School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies (SANDS) Published Jan. 18, 2021 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies (SANDS) The School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies (SANDS) program was founded in July 2015 by Air Force Global Strike Command to develop field grade officers into the next generation of nuclear deterrence leaders and experts. In 2018, the school was incorporated into ACSC to leverage the wealth of academic knowledge offered by Air University in order to enrich our student’s academic experience. The core mission of SANDS is to study military theory focused on strategic deterrence. Over the course of the rigorous 10-month graduate-level program, our students study the history of deterrence application, modern operational deterrence theory, and formulate how deterrence will change in the future.