TRAINING
Notes from the Chief of Staff of the Army: How to Train--The Value of the After Action Review
"Training begins when the commander of a unit makes his analysis of the wartime missions of his unit: what it must do, how it must do it, and with which resources.
"This analysis forms the basis for the next step: the commander's assessment of the unit's ability to perform the specific tasks derived from the wartime mission. Typical indicators are readiness reports, results of previous inspection, and evaluations of past training.
"The unit's demonstrated ability to perform the specific tasks associated with the wartime mission provides the basis for the selection of the tasks, conditions, and standards which constitute the unit's training objectives.
"Finally, the effectiveness of the training is addressed in after action reviews, in which the unit members collectively assess their success in meeting the prescribed training objectives. These reviews are the key element of the feedback process that then folds back into the training cycle as the commander reassesses what must be done next. If training is conceived this way, it provides a purpose which then drives everything else--planning, administration, and execution. Above all, training must strive for a predetermined standard of both individual and unit excellence. This is not only the key to fulfilling the mission, but it is crucial if we are to recruit and retain quality soldiers. Leaders in both the active and reserve components have to seize every opportunity to train with a purpose and maximize the value of every precious minute that those opportunities give us. This is the essence of FM 25-100."
"The function of these reviews (AARs) is to provide the critical feedback loop which assesses how well the specified training objectives of the unit were met, what improvements still need to be made, and what objectives the unit ought to attain during the next training cycle. In order to be effective, the AAR has to be done on-site as soon as possible after the training has been concluded, it should be done orally, and it should be a freewheeling give-and-take in which soldiers candidly discuss their performance and lessons learned. This is an effective way to summarize and communicate what happens next time. Since the AAR is such an effective tool in the learning, I want to be sure that we are doing everything possible to bring it to the attention of our unit commanders and those who assist them in planning unit training. I encourage the use of FC 25-20, A Leader's Guide to After Action Reviews."
Carl
E. Vuono
General,
United States Army
Chief
of Staff
Table
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Preface
Intelligence
and Electronic Warfare
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