TRADOC to discuss building Army professionals at AUSA annual meeting | Article

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va – The annual Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting will take place on Oct. 14-16, 2024, with the theme, “Transforming for a Complex World.” This year’s theme covers an array of important topics to ensure a combat-ready and lethal force.

The focus on professional Soldier development and training modernization also fit into U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s mission to develop leaders and shape the future force.

On Oct. 16, Gen. Gary Brito, TRADOC commanding general; Sgt. 1st Class Leyton Summerlin, Harding Project deputy director and special assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army; and Corie Weathers, licensed professional counselor and clinical advisor on military morale and leadership, will participate in a Contemporary Military Forum panel discussion on building Army professionals through the 3 Cs of the Army Profession — character, competence and commitment.

The panel will discuss TRADOC’s efforts to help the Army build competent Soldiers through mentorship, career-long development and improved systems of accountability.

As the Army’s focus shifts from counterinsurgency operations to large-scale combat operations, Brito urges a greater emphasis on teaching young leaders how to “master the basics.”

Brito stated at the AUSA Global Force Symposium back in March that a key element to strengthening the Army profession is never compromising on warfighting capabilities and “being really brilliant at the basics,” suggesting that developing a Soldier’s foundational life skills is just as important as developing their warfighting skills.

This shift in focus supports Brito’s intent for TRADOC to become more “adaptive, responsive and efficient,” focusing on foundational skills training and knowledge development to drive change in support of the Army’s goal of continuous transformation.

Panelists will further discuss what “mastering the basics” looks like, and what skills they believe will remain relevant or what will need to be added to maintain a ready and lethal force in this ever-changing operational environment.

The “Our Army Profession” CMF will be livestreamed on the TRADOC Facebook page on Oct. 16 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.