FORT SILL, Okla. -- Soldiers should know what they bring to the fight; especially when it comes to their weapon systems. That's the emphasis the instructors of the Air Defense Artillery Captains Career Course are trying to make.
"Lessons learned from recent (Combat Training Center) rotations demonstrate that our skills to support maneuver (ground) forces have atrophied," said Capt. Jason Roberts, ADA CCC manager. "We no longer are producing officers who have the ability to articulate what air defense can bring to the fight across the spectrum of conflict."
The instructors are remedying that problem by incorporating a tactical exercise without troops (TEWT) into the curriculum to test students' comprehensive weapon system planning and tactical employment.
Traditionally students are educated predominately on the Patriot missile weapon system, which represents the majority of the air defense force structure. Roberts said therefore, officers not being assigned to Patriot battalions tend to have a drastic learning curve when they arrive at their unit.
"With our officer corps not being educated and assessed on their comprehensive knowledge of all weapon systems we were willingly sending one-dimensional officers to the force.
"We owe it to the force to correct that," said Roberts.
Combatant commanders continue to highlight the need for theater ballistic missile defense around the world so Roberts said the education needs to support that. He added it is not the only mission required of air defense officers so they should understand the capabilities of every weapon system in their arsenal: Patriot, Stinger, Avenger and Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar.
"The biggest thing Jason and I talk about regularly is they don't send four air defense experts to a planning synchronization meeting with maneuver, they send one. Yet we don't train that one person over all the air defense spectrum. The whole idea is trying to develop officers who are capable of briefing and advising on all air defense weapon systems," said Australian Army Maj. Christian George, ADA CCC instructor.
Roberts said also as technology advances and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) become more of a threat to U.S. forces, ADA Soldiers are being asked to defend against them.
"Maneuver commanders have become increasingly unsettled regarding possible UAS observation and attack in future conflicts. No current technology is going to solve this, but rather education. By educating our officers on our comprehensive capabilities, our hope is that it will eventually close this gap within our force.The TEWT is our first step in that direction."
The first TEWT since the approved pilot was held Aug. 13 with 36 students at Observation Point Heyls. Armed with a map, an objective and a view of Fort Sill ranges they went to work.
"We're out here because you can visually appreciate where the avenues of approach are. You don't have to be a military educated individual to look at where potential aircraft would come through and the terrain they would use for screening. Terrain appreciation is essential to defining and understanding their operational environment," said Roberts.
George said the reason the students use maps instead of digital global positioning systems is because it allows Soldiers and U.S. allies to fight side-by-side.
"That's a universal military symbology system, so the guy that comes from Jordan and the guy that comes from Brazil they're trained in the same military symbology. Everyone is at the same level which is obviously very beneficial, but also it means if American Soldiers go to Brazil to help out on an exercise they're not going to be lost."
The students went through the different scenarios individually and marked where they thought the enemy was coming from and where they thought the enemy's course of action was going to take place. Then each student shared how they arrived at their decision.
"We don't believe in one solution. We teach them to be critical thinkers. Adaptability and flexibility are tenants of unified land operations, so we tell them it's up to you to solve this," said Roberts.
The instructors did not give a pass or fail grade to the students. Rather they shared feedback in making sure the process in which they arrived at their decision was sound.
"We are teaching the student how to think, as opposed to what to think. There is not a single answer, just a structured process in arriving at a workable military solution that meets the commander's intent," said George.
"These are the problem solvers of the force. Not colonels, not generals. These are the problem solvers on the ground making the decisions and we have to enable them with that critical thinking ability and empower them to make those calls as they see it. As long as they're doctrinally sound they can rest assured they're justified in their decision," said Roberts.
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