Combined Arms Research Library

Combined Arms Research Library is a specialized research library supporting United States Army doctrine, professional development, and historical study at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. It serves as a resource for staff of the United States Army Combined Arms Center, students at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and researchers from institutions such as the National Defense University, Naval War College, and Air University. The library interfaces with national repositories including the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and collaborative partners like the School of Advanced Military Studies.

History

The library traces roots to post‑World War II reorganizations following the World War II demobilization and the establishment of professional military education at Fort Leavenworth, influenced by directives from the Department of the Army and guidance after the Korean War. During the Cold War, materials were acquired to support studies of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact, and engagements such as the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. Renovations and expansions occurred alongside institutional changes at the Combined Arms Center and the creation of the United States Army Combined Arms Command, reflecting doctrinal shifts from concepts in the AirLand Battle era to contemporary operations countering threats described in publications like the National Defense Strategy. The library adapted to technological transitions during the Information Age and partnered with the Defense Technical Information Center.

Collections and Holdings

Holdings include monographs on campaigns such as the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Midway, and the Tet Offensive, and archival materials on figures like Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, George S. Patton, Douglas MacArthur, and Colin Powell. The library preserves doctrine and manuals from the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, historical treatises by authors such as Carl von Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, Julius Caesar, and modern analysts like B. H. Liddell Hart and Antulio J. Echevarria II. Special collections include unit histories from the 101st Airborne Division (United States), the 1st Infantry Division (United States), and the 82nd Airborne Division (United States), periodicals such as the Journal of Military History, and rare maps tied to the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War. The library maintains multimedia collections covering operations like Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–present), and Operation Iraqi Freedom. It also houses theses and dissertations from graduates of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and research outputs used by analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the RAND Corporation.

Services and Facilities

Services support teaching at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, digital access for users at the Combined Arms Center Training and scholars from the Brookings Institution, and interlibrary loan agreements with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Federal Depository Library Program. Facilities include reading rooms for archival collections, secure spaces for classified research coordinated with the National Security Agency and the Defense Information Systems Agency, digitization labs modeled after practices at the Library of Congress, and conference spaces used by visiting fellows from the Heritage Foundation and the Wilson Center. Reference librarians collaborate with faculty from the School of Advanced Military Studies and curriculum planners for seminars inspired by case studies from Operation Overlord and the Korean War.

Research and Publications

The library supports research projects on doctrine, history, and leadership that inform publications cited by institutions like the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. It curates bibliographies, produces guides aligned with curricula from the United States Army War College, and contributes to digitization initiatives similar to those of the Digital Public Library of America. Scholarship using its collections has influenced analyses of campaigns including the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of the Bulge, and counterinsurgency studies referencing the Malayan Emergency and lessons from the Iraq War. The library publishes finding aids and research guides used by historians working on projects tied to archives at the National Archives (United States) and manuscripts relating to figures such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, H. Norman Schwarzkopf, and David Petraeus.

Governance and Affiliations

Governance falls under the United States Army Combined Arms Center and coordination with the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and the Installation Management Command (United States Army). Affiliations include partnerships with academic institutions like Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, and professional organizations such as the American Library Association and the Special Libraries Association. The library participates in federal networks including the Federal Depository Library Program and collaborates with research entities like the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration to preserve and provide access to historical materials relevant to national security and leadership studies.

Category:United States military libraries Category:Libraries in Kansas