Being a SG30A FBVA ILE alumnus, I'll offer my two cents.

1. My experience from a year ago was that there was plenty of peer learning in SG30A, with the vast majority of the faculty on 30A doing an excellent job in facilitating discussion and interaction between the students. While I know that the strategy professor just departed and left big shoes to fill, unless Dr. Coss and Mr. Carnes left, I don't see how this dynamic would have changed.

2. As field grade officers, the primary means by which we will communicate with others will be the written word. Even if one is a good writer, he/she will benefit by more practice.

3. In order to evaluate one's understanding of the course material, the most effective way to do so is to "test" this through a writing requirement that requires more than just a recitation of facts, but the development of a thesis and appropriate use of evidence. I thought the vast majority of the writing assignments were on target.