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Thread: The Army Capstone Concept: the Army wants your comments

  1. #141
    Council Member slapout9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
    No disagreement there, Slap ! However, if the KLM model were actually implemented, it would be a case of each general has to become a sergeant for a tour !

    Absolutely! NYPD did something similar in the 80's by requiring senior commanders to work different shifts and different days of the week as part of their schedule.

  2. #142
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default 1919 personnel system

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
    is engendered by 1919 Personnel and Force Structure system.

    Thus you are trying to train an organization that is really not well organized and one that has to adapt on an ad-hoc basis for every war.
    Ken,

    Spot on with your observation of our Army encumbered with an out of date and unresponsive Personnel and Force Structure system; which is exactly why we are focusing on leader development. As Marc pointed out organizatinal change is difficult to bring about in the short run; however, leadership is within our grasp; and, well developed leaders can overcome systemic short commings.

    We may never maximze the promotional or organizational designs, but there is no reason we can't maximize the way we train leaders. To do this requires a strategy, similar to the ALDS, that esablishes a framwork within which we can begin to understand what types of leaders we will require and then agressively build them.

    Personally, I'm just assuming that the ALDS is (roughly) what I outlined and I'm waiting for the real meat to come out - the operationalization of it.
    Marc also forshadowed our next step to release operationalization annexes that will provide the answer to how we plan to implement the ALDS.

    Bill Jakola

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    Last edited by Steve Blair; 12-15-2009 at 10:21 PM. Reason: fixed quotes

  3. #143
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jakola View Post
    however, leadership is within our grasp; and, well developed leaders can overcome systemic short commings.
    Bill, isn't that shortcutting the system? Yes, good leaders will essentially circumvent a system that is not working properly but at their risk, not the organisation's and in fact have done so for decades. Surely if TRADOC recognises that there are things that desperately need fixing, then it should be looking to fix them and not be slapping on a band-aid?

    I've only just downloaded the ALDS document and had a quick read through it. My first reaction is that this has come from the side of TRADOC that specialises in buzzword bingo and not simple soldier speak - that same folks who brought us the draft ACC and Pam 525-5-500 to name a couple - great ideas in them but they have to be sifted out of wordy and cumbersome prose.

    It's been my experience that leadership is not something you develop in a classroom - it is something that is developed and nutured but getting out and doing. This includes, as has already been mentioned, senior staff getting out and doing as well - possibly at the expense of their doctoral studies. There are some good points on this raised in the PME thread. There is a danger than in trying to learn and adapt we are leaning way to far towards corporate structures that might be all very nice in peacetime, save bucks, and look great in doctoral theses but which actually do little to develop and maintain capabilities.

    Twenty years ago, we had an Army where the soldiers did not have many tranferable skills, qualifications or certifications (all the stuff that looks good on a CV) but they had an incredibly high level of practical soldier skills. Pretty well every soldier was not just trained but also able to think on their feet, make decisions and assume responsibility if Plan A went a bit awry on their watch. They didn't get this way by sitting in a classroom, or painting rocks - they got that way because they trained, trained and trained, normally under the junior leaders.

    In the wave of AARs after the end of the warfighting phase of OIF, I remember reading an extract from a colonel's debrief - of course, Murphy's Law says I could never find it again but it went something like:

    “…never again will we do admin moves from our home base to training locations. From now on, when we roll out the gate at home, we will be gunned up, no one sitting back reading their book or focussed on their Walkman or Gameboy, and moving tactically all the way. When we get to a overpass or chokepoint, we’ll dismount, go forward and clear it just as we’ve learned to do here [Iraq]. Sure, it might takes a day or two to make the move, and we’ll have to do a lot of coord with the towns we move through, local police, Highway Patrol, etc but that’s what we need to do anyway. And, every once in a while there’ll be an incident along the way that we’ll have to do deal with – it might not be an attack or an IED, it might be a pregnant lady on the side of the road…”

    I think the message was something like training as you fight...if you want to introduce complexity and incertaintly into training, rather than an artifical training environment, as much as possible take the raining out to 'the people' - that'll introduce enough complexity and uncertainty to lay a firm foundation for doing that training that has to be done in a close environment. Get your people out into other environments, the more varied and uncomfortable/challenging the better...

