The Training Management Directorate (TMD) has completed a series of training circulars (TCs) to further amplify subjects introduced and discussed in training doctrine publications ADP and FM 7-0, Training. Each TC is intended to expand on a fundamental concept of Army training, whether conducting an after action review (AAR), hosting a training meeting, planning a training event, or utilizing a training and evaluation outline (T&EO) to plan an event or evaluate training proficiency on a task.
The training circular series from TMD is comprised of four TCs:
TC 7-0.1: After Action Reviews
TC 7-0.4: Training and Evaluation Outlines
Taken together, these four TCs complement the training management process. AARs, for example, provide input for the next training event, along with the commander’s assessment of the last training event. Since the AAR is a primary tool in training evaluation and assessing training proficiency, by focusing on task standards and describing specific observations, leaders and Soldiers work together to identify strengths and weaknesses and determine how to improve task performance. Did we achieve our desired proficiency in the long-range training plan? Do we need to do this event again?
Commanders then use the evaluation and assessment of the AAR in training meetings. Training meetings review training just completed. Did we achieve our desired proficiency? Should we adjust the training plan or continue with long- and mid-range planning?
Training meetings are also used to plan future training events. Commanders and leaders identify the five Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and review T&EOs to assist in outlining the training and resourcing requirements. Commanders also develop how the training will occur and progress.
Leading up to and during training events, T&EOs outline performance and proficiency standards for individual and collective tasks. They are used to plan and prepare for specific tasks in training events, evaluate task performance, and provide input to AARs and assessments. The T&EO provides evaluators with the opportunity to identify where a unit needs to focus on further training, and provides a basis for AAR evaluation, resetting the training management cycle.
TC 7-0.1, After Action Reviews, provides Army leaders with processes and procedures to plan and conduct effective AARs and serves as a detailed guide to planning, preparing, conducting and following up AARs. TC 7-0.1 expands on the fundamental concepts of AARs as a primary tool leaders use in planning and conducting effective training evaluations and assessing training proficiency. TC 7-0.1 also helps leaders to develop AARs that guide training participants in the self-discovery of how to better perform tasks.
TC 7-0.2, Training Meetings, expands on the fundamental concepts of conducting training meetings, primarily at the company level, though the techniques and concepts can be applied at multiple echelons. It discusses the purpose of training meetings and establishes three primary goals executed in three phases during training meetings: assessment, coordination, and event planning. TC 7-0.2 also guides leaders to develop necessary techniques to conduct effective training meetings and tools that assist in planning and coordinating training events. Leaders are encouraged to expand, modify, and develop their own techniques as required.
TC 7-0.3, Plan an Event, outlines key frameworks for planning training activities and provides guidance on techniques and models which are useful at the company, battery, and troop level. It provides leaders with practical strategies to efficiently plan, execute, and evaluate training events at various levels and explores the processes and principles of planning training events, emphasizing platoon-level planning and execution strategies. Since Army training events are structured activities aimed at enhancing the skills, coordination, and overall readiness of a unit, these events focus on tasks critical to the unit's mission, including mission essential tasks (MET), tactical tasks, battle tasks, weapons training, battle drills, and communication exercises. The primary objective of a training event is to ensure that the unit functions as a cohesive and effective entity in all scenarios.
TC 7-0.4, Training and Evaluation Outlines, provides detailed descriptions of T&EO components and their use. T&EOs are summary documents that outline performance and proficiency standards for individual and collective tasks. T&EOs serve three primary purposes: standardization of training, evaluating training, and assessing training. Trainers use them to prepare for and practice task execution, helping to educate and familiarize Soldiers with the task's requirements and standards. As Soldiers practice, task standards form the foundation for developing unit-specific tactics and techniques to execute the task effectively during operations. As tasks are performed during training events, trainers and evaluators use T&EOs to observe and evaluate task proficiency. Completed T&EOs provide an important part of feedback to unit commanders, who integrate T&EO evaluations into their comprehensive assessment of task performance. These evaluations contribute specifically to Mission Essential Task List (METL) assessments.
These four TCs further expand the discussion of selected topics and provide leaders with detailed information on performing critical leader tasks in the training management process. They are designed to assist the operational force with better understanding and executing a variety of training management activities.
Interested parties can find a list of Army training circular publications at Army Publishing Directorate – Training Circulars. Readers can find all published TCs at the link above or on the Army Training Network (ATN) at https://atn.army.mil.
TMD, part of the Combined Arms Command-Training at Fort Leavenworth, is the Army’s training management proponent. As such, TMD develops Army training doctrine for publication and administers the Army Training Network (ATN). ADP 7-0, FM 7-0, the Platoon Leader's Guide to Training Management, and much more can be found on the ATN Webpage at https://atn.army.mil.
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