The U.S. Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve hosted the 2026 International Junior Officer Leadership Development course here July 16-21.
The annual course brings together junior officers from around the world to deepen their understanding of leadership theory and practice while promoting greater collaboration among allied nations.
U.S. Air Force Col. Vincent Navarro, IJOLD director, and the IJOLD staff chose the theme “Resilient by Design: Empowering the Next Generation of Allied Airpower.” for the 32nd iteration of the course.
“The reason we came up with it is that resilience applies to all the different aspects of what it takes to be successful in the wars we are engaged in, including logistics, communications, and leadership skills,” said Navarro.
The students focused on a wide range of topics, including strategy, trust, and ethical leadership in decentralized warfare; resilience in airpower; building interoperability; cultural competence in coalition operations; resilience in innovation and technology; and information warfare.
The selection process for this highly sought-after program varies by country and includes some very specific requirements that participants must meet. “These countries see a different future for these junior officers, and they want to make sure they have these partnerships and relationships, so that as they progress in their career they can work with these partner nations,” said Navarro.
“I was certainly surprised that I was chosen for this course; I am excited to be here,” said 1st Lt. Wolf-Christian Paes, a participant from Germany who delivered his country briefing early in the week.
The IJOLD course is held in a different NATO country each year.
“The true benefit of IJOLD is that not only do they get to hear some great leaders from across the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, but the true benefit is the relationships they are going to build with their partner nation reserve officers,” said Navarro. “Each country provided a briefing on their military organizations, and it was interesting and an eye-opener to learn how each nation operates.”
“I think the best part of the IJOLD course really is the multi-national camaraderie," said Paes. “Of course the academic program is great; we’re learning a lot, but what really sets this course apart from others is that you’re doing it with people in different uniforms coming from other countries.”
The course included guided tours of historic battlefields in Lexington and Concord, including a visit to the site of the “shot heard round the world,” where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired.
“For us, seeing the battlefields of the Revolutionary War was a great part of the experience; it was great to hear all the stories of how liberation began,” said Paes.
“In watching the engagement of the junior officers throughout these different programs, it was inspiring to see the partnerships that they made and the relationship building that they had,” said Navarro. “We all know the military is a small force, and if you stay in long enough, you’ll probably run into each other again, and to have those relationships for that coalition environment will be great for future operations.”