essay for peace corps

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Wandering The World

All Things Peace Corps

My Peace Corps Motivation Statement

Thirty years ago, I called the Peace Corps office to ask about applying. Instead I took a job as an engineer in Kansas City. But over the years I have continued to think about joining the Peace Corps. Twice I even started filling out the application but always chose something else. The funny thing is that with all my travels, everyone assumed I was already somehow part of the Peace Corps. But after I came home from Mongolia, again the thoughts of the Peace Corps kept coming up in my mind. Some credit should come from my friendships with several Peace Corps volunteers in Mongolia, especially Travis and Bonnie. In January I finally filled out and sent in an application.

On February 6, a day before my 55th birthday, I had my interview what went extremely well and I was nominated to be a “Secondary English Teacher Trainer” to leave in October. I’ve been pre-medically cleared and sent in my fingerprints for an FBI background check. Now everything has been sent to the Placement office in Washington DC and I am waiting for my “official” invitation that will tell me where I will be going. So you could say this is the start of the next chapter in “Wandering the World”.

I thought I would share one of the essays I was asked to write for the application:

Motivation Statement: Peace Corps service presents major physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges. Please provide a statement that includes:

• Your reasons for wanting to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer; and 
• How these reasons are related to your past experience and life goals. 
• How you expect to satisfy the Peace Corps 10 Core Expectations.

When I was much younger, my mother used to gather up my other three brothers and I, to do volunteer work, usually delivering food to shut-ins. I was too young to understand her commitment to helping others less fortunate even though we were not much better off than those she helped. But now, much older and hopefully much wiser, I see I have come full circle. For the last four years as a volunteer ESL teacher at a Buddhist Center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and before that as a Physical Therapist Assistant working with the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, I know how I help others on a daily basis is much more important than money or things. In Mongolia I discovered that helping others toward their hopes and dreams was a vocation and not just a job. My only aspiration is to continue to be of help to others, in any way possible, for as long as possible. I have been fortunate to meet many Peace Corps volunteers in Mongolia and count a few as good friends still. What always impressed me was how the Peace Corps training and organization helped individuals make huge contributions to the places in which they worked. With 50+ years of experience with almost a quarter of a million volunteers sent worldwide, I see the Peace Corps as an organization that can help people like me help others in ways we haven’t even thought about yet. Although I have traveled a lot and done many things others only dream about, my experience in Mongolia was like starting fresh because instead of just traveling through a country and experiencing a people and its culture, I was actually living there experiencing it first hand every day like the Mongolians themselves experienced it. From a western standpoint, Mongolia, like many developing countries, has its difficulties with so many things we take for granted. And for many foreigners, it’s a huge lesson in frustration. But what helped me most was learning from the Mongolians themselves on how to take what came along with grace and patience even though it was just as frustrating for them as other things were for me. My past experience tells me that if I am invited to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer, I know I will probably receive more than I give. But that just makes me want to give even more, both to the people and communities I would serve but also as a tribute to my mother and those like her back in the America, who strive everyday to help others in need, for no other reward than the giving.

I would also like to thank Ani Gyalmo, Deb Ward and Travis Hellstrom for writing my recommendation letters. I know they were another factor in my nomination. Thank you.

So, stay tuned for my next adventure. [smile]

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About Jim Damico

My name is Jim. And I have served in the Peace Corps in Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal, and now Armenia. I set up this website to help others interested in PC or already serving. For more info click the "About" link at the top of the page.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Peace corps application essays.

• Your reasons for wanting to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer; and
• How these reasons are related to your past experiences and life goals.
• How you expect to satisfy the Peace Corps 10 Core Expectations (please be specific about which expectations you expect to find most challenging and how you plan to overcome these challenges).

2 comments:

Thank you so much for sharing these, Abby! I am beginning my application process and feeling really nervous. But, here goes! It helps to hear from people who have already done it. :)

Wow, great post.

Insight and Analysis from Foreign Affairs Practitioners and Scholars

Established 1996 • Raymond F. Smith, Editor

How the Peace Corps Transformed the Foreign Service

By john coyne.

Six days before the 1960 presidential election, candidate John Kennedy gave a speech on “Staffing a Foreign Policy for Peace”. That brief address, Kennedy’s last before the election, helped shift the Foreign Service from its “Pale, Male, and Yale” character to a more diverse corps better equipped in local languages and culture.

