Starting at Command and Staff College

Today will be my first day at Marine Command and Staff College.

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As previewed two weeks ago, today will be my first day at Marine Command and Staff College.

I’ll likely be off the grid for a day or three owing to one of the Catch-22’s of working for the Defense Department: You can’t start working until you have a Common Access Card and you can’t get a CAC until you start working. Presumably, I’ll fill out the paperwork and get my photo taken today but it’ll likely be a bit before the card gets issued and, if this is typical of my previous DoD experience, I won’t be able to get the process rolling to get set up with a work station with Internet access until then.

FILED UNDER: OTB History,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. DC Loser says:

    And watch out for your local command rules about internet usage.

    I find local CAC issuance a lot more streamlined than in places like the Pentagon. You may wait an hour or so, but the card is printed on the spot once they get all your informaion into the computer.

  2. Scott says:

    Getting the CAC is the easy part. That still doesn’t mean you have computer or internet access. That is entirely different process. Don’t know the rules at Command and Staff (may be looser) but there are a lot of firewalls and site blockages and I don’t think you can use a thumb drive. You might be going out to the patio with your personal laptop to get this other work done.

  3. Todd says:

    I agree with the comments above. Once you have an appointment, getting the CAC is pretty quick and simple. Computer access, not always so simple. 🙂

  4. Gromitt Gunn says:

    Sounds familiar. I started my first full-time higher ed teaching job last week. Well, classes start today. Figuring out a new institution is always a trip.

  5. JohnMcC says:

    Best of fortune to you, sir. The Command & Staff College is lucky to have you. You have left us with plenty to chew on.

  6. al-Ameda says:

    Best wishes James.

  7. Rick Almeida says:

    Good luck, James!

    And good luck and welcome to the profession, Gromitt!

  8. al-Ameda says:

    @Gromitt Gunn:

    I started my first full-time higher ed teaching job last week. Well, classes start today.

    Best wishes to you also.

  9. Matt Bernius says:

    Good luck James.

    And at some point, I’d love a post discussing the differences you find between teaching classes at the College and when you taught at your previous institution.

  10. OzarkHillbilly says:

    May the winds be favorable and the seas be light. Or something like that.