Reflections on Instructing at the Armor School Maneuver Captain Career Course

The Maneuver Captain Career Course (MCCC), Fort Knox, Kentucky, is a 20- week (103 workdays) course attended by armor, infantry, special forces, and a handful of other branch captains from the U. S. Army, U. S. Army National Guard, U. S. Marine Corps, and allied armies. It is one of two MCCCs; the other is held at Fort Benning, Georgia. The course is divided into two phases, company and battalion. These phases are then further split into 12 modules, each approximately 9 days in length. Instruction and learning are almost always conducted in a 15-man small group. This concept of small group collaborative learning, with mentorship provided by the instructor, is nearly identical to that found at the United Kingdom Defence Academy. I had the privilege to be a small group instructor (SGI) for three courses during my time at Fort Knox. This article is primarily intended to be a reflective piece of my time as an instructor at Fort Knox; however, as the last British exchange officer to serve at Fort Knox, I will take this opportunity to make two simple recommendations.1 These recommendations are clearly pla-giarized from the U. S. Army Armor School, but if incorporated, could add value to British army officer training. The first recommendation encourages the British army to combine elements of its Commanding Officer Designate Course, Company Commander Combined Arms Tactics Course, Platoon Commander Battle Course, and Troop Leader Course. The second recommendation suggests the British army review how much time it spends on officer individual training and the environment in which the training is conducted. My experiences as an instructor at the MCCC brought me to realize that the plethora of short pre-employment courses our officers attend provide focused and succinct training; however, they lack the time to create a real adult learning opportunity. This can only be achieved by running longer and wider ranging courses where students interact and learn from one another, as opposed to solely from the instructor. Company phase. During the company phase, students study Combined Arms Center-directed common core subjects, troop leading procedures and company-level tactics.2 Practical exercises (PEs) involve students employing various configurations of a company team, such as light infantry, mechanized infantry, tank, and Stryker, in different operating environments across the full spectrum of conflict. Some of the PEs are set in fictitious Madera (Kentucky); however, a number are set in actual areas where captains have served or might find themselves operating in the future. Particular effort is made to ensure PEs include all elements of the spectrum — offensive, defensive, and stability operations. During this phase, students are constantly assessed on their ability to deliver multiple 1-hour operations order (OPORD) briefings, their contribution to classroom discussions, and performance on tactical exercises without troops (TEWTs) and quizzes held after each module. Recently, more and more emphasis has been placed on the actual application of knowledge, which means executing PEs using simulations. At the 10-week point, captains take amid-term exam and a graded hands-on practical test. Depending on their results, students are either recycled back to the beginning of the course or they progress on to the battalion phase. Battalion phase. During the second part of the course, captains learn the military decisionmaking process (MDMP) and perform duties of a battalion staff, which range from the executive officer to the S6. Again, the PEs are set in different theaters, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Korea, and also use various types of maneuver task forces. The students conduct four MDMP exercises, with the SGI in the role of commander. However, the most noteworthy part of this phase is when a battalion commander (select) from the pre-command course (PCC) takes on the role of task force commander.3 During the second phase, the pressure on students is reduced (assessments tend to be conducted as a group and much of the key learning was covered in the first part of the course); however, significant additional pressures do exist, particularly during the writing and critical-thinking programs.4 Captains are required to submit a decision memo, which addresses a soldier discipline issue, and write a battle analysis paper, as well as an indepth cultural awareness paper. Many students will submit a thesis, which will be considered for publication in one of many professional military journals. The second phase also allows captains a number of opportunities to practice command and address the multitude of command issues they may encounter both in garrison and in theater. The students conduct media training with local journalists; spend time in ethical and moral classes with the chaplain; address discipline issues they are likely to face at the company level; learn about officer and noncommissioned officer report writing and subordinate counseling; plan company and battalion training programs; and are exposed to equipment accounting and company logistics, to name but a few. Also, as an opportunity for leader development, the course pushes students out to visit Reserve