Revolutionizing Operational Energy: NPS Unveils Cutting-Edge Educational Initiatives

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, has launched a groundbreaking curriculum called the Master of Operational Energy (OE) program, graduating its inaugural class this past September. This program equips students with the advanced knowledge and skills needed to address evolving operational energy challenges in modern military operations.

This initiative is co-sponsored by the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy and the Department of the Navy’s Director for Operational Energy. It aligns with multiple naval and defense strategies focusing on unmanned systems, resilience, directed energy, and climate security. The program offers an innovative approach to education, combining a series of three stackable, graduate-level certificates made available through NPS Online.

Operational Energy (OE) focuses on the energy required for military training, movements, and the sustainability of weapon platforms. Current DON Director for Operational Energy, retired Marine Corps Col. Jim Caley, emphasizes the Department of Defense’s high energy demands, noting that efficient energy management is crucial for maintaining military superiority. Caley identifies munitions, fuel, energy, and critical medical assets as core components that generate combat power, suggesting that mastering OE could ensure victory.

Caley also highlights NPS’s unique position to develop naval engineering capabilities and operational performance through a curriculum that integrates modeling and simulation with technical expert input. This approach fosters more effective solutions to complex naval challenges by leveraging the faculty’s diverse expertise.

An integral resource for defense personnel, the program has produced “Operational Energy,” a textbook offering comprehensive insights into OE fundamentals, including market influences and technological advancements supported by strategic analyses.

NPS provides this education remotely, eliminating traditional barriers of academic timing and location. According to current student Arch W. McCleskey Jr., who manages aircraft carrier design at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the OE program has broadened his understanding of emerging technologies, enhancing his team’s capabilities to design future-ready ships.

Colleen McHenry, NPS’ lead OE program manager, speaks on how modern warfare necessitates flexible, asynchronous learning environments. The program is open to military officers, government civilians, defense contractors, and select international students, allowing them maximum control over their education pace while balancing career demands. The collaboration tools NPS offers facilitate teamwork even across different time zones.

The OE degree consists of three graduate-level certificates focusing on directed energy, refuel logistics, and unmanned systems persistence. Each course addresses current energy challenges in the military sphere and culminates in a comprehensive final course. The program’s diversity enhances cross-service learning and discussions, as explained by McHenry.

Initially offered tuition-free, the program reflects a strong commitment to advancing operational energy education’s relevance and importance to mission success, as articulated by Dr. Arnold Dupuy. This centralized funding has been pivotal, removing financial barriers and administrative hurdles for students like McCleskey.

The Master of Operational Energy program at NPS, complemented by the school’s strong research initiatives, is a significant step in preparing military leaders to meet the energy challenges of contemporary and future warfare. Since its establishment in 1909, NPS has been at the forefront of providing advanced, defense-focused education that fosters technological leadership and innovation within the Department of Defense and its international partners.