1.2 The Department has in place a clearly defined structure for the training of its officers during their careers (Figure 3). Originally command and staff training at junior, advanced and higher levels was conducted on separate sites for each of the three Armed Services and at the Joint Services Defence College, and was delivered on a mainly single Service, rather than a joint, basis (Figure 4).
1.3 The Department identified the need for a joint command and staff college in its July 1994 Defence Cost Studies 'Front Line First'. The principal reason was operational, to reflect the increasing emphasis placed on joint working between the armed forces in the period after the Cold War. In future United Kingdom operations would be joint, combining components from all three Services with headquarters staffed jointly.
1.4 In January 1997 the Department amalgamated the separate colleges into a new, single Joint Services Command and Staff College, to deliver training "with a more joined-up flavour". While the new College accepts United Kingdom civil servants and overseas military officers as students, it mainly delivers training to United Kingdom military officers. Its stated mission is to provide command and staff training at junior, advanced and higher levels for all three Services to a world class standard. These courses cover the majority of an officer's career progression.