Bob W.

Hmmm.... I don't believe I or anyone else used the term "hard" to describe the SAMS POI. Nor did I or anyone else state that it was above the intellectual capacity of any MAJ in the Army...

I did say that it requires a skilled faculty (defined as skilled in the socratic method & with a mastery the curricula)... Unfortunately, a large portion of the CGSC facility does not fit the description and in my personal experience only a small portion are inclined to "step up their game". Couple that with the fact that CGSC can't fill all their faculty positions... I think it is far from a reasonable expectation that CGSC is capable of assembling the faculty (at current funding level) to emulate the SAMS experience for the larger ILE class...

I also said that the SAMS "experience" also depends on the interaction of a pool of self-selecting students. By volunteering, they acknowledged that they want to be intellectually challenged. The are willing to read, think and write. The ILE population may have changed since when I walked the halls of Bell Hall, but I doubt it. I will gladly accept Ski's assessment of ILE student enthusiasm for rigorous academic work.

You speak of a "mystique" about SAMS... If one exists, it only exists based on how others perceive the program... When senior Army leaders have a tough problem they reach for a SAMS grad because they have benefited from additional educational opportunities and they move from tough/interesting assignment to the next. If that is the mystique you speak of fine... its well earned.

Is SAMS a Mensa society? No are there superior intellects out there who either opt out of participating or are denied by branch... absolutely, but if you think or opine that the program is over-blown and could easily be implemented universally... you are either information-challenged or disingenuous.

Live well and row