• Training

  Command General Staff Officer Course - (CGSOC)

  COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF OFFICER COURSE- (CGSOC)

  Effective February 2020, The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College to authorize Commissioned Corps Headquarters to send officers to participate in the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC).

  Background

  This training is presented by the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Ft. Belvoir, VA. The CGSOC is one of the oldest and largest military leadership courses for senior O-3s and junior O-4s to assist in transitioning officers from a tactical-level focus to an operational-level perspective. The goal of the CGSOC is to “educate and train field grade leaders to serve as staff officers and commanders with the ability to build teams, lead organizations and integrate Unified Land Operations with Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational partners in complex and uncertain environments.”

  Purpose

  The Commissioned Corps Headquarters has been granted training seats for the CGSOC Selected Commissioned Corps officers have the option to attend the course at one of the four satellite campuses (Fort Belvoir, VA, Fort Lee, VA, Fort Gordon, GA, and Redstone Arsenal, AL). The satellite course is a full-time, 14-week course, requiring on-site attendance. There is no tuition associated with this training. 

  Command and General Staff Officers' Course consists of courses offered in an experiential learning environment which yields adaptive, self-aware, field-grade leaders of character and competence who are capable of shaping the joint operational environment.

  Objectives

  The Core Course curriculum includes eight blocks of instruction:

  • Foundations
  • Strategic Context of Operational Art
  • Unified Action
  • Operational Art & Planning
  • Managing Army Change
  • History: Rise of the Western Way of War
  • Leadership: Developing Organizations and Leaders
  • Apply U.S. Army Doctrine

  The Foundations block establishes a foundation and sets the conditions for all subsequent learning within the Command and General Staff Officers' Course Common Core and elective courses.

  The Strategic Context of Operational Art block introduces students to the joint, interagency and multinational environment and the doctrinal and theoretical concepts required to perceive, understand, and analyze strategic-level military problems and challenges.

  The Unified Action block helps students to understand the strategic and operational level joint force capabilities and limitations, operational level joint force capabilities, national, and legal considerations. It includes an examination of the roles, functions, capabilities, and limitations of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF), U.S. Space Forces, interagency capabilities and issues, multinational considerations, and operational legal issues.

  The Operational Art & Planning block integrates U.S. Army doctrinal concepts and principles as they apply to tactical units executing full-spectrum operations through participation in classroom discussions and practical exercises. These lessons require students to recognize that one's understanding of an operation, situation, or problem involves a mental process or model, and helps them analyze complex problems, determine requirements, capabilities, and shortfalls, and to then develop feasible plans for developing and executing solutions.

  The Managing Army Change block serves to familiarize students with the higher-level (strategic) agencies and the complex/interdependent force management processes used to change the Army to meet DoD transformation and the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review goals of the contemporary operational environment.

  The History: Rise of the Western Way of War block covers the history of the evolution of warfare and its applicability to current military planning. It explores the relationship between war and society from 1300 to the present, and assesses how the social, political, and economic changes in the larger society force changes within military organizations.

  The Leadership block introduces students to the challenges of organizational leadership in a changing and uncertain environment. It also focU.S.es on the concept of leadership styles and their underlying theories or strategies. Specifically, students discuss the relationship between leadership style, climate, and performance, and then conclude with a discussion to develop an understanding of the complexities of leading a change management process.

  The Apply U.S. Army Doctrine block focU.S.es on two primary doctrinal subjects: What the Army does: Unified Land Operations and How the Army does it: Mission Command. These lessons will build further on the previous blocks of instruction. This theme of instruction will address significant portions of each of the six Joint Learning Areas and Objectives of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Officer Professional Military Education Policy (OPMEP) Learning Areas for CGSOC.

  Throughout the entire Core Course, the student is taught "How to Think" instead of "What to Think" while using the Military Decision-Making Process, thereby enabling him/her to develop focused solutions to entirely new problems that evolve in today's uncertain and volatile world. This is done with a balanced focus on Current Operations, Future Operations, and Planning functions, along with an attempt to teach students how to synchronize actions to attain the effects desire.

  Target Audience

  The course is designed for officers in the rank of O-3 and O-4 in any USPHS categories who are Active Duty or Reserve Commissioned Corps*.

  *Ready Reserve officers will be selected by their Regional Commanders but will still need to apply.

  Schedule:	Session 2: May 08 – August 22, 2024
  Location:	Fort Belvoir, VA
  Application Opens:	Session 2:  February 09, 2024
  Application deadline:	Session 2:  March 11, 2024
  Course Length:	14 Weeks
  Officers per Date:	3
  Ranks Eligible:	O-3 and O-4
  Selecting official:	CCHQ Director (w/DSG concurrence)

  Application for Training:

  There is no tuition associated with these trainings; however, the selected Officer’s agency is responsible for continuing to pay the Officer’s salary/benefits. Per diem, lodging, and travel expenses will be covered by officer’s respective agency. Officers accepting an assignment to attend this training are expected to attend and complete the entire 14 weeks and as well as any designated asynchronous pre-work prescribed by CGSOC when receiving the acceptance letter. If you are interested in attending this training, you must submit an online training application as well as the following supporting items/documents. 

  Participation in CGSOC is dependent on submission of required documents, supervisor approval, and concurrence by the Deputy Surgeon General.

  Required applications materials for the CGSOC training packet:

  • Letter explaining why the officer would be a good fit for the Program, how the officer plans to use the skills/knowledge gained to advance the mission of the Corp, and attesting the officer meets all conditions of service.
  • COER scores for previous 3 years.
  • Supervisory approval.
  • Full-length Photos in uniform (ODU and SDBs) standing at attention. Professional photos not required.
  • No active Adverse Actions & must be basic ready qualified.
  • Officers applying must have a valid security clearance and upload the clearance as part of their packet.

  Required additional applications materials for the Long-term application training packet:

  • FORM PHS 1122-1
  • FORM PHS 1122-Supplement to Form PHS 1122-1
  • FORM PHS 6373
  • FORM PHS 1662
  • FORM PHS 1881-1

  All officers interested in participating this training opportunity must complete an application using the link below:

  Command General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC) - Session 2- 2024

  The application package and all required materials (Required applications materials for the CGSOC training packet & required additional applications materials for the Long-term application training packet) for this opportunity must be sent to PHSCOTA@hhs.gov using the subject line: CGSOC Application submission

  (For any questions or assistance on long-term trainings, reach out to your respective agency's liaison)

  Last Updated: 12/22/23
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