The Pentagon wants to send more officers to earn graduate degrees at top-notch civilian universities, a key piece of soon-to-be released personnel reforms that could fundamentally alter the career tracks of senior military leaders.

Having spent several years in civilian graduate school, I know how beneficial this opportunity can be. But, the issue isn't how to replace the war colleges. As long as the military operates graduate schools – Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) – it will be difficult to justify sending members to civilian institutions.