Col. Charles Lombardo (left), deputy commander, Combined Arms Center-Training, pins a Legion of Merit on Center for Army Lessons Learned Director Col. Christopher Keller at a farewell ceremony, May 25, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Keller, who led key efforts such as collections on the Defender series of exercises and the Army’s COVID-19 response, served as the CALL director since August 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Randi Stenson, MCCoE Public Affairs) ...Read More

Regardless of echelon, the Army needs units to be masters in a handful of fundamental tasks. By focusing an organization’s energy on a few, simple, achievable tasks, leaders create a purpose that directly contributes to the Army’s mission. Every effort in the organization begins and ends with that purpose in mind, from care for Soldiers to training, maintenance, and leader-development programs. Operations Group, National Training Center, has compiled an armored brigade combat team (ABCT) mission essential task (MET) crosswalk to generate discussion among leaders and better focus efforts within current resource limitations. This crosswalk distills Headquarters, Department of the Army-directed METs for an ABCT into high-payoff battle tasks and notes the common challenges units experience when training these tasks....Read More

Catch up on what you may have missed and please share widely within your organizations. Highlights include: - Building Cohesive Teams - Hard Lessons - Offensive and Defensive Operations Against a Near-Peer Threat - Leader Development in Contact - Latest Warfighter Training Support Packages and Training Circulars - News from the Combat Training Centers And More! ...Read More

The information in this handbook is a snapshot of MCTP’s recent observations of Army training in a large-scale combat operations environment. These observations were written by a collaborative group of experienced officers, noncommissioned officers, and chief warrant officers working in conjunction with highly qualified expert-senior mentors. In an effort to increase the frequency of sharing observations, best practices, and trends, MCTP will continue publishing this handbook on a semi-annual basis and print cargo pocket-sized books for easier reference. ...Read More

Cohesiveness is critical to high performing teams. Each member must understand their role in the team, know their responsibilities, and know that their teammates are also performing their duties. This handbook describes methods to build cohesive teams and provides indicators to measure performance. It incorporates the Army's "This is My Squad" initiative and is a good resource for leaders at all echelons. ...Read More

Written by the sergeants major (SGMs) of Operations Group, National Training Center (NTC), this handbook was inspired by the book, “66 Stories of Battle Command,” where commanders shared their experiences during NTC rotations and provided “a way” to other commanders before they have to make a decision for a specific situation. The NTC SGMS have the same intention with the publication of this handbook. The stories include experiences as an operations SGM and command sergeants major (CSM) at the battalion and brigade levels. Some of the stories provided will create differing opinions, but are only intended to share the authors’ experiences with those that may face the same or similar situations. In each rotation, NTC leaders observe SGMs who, once exposed to a situation, produce extraordinary results. These stories are not meant to expose any unit; they are meant to unearth possible solutions. ...Read More

In this handbook, leaders from the National Training Center (NTC) Operations Group examine the art of leadership, its application on the replicated NTC battlefield, and what some of the more successful rotational unit leaders do to build winning teams. Each chapter, written by a senior observer controller/trainer, covers the tactics, techniques, and procedures that have been demonstrated to be successful in a specific warfighting function. Leader Development in Contact will be a valuable addition to every leader's professional development toolkit. ...Read More

This handbook provides Senior Leaders and Garrison Commanders a guide to the Installation Management Command's (IMCOM) Full Scale Exercise (FSE) Program. It details the role of leaders in training, the design process, the external evaluation process, and Corrective Action Plan (CAP)/Improvement Plan (IP) process. The purpose of this handbook is to provide Installation leadership a timeline for engagement in the FSE process and strategies for planning, execution success, and improvement....Read More