Army announces optimization of Intermediate Level Education

By Office of the Chief of Public AffairsSeptember 24, 2012

WASHINGTON (Sept. 24, 2012) -- The Department of the Army announced today changes to improve Officer Intermediate Level Professional Military Education.

Due to the past 10 years of conflict, mid-grade officer attendance at Intermediate Level Education, known as ILE, has been affected by frequent deployments. This has led to deferments of officers attending ILE and has created a backlog of officers who require this important education.

The Army's goal is to eliminate that backlog and ensure 100 percent attendance of all officers in ILE prior to assuming key developmental positions. The changes will require active component Army Competitive Category officers to complete ILE through one of three venues:

• 10-month Resident (Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; Sister Service Schools and Foreign Schools)

• 14-week Satellite campuses (Forts Belvoir, Va.; Lee, Va., Gordon, Ga., and Redstone Arsenal, Ala.)

• Distributed learning

Officers will be provided a common curriculum and similar foundational knowledge regardless of ILE venue attended.

"It is our Soldiers that make us the most flexible, adaptable and decisive force in the world," said Gen. Ray Odierno, Army chief of staff. "Through our training and leader development programs, we are building the future. There is nothing more important."

Optimizing Officer Intermediate Level Education is an important component of Army efforts to strengthen Leader Development and the Army Profession as it moves towards the Army of 2020. It will provide a tailored, high-quality education for all officers and maximize Army investment to achieve the highest quality, most professional officer corps. Through this optimized process, the Army will select and educate the right officers, in the right venue, and at the right time to better prepare them to assume key developmental positions.

The Army will execute optimization of ILE for active component Army Competitive Category officers through a one-look, merit-based selection board process. An ILE Selection Board will be conducted in conjunction with the Major Promotion Selection Board convening in October 2012 to consider YG 2004 officers for attendance at the ILE 10-month resident and 14-week satellite campus beginning in January 2014.

Officers not selected for either a 10-month resident or 14-week satellite campus will complete ILE by distributed learning.

Optimizing Officer Intermediate Level Education will emphasize the importance of professional education as a component of officer development, while better meeting the needs of the Army and our Nation.

For more information contact the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs at (703) 697-7550 or (703) 693-7589.

Related Links:

Command and General Staff College: Intermediate Level Education

Army.mil: Inside the Army News

Army.mil: Professional Development Toolkit