SSI Significant Activities 20 Sep 2012

SSI Significant Activities (6-19 Oct 12)

A.  Commander’s Summary:

B.  TRADOC Commander’s Priorities.

     1.  Design the Army of 2020.

          a.  Grade Plate reductions.  The AG School Proponent continues to work with the field on impact as the result of proposed grade plate changes across the force to meet targeted reduction requirements by the Army G1.  Final proposals and approved recommendations are expected in November.

         b.  AAA Audit draft response.  The AG School provided comments to a draft of the Army Audit Agency’s report on AG Force Structure and the recommendations for how to best employ future structure.  A VTC is scheduled to receive an out brief at the end of October.

     2.  Leader Development.

         a.  Financial Management Captains’ Career Course 901-12 :

During the fourteenth week of training, 32 students were trained on disbursing (paying agent operations, completing the DD 1081, DD 2665, DD 2657, and SF 1219).  The classes consisted of practical exercises designed to apply knowledge and evaluate problem solving skills.  The week concluded with a comprehensive disbursing test.  During the fifteenth week, students trained on additional disbursing topics (opening and closing a Disbursing Station Symbol Number (DSSN), Limited Depository Account (LDA), resolving irregularities, and conducting central funding activities).  The week ended with student briefs and conducting manual disbursing and utilizing the Deployable Disbursing System (DDS).

          b. Hazing Prevention and Training. The EO Training Proponent Chief participated in a teleconference with the DA Equal Opportunity Training and Policy Chief, TRADOC Representatives, and other individuals from HQs DA staff to discuss the proposed Hazing Prevention and Training brief to the Institutional Training Council of Colonels scheduled for 23 Oct.  Recommendation for training follows 3 distinct lines of effort: 

            -  Revise the training program for EOAs at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) to include hazing prevention;   

            -  Initial, direct  commander led Equal Opportunity training on Hazing Prevention to be completed by 2d quarter FY13 (or 3d Qtr), slide deck to be created that ensures all Army personnel are familiar with the current policy outlined in AR 600-20, Army Command Policy, paragraph 4-20, Hazing.  The slide deck will be located on the Army Training Network Site.  G-1 will collect training completion data;

            -  Incorporate Hazing Prevention in curriculum at IMT and PME.

         c. AGS Dining-In. On 11 October, the AGS conducted a student and cadre dining-in.  Participants included students from three Captains Career Courses and four Basic Officer Leaders Courses, totaling over 250 students. BG David K. MacEwen, SSI Commanding General, was the guest speaker.

     3.  Concepts & Doctrine.

            a. 307^th BSB RCAAT.  The Chief of Proponency attended a Reverse Collection and Analysis Team (RCAAT) meeting via Defense Connect Online hosted by CASCOM on 16 October.  The unit recently returned from operations conducted in Afghanistan and discussed sustainment operations and capabilities provided.  The AG School provides subject matter expertise on HR Support operations which is an integrated part of the Sustainment Warfighting function.

    4.  Training and Education for the Future:

            a. Rapid Action Revision (RAR) of AR 600-20 Lesson Updates. The EO Proponent is updating one common core lesson for OES and NCOES and one lesson plan for the EO Leader’s Course in order to incorporate changes from the RAR of AR 600-20. In conjunction with the Training Development Directorate, the EO Proponent is completing training to allow the input of EO TSPs in the TDC network. The EO Training Proponent is currently performing annual maintenance of the Army Service Specific Training TSPs as well as the EO NET. 

     5.  Army and Joint Training.

              a.  Adjutant General (AG)/Human Resources (HR) Sustainment Course. The "Adjutant General (AG)/Human Resources (HR) Sustainment Course" is now available on the Army Learning Management system (ALMS) for reach back/sustainment training for all Active Army, Reserve Component (RC and NG) military and civilian personnel serving in a Battalion or Brigade S1 position.  Interested personnel can execute a "catalog search" on the ALMS to enroll in and complete the training.

               b. ALM 2015 Site Visit to Fort Huachuca, AZ.  CW5 Pam Johnson (SSI Learning Innovation Officer) and Mr. L.Z. Harrison (Branch Chief of AG Individual Training) visited Fort Huachuca, Az 10-11 Oct 12.  Fort Huachuca is at the vanguard of Army Learning Model (ALM) 2015 implementation, specifically as it relates to product design/redesign and leveraging technology.  The purpose of the visit was to meet with the Learning Innovation Office (LIO) and the Military Intelligence NCO Academy to glean lessons learned, discuss implementation strategies, and to review training and training products.  In support of ALM 2015, Fort Huachuca LIO has committed project managers, instructional designers, developers, and SMEs to collaborate, analyze, and design/redesign existing MI courses.  Equally vital is the Military Intelligence NCOA philosophy about training being hands-on, doctrinally based, and student centered.  The Military Intelligence NCOA on boarding process for instructors is a vital part in the indoctrination.  On boarding exposes instructors to NCOA processes and procedures, such as Staff and Faculty development courses, Instructor Resources Website, and a Student Website with a plethora of tools on self-directed learning.

              c. GFEBS Financials.  The Training Development Directorate’s Financial Management Branch has revised the GFEBS Financials Course and is conducting a joint internal review with the Financial Management School prior to the 29 October 2012 class start.  Five of the eight modules have been internally validated and the remaining three are scheduled to be internally validated no later than 19 October 2012.  Tests are complete, the Blackboard Master is created and 75% complete, the instructor and assistant instructors are identified, and the training schedule and welcome letter have been sent to the students who will attend the class.  All actions will be complete by October 25^th.

                d. Postal Mobile Training Team (MTT).  The F5 Postal MTT course at Fort Hood, Texas started on 9 Oct and will conclude on 16 Nov 2012.  The MTT will train 27 Soldiers, the majority of which are assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 4^th SUS BDE.  Two certified postal instructors, GySgt Merriweather and SFC Grayer, are providing the training.

