19K/19D OSUT field surveys, shaping the armor and cavalry force - Driver's Seat

Greetings from the Home of the Mounted Warriors; I am glad to report that Fort Knox is doing well and we are as busy as ever.

During my travels out to the force, I am continually asked about the quality of soldiers that we send to the field. My answer is that Fort Knox is dedicated to providing our divisions with trained soldiers. But, all leaders must understand that the training really begins once the new soldiers arrive to YOU!!! When I arrived at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1975, I was not a 100-percent trained fighting machine--I was a young soldier who needed guidance and training. I will never forger SFC Rutherford (War Daddy), who made me feel like I was a part of a team and gave me a training program from day one. So as we all can see, a soldier's training starts the moment he enters basic training and never ends.

You can help ensure young soldiers get the training necessary to become trained fighting machines by completing a simple field survey. To provide specific guidance on the 2003 Fort Knox Field Survey at www.knox.army. mil/survey/OSUTsurvey, we have asked Captain Joshua Keena from the 1st Armored Training Brigade to educate us:

It is 0200 hours on the multipurpose range complex. After issuing the tire command and hearing your gunner yell "on the way," you look carefully through your sight to observe the target. Before the aft-cap hits the floor, the target lowers. What do you do? You provide feedback to the crew, "Target, cease tire." Based on the information you provide, the tank crew springs into action. The driver prepares to back up; the loader sets up the breech for another round, and the gunner and tank commander breathe a sigh of relief.

The 1st Armor Training Brigade (ATB) at Fort Knox depends on feedback from soldiers and leaders in the force to ensure that the scouts and tankers completing 19D and 19K One Station Unit Training (OSUT) have the skills, qualifications, and attributes necessary to be successful members of cavalry and armor units. The 2003 field survey is an essential tool that provides input to 1st ATB. Comments and evaluations from the field directly affect the type of training that new members of your unit receive at OSUT.

Background and Process

The field survey was developed in 1998 to provide leaders with feedback regarding the scout and tanker skills of new soldiers arriving in their units. During the past 5 years, responses and comments from the force have played an integral part in how scouts and tankers are indoctrinated into the Army. Changes to the program of instruction (POI) and training emphasis are partially shaped by the survey's results.

Debbie Skaggs, director, Customer Satisfaction Measurement Office (CSMO), produces the Fort Knox Field Survey, and the 1st ATB commander provides direct input to the survey. The survey Skaggs develops gives leaders--from vehicle commanders to battalion and squadron commanders--a forum for rating soldiers and voicing comments. Skaggs states that, "We take what our customers tell us seriously. Each time a survey is conducted, we provide respondents with a commanders' feedback report, which outlines the plan of action for resolution based on the customers' comments and ratings." Evidence of the survey's success is the steady increase in participation and comments over the past 5 years.

From year to year, step 1 of the survey process involves modifying the survey to clarify previous questions. Changing questions is valuable for gaining more information. Step 2 involves posting an electronic survey on the web at www. knox.army.mil/survey/OSUTsurvey, and distributing hard copies to every cavalry and armor unit in the Army. Steps 3 and 4 involve compiling information from both the online and mail-in surveys. At this point, 1st ATB leaders are presented with statistical analyses and pages of anonymous commentary. While the numbers depict trends, candid comments from soldiers in the force illustrate their good and bad experiences, particularly at the platoon level. All comments are recorded anonymously and presented as appendices in the report. The CSMO ensures that the survey is impartial and objective. Step 5 entails using the analyses to modify existing training or creating new focus in the OSUT schedule. The final step analyzes the results of implementing changes. This is done in-stride during an OSUT cycle.

The Program of Instruction

The POI looks exactly like whatever the force says a 19D or 19K OSUT graduate should. The POI serves as a basis for training requirements for OSUT soldiers. Mel Greenroad, POI director for the 1st ATB, explains that, "tasks are defined as having a definite starting point and ending point, done solely for itself, and measurable." He uses this definition to ensure that lesson plans are focused on training soldiers for today's armor and cavalry units.