    As an outsider looking in, I think that perhaps the US Army has cracked this one more than it realises yet, maybe there is a lag between new doctrine coming onlien and its implementation but the new FM 7-0, -15 and -1 (when it comes out) are great, more so when combined with the frameworks in the SMCT series. Why? Because they focus on the essentials, they are easy to read and they make sense....

  4. #144
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default SJPONeill

    I like your idea of training complexity by training in the real world; the idea has merit and such real world training would be difficult to replicate in a classroom or other artifical training area, like the Army's combat training centers. However there are things that are difficult or impossible to train in public areas, like things that involve lethal force or unique cultural differences. So a combination of these types of trainiing seems right.

    Also, as far as short cutting the system; well developed leaders, I believe, would not only circumvent the systems shortfalls, but also improve these systemic weak areas. That 's what good leaders do.

    Bill Jakola

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  5. #145
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    Default Don't forget the small things like admin!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jakola View Post
    Also, as far as short cutting the system; well developed leaders, I believe, would not only circumvent the systems shortfalls, but also improve these systemic weak areas. That 's what good leaders do.
    Bill, I have to love your attitude. Unfortunately, hope is not an approved Army planning method (but it seems to be extensively used). How long must we circumvent the shortfalls? I don't have the "luxury" of the 200+ training days available to the active component. Until the big guns clean the Augean stables, many Guard and Reserve units struggle with the growing list of mandatory training, soldier readiness, and, oh, almost forgot, missions...

    IMHO, the Army has changed to self service, where the individual soldier is expected to monitor their records, medical status, DTS, and oh, don't forget your professional reading! Except we are not trained in records or medical or finance. The system IMHO, requires too much immersion by every soldier in non-mission tasks. Need to get ready for a mission? Quick, everyone run to a system and bang out your DTS voucher! The DD 1351-2 got me paid in less than a month, fax or scan it in. No computer needed. Plus, I didn't need a government CC, and I could control my credit rating (if DTS does not pay your CC, you will be counseled!)..

    Computer access is a sore point. The centralized "support" system seems to be better at denying access to soldiers with a valid CAC card than Chinese hackers. Without access, a soldier is unable to access all these self help things for the weekend. (my record is three months). The S6 shop has had it's ability to actually help drastically reduced.

    Take care of the ordinary things while fixing the big things...

  6. #146
    Council Member Rob Thornton's Avatar
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    Bill,
    Are there going to be any specific qualifications of functions the Army wants its leaders of a given rank or position to be capable of doing? Are we going to see for example what the Army wants out of a DIV CDR or MG? Will we be able to walk that back through one or more developmental paths and look at what possible assignments or experiences might produce that leader?

    An example question might be what prepares someone to take on being a COCOM CDR or a service chief? If we can't qualify what it is we expect that leader to be capable of at a given level, I'm not sure we can really get to how we develop them to do so.

    Best, Rob

  7. #147
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default Rob

    Quote Originally Posted by Elric View Post
    the Army has changed to self service, where the individual soldier is expected to monitor their records, medical status, DTS, and oh, don't forget your professional reading!
    Great point! Yes, self serve is a big part of it. Also, I too have reserve experience and can empathize with the extra challenges Citizen-Soldiers face. And don't even get me started on the difficulties of DTS; you are preaching to the choir there.

