If there were two things that I would do to develop that ability, it would be to 1) do more table top, TWTs, or PLANEX’s and 2) more local force-on-force training. I think we did a lot of the major training a unit has to do (tables, STX) all built around checking the boxes for the unit to goto NTC. For the first one, I think staff gets wrapped around either doing the day to day “garrison” tasks we have to do, the weekly FRAGO, stuff we always see. Then when the field is coming, they ramp up to do some actual MDMP to get the BN to the field and do not focus on doing the process well, but just getting it done. Again, just an opinion from what I saw. If a BN did a biweekly, even monthly, 2-day planex working off of some old BDE order or one that the MTC can build for you, I think that the constant rotation of officers and NCOs into the shops would then have always had some sort of planning training before getting sent to the field or participating in a larger BDE FTX or CTC rotation. I know when I was on staff, if we had not done a table top staff exercise, I would have been lost in how I fit into the operations process in the field.

For force on force training, pretty self explanatory. Two companies training against each other enables them to develop their ability to execute mission command from the CDRs Intent against a real and similarly determined unit. Plus it allows you to train both offensive, defensive and stability tasks while not really requiring a whole lot of sustainment requirements. That could be a simple week long exercise post- CO FTX to solidify that team. Plus it may breed some rivalry, which can always be healthy.

Another thing to do is better reading groups. I have seen LPDs focus on books that a CDR hates to read along with all the other things to do. Maybe just a 5-page article about something from Military Review and then a significant focus on discussion makes it much easier. Perhaps that’s too simple for higher level leaders, I am not sure.