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LESSON 3
ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Critical Task: 051-250-1002
OVERVIEW
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
This lesson identifies what to do when an environmental risk is correctable with training. FM 20-400 identifies sources for environmental training.
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
| ACTION: | You will learn how to integrate environmental considerations into the platoon's mission. |
| CONDITION: | You will be given the material contained in this lesson. |
| STANDARD: | You will correctly answer all practice-exercise questions at the end of this lesson. |
| REFERENCES: | The material contained in this lesson was derived from FM 20-400 and TC 25-30. |
INTRODUCTION
Integrating environmental awareness and ethic at every available opportunity is very important. Training is one method used to integrate environmental awareness and ethic to eliminate environmental damage. When training needs are identified, they must be incorporated into the unit's training plan as appropriate. The training is entered into the training-management cycle. This lesson addresses communicating the Army's environmental ethic to subordinates while training them to be good environmental stewards (Item 2 from Table 1-1).
3-1. Platoon Leaders' Responsibilities. Platoon leaders must bring focus and direction to environmental protection. Programs that are in place at installation and unit levels require support from the platoon. Leaders must ensure that personnel are properly trained to support the organizational requirements. See Tables 3-1 and 3-2 for training phases and requirements at platoon and company levels.
Table 3-1. Phases in the training-management cycle
Table 3-2. Training requirements for platoon leaders
3-2. Integration of Environmental Considerations. Environmental protection requires planning that encompasses environmental requirements at operational and support levels. Operational planning includes consideration of information provided in the form of staff estimates, protection requirements, and environmental baseline surveys (EBSs). Staffs integrate environmental protection into planning for larger units. Unit planning includes consideration of SOPs, risk assessments, plans, orders, and training requirements.
a. SOPs reflect environmental considerations for each task and activity, and they inform soldiers how to accomplish tasks in an environmentally sound manner. SOPs address environmental-protection requirements for all activities (facility operations, field operations, deployment, and combat). They must be updated to incorporate local requirements.
b. Risk assessments are completed as unit plan for operations or activities. Platoon leaders must ensure that environmental risk assessments are also completed for activities not previously addressed in a SOP. Risk assessments are performed when relocating to a new location (in garrison or field conditions) to determine what changes need to be made to the SOP. Risk assessments apply to garrison and field operations.
c. Environmental protection is addressed in plans and orders (operations, warning, or fragmentary). It is the responsibility of the engineer coordinator (ENCORD) to develop an engineer annex to the order. The ENCORD does this with input from the brigade staff. Leaders seldom develop an environmental appendix to the engineer annex. Instead, they include environmental information in the "execution" or "service-support" paragraph of the engineer annex. Platoon leaders obtain environmental information from the "coordinating-instruction" subparagraph of the execution paragraph. Platoon leaders must inform the soldiers of any unique environmental-protection measures.
3-3. Platoon Leaders' Training Procedures. When deficiencies can be corrected with training, platoon leaders initiate the training using the process shown in Tables 3-1 and 3-2. Training requirements can be identified and submitted for consideration during long-range, short-range, and near-term planning cycles as shown in Figure 3-1.
a. Long-Range Planning. The following actions should be accomplished during the long-range planning cycle.
- Assess mission requirements and platoon capabilities.
- Review environmental risk assessments and unit SOPs.
- Provide the proper equipment to prevent or mitigate environmental damage.
- Organize training meetings to discuss environmental considerations and to develop methods to overcome identified issues.
Figure 3-1. Training-management cycle
b. Short-Range Planning. During the short-range planning cycle
- Issue specific environmental guidance and update risk-assessment matrices and unit SOPs.
- Ensure that soldiers are well-trained.
- Obtain maps that indicate environmentally sensitive areas.
- Coordinate with the environmental office to ensure that unique issues are addressed.
- Conduct training meetings to address specific methods for protecting the environment without lowering standards or readiness.
c. Near-Term Planning. During the near-term planning cycle-
- Inspect equipment and ensure that proper maintenance is ongoing.
- Use weekly training meetings to discuss potential problems and look for ways to avoid problems in the field.
3-4. Execution and Evaluation of Manning Actions. Platoon leaders are instrumental in assuring that all environmental tasks are addressed, trained, performed, and evaluated according to pertinent laws and regulations.
a. During mission planning, leaders must consider what actions to take to accomplish the planned activities and to ensure observation of environmental restrictions and prevention measures. See Figure 3-2 to review environmental issues that should be addressed in each phase of the training-management cycle. Platoon leaders are responsible for minimizing the damage to the environment as outlined in FM 20-400. Units should supplement the self-assessment checklist to fit any unique requirements. Platoon leaders should review the self-assessment-checklist before mission execution and employ appropriate techniques as necessary to minimize environmental impact.
Figure 3-2. Phases within the training-management cycle
b. Proper integration of environmental issues into the planning process can be evaluated during an AAR. An AAR should reinforce correct actions and stress that subordinate leaders and soldiers must become environmental stewards who understand their individual responsibilities to protect the environment. Table 3-3 provides a guide for environmental responsibilities at various organizational levels.
Table 3-3. Environmental responsibilities by organizational level
3-5. Summary. This lesson addressed the platoon leaders' responsibility to integrate environmental considerations into a unit's training-management cycle. Depending on the unit and the situation, additional coordination may be required.
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