The Army's Training Revolution, 1973-1990: An Overview. TRADOC Historical Study Series.

The U.S. Army's readiness to carry out its wartime missions is measured in terms of personnel, materiel, and training. Military training is critical because combat readiness has remained the ultimate goal. Between 1973 and 1990, a training revolution occurred in response to a new political doctrine, increasingly sophisticated weapon systems, advancing technology, and changes in the makeup of the training base. Six phases of leadership contributed to the modernization of training. After the establishment of the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in 1973, two new training approaches were begun: the Army Training and Evaluation Program and the Skill Qualification Test. In the late 1970s, several evaluation studies resulted in the Military Qualification Standards to standardize commissioning criteria and in improvements in the initial entry training system. During the third phase in the early 1980s, a National Training Center was developed and a master plan was formulated for uniting training programs for all types of personnel under the Combat Training Center. The late 1980s saw a focus on training of reserve units, planning for the Army of the future, and the introduction of a training doctrine manual and a training management manual. (The appendix consists of the following: lists of TRADOC commanding generals, deputy commanding generals for training, and deputy chiefs of staff for training; a glossary; and an index.) (NLA)