Military

D-1. Commanders, principal staff officers, and supervisors use information systems to support their decision-making process. They require familiarization training to understand what the BFA and its components can do to support them in performing their primary functions. They plan and supervise its use in training and combat. They require detailed training on BFA information and communications systems.

D-2. Users can be staff officers, NCOs, and soldiers who use information systems and their components as an integral part of their duties. They require detailed training on system-specific software operation, hardware operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

D-3. Maintainers provide M&D services for information systems and their components. These personnel require training in operating common diagnostic software (using electronic diagnostic equipment) and training on the maintenance concept.

D-4. A team of soldiers/trainers provides NET to units when new equipment is fielded or when a major hardware or software change occurs. Developers may form mobile training teams (MTTs) to support sustainment training or hardware or software upgrade training. MTTs may present training to all target audiences, or may orient on one, two, or three specific audiences depending on the purpose of the training.

D-5. Institutional training incorporates training into existing or newly developed programs.

D-6. Personnel in field artillery, air defense artillery, military intelligence, and signal operations receive training on operating and maintaining information systems. The following courses provide this institutional training.

• The Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course (BNCOC) provides BFACS related training to junior NCOs.
• The Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course (ANCOC) prepares graduates for supervising users and LAN management techniques.
• The Battle Staff Noncommissioned Officers' Course provides training on using information systems to students assigned to battle staff positions.
• The Warrant Officers' Course provides instruction on skill-pertinent BFACS.
• The Signal Officer Basic Course (SOBC) incorporates familiarization training.
• The Signal Officer Advanced Course (SOAC) prepares graduates to use information systems at the user level when performing their duties as staff officers and commanders.
• The Combined Arms and Services Staff School (CAS3) provides training on information systems as a staff integration tool.
• The Command and General Staff College (CGSC) provides training on using information systems to conduct combat operations as a combined arms team at division and corps level. Aspects of joint and combined operations (to include interconnection of information systems) are addressed.

D-7. Embedded training (ET) supports individual skill development and sustainment training in the institutional and unit sustainment training environments. ET includes a capability to link one or several information systems to a local or remote simulation system to support collective training. ET incorporates performance support systems. These systems provide-

• A means to track individual user proficiency and automatically modify the amount of assistance which the system provides during operation or training.
• A context sensitive help feature, which, upon request, provides information on system operation, tailored to the process or function being performed.
• Mini tutorials that are more extensive than a help screen. This feature provides a short and context sensitive lesson aimed at helping the student negotiate complex functions.
• Courseware that is the conventional training portion of ET. It provides interactive, scenario-based instruction on all or a part of the operational software.
• Technical and field manuals via electronic media. This feature enables the user to call up a reference to a tactical or technical problem without leaving the keyboard.

D-8. The unit must provide sustainment training to ensure individual skills do not decay, and collective proficiency is attained to support mission accomplishment. The G6/S6 section provides the technical expertise with the training. A unit's sustainment training program should include-

• A user training program on hardware and software for staff officers, NCOs, and soldiers.
• Maintainer training for unit maintainers and support maintenance personnel.
• Training for WAN, LAN, and BFA supervisors.
• FLC collective training at the sub unit level and for the entire unit.

D-9. Each user performs PMCS as specified in the appropriate technical manuals. He also troubleshoots problems or failures before requesting assistance from the SA/NA. Each system's software package includes a diagnostic program, which runs when the system is powered up. These diagnostic routines identify failed components and/or open connections. The equipment technical manual contains troubleshooting instructions to be used when diagnostic procedures cannot run or fail to locate the problem.

D-10. The user requests assistance from the unit-level maintainer when he cannot diagnose a problem on his system. The maintainer is skilled in using M&D software and has the equipment needed to check cables and connectors for serviceability. When the maintainer isolates the item (a computer component or cable) which cannot be restored to operation, he prepares it for turn-in to DS maintenance.

D-11. The DS maintenance facility receives the failed item and issues a replacement item to the maintainer. DS maintenance personnel install, inspect, test, and perform DS and GS maintenance on a number of assemblages. These include computers, COTS hardware, and associated equipment. The DS facility either repairs or evacuates the failed item to a supporting maintenance facility for repair. When repaired, the item is returned to the supply room.

D-12. The Army supply system provides support for automated devices. Repair parts stockage is limited because only minimal repairs are performed at the unit level. Self-service supply centers may stock consumables.