 The SAMS course was designed to fill a gap in U.S. military education between the CGSC 's focus on tactics and the War College 's focus on grand strategy and national security policy . In 1981 , Colonel Huba Wass de Czege convinced Fort Leavenworth 's Lieutenant General William R. Richardson , who served as Commander of the Combined Arms Center and Commandant of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth from 1979 to 1981 , that a second year of military education was needed for select officers . After receiving final approval , Wass de Czege helped plan and develop the school , which would open in mid @-@ 1983 . Although there was some disagreement about the purpose of the course , army leaders and the course designers settled on a plan to provide officers with a " broad , deep military education in the science and art of war . " 
