The Foreign Service Journal, July/August 2018

14 JULY-AUGUST 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL NDU helps civilians better understand the U.S. military, but it also does an outstanding job of training all its students to engage in critical analyses of past and present national security issues so that we can better serve our country in the future. Plus, NDU’s program for international fellows is a diamond in a crown full of sparkling gems. An Israeli student once told me how he’d spent several hours talking to a Lebanese officer while on a bus trip to Philadelphia: ‘I wouldn’t be able to have that experience anywhere else in the world,’ he said. ‘This program doesn’t just give us an education, it advances your foreign policy objectives! That’s incredible.’ —Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt, former NDU senior vice president and National War College alum As a student at the National War College, my classmates included the future chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the current COCOM for AFRICOM. I have forged lifelong relationships with class- mates and have continued to serve with them, both civilian and military, inmy assignments in Afghanistan, Somalia and in a number of postings in Africa.The NDU experience is unique, unmatched and important for us in playing a critical role in dip- lomatic relations and developing U.S. national strategic policy. —Ambassador Don Yamamoto, former NDU senior vice president and National War College 1996 alum Our success as diplomats is predicated on effective cooperation with our interagency counterparts, particularly as we rise to lead country teams. Being an NWC alumprovidedme instant cred- ibility with our military colleagues. In times of crisis or confront- ing tough problems, no place prepares you better than NDU. It teaches you to think strategically, but equally important provides you a go-to network. —Ambassador Mike Hammer, acting NDU senior vice president and National War College 2007 alum NDU provides a critical platform for Foreign Service officers to explain the importance of diplomacy as an instrument of U.S. national power and to assist our military colleagues in appreciat- ing the role that diplomacy plays in ensuring national security during peacetime and war. —Ambassador Makila James, current NDUNational War College faculty and alum At the NWC, we all gained a deep knowledge of how our military and civilian counterpart organizations tick. As mission direc- tor in Iraq, I foundmyself planning the largest U.S. government humanitarian assistance program in Iraq since the end of the war. I was thrust in front of themedia alongsidemy three-star military colleague to explain it all to the press. My NWC experi- ence taught me that while I need to be the development and humanitarian assistance expert in the room, success will only be achieved when we work together. —Sarah Lynch-Healy, USAID senior deputy assistant administrator, NDUNational War College alum Part of the National War College experience is learning not just from the professors and the readings, but also from the other stu- dents. NWC students typically have 15 to 25 years of experience in themilitary, DOD civilian agencies, the intelligence commu- nity, Department of Homeland Security, USAID and elsewhere, so seminar discussions are not just academic; they’re deeply grounded in professional experience. It’s the graduate program you’ve spent the first 15 to 20 years of your career preparing for. —Jennifer Spande, NDUNationalWar College 2018 alum Bothwithin and outside the seminar experience, NDUhas pro- vided numerous opportunities to establish friendships across the military services and governmental agencies that I knowwill last for decades to come. Nothing can replace that intuitive sense of nowunderstanding howour military colleaguesmay approach an issue; and, while our perspectivesmay differ slightly, we have developed amutual rapport and respect that transcends uniforms andmissions and strengthens our commitment to public service. —Brad Bell, NDU Eisenhower School 2018 alum It is useful to examine the theory and social science behind our foreign affairs work, reading classics of international relations and having access to current cutting-edge research. It’s also gratifying to know that the contributions of the Department of State are valued by our interagency partners. We see a richmix in the faculty—professional academics and experienced practitio- ners from themilitary and the interagency add to a tapestry of viewpoints. —Danny Fennell, NDUCollege of International Security Affairs faculty and alum The Civ-Mil Partnership: Building Relationships for Success