Digital Warfighter Exercise/Experiment 2010 explores human dimension in combat
Posted by tradoclive in Uncategorized on January 27th, 2010
The theme for this year’s Digital Warfighting Exercise/Experiment is “Human Dimensions and Aspects of Battle Command given a 2018 Future Operational Environment.” Hosted by the Battle Command Battle Laboratory – Leavenworth and the Army Command and General Staff College, the exercise will showcase CGSC students integrating the latest in digital technology into corps and division-level military operations.
This year’s exercise supports the Army’s initiatives in adaptation and transformation. The desired end state of DWE-10 is to develop leaders with critical thinking and adaptation skills as well as generate hard data with which military and civilian leaders can utilize to make required adaptations and changes to doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, and facilities. These goals serve to place and keep our military ahead of our enemies and proactively address changes in the post 9-11 environment.
The Army measures its effects on the Operational Environment using Political, Military, Economic, Social, Information, and Infrastructure – Physical Environment and Time (PMESII-PT) Operational Variables. To that end, commanders must understand the Human Dimensions and Aspects of the Operational Environment. The support of and collaboration with local and indigenous populations is a principal determinant of success in all conflicts. In order for commanders to achieve this understanding, they must have staff officers who can identify, collect and understand the Human Aspects within the PMESII-PT construct and then integrate them into the Military Decision Making Process.
The Battle Command Battle Laboratory – Leavenworth is a thriving, premier experimentation facility that invites numerous scientists, scholars and subject matter experts to all of our experiments. If you have participated with our experiments previously, we thank you and invite you back. If you are interested in this year’s experiment or would like us to keep you informed on this or any of our other cutting edge experiments please contact Ms. Carol Markle, (913) 684-7769, carol.markle@us.army.mil, or visit http://usacac.army.mil/blog/blogs/bcbl/default.aspx.
The Battle Command Battle Laboratory – Leavenworth: Experimenting with future concepts and technology to build a stronger military today and tomorrow!
About IMT
Posted by tradoclive in Initial Military Training on October 29th, 2009
TRADOC News! Congress approved the standup of Deputy Commanding General for Initial Military Training (IMT) on 29 SEP 2009 with Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling in this new position. This organization will standardize some areas of training, reinvigorate others, and evolve the way that initial entry Soldiers and recently commissioned junior officers prepare for their first unit of assignment. One of the goals of IMT is to support more efficient and effective Army Force Generation, while shaping Soldiers and recently-commissioned leaders with the skills ready to contribute in a constantly changing operational environment. Lt. Gen. Hertling and his expanding team are working on several initiatives that will evolve training to meet the demands our Soldiers face, incorporating new methods, methodologies and training techniques that are geared on addressing the evolving nature of conflict and changing human and societal dynamics.
Read more about IMT’s set up here and view photos from Lt. Gen. Hertling’s promotion here
What are your thoughts on IMT? What questions do you have for Lt. Gen. Hertling and his team?
IN THEIR WORDS – (07 OCT) AUSA Panel: Operationalizing LandWarNet through the Global Network Enterprise Construct (LandWarNet, Cyberwarfare)
Posted by tradoclive in Uncategorized on October 13th, 2009
A top-level overview for transition of the Army Network through the GNEC strategy, panelists focused on requirements and initiatives and current situation in their organizations.
BG Jeffrey Foley, Commanding General – Army Signal Center & Fort Gordon, represented TRADOC. In his words:
“We are collecting and disseminating more information [voice, data, video] than ever, to and from lower echelons, including an individual soldier, which means increased probability of mission accomplishment with less risk of losing soldiers.”
“Last May the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff signed our Aerial Layer Network Transport Initial Capabilities Document. This document lays the foundation for further development of network extension capabilities via high-, medium- and low-altitude air platforms. The Army recently fielded communications relay packages on several unmanned aircraft systems, with additional capabilities planned for this summer. In short, we’re in hot pursuit of improved aerial layer capability.”
“WIN-T is the Army’s flagship communications program; it is already bringing unprecedented capability to the force. It is paramount that we get it right to ensure it provides the necessary capability that we need on the battlefield.”
