New online training tools help troops prep for deployment

By Diane R. Walker, Combined Arms Center-Training ContractorJuly 8, 2011

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2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Innovative Female Engagement Team training materials added recently on the Army Training Network (https://atn.army.mil) are designed to help deploying female Soldiers adapt to local customs and improve their interactions with Afghan women. (U.S. Army... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEAVENWORTH, KAN. - The Army Training Network (ATN) has added brigade counterinsurgency, two culture-focused packages and Concussion/Traumatic Brain Injury training materials that are specifically targeted for U.S. units and Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. ATN, which is a one-stop Army training center, is available to anyone with an Army Knowledge Online (AKO) login ID or CAC card.

“In keeping with the Army Training Concept, we’re taking training to Soldiers rather than Soldiers to the training,” says Colonel (Promotable) Pat White, incoming Deputy Commander for the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center-Training (CAC-T). CAC-T, which oversees the Army Training Network, is part of the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).

“The Army Training Concept puts training responsibility back in the hands of the commander,” says White, “and we’re working to help commanders with this return to homestation training.”

Since its introduction two years ago, the Army Training Network has had more than 2 million hits, and usage continues to increase rapidly across the Army. The number of ATN hits during May was more than double the same month in 2010, and the number of visitors and user downloads both quadrupled during the same period.

One of the newest Army Training Network additions is the Brigade Afghan Counterinsurgency (COIN) Standards Combined Arms Training Strategy (CATS). CATS are task-based, event-driven strategies that help commanders and trainers quickly and easily develop training plans. They also include a notional calendar that displays the strategy to help commanders or trainers tailor the training to fit their individual unit.

The Brigade Afghan COIN Standards CATS translate the Secretary of Defense’s November 2010 memorandum into individual and collective COIN tasks to be trained and events to facilitate the training. Additionally, units can use the Brigade Afghan COIN Standards CATS within the Digital Training Management System (DTMS - https://dtms.army.mil) to view a notional 12-month training calendar.

To access the Brigade Afghan COIN Standards CATS, type CATS in the “Search ATN” field on the Army Training Network (https://atn.army.mil) and then click Function on the left side.

The Army Training Network also has added two new culture-focused online training sets. One is for Female Engagement Team (FET) representatives, who are female Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan who are trained to conduct culturally respectful engagement with Afghan women. After Aug. 31, all Army maneuver battalions and Joint-sourced Provincial Reconstruction Teams deploying with Operation Enduring Freedom are required to include FET-trained personnel.

The innovative FET training materials are designed to help female Soldiers adapt to local customs and help improve their interactions with Afghan women. To access the training materials, click the Female Engagement Team icon on the left side of the Army Training Network home page (https://atn.army.mil) or type FET in the “Search ATN” field.

In addition to the FET materials, ATN features a new Army 360 Immersive Cultural Simulation (ICS) training set. On the ATN home page (https://atn.army.mil), type ICS in the “Search ATN” field to access the materials, which are designed to help ensure mission success for deployed units working with local populations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Djibouti, Colombia, and Yemen.

Training materials connected with the Army’s Warrior Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury campaign also are new additions to the Army Training Network. The content focuses on education, training, treatment and tracking of concussion/MTBI across the force. To locate the training materials, type TBI in the “Search ATN” field.

The Army Training Network (https://atn.army.mil) also includes thousands of other training tools and resources for Soldiers and units, including:

• An interactive version of Field Manual 7-0 - Training Units and Developing Leaders for Full Spectrum Operations.

• A new podcast overview of FM 7-0 as well as a downloadable FM 7-0 audio recording so you can listen to the content anytime, anywhere.

• Full Spectrum Operations Mission Essential Task List Viewer to help identify the specific tasks each type of unit is required to train on.

• Reenactment videos that bring battlefield lessons learned to life and other training videos like the Wide Area Security-Patrol Leader set on applying COIN techniques.

• ATN2GO app to download ATN content to your iPad, Android or other mobile device.

Part of the Training and Doctrine Command, the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center-Training delivers training programs, products and services to leaders and units in support of Army readiness. Wherever Army training occurs, the Combined Arms Center-Training helps make it happen. To learn more about the Combined Arms Center-Training, visit http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cac-t/, www.facebook.com/usacactraining or www.twitter.com/usacactraining.

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