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AR 350-1 says under Section F–6: Army warrior training
AWT maintains Soldier proficiency through the performance of WTBDs and supports the unit’s METL. The WTBD are geared toward the operating environment and lessons learned. All Soldiers must be ready to fight and complete the mission by applying the skills learned through the fundamentals of WTBD. Proficiency in WTBD is enhanced through the execu-tion of tasks in the following categories; shoot, move, communicate, and survive. The AWT is integrated into the unit collective training strategy.
a. AWT is progressive training using WTBD selected from skill levels 1 through 4 as found in STP 21–1–SMCT and STP 21–24–SMCT.
b. All Soldiers (E–1 to E–7, WO1, WO2, O–1, and O–2), on active duty (regardless of component) will complete AWT annually, unless waived by 2-star commander.
I am in a CSSB at Fort Bliss and I serve and the plans/training officer for our BN. Our training plan is a mess. We have over 30 MOS's and each one of those have their own STBs. So how do I enforce training? I've already forced the company's to use DTMS for weapons and APFT so the BN can track it. But when I asked about AWTs I got blank stares. Our SB hasn't had a grenade range in ages and nobody is tracking who is CLS qualified, ext. ext...
Is this just a sustainment problem? A Fort Bliss problem? I even had a company commander tell me that a HET driver doesn't need to go to the land nav course because if they're 88Ms they only need to learn JCR. So now I'm confused with that too. Are all Soldiers supposed to do AWTs as the regulation says or do company commanders have discretion to train their Soldiers however they like? What of STPs? Do they conflict with AWTs? Is the training equation AWTs - STP=Trained Soldier or is it AWTs + STP=Trained Soldier?
Also are companies supposed to have their QTBs approved by the BN commander? I have yet to see that at my unit. They just brief generic training meeting slides that say "drivers training" or APFT on them.
I apologize for the rant but I'm a young LT and I've only been to two different units and I still don't think I've seen what right looks like. And I'm supposed to be ensuring these companies are doing the right thing.
AWT maintains Soldier proficiency through the performance of WTBDs and supports the unit’s METL. The WTBD are geared toward the operating environment and lessons learned. All Soldiers must be ready to fight and complete the mission by applying the skills learned through the fundamentals of WTBD. Proficiency in WTBD is enhanced through the execu-tion of tasks in the following categories; shoot, move, communicate, and survive. The AWT is integrated into the unit collective training strategy.
a. AWT is progressive training using WTBD selected from skill levels 1 through 4 as found in STP 21–1–SMCT and STP 21–24–SMCT.
b. All Soldiers (E–1 to E–7, WO1, WO2, O–1, and O–2), on active duty (regardless of component) will complete AWT annually, unless waived by 2-star commander.
I am in a CSSB at Fort Bliss and I serve and the plans/training officer for our BN. Our training plan is a mess. We have over 30 MOS's and each one of those have their own STBs. So how do I enforce training? I've already forced the company's to use DTMS for weapons and APFT so the BN can track it. But when I asked about AWTs I got blank stares. Our SB hasn't had a grenade range in ages and nobody is tracking who is CLS qualified, ext. ext...
Is this just a sustainment problem? A Fort Bliss problem? I even had a company commander tell me that a HET driver doesn't need to go to the land nav course because if they're 88Ms they only need to learn JCR. So now I'm confused with that too. Are all Soldiers supposed to do AWTs as the regulation says or do company commanders have discretion to train their Soldiers however they like? What of STPs? Do they conflict with AWTs? Is the training equation AWTs - STP=Trained Soldier or is it AWTs + STP=Trained Soldier?
Also are companies supposed to have their QTBs approved by the BN commander? I have yet to see that at my unit. They just brief generic training meeting slides that say "drivers training" or APFT on them.
I apologize for the rant but I'm a young LT and I've only been to two different units and I still don't think I've seen what right looks like. And I'm supposed to be ensuring these companies are doing the right thing.