It was a speech of six single-spaced pages, less than 3000 words. Written by Ted Sorenson and JFK it proposed a new government agency, “The Peace Corps” using that name for the very first time. And with it, Kennedy envisioned a way to change America’s diplomatic service.

Kennedy began by pointing out that the Lenin Institute for Political Warfare exported, each year, hundreds of agents to disrupt free institutions in the uncommitted world. Kennedy related that “A friend of mine visiting the Soviet Union last year met a young Russian couple studying Swahili and African customs at the Moscow Institute of Languages. They were not language teachers—he was a sanitation engineer and she was a nurse. And they were being prepared to live among African nations as missionaries for communism.”

Kennedy went on to say, “I have often been impressed with the caliber of men and women in the Foreign Service. But I have also been depressed by the grounds of selecting the non-career ambassadors who are placed in charge of these career servants. Many have been ill-chosen, ill-equipped, and ill-briefed.”

“In 1958, it was reported that our Ambassador to Moscow was the only U.S. Ambassador to a Communist country who spoke the language of the country to which he was assigned. Only two of the nine ambassadors to Arabic-speaking countries spoke Arabic. In eight of the twelve non-English-speaking NATO countries, our ambassadors lacked a workable knowledge of the main language spoken there.”

Again, he returned to recent news, pointing out that in the newspapers it was reported, “a group of Russian geologists, electrical engineers, architects, and farming and fishing experts arrived in Ghana today to give technical advice.”

Summing up, Kennedy proposed “that our inadequate efforts in this area be supplemented by a Peace Corps of talented young men willing and able to serve their country in this fashion for three years as an alternative to peacetime selective service—well qualified through rigorous standards; well trained in the language, skills, and customs they will need to know; and directed and paid by the ICA Point Four agencies. We cannot discontinue training our men as soldiers of war—but we also need them as ‘ambassadors of peace.”

And these ‘ambassadors of people’, Kennedy envisioned, would return from their Peace Corps service to become U.S. Ambassadors in the United States Foreign Service.

And indeed they did. Today more than 60 returned volunteers have served or are serving as U.S. Ambassadors, bringing the skills they honed in Peace Corps assignments to their diplomatic careers.

John Coyne is the editor of: Peace Corps OnLine: http://peacecorpsworldwide.org/ John was with the first group of Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Ethiopia. After completing his service, he worked for the Peace Corps in Washington, and then became an Associate Peace Corps Director in Ethiopia. He left the Peace Corps in 1967 to become Dean of Admissions and Students at the SUNY/Old Westbury, and later turned to writing full time. In 1995 John returned to the Peace Corps as Special Assistant to the Associate Director for Volunteer Support where he conceived of and edited three essay books about the Peace Corps experience: To Touch the World, At Home in the World, and Peace Corps: The Great Adventure, and wrote the concept paper that outlined a new role for Peace Corps Volunteers —the Crisis Corps, later renamed the Response Corps. In 1996 he was appointed Manager of the New York Peace Corps Recruitment Office. John, who is considered an authority on the history of the Peace Corps, has written or edited over twenty-five books including Going Up Country: Travel Essays by Peace Corps Writers and Living on the Edge: Fiction by Peace Corps Writers, and a novel partially set in Ethiopia, Long Ago and Far Away.

The Peace Corps Mission and Contribution to the Society Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Every day, millions of citizens around the world feel a need to channel their social and moral values through occupation. Some of them choose professions connected with helping people. Others participate in social movements or become members of charitable and nonprofit organizations. Sociologists define this sort of social commitment (altruism) “as behavior that is motivated primarily out of a consideration another’s needs rather than one’s own” (Kallman, 2015, p. 73). Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps volunteer program unites about 240,000 Americans, who are driven by the idea to change the life of millions of people in the world for better promoting social and economic development through technical assistance.

The Peace Corps is an agency run by the United States government that train and send volunteers to work and live in communities worldwide. According to the report made by Curt Tarnoff (2016), volunteers “serve at the grassroots level in villages and towns across the globe to meet its three-point legislative mandate of promoting world peace and friendship by improving the lives of those they serve” (p.1). Since 1961, over 240,000 volunteers have served in about 140 countries. Currently, volunteers are engaged in six sectors: agriculture, environment, community economic development, health, education, and youth in development.

Agriculture volunteers aim at helping small-scale farmers to increase production and food security. They assist farmers in introducing technologies that prevent soil erosion, minimize the use of pesticides, and replenish the soil. Concerning environmental goals, Peace Corps volunteers teach principles of ecological awareness to members of local communities, encouraging them to conserve the local environment.

