What school replaced the Combined Arms Services and Staff School (CAS3)?

LTC Stephen F. — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 17:17:40 -0400

I attended the Combined Arms Services and Staff School (CAS3) in 1986. I conducted a few web searches for CAS3 trying to find out what became of it and what school or schools replaced it. CAS3 was the first school I attended with officers who were not part of the combat arms. It was a great way for C, CS and CSS officers to learn about each others functions and for us to get to work with each other. I expect this function is accomplished in one or more schools prior to CGSC but do not know where. I would also like to know when CAS3 ended. I hope the replacement school(s) were up and running at that time.
Update 10/31/ 2022. I was saddened but not suprised that the Army cancelled CAS3 which was designed to bring officers from combat arms, combat support and combat service support branches together for training and working alongside to solve operational level challenges. Unsurprisinly the Army modified the army officer courses which tend to be focused on specific groups of officers [combat arms, combat support and combat service support] Therefore CGSC is now the initial school where officers from combat arms, combat support and combat service support, and other military services come together to train and work alongside each other to approach and attempt to solve complex military planning and operational problems.
FYI LTC Private RallyPoint Member MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. LTC Private RallyPoint Member CSM Charles Hayden COL Randall C. COL Lisandro Murphy LTC Trent Klug LTC Private RallyPoint Member LTC Dave Leppanen LTC John Shaw LTC John Mohor LTC John Paul Cook LTC Steven Shea LTC Michael Wade LTC Gavin Heater LTC Private RallyPoint Member LTC Private RallyPoint Member LTC Joe Anderson

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2015 5:27 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 17:27:32 -0400

It was consumed into the Captain's Career Courses for the most part. In some cases it may be a unique, individual block but it isn't the same TDY as it was, separate and distinct from the Advanced Course. I attended early int he career at Leavenworth. The transition happened shortly thereafter, late 90's early 00's.

They try to get some of this integration at courses like Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) -- a little different experience, but similar. Also, from when you were a junior officer, transformed units, where Forward Support Companies (Sustainment) among other specialties are not part of the maneuver brigades has also facilitated cross-branch integration on a larger scale than before.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2015 1:23 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:23:28 -0400

CAS3 combined with OAC in October 2004 to make the Captains Career Course. It just isn't the same as coming to Leavenworth for 6 weeks and meeting Officers from different Branches.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2015 1:18 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:18:59 -0400

I attended CAS3 in Jan-Feb 1998 right after completing the Armor Officers Advance Course with a wide range of officers attending. We had 1LT(P)s who pinned on as we started class and CPT(P)s who were going to be promoted to Major later that year and then attend CGSC!
I learned much from that group (more even than from the instruction) as the levels of experience was vast! Of course there were some disagreements of work to be done based on those same levels of experience!
As CAS3 transitioned to the Captains Career Course, not sure how much of the same level of education followed as I saw officers later in my career who did not attend CAS3, but presumably had the same level of staff training as I received in CAS3, but did not know the same things I had been taught.

Response by COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM made Mar 23 at 2015 3:32 PM

COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 15:32:28 -0400

What School replaced CAS3?
- Short answer from my perspective is that no school replaced CAS3. CAS3 employed small group instruction techniques designed to improve an officer's ability to analyze and solve problems, communicate orally and in writing, to interact effectively as a key member of a military staff, and to apply operational doctrine and procedures in the field.
- I disagree that CAS3 became part of the various Captain's Career Courses. The CCCs are officers of the same branch talking to each other. CAS3 was different branch officers talking to each other. Different dynamic with a different result. Also, the CCCs occur early in the CPT years whereas CAS3 occurred later in the CPT years. Finally, CAS3 was 6 or 9 weeks long (depending upon when an officer went). The CCCs did not grow by 6 weeks when CAS3 was eliminated.
- Overall officer IMT and PME were cut during the GWOT years (2001 to present). This was not because the MOSs and schools had less to teach. It was because the operational force needed a quick turn to get Soldiers back into the fight. These cuts are not going to be added back now that we are on the backside of GWOT/OCO (supposedly). Current TRADOC guidance is "no course growth". The need is still there so therefore the operational and self domains within the Army Leader Development Strategy and Model have to pick up the slack of what used to be covered more within the institutional domain. This has not/is not happening in my opinion. Same can be said about warrant officer and enlisted/NCO IMT/PME. It is what it is.

