Joint Engineer Training

U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center

and Fort Leonard Wood (FLW)

Society of American Military Engineer (SAME)

Missouri River and TEXOMA Regional Education and Training Conference
&
rd
3 Annual Joint Engineer NCO Symposium
Fort Leonard Wood, MO
3-5 October 2006

Agenda
Introduction
Interservice Training Review Organization (ITRO) Overview
Engineer ITRO Training Sites
FLW ITRO Objectives/Normandy Training Area 244 (TA 244)
ITRO Lessons learned
Joint Engineer Officer Course
Conclusion

ITRO Overview
ITRO was mandated by Congress in 1993 and
implemented in 1994.
ITROs mission is to achieve training efficiencies
through consolidation or co-location of common
training among the services.
ITROs goal is the elimination of unnecessary
duplication and training redundancy without
negatively impacting on training quality.
ITRO impacted many Engineer Military
Occupational Specialty starting in 1994.
4

Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (Army)

Engineer Diver (Phase I) (FTX in Phase II) Army
Technical Engineering Specialist All svcs
Construction Equipment Repairer USMC and Army
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (Army)
Heavy Construction Equipment Operator All svcs
General Construction Equipment Operator USAF/Army unique
Concrete and Asphalt Equipment Operator USAF /Army unique

Engineer ITRO Training Sites

Ft Belvoir, Virginia (Army)
Geodetic Survey
Topographic Analyst
Lithographer
USMC and Army
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
(USMC)
Urban Mobility Breachers Course
(Phase II - Diver) USMC and Army

**Goodfellow AFB, TX
Fire Fighters
USMC, Navy, USAF and Army

Panama City, Florida (Navy)

(Phase II - Diver) Navy and Army

Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas

Plumbing Specialist
Electric Power Line Specialist
Navy, USAF and Army
ITRO COURSES SUPPORTED BY USAMPS
Military Working Dog (owned by AF;
located at Lackland, AFB) USMC, USAF and
Army
Legend: Location (Host)/Type of
training/Service trained

Gulfport, Mississippi (Navy)

Carpentry and Masonry Specialist
Navy, USAF and Army

FLW ENGINEER ITRO Objectives

A. Execute training to the spirit and letter of the agreement
with our ITRO Services.
B. Make ITRO training more relevant to the current joint
Contemporary Operational Environment and lay the
foundation for a more integrated training experience.
C. ITRO Focus:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Establish processes and systems in ITRO by which we can prepare the way for the
future, in light of the current joint tactical nature of GWOT, OIF, OEF.
Assess joint efforts in combat to create an effective and efficient organization and
system of training.
Modernize equipment and Program of Instructions.
Recommend equipment commonality strategies.
Establish a Strategic Alliance of Equipment, Schedule, Terminology, Deployment
Packaging, etc..

FLW Normandy Training Area 244 - ITRO Disposition

ARMY
Unique

N
ARMY Unique

ARMY
Unique

ITRO
Loader

Loader

(AF/NAVY/ARMY)

ITRO
Graders

ARMY
Unique

ARMY Unique

(ALL SVCs)

Scraper
USN
Unique
AF Unique

AF Unique

ITRO
Construction
Equipment
Repairer
(ARMY/USMC)

USMC
Unique

ITRO
Dozer
(ALL SVCs)

USMC
Unique

FLW USAF
ITRO Lessons Learned
Teaching techniques between individual services are
relatively similar, but learning philosophy differs
ITRO SOP is a mixture of the different rules and
techniques presented by the various services, so
everyone is equally represented
Instructor rewards
Knowing that we are sending out equally proficient,
quality troops to all branches of the military
Competing amongst all services for Instructor of the
Month/Quarter/Year adds to the prominence of the
recognition

FLW US NAVY
ITRO Lessons Learned
Great job with consolidated ITRO training at Brown Hall for our
Engineering Aids (21T). Awesome support and working relationship with
the sister services.
The Navy is looking to conduct more joint training as a result of the 21
Super E CRB. During the Nov 06 RRA, we are interested in performing
more joint training with Excavators, Backhoes, and Earthworks phases in
addition to the three phases we currently participate in.
As always, the Navy is working to improve our current licensing program.
Possibly implement a NCF (Naval Construction Force) training license
and issue to the students with hours trained on the back of them. This
would reduce admin time significantly with a valid training license on
each piece they trained on in school. Why re-invent the wheel when we
can learn from our sister services.
The way ahead, look for opportunities to conduct additional joint training.

