Army chief of staff visits NTC

By Caroline Keyser (Fort Irwin USAG)January 27, 2011

Chief of staff arrives at NTC
Gen. George W. Casey Jr., chief of staff of the Army, arrives at the National Training Center for a visit Jan. 22. He is accompanied by Command Sgt. Maj. Nathan Buckner, center, command sergeant major of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Versatility in training will be the biggest change the National Training Center can expect to see in the future as the Army shifts its deployment training to include hybrid threat scenarios, said Gen. George W. Casey Jr., chief of staff of the Army, during a visit to the NTC Jan. 22.

"These training centers are critical to our ability to prepare Soldiers for combat, and at the same time, train them to do operations across the spectrum," Casey said. "(The NTC) has to be versatile enough to have a rotation one day for Afghanistan, and the next day a completely different rotation. That\'s the biggest shift."

Casey said the main reason for his visit was to see how the NTC is preparing for hybrid threat training, which combines unconventional warfare and counterinsurgency with conventional warfare elements such as tank battles. The NTC will conduct its first hybrid threat rotation in August, marking a departure from its focus on training exclusively for current conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The change is a reflection of the types of combat Army leaders believe Soldiers may face in the future.

"What the National Training Center, and all our training centers, will have to do is build the competence and the confidence into our Soldiers and leaders so they can operate anywhere we can send them," Casey said.

The chief of staff said the United States' next big threat will likely come from an unexpected source and that Soldiers will continue deploying into dangerous areas for the foreseeable future.

Casey's visit to the NTC was his last before he is set to retire this spring. Defense secretary Robert M. Gates recommended Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, commander of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, to succeed Casey earlier this month.

In a whirlwind half-day stopover, Casey visited a combat outpost and received briefings on training trends from NTC combat trainers and Brig. Gen. Robert "Abe" Abrams, commanding general of the NTC and Fort Irwin. Casey also toured the rotational training unit's tactical operations center and talked with Soldiers.

"It's not often the chief of staff comes out to see us, and it's been a great opportunity for us," said Col. Richard Kim, commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. The 3rd Brigade is January's main RTU.

Reflecting on changes he's seen in the Army during his four years as chief of staff, Casey said the Army is now in a much better position to meet its needs while sustaining an all-volunteer force. Since 2007, the Army has increased its size by nearly 100,000 Soldiers while drastically reducing its forces in Iraq, allowing dwell time to gradually increase. By October, Soldiers returning from deployments can expect to be home for two years before deploying again, Casey said.

"The way I talk to people about it is, 'You know, we're actually starting to breathe again,'" he said.

Casey said the Army has made great strides since 2007 in breaking down the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health issues, pointing to new programs such as resilience training and the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program, which focuses on prevention and developing the individual as a whole. But the Army still has work to do when it comes to eliminating the stigma entirely, he said.

"We've brought the numbers down from about 90 percent of the Army that wouldn't seek help to about 50 percent," Casey said. "But the problem is that's 500,000 people. Giving Soldiers skills so they don't have those challenges to begin with-I think that's our best bet."