Improve your unit training program with Fort Hood resources

Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Coleman Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood Command Sergeant Major
Thursday, June 21, 2012

Training – tough, realistic training – is the most important thing you and your unit can do to be prepared for whatever mission comes your way. With that in mind, I urge all our units on Fort Hood to take a closer look at the resources available to you here at the Great Place in order to accomplish that goal.

The Boaz Military Operations in Urban Terrain Site facility and the House Creek Shoot House are just two of the many opportunities that units here can tap into to provide realistic training for their Soldiers. Right now, both of these facilities are not being used nearly enough.

Make no mistake about it, these facilities are excellent platforms for units to use in developing teamwork and unit cohesion. And, given our experiences from Iraq and Afghanistan, every Soldier, regardless of their military occupational specialty, should experience what it’s like to clear and secure a room.

Units must be creative when developing their training schedule. We can’t count on being able to travel to the National Training Center for our training. We must look at the resources available at home station and ensure that we are doing everything we can do to make those resources work for our units and Soldiers.

That doesn’t mean that units will no longer go to other installations to train, it just means we need to do a better job of using what we have here and be more creative with those resources.

For instance, teamwork within the unit and across the installation could allow for units to establish an opposing force from a different unit for an upcoming training event. This would allow for an outside assessment of how well your unit is performing. Both could meet training objectives, while at the same time create a more realistic environment for the training.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you are trying to develop training that is realistic. The last thing I want to see happen is that a unit goes through the motions of a training event because they don’t have the resources available to make it realistic.

There is no doubt in my mind that III Corps and Fort Hood has the resources your unit needs to ensure your Soldiers are trained and ready. Don’t shy away from taking your training to the next level because you think it’s too hard to do. Talk to your peers and figure out a way to say, “Yes, we can do that,” instead of saying, “No, it’s too hard.”

Again, I urge you to tap into the training resources here at the Great Place and be aggressive in developing realistic training for your unit. Your Soldiers will thank you by being more motivated before, during and after the training event, and your unit will be better prepared to take on any mission.

Phantom Warriors! Army Strong!