Officer Training Corps programs at regional universities and encourages them to plan and conduct a Civil War battle staff ride. As we know, no U. S. Army course overview would be complete without discussing physical training (PT). Compulsory PT is conducted, by small group, 5 days per week at 0600 hours, and organized team sports are played at least once a week. The final PT test results make up 15 percent of the student’s overall performance grade. However, the opportunities provided to practice command are the most impressive. During the Armor Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC), also located at Fort Knox, captains assist in training lieutenants, which they will likely lead in the future. This training ranges from preparing lieutenants for Ranger School to running informal officer professional-development forums. Another noteworthy command practice is that captains have the opportunity to command lieutenants in afield environment during the BOLC’s urban operations exercise and the final field training exercise, known as full-spectrum operations “Gauntlet.” During these exercises, captains command companies from receipt of mission through to execution, and at end of mission, they lead the company after-action review. Simulations. As mentioned above, student assessments are strongly weighted against the quality of their OPORDs, but as new simulation systems become available, there exists a steady shift to make time in the program to actually evaluate student plans to determine their functionality. The MCCC makes use of all onsite assets, such as the close combat tactical trainer (CCTT), equivalent to the British army’s combined arms tactical trainer; the joint conflict and tactical simulation (JCATS); and the virtual battle simulator 2 (VBS2), which is played on the student’sown laptops. Clearly, winning counts and students are given qualitative after-action reviews, but the second-order effect of this training exposes captains to a range of simulation systems they will undoubtedly use in the future (whether directed to do so, or of their own volition) when conducting their company training. The small group. Although the style of instruction is nearly identical to that of the British army, the MCCC conducts far “What is enlightening, and contradictory to what one might expect of such a course, is how much latitude SGIs are allowed in developing their instruction methods. For instance, one of the MCCC modules entails studying the targeting process (decide-detect-deliver-assess). The PE is conducted as a command post exercise, and for 5 days, the task force staff pieces together a jigsaw based on information from its companies.” 38 fewer central lectures than I expected. Around 95 percent of teaching is delivered in a small group setting. Adhering to the experiential learning model, the SGI facilitates learning and, in an ideal world, should be able to extract all knowledge from the student body. However, U. S. captains differ little from British captains, so if students come unprepared (which in fairness is not that often), then the SGI must endeavor to be the subject-matter expert (SME). While it is impossible to be an SME in all areas of the course (the number of U. S. Army Field Manuals is overwhelming alone), this U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRA DOC)-directed model serves as a very effective method of adult learning, partially due to the fact that is impossible to fall asleep in a class of 15. What is enlightening, and contradictory to what one might expect of such a course, is how much latitude SGIs are allowed in developing their instruction methods. For instance, one of the MCCC modules entails studying the targeting process (decide-detect-deliver-assess). The PE is conducted as a command post exercise, and for 5 days, the task force staff pieces together a jigsaw based on information from its companies. The goal is to eliminate chief protagonists from the task force’s area of operations. To visualize this process, one SGI made contact with the local police department and his students were invited to observe the criminal investigations branch during its effort to target local criminal gangs. Another good example of creative instruction methods involved media awareness training. I was fortunate enough to meet some local network TV journalists through one of my students. As a result of this relationship, we conducted televised interviews, and the journalists and Fort Knox press officer provided invaluable debriefs on student techniques. Of course, the U. S. Army is in an enviable position. In states, such as Kentucky, the Army is well respected, thus training assistance from civilian organizations and government departments is plentiful, as well as cost free. Lessons for the British army. There is no doubt that the British army can glean lessons from the U. S. Army Armor School’s MCCC and its junior officer education process. However, if a study solely focused on course material were conducted, it would reveal a stark similarity between the courses taught at the MCCC and the various long and short courses junior British officers are currently attending at British military schools, the Land Warfare Centre, and in army education centers. I depart the MCCC with two primary lessons learned: the