Fort Benning, Ga. – Senior leaders from the U.S. Army, U.S. Army National Guard, U.S. Marine Corps and NATO partner nations gathered this week at Fort Benning’s Maneuver Center of Excellence for the 2025 Maneuver Warfighter Conference, held Sept. 9–11.
The annual event, hosted by Maj. Gen. Colin P. Tuley, MCoE and Fort Benning commanding general, brought together top generals to junior enlisted Soldiers, civilian defense leaders, and industry expo presenters and partners to discuss the future of warfare. This year’s conference focused on delivering warfighting capabilities at speed and scale to meet emerging threats.
"The character of war is rapidly changing," said Tuley. "In some areas, our adversaries are giving us a run for our money. It's imperative we reclaim an overmatch to deter and give us time and space to transform the force.”
The three-day conference featured keynote speakers including U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George; U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus; Gen. Andrew Poppas, commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command; Gen. Gary Brito, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command; Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of Army Futures Command; and Gen. Ronald Clark, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific — among many others.
Always Ready
A central theme throughout the conference was readiness and preparedness. On the opening day, Gen. George emphasized the importance of preparing Soldiers to meet the nation’s future challenges, highlighting training, physical fitness and discipline.
“Warfighting is the number one thing that you - Army leaders - should be focused on,” said George. “The primary focus at your level is preparing troops for their combat missions.”
To support leaders in that mission, George highlighted updates to Army Regulation 350-1, Army Training and Leader Development.
"What we’ve done is consolidate 350-1 down to basically: shoot, move, communicate, medical, and driver’s training," he said. "There are a few additional legislated tasks, but it’s been significantly simplified."
George also stressed a return to fundamentals. "One thing we want you to focus on is getting back to the basics — especially physical fitness," he said. "Every brigade in the Army will receive Holistic Health and Fitness [or H2F] resources over the next year, including strength trainers, physical conditioners, and nutritionists."
Mingus echoed similar remarks; “Soldiers don't have an off-season; if you're not in peak physical shape, you won't be able to meet the mission's challenges. That's why H2F is here to stay, ensuring every Soldier is resilient and prepared for anything.”
Earlier in the day, Gen. Poppas emphasized the importance of leader engagement at every level to build combat-ready formations.
"We exist to fight and win our nation's wars," said Poppas. "To do that, we must ensure the formations in front of us are ready. We're merging capabilities and expertise — becoming leaner and more efficient — and that means empowering [Soldiers], at every echelon, to build that readiness."
Continuously Transforming
The Army’s four strategic priorities — warfighting, continuous transformation, delivering combat-ready formations, and strengthening the profession — were woven throughout the event’s discussions. A recurring theme among speakers was the rapid pace of technological change and its far-reaching impact on all four focus areas.
Mingus stressed the critical need for all warriors to have a basic working knowledge of new and emerging technologies.
“Our peoples’ skills are going to have to morph with technological advances,” said Mingus. “There needs to be a common set of understanding amongst all leaders, regardless of branch, on data literacy.”
Throughout the conference, speakers highlighted that while rapid technological advancement is transforming the way wars are fought, these tools are designed to support Soldiers — not replace fundamental skills or training.
“Tech is not going to replace the basics,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer. “You need to meet the standard.”
On the first day of the event, Rainey emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to reduce risk to personnel.
“Let's transfer all the risk to machines, let them make first contact so we can optimize our greatest asset — our men and women — to use their creativity, ingenuity, free will, and ethical decision making to gain the advantage,” Rainey said.
A live fire and maneuver demonstration held on the second day showcased how advanced technologies are being adapted for battlefield use. Soldiers employed a range of cutting-edge tools — including unmanned aerial systems, advanced sensors, and remote platforms for enemy suppression and medical evacuation — to accomplish their mission.
Despite the technological support, leaders reiterated that human decision-making and battlefield execution remain essential.
“No matter what happens with technology, it's certain we are going to have to fight the close fight and we are going to have to win,” said Rainey. “Make sure at the end of the long night, your companies and platoons can close with [the enemy] & finish the fight.”
Leading from the Front
During the conference, senior leaders emphasized strong leadership, at every level, is essential to preparing the Army for the future fight.
"Our solemn responsibility is to prepare our Soldiers, our Families, and our Civilians for war,” said Clark. “This cannot be understated. It is up to us to dedicate ourselves to the business of leadership."
Throughout the conference, speakers echoed that leadership — not technology alone — will be the decisive factor in future conflicts.
"Tech does not replace leadership ... networks don't win wars,” said Mingus, “The quality and experience of Soldiers do."
As emerging threats and technologies continue to reshape the modern battlefield, leaders highlighted the critical role of innovation within units, and across the Army. That innovation, they said, must be both collaborative and deliberate.
“Innovation and change within the Army must be a collaborative and guided process, not an unchecked free-for-all,” said Lt. Gen. Joseph Ryan, U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Operations, and Training. “Leaders at all levels must constantly communicate and share feedback to refine ideas and adapt.”
Gen. Tuley closed the event with a call to action for current and future leaders alike.
“Transforming our Army isn’t the job of any single command. It’s on all of us,” said Tuley. “It’s going to take all of us to solve the problem of transforming the Army. The call to action is clear: Be a part of the solution. Embrace the challenge, and remember that when all else fails, we must be brilliant at the basics. It’s our foundation, our fallback and our greatest strength."
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