An assault on courses? Why the US Army is cutting back distributed learning
The US Army has announced the immediate elimination of approximately 346 hours of Distributed Learning Courses (DLC) that were previously required for officer and NCO education.
The elimination of select DLCs, first announced on social media in mid-May, was subsequently elaborated on via a service ALARACT (All Army Activities) message, issued on 15 May on behalf of Headquarters Department of the Army G-3/5/7... Continues below
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Above: While much NCO and officer leadership training and professional development can be carried out in the field or in classrooms, up to now the US Army has also seen distributed learning as a key element. (Photo: US Army)
Explaining the specific impacts for both NCOs and commissioned officers, the ALARACT confirmed the termination of six separate courses totalling 253 hours or 31 days of learning.
The identified courses were originally established in 2010 under the designation of Structured Self Development (SSD). At the time, this was envisaged as bridging ‘the operational and institutional domains of Army training for enlisted Soldiers and sets conditions for continuous growth. From [Private] E-1 to [Sergeant Major] E-9, SSD will ensure learning is continuous and enduring, not sporadic and transitory.’
SSD was promoted as required learning that would continue throughout a soldier's career, closely linked to classroom courses under the NCO Education System and coordinated with hands-on experience and training at unit level, setting the conditions for ‘continuous growth as a warrior and a warrior leader’.
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This would ‘build knowledge and skills through a defined sequence of learning approaches with the assistance of formal education and experiential learning’.
The delivery method was online and self-paced with different blocks organised by rank and position. SSD I, for example, which was designed for soldiers between ‘basic training’ and the ‘Warrior Leader Course’, was slated for implementation on 1 October 2010. Subsequent courses were introduced through May 2011.
Current DLC modules were developed and updated in 2017 and fielded in 2019 as a prerequisite for resident Professional Military Education (PME) courses as part of the Select, Train, Educate and Promote policy within the NCO Professional Development System.
According to the army, elimination of the DLC requirements stems from Army Chief of Staff guidance issued in October last that directed US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to ‘present options to eliminate and/or significantly reduce online training requirements prior to (resident) PME’.
This initiated a comprehensive review of all Distributed Learning Prerequisite (DL-P) requirements across the TRADOC enterprise. DL-P is the distributed learning required of soldiers prior to acceptance and attendance of a PME Course.
After careful consideration and analysis, the army found that there would be little to no negative impact to resident NCO PME learning outcomes if all six levels of the DLC were discontinued, the service concluded.
In addition to NCO reductions, the ALARACT announcement eliminates a total of 93 hours, or 12 days, of DLC for commissioned officers, in the form of Captains Career Course (75 hours) and Command and General Staff Officers’ Course (18 hours).
DLC elimination in the latter, as an example, removes a course identified as ‘P920’, which included five lessons and online tests on symbology, doctrine, organization, logistics and the military decision-making process, which were previously identified as designed to prepare the student for resident instruction block on Joint and Army Doctrine.
The announcement concluded with a broad emphasis on training, noting: ‘Due to the importance of training, the army will continue to schedule soldiers and NCOs for their requisite PME course. Leaders across the army have an inherent role and responsibility to ensure development and training of our soldiers. Leader development is a time-intensive process, and the product of that investment is a competent NCO Corps that is fit to lead in combat.’
Above: The army is convinced it can continue to offer the same level of training without the DLC element, but many involved have expressed dissatisfaction at the move. (Photo: US Army)
Interestingly, while the army highlighted the action for efficiencies in continuing to build the army of 2030-2040, the DLC process appears to have had ancillary benefits toward recruitment and retention, with army plans to release an Exception to Policy allowing continued service for soldiers who have not completed required SSD/DLC training and opening the potential for reenlistment or reclassification of over 14,000 regular army soldiers as of March.
As might be expected, the DLC elimination announcement drew many immediate comments on social media platforms, ranging from reports of ‘extreme displeasure’ on the part of those who recently spent time completing the course blocks to those who were glad they had postponed starting that process.
Significantly, the ALARACT announcement notes that examinations for DLC continue and that the remaining DL-P Hours in several courses will be evaluated to identify additional reductions and mitigation no later than 1 Oct 2024.
While the army has clearly run its numbers on this, anything that can be seen as reducing professional development opportunities in a force facing long-term recruitment and retention issues should not be taken lightly. While some in the service will perhaps welcome the time they get back by not having to complete DLC, others may be wondering if further cuts in their learning opportunities are in the pipeline.
Other articles in this newsletter:
Safer skies? How US Army aviation training aims to fix the service’s accident rate problem
How US marines and sailors are training for humanitarian assistance
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