What is CAPSTONE?

Located on historic Fort Lesley J. McNair, CAPSTONE is an intensive six-week course consisting of seminars, case studies, informal discussions, visits to key US military commands within the continental United States, and overseas trips to Europe, the Pacific, and the Western Hemisphere. Overseas field studies involve interactions with Combatant Commanders of US unified commands, American Ambassadors, embassy staffs, senior political and military leaders of foreign governments.

The CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course was created in 1982 with participation on a voluntary basis. The Goldwaters-Nichols DoD Reorganization Act of 1986 subsequently mandated that all newly selected general and flag officers attend CAPSTONE. The course objective is to make these individuals more effective in planning and employing US forces in joint and combined operations. The CAPSTONE curriculum examines major issues affecting national security decision making, military strategy, joint/combined doctrine, interoperability, and key allied nation issues.

Suggestions/Comments send them to: Bonnie Swanson

Manaus, Brazil	DMZ, Korea	The Great Wall of China

NOTICE

National Defense University (NDU) experienced an intrusion of a system containing potential Personally Identifiable Information in October 2008. Affected individuals include Senior Executive Service personnel who attended the CAPSTONE, KEYSTONE and PINNACLE courses between 2004 and 2008. If you attended one of these courses during this timeframe and have NOT received a leTter from NDU, please contact NDU at (202) 685-7230 or email RachJ@ndu.edu