“The Global Network Enterprise Construct [GNEC] is a new term developed over the past year that captures an Army-wide strategy to transition LandWarNet-the Army’s portion of the Global Information Grid-from many loosely affiliated independent networks into a true global capability that is designed, deployed and managed as a single integrated enterprise. Through globally available Network Service Centers, GNEC provides warfighters a global plug-and-play capability through all phases of joint operations.”
“Simply stated, GNEC will operationalize LandWarNet, dramatically improve network defense posture, realize economies and efficiencies while improving effectiveness, and ensure joint interoperability across DoD.”
“Available spectrum has become one of the most critical battlefield resources. Proliferation of emitters continues to be an issue in GWOT as we add network and weapons systems capability on the battlefield. To this end the Signal Center developed and pursued initiatives for electromagnetic spectrum operations [EMSO] to include writing new doctrine, developing a career field for spectrum managers, and collaborating with the electronic warfare community joint forces engaged in current operations. To be clear, we are the
subject-matter experts on spectrum.”
IN THEIR WORDS – (06 OCT) AUSA Panel: Army of the 21st Century Army
Posted by tradoclive in Leader Development on October 8th, 2009
The Army is building a versatile mix of ‘tailorable’ and networked organizations, operating on a rotational cycle, to provide a sustained flow of trained and ready forces for current commitments and to hedge against unexpected contingencies at a tempo that is predictable and sustainable for our all-volunteer force.
BG Dana Pittard, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, and COL Bob Johnson, Chief – Joint and Army Concepts Division in the CD&E–ARCIC, represented TRADOC. In their words:
Institutional Adaptation
“The TRADOC Campaign Plan is driving transformation and institutional adaptation to achieve measurable outcomes in support of ARFORGEN and the Army Future Force.” (BG Pittard)
“[TRADOC is] adapting in new ways, for example reducing the length of the BNCOC [Advanced Leader Course], deploying mobile training teams, and using ‘Wikis’ to involve Soldiers in the development of field manuals.” (BG Pittard)
Army Capstone Concept (ACC)
“The emerging Army Capstone Concept was well received, in particular its grounded projections of future armed conflict, and ideas of operational adaptation and developing the situation, and how these ideas provide the intellectual underpinnings for operationalizing GEN Casey’s vision of how the Army of the 21st Century will operate.” (COL Johnson)
IN THEIR WORDS – (07 OCT) AUSA Panel: Improving ARFORGEN – Gaining a Common Framework for RESET
Posted by tradoclive in ARFORGEN, Leader Development on October 7th, 2009
The Army must focus on the roles, responsibilities, and strategies to assure a common framework for more effectively integrating and synchronizing RESET across the Core Enterprise (CE) functions with ARFORGEN.
LTG David Valcourt, Deputy Commanding General & Chief of Staff, represented TRADOC. In his words:
“You don’t separate the Soldier from his family unless you absolutely must. We must enrich home station training with existing training resources.”
“Right now we are manned and structured for resident training. We owe it to the operational forces to bring that training to home station as much as we can to protect dwell [time]. When you bring your car to the dealership you expect it to be serviced to standard. So we want to bring the dealership to where you park the car and to give you the same service, to standard. And there is the challenge. We are going to maintain professional military education (PME), we are going continue to resource and deliver home station mobile training teams (MTT) to the best of our ability. And we have to ask, what is it that (units) want, is it more MTTs and less PME (institutional training)? We’re looking at that balance.”
IN THEIR WORDS – (06 OCT) AUSA Panel: Adapting Our Institutions-The Enterprise Approach to ARFORGEN
Posted by tradoclive in ARFORGEN, Human Capital Core Enterprise, Uncategorized on October 7th, 2009
The Army is taking an Enterprise approach to restore the balance between the Operating Force and the Generating Force. This approach is resulting in an Army culture, organizations, systems and processes that will more effectively and efficiently generate trained, ready and modernized forces to conduct full spectrum operations in an era of persistent conflict, while preserving the all volunteer force. The Enterprise approach is designed to empower senior leaders to integrate related functions to provide these forces for combatant commanders.