FLW USMC
ITRO Lessons Learned
Over the years since the start of ITRO we have found that consolidation
works very well for some of the entry level courses.
The Engineer Assistant course and Engineer Equipment Repairer course
are examples of consolidated training that meets the needs of all services
involved.
Our Basic Engineer Equipment Operators Course over the years has
become more co-located than consolidated due to service specific
equipment, service specific missions as well as the Marine Corps
Licensing Program.
Over all the ITRO Goal is still met regardless of whether the training is
consolidated or co-located. We are all still sharing resources without
degrading service specific training requirements.

10

FLW US ARMY
ITRO Lessons Learned
FLW has allowed for a constant dialogue between services; which has
reinforced the understanding of other service requirements and capabilities.
A Strategic Alliance of Equipment, Schedule, Terminology, Deployment
Packaging, etc. is needed in order to better leverage each services unique
capabilities.
Dissimilar equipment causes ITRO collocated training vs consolidated.
Curriculum Review Boards (CRB) have been a good vehicle to increase joint
training (e.g. CRB for 21S/T consolidation will result in increased consolidated
training).
Army students should attend the full Program of Instruction at Naval
Construction Training Center (Gulfport 21W Carpentry and Masonry Specialist
) and Sheppard AFB (21K - Plumber) to give the field the best trained Soldiers
possible.

11

Joint Engineer Officer Course

(JEOC)
Mr. Bob McFarland
C2 Technologies, Inc.
robert.mcfarland@wood.army.mil
573-563-5402

12

PURPOSE
Provide the SAME a progress update
on Joint Engineer Training through
the JEOC initiative.

13

AGENDA

JEOC Overview
Distributed Learning (dL) Phase
Resident Phase
Student Selection
Pilot #1 Feedback
Way Ahead

14

JEOC
Why A Joint Engineer Course?

We continue to improve joint professional military education to provide more joint

experiences, education and training to warfighters junior and senior officers and
noncommissioned officers. At the senior officer level, a modified capstone course will
increase the emphasis on jointness while preparing senior officers to lead joint task
forces and other joint operations. For junior officers and noncommissioned
officers, incorporating joint education and training early in their careers ensures
future leaders will more effectively integrate tactical operations with interagency
and multinational components. National Military Strategy of the United States of
America 2004. A Strategy for Today; A Vision for Tomorrow.

Early planning efforts within the C7 were hampered by a lack of knowledge of

capabilities, requirements, and limitations of other services and coalition engineer
forces, particularly among junior members of the staff. Action officers are often junior
field grade or company grade officers who do not have sufficient joint engineer
education or experience to be effective at the beginning of their assignment. (An after
action review comment from OIF as quoted in Engineer January-March 2004)

15

Engineer Capabilities Study

Commissioned by the Joint Staff
J-4 Engineer Division
Report Published Sept 2002
Identified Key Capability Gaps
Recommendations (22 total)

16

Joint Operational Engineer Board

In Response to the Study, the Joint Operational Engineer Board (JOEB) was Formed

Chaired by the JS J-4

Service Engineer GO/FOs

Joint Staff Engineer

Combatant Command Engineers

Meets Quarterly
Four Working Groups

Engineer Doctrine & Training (DTWG) Air Force

JP 3-34/4-04 Consolidation
Joint Engineer Officer Course (JEOC)

Capabilities (CWG) Army

Modularization of Engineer Forces

Interoperability (IWG) Navy

Joint Engineer Planning & Execution System JEPES 7 (JFCOM)
Standardization of Beddown

Transformation (TWG) USJFCOM

Future Joint Engineer Force

17

JEOC

Target Students: Senior Company Grade and Junior Field Grade Engineer
officers, selected NCOs and Civilians
Concept: Understand and be able to integrate engineer capabilities across the
spectrum of operations to ensure support of the Joint Force Commanders
engineer requirements and accomplishment of the Joint mission.
End State Competencies:
Describe Joint Operations, Joint Warfare and the Joint Planning System.
Describe, comprehend, apply Joint Engineer Doctrine.
Describe, comprehend, apply Joint Engineer Planning using scenarios,
historical examples, case studies, practical exercises.
Describe, comprehend Service Engineer Capabilities and Support
Requirements.
Describe, comprehend and apply the strengths, effects, and
basic doctrinal employment concepts of Service Engineers.
Describe, comprehend, apply employment principles for using Service
engineer capabilities to support Joint and Service Engineer requirements.

