Army Leader Development
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D'Echert, B.C. (2010). Five ways OBTE can enable the Army Leader Development Strategy. In: Riccio, G., Diedrich, F., & Cortes, M. (Eds.). An Initiative in Outcomes-Based Training and Education: Implications for an Integrated Approach to Values-Based Requirements (Chapter 15). Fort Meade, MD: U.S. Army Asymmetric Warfare Group. [Cover art by Wordle.net represents word frequency in text.]
Whether applied to unit pre-deployment training, or training in the institutional domain, there is enough evidence of the results of OBTE to state that the benefits are real. Leaders gain confidence in their units, Soldiers gain confidence in themselves. Soldiers are more confident because:
- Having done something with what they learn, they know what they can do
- They are practiced in solving relevant problems, tactical and otherwise
- They know what they must learn
- They understand the value and utility of initiative
- They become accountable for their own performance and as part of a team
From a broader perspective, seeking only to promote adaptability will establish unnecessary limits for what could and should be a much more ambitious goal. Adaptability alone suggests reaction to events that have already occurred, useful to a point. It would be far better to develop Soldiers and leaders with enough training, education and experience to be able to anticipate, and be ready for what might come next.