FORT BENNING, Ga., (March 5, 2014) -- Instructors, course developers and training personnel from schools across the Maneuver Center of Excellence participated in 21st century problem solving exercises during an Adaptive Soldier Leader Training and Education Mobile Training Team event Feb. 26-28.
Since 2011, Training and Doctrine Command has directed the Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group to assist in developing adaptability through ASLTE, which aids instructors, course managers and training developers in their analysis, design and development activities to prepare instructor material or unit training.
Sgt. 1st Class Keith Pruett, an AWG member and the NCOIC for MTT, said the group has traveled to 10 centers of excellence and Army schools to assist with efforts in implementing the Army's Adaptive Learning Model 2015 into lessons and courses. Installations include Fort Benning, Fort Huachuca, Ariz., Fort Sill, Okla., Fort Lee, Va., Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Fort Jackson, S.C., and Fort Rucker, Ala.
ASLTE has received positive support from MCoE leaders to offer guidance in implementing the ALM 2015 into several schools and courses, including Armor and Infantry Basic Officer Leaders Course, Direct Commission Course, NCO Academy and Officer Candidate School, he said.
"We're trying to transition the Army from an instructor-based learning environment to a student-centric learning environment," Pruett said.
ASLTE training consists of field laboratory, seminars and workshops to discuss the importance of 21st century competencies, accountability, teamwork and collaboration and critical thinking and problem solving through several classroom exercises, Pruett said. Tasks are taught within the context of explaining why tasks should be learned rather than simply practicing the task in isolation.
AWG facilitators gave Fort Benning participants a series of indoor and outdoor exercises, like learning various ways to tie a knot and river-crossing challenges, to demonstrate how teamwork and collaboration is essential in Soldier development. The exercises not only allowed participants to learn a skill, it encouraged them to share ideas and express solutions to challenges.
"At first I just took it as a task, I learned to tie a knot," said 1st Lt. Juan Almonte, an instructor for the Direct Commission Course who has served in the Army for 22 years.
"After the meaning of this task was explained, it gave us a different viewpoint that tied everything together. This is going to allow the youngest, junior Soldiers coming in to feel they can improve and what they have learned in the past is relevant to their future careers."
MTT facilitators follow up in 90 days after the training to assist in any obstacles with the ASLTE model.
Pruett said the main obstacles that units face is helping mid-level leadership to understand how to apply the models when training Soldiers.
"There is no pass or fail on this, we are sharing knowledge to allow them to make changes within their courses towards ALM 2015," Pruett said. "We interact with them in ways that are different from a normal course. We hold them accountable for what we're expecting them to learn."
Sgt. 1st Class Gideon Wilkinson, an instructor for the Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course, said ASLTE helps to develop a more adaptive leader and Soldier for the Army of the future.
"It develops people for upcoming future threats and techniques for whatever they may face," he said. "We're not just training to apply this specifically to just one thing, but trying to open their minds to apply to other areas and rework things to get to that new state."
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