Military

‘An intellectual investment in our officer corps’ — Pentagon partners with Johns Hopkins on new program

Military officers with dreams of one day taking a greater role steering the United States on the world stage now have a new way to pursue that goal.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense has partnered with Johns Hopkins University to create the Secretary of Defense Strategic Thinkers Program, which will allow a select group of officers to work toward a master’s degree in international public policy.

“The heart of it is our people, their talents and capabilities,” said Fred Drummond, deputy assistant secretary of defense for force education and training. “And what we’re doing is ensuring that they have the education to expand their talents.”

The program will launch in August and run through Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies. Officers will be schooled in “the art and science of war fighting,” according to Drummond, and they will learn the strategic-thinking skills necessary to plan and execute military operations.

One of the program’s goals is to prepare more officers to eventually take on high-level policy positions with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other influential panels, according to Drummond.