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How To Train A Military — Government
How To Train A Military

Training a military force is a proposition unlike the one faced by other civil organisations: It has to prepare people to perform in the chaos and turmoil of battle – even simple tasks like making deliveries or baking bread become very different in the face of artillery fire or roadside bombs. It’s not just about mental pressure and physical discomfort, it is about facing death while doing the mundane and business-as-usual tasks. It is, perhaps, the greatest test of humans and has always been so. As military training has evolved (along with the force it enables), so have the opportunities in technologies such as simulation: are the benefits without bounds, or is there a point that the benefits of simulation tail off? What mix of virtual and physical performance maximises performance? And amongst all of this is the reality of organisational culture, and the cost-effectiveness of training. How much of this training can be outsourced to a commercial provider? What is the optimal amount of training done away from the cauldron of combat, and how much must be exercised under arms and stressing conditions? Answering these questions is crucial if we are to all understand the importance of training in a military force – and how to optimise it to win in the greatest of contests. Listen to the series as we talk to people who think a lot about military training – from the professional soldiers and commanders to the academics who study it, as well as the commercial operators who are increasingly being employed to deliver it.

Copyright: © 2023

Latest Episodes:

Can partnering work in military training? Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

Commercial arrangements with providers of military training are usually transactional: most will have experienced how these arrangements can become strained over time as each party reaches for the contract whenever a change or amendment is needed. Moving away from that idea of a transactional or contractual modality is a shift in culture that requires both parties to embrace some risk. Peter talks to David Hook from Capita about their experiences in running naval training through Team Fisher as part of the Selbourne military training contract: it feels like there is a genuine partnership between the navy and the commercial providers. David explains how that has been achieved and where it is going. It is a compelling story.

Naval training: Putting people first? Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

For decades, navies have crewed the ship 'cos the ship fights (the people – apparently – didn't). According to RAdm Jude Terry, the Royal Navy has changed this: with People as a capability, the focus is on the crew rather than the ship. This reversal of priorities might just change the habit of cutting training budgets each year when money gets tight and 'savings' need to be found. But there is a lot behind this – it has to be more than just a strap line.

So What Did We Learn? Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

This first series of this podcast on military training has taken us from World War One to modern day combat operations, and a glimse into the future. Key take aways have been the continuities felt in militaries when it comes to changing direction - and the lag between decisions and impacts on the training pipeline. It's a classic symptom of the A War/The War paradox, which isn't new but time has not made it any easier on commanders, force designers, or instructors. The balance between live exercises and simulation has also been a constant topic during this season, despite simulation being in use by Western militaries since the 1960s. The part industry can, could and should play today seems to have become a less contentious topic than one might imagine - today's issue revolve more around contracts and priorities. Yet military commanders struggle with the blend of education and training, about priorities, finding time in schedules and what optimising the force means. Training design might be getting much better - and their leaders are incredibly passionate - but questions remain. Season Two is scheduled to start airing in November 2023: we can't wait to share it with you. Thanks for listening.

Best tank on a battlefield? Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

The best tank on the battlefield is determined by the best crew inside it, not the best armour/gun/sights/engine/radios/reliability. That crew need to be well trained, but they also need to be educated so they can make the right decisions during combat where reality rarely replicates even the most exacting training regime. Throughout this series, training and education have been talked about as separate facets of developing the military force. Militaries tend to be ok at training people - particularly in technical skills - even if this is only done to competence rather than excellence. How much and how adequate education is for people at the pointy end of the spear is debateable. Peter talks to Kate Heaton about why this is a nonsensical approach, and how to change the relationship between training and education. It all comes down to how much we value our trainers and instructors.

Fighting and debating Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

Good wartime commanders are very different to those who excel in peace. How do we educate and train people for both roles? What skills are we currently prioritising in future leaders during periods of Professional Military Education, and are they the right ones? These are not oft posed questions in most Western militaries, yet France bucks that trend in having senior officers who seem to be constantly thinking about and showing continued interest in military education. Their PME process is tasked to deliver "Informed decision-makers with critical thinking skills and open mindedness" (just like many other European military academies): but it has an important addendum to the task, "with the capacity to break out of a prescriptive mindset in order to solve any problem". To achieve that, the Ecole de Guerre approaches PME in a different way. Peter talks to Emilie Cleret, Head of the English Studies Department for French Higher Military Education at Ecole de Guerre, about debating, philosophy, culture, and the future of professional military education.

