Army Warfighters' Forums Can Be Innovative and Successful
Abstract
The U.S. Army fielded Stryker Brigades to fill the void between heavy forces that were quite capable but took a long time to deploy and light infantry forces that could deploy quickly but lacked punch and staying power. Stryker Brigades provide armored mobility and can deploy faster than the heavy mechanized units. The first Stryker Brigade began its conversion in 2000. By 2003, Stryker units were preparing to deploy to Iraq. The comparatively short time between creation and commitment meant that the units had little time to refine their doctrine and warfighting tactics, techniques, and procedures. To help overcome this shortfall, the Army created the Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) Warfighters Forum, a networked and collaborative means of sharing information that leverages modern computer-based technologies to facilitate the exchange of information. The Army is developing additional warfighter forums and asked RAND Arroyo Center to assess how well the SBCT Warfighters Forum works. To make that assessment, Arroyo researchers posed three questions: How satisfied were those who used the forum? Did individuals tactical knowledge increase? Did units proficiency increase with theater-based feedback during a combat training center event? This research brief describes work done by the RAND Arroyo Center and documented in 'Improving Soldier and Unit Effectiveness with the Stryker Brigade Combat Team Warfighters Forum,' by Bryan W. Hallmark and S. Jamie Gayton, TR-919-A, 2011.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA553725
Entities
People
- Jerry Sollinger
Organizations
- RAND Corporation