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

TRADOC Pam 525-3-7-01requirements. Tools that enable the quick and continuous updates of tactical skills training andknowledge banks will continue to be vitally important.In addition to changes in tactics, Soldiers must adapt easily and rapidly to the introduction ofnew, highly sophisticated equipment and equipment improvements. True technical adaptabilitywill require that Soldiers possess a deep understanding of the underlying principles in their fieldof expertise that cut across equipment systems. Future Soldiers will also operate in anenvironment where synchronization of equipment resources, both old and new, will be essentialto optimize operational effectiveness. For example, the synchronized use of positioning systems,unmanned robotics, battle tracking systems, and real time video streams, as well as other systems,will be important for situational awareness of Soldiers at all levels. Further complicatingtechnical training is the fact that Soldiers often operate outside their areas of primary expertise forextended periods causing technical skills to atrophy through disuse. The future training systemneeds to discover innovative ways to train, refresh, and update the broadened array of technicalskills.The Army Training and Leader Development Panel (ATLDP) Officer Study, 2003,determined that future leaders must possess the “enduring competencies” of self-awareness andadaptability. The study defined self-awareness as understanding how to assess one’s ownabilities, knowing one’s own strengths and weaknesses in the OE, and learning how to correctthese weaknesses. 109 The ARI explains why being self-aware is advantageous:Leaders who can accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses have aperformance advantage over those who do not possess such self-awareness. Selfawareleaders are able to capitalize on their strengths and compensate for theirweaknesses to achieve performance goals and are better able to take advantage ofdevelopment opportunities. 110A related concept is that of “metacognition,” defined as, “thinking about one’s thinking.”Again, ARI points out the benefit: “Leaders who engage in metacognition during learningactivities are able to take a step back and think about the strategies they are adopting toaccomplish personal and external learning objectives, which in turn enables them to adjust theirlearning strategies to better accomplish their goals.” 111 The greatest value of such thinking infuture may be in facilitating the identification of new tactical and operational relationships andideas. Metacognition is more than a cognitive exercise. It is an ability to relate specificsituations to previous experiences and, in turn, to extrapolate parallels that can assist in choosingnew informed actions.Adaptive capacity allows leaders to respond quickly and intelligently to constant change. Itwill be integral to effective Army leadership, at increasingly junior levels, as long as the Armycontinues to operate in unstable, diverse, and unpredictable environments. 112 Soldiers and unitswill need to be adaptable as well, and a deeper understanding of these needs and theirimplications for TLE will be essential. TLE can foster adaptive performance in leaders; creatingadaptive leaders may ultimately have utility for Soldiers and Soldier teams and units. Adaptableleaders must possess many higher order cognitive skills. These include the ability to synthesizeinformation rapidly and make intuitive assessments of situations, the ability to conceptualize107