FORT BENNING, Ga., (Sept. 23, 2015) -- Leaders of the past, present and future filled Marshall Auditorium Sept. 16 as Gen. Robert Abrams, commanding general of Army Forces Command, spoke about the importance of leaders instilling fundamentals in their subordinates.

"If we want to get back to being lethal and precise, if we are committed to being smart and faster than our adversaries, we have got to get refocused on fundamentals," Abrams said on day two of the Maneuver Warfighter Conference.

In ensuring the leaders learn the fundamentals through time for training and leader development, Abrams said the force will move toward being more precise and lethal. He referenced Gen. David Perkins', commander of Training and Doctrine Command, discussion about the 2015 Army Operating Concept - "Win in a Complex World" - and the focus on well-trained, well-led Soldiers. Abrams said the Army is "batting zero in predicting where we are going to fight next." From this, leaders need to reshape their approach from what to think to how to think.

"We live in a complex world, we live in an uncertain world," he said. "What we need to put a premium on is how to think - that is the beauty of the decisive-action training environment."

Abrams said an investment must be made in the Army units to teach the fundamentals to future leaders.

A commander should know enough about each element within his unit to synchronize the effects of all of the different components. A leader should focus the training of his Soldiers on the fundamentals and then bring them together to be able to leverage their capabilities to produce a world-class Army, Abrams said.

For commanders to be responsible for training, Abrams said they must rise above their own branch and understand the roles of each Soldier they command.

At the FORSCOM level, Abrams said it is necessary for commanders to have more time possible for training. The commander has to have enough knowledge of all of the systems at his disposal so that he can dedicate the appropriate training time and venues necessary to maximize the training potential for each element in his unit. At the same time, he must be able to build his standard operating procedures and harmonize all of the systems as part of his training so they can deploy, fight and win when called upon.

"We have a responsibility to ensure those leaders are prepared," Abrams said.