Small Wars Journal

The Command and General Staff College Interagency Fellowship Program

Mon, 12/14/2015 - 12:45pm

The Command and General Staff College Interagency Fellowship Program

STAND-TO!

What is it?

The U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Interagency Fellowship Program is a career broadening, educational opportunity for field grade officers. The program, which falls under U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's Combined Arms Center, increases the Army's understanding of integrating and collaborating with federal government interagency partners in future operations. Interagency partners include members of the Intelligence Community, Departments of State, Energy, Homeland Security, Transportation, Justice, the Agency for International Development and other key departments and agencies.

The objectives of the Fellowship are:

  • (1) Enhance the Army's ability to support a comprehensive approach through partnering with governmental and nongovernmental agencies in stability operations, disaster response or humanitarian assistance.
  • (2) Improve the nation's overall security-related capabilities through synchronizing common missions, and united effort with Army and interagency players.
  • (3) Improve the Army's ability to interact and leverage the capabilities of various agencies through understanding their cultures and developing working relationships.
  • (4) Increase understanding of the complex, joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational environment in which the Army operates with its national security partners.

What has the Army done?

The CGSC fellowship program sends key developmental/post military education level 4 Army majors or lieutenant colonels to interagency partners to work as fully integrated staff officers. Currently 46 CGSC interagency fellows serve in 24 partner agencies. To date, 193 Army officers have served as CGSC interagency fellows.

What does the Army have planned for the future?

In 2016 50 fellows will serve at 27 partner agencies. Growth will continue to a planned steady state of 55 fellows in 2017.

Why is this important to the Army?

The National Security Strategy, the Defense Strategy, the National Military Strategy and the recently released 39th Chief of Staff of the Army's Initial Message to the Army, priority #2, highlight the importance of working together with interagency partners to save resources to effectively and efficiently solve the nation's problems. Our Army learned this lesson in Iraq and Afghanistan, it must work even more closely with international, intergovernmental and interagency partners.