TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01 - TRADOC - U.S. Army

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01The Army is investing significantly in the development of new and expanded systems. Thetrue value of these systems will be a direct function of how Soldiers employ them. TrainingSoldiers to exploit full system capabilities optimizes system potential.The necessity to train and educate Soldiers for any contingency on the spectrum of operationsnot only demands personal adaptability, but also increases the scope and complexity of thetraining challenge. The training institution must train a broader range of skills while availabletraining time is unlikely to increase. The Army force generation (ARFORGEN) model, whichseeks to discipline the resourcing and prioritization of unit deployments, provides limitedwindows of time within which to tailor unit training to a specific core and/or directed missionessential task lists.Adjusting to this emerging trend includes formal education programs. In addition tocommissioning level programs in ROTC and at the Military Academy, the Army must continueto encourage and sponsor opportunities for Soldiers to pursue undergraduate and post graduateeducation with appropriate emphasis on cultural and behavioral sciences.Future Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesThe nature of the future OE and the characteristics of future learners have far reachingimplications for the design of the Army’s future TLE system in terms of performance criteria, aswell as how the system performs the training and education. The first consideration is theextremely broad and complex nature of the overall set of competencies, skills, and knowledgethat TLE must impart. In the anticipated future era of persistent conflict, with the potential forshrinking Army work force, the Army must train Soldiers and leaders of all ranks to participate inevery demand of full spectrum of operations.The ARI underscores this problem.The need for effective and efficient training strategies and the related humandimension challenges are perhaps greater than ever. Leaders at all levels areincreasingly responsible for planning and executing missions previously handledat higher echelons. Soldiers must make difficult decisions in time-constrained,complex situations. Soldiers are performing critical tasks outside their branch orunit core skills, but are still expected to maintain proficiency on the core tasks. 103Consequently, the notion of effectively training every Soldier to perform every skill requiredto accomplish full spectrum of operations is unrealistic. A greater focus on a collectivecapability may be a better approach. In this approach, each Soldier contributes something uniqueand essential to create the overall capabilities of teams, units, and larger organizations to advance“the nation’s security interests over a very wide and unpredictable range of operations, includingmany activities that call for abilities well beyond what might be considered traditional militaryskills.” 104 This approach in no way diminishes the difficulty of what the TLE system mustaccomplish. What it does is broaden the focus to address another vexing problem, determiningthe right mix of core, leader, and specialty skills required by a given Soldier at different levels,and the right mix of those skilled Soldiers in teams, units, and larger organizations. Factoring in104