Posted in these groups: 
Training
Unit Administrator
91A-Officer: Ordnance OfficerDigital Training Management System (DTMS)
Training Unit Administrator 91A-Officer: Ordnance OfficerDigital Training Management System (DTMS)
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 5
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You're facing the challenge of all Sustainment units. Your unit has precious little time, missions to perform in order to allow other units to train, and there remains a long list of tasks which the Army has deemed necessary for Soldiers. Sergeant's time often gets overtaken by those missions, but none of that is visible when higher logs into DTMS to see where your unit stands, even more so now given OBJ-T.
What I've always advised is to find ways to incorporate those other requirements into those missions. (That will not go away, nor should they.) For example (not yours specifically, but this will show the concept): You mentioned a HET company. Those platoons seem to spend all their hours driving, leaving very little for training. Let's say night driving with NVDs is a training shortfall that needs to be addressed. Instead of starting mission at 0700 ( some time near first light) you could start a mission at 0200 get in night driving, and finish some time in the morning. Now you've knocked out two things instead of one. (You may want to do the night driving without a load on the back the first few times) You could incorporate land nav (without JCR, since as we prepare to face peer adversaries in future conflict we must be skilled in operating in a degraded environment) in a similar fashion with a little creativity as well. Get with the CAB and see if you can incorporate a MEDEVAC mission, or drop a load off and then proceed to a small-arms range, etc. In short, it's not about finding more time (there isn't, I've looked for more than 20 years), it's about maximizing the time you have.
That said, you'll still find that you have many more things to do than you will have training hours to accomplish them. This is where priorities and assumed risk come into play. As you're at Bliss, an example where a commander MAY (I'm not the one setting the priorities) assume to choose risk could be cold weather training, or something your unit is less likely to face, instead, placing a higher priority on hot weather training. An overly simplistic example, I know, but it clearly illustrates the point. This is commanders' domain. Your job at that point is to advise and help mitigate that risk. Don't take is as a personal dismissal, commanders have to make these types of choices everyday.
Start with the list of everything, work with your NCOs and the XO and S3 to rack and stack those lists. Don't remove anything, just prioritize. Then look at the long-range training calendar and look for those 2-for-1 windows of opportunity. Then you can take the proposal to the commander and allow them to put their stamp on it. (Run it by the CSM first for a better shot!) Hope this helps!
What I've always advised is to find ways to incorporate those other requirements into those missions. (That will not go away, nor should they.) For example (not yours specifically, but this will show the concept): You mentioned a HET company. Those platoons seem to spend all their hours driving, leaving very little for training. Let's say night driving with NVDs is a training shortfall that needs to be addressed. Instead of starting mission at 0700 ( some time near first light) you could start a mission at 0200 get in night driving, and finish some time in the morning. Now you've knocked out two things instead of one. (You may want to do the night driving without a load on the back the first few times) You could incorporate land nav (without JCR, since as we prepare to face peer adversaries in future conflict we must be skilled in operating in a degraded environment) in a similar fashion with a little creativity as well. Get with the CAB and see if you can incorporate a MEDEVAC mission, or drop a load off and then proceed to a small-arms range, etc. In short, it's not about finding more time (there isn't, I've looked for more than 20 years), it's about maximizing the time you have.
That said, you'll still find that you have many more things to do than you will have training hours to accomplish them. This is where priorities and assumed risk come into play. As you're at Bliss, an example where a commander MAY (I'm not the one setting the priorities) assume to choose risk could be cold weather training, or something your unit is less likely to face, instead, placing a higher priority on hot weather training. An overly simplistic example, I know, but it clearly illustrates the point. This is commanders' domain. Your job at that point is to advise and help mitigate that risk. Don't take is as a personal dismissal, commanders have to make these types of choices everyday.
Start with the list of everything, work with your NCOs and the XO and S3 to rack and stack those lists. Don't remove anything, just prioritize. Then look at the long-range training calendar and look for those 2-for-1 windows of opportunity. Then you can take the proposal to the commander and allow them to put their stamp on it. (Run it by the CSM first for a better shot!) Hope this helps!
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC (Join to see) and 1LT (Join to see) regarding the "list of everything". The CASCOM one stop should have all the METL breakdowns and I believe a decent cross walk. When I was a DCO they pulled us in TDY to contribute. It's behind the CAC curtain so I can't look for it.