    However, back to self serve; the Army has always required Soldiers to monitor their records, medical status, travel, and conduct professional reading. Although Soldiers rely on bureaucratic systems to assist in these areas, those who aggressively manage their own are more prepared and tend to be ready when called to duty. More importantly, the skills required to overcome poorly made systems, like DTS, are the type needed for complex problem solving. I am not saying that it we should provide Soldiers with a broken system just to train them on working within a suboptimal bureaucracy; but that fixing the system will not remove the requirement for developing those skills. Success in the operational environment requires adaptive, resilient, Soldiers who are constantly looking for innovative way to solve problems and know how to ask the right questions.

    Bill Jakola

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  8. #148
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default Rob,

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Thornton View Post
    Bill,
    Are there going to be any specific qualifications of functions the Army wants its leaders of a given rank or position to be capable of doing? Are we going to see for example what the Army wants out of a DIV CDR or MG? Will we be able to walk that back through one or more developmental paths and look at what possible assignments or experiences might produce that leader?

    Best, Rob
    I do not claim to be all things TRADOC and do not know the answers to your many excellent questions. What I say here is only the view from my foxhole. But, I can tell you that the ALDS is a base document that will have annexes that should help answer at least some of your questions.

    Also, you and others in this discussion may benefit from reading the "Global Achievement Gap" book by Tony Wagner--and no I don't get a commission. This educator dissects learning and some of the shortcommings in our education system. Many of Mr. Wagner's observations can apply to leader development and the methods we use.

    Bill Jakola

    Keep your powder dry!

  9. #149
    Council Member marct's Avatar
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    Hi Rob,

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Thornton View Post
    Are there going to be any specific qualifications of functions the Army wants its leaders of a given rank or position to be capable of doing? Are we going to see for example what the Army wants out of a DIV CDR or MG? Will we be able to walk that back through one or more developmental paths and look at what possible assignments or experiences might produce that leader?
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jakola View Post
    I do not claim to be all things TRADOC and do not know the answers to your many excellent questions. What I say here is only the view from my foxhole. But, I can tell you that the ALDS is a base document that will have annexes that should help answer at least some of your questions.
    This is, of course, one of the most crucial things. I've already emailed Bill with a suggested POC from the CF who has done that for us (shoot me an email if you want same ).

    The ALDS is, from what I can see, a political document - a strategy for competing in the bureaucratic battlespace. The appendices - and why is TRADOC using the French Annexes (?!) - should contain the actualities of it. Personally, I would hope that they have a good theoretical model of leader development, but I doubt they do which, BTW, is not a slam at TRADOC. The best ones I've seen, coming out of both the CF and the management literature, are still pretty sparse in terms of really thinking through implications and connections and they are, IMO, based on demonstrably false metaphysical and ontological models.

    My musings at this point in time lean towards the idea that what TRADOC should seriously consider doing is to develop such a theoretical model using a variant of red teaming with an extremely interdisciplinary crowd of people before they produce cast in stone operational outlines. The analogy I like to use is that you would want to plan out a campaign until you had a map of the battlespace, so why are you doing so in this instance?

    What bugs me is that there actually are a decent collection of methodological techniques for developing such a model, but they don't appear to be used. Building a map of the campaign territory isn't that hard, but it is complex and requires some very odd ways of looking at things (e.g. imagine trying to design mapping conventions for a terrain that is constantly changing; you know how much fun that is ).
    Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
    Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
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  10. #150
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default TSLC next week - Campaign of Learning – Adaptation as the Institutional Imperative

    ALCON: the TRADOC Senior Leaders Conference (TSLC) is next week 9-11 March 2010 at Williamsburg, VA. This is an important venue for continuing the discussion from the last TSLC in August.

    The conference will bring together many of the Army’s senior professionals to discuss ways to improve the training and education of America’s Soldiers under the theme, “Our Army’s Campaign of Learning.” The recently published Army Capstone Concept (ACC) describes the broad capabilities the Army will require to fight in the future, and provides the common language and conceptual foundation for an ongoing campaign of learning and analysis. The prioritized capabilities that emerge from the ACC and the other, more detailed Warfighter Function (WfF) and Operating concepts will guide changes across DOTMLPF.

