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    Op-Ed                                                                     JULY 24, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 13

                To connect  these defense strat-
            egies to national objectives, the war
            colleges use a collaborative academ-
            ic environment. “They share class-
            rooms  with  civilian  officials  from
            various government agencies and in-
            creasingly with international officers
            from allied friendly nations,” Rama-
            ni says. “This diverse mix ensures
            they learn to solve complex global
            problems together.”
               Bridging military PME and
                   civilian universities
                  he national security educa-
                  tion system  operates  as a du-
            Tal-track ecosystem, balancing
            structured military instruction with
            diverse, decentralized civilian aca-
            demic  expertise. Graduate schools
            such as  Johns Hopkins School of
            Advanced   International  Studies
            (SAIS),  Harvard Kennedy School,
            and the  Princeton School of Public
            and International Affairs act as intel-
            lectual engines for national security,
            and high-performing military officers
            are routinely sent to these  universi-
            ties as National Security Fellows to    The Summer Leaders Experience offered high school students from around the United States an opportunity to become familiar with the U.S.
            bring critical intellectual diversity
            into conventional military logic.    Military Academy at West Point firsthand. Approximately 1,600 rising high school seniors came to the U.S. Military Academy during three five-
                                               day iterations to immerse themselves in the lifestyle of a cadet. The program reflects the U.S. military’s approach of introducing leadership and
            Similarly, having civilian fac-        military education early, before students enter service academies such as West Point or join the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

            ulty members at war colleges                                (Photo by Eric Bartelt / United States Military Academy at West Point)
            brings in academic rigor and
            broader perspectives.  “A sig-    late theory into real-world readiness.  proach. At the curriculum level, mod-  print. “When we look at how coun-
            nificant portion of the faculty   He was able to join a brief session   ules are explicitly structured to show-  tries build robust  defense  prepared-
                                              himself.   “PME uses complex, un-
                                                                                                                  ness, we often focus on standard
                                                                                case  how  the  military  operates  as  a
            at top war colleges consists of   scripted wargaming where students   supporting element to civilian lead-  hardware,” says Ramani. “But the
            civilian  Ph.D.s  holding chairs   are placed in highly fluid, crisis-level   ership  during  deployments.    “For   U.S. PME system shows that a na-
                                              scenarios where they must counter
                                                                                                                  tion’s ultimate strategic asset is actu-
                                                                                instance,  officers  study  how  the  Na-
            in military history, international   simulated adversarial moves,” he says.  tional Security Council synthesizes in-  ally its human and intellectual capital.

                                                  Through these  exercises  and
            relations, and strategic stud-    analytical methodologies, senior of-  telligence and coordinates actions be-  It treats cognitive development as a
                                                                                tween the Pentagon, Department of
                                                                                                                  core capability.”
            ies,” says Ramani.                ficers are trained to anticipate mod-  State, law enforcement agencies, and   Ultimately, true  defense pre-
                                              ern asymmetric threats. “At institu-  other departments during domestic   paredness depends as much on
                This academic integration also   tions like the National War College,  crises or international operations, es-  developing people as it does on  ac-
            extends to specialized joint degree   student officers study precedents, in-  pecially in areas of counterterrorism.”  quiring  technology. By building an
            initiatives  and  deep  research  net-  telligence analysis, and geopolitical   This interagency focus scales all   adaptable cadre of leaders through
            works. For example, the U.S. Space   drivers to evaluate the capabilities   the way up to senior executive train-  a rigorous academic ecosystem, na-
            Force partners with SAIS to run   and intentions of global actors, with   ing,  where  high-level  field  studies   tions can ensure they  remain  fully
            the  Schriever Space Scholars Pro-  a heavy emphasis on asymmetric   simulate coordination across differ-  prepared for the unpredictable reali-
            gram,  allowing  personnel  to  earn  a   threats such as cyber warfare, disin-  ent government branches. “At senior   ties of future global conflicts.
            master’s degree in military strategy   formation, and economic coercion”  levels, leaders participate in capstone   What resonated most with Ra-
            within a civilian setting.        Ramani explains. “Exercises such   courses,  which  feature  intense  field   mani was this structural push for ana-
                                              as ‘Red Teaming’ are conducted to   studies that simulate direct interac-  lytical adaptability over rigid doctrine.
                 The role of unscripted       challenge students’ own assump-   tion with ambassadors, intelligence  “The U.S. PME model offers a blue-
                       wargaming              tions,  identify  blind spots in opera-  directors, and law enforcement,” Ra-  print for cultivating leaders who can
                                              tional plans, and stress-test emerging   mani says.
                  s officers rise into senior man-  doctrines.”                                                   navigate today’s unpredictable se-
                  agement, the curriculum shifts                                 Human capital as the ultimate    curity landscape,” says Ramani. “By
            Atoward joint, interagency, inter-  Interagency coordination and                 asset                investing in education and strategic
            governmental, and multinational pro-     defense diplomacy                                            thinking,  nations  can  build  leaders
            grams to cut across institutional silos.                                 or nations looking to mod-   who aren’t just prepared to fight the
                One of the most dynamic tools       y design, this entire educa-     ernize their armed forces, the   wars of today, but are fully equipped
            Ramani  observed  firsthand  was  the   tional framework fosters a  Fstructural  design  of  the  U.S.  to anticipate, adapt to, and shape the
            use of interactive simulation to trans- B “whole-of-government”  ap-  PME model offers an enduring blue-  strategic  landscape  of  tomorrow.”

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