Peace Corps members are also engaged in helping communities to create economic opportunities. Volunteers frequently teach business owners to develop and market their products. Promotion of basic hygiene, nutrition, water sanitation, maternal and child health in communities is the highest priority as well. The Peace Corps organization introduces HIV/ AIDS education and prevention projects. At the same time, there are programs created to support community members who have been already affected by HIV/ AIDS (Glass, Cochran & Davidson, 2015, p. 1150). The most significant program area of the organization is education. Peace Corps’ teachers work in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools.

In addition to their primary work, volunteers get involved in other work activities in the communities, such as teaching English and youth sport. Peace Corps volunteers have been assigned to library projects throughout the history of the program. Researchers claim that “in the early years, professional librarians were recruited and assigned to work in public and academic libraries in such places as Botswana, Colombia, Fiji, and Morocco” (Constantinou, Miller, & Schlesinger, 2016, p.148). As cross-cultural and intercultural skills are vital for successful Peace Corps service, recruiters and placement officers estimate the suitability of potential candidates for the service, as well as evaluate if they can live and work abroad for twenty-seven months.

The Peace Corps is an organization with a long and significant history. For many years, thousands of Americans have been trained to participate in volunteer activity, which encourages and enables the growth, development, and well-being of millions of people across the globe. As the work of the Peace Corps members covers almost all vital social spheres, their efforts are of great importance and cannot be overestimated.

Constantinou, C., Miller, M.J., & Schlesinger, K. (Eds.). (2016). International Librarianship: Developing professional, intercultural, and educational leadership . New York, NY: SUNY Press.

Glass, N., Cochran, W., & Davidson, P.M. (2015). Transformational experiences a key to improving global health: The role of the Peace Corps . Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24 (9-10).

Kallman, M. E. (2015). Material, emotional and professional dynamics: Idealism, commitment and self-regulation in the Peace Corps. In: FX. de Vaujany, N. Mitev, G.F. Lanzara, & A. Mukherjee (Eds.) Materiality, rules and regulation. Technology, work and globalization . (pp. 73-99). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Tarnoff, C. (2016). The Peace Corps: Current issues . (CRS Report RS21168). Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.

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IvyPanda. (2019, December 3). The Peace Corps Mission and Contribution to the Society. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-peace-corps-mission-and-contribution-to-the-society/

"The Peace Corps Mission and Contribution to the Society." IvyPanda , 3 Dec. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/the-peace-corps-mission-and-contribution-to-the-society/.

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IvyPanda . 2019. "The Peace Corps Mission and Contribution to the Society." December 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-peace-corps-mission-and-contribution-to-the-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Peace Corps Mission and Contribution to the Society." December 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-peace-corps-mission-and-contribution-to-the-society/.

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Supervisory Grants Management Specialist (Law Enforcement and Prosecution)

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Policy, Law Enforcement Innovation and Crime Reduction. BJA's mission is to provide leadership and services in grant administration and criminal justice program development to support local, state and Tribal justice strategies to achieve safer communities.

• Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

08/02/2024 to 08/12/2024

$139,395 - $181,216 per year

Pay scale & grade

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Washington, DC

Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy. This position is not a remote position. The duty station is Washington, DC. The selectee will be required to report to the duty station at least 4 days per bi-weekly pay period.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type, work schedule.

Competitive

Promotion potential

Job family (series).

1109 Grants Management

Supervisory status

Security clearance.

Not Required

Position sensitivity and risk

Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

Bargaining unit status, announcement number, control number, this job is open to.

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

Current or former competitive service federal employees.

Current federal employees of this agency.

Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Applicants will be considered under Delegated Examining and/or Merit Promotion procedures based upon eligibility.

• Serves as a Supervisory Grants Management Specialist (Law Enforcement and Prosecution) in the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Policy, Law Enforcement Innovation and Crime Reduction Office, over the Violent Crime Unit;
• Serves as an expert and authority in the way that grants can be used to achieve: law enforcement and prosecution innovations; violent crime reduction strategies; technological enhancements that improve public safety; and collaborative law enforcement public health/public safety partnerships;
• Oversees a team of grants management specialists and other staff involved in administering grants focused on law enforcement and prosecution;
• Participates in strategic planning for grant programs, identifying priority areas for funding and developing strategies to address law enforcement and prosecution challenges; and
• Oversees budgetary aspects of grant programs, ensuring funds are allocated appropriately and expenditures are in compliance with federal regulations.

