated discussion andmade it easier to resolve issues. We can only guess at howmany disagree- ments between State and DOD never reached a crisis level because the people involved understood each other’s cultures and were able to work out their differences. A year at NDU represents a substantial investment by the State Department in officers expected to go on to leadership roles. So it is almost astounding that we do not make a concerted effort to reap the benefits of this investment by ensur- ing that the knowledge and experience our students acquire is utilized in a delib- erate manner. Long overdue improvements to the selection process for senior training have been made recently, but more could be done. One idea involves setting aside a small number of slots, perhaps two per year, for officers willing to commit to focus on political-military issues or take an impor- tant assignment as a foreign policy adviser (known as a POLAD) to a military service chief or commander. I met with State FSO students every year while at NDU and found them frustrated that our personnel system seemed incapable of finding a way to recognize the added value they bring out of the assignment. Linked assignments are probably a bridge too far, but steps forward could include equating a year at institutions like NDU to interagency experience and requiring the deputy chief of mission and principal officer selection com- mittee to give candidates with this experience higher consider- ation for posts with a large U.S. military presence. Over time, this might encourage new norms, such as an expectation that service school graduates will be more competitive for positions that have a significant political-military component. Creative thinking and a more strategic approach to how we fill certain assignments could put us on a stronger footing in terms of the relationship with DOD. This would absolutely require a commitment from the seventh floor, and not just from the Director General’s office. It might be difficult and controver- sial, but conscious change is needed if we are to make the most of opportunities that already exist. What We Can Teach the Military Another factor that we pay insufficient attention to is the degree to which we can positively influence our military col- leagues' perceptions of the State Department and the Foreign Service. While it is critical to have individual FSOs benefit from Creative thinking and a more strategic approach to how we fill certain assignments could put us on a stronger footing in terms of the relationship with DOD.