The Joint Staff Officers Guide

This is a practical and easily accessible guide for those new to the joint environment and staff assignments. With input from serving action officers and senior leaders, here are the competencies and behaviors of highly effective and successful joint staff officers which provide a roadmap for career self development. This is the most current joint information available for managing staff activities.

"This handbook -- the Joint Officer Handbook (JOH) -- has been designed to accomplish three important objectives: Reduce the learning curve of staff officers before and immediately upon arrival, help staff officers develop a baseline of knowledge of each core competency deemed essential to staff officer job requirements and provide a reference guide for use during the joint assignment."--Page 1.

The Noncommissioned Officer and Petty Officer BACKBONE of the Armed Forces. Introduction The Backbone of the Armed Forces To be a member of the United States Armed Forces--to wear the uniform of the Nation and the stripes, chevrons, or anchors of the military Services--is to continue a legacy of service, honor, and patriotism that transcends generations. Answering the call to serve is to join the long line of selfless patriots who make up the Profession of Arms. This profession does not belong solely to the United States. It stretches across borders and time to encompass a culture of service, expertise, and, in most cases, patriotism. Today, the Nation's young men and women voluntarily take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and fall into formation with other proud and determined individuals who have answered the call to defend freedom. This splendid legacy, forged in crisis and enriched during times of peace, is deeply rooted in a time-tested warrior ethos. It is inspired by the notion of contributing to something larger, deeper, and more profound than one's own self. Notice: This is a printed Paperback version of the "The Noncommissioned Officer and Petty Officer BACKBONE of the Armed Forces". Full version, All Chapters included. This publication is available (Electronic version) in the official website of the National Defense University (NDU). This document is properly formatted and printed as a perfect sized copy 6x9".

In 1950, when he commissioned the first edition of The Armed Forces Officer, Secretary of Defense George C. Marshall told its author, S.L.A. Marshall, that "American military officers, of whatever service, should share common ground ethically and morally." In this new edition, the authors methodically explore that common ground, reflecting on the basics of the Profession of Arms, and the officer's special place and distinctive obligations within that profession and especially to the Constitution.

The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC) educates staff officers and other leaders in joint operational-level planning and warfighting and instills a commitment to joint, multinational, and interagency teamwork, attitudes, and perspectives. Pub 1 is the primary curriculum publication used by the faculty at JFSC to accomplish the college's educational goals and objectives in meeting this mission. It is a compendium of jointness that offers a perspective on joint planning and execution that is not found elsewhere, It presents the "big picture" of the players, the process, and the procedures, synthesizing elements from a wide range of sources, presenting them in a systematic manner. No other single publication so completely treats the subject of "jointness." In recent years, Pub 1 has become a more important document since joint professional military education became a shared responsibility, with Phase I taught at the Service schools and Phase II taught at JFSC. We also recognize that Pub 1 is considered the preeminent reference book for operators and planners throughout the joint and Service communities. To satisfy this broad audience we have made JFSC Pub 1 available in the Joint Electronic Library, which is accessible through desktop computers.