The Foundations block establishes a foundation and sets the conditions for all subsequent learning within the ILE Common Core, the Advanced Operations and Warfighting Course (AOWC), and elective courses.  The Strategic Studies block introduces students to the joint, interagency and multinational environment and the doctrinal and theoretical concepts required to perceive, understand, and analyze strategic-level military problems and challenges. 

The Operational Studies block helps students to understand the strategic and operational level joint force capabilities and limitations, operational level joint force capabiSeptember 23, 2008national, and legal considerations.  It includes an examination of the roles, functions, capabilities, and limitations of the US Air Force, US Navy, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Army, US Special Operations Forces (SOF), US Space Forces, interagency capabilities and issues, multinational considerations, and operational legal issues.

The Army Operations block integrates US Army doctrinal concepts and principles as they apply to tactical units executing full-spectrum operations through participation in classroom discussions and practical exercises.  These lessons require students to recognize that one’s understanding of an operation, situation, or problem involves a mental process or model, and theSeptember 23, 2008p them analyze complex problems, determine requirements, capabilities and shortfalls, and to then develop feasible plans for developing and executing solutions.

The Managing Army Change block serves to familiarize students with the higher-level (strategic) agencies and the complex/interdependent force management processes used to change the Army to meet DoD transformation and the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review goals of the contemporary operational environment.

The Rise of the Western Way of War block covers the history of the evolution of warfare and its applicability to current military planning.  It explores the relationship between war and society from 1300 to the present, and assesses how the social, political, and economic changes I the larger society force changes within military organizations.

The Leadership block introduces students to the challenges of organizational leadership I a changing and uncertain environment.  It also focuses on the concept of leadership styles and their underlying theories or strategies.  Specifically, students discuss the relationship between leadership style, climate, and performance, and then conclude with a discussion to develop and understanding of the complexities of leading a change management process.

Throughout the entire Core Course, the student is taught “How to Think” instead of “What to Think” while using the Military Decision Making Process, thereby enabling him/her to develop focused solutions to entirely new problems that evolve in today’s uncertain and volatile world.  This is done with a balanced focus on Current Operations, Future Operations, and Planning functions, along with an attempt to teach students how to synchronize actions to attain the effects desired.