The following is a brief discussion on who attends a training meeting and what their roles are:
Attendees will vary depending on the structure of your unit but on average the following personnel should attend the training meeting:
Commander:
Responsible for all training events. Conducts the meeting.
Executive Officer:
Must be prepared to assume duties of the commander and run the meeting. Therefore it is extremely important that the commander and XO communicate effectively on all issues that affect training.
Platoon Leaders/Platoon Sergeants:
Responsible for conducting training assessment and identifying tasks that need training. They must be able to:
- Plan training
- Rehearse the trainers
- Evaluate the squad/section leaders
- Select opportunity training
- Conduct pre-execution checks
- Assure that Warriors are prepared for and attend training
- Conduct platoon training meetings
- Brief the collective task proficiency of their element
First Sergeant: Responsible for:
- Keeping his finger on the pulse of unit training
- Monitoring all facets of Warrior training and battle tasks
- Ensuring substandard training is corrected
- Reviewing training plans
- Checking training execution
- Providing feedback to subordinate leaders
- Mentoring NCOs and Officers in different training methods
- Encouraging an environment that helps leaders to share innovative ways to coach, teach, and train Warriors
- Ensuring unit leaders are enforcing Army standards fairly
- Encouraging the use of training books
- Balancing training between technical and tactical skills
- Ensuring the Warrior ethos is instilled in the unit
- Ensuring pre-execution checks are completed
- Spot checking platoons and squads
- Taking a critical look at all facets of safety operations and pushing this responsibility down to the lowest level
- Encouraging leaders to learn by doing
- Allowing forgivable mistakes
- Mentoring Warriors to improve without degrading them
- Being hands on and out front
- Ensuring that platoon sergeants and leaders are competent in the training they are instructing so that Warriors have confidence in their leaders.
Motor Sergeant/Motor Officer:
- Brings out maintenance-related problems that could conflict with or prevent training.
- Scheduling of all maintenance service should be listed on the training schedule (maintenance means all equipment CBRN, Commo, Weapons, Vehicles, etc).
- Identifies maintenance related trends or problems that could indicate areas that require maintenance training at the operator or leader level.
CBRN NCO:
- Brings out training shortfalls that may exist in the area of CBRN or related problems that could conflict with or prevent training.
- All CBRN maintenance requirements should be identified on the training schedule.
- Identify any issues that may indicate that soldiers or leaders are not properly trained in a specific area relating to CBRN.
Training NCO or Operations NCO:
- Holds a critical position in the unit training program. He can make or break the unit.
- Must be forward-looking and proactive not only in terms of training, but in terms of coordination with the BN S-3 as to what taskers are outstanding and what quarterly events are on the horizon.
- The Company Commander and 1SG depend upon this individual to ensure accuracy of training schedules, coordination with both internal and external elements, and accuracy of records.
- The training NCO must inform the chain of command of issues that may affect training.
- During the training meeting, the training NCO should be able to tell the Commander what elements of training have been completed and what elements are required to ensure a future successful training event (i.e., identify the roadblocks to training).
- Should be able to identify what elements of the unit have not submitted required documents per the unit training SOP. The training NCO should first try to resolve this problem with the platoon sergeant and leader. When this fails, he must raise the flag to the command level for action.
Supply NCO:
Brings out any shortfalls from the supply arena that may interfere with or prevent a successful training event. In addition, all 10% inventories and other major supply activities that require coordination with other elements should be placed on the training schedule. Status of food rations, water, blanks, and other training equipment should also be brought up at this time.
Others as designated by the Commander:
May include section sergeants, dining facility NCO, driver’s training NCO, Commo NCO, etc.
Summary
As you can see proper planning is essential to a well conducted training mission. Everyone needs to know their roles and what is expected of them.
For More Information on this subject see the following resources:
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