 SAMS graduates have supported every major U.S. military campaign between 1984 and 2009 . SAMS graduates are known for their " critical thinking skill sets " , and are consistently called for by combatant commanders around the world . In 2010 , Brigadier General Sean MacFarland said , " In a crisis , the president always asks , ' where are the aircraft carriers ? ' In the Army , leaders ask , ' Where are the SAMS graduates ? ' Just as the aircraft carrier was a game changer in naval warfare , SAMS graduates and practitioners of operational art have been game changers in land warfare . " 