There was a separate initiative circa 2014/15 to wrangle and consolidate cyclic training requirements all in one place. BN and BDE commanders were brought in from across the Army. This was part of the nudge for the strategic leadership to push stuff off the plate like check writing training and other sundry crap. Much of the odious stuff was in fact statuatory. I don't know if it finally manifested itself In 350-1 or not. I built the "mandatory training matrix" for my squadron in 1996 as an S3 Air. Basically had to to 1-2 tasks every day and it would take you a whole year.
There was a separate initiative circa 2014/15 to wrangle and consolidate cyclic training requirements all in one place. BN and BDE commanders were brought in from across the Army. This was part of the nudge for the strategic leadership to push stuff off the plate like check writing training and other sundry crap. Much of the odious stuff was in fact statuatory. I don't know if it finally manifested itself In 350-1 or not. I built the "mandatory training matrix" for my squadron in 1996 as an S3 Air. Basically had to to 1-2 tasks every day and it would take you a whole year.
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That is a great question. I feel WE so often get stuck in our METL and daily unit tasks that we forget that everyone need reminders of AWT. I can tell you that this is especially true with Communicate and Survive (CBRN) tasks. Just ask a random person to set up and operate a radio.
There are a couple battles that you may need to win. A very important one is making sure you have the support of the command team. You do not want to go to the next training meeting and just blurt out that you think that more training is needed. Most commanders I have known like to have at least a basic plan, a simple CONOP presented with the idea.
You need to find NCOs to get on board with this. This is supposed to be what we do. I had a similar problem in my unit. I knew that when the Reserves moved from Strategic to Operational, we would need to become more self-trained in basic AWT to keep us just that much closer to ready status. Fortunately me 1SG and CO were all about it and gave me the reigns. I went to army training network and pulled the latest AWT list then I approached section leaders/sNCOs and asked for recommendations of which junior NCOs they would like to have report to me to conduct the training.
I pointed out that it was a great opportunity for the newer NCOs to develop themselves and to help the unit. Many of the junior NCOs were 10-level fairly recently and, quite frankly, have retained a better grasp on the AWT skill set. I left it to the instructors to develop the instruction, gather supplies and training aids and coordinate with me for planning.
This is all to say that AWT can be done, but sometimes it takes a motivated Soldier to kick the chock blocks out from under the wheels to get things rolling.
There are a couple battles that you may need to win. A very important one is making sure you have the support of the command team. You do not want to go to the next training meeting and just blurt out that you think that more training is needed. Most commanders I have known like to have at least a basic plan, a simple CONOP presented with the idea.
You need to find NCOs to get on board with this. This is supposed to be what we do. I had a similar problem in my unit. I knew that when the Reserves moved from Strategic to Operational, we would need to become more self-trained in basic AWT to keep us just that much closer to ready status. Fortunately me 1SG and CO were all about it and gave me the reigns. I went to army training network and pulled the latest AWT list then I approached section leaders/sNCOs and asked for recommendations of which junior NCOs they would like to have report to me to conduct the training.
I pointed out that it was a great opportunity for the newer NCOs to develop themselves and to help the unit. Many of the junior NCOs were 10-level fairly recently and, quite frankly, have retained a better grasp on the AWT skill set. I left it to the instructors to develop the instruction, gather supplies and training aids and coordinate with me for planning.
This is all to say that AWT can be done, but sometimes it takes a motivated Soldier to kick the chock blocks out from under the wheels to get things rolling.
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LTC Jason Mackay
1SG (Join to see) and 1LT (Join to see) ...absolutely right. NCOs are the principal experts on individual task training. Get them to help you,lug some of the buckets of water.
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1LT (Join to see) there is always a tension between mission and training in a sustainment formation. There is always something. We just got 02 parts in. We have to haul tanks to Gunnery. Etc etc. I have been on all sides of it. Shop Officer getting pounded about the 026 and my Troop is out digging foxholes. A Platoon Leader horse trading with Warrants to train and do mission. HHC Company Commander working with the DCO to balance mission and training. maintenance company commander striving to issue executable training guidance that hits what is needed and essential while preparing ourselves and customers to deploy. SPO/XO trying to ensure mission answer training are focused on what must be done and what must be supported. A staff officer trying to support HHC and get everything done. A Sqdn S3A and a BN S3 trying to ensure we have a coherent training calendar that is following guidance and there are no whammies in the SATB/QTB.
