FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — Commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Gen. Gary Brito, recently visited the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca, Jan. 24, 2024.
Brito made his return to Fort Huachuca to meet with USAICoE leadership and view different aspects of military intelligence training as well as take part in an aerial tour of the installation and surrounding areas.
Trainees were given the unique opportunity to interact with Brito and ask him about his career. They were also able to offer their opinions and feedback on improvements they felt could be made to their particular training fields.
“These engagements are extremely important, not only to see how we are aligned with strategic priorities, but to meet the team who is responsible for building the foundation of the intelligence corps,” said Lt. Col. Gilbert Juarez, 305th Military Intelligence Battalion commander. “How we are investing in our cadre, integrating feedback and lessons from the field and converging enablers to develop the most-ready Soldiers and leaders.”
Brito began his visit with a helicopter tour of Fort Huachuca and then transitioned to lunch with trainees at Weinstein Dining Facility to offer advice and counsel from his nearly 37 years of military experience.
When asked what advice he had for future leaders entering their training, he said “Master your skill set; continue to learn. This warfighting field of intel continues to move very quickly as does the speed of technology, so master the bases that you’re taught in your first level of training and continue to learn adaptively. Be innovative in how you think and just simply learn.”
"We need them to master this training. And, in addition to being an intel professional, leadership, care for your Soldiers, know them, their problems, their challenges and be a caring and serving leader.”
Brito also shared a piece of advice he had carried with him throughout the duration of his career, “As a second lieutenant, my fifth day in Germany, my sergeant told me, ‘Lieutenant take care of your Soldiers and don’t worry about your efficiency report, and everything is going to be okay,’” Brito said. “To this day, I use that as a guidepost, take care of your Soldiers because they’re going to take care of you.”
Following lunch, Brito toured the Military Intelligence Soldier Heritage Learning Center and museum before moving to Site Maverick where 35F, all-source intelligence analyst trainees complete the last module of their course before graduation.
Brito received a brief from 305th Military Intelligence Battalion leaders on the course before meeting the trainees and watching them demonstrate their new skillsets.
When asked about how the warfighting focus has shifted from counterinsurgency operations to large scale combat operations and how it has impacted training of the next generation of Soldiers, Brito said, “We still do everything we have to do to for all Soldiers, all MOS’ to be brilliant at their respective basics. We focus more on what the Army, both individual and collective training, warfighting combat training centers, and what we do at the Centers of Excellence to ensure those units and the Soldiers are ready to operate in a large-scale environment.”
“So, how we understand the enemy, how we replicate the enemy, that has changed a bit. Our input to combat training center scenarios, warfighting exercises and support of home-station training has also evolved to LSCO focus. With that, expect every Soldier that comes out of every institution — at their respective echelon — to be brilliant at the respective basics.”
The tour ended at Nicholson Hall, where leaders of 304th MI BN presented an overview of the courses offered at the unit.
International officers were able to speak with Brito and explain how the courseware coincided with their home country and how they applied the intelligence training to their own efforts.
After being asked about how the international officer program can culturally impact Army leadership, Brito said, “Getting their perspective of the training is key, but also, what we learn from each other is interoperability necessary to operate as part of a joint force or as part of a coalition force. Cultural aspects are a big part of it, learning the communication opportunities or barriers, how they think, how we think and then how our equipment should interoperate together to achieve a goal because nothing we do will be as a service alone. It will be as a joint force, most likely with one of our coalition partners.”
At the completion of the tour, Juarez said “Gen. Brito enjoyed every aspect of the visit and loved engaging with Soldiers in the field during the 35F intelligence analyst capstone exercise. At the same time our cadre and Soldiers were really excited about his visit in the field.”
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