JOINT TRANSITION COURSE (JTC)

SYLLABUS

COURSE OBJECTIVE. The objective of this course is for each student to gain 

awareness of the organizations, agencies, and processes associated with the United States 

strategic planning environment and to gain familiarity with basic concepts of planning at 

the operational-level of war. This course familiarizes students with Joint Professional 

Military Education Phase I (JPME I) curriculum in which they have not previously been 

formally instructed and prepares them for participation in their Joint and Combined 

Warfighting School (JCWS) seminar at the Joint Forces Staff College JPME Phase II 

course of instruction. 

COURSE SUMMARY. Participants are instructed on subjects including defining the 

operational environment and developing an approach, and on Department of Defense 

(DOD) organization and planning processes to include the key components of deliberate 

and crisis action planning associated with the Adaptive Planning and Execution (APEX) 

system (formally the Joint Operation Planning and Execution System (JOPES)). The 

course includes a discussion of major programs and initiatives to correct existing 

deficiencies in US capabilities as well as an overview of capabilities and limitations of 

the various United States armed forces.

COURSE CONTENT.

a. LESSON 00 – STUDENT IN-PROCESSING. This block of time allows 

staff to account for and in-process students for this course of instruction.

 

b. LESSON 01 – INTRODUCTION. Understand the goals and objectives of the 

Joint Transition Course (JTC). This will cover administrative items, course content, and 

other related issues and allows students the opportunity to introduce themselves.

c. LESSON 02 –WARFARE OPERATIONAL ART AND THE OPERATING

ENVIRONMENT. A basic understanding of the concept of operational warfare as 

conducted by the unified commander who serves as the transition from national strategy to 

operations within the theater and defines objectives that reflect the realities of the operating 

environment while supporting achievement of strategy goals. 

d. LESSON 03A – ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR JOINT 

PLANNING. Comprehend the structure and functions of the primary elements of the 

national military command structure and the assigned responsibilities and guidance unified 

commanders consider in discharging their duties.

e. LESSON 03B-F – COMPONENTS AND JOINT OPERATIONS. 

Understand the organization and functions of the components and their capabilities 

within the context of the conduct of joint operations.

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f. LESSON 04 – DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PLANNING SYSTEMS. 

Comprehend the nature of strategic guidance and how operational art is used to assist the 

interpretation of strategic guidance into operational plans through both deliberate and crisis 

action planning and creation of Global and Theater campaign plans as well as Contingency 

and Supporting Plans.

g. LESSON 05 – OPERATIONAL APPROACH. A discussion concerning the 

development of an operational approach to frame problems in response to strategic 

guidance and direction. During this course of discussion many of the elements of 

operational design will be reviewed as the building blocks for designing solutions.

Furthermore, this discussion will provide an appreciation for how strategic thinking and 

the operational approach can be integrated in the Joint Operation Planning Process (JOPP). 

h. LESSON 06A/B – INTRO TO OP DESIGN AND JOPP. Students will 

comprehend the foundational themes of design methodology, the relationship of 

operational design to JOPP and the JOPP process. These themes are the building blocks 

that the students will be expected to address during practical applications in their JTC and 

JCWS seminar.

i. LESSON 06C – PLANNING FUNCTION: PLAN DEVELOPMENT

(FORCE, SUPPORT AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING). Understand that force, 

support and transportation planning is the product of mission analysis and intelligence 

assessment with its foundation in the supported joint force commander’s concept of 

operations. Force, support and transportation planning is based on CJCS and Service 

guidance and doctrine. This planning consists of force requirements determination, force 

list development, refinement in light of force availability, and force shortfall 

identification and resolution or risk analysis of unresolved shortfalls. Force planning with 

subsequent support iterations is where Service component commanders time phase their 

force lists to sequence the arrival of forces in accordance with the visualized concept of 

operations. This step includes planning from the point of origin to final destination and 

inclusion of requirements for joint reception, staging, onward movement, and integration 

(JRSOI).

j. LESSON 06D -- INTRODUCTION TO THEATER CAMPAIGN 

PLANNING. An overview of the efforts by unified commanders to fulfill the 

requirement to create Theater Campaign Plans (TCP) that consolidate deliberate planning 

efforts with the steady state day-to-day security cooperation planning which shapes the 

commander’s operating environment. TCPs are designed to achieve the prioritized end 

states and serve as the integrating framework that informs and synchronizes all 

subordinate and supporting planning and operations.

k. LESSON 07 – CRISIS ACTION PLANNING. A discussion on the adaption 

of joint planning and execution to time-sensitive situations. It will examine Crisis Action 

Planning (CAP) and the procedures and processes for the issuance of taskings, guidance, 

and orders as information is exchanged between the unified commander and the President 

and Secretary of Defense. The various types of messages and orders will be discussed as 

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commanders have to inform superiors of unexpected situations that may have national 

interest.

l. LESSON 08 – THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. An introduction to 

key interagency coordination issues involved with implementing policy in an 

international context and developing a comprehensive approach for the resolution of 

complex contingencies. It will examine roles and challenges while working beside 

intergovernmental (IGO) and nongovernmental (NGO) organizations, and the private 

sector and determine how they can be synchronized, coordinated and/or integrated in 

unified action to achieve national and multinational strategic objectives.

m. LESSON 09 A/B – JOINT TRANSITION EXERCISE (JTEX). This is a 

capstone practical application which addresses many of the planning considerations 

reviewed throughout the course. This exercise provides an opportunity for students to 

participate as planners in a simulated complex incident. The incident will consist of a 

fictional humanitarian crisis operation that reflects learning challenges similar to those 

they will confront within their JCWS seminars. The students are required to analyze the 

situation and the requirements for conducting operations in a country after a catastrophic 

volcanic eruption. This event will enforce students understanding of mission analysis, 

organization, command and control and possible rules of engagement/rules of force to 

consider during a time-sensitive situation.

n. LESSON 10 A/B – COURSE ASSESSMENT. The evening before the last 

day of the course the students will be given a take home multiple-choice test which will 

assess their retention of the JPME Phase I concepts covered during JTC. The assessment 

permits use of any references and notes that the students have. The tests will be reviewed 

the last day of the course and all answers discussed to clarify concepts and the 

information presented.

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