What does your Brigade and Battalion Annual traInning Guidance (ATG) look like? The Commander's should be executing their training plan nested within the ATG. If you can issue timely QTG, you are a super star. Training Guidance comes from the Battalion Commander, based on Brigade and Divisional guidance, but guess who writes the draft?
The QTB and SATB are supposed to be a contract between the Commanders, higher to lower: i am underwriting what you just briefed, now go do it. The resources you asked for are contingently approved....S3 go fix it. Closing third shop on Thursday? OK come back with your slides or upon them. Lower to higher: this is where I'm at. This is where I am going. This is how I'm going to get there.
The ATG needs to be based on a sober assessment of where you are relative to METL tasks...not THe ATG has to have a major theme and goal,something simple that everyone can latch onto. A CTC rotation. a Deployment, Building Strong sergeants, Shoot move communicate, fundamentals like blocking and tackling. The quarters should have training events that lead to that goal and the METL rating goal. Ask a field grade about logical lines of effort.
Have you done a METL Crosswalk? The Battalion has METL collective tasks that boil down to Company collective tasks that boil down to collective tasks at the section, Platoon level. These tasks are built of individual tasks which are the warrior tasks and drills. Some of these are common to more than one collective task. These are the high pay off tasks common to two or more collective tasks. Focus on these. Once you have an 80% solution the S3 needs to block out ime for the Comany Command teams, Truck Master, Maintennace Control team, Master gunner, CSM and other key SMEs like from SpO like Ammo and fuel to look at it and contribute.
Where is your CSM in all this? She/He should be the champion of soldier level tasks and drills?
What does your Brigade and Battalion Annual traInning Guidance (ATG) look like? The Commander's should be executing their training plan nested within the ATG. If you can issue timely QTG, you are a super star. Training Guidance comes from the Battalion Commander, based on Brigade and Divisional guidance, but guess who writes the draft?
The QTB and SATB are supposed to be a contract between the Commanders, higher to lower: i am underwriting what you just briefed, now go do it. The resources you asked for are contingently approved....S3 go fix it. Closing third shop on Thursday? OK come back with your slides or upon them. Lower to higher: this is where I'm at. This is where I am going. This is how I'm going to get there.
The ATG needs to be based on a sober assessment of where you are relative to METL tasks...not THe ATG has to have a major theme and goal,something simple that everyone can latch onto. A CTC rotation. a Deployment, Building Strong sergeants, Shoot move communicate, fundamentals like blocking and tackling. The quarters should have training events that lead to that goal and the METL rating goal. Ask a field grade about logical lines of effort.
Have you done a METL Crosswalk? The Battalion has METL collective tasks that boil down to Company collective tasks that boil down to collective tasks at the section, Platoon level. These tasks are built of individual tasks which are the warrior tasks and drills. Some of these are common to more than one collective task. These are the high pay off tasks common to two or more collective tasks. Focus on these. Once you have an 80% solution the S3 needs to block out ime for the Comany Command teams, Truck Master, Maintennace Control team, Master gunner, CSM and other key SMEs like from SpO like Ammo and fuel to look at it and contribute.
Where is your CSM in all this? She/He should be the champion of soldier level tasks and drills?
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LTC Jason Mackay
1LT (Join to see) you also need to have the S3, SPO, and BN Command team issue direction to approach all mission tasters like a tactical mission so they get used to Troop leading procedures, orders being issued etc. incorporate training objectives into each mission tasked as appropriate. LTC (Join to see) suggested this as well.
My personal soap box. I don't need land nav because I have BFT, JCR etc. bullshit. We are living on borrowed time. Adversaries have the ability to shut down GPS in increasing areas of effect. Logisticians will need land nav 101, but also graduate level land nav, navigating while mounted, at night. This was my life as a LT. Maps. Strip maps. TIRS, GIRS, checkpoints, etc.
