United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1999-09-17 monographic deposited born digital 55 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-99-210 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210 P0b002ee1803a597c f:ns99210 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210 NSIAD-99-210 Combat readiness Army supplies Military training Army personnel Data collection Army Training and Evaluation Program Army Training and Doctrine Command Remedial Action Program Letter Report NSIAD Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the training provided to active Army units at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California, the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and the Combat Maneuver Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany, focusing on: (1) whether units training at the centers are adequately prepared for the exercises; (2) whether training exercises are realistic in terms of expected battlefield conditions; (3) whether pre-positioned equipment adequately supports the training mission; (4) how units use lessons learned at the centers; and (5) how the Army uses the results of the exercises to help revise training and improve the Army's training doctrine.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) although the majority of units that trained at the Army's combat training centers in 1998 favorably assessed their training, neither the Army nor individual units are achieving the full benefits of this training; (2) this is because: (a) many units are arriving ill prepared for the exercises; (b) training is not as realistic as it could be; (c) the condition and age of pre-positioned equipment has adversely affected training at two centers; and (d) neither individual units nor the Army itself is able to effectively capitalize on lessons learned from the centers' exercises; (3) personnel shortages, turnover, and high operating tempo have adversely affected units' ability to prepare for their rotations to the centers, and as a result, units are arriving ill prepared to engage in the exercises; (4) in February 1999, Army Forces Command issued new guidance that requires unit commanders to establish training "gates" at their home stations to gauge whether their units are prepared to move to more complex training levels, including training center exercises; (5) since the guidance does not address the causes of insufficient preparation, strict adherence to the guidance may simply serve to exclude some units from valuable training center experiences; (6) because units lack proficiency at the battalion level, the centers routinely modify conditions in ways that provide less challenging and thereby less realistic scenarios than might be encountered on a real battlefield; (7) by limiting conditions and not accurately portraying current and future threats, the training centers undermine realism and limit the value of training exercises; (8) the poor condition and age of some pre-positioned equipment at NTC and JRTC further degrade training; (9) as of July 1999, the Army was considering various alternatives to improve pre-positioned equipment at NTC; (10) commanders cannot take full advantage of the lessons learned at the centers due to ineffective take-home materials, a lack of training opportunities once they return home, and personnel turnover that prevents them from attending to the identified weaknesses; (11) although the centers have collected large amounts of data, the Army has never standardized data collection and therefore cannot combine information to assess trends; and (12) consequently, the Army cannot take full advantage of its lessons learned and does not know the extent to which center exercises are improving unit and leader proficiency. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210.pdf GAO/NSIAD-99-210 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-210 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-99-210; Military Readiness: Full Training Benefits From Army's; Combat readiness Army supplies Military training Army personnel Data collection Army Training and Evaluation Program Army Training and Doctrine Command Remedial Action Program