FORT BENNING, Ga., (Sept. 9, 2015) -- 199th Infantry Brigade cadre worked with Asymmetric Warfare Group experts to learn the principles of Adaptive Soldier Leader Training Education, how it fits with the Army learning methodology and how it fits with adaptability. They held a pilot of the training with lieutenants of the Armor Basic Officer Leader Course Sept. 3.

Soldiers use ASLTE to become more adaptive leaders and enhance critical thinking skills.

"They've been getting a lot of theory ... this is their opportunity to put to practice what they've been learning," said Blaise Cornell-d'Echert Jr., training integration manager for AWG.

Capt. John Traver, cadre with the 199th Inf. Bde., said the purpose of the pilot was to ensure the cadre could effectively communicate the ASLTE principles in a way that benefited the Soldiers.

The first task had a group of five lieutenants on a makeshift raft that capsized. The task was to reach the radio under the raft without touching the shark-infested waters within 10 minutes before the radio became unusable.

The students were to use the seven problem solving steps to complete the objective.

1) Recognize and define the problem.

2) Gather the facts and make assumptions.

3) Define the end state and establish the criteria.

4) Develop a possible solution.

5) Analyze and compare possible solutions.

6) Select and implement the solution.

7) Analyze the solution for effectiveness.

For the second task, one lieutenant chose three objects to help his group complete an unknown task. Another lieutenant was told what the task was, but not what he had to help his group complete it. Once together, they were to communicate what each lieutenant knew and come up with a plan to successfully negotiate the objective. In a second iteration, all members of the group knew the objective and the objects involved.

Through the training, the Soldiers began to think more adaptively and work together to solve tasks.

The challenge with ASLTE will be overcoming the complacency of Soldiers unfamiliar with the concepts, Traver said.

"People are resistant to change," Traver said. "The Army is no different from that - we're made up of people. To a lot of people, this is going to be strikingly different, but I think this is a good program; I think it has got a lot of merit," Traver said.

The end state is that the 199th Inf. Bde. will train their own cadre who will then train the instructors on the ASLTE methods.