My personal soap box. I don't need land nav because I have BFT, JCR etc. bullshit. We are living on borrowed time. Adversaries have the ability to shut down GPS in increasing areas of effect. Logisticians will need land nav 101, but also graduate level land nav, navigating while mounted, at night. This was my life as a LT. Maps. Strip maps. TIRS, GIRS, checkpoints, etc.
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1LT (Join to see)
Neither my BN or BDE has a Annual Training Guidance (ATG). My BDE is talking about have a QTB but I still don't know when it will be. I think we finally got the vanilla tasks down. I made a rough SOP for DTMS but I'm still waiting for division guidance for what we need to track. These companies went from 0-40ish% tracking the basics (weapons/APFT) to nearly 100% and I changed all of our training meeting slides to DTMS to force the companies to report what they have imputed into the Army system. My BN commander is on board, he just forced the units to fix our vanilla problems on the system and held the commanders and their DTMS operators at the office until the S3 gave them the all clear.
As for getting the CSM on board, I approached him last week and said that help implement DTMS we need to get the Soldiers on board. I suggested we used Soldiers ITR Reports (a general overview of all a SMs data on DTMS) for Soldier boards, and he was all about it. However, I don't see him actually enforcing Sergeant Time's Training. I've done my best by giving companies the land/resources to utilize the training but I never see it going on in the motorpools, nobody asks about it, and nobody reports what they did the previous Thursday in our BN Training Meetings.
We do not have METL crosswalks. I understand the general concept, but I have yet to see somebody in our BN purposively create training around these. Its just: lets go to Iron Focus, or Strike Focus! And people nod their heads up and down.
I'm really trying to help these companies get with the program. OBJ-T has already arrived and I rounded up all the commanders to get briefed by the DIV DTMS manager on the importance of OBJ-T and actually following a training plan/tracking it.
As for getting the CSM on board, I approached him last week and said that help implement DTMS we need to get the Soldiers on board. I suggested we used Soldiers ITR Reports (a general overview of all a SMs data on DTMS) for Soldier boards, and he was all about it. However, I don't see him actually enforcing Sergeant Time's Training. I've done my best by giving companies the land/resources to utilize the training but I never see it going on in the motorpools, nobody asks about it, and nobody reports what they did the previous Thursday in our BN Training Meetings.
We do not have METL crosswalks. I understand the general concept, but I have yet to see somebody in our BN purposively create training around these. Its just: lets go to Iron Focus, or Strike Focus! And people nod their heads up and down.
I'm really trying to help these companies get with the program. OBJ-T has already arrived and I rounded up all the commanders to get briefed by the DIV DTMS manager on the importance of OBJ-T and actually following a training plan/tracking it.
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LTC Jason Mackay
1LT (Join to see) it’s a package unless you just want to play whackamole. One upside to standardizing independently, the rest of the BDE and Div ends up following you. Strike hard, strike fast.
Write your own ATG.
Write your own ATG.
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LTC (Join to see)
1LT (Join to see) - If there is no written guidance out there now, I'd suggest you help shape it. Like mentioned above, you don't have to wait to be told what to do. As an Officer, we look for Leaders who figure it out and just go after it. "Disciplined Initiative." I would recommend an assessment for starters. It sounds like you already have a good start with DTMS. Pull the METL for a CSSB. They're all standardized, so there's an easy one. The crosswalks used to be built into DTMS, but I haven't been in there since version 0.8 or something, so your contact at Division might be a better resource.
Next, get with your SPO, your boss the S3, the BDE SPO and BDE S3. Go over the long range training calendar in-depth. You may not have all the details, exact dates, SP times, etc. but you don't need them at this point. You're looking for two things: 1. Times of peak mission requirements, you mentioned Iron Focus and Strike Focus as good examples. You know that those are times of peak intensity with little time for other activities. and 2. White space. (I know, it's a bit of a unicorn hunt, but there might be some).
Now you have a rough idea of all the requirements.