     6.  Plans and Operations.

a. Faculty Development Phase 1 (FDP1) Class Attendance

The Total Force Integrator for the Financial Management School (FMS), is registering all FMS assigned Drilling Individual Mobilization Augmentees to obtain the entry level instructor certification course as a requirement to teach the Reserve Component (RC) Captains Career Course.  This course is conducted at the Soldier Support Institute by the Staff and Faculty Development and introduces instructors to the “Command and General Staff College Experiential Learning Model,” or ELM.  The ELM serves as the methodology for both lesson plan design as well as the dominant teaching methodology for delivering curriculum.  One of the three assigned RC instructors is attending this class from 15-19 Oct 2012.  The other two instructors will be scheduled at a later date.  Completion of this course will provide our instructors the roadmap for how the Army will transform its training and education system to meet the Army Training and Doctrine Command initiative.

     7.  Capabilities Development Process and Sync.

a. Army FM Transformation.   CDID continues to provide support to the Army FM Transformation Main Exercise (MAINEX), which is scheduled for 16-18 Oct 2012 at Ft. Jackson.  The pros and cons of various Courses of Action (COA) will be discussed by more than 80 SMEs attending the MAINEX.  The Secretary of the Army and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management & Comptroller (ASA (FM&C)), directed a review of Army FM along four lines of operations:

                        1. Processes/Procedures/Policies

                        2. Organizational Constructs

                        3. Workforce Composition

                        4. Technology

     8.  Adapt TRADOC. Nothing Significant.

     9.  Accessions Command Closeout. Nothing Significant.

C.  Other Significant Events.

      1.  Force Design Division (FDD):   Team FDD is actively engaged in the development of FM Optimization COAs; will participate in the MAINEX scheduled for 16-18 Oct 12;  10 Oct, FDD participated in a 20^th SUPCOM VTC with ARCIC FDD to review grade plate review recommendations including those from CMF42 – the proponent relieved 20^th SUPCOM subordinate units from 5 SFC reductions and instead made three SSG reductions, unit accepted trade off and risk went from high to moderate; FDD continues to work with MCCoE to resolve ASCC 5.4 shortfalls in CMF 36;  FDD has provided ARCIC FDD the numbers of spaces CMF36 requires relief for in order to lower its high risk assessment to moderate – CG, TRADOC briefed on CMF36 high risk units 10 Oct; Team FDD continues to work HROC FDU in concert with AGS, concept paper received from AGS and Organizational Design is now being prepared; FDD is currently working with the contracting community in order to re-write its FMSD rules of allocation; lastly, FMTP continues to reside in the FM Domain of the Army Portfolio Management System pending realignment by the Army G4, domains being considered are the Warfighter Mission Area and the Enterprise Information Environment Mission Area.               

         2. Financial Management School Change of Commandant COC) and Retirement Ceremony

The Soldier Support Institute Commanding General hosted the FMS COC, on 19 October.  Colonel Troy A. Clay relinquished his position as the Commandant of the Financial Management School and Chief of the Corps to Colonel Jeffrey C. Powell and was recognized for his 28 years of faithful service upon his retirement.

          3.  AGS Commandant Site Visit. COL Garlick conducted a site visit at Fort Bragg on 10 Oct and met with the FORSCOM G-1 to discuss records accuracy and operational training support. While at Fort Bragg, he visited both the Army Field Band and 82^nd ABN Division Band and was the guest speaker for the Iron Mike Chapter of the AG Regimental Corps Association meeting.

         4.  Army School of Music (ASOM) Site Visit. The ASOM Commandant and Command Sergeant Major completed a trip to Kuwait where they oversaw the transition for the ARCENT Army Band Liaison Officer (LNO), conducted office calls with the ARCENT G1, and conducted a site visit to Kuwait National Guard Band, Camp Samoud, Kuwait City.  The ARCENT Army Band LNO reports to Commandant USASOM, USARCENT G1, and Chief, Army Bands under a MOU.  The LNOs primary responsibilities are to synchronize Army bands operations and theater entertainment, and ensure support for the Full Spectrum of Operations covering troop, command and diplomatic support across the AOR, while also serving as an SME for Commander, USARCENT/CFLCC for all deployed bands operations.  The outgoing LNO is CPT Dae Kim and incoming is MAJ Derrick Shaw.

D.  Significant Challenges. Nothing Significant.

E.  Upcoming Event/s.

    1.  Date: 31 Oct 12              BCTCDP Brief (FTL, KS)

    2.  Date: 31 Oct 12              TRADOC USR SVTC

    3.  Date: 17 Nov 12             Univ of South Carolina Ssalute to the Military Appreciation Day

    4.  Date: 3-5 Dec 12                        Active Shooter/MASCAL Exercise