Army Training

Commanders Lack Guidance and Training for Effective Use of Simulations Gao ID: NSIAD-93-211 August 23, 1993

The field training exercises the Army has traditionally used to prepare its forces for combat are becoming increasingly difficult to stage. Funding for the ammunition, fuel, and maintenance needed for these exercises has been cut, and environmental concerns now restrict the use of ranges and maneuver areas. In response, the Army is turning to simulations to supplement field training exercises. The Army projects that it will spend upwards of $1 billion on simulations during the next five years. The Army recently developed a training strategy that incorporates the use of simulations, but GAO concludes that it will not provide unit commanders with the detailed guidance they will need to use the simulations most effectively. In the past, the Army has used unapproved and modified simulations that ran the risk of not reflecting actual weapons capabilities and battle tactics. The Army beefed up its controls in 1992, a move that should ensure that only approved simulations are developed and purchased.

GAO found that: (1) although the Army has developed a strategy to incorporate simulations into its training programs, it lacks adequate guidance for unit commanders to plan the most effective use of simulations; (2) the strategy does not identify which simulations apply to the units' specific wartime tasks; (3) the Army Training and Doctrine Command's (TRADOC) professional development courses do not contain sufficient information on the availability and applicability of simulations; (4) TRADOC courses do not train officers on the use of simulations they are likely to encounter during their unit assignments; (5) unit commanders' training guidance varies widely and is directly related to the availability of field training resources; and (6) the Army has strengthened controls to ensure that only approved simulations are developed, acquired, and used in training programs.

Recommendations

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