Long Range Calendar with projected missions
DTMS analysis to METL x-walk showing areas to focus training
Now start looking at how to tackle those shortfalls in training. It could be SGT's time gets it, or are more ranges required, etc. But you don't want to schedule a range and have a mission cause a no-show and get blacklisted at range control. Maybe consider a BN range once a month or every other month with different companies tasked to run the actual ange. It helps with Soldiers preparing for boards, and puts some regularity in the schedule. If the opportunity is there, then it is on the Company Commanders to ensure their Soldiers are up-to-date. This is one example, but it illustrates the point. You can't get more hours in the day, it's about making the most of the hours you have.
I cannot stress enough the importance of working with the BN SPO, and the BDE SPO and S3. BDE should be looking 6-12 months over the horizon, and you 3-6 months. Companies should be looking 8 weeks out, locking in to DTMS at 6 weeks. Basically double the time for each increasing level of command from company on up.
Another thing to look at is how the BN training meeting is run. Is it haphazard, or is it structured to nest all the training calendars and synch matrices? I've witnessed both. Get the training circular for company training meetings and work with those company XOs and perhaps attend a few. Usually the challenges exhibit themselves at multiple levels. We as an Army used to teach training management much better in the past IMO, but it wasn't even that good back then.
Final bit for this response; Remember your attitude and approach will greatly influence the results you can achieve. It's not about pointing out where others are not doing it right, or focusing on the shortfalls. That starts you out on a negative foot, which I've learned leads to suboptimal outcomes. Keep in mind, that those company commanders are busy. You'll find out soon enough. As a staff officer, your job is to enable them to accomplish the mission, whether it be Soldier training, or tactical missions. Instead of, "Why is your company so low on weapons qualification?" the question should become, "I've seen your number on weapons qualification are a bit off, what can we do to help you get those up?"
Hope that helps, and stay on the net.
Next, get with your SPO, your boss the S3, the BDE SPO and BDE S3. Go over the long range training calendar in-depth. You may not have all the details, exact dates, SP times, etc. but you don't need them at this point. You're looking for two things: 1. Times of peak mission requirements, you mentioned Iron Focus and Strike Focus as good examples. You know that those are times of peak intensity with little time for other activities. and 2. White space. (I know, it's a bit of a unicorn hunt, but there might be some).
Now you have a rough idea of all the requirements.
Long Range Calendar with projected missions
DTMS analysis to METL x-walk showing areas to focus training
Now start looking at how to tackle those shortfalls in training. It could be SGT's time gets it, or are more ranges required, etc. But you don't want to schedule a range and have a mission cause a no-show and get blacklisted at range control. Maybe consider a BN range once a month or every other month with different companies tasked to run the actual ange. It helps with Soldiers preparing for boards, and puts some regularity in the schedule. If the opportunity is there, then it is on the Company Commanders to ensure their Soldiers are up-to-date. This is one example, but it illustrates the point. You can't get more hours in the day, it's about making the most of the hours you have.
I cannot stress enough the importance of working with the BN SPO, and the BDE SPO and S3. BDE should be looking 6-12 months over the horizon, and you 3-6 months. Companies should be looking 8 weeks out, locking in to DTMS at 6 weeks. Basically double the time for each increasing level of command from company on up.
Another thing to look at is how the BN training meeting is run. Is it haphazard, or is it structured to nest all the training calendars and synch matrices? I've witnessed both. Get the training circular for company training meetings and work with those company XOs and perhaps attend a few. Usually the challenges exhibit themselves at multiple levels. We as an Army used to teach training management much better in the past IMO, but it wasn't even that good back then.
Final bit for this response; Remember your attitude and approach will greatly influence the results you can achieve. It's not about pointing out where others are not doing it right, or focusing on the shortfalls. That starts you out on a negative foot, which I've learned leads to suboptimal outcomes. Keep in mind, that those company commanders are busy. You'll find out soon enough. As a staff officer, your job is to enable them to accomplish the mission, whether it be Soldier training, or tactical missions. Instead of, "Why is your company so low on weapons qualification?" the question should become, "I've seen your number on weapons qualification are a bit off, what can we do to help you get those up?"
Hope that helps, and stay on the net.
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