Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 47

ARMY LEARNING CONCEPT

members eligible for promotion to chief warrant officer
4 and chief warrant officer 5 sends encouraging signals
that instructor duties, performed well, will be rewarded accordingly.15 More important, the combination
of instructionally and operationally astute educators
with knowledgeable, combat-proven senior warrant
officer students makes for a very stimulating learning
environment.
USAWOCC has expanded its problem-solving
events led by facilitators. The military history department conducts staff rides; the international strategic
studies department leads operational environment
studies; the joint, interagency, and multinational operations department leads students in military decision-making process activities; the communications
and management systems department leads program
management studies; and, the leadership and professional development department leads studies of senior
leader ethical dilemmas.
USAWOCC faculty are constantly creating opportunities for students to match their problem-solving
wits against complex, realistic scenarios that require
analysis, synthesis, and defense of methods—incorporating factors of mission analysis. Facilitators focus on
what ALC 2015 describes as “operational adaptability
through critical thinking;” developing a student appreciation of risk and a willingness to adjust to changing
situations based on incoming information.16
Facilitators integrate joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational considerations as well
as cultural factors and mission command into every
department’s curricula. In so doing, they develop in
students a level of adaptability that enables them to
meet the operational demands of their leadership and
staff jobs.

Transition to the Army Learning
Concept 2015 throughout the Army
In general, ALC 2015 was designed to help the
Army develop the adaptive thinkers it needs today and
in the future. The methods of instruction it advocates
are proven by academic research, and its initiatives can
be considered common sense. In fact, implementation
is underway not only at USAWOCC, but at Army
learning institutions across the force.
Some delay in adopting these proven learning
methods likely remains—in institutional settings and
MILITARY REVIEW  November-December 2014

U.S. Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 2 Denver Gillham
performs a preflight inspection 29 August 2013 on the main rotor
of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Simmons Army Airfield, Fort
Bragg, N.C.
(Photo by Timothy Hale, U.S. Army Reserve Command)

in the field. That said, if any Army institutions are not
working toward aligning their content and delivery to
ALC 2015 principles, they are behind the power curve.
The 21st Century Soldier Competencies may not be
common knowledge, or curriculum developers may
not know how to integrate these competencies when
developing expected learner outcomes. However, ALC
2015 reminds us, “The urgency to build a competitive
Army learning model cannot wait until 2015. It must
begin now.”17
Therefore, we encourage all who administer Army
education and training to examine their organizations
and determine if they have improved their programs
over the past few years. At a minimum, the leaders of
these organizations should be providing professional
development opportunities to their faculty so they can
learn to apply effective learning models.
USAWOCC’s transition to ALC 2015 is not yet
complete. We continue to revise our curriculum,
fine-tune our delivery methods, and train our new
instructors. In fact, because the Army’s instructor base
comes from the operational force—made up of
individuals trained or educated primarily on traditional learning models—we expect to be helping new
instructors make the transition for several years.
USAWOCC is building Army warrant officers who
can think critically and help their commanders solve
complex problems. Staying one step ahead of our
adversaries, on the battlefield and in the classroom,
will keep us all Army Strong.
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