Requirements

Conditions of employment.

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Subject to background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Federal payments are required to be made by Direct Deposit.
• Requires registration for the Selective Service. Visit www.sss.gov.
• Pre-employment drug testing required.
• 1-year probationary period may be required.
• Confidential Financial Disclosure may be required
• Security Requirements: Non-Sensitive/Moderate Risk
• 1-year supervisory probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level. Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

• Develops law enforcement models and/or strategies to create new programming to address violent crime, crime prevention and cross system partnerships;
• Manages the review of grant applications from solicitations and calls for papers related to: law enforcement and prosecution innovations; violent crime reduction strategies; technological enhancements that improve public safety; and/or collaborative law enforcement public health/public safety partnerships;
• Works on all phases of grants, cooperative agreements and contracts as well as content of interagency agreements that have a significant impact related to criminal justice; and
• Promotes contributions to the adoption of evidence-based practices and overall knowledge in the criminal justice field.

Technical Qualifications: Applicants who meet the basic entry and minimum qualification requirements, as described above, will be further evaluated on the following technical qualifications:

• Ability to Supervise
• Grant and Cooperative Agreement Management
• Research, Program Development and Outreach
• Oral Communication

There is no education requirement for this position.

Additional information

• This position may be eligible for telework per agency policy.
• OJP offers opportunities for flexible work schedules.
• Recruitment incentives may be authorized.
• Relocation incentives may be authorized.
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• This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
• Please do not indicate current or former position salary in your application or resume.
• As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
• This position has a duty station of Washington, D.C. The selectee will be required to physically report to the OJP office building at least four (4) days per bi-weekly pay period and may incorporate leave and official travel plans into this reporting requirement. The office director or supervisor may request the selectee's presence in the office more frequently, as determined by the needs of the office. The selectee will be responsible for covering all commuting-related travel expenses. OJP employees are eligible for one transportation benefit - parking or the Department of Justice (DOJ) transit subsidy.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits .

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

For All U.S. Citizens: Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. Your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Names of all candidates in the best qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration. Candidates within the best qualified category who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles. For Status/Merit Promotion/VEOA candidates: Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on the announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your resume and application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. For Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)/Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) applicants: The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, or if your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. Under merit promotion procedures, to be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. Under category rating procedures, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

• Resume (To receive credit for experience, your employment history must be documented in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date and include the number of hours worked per week. Failure to follow this format may result in disqualification),
• Veterans' Preference Documentation (if applicable; see below),
• SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (current and former federal employees; see below for more information), and
• Performance Appraisal (for current federal employees) Note: if not provided, may be required at time of interview.
• Submit an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or other official agency documentation that shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2".
• Submit your most recent Performance Appraisal (dated within the last 18 months) or a separate statement explaining why you are unable to submit your appraisal. If not provided at time of application, it will be required at time of interview

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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Once your completed application is certified and received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.

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Randy Kehler, 80, Dies; Peace Activist Inspired Release of Pentagon Papers

Daniel Ellsberg was so moved by Mr. Kehler’s opposition to the Vietnam War that he decided to leak documents that changed the course of the conflict.

By Clay Risen

Randy Kehler, a peace activist whose opposition to the Vietnam War so moved Daniel Ellsberg that he decided to leak the Pentagon Papers, the set of top-secret documents whose exposure changed the course of the war, died on July 21 at his home in Shelburne Falls, Mass. He was 80.

His wife, Betsy Corner, said the cause was myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome .

Mr. Kehler’s pivotal encounter with Mr. Ellsberg, a defense analyst, at an antiwar conference in 1969 was just one episode in a life defined by determined opposition to America’s military machinery.

By 1969 he had already been to prison for blocking access to an Army induction center in Oakland, Calif., and was preparing to go back, this time for returning his draft card to the Selective Service.

During the late 1970s, Mr. Kehler (pronounced KEE-ler) helped organize a nationwide campaign for a moratorium on nuclear-weapon production, which some observers claim had a significant influence on the Reagan administration’s push for arms reduction talks with the Soviet Union.

