Shaping the Army of 2020

By U.S. ArmyOctober 6, 2011

TRADOC: Shaping the Army of 2020
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"As we near the end of our involvement in Iraq and begin the drawdown in Afghanistan, the Army is approaching a strategic transition" -- Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).

At the AUSA Annual Meeting next week, TRADOC is introducing an exciting new venue entitled "TRADOC Forums." TRADOC Forums are an opportunity to discuss key TRADOC initiatives with the senior leaders responsible for their completion.

We've created a 20 seat amphitheater at our exhibit (booth #6843) where TRADOC's senior leaders will initiate the conversation with a short presentation followed by an open discussion with the audience.

I am very excited about offering interested communities within the defense establishment an opportunity to discuss, in a very intimate setting, the important work TRADOC is doing to shape the Army of 2020. I invite you and members of your team to participate in as many as your schedule and interests permit.

Seating is limited so please arrive a few minutes early in order to secure a seat at what I am confident will be time well spent.

Respectfully,

GEN Robert W. Cone

Commander, TRADOC

Monday:

- Adapting the Army for Building Partner Capacity -- Maj. Gen. Walter Davis will lead discussion on how the Army plans to develop partner nations' security capacity. This includes supporting efforts led by other government agencies. The end goal of building partner capacity is to enhance partner nations' ability for governance, rule of law, disaster response and other critical government functions. Monday, Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. in the TRADOC Amphitheater, booth 6843.

- Network Integration Evaluations -- Brig. Gen. Randal Dragon will discuss how the Army has developed a new process for rapidly testing and fielding a versatile and affordable mix of equipment. Will the end result be overmatch at the Squad level in unified land operations? People will also hear about the new Brigade Modernization Command and the Network Integration Evaluation exercises that are paving the way for the Army of 2020. Monday, Oct 10 at 2 p.m. in the Warriors Corner, U.S. Army Exhibit.

- Doctrine 2015 -- Brig. Gen. Charles Flynn of the Combined Arms Center will lead discussion on why Doctrine 2015 has become necessary today. Ten-page doctrinal overview manuals, combined with subsequent layers of accessible, categorized knowledge, will revolutionize U.S. Army doctrine. Additionally, this concise doctrine and the technology of Connecting Soldiers with Digital Applications, or CSDA, will provide knowledge at the point of need and time of need. Monday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. in the TRADOC Amphitheater, booth 6843.

Tuesday:

- The Training Brain Enterprise -- Maj. Gen. Robert Brown and Jim Slavin will explain how TRADOC's "Training Brain" provides the richness and complexity of the current battlefield to home station training. If the Training Brain is capable of providing highly comprehensive, near-real-time data, might this be more than a "Training" brain? Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. in the TRADOC Amphitheater, booth 6843.

- The Army Profession -- Brig. Gen. Sean MacFarland will lead discussion on how the Army's recommitment to a culture of service and sacrifice will inspire collective commitment to the nation and the American people, and to the Army and its ideals, traditions, and ethos. Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. in room 145A and B.

- 21st Century Training -- Col. Robert White will discuss how the Army develops adaptable Soldiers and leaders, and versatile units. The real challenge may rest in replicating hybrid threats in an uncertain environment. But how does the Army empower commanders and leaders to take ownership of their unit's training management? Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. in the TRADOC Amphitheater, booth 6843.

- The Squad-- Maj. Gen. Robert Brown and Command Sgt. Maj. Chris Hardy will lead an Institute of Land Warfare panel discussion on the Squad. They will discuss transforming the squad into a decisive fighting force capable of overpowering the forces at the point of attack in a rapidly evolving environment. Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. in room 145A and B.

Wednesday:

- Applications at the Edge -- Col. Wayne Grigsby, Mission Command Center of Excellence, will lead discussion on how Connecting Soldiers with Digital Applications, or CSDA, capitalizes on digital-generation Soldiers. Does CSDA leverage appropriately the Army's tactical network to expand access to data in both garrison and operational environments? Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 9:30 a.m. in the TRADOC Amphitheater, booth 6843.

- The Squad: Foundation of the Decisive Fighting Force -- Col. Walter Piatt, Commandant of the Infantry School, will discuss why the first step in the Army's long-term plan for Shaping the Army of 2020 must be "overmatch" against the enemy. Is the key to "overmatch" how the Army trains and develops small unit leaders, or how it networks Soldiers to available capabilities, or both? Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. in the TRADOC Amphitheater, booth 6843.

- Army Learning Concept 2015 -- Brig. Gen. Peter Utley will discuss why TRADOC is merging the Army Learning and Training Concepts into "Army Learning Concept: Educations and Training, 2016-2028." He'll also discuss how TRADOC is revolutionizing learning and training models based on a career-long continuum of learning. Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. in the TRADOC Amphitheater, booth 6843.