In February, the Department of the Navy released Education for Seapower Strategy 2020, a joint Navy-Marine Corps strategy to boost the intellectual and technological capabilities of our force. One of the key elements of that strategy is to create a new United States Naval Community College, which will dramatically expand educational opportunities for our enlisted force.
The need for this new community college is driven by the changing nature of warfare. In the 21st century, war is becoming even more technologically complex, and moving at an accelerated pace, forcing decision-making down to the NCO and petty officer level. To perform at our best and to protect our national security, we need to deploy the most technically advanced and intellectually capable enlisted force in the world. The raw material we possess — our enlisted sailors and Marines — is the best in the world. They are smart, disciplined, and focused. If we give them additional tools, through advanced community college educations, they will be even more effective.
