Posted on Dec 14, 2013
MSG Bobby Ewing
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With so much going on nowadays with mandatory training, mandatory stand downs, higher HQs training objectives/priorities, I was wondering how other Commanders/CSMs/1SGs/Det SGTs are attacking this issue. One idea that my commander and I try to use is back up or alternate planning. We project for training on 2 separate days, but fairly close to each other on the calendar. It has help in the past few months but I would like to know from the force, what other measures you all are taking or have taken to get after this?
Posted in these groups: Train2 Training
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Responses: 5
CSM Mike Maynard
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Are you saying there should be no white space? If that's the case, I would disagree.

It's ok to have white space. Things happen and you need time to take care of those things - you can't anticipate everything. That's why we have hip-pocket training - to fill in the white space when it does occur.

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MSG Bobby Ewing
MSG Bobby Ewing
>1 y

CSM,

 

There should definitely be white space, but I feel the company/detachment commanders/1SGs don't have too much if any white space to use due to higher level initiatives, training events, etc. Since I've been a senior NCO, and in all of my previous units, white space is plentiful for long range planning, but will be trumped by higher events as time goes by. I'm trying to find more ways to plan ahead to have better angles to conduct unit level initiatives/training that we would like to do while nesting with our higher commands priorities and philosophy.

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CSM Mike Maynard
CSM Mike Maynard
>1 y
SFC Ewing - I believe what you're saying. It seems most units either fill in their own white space or an inordinate amount of crap gets shoved down the DTMS pipeline from higher.

I know, in our unit, my Cdr is hypersensitive to this and constantly asks unit Cdrs "Is that too much stuff to do this week? Are you sure you have the time/resources to do all that?"

We are trying to implement Mission Command by just laying out requirements and giving scheduling freedom back to the Cdrs so that we don't have happen what we are seeing in most units.
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COL Strategic Plans Chief
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Portray the Troop Leading Procedures and the 8-step training model on your calendar. We TALK about this a LOT...but where is it? Where is the detailed planning on the calendar? Where is the RECON on the calendar? Where is the AAR and the retraining on the calendar? With only 4 significant training events on the calendar per month (~1 per week), your days get crammed with the 8 step training model described in ADRP 7-0. I won't even bring up the pain associated with inputting all this into DTMS, but once it's input as a training event, it's just a matter of using the drop down menus to speed up the process. When you pull the string of that one training event to the left and right a little bit, that white space becomes...black space. That's the term we use. There is no white space...it's black space. There is no free time, only time where we are preparing for or recovering from a training event. Also not going to go into a huge diatribe about last minute taskings, but it's worth mentioning a little. Over the last 6 months, I have had my S3 shop create a chart which tracks how long we have until a tasking is executed (from the date given to us). Low and behold, the majority of them happen within 2-4 weeks (~88% of them). That means the white space you thought you had gets filled quickly at the Corps, Division and Brigade level. Those need to go into a "locked" DTMS training calendar ON TOP OF the other training, which...if someone is paying attention, they should see as a conflict when reviewing DTMS training calendars.
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MSG Bobby Ewing
MSG Bobby Ewing
10 y

Sir,


Thank you for sharing. Those are all pains I unfortunately know all too well. I also just love it, when we're trying to input all that data into DTMS, the system either goes down, gets bogged down, or we can't even access it. Then someone beats you to whatever you were trying to fill in what you might thought to have been "White Space".

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MAJ Civil Affairs Officer
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Like CSM stated - it's ok to have "some" white space in DTMS (or whatever training management you're utilizing).  For the moments when you feel as if you have "to much" white space - that's where you can be creative and be resourceful.  Being Civil Affairs - I schedule "Key Leader Engagements"  with local city leadership, emergency management agency directors, local Non-Governmental Organizations; cultural seminars, etc..., because it ties into what we do as Civil Affairs.  You can apply that mentality to any MOS in the Army - just as long as you can give a valid purpose to your higher and relate it to your MOS and mission. 

 

In the end, I think Soldiers will appreciate training more, if it's not always the cut and dry mandatory "Army" training that becomes mundane.  Between my Team Sergeant and myself - we go out of our way to make training interesting, just as long as we can brief on how it supports our BDE's training guidance. 

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