The Josef Korbel School provides an opportunity for select high level military officers to audit classes and teach. Fostering that reciprocal relationship, the current visiting officer, Colonel James Rainey holds monthly discussions with graduate students on various aspects of the military, from budgeting to Special Forces.

In conjunction with the Organization of Security Students, Rainey has been educating students on currents events related to the army. Rainey also helps out with research where he can, connecting students to topics and people.

In this month’s discussion, over donuts and frank talk, Rainey described the shift towards a leaner military with an emphasis on Special Forces.
“It’s a precision application of force that’s cost effective,” said Rainey. Though of course, he noted that each mission needed a large amount of base support from the foundational arms of the military.

Auditing classes from national security policy to conflict resolution, Colonel Rainey has been a frequent and visible resource around the Josef Korbel School. The general consensus for students was that after a theory heavy class, having a straight talking resource like Colonel Rainey put much of what they had learned into perspective.

- Sarah Crozier, MA Candidate, International Development
Josef Korbel School of International Studies