 Col Blesse next attended National War College in Washington, D.C. During this assignment he attended night school and earned a master's degree in international relations at The George Washington University.He then attended F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training.During the Vietnam War, Blesse was assigned as Director of Operations for the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Da Nang Air Base in the Republic of Vietnam from April 1967 to April 1968.