And in 1989, after he and his wife refused to pay federal taxes for years in protest against military spending, Mr. Kehler was back in the news — and back in jail — when the Internal Revenue Service seized their home and he refused a judge’s order to vacate.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Peace Corps — The Peace Corps in the United States

The Peace Corps in The United States

• Categories: Peace Corps

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Published: Jun 20, 2019

Words: 835 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

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JOINT FORCE QUARTERLY 111

4 th  Quarter, October 2023

ESSAY COMPETITIONS

SPECIAL FEATURE

BOOK REVIEWS

Winners of the 2023 Essay Competitions

By NDU Press Joint Force Quarterly 111

Download PDF

NDU Press and the NDU Foundation Congratulate the Winners of the 2023 Essay Competitions

N DU Press hosted the final round of judging on May 11–12, 2023, during which 29 faculty judges from 17 participating professional military education (PME) institutions selected the best entries in each category. There were 95 submissions in this year’s three categories. First Place winners in each of the three categories appear in the following pages.

Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition

The 17 th annual competition was intended to stimulate new approaches to coordinated civilian and military action from a broad spectrum of civilian and military students. Essays address U.S. Government structure, policies, capabilities, resources, and/or practices and to provide creative, feasible ideas on how best to orchestrate the core competencies of our national security institution.

1 st Place Lieutenant Colonel Karl Scheuerman, ANG Eisenhower School “Weaponizing Wheat: How Strategic Competition with Russia Could Threaten American Food Security”

2 nd Place Lieutenant Colonel Bryony Slaughter, USSF National War College “Patrolling the Celestial Narrows: How the United States and Japan Can Shape and Enforce Space Governance”

3 rd Place Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Wong, USMCR Eisenhower School “Alexa, Write My OPORD: Promise and Pitfalls of Machine Learning for Commanders in Combat”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Strategic Essay Competitions

These annual competitions, in their 42 nd year in 2023, challenge students at the Nation’s joint PME institutions to write research papers (5,000 words) or articles (1,500 words) about significant aspects of national security strategy to stimulate strategic thinking, promote well-written research, and contribute to a broader security debate among professionals.

Strategic Research Paper

1 st Place (TIE) Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin P. Donham, USA U.S. Army War College “It’s Not Just About the Algorithm: Development of a Joint Medical Artificial Intelligence Capability”

1 st Place (TIE) Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel A. Peace, USSF Air War College “Space Denial: A Deterrence Strategy”

2 nd Place Lieutenant Colonel Adam Dykstra, ANG Air War College “A World Without Truth: How AI and Social Media Are Shaping Disinformation”

3 rd Place Lieutenant Colonel Tony G. Lawrence, USAF National War College “Frozen Ambitions: Building U.S. Influence for Greater Arctic Security”

Strategy Article

1 st Place Colonel Robert A. Rodrigues, USA U.S. Army War College “Promoting Accountability in Military Sexual Assault Prosecutions”

2 nd Place Lieutenant Colonel Jason R. Wayne, USA U.S. Army War College “Urban Wars: The Convergence of Tactics and Strategy”

3 rd Place Major Chad Everett, USAF Air Command and Staff College “Quantum Technology”

Joint Force Quarterly Maerz Awards

In its 8 th year, the JFQ Maerz Awards, chosen by NDU Press staff, recognize the most influential articles from the previous year’s four issues. Six outstanding articles were chosen for the Maerz Awards, named in honor of Mr. George C. Maerz, former NDU Press managing editor.

FORUM James Kwoun “Design Thinking at the Enterprise Level: Integrating Defense All-Source Analysis” JFQ 104 (1 st Quarter 2022)

JPME TODAY Zachary Zwald, Jeffrey Berejikian, Samantha Jane Daly, and Jeffrey Hannon “Challenges to Creative Thinking: Identifying Officer Background Beliefs in Limited Information Environments” JFQ 104 (1 st Quarter 2022)

COMMENTARY J. Bryan Mullins “Insights on Theater Command and Control from the Creation of Allied Force Headquarters” JFQ 106 (3 rd Quarter 2022)

FEATURES Scott C. Apling, Martin Jeffery Bryant, James A. Garrison, and Oyunchimeg Young “Pivoting the Joint Force: National Security Implications of Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing” JFQ 107 (4 th Quarter 2022)

RECALL Nathan A. Jennings “Improvised Partnerships: U.S. Joint Operations in the Mexican-American War” JFQ 105 (2 nd Quarter 2022)

JOINT DOCTRINE Christopher Sims “The Integrated ‘Nonwar’ in Vietnam” JFQ 106 (3 rd Quarter 2022)

Distinguished Judges

Twenty-nine senior faculty members from 17 participating PME institutions took time out of their busy schedules to serve as judges. Their personal dedication and professional excellence ensured a strong and credible competition.

