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Without close examination and monitoring, Army culture may evolve in a direction that is both unwanted and counterproductive to developing future leaders. By implementing some or all of the ATLDP recommendations, the Army can take charge of its culture and create a warfighter environment for routinely training soldiers and growing leaders.
"Go Army, Beat Navy!"
"My Other Car is a Porsche"
"If You Can Read This, You Are Following Too Close"
"Airline Pilots on Strike"
"My Kid is an Honor Roll Student at Patton Junior High"
"I Brake for Animals"
YOU SEE THEM EVERYDAY. People plaster their car bumpers with stickers. They hang logo flags on their porches. They walk in picket lines holding signs. They confront police barricades shouting protest slogans. And they skillfully use the 15-second sound bite on "CNN." What are they doing? The answer is simple; they are sending messages. Their messages reflect their beliefs.
In the Army, our actions also speak to our beliefs. In fact, they speak volumes. Our actions, policies and practices let our soldiers, civilians and family members know what the Army values. It does not matter if we believe in locking in our training six weeks out if our practice is to routinely change the training schedule at the last minute. Our soldiers will not believe us if we do not practice what we say. We tell cadets and officer candidates they will lead soldiers when they join the Army, and they believe us. When we move platoon leaders out of their leadership positions quickly into staff jobs, our practice sends a different message. When our practice is not consistent with soldier beliefs, what message are we sending?
We are transforming to a more strategically responsive force that is dominant at every point on the operational spectrum. The Army Vision guiding this transformation has three component parts: Readiness, Transformation and People. As we started down this Transformation path, we began by addressing doctrine, organizational structure and materiel with the Transformation Campaign Plan. In June 2000, the Chief of Staff, United States Army, (CSA) chartered the Army Training and Leader Development Panel (ATLDP) to look specifically at training and leader development as part of the Army's Transformation Campaign Plan. For three months, the panel conducted exhaustive...