Future Training Concepts

The United States Army is currently at a major crossroads with respect to training. Experiences from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the introduction of Army Field Manual 3-0, Operations, and its equal importance placed on offensive operations, defensive operations, and stability operations, combined with the necessity to be prepared for future conflicts all present a complex problem for Army. Further complicating the situation is increasingly limited resources for the military. The lack of resources includes limited time available to train due to a very demanding operational tempo and finite defense funding. In light of these issues, the Army leadership is faced with making training decisions that not only affect today’s fight, but also future operations. No one can predict where, when, why, and how the next conflict will be fought. If the nation calls upon the Army to accomplish an objective, the Army must be prepared to achieve success. As General Peter W. Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, states, “It is simply impossible to plan and train for every possible scenario our Soldiers and their leaders may encounter within the complex reality of the contemporary operating environment.” The decisions made today regarding how the Army should train are the cornerstone for success during the next conflict or task. To determine what the future training concepts of the Army should be, this monograph reviews three areas which develop how the Army should train for future operations. The three areas which impact future training are the requirements given to Army from the Army’s current operations, national strategy documents, and finally the future operational environment. Integrated into the analysis of those three areas is an analysis of the Army’s current training doctrine from Field Manual 7-0, Training for Full Spectrum Operations to determine the current training doctrine prepares the Army for its future operations. The analysis addresses how the Army can best train for future operations when it has a wide range of missions, a lack of time to train, is preoccupied with current operations, is facing a complex and ambiguous future operating environment, and shrinking resources. Adding to the problem is a training doctrine which does not fully prepare the Army for future operations and take into account the current operational environment. Finally the monograph presents recommendations for preparing the Army for future operations. Based on this analysis of the Army’s current operational environment, national strategy documents, and the future operational environment, the Army should prepare for the next mission or conflict by training on core tasks which span the spectrum of conflict, increase focus on leadership training, and train intangible attributes such as discipline, adaptability, initiative, and problem solving skills. The Army does not have enough time and resources to train for every mission and conflict, and focusing on a core task list which spans the spectrum of conflict, it can adapt those core skills to succeed in an ambiguous and complex future. Complimenting the core competency task list is an increased focus on leaders and leadership training. Future leaders must have the attributes necessary to succeed in a complex and constantly changing operating environment. The intangible attributes required by not only leaders, units and Soldiers are discipline, initiative, problem solving skills, and adaptability.