Left to right: Dr. John J. Church, NDU Press; Ms. Joanna E. Seich, NDU Press; Dr. John G. Terino, Air Command and Staff College; Dr. David P. Hadley, College of International Security Affairs; Dr. James R. Van de Velde, Eisenhower School; Dr. Brandy Lyn Brown, Marine Corps War College; Dr. Jeffrey A. Turner, Joint Forces Staff College–Joint Advanced Warfighting School; Ms. Kathleen Gallaher, Marine Corps War College; Dr. Donald Stoker, Eisenhower School; Dr. Richard P. Samuels, Air War College; Dr. Mark A. Bucknam, National War College; Dr. Richard DiNardo, Marine Corps Staff College; Dr. Richard D. Killian, Command and General Staff College; Lieutenant Colonel Keith Caldwell, USA, College of Information and Cyberspace; Dr. William T. Eliason, NDU Press; Dr. Amy R. Baxter, Air University Global College of PME; Dr. Jim Chen, College of Information and Cyberspace; Dr. Anna Cairney, U.S. Army War College; Ms. Leigh Caraher, U.S. Army War College; Dr. Andrea Hamlen-Ridgely, Marine Corps War College–Expeditionary Warfare School; Dr. Kevin M. Generous, Joint Forces Staff College–Joint and Combined Warfare School; Dr. Paul J. Springer, Air Command and Staff College; Dr. Dylan Craig, National War College; Dr. Naunihal Singh, U.S. Naval War College; Dr. Charles Chadbourn, U.S. Naval War College; Ms. Caroline V. Schweiter, NDU Press.

Not shown: Dr. Nicholas M. Anthony, Jr., Joint Forces Staff College–Joint Combined Warfighting School; Dr. Donald W. Chisholm, U.S. Naval War College; Captain Alex J. Lega, USAF, Air University Global College of PME; Dr. Matthew Millard, Air University Global College of PME; Dr. Nicholas E. Sarantakes, U.S. Naval War College; Dr. Jeffrey D. Smotherman, NDU Press; Dr. Elizabeth D. Woodward, Air War College.

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Peace Corps Essay - Any Feedback Would Be Helpful!

Hello! Please see my essay below. I feel like it might be a bit repetitive, or that it won't differentiate me enough. I am applying to go anywhere, but I am very interested in the Community Economic Development sector. Any feedback on how I can improve my essay , anything I should add or take out, or any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

I am strongly motivated to join the Peace Corps by my desire to improve the lives of people around the world and promote cross-cultural understanding. While studying economics and international political economy in college, I realized how important access to resources and financial literacy are in achieving economic prosperity. I am eager to use my knowledge of business and economics to help people, whether it be by improving their English or technological skills, creating new income-generating activities, increasing food-security, or something entirely different. I want to help members within a community gain the skills and resources they need to be set up for long-term success. The Peace Corps offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself into a completely different culture, make a positive impact on a community, empower women and youth, and promote world peace. I believe deeply in this mission and want to help advance it.

I am confident that I will be able to overcome the inevitable hardships associated with serving in the Peace Corps. Some amenities we take for granted in the United States may be considered a luxury in other parts of the world, such as lack of indoor plumbing or running water; I experienced some of this when I traveled throughout northern India last year. I am eager to immerse myself in a new culture by living within the same means as the local population, and I am comfortable knowing I may not have access to the same comforts I have in the US. I expect to be challenged by a variety of factors throughout my service, but I am confident that I will be able to adapt to new situations and develop the necessary skills to serve my community. My success as a volunteer will be highly dependent upon my ability to integrate and forge meaningful connections with individuals in my community. I am prepared to work closely with community members to understand their needs and how I can use my knowledge and skills to be of the greatest benefit.

I would be honored to represent the United States in a foreign nation, and I understand that my actions will reflect on our country. Therefore, I will act with the utmost professionalism while navigating the integration into my host country. I am able to work in ambiguous situations with little direction, and I will take the time to understand how I can be of the most value to my community. Upon conclusion of my Peace Corps service, I aspire to continue exploring new cultures and promoting peaceful cooperation. My time serving as a Peace Corps volunteer will give me the strongest foundation for pursuing that goal. I am committed to spending a full 27 months dedicated to the Peace Corps mission and will proudly represent the United States by engaging in mutual respect, learning, and understanding. I will continue to be motivated throughout my service in the Peace Corps by helping people and communities develop the skills necessary for them to thrive.

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