An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Directors of Training Conference identifies focus areas of improvement, modernization for Army learning environment

By Sarah Hauck, The Army University Public Affairs OfficeFebruary 2, 2024

2024 Directors of Training conference attendees gather to discuss Army education and training.
Directors of Training gather in Arnold Conference at Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth, Kan. to discuss Army education and training. (Photo Credit: Dan Neal, The Army University Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL

THE ARMY UNIVERSITY, FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas – The Army’s perpetual pursuit of lethality requires constant adaptation to current operating systems and procedures.

The revolving door of modernization requires the most up-to-date and accurate training and education on the latest technologies, doctrine, equipment, and methods.

Training goes beyond instruction with Power Point and falls to the Army’s Directors of Training (DOTs) and doctrine across the force’s centers of excellence to ensure each piece of instruction delivered aids in the Soldier’s ability to fight and win in a contested environment.

Keeping pace with policy and leader initiatives require training to be adaptive, nimble, and improve quickly. How DOTs can accomplish that without losing core lessons or falling behind was one topic discussed during the

Dr. Keith Brawner stands on the stage of Eisenhower Auditorium to give a keynote address during the 2024 Directors of Training Conference at the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Dr. Keith Brawner, Senior Engineer, Program Manager, Institute of Creative Technologies, University Affiliated Research Center, addresses 2024 Directors of Training Conference attendees as the keynote speaker about artificial intelligence. The keynote address was held in Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth, Kan. (Photo Credit: Dan Neal, The Army University Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL
Dr. Keith Beurskens, Director, Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, stand at the front of a classroom during the 2024 Directors of Training Conference at the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth.
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Dr. Keith Beurskens, Director, Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, leads a round table discussion on day two of the 2024 Directors of Training Conference at the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth, Kan. (Photo Credit: Dan Neal, The Army University Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL

2024 DOTs Conference hosted by the Combined Arms Center and The Army University Jan. 23-25, 2024, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Representatives from the CoE and Army schools gathered to share ideas on how to meet the high demand for flexible, but effective training and instruction for Soldiers across the Army, how to strengthen relationships to bolster these fast-pace changes and discuss actional plans to solve gaps they identified in the Army 2023 learning environment.

“The DOT Conference is a sleeves-up event. It’s an opportunity to have all the right people in the room at once to really make some decisions and accomplish some things,” Brig. Gen. David Foley, Provst, The Army University, said.

Attendees of 2024 Directors of Training Conference pose on the stage of the Marshall Conference Room in the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Attendees of the 2024 Directors of Training Conference pose for a group photo on the stage of Marshall Conference Room in the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth, Kan. (Photo Credit: Dan Neal, The Army University Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL

Through a series of working groups and panel discussions, the DOTs analyzed the structure of the DOT community for potential improvement, ways to strengthen collaboration across training and doctrine leads, and resource options and stressors to meet critical and shifting priorities.

Outcomes and potential plans of actions were presented to Lt. Gen. Milford Beagle, Jr., Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (USACAC); Mr. Gregg Thompson, Deputy to the Commanding General, USACAC, and Mr. Michael Johnson, Deputy Provost, The Army University.

The 2024 DOT Conference was the first since 2019 due to the pandemic.

The event is usually held annually to assist DOTs and the Army Learning Environment community remain agile and aligned to provide critical training and education of an Army moving toward senior leadership priorities.