Sam Charles Sarkesian[1] (November 7, 1927 – September 26, 2011) was a prominent scholar of civil-military relations and national security, who published numerous books and articles concerning various topics in these areas.

In this capacity he also served on an island above the 38th parallel on the west coast of North Korea during the Korean War.

Sarkesian's experiences in the Korean War were formative in the development of his ideas concerning the opportunities and limitations of unconventional warfare.

After returning to Chicago he met Morris Janowitz, the founder of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, who handpicked Sarkesian to be the next IUS president.

[6] Sam Sarkesian's major contributions to civil-military relations and national security studies can be found in key publications.

Moreover, Sarkesian argued that U.S. strategic thought largely failed to learn the lessons of low-intensity conflicts.