Chiefs, the commanders of all the unified commands as well as senior officials from the Department of Defense, Department of State, National Security Council, and members of Congress. The course requires intensive personal involvement on the part of each CAPSTONE Fellow through participation in seminars, field trips, discussions, and the current issues exercise. There are many opportunities for each Fellow to share expertise and experiences with other participants. The CAPSTONE course does not include formal writing or research assignments. The amount of required readings is modest and is used to highlight key issues and prepare participants for indepth discussions. After their overseas field study, Fellows do prepare a trip report that captures their findings. Several “Senior Fellows” are assigned to each CAPSTONE class. Senior Fellows are retired four-star generals and admirals who volunteer to participate in the CAPSTONE program. They provide a unique dimension to the course. Their principal contribution lies in their day-to-day contact with CAPSTONE participants. Their breadth of experience, often gained in politically sensitive positions, qualifies them to serve as role models, to interpret international events and military issues, and to provide insights not readily available from other sources. All presentations and discussions at CAPSTONE are covered by the National Defense University’s non-attribution policy. As a result of this policy, nothing a speaker says during a class session will be attributed to the speaker directly or indirectly in the presence of anyone who was not authorized to attend the lecture. This policy is morally binding on everyone who participates in the CAPSTONE program. Curriculum The CAPSTONE curriculum examines major issues affecting national security decision making, military strategy, joint doctrine, service interoperability, and familiarizes senior officers with allied nations. The course includes guest speakers, seminars, case studies, group discussions, and visits to military commands and operational units located in the continental United States. Students are divide into three groups to participate in overseas trips to Europe, the Pacific region, and the Western Hemisphere. The overseas field studies involve interactions with senior commanders of United States unified commands, American Ambassadors, allied military leaders, and senior political leaders of foreign governments. During the course CAPSTONE Fellows analyze the national security policy process. They discuss joint doctrine and joint operational concepts. They study joint, interagency, and multinational capabilities, and discuss how these capabilities are best integrated to accomplish United States national security objectives. They discuss strategies for conduction joint and combined