In 2016, the Army transitioned to standardized mission essential tasks (METs) and training and evaluation outlines (T&EOs) for battery level units and above. It’s hard to believe that, prior to this, commanders chose their own mission essential tasks. But the transformation is not complete. Battery and platoon level leaders still struggle with understanding their METS, T&EOs, and performance steps. This requires a cultural shift that is lagging behind the doctrinal change.
Over several combat training center (CTC) rotations, we have observed multiple battery and platoon level leaders who don’t understand their essential tasks. This trend is exacerbated when a commander is notionally injured or killed, thrusting their executive officer or platoon leader into command. Without a firm understanding of task standards, the young leader struggles to lead in the always challenging large scale combat operations (LSCO) environment.
Army doctrine teaches us that training is a two-way street built on the foundation of mission command. Higher commanders provide training guidance. Battery and platoon level leaders provide bottom-up feedback and refinement on the unit’s proficiency using the objective assessments. Trust can be eroded when subordinate leaders choose not to use the T&EO tools provided to assist in training management and increase proficiency. Yet, we can reverse a potentially negative trend by instituting a few changes in how batteries conduct training.
By educating your formation on the battery’s Mission Essential Task Lists (METL) and supporting T&EOs and conducting a METL crosswalk, plan, and execute training using T&EOs instead of solely training Artillery Tables.These actions can assist in creating a T&EO culture throughout your formation. Furthermore, by incorporating T&EO steps into your already existing fighting products, you’ll ensure that you are meeting all performance steps. This is a critical step. It is how the Army assesses overall readiness during collective training. FM 7-0 states “During training events, leaders strive to achieve the Army standard for tasks trained…leaders and evaluators use T&EOs to measure observed task proficiency.”
By understanding what a Mission Essential Task is, T&EO, and METL Crosswalk, then you can include these steps to provide improved battery training. A MET is a collective task where units train to increase proficiency in its designated capabilities or assigned mission as stated in the Combined Arms Training Strategies. METs consist of supporting collective tasks, which form a task-set. Commanders analyze and select the METs that best enable the unit’s mission readiness. METs are assessed using a TE&O to measure the unit’s specific task proficiency. T&EOs are lists of performance steps for specific tasks. They determine what leaders must be present and what a leader must execute certain tasks. The T&EO also identifies critical and leader performance steps required to successfully meet task standards. Figure 1 illustrates how the critical and key leader tasks appear.
Figure 1: (TC 3-09.8 Artillery Table VII: Perform Reconnaissance Operations for Artillery Position)
A METL crosswalk enables leaders to visualize alignment. It shows how the top-down training guidance directly supports the bottom-up training of individual and collective tasks supporting the unit’s METL. Battery leadership must conduct a METL crosswalk. The crosswalk ensures everyone has a clear understanding of the METL and the proficiencies required to execute them. It ensures mission readiness. Figure 2 illustrates how a Field Artillery battalion supports a brigade’s movement to contact.
The METL crosswalk is a two-part process. First, leaders identify the METs and utilize the task sets to produce a task list. The second part requires commanders to apply the art of command. This part is more subjective as the commander analyzes the supporting tasks to prioritize them. The platoon echelon doesn’t have METs. But by understanding the METL, they can receive the commander’s guidance, prepare, and then execute training that supports the collective tasks. Understanding how each task correlates within the set is necessary to drive training objectives and set realistic timelines that best meet the commander’s intent.
Figure 2: (Multi-echelon training task crosswalk: FM 7-0)
Using the task-set for your specified METs enables a structured approach. Leaders use this structure to provide clear inputs and outputs for every training event. Training for Artillery Tables narrows the commander’s ability to see full spectrum. It opens pitfalls where necessary individual Soldier tasks lack proficiency. Specified tasks associated with METs or implied tasks necessary to proficiently accomplish Artillery Tables are not trained. The table, for example, from TC 3-09.8 Artillery Table VII: Perform Reconnaissance Operations for Artillery Position, has eight performance steps with no clear objective criteria for each step. The TE&O for this task has 10 performance steps with 21 sub-steps. The additional steps standardize the actions that leaders must execute to accomplish the science of the task while allowing leaders to master the art.
Lastly, successful units look for ways to incorporate their battery METL performance steps into existing fighting products. This ensures the execution of each step and the task to standard. For example, the steps to conduct a reconnaissance, selection, and occupation of a position are in most battery tactical standardized operating procedures. Mirror the steps listed in the T&EO within your tactical SOPs and you will correctly conduct the task. This ensures you hit all of the proper steps while avoiding any unnecessary actions you may have in your SOPs.
At JMRC, we have consistently witnessed batteries arriving for their combat training center rotation without knowing the steps to execute their METL tasks. Some have admitted to never training using T&EOs. Units can correct this negative trend by educating their formation on the battery METL and T&EOs. It takes creating a culture. It requires reps at conducting a METL crosswalk, and training using T&EOs instead of Artillery Tables. Lastly, incorporating T&EO steps into existing fighting products will make accomplishing each task dummy-proof. It is vitally important that we fix this issue–the Army is assessing our lethality based on our METL.
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