Expand cross cultural understanding, captains tell the CSA

By Bill Ackerly, MC CoE STRATCOM/PAOFebruary 27, 2015

Some of the Army's senior leaders at 2015 Captain Solarium at Fort Leavenworth
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Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno
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Captains brief Army Chief of Staff at 2015 Captain Solarium
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FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Feb. 27, 2015) -- The Army needs to expand cross cultural understanding across the force, especially through increased training and education. This was one of several recommendations nearly 100 captains from across the Army provided Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno during an outbrief at the end of a three-day leader exchange solarium at Fort Leavenworth, Feb. 24-26.

In their review of the Army Operating Concept (AOC): Win in a Complex World 2020-2040 in October, 2014, the captains said cross cultural understanding impacts half of the Army's missions and contributions to joint operations. They said more leader emphasis is needed on developing cross cultural understanding, and more tools and solutions should be implemented to assess and track cultural proficiency and experience.

Other senior leaders attending the outbrief included: Gen. David G. Perkins, commanding general, U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC); Lieut. Gen. Robert B. Brown, commanding general, U. S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth; Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey; and TRADOC Command Sgt Maj. David S. Davenport Sr.

The Captain Solarium is an Army chief of staff (CSA) initiative that brought together nearly 100 senior captains from across the Army - active, reserve and guard -- to discuss key issues impacting the Army. The group of captains first met in July, 2014, to review and develop recommended solutions involving: talent management, vision and branding, culture, training, education, and mission command.

Following publication of the AOC in October, 2014, Odierno wanted this same group of captains to look at several specific challenges embodied in the AOC and to meet again at Fort Leavenworth in face-to-face work group sessions to develop recommended solutions.

The work groups addressed the following questions:

1. What changes are necessary to AR 600-3 branch career timelines to meet required future capabilities?

2. How does the Army develop future force leaders to handle the complexity of using multiple capabilities over multiple domains and with joint and coalition partners under constrained resources to present the enemy with numerous dilemmas?

3. How should cross-cultural understanding be expanded?

4. What cognitive abilities are required? How are these cognitive abilities identified and integrated into all aspects of training, education, and experiences?

5. Define human performance optimization as discussed under technology focus areas and first principles?

6. How can land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains be more effectively integrated?

Citing examples and experiences from their own backgrounds, one Work Group recommended the Army look at maximizing opportunities for combined training and earlier exposure for junior officers about operating in a Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) environment.

The captains, Odierno, Perkins and Brown discussion challenges and ways to assess and improve cognitive abilities in the Army, and how to integrate them into all aspects of training, education, and experiences. Cognitive abilities refers to acquiring flexibility in thinking, as well as, the capacity for abstract thinking, hypothesis testing and the ability to consider possible alternatives in complex reasoning and problem solving.

Before Solarium 2015 closed, Odierno asked all the captains if they thought the AOC was "on target." One captain said that automation and machine learning was not addressed in the AOC. Another captain said there should be more emphasis on the role of social media and networks in the operational environment.

Odierno and Perkins described the time and process to inculcate the AOC through the Army Warfighting Challenges and into Army doctrine, all of which can take up to two years. Odierno said there is no reason to not implement aspects of the AOC now. He asked the captains something he said he asks all the Centers of Excellence, "What can you do right now with the AOC [through your training]?"

In closing the Solarium, Odierno thanked the captains for their input. He said, "we will take what you have given us and move from here."

The concept for the Solarium was drawn from Project Solarium, a national-level exercise in strategy and foreign policy design led by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. That effort produced a U.S. national security document that laid the foundation for a Cold War policy that lasted for decades.

Similar meetings have been held with senior Army civilians. Sessions are also planned later in the spring with majors and noncommissioned officers. The intent is to continue to hold Solarium-type events on a recurring basis, in the continental U.S. and overseas, with all component and cohort groups, to solicit insight that will continue to shape the Army for success in the future.

The Army values its emerging leaders' observations and insights, which will be used to adapt policy, processes and programs. Solariums represents a great development opportunity for the participants, and also affords the CSA a forum to engage Army leaders at all levels directly while communicating the Army's priorities.

Brown said, "No other line of work relies on trust as much as we do in the military -- it is the bedrock of our profession. The Solarium process proves that at the highest levels of our Army, we trust in the professionalism and creativity of our cohorts and value the input and insights they provide as we navigate toward the Army of the future."

Related Links:

Mission Command Center of Excellence (MC CoE)

Combined Arms Center

Solarium 2015 STAND-TO!