Department of

Military & Strategic Studies

 

Why Military & Strategic Studies?

Your ability to think strategically, organize, and innovatively apply relevant concepts to the variety of operational challenges you will face in demanding environments will shape your effectiveness as an air, space, and cyberspace leader.  The Military & Strategic Studies program blends the strengths of the social sciences and humanities, uniting military studies and strategic studies to prepare you to think, lead and operate across the spectrum of conflict in any domain.  Whether you choose to make the Air Force a career, pursue other public service, or enter the private sector, this versatile major will help you develop capabilities and mindsets to compete successfully in dynamic challenging environments.  MSS courses educate officers in the context, theory, and application of military and strategic power.  Your professors are a diverse, strategically minded and operationally oriented team of US Air Force, Army and Navy officers, foreign exchange officers, and civilian faculty.  The department is honored to possess a distinguished combat heritage.  We trace our lineage from the 34th Bombardment Group of the "Mighty Eighth" Air Force during World War II (B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator aircraft) and the 50th Aero Squadron of the American Expeditionary Air Force during World War I (De Havilland DH-4 aircraft and two Congressional Medal of Honor winners, Lieutenants Harold E. Goettler and Erwin R. Bleckley).  The history of these organizations was one of anticipation, adaptation and reorganization to perform new missions:  aerial reconnaissance, flight training, heavy bombardment, military training, and military education.  True to our heritage, MSS is a field of study we systematically design and continually update to provide an education tailored to the evolving professional responsibilities of Airmen. Organized into four divisions, the Department of Military & Strategic Studies develops and delivers courses at the leading edge of scholarly approaches, content, and operational relevance.  Our divisions include Strategic Studies, Operational Concepts, Comparative Military Strategy, and Learning Laboratories. The Strategic Studies Division evaluates and integrates military theory, doctrine and strategy.  The Operational Concepts Division relates strategic theory, concepts and doctrine to operational environments.   The Comparative Military Strategy Division evaluates military strategies from both global and regional perspectives.  The Learning Laboratories Division promotes leading edge research and effective learning in Military & Strategic Studies.  All our organizations provide world-class classroom and laboratory learning environments.  For example, you explore operational concepts and experience virtual air combat in aircraft simulators located in the Air Warfare Lab.  The Space Operations Education Lab focuses on demonstrating space capabilities to the warfighter. In the highly flexible Military & Strategic Learning Lab, you can research and experiment with a variety of theoretical and practical aspects of air, space, cyber and surface capabilities.      The academic program in Military & Strategic Studies offers you the opportunity to enhance your basic USAFA core education by exploring the context, theory and application of military and strategic power. Return to top Send inquiries to: DFMI Webmaster