U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of

U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to National Defense University CAPSTONE students and spouses on Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, Feb. 26, 2016. The CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course was created in 1982 with participation on a voluntary basis. The Goldwater-Nichols DoD Reorganization Act of 1986 subsequently mandated that all newly selected general and flag officers attend CAPSTONE. The course objective is to make these individuals more effective in planning and employing U.S. forces in joint and combined operations. The CAPSTONE curriculum examines major issues affecting national security decision making, military strategy, joint/combined doctrine, interoperability, and key allied nation issues.