The U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies conducts graduation on May 26 at 9 a.m. in the Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center. The school graduates 141 officers, including 14 international officers from nine countries. The graduating classes also has seven federal civilian employees representing five federal agencies.

Most of the graduates are completing the Advanced Military Studies Program. This 10-month long course is a graduate level education program to develop innovative and adaptive leaders who excel at operational art and are willing to experiment and accept risk. Program graduates apply critical and creative thinking to solve complex problems, demonstrate mastery of joint and Army doctrine, and anticipate the future operational environment. They synthesize the elements of U.S. national power in joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational operations, and demonstrate effective communications.   

Sixteen graduates are completing the Advanced Strategic Leader Studies Program. This Senior Service College program, equivalent to the Army War College, focuses on planning and executing the full spectrum of unified land operations with government and nongovernmental agencies and international partners. Its students comprise senior lieutenant colonels, colonels, and their civilian equivalents. Military class members have typically commanded a battalion-sized unit in the armed services.

All graduates receive the Master of Military Art and Science Degree. The MMAS is awarded by the Command and General Staff College based on students successfully completing the School of Advanced Military Studies curriculum, passing an oral comprehensive exam, and successfully completing an extensive monograph based on original research. Completed monographs are published electronically by the Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library. CGSC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award the master's degree.

The graduation speaker is Lt. Gen. Gary H. Cheek. Cheek serves as the Director of the Army Staff in Washington. He is a 1980 graduate of West Point and a 1993 graduate of SAMS. Cheek served two operational deployments in Kuwait and one in Afghanistan. His most recent deployment was as Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Central and 3rd Army in Kuwait in 2012. Commissioned as an artillery officer, he commanded at the battery, battalion, and division artillery levels. As a general officer, Cheek has served as the Assistant Surgeon General for Warrior Care and Transition and the Commanding General of the Warrior Transition Command, the Director of Military Personnel Management, and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 in addition to his current position and the 3rd Army position.

Individual award recipients will be announced later.