Photo By Airman 1st Class Nelvis Sera | School of Advanced Air and Space Studies students, participate in a seminar-style...... read more read more
Subscribe
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — The School of Advanced Air and Space Studies is a highly competitive, graduate-level program designed to cultivate military strategists and develop officers who can think critically about the future of war, national security and military political interaction.
“We provide a strategic education at a key milestone in an officer’s career,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Povilus, SAASS instructor. “This 11-month intensive program transforms high-potential leaders into strategic thinkers ready to tackle the toughest challenges facing senior military command.”
Each year, SAASS selects a deliberately small class of 45 students to promote deep discussion and mentorship in a seminar-style learning environment. The classes represent broad mixes of joint experience, including officers from across the U.S. Air Force, sister services and allied nations. This year’s cohort includes international officers from the United Kingdom, Germany, and, for the first time, Italy.
“I’m here to share my own perspective, to read through my lenses, my paradigm, my background. They want to hear how someone from a different part of the world interprets strategy, history, and leadership.” said Italian Air Force Lt Col. Emanuele Fumanti, 36° Wing XII Fighter Squadron, SAASS student. “Our presence reinforces the bond between our nations, but more than that, it brings different ways of thinking into the same room. That’s what makes SAASS so rich.”
The curriculum emphasizes reading, writing and discussion to strengthen critical thinking and communication skills. Students read and analyze roughly four books per week and complete an 80 to 100 page master’s thesis under faculty supervision.
“In Italy, we’re used to lectures where the professor talks and the students listen,” said Fumanti. “Here, there are no lectures, just seminars. You read hundreds of pages, then you come to class and discuss your perspective. You’re not just told the story, you become part of it. You share how you interpreted the book through your own experiences, and that’s what makes it so powerful.”
Each course runs between two and four weeks and covers subjects such as airpower history, international politics, and strategic theory. At the end of the academic year, students complete oral comprehensive exams to demonstrate their understanding of all course material.
Beyond the classroom, students participate in an annual overseas field study designed to connect academic concepts with operational history. During their trip, they deliver presentations to their peers and instructors on historical events such as World War II and the Cold War.
“This year’s class traveled to Germany,” said Povilus. “There’s something about seeing it, talking about where it actually happened, and putting it all into perspective that’s very different than just reading about it.”
SAASS graduates often move into key strategy and leadership positions across the Department of the Air Force and the joint force. Many go on to serve as strategists in the Pentagon, policy advisors at the National Security Council, and faculty members shaping future generations at Air University.
As part of Air University, SAASS sharpens the minds that shape tomorrow’s strategy. By bringing together U.S. and allied officers, the program builds trust, fosters innovation and strengthens the global network of leaders guiding the future of air, space and cyberspace power.
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2025 13:23 |
| Story ID: | 550950 |
| Location: | MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Inside SAASS, by A1C Nelvis Sera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
