Vision

JSOU’s Enlisted Academy sets the “Gold Standard” for Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education and instills students with a passion for life-long learning.

Mission

The Enlisted Academy develops senior enlisted SOF professionals to think critically, creatively, and ethically about dynamic and complex problem sets at operational and strategic levels, creating the ultimate “Warrior-Diplomats.”

How do we do it?

The Enlisted Academy offers four Career Education Programs (CEP) targeting SOF Professionals from the E-6 to nominative E-9-levels. Each program represents a unique opportunity to engage with peers from other services, the Interagency, and our international SOF partners and allies. The curriculum combines hybrid distance learning in a synchronous environment and “in-resident” classroom collaboration to achieve desired outcomes. Together, these CEPs form a continuum of education that evolves along with the SOF professional over their career, preparing them for positions of greater responsibility and influence. The professional relationships formed while attending the CEPs will pay dividends over a SOF Professional’s career. 



Meet Our Course Directors

  • Michael Lundstrom

    Course Director
    Summit (CEP 4)

    Mr. Lundstrom is the Summit Program Course Director at the Joint Special Operations University Enlisted Academy, Joint Special Operations University, Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.  As the Summit Program Facilitator, Mr. Lundstrom develops, plans, and executes an 11-week Summit Program curriculum consisting of an eight-week distant learning phase and a three-week resident phase, which includes an eight-day trip to the NCR.

    Mr. Lundstrom has taught at JSOU for the last 11 years and has served 26 years on active duty in the USAF, with 20+ years in Special Operations.  Positions include Flight Chief, Squadron Superintendent, JSOAC Operations NCO, First Sergeant, and JSOAC Senior Enlisted Advisor, JSOFSEA Seminar Instructor/Strategy Instructor and Summit Program Instructor.

    Mr. Lundstrom has an MS in Strategic Leadership from University of Charleston, a BS of Military Studies from Excelsior College, and an AS in Weather Technologies from CCAF, Professional Certification Online Education University of Wisconsin (Madison), Artificial Intelligence certificate MIT, Communications for Impact certificate Harvard Business School, and Strategic Negotiations certificate Harvard Business School.  His professional military education includes Joint Special Operations Senior Enlisted Academy, USAF Senior NCO Academy, and Advanced Irregular Warfare course.  His certifications include nationally certified post-secondary education instructor, Master Instructor, practitioner in DiSC Theory and advanced practitioner Kirton-Adaption-Innovation Theory.


  • Taylor Riggan

    Course Director
    Enterprise Management Course (CEP 2) Joint Fundamentals Course (CEP 1)
    MSgt Taylor M. Riggan is from Washington State and began his SOF military career in October 2009. Shortly after he enlisted in the USAF and after completing Basic Training, MSgt Riggan began the rigorous two-year pipeline to become a Special Tactics Operator. After completing his training, Msgt Riggan has been stationed at Hurlburt Field AFB 2011-2014, RAF Mildenhall 2014-2017, Hurlburt Field AFB 2017-2023, and MacDill AFB 2023-present.
    During that time, MSgt Riggan completed multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Africa, South America, and Europe. Msgt Riggan served in various roles on these deployments ranging from attached member to an Army, Navy, or Marine SOF element, to Team Sergeant, and also integrating and supporting State Department and embassy operations in multiple countries. Other qualifications MSgt Riggan earned include Army Ranger qualified, Military Free Fall and Static Line Jump Master, Fast Rope Master, Rappel Master, and SUAS operator, to name a few. Msgt Riggan has completed several courses at JSOU, namely CEP-1 Joint  Fundamentals, CEP-2, Enterprise Management, and CEP-3 Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy (JSOFSEA). Also, MSgt Riggan has a Bachelor's Degree in Security Management, focusing on Government Security.

  • Adam Thompson

    Instructor
    Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy (CEP 3)




Browse our Coursework

Joint Fundamentals Course
CEP 1
Unclassified
SOE 3220
Nomination
*Note: Students MUST provide BOTH a personal email address AND either their .gov or .mil email address in order to be registered for the course. This course educates enlisted students for entry-level leadership careers in SOF. Students, from a tactical and operational perspective, will develop skills in communications, creative thinking, and ethical decision-making. Students will also analyze the history, unique function, and organization of the USSOCOM from the headquarters down to the subcomponent commands.

Enterprise Management Course
CEP 2
Unclassified
SOE 3420
Nomination
*Note: Students MUST provide BOTH a personal email address AND either their .gov or .mil email address in order to be registered for the course. The course educates and prepares enlisted special operators for mid-level leadership roles in SOF. Using a transformative approach, students will enhance their skills in critical thinking, organizational leadership, and management. Students will analyze the implications of U.S. national strategy on the execution of USSOCOM operations and strategy.

Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy
CEP 3
Secret
SOE 4600
Nomination
JSOFSEA enhances the critical thinking of senior enlisted leaders (SEL) as they grow their knowledge base in the strategic and operational realm. Students gain valuable knowledge and experience to successfully lead in the joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) environment. This course develops students for operational and strategic level positions across a broad range of joint and special operations assignments.

Summit
CEP 4
Top Secret/SCI
SOE 5440
Nomination
The course educates students for nominative-level leadership roles in SOF. Students will learn mission-oriented leadership and strategic thinking skills to prepare them to effectively advise, lead, and mentor at the strategic leader level. Students will also analyze and evaluate the impact strategic thinking, U.S. national policy, and global security has on USSOCOM.