Response by LTC John Wilson made Apr 9 at 2015 12:29 AM

LTC John Wilson — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:29:22 -0400

Definitely CCC which combined AOC and CAS3 into one single OES gate. I was in perhaps one of the last few RC CAS3 rotations before the change. When I returned to active duty many years later, it twisted the noodles of the HRC folks who had no institutional memory of AOC or CAS3.

Response by LTC Ltc Butera made Jan 29 at 2016 9:46 PM

LTC Ltc Butera — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 21:46:07 -0500

Hello LTC,
CAS3 was replaced around 2005 with CAX (Combined Arms Exercise) which was a 15 day compressed version of CAS3- Some aspects were completely the same- some replaced- this was a transition course designed to train the officers that were caught in the cusp of the educational change until ILE- the newest version of education prior to CGSC- I instructed CAS3 and CAX (mostly through the Reservist model, but taught the last cycle of CAS3 at Ft Leavenworth in 2004- The current ILE is a completely different structure than you would have been exposed to. If you are familiar with HOGE barracks and the ceiling tiles that classes left behind them- they were inadvertently destroyed during renovation. The OLD BELL was replaced with a newly build education complex on the upside of the golf course. Many senior staff officers were sad to see CAS3 and CAX go away for the reasons you state- the ability to cross branches in face to face experiences. I hope this addressed you inquiry.
Sincerely,
LTC(R) Ralph B

Response by COL Jonathan Cohen made May 26 at 2016 1:22 PM

COL Jonathan Cohen — Thu, 26 May 2016 13:22:32 -0400

There was no replacement school. I taught the course until it was shut down in 2004. The curriculum was supposed to be transferred to the other centers and schools of excellence and incorporated into what it currently the Captains Career Course; however, I am currently a Civilian Instructor at the AMEDD Captains Career Course. There is a very watered down version on the CAS3 curriculum submerged into the Military Decision Making Process portion of the course...the core portion of the course which all captains are supposed to get when they attend their respective CCCs. For all intent and purposes, CAS3 is gone...

Response by MAJ JohnK Wright, V made Jun 29 at 2021 7:02 PM

MAJ JohnK Wright, V — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 19:02:50 -0400

I attended in the Fall of 1988 after I gave up my 17 month Company Command. I attended from late Oct-Dec 1988.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2021 8:49 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 20:49:45 -0400

I’ve never heard of CAS3, but like others are saying it sounds like much of the content was rolled into BOLC (OBC) and Captain’s Career Course, with reinforcing instruction as part of ILE.

Response by LTC Trent Klug made Oct 31 at 2022 2:36 PM

LTC Trent Klug — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:36:38 -0400

I believe the CAX replaced CAS3. I don't remember when exactly. The folks I knew attended CAS3 was in 2000 and they were talking about it going away then. I did CAX in 2007.

Response by LTC Joe Anderson made Nov 1 at 2022 5:07 AM

LTC Joe Anderson — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 05:07:56 -0400

I went to the Engineer Officers Advanced Course/Captain's Career Course in 2004 and then CGSC in 2007. At the Advance Course I was told that CASQ/3 had been partially rolled into the the Captain's Career Course and the rest was now a part of CGSC. At CGSC the cadre confirmed this and advise that anything lost due to this transition was now also rolled into a follow on course from CGSC called the Advanced War Fighters Course. Which I attended in 2008. So the coriculum still exists it's just in different places and format.