Army undersecretary visits TRADOC

By Amy L. RobinsonApril 9, 2012

Army undersecretary visits TRADOC
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Joseph W. Westphal, undersecretary of the Army, is greeted by Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, upon his arrival to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., April 4, 2012. During Westphal's visit, he met with ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army undersecretary visits TRADOC
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, talks with Joseph W. Westphal, undersecretary of the Army, during a tour of the TRADOC headquarters building on Fort Eustis, Va. April 4, 2012. During Westphal's visi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army undersecretary visits TRADOC
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Joseph W. Westphal, undersecretary of the Army, walks with Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, after his arrival to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., April 4, 2012. During Westphal's visit, he met with TR... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT EUSTIS, Va. (April 9, 2012) -- U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command welcomed another special guest to its new home on Joint Base Langley-Eustis when the undersecretary of the Army made his initial visit to the headquarters on Fort Eustis, Va., April 4.

During his visit Joseph Westphal met with TRADOC senior leaders to learn more about the command's top initiatives and how the initiatives are prioritized to shape the future force -- the Army of 2020.

Gen. Robert W. Cone, TRADOC commanding general, welcomed Westphal and began the visit with a tour of the new headquarters building. The tour ended at the Morelli Auditorium, where Cone expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to discuss TRADOC's role in the Army and the Joint Force.

"We're excited to share with you some of our ideas about the future and get your feedback on the direction we're headed," the general said.

Lt. Gen. John Sterling, TRADOC deputy commanding general, talked about TRADOC in transition, beginning with the most basic question: What does TRADOC do for the Army?

"We write the concepts for how we believe the Army will need to operate in 2020," Sterling explained. "And from those concepts, we determine what capabilities are required to execute those concepts, and then, we develop our leaders and train our Soldiers in those concepts."

Sterling also discussed the command's scope of responsibility, organizational structure, funding and how the TRADOC determines strategic and operational requirements for the Army, through the Army Force Management Model.

Westphal acknowledged the complexity of the requirements process and noted that communicating the right requirements to Army senior leaders is essential.

The undersecretary also received presentations on how TRADOC is shaping the Army of 2020, which included Cone's vision and intent, as well as information from the Army Capabilities Integration Center on how TRADOC is moving forward to the Army of 2020.

Lt. Gen. David Perkins, Combined Arms Center commander, provided an update on Doctrine 2015, discussed some of the findings from the Army Profession report, which was released April 2, and stressed the importance of leader development.

"You train people how to learn," Perkins said, explaining the importance of both learning and training. "When you go out to the unit, you've got to take what you have, you've got to train others and you've got to stay connected."

Perkins said leader development is critical to the Army's future. He noted the importance of a "strategic reserve" force in uncertain battlefield conditions, and then linked that to leader development by saying that within the context of the Army's uncertain future, "Our strategic reserve will be our well-trained leaders."

Related Links:

Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal on Twitter

Army Profession completes year of study, releases first report

Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal

Army.mil: Inside the Army News

Army.mil: Professional Development Toolkit

STAND-TO!: Shaping the Army of 2020

Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal on Facebook