SAMS was chartered in North Carolina April 12, 1981, as a non-profit organization with the following purpose:
- To preserve and promote Scottish and American Armed Forces customs and traditions
- Provide a forum for exchange of military history and genealogical information
- Conduct public education programs
- Present military student honor awards
- Support Scottish activities at Highland Games
- Make contributions to qualified scholarship funds or institutions
- Make appropriate charitable contributions
- Provide a fraternal atmosphere for members
Beginning in 1984, an engraved dirk has been given annually to a military history student selected from candidates in a college level ROTC program.
Membership is open to honorably discharged veterans or active duty or reserve military persons who have served or are serving with any branch of the U-S. Armed Forces. Member- ship is open to war veterans (persons who served honorably in the Armed Forces of the U-S- during the following periods:
- 21 April 1898 - 4 July 1902
- 6 April 1917 - 11 November 1918
- 7 December 1941 - 31 December 1946
- 27 June 1950 - 31 January 1955
- 5 August 1964 - 7 May 1975
- 24 August 1982 - 31 July 1984
- 20 December 1989 - 31 January 1990
- 2 August 1990 - To Be Determined
- Present or former members of the U-S- Armed Forces,
- Armed Service Academy and college level ROTC Cadets,
- Spouses, widows, or widowers of any of the above categories, and
- Members of the British Commonwealth Armed Forces.
Honorary life memberships are awarded to members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor or the Victoria Cross.