Education and Training
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Army officers generally agree that training is the glue that holds a unit together. The training task, however, is growing more difficult due to technological advancements and a host of new post-Cold War missions. As technology shrinks the size of the battlefield and speeds the pace of battle, the need for trained and ready forces becomes more obvious. Tactical and technical leader proficiency, and collective soldier proficiency, are vital in accomplishing any unit’s mission.
One thing remains clear as the Army enters the 21st century: “Jointness” is key to future mission success. Leaders and units must train as part of the Army’s combined arms team and actively seek joint training with sister services. With a smaller force, the Army is finding that jointness, which has been a mandated agenda item for a long time, is just part of a increasingly larger number of training considerations necessary to prepare for future missions. The Army is engaged more and more in coalition or combined operations as we fulfill our role in the national military strategy, which also directs today’s leaders to exercise their units with the forces of other nations.
The articles that follow all challenge the Army and our leaders to maintain individual and collective training readiness in joint and combined environments while expanding the training horizon to include a multitude of new requirements.
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