 In June 1983 , the first class of 13 U.S. Army students began in the basement of Bell Hall at Fort Leavenworth . Initially , there were some internal problems with facilities and scheduling , and in the school 's early years there was uncertainty whether its graduates would be accepted and how they would perform in the force . When the first class graduated in 1984 , SAMS had already become " the symbol for intellectual renaissance in the officer corps " . When the first director , Wass de Czege , was succeeded by Colonel Richard Sennreich in 1985 , the school was already beginning to produce results and the U.S. Army and the College regarded SAMS as a " useful experiment " . By 1987 , enrollment of high @-@ quality officers had risen and sister services were becoming interested in sending students to SAMS . The program 's growing popularity and reputation also began attracting students from allied countries . 
