Army Force Management School, Part VI

In the back of my mind since I started the Force Management Course is what will I learn here that will make a more effective doctrine writer.  I am starting to figure out the answer--at least the short answer:  nothing.

The course teaches how the army "runs," purposely avoiding the word "operates."  The course arms those working in generating force positions with the knowledge necessary to develop and field the organizations and capabilities required by the operational Army.  Doctrine doesn't explain the generating force (except for FM 1-01 where it provides a sort of Generating Force 101 overview).  You won't pick up a field manual to learn anything about the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development Process or the Defense Acquisition System or the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution system.  Nor will a doctrinal publication shed any light on how to conduct a Total Army Analysis, figure manpower requirements, or how to field an organization.  There are no FMs on Army databases, training development, or cost-benefit analyses.  These are all examples of how the generating force does its business.  Policy and regulations guided these kinds of activities.  Policy and doctrine are different animals altogether.


From  the official definition from Joint Publication 1-02, doctrine is ...

"Fundamental principles by which military forces guide their actions in support of national objectives. Doctrine is authoritative but requires judgment in application."

Doctrine is focused on the operational Army and how it operates.  Doctrine explains the concepts of how the Army intends to fight and win the nation's wars.  It is operational in nature, but is not prescriptive.  It is a body of thought that is intended as a guide to commanders, staffs, and Soldiers conducting operational missions in support of national objectives.

The Force Management Course doesn't teach any of that.  So, why send a doctrine writer to this course?  There are a couple of possible answers.  One is that the course does a very good job of explaining the generating force--the institutional Army, the Army staff, and the plethora of organizations that have some role in the development and fielding of capabilities and organizations.  It helps to know something about how the Army runs--how it generates and sustains and funds itself.  Another reason is that doctrine writers tend generally to be assigned to the CDIDs, the Capabilities Development and Integration Directorates of the TRADOC centers of excellence.  The CDIDs is where the TRADOC capabilities managers, materiel resources folks, threat analysis experts, and force development people work.  The Force Management Course is the "how to" of these personnel's jobs.  But, as a CDID employee, you just have to figure that the doctrine writers will be sent to the same training--even though the course doesn't really offer anything that "enables" the doctrine writer--because it is required training for CDID employees.

There is a Doctrine Developers Course, but it is not required.  Go figure.  It's just one of those little things about "how the Army runs" that you just have to know about.  It's not taught in any school.