benefit of integrating platoon, company, and battalion individual courses; and creating the right environment for adult learning. Multiecheloned training. One of the most striking differences between my experiences as a student in British army professional-development schools and my time as an SGI at the MCCC is the highly praised overlapping and integration of platoon, company, and battalion command courses, which include BOLC, MCCC, and PCC. While it is not TRADOC mandated to train these three courses together, this Armor School initiative is consistently rated by MCCC students as the highlight of the course. Not only does it allow lieutenant colonels (LTCs) and captains (CPTs) to practice with actual subordinates, but during training, LTCs and CPTs collectively echo the same learning points, thereby adding credibility to the teachings of their occasionally maligned cadre of SGIs who clearly do not know what it is like in the real world. Collegiate setting. During my tenure as a SGI, I also realized the benefit of running a longer, wider ranged residential course versus the British army’s very specific pre-employment training courses. The British army held the Junior Command and Staff Course (JCSC) roughly at the same time during a captain’s career. Its purpose was near identical to that of the MCCC, yet it was hugely unpopular and drove some very good quality officers out of the army. However, times and attitudes have changed, and with the right leaders, course design, work-life balance, and healthy instructor-student relationships, the British army would benefit from bringing back together some of the critical elements of the old JCSC. The MCCC supports a permanent change of station (PCS) move for students, with the majority bringing families, which the British army should have to support its families. The end state of such a course is that the junior officer leaves refreshed, but also genuinely, professionally developed. In my opinion, this is almost wholly achieved by spending sufficient time in one school, in an environment where relationships become so strong that virtually every student’sand SGI’s previous operational experiences; tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP); and battle-winning ideas have been shared and debated among the student body or tested using simulations. Coupled with this, the tempo at Fort Knox is set at apace that reflects the professional needs of the U. S. Army, but also pays particular attention to the personal and family needs of the oft battle-exhausted students and their appendages.5 Undeniably, operational tempo, greater needs of the field army, budget constraints, and perhaps even a consensus that current training systems are adequate, outweigh my recommendations. However, during my 2 years at Fort Knox, it became abundantly clear that we must not further modularize army officer education. The collegiate setting works, which is evidenced by our centuries-old universities. Distance and computer-based learning may be an efficient way to conduct some technical aspects of military training; however, adult learning environments, such as the MCCC, are creating a cohort of well-educated, well-motivated, fit, and robust officers, who are ready to assume key staff appointments and company commands throughout the U. S. Army. Notes 1There is also a British Exchange warrant officer at Fort Knox who currently teaches on the Basic Officer Leader Course. 2Many of these are extracted from the Intermediate-Level Education Course (equivalent to ICSC (L)), Fort Leavenworth, and range from “dealing with listening barriers” to “introduction to U. S. Army doctrine.” 3All armor and cavalry PCC lieutenant colonels spend 2 weeks at Fort Knox. Those selected to play task force commander generally attend a mission analysis brief, deliver their commander’s guidance, listen to a course of action (COA) development brief, select a COA, lead delivery of the OPORD, and attend the combined arms rehearsal. 4Interestingly, many of the students rate this as their least favorite part of the course. The general consensus is that as university graduates, they already know how to write. While I do not profess to be a great writer, this article being case in point, this is not so. 5Of the student body of my three courses, only one captain had not deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Of the remaining 42, at least 30 percent had been on two 1-year tours. Major Rupert Greenwood, British Army, wrote this article during his tenure as small group instructor, Maneuver Captain Career Course, Fort Knox, KY. He received a B. S. from the University of the West of England, Bristol, and a postgraduate degree from the University of Malaya. His military education includes the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Junior Command and Staff College-Camberley, and Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College Course. He has served in various command and staff positions, to include squadron leader, the Queen’s Royal Hussars, Germany; chief, G5 plans, 20th Armoured Brigade, Iraq; military assistant to senior British military advisor, Central Command; intelligence analyst, Australian Defence Intelligence Organisation; and squadron leader, Headquarters, the Queen’s Royal Hussars, Germany and Kosovo. 39