Don’t “Out-Army the Army” - The Army National Guard in 2025: A Vision for Excellence

Parity Comes at a Price:

?Achieving parity with active-duty forces is not just a matter of resources or equipment; it requires a cultural and operational transformation rooted in dedicated training, leadership development, and vision.? Don’t try to plan training you do not have the time and resources to conduct, in other words, don’t have an inferiority complex from the Active Army.? Soldiers want to Train via 1) Predictability 2) Exceptional Leadership 3) Functioning Equipment and Training Areas

?Standing shoulder to shoulder with our active-duty counterparts is a worthy goal, we must recognize that true parity involves more than just filling the ranks with similarly trained individuals. It involves building proficient and effective staff organizations and units. To achieve this vision, we must:

?1. Prioritize Education, Leadership Training and Lethality:

?Spend the training money where it is supposed to be spent-protect training resources-Period! It is imperative that all personnel hold the correct positions, complete their Military Occupational Specialty Qualification (MOSQ), and engage in Professional Military Education (PME) pertinent to their current rank. Attendance at MOSQ and PME the one thing Soldiers can’t really do at mobilization station.? Attending Institutional training = real “readiness” - Soldiers cannot rely solely on operational duties to continue their development. Structured educational opportunities should be integrated into the training cycle to avoid stagnation in leadership skills and tactical acumen.

2.? Train on something every time you come together; document and get “credit”.?

3. Emphasize Night Operations and Live Fire Training: Conducting operations under night and live fire conditions should become routine. As the saying goes, "train as you fight." Effective training in realistic scenarios prepares soldiers for the types of challenges they will face in both combat and crisis response situations. Leaders should be actively scouting for diverse environments where these trainings can take place to ensure readiness across different terrains and situations.? Be a good "Readiness Partner", Go to the Combat Training Centers-plenty of opportunities are there.

?4. Empower Commanders in Training: The use of the 8-step training model is crucial to establishing consistent and effective training regimens. Commanders must own this process, contractors, First Army, nobody-the commander.? Leadership begins with ownership, and training infrastructures must be built around commanders’ insights with some guidance from higher, exploiting all the resources made available.

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Core Focus Areas

?1. Marksmanship: Weapons proficiency should never be negotiable, its the "why" a lot of people join the military. Continuous marksmanship training ensures that every soldier is comfortable and capable with their assigned weapon system in any situation, foreign and domestic-don’t rush to failure.

?2. Physical Training and Resilience: Physical fitness remains fundamental to Soldier readiness. Innovative and integrative programs that mimic combat stress and endurance challenges contribute to overall mission effectiveness-be creative with all domains of fitness.

?3. Medical Training: The ability to administer critical first aid and stabilize casualties in austere environments is a skill every Soldier should master.

?4. Small Unit Tactics and System Proficiency: Proficiency in small unit tactics empowers lower-tier leadership and enhances operational effectiveness. Tactical acumen should include a balanced approach to system proficiency and maneuver tactics, ensuring small units are versatile and adaptive in the face of diverse combat scenarios-be creative.?

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A Thought on Striking the Balance: Gunnery and Maneuver

?Army National Guard Units should seek a balance between gunnery and maneuver operations. The effect of a bad shot or maneuver paralysis? This dual focus ensures that units remain flexible and capable of seamlessly integrating fire support assets into fluid and dynamic maneuver. Training regimes should mimic the complexities of modern combat operations to fortify units’ seamless execution of joint and combined arms operations.

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Conclusion:

In 2025, the Army National Guard is a force equally prepared, equipped, and empowered as its active-duty partners. This transformation requires an investment in enhanced training, educational advancement, and leadership empowerment. Do not sacrifice small unit training for modernization. Soldiers and units can field new equipment very quickly upon mobilization. By honing our core competencies in marksmanship, physical fitness, medical training, and tactical proficiency, by embracing innovative approaches to combat readiness.? We can guarantee an Army National Guard that stands at the forefront of readiness, reliability, and resilience-without just aimlessly spinning wheels to try to “Out Army - The Army”.

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