Soldier and Unit Adaptability

Abstract

The strategic operating environment that the United States Army operates in today can be characterized as uncertain, with an enemy that is asymmetric. The Army's engagement in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom requires leaders and units at all levels to be able to adapt to ever-changing circumstances on the ground. This ability to adapt to changing circumstances on a daily basis will allow units to survive and even thrive on this new battlefield. This paper assesses the Army's training for adaptability at junior and senior leadership levels and discusses how this adaptability helps to create adaptable units. Specifically, the paper discusses the requirement for adaptability and its definition, the current and future operating environment, historical examples of adaptability by the British Army and German Army between World Wars I and II, the status of adaptability training in the U.S. Army today, and the ARFORGEN Model. In conclusion, the author recommends changes to the way the Army trains Soldiers and units to ensure that they are able to adapt.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA469130

Entities

People

  • Steven A. Shapiro

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Adaptive Training
  • Attrition
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Instructors
  • Iraqi-War
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • Second World War
  • Standards
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.
  • Systems Analysis and Design