http://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.111965.1279814549!/image/2628671148.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_240/2628671148.jpgA 172nd Infantry Brigade soldier scans for trouble during training at Grafenwohr, Germany, in 2008. A recent GAO report said the Army does not have an adequate plan to meet the training needs of its brigade combat teams in the coming years.GAO: Army brigade combat team training found lacking By Kent Harris
Stars and Stripes
Published: July 22, 2010
The Army does not have an adequate plan to meet the training needs of its brigade combat teams in the coming years, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.
The current plan — known as the Army Force Generation model — calls for the service’s fighting units to take part in 36 or 37 training rotations each year, the GAO report said, but the Army’s three maneuver combat training centers are only staffed to run 28 such rotations annually.
And even though the Army plans to increase its rotations by six each year using an Exportable Training Capability — during which trainers travel to the unit’s home base instead of the units traveling to the training center — it would still not be enough to meet current requirements, the GAO stated.Under the Force Generation model, brigade-sized elements should conduct two maneuver exercises before heading back to a combat zone. One concentrates on basic skills and the unit’s general mission, with the other focusing on a rehearsal of the tasks the unit will face in an upcoming deployment.
How this shortfall could affect future operations in Iraq or Afghanistan is unclear, the report noted.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
