Army training must be more realistic

By Mike Casey -- Combined Arms CenterFebruary 18, 2015

Force 2025 Industry Forum
Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown, Commanding General of the Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, addresses Army and industry leaders at the Force 2025 Industry Forum at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The forum focused on how industry could assist the Army in e... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown recalled his days as a young lieutenant with a straight-forward mission: Stop Soviet troops at the Fulda Gap.

Today the Army faces much more complicated missions, and the Army needs training to match the world's complexities, said Brown, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center (CAC).

He spoke on Feb. 5 at the Force 2025 Realistic Training Industry Forum, which brought together 250 Army and industry leaders to discuss how to create realistic training.

Brown said the Army needs industry's assistance to improve training.

"We'll never get there without you," he said. "With you, we can get there and save a lot of lives and win in a complex world."

Units increasingly will receive more of their training at home station.

"Current Army home-station training is not realistic, demanding nor challenging enough to properly prepare our forces to improve and thrive in ambiguity and chaos," Brown said.

He noted that Soldiers engage all targets on ranges, but with today's rules of engagement there is an increasing importance on discriminating fires.

Creating realistic training is one of the lines of effort in the Human Dimension, which aims to optimize the performance of Soldiers and commanders. The other two lines of effort in the Human Dimension are Cognitive Dominance and Institutional Agility.

The Army is working to implement a realistic training strategy that replicates the complex future operating environment. Brown said greater use of simulations and virtual training will help units create more realistic and challenging training events.

To learn more about the Force 2025 Industry Forum visit the web site at: http://usacac.army.mil/organizations/cact/industryforum. The site provides links to Brown's briefing, a Human Dimension White Paper and other materials.

In addition, a recording of Brown's speech is available at: https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/40137/lt-gen-robert-b-browns-speech#.VOJiNC5FZ9s

The forum was sponsored by CAC.

CAC develops and integrates Army leader development, doctrine, education, lessons learned, functional training, training support, training development, and proponent responsibilities to support mission command and prepare the Army to successfully conduct unified land operations in a joint, inter-agency, inter-governmental and multinational environment.

Related Links:

Force 2025 Industry Froum web site

Recording of Lt. Gen. Brown's Speech