The POI evolves during steps 4 and 5 of the survey process. Based on feedback from the force, tbe committee makes necessary changes to the 19K and 19D programs, and the Chief of Armor is the final approving authority for all POI changes. Resource constraints are always a factor in POI and course development. Like all Army training centers, the goal at Fort Knox and of the 1st ATB is to balance time and resources to produce the best possible graduate for armor and cavalry forces. In 2002, the 19K OSUT battalion graduated 2,962 tankers who were trained on 127 tasks. The 19D OSUT squadron graduated 2,254 scouts who were trained on 165 tasks.

The effort survey respondents put into the field survey is time well spent. Recommendations may lead to changes in the 19K and 19D OSUT programs of instruction. Input from the 2002 field survey was recently used to modify the 19K OSUT POI. In the 2002 field survey, soldiers told us that tank driving and loading tasks were most important for 19K OSUT graduates. To increase proficiency, an additional 8 hours of tank driving and loading reinforcement time was added to the course. The 19K OSUT tanker field training exercise was also modified to incorporate additional driving, loading, and maintenance reinforcement time.

Feedback from the 2002 19D field survey indicates that the field force wants to increase scout proficiency in call for tire, weapons proficiency, and land navigation. As a result, reinforcement time for these tasks was added to the 19D OSUT POI. In anticipation of future fielding, the new 19D OSUT POI will include familiarization with the long-range advanced scout surveillance system. Future additional skill identifier courses currently under development include the Stryker and the Stryker mobile gun system courses.

As depicted in Table 2, the 2002 survey revealed that scouts and tankers consider these top 10 tasks, in priority order, the most important.

Scouts and tankers should have received the 2003 field survey in the mail. We encourage use of the electronic version of the survey at www.knox.army. mil/survey/OSUTsurvey. Participating in the survey ensures that the cadre training initial entry soldiers know what you want. Whether you use the online survey or the hard copy version, participation ensures your comments and ratings are recorded. Please make the time to objectively respond to the survey. Let 1st ATB leaders know which targets you want re-engaged, and which ones they should continue observing.

I hope that this article has shown you a simple way that we can all become involved and help Fort Knox produce better-trained soldiers, l encourage each of you to take the time to complete the 2003 field survey. Your comments and concerns are critical to the future fighting force.

Table 1. OSUT Training Highlights

19K Graduate has:              19D Graduate has:

* Completed training of 127    * Completed training of 165 tasks
tasks
                               * Passed the APFT (Minimum 180)
* Passed the APFT (Minimum
180)                           * Operated tactically for 5 days in
                               the field
* Operated tactically for 6
days in the field              * Qualified with the M16A2 rifle

* Qualified with the M9        * Fired 48 25mm rounds
pistol and M16A2 rifle
                               * Tactically driven 18 miles in an
* Fired 6 120mm main-gun       M3 Bradley CFV and M1025
rounds                         Scout HMMWV

* Tactically driven 14 miles   * Passed basic dismounted land
in an M1A1 Abrams tank and     navigation
12 hours in the simulator
                               * Performed--10 level PMCS
* Passed basic dismounted
land navigation                * Passed Scout Skills tests 1/2/3 and
                               Cavalry Stakes
* Performed--10 level PMCS
                               * Familiarized with the M2 and M240B
* Passed the armor crewman     machine guns
tests 1&2 and Armor Stakes
(TCGST Incorporated)           * Familiarized with the M203 grenade
                               launcher
* Prepared the driver's/
loader's station for           * Trained in mounted and dismounted
operation                      patrolling techniques

* Familiarized with the        * Mastered the SALUTE report
gunner's station
                               * Participated in CFV, HMMWV, and
                               dismounted STX

Table 2. Top 10 Tasks from 2002 Survey

        19D                    19K

1st     Following orders       Level of discipline
2d      Level of discipline    Motivation
3d      Motivation             Mental fitness
4th     Mental fitness         Following orders
5th     Confidence             Confidence
6th     Call for fire          Driver's station
7th     Military bearing       Loader's station
8th     M16A2 proficiency      Perform vehicle
                               maintenance
9th     Map reading            Wear uniform
10th    Emplace                Follow ground guide
        Observation Post

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