This I/ITSEC’s Signature Event offered the opportunity for delegates and exhibitors to gain insights on training readiness priorities and observations from senior DoD leaders. To manage expectations early on, the session did not provide official requirements – yet, significantly, session attendees were able to gain broad insights on common threads and unique developments the US military training enterprises will see into the near future. For brevity, two of the more significant session presentations are summarized below.
In the author’s opinion, the US Marine Corps has made the most progress among the services during the last five years in elevating training and education to a policy priority – and oh, by the way, increasing funding for service learning (training and education).
The Marine Corps continue to elevate learning to a policy priority in recent service documents. Lt Gen Kevin Iams, Commanding General, Training and Education Command, followed up with a progress report on major projects needed to bring Corps training into the 2030s. In one case Project Tripoli will furnish the service with a Live, Virtual, and Constructive Training Environment (LVC-TE) that is persistent, globally available and all-domain. The three-star general then laid the foundation for future Marine Corps training noting the imperative to: rapidly prototype VR and AR; include more AI; obtain new simulations for weapons and weapons platforms; standardize adversary models: and focus on joint and partnering training.
Young Bang, Senior Executive Service, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Training, emphasized digital transformation throughout his presentation. While the civilian official presented the case to enable soldiers to work and operate in a digital environment, he highlighted the importance to train in the environment.
Bang also focused on the Ukraine-Russia War and more recent Israeli-Hamas conflict to offer the necessity to develop training faster to operate and win in a contested, low-signature environment where additional skills in electronic warfare, intelligence and similar specialties will need to be developed.
