FORT BENNING, Ga. - The commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Maj. Gen. Gary Brito kicked off the Maneuver Warfighter Conference in Marshall Auditorium today.

The conference addresses current and future issues affecting the warfighting capability, training and lethality of the maneuver force. The 2019 theme is "The Brigade Combat Team: Readying for Large Scale Combat Operations."

During the first day, Army leaders discussed Training and Doctrine Command priorities, the operational environment and the Stryker brigade combat team - the future and modernization efforts.

Brito, in his opening remarks, thanked those in attendance, including the nation's allies.

"The Army would not be as successful without our allies," he said. "This is a total Army conference. We have Lt. Gen. (Thomas) James talking about total army integration and the Army Corps coming to represent the three types of brigade combat teams throughout the conference, which is about readiness and lethality of the combat team."

Purposely the conference connects last year's theme of sharpening our craft -- of going from familiarization to proficiency with the individual skills with Armor and Infantry and all the maneuver elements to become lethal and effective killing machines as brigade combat teams, Brito said.

"This conference is important because the character of war has changed, our adversaries have changed, and with this conference we get a snapshot of where we stand as an Army," Brito said.

For the video from this event, visit https://vimeo.com/fortbenningtv/open.

For more photos from this event, visit https://www.fortbenningphotos.com/Maneuver-Center/Warfighter-Conference/Annual-Maneuver-Conference/2019-Maneuver-Warfighter-Conference.

For more stories from the Maneuver Warfighter Conference, visit Benning News on the Army News Service at www.army.mil/benning.