Positive Transfer of Adaptive Battlefield Thinking Skills

摘要

Over the past decade the U.S. Army has identified an emerging need to train and develop leaders who are more adaptive and capable of responding effectively to a wide range of military operations. In response, the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences has developed the Think Like a Commander (TLAC) training approach that utilizes the principles of deliberate practice to train Army officers in adaptive battlefield thinking. This research demonstrates that the training received in TLAC transfers to other tasks related to battle command, namely the production of a company level Operations Order (OPORD). Specifically, students enrolled in the Armor Captains Career Course who received TLAC training produced better OPORDs than students who did not receive TLAC training but who did engage in traditional tactical decision games. These results reinforce the continued use of TLAC in institutional, self-development, and unit training.