Department of Military and Strategic Studies

Antecedent Departments

Commandant of Cadets:
Professional Military Studies (1981–1992)
Military Arts and Science (1992–1994)
34th Training Group (1994–2005)

Dean of Faculty:
Military and Strategic Studies (2005–Present)

Department Heads

1981–1986	*Col Philip D. Caine*
1987	Lt Col James R.W. Titus
1988–1992	*Col Caine*
1992–1994	*Col David A. Wagie*
1994–1998	Lt Col Jerome V. Martin
1998–1999	Col Larry A. Smith
1999–2003	*Col Thomas A. Drohan*
2003–2005	Col Steven F. Baker
2005–2017	*Col Drohan*
2017–	Col Thomas T. Swaim

Permanent Professors

The Department Today:

The department provides cadets the professional military educational background for development as Airmen. Cadets use strategic thinking and operational planning concepts to evaluate and apply air, space, cyber, and joint capabilities to contemporary strategic problems and operational simulations. Cadets in the major pursue courses related to the uniquely demanding context of the military profession by framing the battle space, and evaluating theories, models, and perspectives for future applications of military and strategic power.

Curriculum:

The department offers 24 courses in Military and Strategic Studies.
Core Courses:
MSS 251. Airpower and Joint Operations Strategy
MSS 444. Space and Cyber Strategy for National Security (Advanced Sociocultural Choice)
Major: Military and Strategic Studies

Noteworthy:

The department’s Center for Airpower Studies aims to produce cognitively agile, action-oriented thinkers to meet the challenges of translating strategic guidance into operational and tactical successes to achieve national security policy goals with the military instrument of national power. The Center features the Cadet Battle Laboratory to provide an environment for presenting and solving strategic and operational challenges and the Air Warfare Laboratory to provide an environment for translating strategic guidance into kinetic and non-kinetic tactical action.