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JEOC
dL Phase Modules
FLW LLC - LMS Blackboard
Student requires AKO account
Approx 8 weeks to finish

Module A U.S. National Strategy

Module B Joint Operations Planning
Module C Joint Engineer Capabilities
Module D JTF Engineer Organization
Module E Joint Engineer Theater Operations
Module F Joint Engineer Contingency Operations
Module G Resident Phase Read Ahead Materials

Total = 40-48 hours

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JEOC
Resident Phase Seminars
Small Group Seminars 1:15
Some 1:45 classroom instruction

Seminar 1 Introduction/Road To War

Seminar 2 Service Engineer Capabilities
Seminar 3 JTF Engineer Operations, B2C2WGs
Seminar 4 5 Joint Engineer Theater Operations 1 and 2: Combat
Engineering; Reconstruction Engineering; SME Presentations
Seminar 6 Joint Engineer Theater Operations (Base Camp Planning)
Other:
GO/FO Seminar
COCOM Engineer Seminar
SME Discussions
Contracting and CAP
Funding
Environmental

AAR

Total = 3240 hours

20

JEOC
Student Selection
Target Audience: AC and RC Engineer Officers; Senior 03 and 04;
possibly 05-06; selected civilians; select E7-E9
Quotas proportional to Service Joint Population
3 Bands administered by Services to identify quota
Band 1 = Assigned to a JTF, COCOM, Component Cmd
Band 2 = Staff officer tasked to stand up a JTF
Band 3 = 03s preparing to join a prospective JTF HQ; all
others
By Service for Band 1 as of 9-27-05 and reported to JS-J4 =
population of 174 possible students; Goal of 45 per class:
USA = 21; USN = 7; USMC = 1; USAF = 16

21

JEOC
Pilot Course #1 (April-June) Feedback
Pilot Intent was met - Successful first Pilot!
51 students registered in dL Phase
35 students attended the Resident Phase (19-23 June @FLW)
7 05; 14 04; 7 03; 1 CW3; 4 SNCO; 2 Civ
Four Services represented
Comments reflected rank and experience
Great desire to understand each services engineer forces
Interaction among engineers was course highlight!
Facilitator/Mentors are key to success
Facilitators need to have JTF Ops experience
Facilitator/Mentors must be available from dL day 1
16 students volunteered to return as Facilitators/SMEs!

22

JEOC
Way Ahead
Build on Pilot #1 success and upgrade dL courseware and Resident Phase PEs
based on feedback (ongoing)

JEOC Pilot Course #2 Oct-Dec 06

Distributed Learning (dL) Phase open to students on 10 Oct via FLW LLC LMS
Resident Phase 4-8 Dec at FLW
Development funding for FY07 = $450K
Working with the JS-J4 and JFCOM for sustainment funding for FY08 and
beyond

Facilitators: 3 to 4 - identified by Services

Students: 45 - identified by Services 03-05 + Sr NCOs + Civs

23

JEOC
Way Ahead cont.
Upon completion of the Pilot Course(s), the Joint Engineer Community will have:

a viable Joint Engineer Officer Course with the appropriate course content (dL
and Resident)

a joint course specifically designed for the target audience of senior 03s,
junior 04s and selected senior noncommissioned officers at the rank of senior
E-7 through E-9

a joint course focused on preparing the target audience for duty with a JTF
Engineer Cell

a joint course designed and developed by the Joint Engineer Community

a joint course vetted by the Joint Engineer Community

24

Conclusion

ITRO is key to success as we transform & fight as a joint force.

ITRO enables us to leverage each services unique capabilities.
Our sister services bring a different (joint) perspective to the table.
Shared operational experience is one of the most valuable tools we
gain from ITRO, as well as an understanding of joint forces doctrine.

25

Technical Tour of FLW ITRO

Normandy Training Area 244
1500-1700, 4 October 06
U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center
and Fort Leonard Wood

26

Timeline for tour: (4 Oct 06)

1500 1510 Enroute to Bldg 5050, TA244
1510 1530 ITRO Site Visit (Dozer)
1535 1555 ITRO Site Visit (Graders)
1600 1620 ITRO Site Visit (Loaders)
1625 1645 ITRO Site Visit
(Constr Equip Repairer)
1650 1700 Enroute to Pershing Club

ITRO
Graders

ARMY
Unique
Scraper

ARMY
Unique
HYEX

ARMY Unique
Tractor Trailer

ITRO
Loader
(AF/NAVY/ARMY)

Loader

Tech Tour: Normandy Training Area 244

ARMY
Unique
Backhoe

ARMY Unique
Cranes

(ALL SVCs)

Scraper

ITRO
Construction
Equipment
Repairer
(ARMY/USMC)

USN
Unique

Bldg
5050

AF Unique

AF Unique
Legend:
= Tour Route

ITRO
4)

= Stops (1-

ITRO
Dozer

USMC
Unique

(ALL SVCs)

USMC
Unique

27