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| Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth | |
|---|---|
| Name | Command and General Staff College |
| Location | Fort Leavenworth, Kansas |
| Established | 1881 |
| Type | Professional military education institution |
| Parent | United States Army Combined Arms Center |
Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth is a professional officer education institution located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, that prepares field grade officers from the United States and allied nations for staff and command duties. It serves as a nexus for doctrine development, joint operations education, and operational art study, integrating historical case studies, contemporary campaign analysis, and multinational interoperability. The college has influenced doctrine used in conflicts ranging from the World War I era reforms through World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The college traces lineage to post‑Civil War reforms and the establishment of professional schooling at forts such as Fort Leavenworth and the earlier School of Application of Infantry and Cavalry, influenced by figures like Emory Upton, John J. Pershing, and reformers after the Spanish–American War. It evolved through the interwar period alongside the National Defense Act of 1920 and doctrinal debates involving proponents such as Billy Mitchell, George C. Marshall, and Charles P. Summerall. During World War II its curricula expanded with lessons from theaters including the European Theater of Operations and the Pacific War, and faculty exchanged ideas with institutions such as the War Department and allied staffs from United Kingdom, France, Soviet Union liaison officers in earlier periods, later including officers from NATO. Postwar growth reflected Cold War exigencies, integrating lessons from the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and nuclear-era planning exemplified in studies influenced by George F. Kennan and Carl von Clausewitz translations. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the college adapted to counterinsurgency debates sparked by experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and to multinational operations framed by United Nations and NATO missions.
The college’s mission aligns with producing leaders competent in operational art, campaign planning, and joint interagency coordination, drawing on case studies such as the Battle of Gettysburg, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Operation Overlord, the Battle of Midway, the Tet Offensive, and Desert Storm. Core curriculum elements include instruction in operational planning processes used in United States Central Command, United States European Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, and joint doctrine shaped by organizations like the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Department. Elective and advanced courses explore subjects connected to Clausewitz, Sun Tzu translations, and works by historians such as Basil Liddell Hart, Martin van Creveld, Antony Beevor, and John Keegan. Seminars incorporate lessons from campaigns like the Falklands War, the Yom Kippur War, the Gulf War, and recent operations against ISIS.
The college functions within the Combined Arms Center and reports through United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Its leadership historically includes senior officers selected from commands such as United States Army Forces Command, United States Army Europe and Africa Command, and staff billets in the Pentagon. Governance and curriculum oversight involve collaboration with institutions like United States Military Academy, Marine Corps University, Naval War College, Air War College, and partner universities such as Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Kansas faculty affiliations. Interservice and multinational liaisons represent countries including United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, and Poland.
The campus occupies historic grounds at Fort Leavenworth featuring period buildings, libraries, and archives supporting study of records from events such as the Indian Wars, the Spanish–American War, and the Philippine–American War. Facilities include a professional library with monographs on the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, the American Civil War, and modern analyses of counterinsurgency campaigns, wargaming centers that simulate scenarios from Operation Just Cause to Operation Anaconda, and classrooms equipped for distributed learning with partners such as the NATO Defense College and regional centers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The campus also houses historical artifacts connecting to figures like Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, Philip Sheridan, and preservation efforts involving the National Historic Landmark program.
Students include field grade officers—majors and lieutenant colonels—from the United States Army, counterpart services including the United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Space Force, and international officers from over 80 partner nations such as Brazil, Egypt, India, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey. Admissions consider service selection boards, professional development timelines like those influenced by the Officer Personnel Act of 1947, and exchange agreements with militaries participating in programs under frameworks such as NATO Partnership for Peace and bilateral defense cooperation treaties. Graduates proceed to assignments in commands including CENTCOM, EUCOM, INDOPACOM, and staff positions at the Department of State and multinational headquarters.
Alumni and faculty reflect a wide array of senior leaders and scholars including George C. Marshall, Omar Bradley, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., Colin Powell, David Petraeus, H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Erwin Rommel (as a historical study subject), Leonard Wood, Adna R. Chaffee Jr., William Westmoreland, Creighton Abrams, Matthew Ridgway, Maxwell D. Taylor, Henry H. Arnold, John Shalikashvili, Raymond T. Odierno, Stanley McChrystal, James Mattis, Arthur MacArthur Jr., Isoroku Yamamoto (as studied figure), Ferdinand Foch, August von Mackensen, Vo Nguyen Giap, Hugo Chávez (as foreign attendee in some programs), Tommy Franks, Philip M. Breedlove, Joseph Dunford, Kathleen Hicks (as collaborator), Andrew Marshall (scholar), Bernard Montgomery, Stanley Baldwin (in diplomatic context), John Curtin, Paul von Hindenburg, Erich von Manstein, Curtis LeMay, Charles De Gaulle, Yitzhak Rabin, Gustavus Adolphus (as historical case), Napoleon Bonaparte (as historical case), and contemporary scholars from institutions like Harvard University, Princeton University, and King's College London who have lectured on strategy and international security.
The college maintains traditions tied to the history of Fort Leavenworth, including ceremonies referencing campaigns like the Indian Wars and commemorations of leaders such as Winfield Scott. Wargaming, staff rides to battlefields like Antietam, Gettysburg, and Normandy, and exchange visits with institutions such as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the École Militaire, and the Bundeswehr staff colleges foster a professional culture emphasizing historical study, critical analysis, and coalition operations. Social and academic rituals include honors parades, professional reading lists featuring authors like Carl von Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, B.H. Liddell Hart, and participation in symposia alongside organizations such as the Association of the United States Army and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Category:United States Army schools