What are the relationships between Military Education Levels (MELs), JPME Phases, and Functional Qualification?
MEL is the Army term defined in Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-3, Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management, 28 Dec 05. The regulation lists the MELs for each stage of officer development. MEL4 is the level for intermediate-level officers. Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phases are listed in the Officer Professional Military Education Policy (OPMEP), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction on the policy. JPME Phases are not linked to military education levels; however, JPME is linked to professional military education (PME). JPME, in fact, is contained within a Service’s PME. Functional qualification is also described in 600-3; the majority of officers are in the operations career field, while the rest are part of functional areas, all described in detail in 600-3. Examples of functional areas are acquisition, foreign area officers, Space operations, and public affairs. All operations career field and functional area officers ta
