People First: TRADOC forges path through Operationalizing the Army’s People Strategy

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command is the Army’s generator for critical and fundamental transformation. This year TRADOC has seized the opportunity to drive important changes for the future of how the United States Army acquires, trains and develops the force.

TRADOC will be discussing their plans for operationalizing the Army People Strategy on a national platform at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition. The 2020 AUSA NOW virtual meeting is being held Tuesday, October 13th – Friday, October 16th.

The multi-day event provides a crucial platform for leaders, like TRADOC Commanding General, Gen. Paul E. Funk II to share how the Army continues to build a ready and resilient force.

“The Army’s greatest asset is our people. TRADOC is leading the way, transforming Soldiers into leaders through the Army People Strategy,” Funk said. “The AUSA stage is the perfect opportunity to discuss this transformative initiative.”

Key components of AUSA are the Contemporary Military Forums, which highlight a variety of innovative developments across the Army. In correlation with this year’s AUSA Annual Meeting and Exhibition theme, The Time is Now, Funk will lead a discussion on operationalizing the Army People Strategy.

Participating in the AUSA Forum alongside the TRADOC commander will be Dr. E. Casey Wardynski, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Stephanie P. Miller, Director of Military Accession Policy, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, Lt. Gen. James E. Rainey, Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Maj. Gen. Lonnie G. Hibbard, Commanding General, U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training.

Now, more than ever, this digital panel-style discussion has the opportunity to reach a greater audience, increasing the visibility to TRADOC and the Army as a whole.

The APS focuses on the entirety of human performance. Ensuring leaders are prepared for operations across all domains is a competitive advantage that is essential for Army success. Combining the transformation of leader selection and development with the optimization of Soldier performance, the Army People Strategy is a call to action for all components of Army readiness.

Funk is confident; “the execution of the Army People Strategy, will revolutionize how we develop Soldiers and leaders to fight and win complex, large scale combat operations.”

Chris Barbour, plans officer for TRADOC G-5, is the lead for implementation of the APS and believes it is the perfect time to discuss this strategy.

“The CMF panel will allow the nation to hear how the Army People Strategy is changing our force and improving the lives of our Soldiers, leaders and families,” Barbour said.

Operationalizing the APS is aligned with the 2018 Army Strategy to help drive the Army to be a Multi-Domain Force by 2028. TRADOC has already begun the implementation process of various programs and changes to be able to compete in the Multi-Domain Operation environment.

Having a people-centric view of the APS focuses on essential cultural changes established within TRADOC to be used across the Army. This includes leader development, revamping the delivery of training, talent management and recruiting, and creation of programs focusing on the whole Soldier.

“Gen. Funk’s desire to promote participation in this Army as a Soldier for Life has been the hall mark of his leadership, resulting in real change in the basic combat training venues,” Barbour said. “He believes in bringing our Army the best talent we can find and developing them into the Soldiers we need for the 21st century.”

Leader Development, Growing a Quality, Equal Force

TRADOC’s Combined Arms Center is leading the way in revolutionizing leader development of our Army, a main component of the APS that will be discussed at AUSA.

Through the integration of professional military education with combat training centers across the country, CAC is creating seamless opportunities for career long assessments for Soldiers, meant to inspire self-development and an overall desire to lead. Programs such as Battalion Commander Assessment Program and Colonel Command Assessment Program are making historical changes to how the Army selects its leaders, relying on an individual’s ability to perform physically and mentally, as well as inspire units through quality leadership. These revolutionary programs encourage the voice and feedback of those candidates within them, encouraging those selected to lead the Army with dignity and respect.

This transformation of the talent management process aims to align Soldiers assignments, knowledge and educational needs with set Army requirements. Talent management allows the Army to find, through recruiting adjustments, and integrate Soldiers where they can be of greatest lethality, while in turn promoting increased opportunities to further their Army career.

Training to the Soldier, Optimizing Soldier Performance

A whole-person approach is essential in building a strong Army, which is also a key factor in the APS that will be discussed at AUSA.

The Army’s adaptation of the Holistic Health and Fitness System will be a primary investment for the effectiveness of developing the force for the future. The Center of Initial Military Training piloted this all-inclusive outlook on fitness that will change Army culture. Investing in Soldier readiness, lethality, optimal physical and non-physical performance, reduced injury rates, and improved rehabilitation are all key components of this system. The next phase of implantation, the Army Combat Fitness Test rolled out on Oct. 1.

The current global pandemic has given TRADOC the ability to use lessons learned while protecting the health and safety of the force by creating and adapting troop movement protocols; shifting recruiting to a virtual environment; and modifying critical Professional Military Education and advancement courses to an online environment. Many of these newly discovered best practices have become new standards, with continued focus on bringing the training to the Soldier in an effort to cut down travel, time away from families, and create more readily available access to training.

“There can be no better time then now to answer the needs for more diversity, equality, and inclusion while finding the best talent America offers to be Soldiers and leaders for our great Army,” Barbour said.

The Operationalizing the People Strategy CMF is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, October 14.

To experience this forum, along with other Army discussions and other virtual AUSA components, visit: https://meetings.ausa.org/annual/Attendee_Registration.cfm to register.

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