Six alumni graduate from War Colleges

August 9, 2021

Five University of North Georgia (UNG) alumni graduated from the Army War College or an Army War College Fellowship this summer, and one graduated from the Air War College.

"UNG produces some of the best military officers, especially for the Army, in the nation. This is evidenced in the number of our graduates who are selected to attend the senior service colleges, the highest level of professional military education in our armed forces," Dr. Billy Wells, a retired Army colonel and UNG senior vice president for leadership and global engagement, said. "We are very proud of our six 2021 graduates."

Col. Johnny Casiano, '98, Col. David Key, '98, Lt. Col. Jay Kaji, '00, and Lt. Col. Charles Wells, '00, attended the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, while Lt. Col. Tony Passero, '00, took part in an Army War College Fellowship at the University of Texas.

Lt. Col. Damon Sheffield, '00, attended the Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama.

Casiano, garrison commander at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, enjoyed the focus on the evolution of military strategy at the Army War College. He said UNG's Corps of Cadets was instrumental in his development.

"I am the person I am today due to the mentorship from more senior cadets and the framework of leader development that exists at UNG," Casiano said. 

Kaji leads an executive cell at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama that spearheads the Army's efforts to combat enemy drones. At the Army War College, he was a distinguished graduate, placing him in the top 10% of the 360 U.S. and international officers who participated. He also gained insight on how to provide strategic recommendations to his supervisors through the War College's Advanced Strategic Art Program.

"The War College and the Advanced Strategic Art Program have provided me with a unique skillset that's going to help me as a senior leader in the Army," Kaji said.

Passero, the branch chief in the acquisition program management office of federal Army National Guard headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, was one of five selected out of 200 for the fellowship. He learned from officers such as retired Gen. Vincent K. Brooks and retired Navy Adm. Bobby Ray Inman.

"You get connected with senior leaders and get their perspective on what they expect from a post-War College colonel," Passero said.

Sheffield, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, works as provost marshal of military police with U.S. Army Central Command. He took part in the Air War College, which mostly includes U.S. Air Force officers and also featured students from Brazil, Finland and Mongolia.

"It was a broadening experience for me," Sheffield said.

Following the Army War College, Key is commander of the 3rd Infantry Sustainment Brigade at Fort Stewart, Georgia. He is deploying to the Army's Central Command area of responsibility in the Middle East. Lt. Col. Charles Wells is a deputy engineer for U.S. European Command.

The Army War College educates and develops leaders for service at the strategic level while advancing knowledge in the global application of land power. It aims to produce skilled critical thinkers and complex problem solvers.