WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 5, 2011) - The Adjutant General School recently launched two new specialized courses for personnel serving in brigade S1 sections, human resources organizations and HR staff elements.

The new two-week residence courses at the Soldier Support Institute in Fort Jackson, S.C., are geared toward HR leaders about to step into key HR positions at brigade and theater levels.

While the previous four-week HR Management Qualification Course was only for qualified officers coming from other branches, the new courses are open to officers, noncommissioned officers, and warrant officers, said Maj. Terry Brannan, director for the new HR courses.

The "Brigade S1 Operations Course" and the "Human Resources Plans and Operations Course" provide the in-depth technical education necessary to support war fighting commanders and the Army force generation process. The courses offer just-in-time training for HR leaders, preparing them to interpret, integrate, coordinate, and implement Army HR programs and policies at the brigade or theater level.

The courses were created in response to the changing operational environment and growing skill requirements for Soldiers in HR support.

"Now that brigades are modular, these courses ensure that AG leaders are ready to provide HR support at the brigade S1 level, or in an HR operations branch in a sustainment brigade or expeditionary sustainment command," said Brannan.

Brannan noted that prior to transformation and modularity, HR support on the battlefield came from the division G1 or the area support personnel services battalion. This support is now provided to Soldiers either from their brigade S-1 team or from an HR unit in a sustainment brigade.

These courses prepare students to provide essential HR support in either formation. During deployment, the most crucial HR support given from the S1 section includes personnel accountability and casualty operations, he said.

Army leadership is encouraging commanders to send their Soldiers to these courses, Brannan said.

The first Brigade S1 Operations Course and HR Plans and Operations Course graduated in the fall of 2010. Currently, there are six more iterations of each of the two courses planned for fiscal year 2011. Each course has a maximum capacity of 30 students.

The courses are open to active duty, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers, as well as Department of the Army civilians, GS-11 to GS-13, when space is available.

These courses are now loaded into the Army Training Requirements and Resources System. Individuals interested in attending the courses should contact their local adjutant general's office or S3 section for more information.

(ARNEWS writer Mary Moses contributed to this story)