By MC3 Brian H. Abel

Students from the 65th graduating class of the Naval War College (NWC) Monterey partnership with NPS bow their heads during the benediction of their graduation ceremony in Herrmann Hall, Dec. 10. NPS partners with NWC Monterey to provide Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) phase 1 certification to select students while they are on site for their graduate degrees.

NWC Monterey Chairman Professor Fred Drake 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. Through the NWC and NPS partnership, 4,244 officers have earned this certification since the program's inception in 1999.