    The Army of the future will learn differently, build leaders differently, train differently and redesign itself more quickly. And the capstone concept serves as our “line of departure” for building that Army.

    During Day 1 of the conference, our Centers of Excellence will have their first opportunity to backbrief the implications of the ACC to their WfFs and the associated 1st Order Required Capabilities.

    During Day 2, we will focus on developing some tangible solutions to assist in developing a new learning concept for our Army. We recognize we live in an increasingly competitive world. The important corollary of this is that we live in a competitive learning environment. In this environment, the nation and its military that learn the fastest, and the best, are going to prevail. To that end, we are developing a new learning concept to provide the basis for building an Army education system adapted to the learning styles and information needs of its learners, while ensuring we still deliver the high-quality content our Soldiers need and deserve.

    Also at TSLC, we will have military bloggers as well as traditional media covering this conference so you can all be part of the ongoing conversation.

    Bill Jakola

  11. #151
    Council Member marct's Avatar
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    Hi Bill,

    I'm certainly glad to hear that the conversation will be continuing . Do you have a list of the bloggers, yet, who will be there?

    Cheers,

    Marc
    Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
    Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
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  12. #152
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default The New FM 5.0

    The new FM 5.0 is out; here is the link and forward: http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/FM50/
    "The environment in which we conduct operations is characterized by four clear trends: growing uncertainty, rapid change, increased competitiveness, and greater decentralization. Given these trends, our leaders must expect and be prepared to confront a variety of complex problems, most of which will include myriad interdependent variables and all of which will include a human dimension.

    With the publication of FM 5-0, The Operations Process, and the introduction of design into our doctrine, we highlight the importance of understanding complex problems more fully before we seek to solve them through our traditional planning processes.

    Design is neither a process nor a checklist. It is a critical and creative thinking methodology to help commanders understand the environment, analyze problems, and consider potential approaches so they can exploit opportunities, identify vulnerabilities, and anticipate transitions during a campaign.

    Commanders apply design to understand before entering the visualize, describe, direct, lead, and assess cycle. Einstein once said, “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.” Combining design with the military decision making process provides Army leaders with a more comprehensive approach to problem solving under conditions of complexity and uncertainty. The mission narrative produced through design enables leaders to articulate the context in which they operate to both subordinates and superiors alike.

    In addition to the introduction of design, this revision of FM 5-0 builds on and expands the body of doctrine associated with full spectrum operations described in the 2008 edition of FM 3-0, Operations. Moving beyond planning and orders production, this manual holistically addresses planning, preparation, execution, and assessment in the continuous learning cycle of the operations process. It reinforces the central role of commanders in the operations process through battle command—applying the art and science of understanding, visualizing, describing, directing, leading, and assessing operations—in exercising effective command and control. The intent of FM 5-0 is to encourage greater flexibility through critical thought, action, and initiative. Army leaders must not only develop effective plans, they must be able to convert those plans into timely action while maintaining the capability to reframe and adapt as the situation changes in an increasingly dynamic operational environment. "

    Bill Jakola

  13. #153
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default Bloggers at TSLC

    Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
    Hi Bill,

    I'm certainly glad to hear that the conversation will be continuing . Do you have a list of the bloggers, yet, who will be there?

    Cheers,

    Marc
    Bouhammer and Jimbo are confirmed.

  14. #154
    Council Member marct's Avatar
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    Hi Bill,

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jakola View Post
    Bouhammer and Jimbo are confirmed.
    Sounds good. Toss up the URLs just before they start up as a way of reminding people here that we call all get some input.

    Cheers,

    Marc
    Sic Bisquitus Disintegrat...
    Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D.
    Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies,
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    The Canadian Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, NPSIA
    Carleton University
    http://marctyrrell.com/

  15. #155
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default Thanks for the guidance.

    Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
    Hi Bill,



    Sounds good. Toss up the URLs just before they start up as a way of reminding people here that we call all get some input.

