Effective joint officer

The Goldwater-Nichols act of 1986 redirected the nation’s focus on producing quality joint staff officers. Since the signing of that act, the Department of Defense has made significant improvements identifying the core qualities that make up an effective joint staff officer. In 2006 the Joint Staff Training Division (J7) conducted a survey to determine the basic characteristics common among the most effective joint staff officers. Over 1550 senior joint service leaders concluded that there are 15 core competencies that define an effective joint staff officer. From those 15 core competencies, three characteristics standout as essential elements of a staff officer on an executive level joint staff: exhibits the ability to solve complex problems, builds effective teams, and has a desire for life long learning. The following is a deeper analysis into how these three characteristics make an effective joint staff leader.

The ability to understand a problem, determine the desired end state, and develop a strategy to achieve that end state is a highly sought after skill in every facet of the military profession. However, in a joint setting, the problems are generally much more complex requiring an advanced mastery of problem solving from joint staff officers. The complexities of planning on the joint staff level stem from the amount of education it takes to simply understand the problem. Joint staff officers not only must understand the components and capabilities of their own service, they must also understand any service they might interact with to include the nine combatant commands. These demands put a heavy emphasis on joint professional military education before the joint staff officer shows up to their assignm...

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...and those from our past that have already shaped the world. Most effective joint officers are avid readers who want to seek knowledge and understand that learning never stops. They are willing to participate in new events that will further broaden their perspective on the world. Life long learners are also aware of there own intellectual shortfalls and willing to devote the requisite time to improve those shortfalls. The effective joint staff officer understands how knowledge translates to power at the joint level and life long learning is a way to obtain more power.

Ultimately there are 15 widely accepted characteristics that define an effective joint staff officer. However, the ability to build teams to solve complex problems while continuing to grow more knowledgeable through life long learning is the true hallmark of an effect joint staff officer.