Raising the Bar

This is the story of the first ten years of SAMS and the remarkable reputation quickly earned by its graduates, who were trained in a pre-World War II horse stable at Fort Leavenworth. It is also the story of the doctrinal revolution in which SAMS played an important rolea doctrinal shift that revitalised the way the US Army thought about and conducted warfare. It can be argued that the combination of a new, offensively oriented doctrine and well-trained practitioners significantly improved the tactical and operational understanding of the US Army from 1983 to 1994. The book examines the interrelationships between the School of Advanced Military Studies, the introduction of the art of operations into US Army doctrine, and the ways in which the school's graduates sought to put training and doctrine into practice. It begins with the decisions that led to the establishment of SAMS and provides an overview of the conditions at the end of the Vietnam War and the challenges facing the Army at that time. It then examines the development of operational-level warfare as an essential bridge between tactical actions on the battlefield and strategic objectives derived from national security policy. The narrative continues with a close look at the school in the years leading up to Operations Just Cause and Desert Shield/Storm and how it evolved to meet new demands. It then analyses how SAMS graduates approached these early combat operations, using operational-level doctrine to shape and direct the conduct of warfare. The story also covers three key events from the turbulent period following Operation Desert Storm, when graduates applied doctrine in an era marked by the collapse of the Soviet Union and changing global realities. The book concludes with an examination of how the school has changed in response to internal dynamics and external pressures, particularly those arising from combat operations and missions outside of war. It contrasts the visions of the school's first and sixth directors to illustrate how SAMS adapted during its first decade. Central to the narrative is the argument that, despite these changes, the fundamental purpose of the school has remained unchanged and understanding this provides insights into how SAMS and its graduates have contributed to the development of the army in tactical and operational thinking.