The Joint Service Defence College (JSDC) was a training academy for British military personnel in the period from 1983 to 1997. It has now been amalgamated into the Joint Services Command and Staff College. For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The creation of the Joint Services Command and Staff College was announced 14 July 1994 to replace the Staff College, Camberley (at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich), the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, the RAF Staff College, Bracknell, and the Joint Services Defence College, Greenwich. ...

Prior history

The college was originally called the Joint Services Staff College (JSSC), established in 1947. For the period 1947-1983, the college was based at Latimer House in Latimer, Buckinghamshire By 1963, the Joint Services Staff College existed to train officers to fill joint command and staff appointments by studying modern war on a joint-service basis and widening their knowledge of inter-service problems. This developed that inter-service teamwork which is so essential for mutual understanding and efficient working between the three services. Nominations to the course were made by individual services. Latimer is a village and civil parish that sits on the border between Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, in England. ...

It was renamed the National Defence College (NDC) in 1971 and was purely British in focus; there was also a joint warfare wing from 1979 - 1983. National Defence University (NDU) is a Pakistani military institution whose origin goes back to the year 1963, when the 1st Army War Course started at the Command and Staff College, Quetta. ...

In 1983 it was renamed as the Joint Service Defence College (JSDC), and moved to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. The Old Royal Naval College The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, in the centre of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site in London. ...

Nature of the course

The JSDC Crest

The JDSC course had a more academic nature compared to its predecessors. The course covered crisis management, international issues, United Kingdom foreign and domestic policy, NATO and joint operations.

The purpose was to prepare officers of high ability for joint service staff work, appointments that contribute to the formulation of defence policy in Ministry of Defence and NATO staffs and for key posts in operational commands, by improving their understanding of other services - including their organisation, roles, methodology, capabilities, and introducing them to pressures and constraints which perforce bear on high level defence decisions. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. ... This article is about the military alliance. ...

The course became seven months long, purely United Kingdom-based in its nature. Those officers passing the course, or serving on the directing staff for at least six months, received the letters jsdc. Alternatively officers might attend an overseas course such as the NATO Defence College (nadc), or other overseas defence colleges such as Joint Services Staff College, Australia (odc(AUS)), Armed Forces Staff College, USA (odc(US)), Canadian Forces Command and Staff College (odc(CAN)), or the Defence Services Staff College, India (odc(IND)). The NATO Defence College was established in 1951. ... The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC) located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

The course crest featured a cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). The Cormorant was also the name of the college magazine. This animal was chosen as a symbol of all three services represented at JSDC: Britain's largest seabird flies, swims on the sea surface and catches its fish underwater, yet builds its nest on dry land (either on cliffs or in riverside trees). For other uses, see Cormorant (disambiguation). ...

Staff and students

The Commandant was always a Major-general or equivalent. Senior Directing Staff included Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, civilian colonels and equivalent: civilian G5 or Assistant Secretary (Counsellor). Commandant is a military or police title or rank and can mean any of the following: The commander of certain military corps and services, such as the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commandant of the Coast Guard in the United States or the Commandant of the (now obsolete... Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... RAF redirects here. ... For other uses, see Colonel (disambiguation). ... Consulate redirects here. ...

Those officers attending the course had to have had the potential to rise at least two grades in rank. Three courses were held every two years, each with 60 officers (17 from each service plus 9 others from the civil service or the police). The majority of students went on to joint, central staff or international appointments.

Closure of the college

The college was closed in 1997 and amalgamated into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College. The creation of the Joint Services Command and Staff College was announced 14 July 1994 to replace the Staff College, Camberley (at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich), the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, the RAF Staff College, Bracknell, and the Joint Services Defence College, Greenwich. ...