GEN Martin Dempsey, Commanding General, represented TRADOC. In his words:
“[From an Enterprise perspective] the real issue is understanding the problem we seek to address from an enterprise perspective, understanding second and third order effects at our level.”
“The Army Enterprise Board has been useful in dealing with big issues that impact the major Army Commands. And it’s not about the governance – that will fall in place along the way.”
IN THEIR WORDS – (06 OCT) AUSA Panel: Leader Development for a 21st Century Army
Posted by tradoclive in Leader Development, Uncategorized on October 7th, 2009
The Army must prepare leaders to execute missions in extended campaigns – campaigns mean time, time means change, and change requires leaders who can anticipate change, create opportunities, and manage transitions.
GEN Martin Dempsey, Commanding General; BG Edward Cardon, Deputy Commandant Army Command and General Staff College, represented TRADOC. In their words:
“Leader development is the Army’s single most important competency.”
“Our Army will follow eight leader development imperatives” (BG Cardon) [Commitment to life-long learning and development; balanced commitment to training, education, and experience; outcomes-based; balance predictability between personnel policies and professional military education; manage the Army’s military and civilian talent for both the institution and the individual; replicate the complexity of the operational environment; produce leaders who are mentors; select leaders for responsibility at the national level.]
IN THEIR WORDS – (06 OCT) AUSA Panel: Army Campaign for Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention
Posted by tradoclive in Uncategorized on October 7th, 2009
The Army presented plans and implementation on the health of Soldiers, Families and Army Civilians– Suicide prevention, recovery from injury, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), safety — vehicle accidents, and building resiliency through Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF).
LTG David Valcourt, Deputy Commanding General (DCG), represented TRADOC. In his words:
“[There is a tendency that] We only see a unit needing help, and not an individual that has moved on from the Operational force to the Generating force/Institutional Army – they bring the issues with them to a recruiting command, for instance.”
“CSF [Comprehensive Soldier Fitness] can’t just be implemented at the TRADOC school-house.it has to also be in the operational environment.”
Gen. Martin Dempsey: on leader development
Posted by tradoclive in Leader Development on October 6th, 2009
We have to develop leaders who understand that context matters. The complexity of today’s challenges and the uncertainties of tomorrow require a much broader approach to leader development and a clear understanding of the operating environment. It’s for this reason that we recently published a new leader development strategy for a 21st Century Army.
As the nation’s campaign-capable force, the Army must prepare its leaders to execute missions over extended campaigns. Campaigns mean time, time means change, and change requires leaders who can anticipate change, create opportunities, and manage transitions. Stated another way, our Leader Development Strategy describes a shifting balance of tactical and operational art as our adversaries decentralize, network, and operate among the people to overcome our technological advantages and as we string together actions and activities—some kinetic and some non-kinetic—to produce campaign quality outcomes. This demands that we develop leaders who can lead increasingly decentralized organizations, who can understand complexity, and who can manage uncertainty.
If you’re attending AUSA, I hope you’ll join me for the Leadership Development ILW Panel at 1000, Room 152, to hear more. If you’re not attending AUSA, please respond to me with your impressions on Leader Development.
IN THEIR WORDS – (05 OCT) AUSA Panel: Building Resilient Soldiers, Families & Civilians
Posted by tradoclive in Initial Military Training on October 6th, 2009
Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) is building an Army of balanced, healthy, self-confident Soldiers, Families, and Army Civilians whose resilience and total fitness enables them to excel in an era of high operational tempo and persistent conflict. A holistic approach, CSF works through five dimensions: Physical, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, and Family.
LTG Mark Hertling, DCG for Initial Military Training, represented TRADOC. In his words:
“CSF is focused on building up our soldiers, families, and Army Civilians to give them the strength to deal with trauma before the event.”
“We’re currently training our drill sergeants and platoon sergeants in the techniques of building resiliency in our new soldiers, which will both contribute to the way our recruits learn in training and the quality of life of our cadres’ families.”
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