Naval War College Monterey Celebrates 71st Graduating Class
Today@NPS
Naval War College Monterey Celebrates 71st Graduating Class
By MC2 Michael Ehrlich
The 71st graduating class of the Naval War College (NWC) Monterey partnership with NPS for Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) stands for a group portrait on the steps of Herrmann Hall, June 8. Through the partnership, 4,710 officers have earned this certification since the program’s inception in September 1999.
Professor Fred Drake, Chairman of NWC Monterey presided over the ceremony where a total of 97 U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Army officers earned their NWC Command and Staff diploma with JPME Phase I certification.
“To our graduates you’ve reached an important milestone in your career,” said Drake. “Personally, I like the term milestone for a lot of reasons but the best one is that it denotes progress on a journey.”
Drake took a moment to bid farewell to retired Cmdr. Prof. Mike McMaster, who while serving on his final tour at NPS as the Deputy Dean of Students and Deputy Director of Programs, developed the partnership between NWC and NPS, which prompted his unplanned transition to professor.
“Mike retired from active duty and started teaching JMO and writing and as with everything else Mike has done, he excelled,” said Drake. “Unfortunately for us Mike decided to make another midcourse correction and he is going to pursue other challenges.”
Drake concluded by describing this moment in the graduates career’s as one of their midcourse corrections.
“It’s not that you have been on the wrong course but staying on the course you’ve been on up to this point won’t get you to where you need to go,” continued Drake. “I know, you are probably thinking that I just gave you a blinding flash of the obvious but you’d be surprised how many people fail to figure that out or make any sort of course or career corrections.
“You need to complete your midcourse correction as you press on to your next job in your next command and you’ll need to making further corrections in the future while continually to refine your skills.”