Preparing for 21st Century Combined Arms Battles Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

You must train for war fighting: anything else is a waste of resources. The British Army has been given a clear mission by its chief. Mobilise for a potential fight against Russia in Europe. Soon. Peter talks to Major General Chris Barry, Director Land Warfare Centre in Warminster and it is clear that there is no going back to BAOR processes and procedures: The future of military training is building the ability to be successful in a 21stCentury combined arms battle. Necessarily that includes pretty much every element of an army from logistics, engineers, MPs, and medics, to armoured infantry, aviation, and artillery. And the change depends on many variable factors that have been changed irrecoverably by a myriad of small decisions implemented since the 1990s. Thus, this change is coming from the bottom up – not only wary of history, but also of observations from contemporary conflict, and cognisant of some technology that is available now. Given the mission, waiting for the arrival of big-ticket items (tanks, IFVs, arty, drones, et al) just won't work: that recapitalisation will not have arrived in the given the timeline. So, training a force that is fit to fight (that includes the basics of wearing helmets, signature management, and practiced at digging trenches and foxholes), must get the force to a baseline (mission zero) and add value above that. CTTP is clearly a critical part of that: a keystone that will radically change the gearing of what LWC can deliver. Delaying the decision on CTTP simply doesn't help national security.

Relentless Practice Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

Peter talks to Wilf Owen about how the Israeli Defence Force train, whether you can prioritise kit over training, and the beautification of doctrine. The utility of simulation in training is clear but it is as an addendum to live field training that serves the force best. It is the blend of live and simulated training that delivers greater lethality and readiness, generating experience through relentless practice that puts military forces is the best position to deter and, on orders, defeat adversaries. If there is one thing that comes from this discussion, it is the importance of "Show-by-doing" in everything from credibility to political signalling.

Harder than your worst day in combat Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

The best training many of us experienced has always taken us outside of our comfort zone. For military forces this is of critical importance – you can master personal or section, even company drills well enough in a variety of places, but when you start to operate with different parts of the military you get force integration stresses. These tensions need to be worked out well before you meet an adversary on the battlefield – ideally with a thinking team of professionals acting as a dynamic adversary who will thrash you, while giving you the opportunity to learn, grow and master new skills in extremely testing conditions. It is a big ask – it costs a lot of cash, and uses a huge area of space. More than that, the training itself needs to be conducted by people who really know what they are doing.

One such place in the US National Training Centre at Fort Irwin. It represents the gold standard in unit and formation training globally – and has been doing it since 1980, when it was reopened and now acts as the center for final pre-deployment training for Brigade Combat Teams from the US Army. In this conversation, Peter is joined by Brigadier General Curt Taylor, the Commanding General of NTC and Fort Irwin. His aim, it seems, is to "give you your worst day in combat", before you even leave the United States.

Combat, Training and Culture Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

Different cultures conduct military training and education in very different ways. The Israeli Defence Force might be the gold standard for a mantra of 'Train Hard, Fight Easy': the US Navy during the interwar period experimented with carrier air power to such an extent that it had a mature operating model by the 1940s (one that was instrumental in the outcome of WWII). This culture is not only evident in live military exercises, it is also reinforced by the behaviours during them. In this conversation with Professor Pete Mansoor, the importance of flexibility and adaptability of successful military forces comes to the fore, often developed - to a large extent – during the freeplay periods of live exercises. Simulation certainly has a place, but there are few signs that it can replace high tempo combined arms training events with a decent adversary force.

Credibility is about training people not buying equipment May 30, 2023

Show notes

The capability of a military force is often measured by the equipment it operates. If a cursory examination of combat tells us anything it is that a capable military force is determined by the people in it - and how they operate the kit they have available for the fight they are in. That alone turns the training conundrum on its head; add to that the requirements of trainng a very different generation, and a move from 'training to competency' towards 'training for excellence', and the training and education rhubric starts to get at the root of the underlying issues with military priorities. Turns out this military philosohy in Europe - putting kit before people in priorities - permeates almost every facet of the martial environment. I chatted this through with Tess Butler, CEO of Ruddy Nice and a Director of Fight Club International, and looked for some solutions. It seems that puttng people first (in deeds not speeches) wouldn't cost much cash, but it would change recruitment and retention in a really positive way. More importantly, it would equip our militaries better for the fight tonight, and the fight tomorrow, and be reflected in lethality, readiness, and their ability to effectively deter. Credibility, perhaps, is more about a group of people educated and trained for excellence in the Profession of Arms.

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