The School for Command Preparation was established in March 1984 by order of the fourth Commander of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, GEN William R. Richardson, with the mission to provide an Army-wide implementation of battalion and brigade command education. Throughout its history, SCP has served under the institutional leadership of the Command and General Staff College and has executed its resident courses here at historical Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the “Crossroads of the Army.”
The school began in 1984 with a modest series of courses, but over the past four decades, the program grew significantly. Although the format of the education varied considerably over the years, the school continued to expand in scope, scale, and attendance year by year. This reflects Army Senior Leaders’ long held belief that battalion and brigade command positions are the most consequential and transformational leadership roles in the Army. Command preparation education is an investment in the readiness, cohesion, discipline, trust, and tactical level leadership of the entire Army. Today, the Command Preparation Program is a Total Army system that educates thousands of leaders annually in the art and science of command leadership from company through division level commands. The program is unique in its depth and dimensions, and it has no equivalent in the U.S. Joint Force or the armies of our allies and partners. In addition to serving as the executive agent for the Command Preparation Program, the School for Command Preparation assists in the synchronization and communication between 29 courses at 14 locations across the Army. SCP executes 11 resident courses at Fort Leavenworth, including the center of gravity of the program, the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Core Courses for Battalion and Brigade as well as the Command Team Spouse Development Program, Tactical Commander Development Courses, Functional Commander Development Courses, Command Sergeant Major Development Courses, and Army Strategic Education Program- Command. SCP also manages and maintains the curriculum and lesson plans for the Total Army’s Company Commander and First Sergeant Pre-Command Course.
The School for Command Preparation maintains a proud history deeply intertwined with the growth and success of the United States Army for the past half century. Since its establishment, it has twice been awarded the Army Superior Unit Award. For forty years, SCP has continued its mission of providing world class education to prepare Army leaders for the demands and rigors of command leadership across the globe. As we continue to face the complex challenges of the emerging operational environment, the Soldiers and Civilians of the School of Command Preparation remain committed to preparing Army leaders to command with distinction, drive change, strengthen the profession, and be ready to lead troops in war when the Nation calls.
Civilian Faculty: 17 Army Civilian Professionals, all Former Brigade Commanders, all Army Colonels (Retired), all combat veterans with experience at Division and higher.
Lieutenant Colonel Faculty: 11 LTCs who successfully completed Battalion Command, all combat veterans.
Command Sergeant Major Faculty: 6 CSMs who completed Battalion CSM or higher. CSL selected a 2nd/3rd time as SCP instructors, all combat veterans.
Accreditation Overview
Accreditation is based on meeting specific standards to improve educational programs and student learning through critical evaluation of the school's performance and provides specific recommendations for continuous process and program improvement.
Our participation is to ensure we provide high quality programs and services from development to implementation of current, relevant education and training to meet leader competency needs throughout the Army.
Current Accreditation
SCP is currently accredited by the Training and Doctrine Command Quality Assurance Program.
US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) includes as assessment of our courses based on doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities domain (DOTMLPF) standards led by the Quality Assurance (QA) Office. The TRADOC QA Program is a service organization chartered to promote high standards to enhance Army combat readiness through internal and external evaluations, conferences, consulting services, and assistance.