The thesis summarizes the experience of management and functioning of the advanced training system for personnel services specialists in the United States Armed Forces and substantiates the pedagogical aspects of its implementation into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The system of the advanced training for personnel services specialists in the US Armed Forces is deemed as a complex of interrelated and correlated elements, which functioning is aimed at total ensuring these specialists enjoy vocational and professional development and advancement at every stage of their official activities as well as their carrier promotion. It is characterized by the integrity and unity of all its elements and corresponds to such classic features as: 1) the simplest units are military and civil educational institutions and all sorts of courses; 2) the subsystems are the results of its units' interaction that reveals itself through the relevant structure and hierarchy, i. e. advanced training is gradually carried out from the lowest to the highest level of the military command and control; 3) the components are the results of its units' interaction that can be considered as isolated, not connected to other processes or events, but clearly interconnected in terms of frequency and content of training; 4) the internal structure of the mentioned above components' and their subsystems' connections is aimed at ensuring personnel services specialists' constant vocational and professional development as well as their carrier promotion; 5) the certain level of integrity is maintained by the interaction of its components that satisfies the leadership and the specialists with the integral result; 6) the structure's system-forming connections combine the components and subsystems into the single system; 7) the connection to other external environment systems that are characterized by independence in funding sources, administrative activity and territorial location. The system is primarily aimed at developing and improving personnel services specialists' vocational and professional knowledge and skills, personal and vocational qualities, acknowledging the value of the advanced training, vocational reflecting that enables their recruiting the highly qualified staff at any time and at any circumstances. The system of the advanced training for personnel services specialists includes the following elements: planning and human resources management courses; brigade courses S1; development courses for captains; school of vocational training for administrative management; military academy of the US Army; non-military training for reserve officers; courses of advanced training for personnel services specialist' at the school of vocational training at command and staff colleges; advanced civil schooling ACS; staff training school for command and control. It has been stated that the content of the advanced training courses is developed regarding modern geopolitical, defensive, economic, social, demographic and structural changes in the world and the state, the development of military art, existing challenges and threats in the defense sector. It provides for the students' vocational training reaching the required level during a relatively short period of advanced training. The curricula consist of modules (blocks) of both theoretical and applied content. The great number of modules are mainly aimed at improving and developing practical knowledge and skills in solving functional tasks of modern personnel management and of the personnel service specialists' work. The methods, technologies, means and managerial forms of the advanced training for personnel services specialists directly depend on its purpose, tasks and content. A characteristic feature of a variety of such courses is the active application of interactive learning methods combined with information and telecommunications technologies. Special attention in the curricula is paid to the development and advancement of personnel service specialists' leadership skills. The study has pointed out common features (multi-level system of advanced training, basic disciplines, managerial forms) and differing features (requirements for curricula and programs substantiation, the ratio of advanced training theoretical and practical components, the amount of students' training, the role and place of their independent work; practical training management; availability of optional courses) in the managing and functioning of the American and Ukrainian systems of the advanced training for personnel services specialists. In conclusion, the positive experience of the personnel service specialists' vocational development in the US Armed Forces should be taken into account while improving the Ukrainian advanced training system for their counterparts by adapting it to the current Ukrainian realities, needs and tasks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Key words: higher military educational institution, armed forces, training courses, curriculum, advanced training system, personnel management, personnel services specialists, content of advanced training, forms and methods of advanced training.
