The US Army Command and General Staff College was initially established in 1881 as the School for the Application of Cavalry and Infantry by General William Tecumseh Sherman. It was re-designated The Command and General Staff College (CGSC) in 1946. It is the oldest continuously operating military staff college in the United States.

The mission of CGSC is to develop leaders prepared to execute full-spectrum joint, interagency, and multinational operations; advance the profession of military art and science; and support operational requirements.

CGSC has five schools: The Command and General Staff School (CGSS), Department of Distance Education (DDE), School for Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), School for Command Preparation (SCP), and the Army Management Staff College (AMSC). Additional organizations include the Digital Leader Development Center (DLDC), the Combined Arms Research Library (CARL), and the Center for Army Leadership (CAL).

Besides Fort Leavenworth, there are three external sites that teach the Intermediate Level of Education Course: Fort Belvior and Fort Lee, Virginia and Fort Gordon, Georgia. More than 15,000 students each year attend CGSC courses.

The CGSC is a renowned academic leader in the study of leadership that strives to be a national center of excellence. As outlined in its mission statement, the CGSC curriculum focuses on the conduct of joint and combined warfare and the application of Joint, Interagency, and Multi-National organizations to synchronize all elements of power to achieve national objectives.

To reach this goal, the CGSC educates and trains students to lead teams and solve complex problems. It also develops and publishes the knowledge it gains; recruits, develops and maintains a world-class faculty; and supports the Army during peace and war.

The core values of the College include valuing service to the country, the Warrior Ethos, teaching its leaders and students “how to think versus what to think,” and developing creative, innovative, and adaptive leaders who are self-aware and committed to lifelong learning and professional development. The learning environment includes small group instruction and practical exercises that draw out high-order, multidisciplinary thinking and require students to integrate air, ground and sea forces with the elements of power to achieve national objectives.