FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- How the Army succeeds in meeting worldwide challenges will depend on the creativity of its schoolhouses and maximizing the abilities of its Soldiers.
Those were central themes of the Commandant and Directors of Training (CDOT) Conference that took place at Fort Leavenworth from Aug. 14-15. At the conference, Army leaders discussed the force's future as it transitions from an Army at war to an Army of preparation.
Gen. David G. Perkins, TRADOC commanding general, said many Army innovations have grown from the schoolhouses, and they will play a critical role in the force's future.
"If it doesn't happen at the commandant school level, it's not going to happen," Perkins said. "That's where the work gets done. You are the subject matter experts for your branch."
Perkins said senior Army leaders will provide big picture guidance, but they're relying on the schoolhouse leaders, officers, noncommissioned officers and Department of Army civilians for innovation.
"If you have wanted to change the Army, if there was ever a time, this is it," he said.
Perkins' talk was followed by a presentation by Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center. He discussed the importance of the human dimension in the 21st Century Army.
Brown contrasted the pillars of the Army during the Cold War with those that will make the Army of future successful. He said the Army built to fight the Soviet Union relied on a materiel such as the Abrams tank and the Apache helicopter.
"There are no materiel items that will lead the way," he said, noting the Army still uses many Cold War weapons systems. To be successful in the future, the Army will need to optimize human performance.
Brown said that will require "the comprehensive improvement of knowledge, skills and attributes to optimize and sustain the individual ability to succeed at any assigned mission as part of a trusted team."
He said the Army will need creative leaders who can out think their opponents.
"Our future adversaries will adjust rapidly so we have to expect that we will be dealing with chaos and ambiguity," Brown said.
With the war in Afghanistan winding down, the Army needs to rebalance experience, training and education. Many Soldiers gained significant experience from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, but need to learn how to train and need to gain a greater appreciation for the importance of education, Brown said.
The Army also needs to improve in those areas. "Our education system is not rigorous enough, and our training is not realistic enough," Brown said.
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