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Who attends U.S. war colleges besides military officers?

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Luce, Stephen — war college Stephen Luce, c. 1888.

In addition to senior military officers, U.S. war colleges educate U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees and foreign military officials.1

While the student bodies vary by institution, these colleges share the goal of improving professional education for high-level leadership. For example, the mission of the Air University includes educating federal government civilians and representatives from various international organizations, alongside personnel from all branches of the armed forces. Similarly, the Marine Corps War College typically includes a civilian military official in its class composition.1