National War College

The countdown is over. We’re gearing up for another incredible academic year at the National War College and can’t wait to welcome the Class of 2027. Go Warriors!

As the National War College celebrates its 80th anniversary, we proudly marked another historic milestone with a Change of Responsibility Ceremony at Roosevelt Hall. During this special year for the institution, Major General Jason L. Morris, USMC, assumed responsibilities as the College’s 35th Commandant, succeeding Rear Admiral Chase D. Patrick, USN.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Rear Admiral Patrick for his exceptional leadership and service. His tenure strengthened academic rigor, modernized strategic education, advanced assessment and accreditation efforts, and integrated emerging technologies into the curriculum, leaving the College stronger and better positioned for the future.

As we enter our ninth decade of educating strategic leaders, we are honored to welcome Major General Morris and look forward to building on the National War College’s legacy of excellence in national security and joint professional military education.

Please join us in congratulating Major General Morris on assuming command and in thanking Rear Admiral Patrick for his dedicated service to the College and the nation.

Today we celebrate 80 years of the National War College.

Since July 1, 1946, the National War College has been at the heart of developing the nation’s strategic leaders. Founded in the wake of World War II, it brought together military and civilian leaders with a shared purpose: to think deeply, work across boundaries, and take on the most complex challenges facing our country.

From its very beginning, the charge was clear. As General Walter Krueger advised the College’s first commandant, “Make ’em ponder.”

Eighty years later, that spirit is still alive. Every class, every seminar, every conversation continues to push leaders to question, analyze, and rise to meet an increasingly complex world.

We are proud to be part of this legacy and proud to carry it forward.

Happy 80th anniversary to the National War College. Go Warriors!

To the Class of 2026, we mark this moment with pride and gratitude. Your graduation from the National War College reflects not only academic achievement, but a deep and enduring commitment to protecting and advancing our national interests.

Through your work, you have strengthened your ability to lead in complexity, to navigate uncertainty, and to shape strategy in a rapidly changing world.

You are more than graduates. You are thinkers, partners, and leaders entrusted with guiding the future of national security. The challenges ahead are real, but so is your preparation and your resolve.

As you depart the College, carry forward the knowledge you have gained and the responsibility that comes with it.

Thank you for your service and your dedication. Congratulations, Warriors.

National War College students recently participated in our Navy Prep-T, traveling to Norfolk, Virginia for an exceptional experience designed to deepen their understanding of the Department of the Navy and maritime warfare. Throughout the visit, participants gained valuable insight into naval operations, strategy, and leadership, bringing classroom learning to life through direct engagement with the fleet. A highlight of the trip was time spent aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), where students connected with sailors and leaders and learned firsthand about carrier operations and mission readiness.

We also extend our sincere thanks to the crews of USS Arlington and USS Gettysburg for their generous hospitality and for sharing their expertise and experiences, which made a lasting impact. This opportunity strengthened appreciation for the Navy’s critical role in national security and reinforced the value of experiential learning.

The National War College was honored to welcome General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., USMC (Ret.), former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as this year’s National War College Scowcroft Lecture speaker, sponsored by the NWC Alumni Association.

His remarks were a powerful close to the academic year and a fitting sendoff for the next generation of Warriors as they step forward to take on the hard work of safeguarding our nation and partnerships, advancing security around the world.

Thank you, General Dunford, for sharing your time, experience, and perspective.

The National War College was honored to host Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby as part of our Kennan Lecture Series. Mr. Colby shared valuable insights on strategic competition, defense priorities, and the evolving national security landscape with our students. His remarks sparked a thoughtful and engaging discussion, further deepening our community’s understanding of today’s most pressing challenges.

Walking the fields of Gettysburg, our Warriors saw theory brought to life. Their discussions examined the nature of war as timeless and distinctly human, alongside the evolving character of war shaped by innovation and context. Observing how leaders adapted, or failed to, in moments of uncertainty underscored a central lesson: while warfare changes, its core challenges endure. Experiences like this deepen our understanding of strategy, leadership, and decision making on truly historic ground.

Last week, at the National War College, Course 6222 - Joint Warfighting & the Evolving Character of War, culminated in its Capstone Wargame, a rigorous experiential exercise focused on the demands of winning the nation’s most difficult wars. Building on a series of strategic- and operational-level planning and tabletop exercises, students connected national guidance to campaign design, operational decisions, and wartime adaptation in a dynamic future conflict scenario. The wargame reinforced the War College’s foundational focus on warfighting, joint planning, and military problem-solving, while sharpening how an interagency cohort understands and applies all instruments of national power to achieve strategic objectives.

Across this multi-day event, student seminars competed head-to-head as red and blue teams, testing plans against a thinking adversary and drawing critical lessons for how the US Joint Force must continue to adapt to preserve advantage, strengthen deterrence, and prevail in war.

This week at the National War College, students tackled the Strategic Layer TTX—linking national-level guidance to coalition actions and targeted investments across the instruments of power, examining great power competition leading to crisis in the curriculum's wargaming series.

Students translated strategic objectives into campaign-level priorities, then applied what allies and partners enable (or constrain) through access, basing, overflight, authorities, messaging, and escalation management.

This seminar set conditions for their follow-on contingency planning exercise by further connecting the strategic logic from guidance to campaign design to executable plans, ensuring operational decisions remain grounded in strategic purpose and reality.