    Cheers,

    Marc
    Will do Marc; thanks for the guidance. As you know, we do pay attention to the blogs, as they provide an invaluable source of independent viewpoints.

    Bill Jakola

  16. #156
    i pwnd ur ooda loop selil's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jakola View Post
    Bouhammer and Jimbo are confirmed.
    Any academics with education theory backgrounds going to be attending?
    Sam Liles
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  17. #157
    Council Member Bill Jakola's Avatar
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    Default Tony Wagner, an educator who wrote "The Global Achievement Gap"

    Quote Originally Posted by selil View Post
    Any academics with education theory backgrounds going to be attending?
    Yes, we plan to have Tony Wagner, an educator who wrote "The Global Achievement Gap". Also, we will have many educators from within the Army; and although they may not have specific backgrounds in education theory, they will have much practical experience.

    Bill Jakola

  18. #158
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    Default Design at every level

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jakola View Post
    The new FM 5.0 is out; here is the link and forward: http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/FM50/

    Commanders apply design to understand before entering the visualize, describe, direct, lead, and assess cycle. Einstein once said, “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.” Combining design with the military decision making process provides Army leaders with a more comprehensive approach to problem solving under conditions of complexity and uncertainty. The mission narrative produced through design enables leaders to articulate the context in which they operate to both subordinates and superiors alike.

    Bill Jakola
    The more I think about Design, and its implications as it moves into broader use at multiple levels in the chain of command, I'm struck by the potential effects of having each level conducting Design. As you work your way down from a theater level to a battalion, let's say, guidance to subordinates will need to be clear enough to ensure that the subordinates Design is fully nested and supportive of the higher's purpose/intent. While on the face, this is no different from the current thinking behind mission orders, etc. Design strikes me as emphasizing higher guidance as merely a basis to start from and being less concretely directive as it has previously been interpreted.

    Each level tends to seek to maximize success at its level. This is a general good. However, there are many instances where supporting or subordinate efforts cannot be allowed to "maximize" because it will hurt the overall mission. Here is where a subordinates Design must fully account for his mission in the perspective of his boss's mission. Once again, none of this is new, but the local emphasis of COIN tends to support solutions that may work locally, but cause problems in knitting together a larger solution (favoring one tribe in an area because they can provide security, but that creates larger political divisions in the province, etc.).
    s/f
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  19. #159
    Council Member William F. Owen's Avatar
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    Sorry Bill, I've really tried to understand this, but I cannot.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Jakola View Post
    Design is neither a process nor a checklist. It is a critical and creative thinking methodology to help commanders understand the environment, analyze problems, and consider potential approaches so they can exploit opportunities, identify vulnerabilities, and anticipate transitions during a campaign.
    How is that different from planning done by skilled people?
    The mission narrative produced through design enables leaders to articulate the context in which they operate to both subordinates and superiors alike.
    Mission narrative? Commanders need to state the mission as clearly and simply as possible. That's it. What else is there?

    How is a mission statement prepared by "design" different from one prepared done by skilled and competent folk.

    Any chance someone without an AKO can get hold of this?
    Infinity Journal "I don't care if this works in practice. I want to see it work in theory!"

    - The job of the British Army out here is to kill or capture Communist Terrorists in Malaya.
    - If we can double the ratio of kills per contact, we will soon put an end to the shooting in Malaya.
    Sir Gerald Templer, foreword to the "Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya," 1958 Edition

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    Default In Re Wilf

    Can a man get an Amen from the congregation...

    I've read the draft doctrine...

    I've heard the rationales and anecdotes...

    It has been made clear to me that if I don't see the difference between competent planning and design, then perhaps I'm just too dense...

    I don't think I'm that thick...

    (Edit to include) Snake Oil...


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    Last edited by Hacksaw; 03-02-2010 at 09:03 PM. Reason: failed to complete thought
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