FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Maj. Gen. Mark J. O'Neil said during his year at the Combined Arms Center -- Training, CAC-T worked with leaders in the field to improve readiness.
"CAC-T collaborated with the Centers of Excellence and other Army stakeholders in developing an Evolution of Training Operational Design. It frames the Training Enterprise's collective efforts in providing innovative training solutions for today while investing in future readiness," O'Neil said. "We listened to the soldiers on the ground to improve realistic training at home stations and the Combat Training Centers. That training will prepare the Army to win in a complex world."
O'Neil praised the Soldiers and civilians at CAC-T and its subordinate organizations.
"They worked as a team to put the needs of the warfighter first. I'm humbly grateful to be part of the team," he said. O'Neil led CAC-T for a little more than a year and left Wednesday to become the chief of staff of the U.S. Army Pacific.
During his tenure, O'Neil said CAC-T moved forward on a number of efforts to support training and readiness.
In particular, he noted the Tactical Casualty Combat Care-Exportable (TC3X) capability. TC3X will provide commanders with the ability to conduct realistic home station casualty warrior skills training at the individual, leader and collective levels. TC3X includes a live and distributed virtual training capability that allows units to execute realistic combat lifesaving skill training.
"TC3X will save lives," said O'Neil.
He said the Army added the training capability quickly, going from general officer guidance to approval within 10 months -- a process that can take up to five years.
O'Neil credited the quick turnaround to support from then Combined Arms Center Commanding General Lt. Gen. Robert B. Brown, Army Medical Department Center and School Commanding General Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Jones, and Program Executive Officer for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Maj. Gen Jonathan A. Maddux. Brown has been promoted to general and is now the commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific.
They recognized the benefits of the combat casualty care procedures demonstrated during a pilot program last fall. The exercise showed how squads could improve their life-saving skills through the same process that TC3X will use.
To get TC3X to the force, a number of Army organizations worked together to streamline approvals and budget procedures. The process involved subject matter experts from the Combined Arms Center, Department of the Army G3, Rapid Equipping Force, Army Medical Department, and Program Executive Office for Simulation Training and Instrumentation.
In September, the Army will begin fielding TC3X to forward Brigade Combat Teams and will complete fielding in Fiscal Year 2018. The training is expected to reach 290,000 Soldiers annually.
CAC-T will take another step to improve Army readiness this summer with the publication of Field Manual 7-0, entitled: Train to Win in a Complex World. "It will be important for all Army leaders to use the new field manual in training their units," O'Neil said.
Next month CAC-T will welcome a new deputy commanding general, Brig. Gen. Maria R. Gervais. Most recently she was the commandant of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Gervais received her regular Army commission in 1987 as a distinguished military graduate of the Lander College Reserve Officer Training Corps program, Greenwood, S.C. She was assigned to the chemical branch and served in a variety of command and staff assignments.
Her professional military education includes: Chemical Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College where she received a Master of Military Strategic Studies. She earned a Master of Arts in human resources from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Lander College.
CAC-T develops training requirements, fields training systems, delivers leader training and sustains training capabilities to help Army units successfully execute their missions. Its web site is http://usacac.army.mil/organizations/cact/ and its Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/usacactraining. Its Twitter handle is: @usacactraining
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