PART 2
TRAINING PURPOSE

PURPOSE

Selection and Maintenance of the Aim is the first principle of war, but all too often it is overlooked in training.

It must be made clear from the outset that the purpose of training is to ensure that military forces are capable of fighting and winning. To support national causes at home and abroad the Armed Forces must have the capacity to deal with the most extreme of demands, not just the minimal envisioned at any one time. The “lowest common denominator” philosophy which has permeated our thinking and actions, has in my opinion never been appropriate. As a nation we cannot afford to have forces in being to meet every imaginable situation, but what we do have must be focussed. I believe that focus should be on war fighting capabilities. The expression used these days is “multi-purpose combat capable forces,” but great care must be taken to focus on the upper end of the multi-purpose combat capable force.

When I refer to focusing on the upper end I mean that our limited resources (for they will always be so in Canada) in terms of money, people, equipment and infrastructure, for the Regular Force and the Reserves, should be focused on a modern operational capability, able to fight against a sophisticated enemy. We don't need the latest model of the top-of-the-line equipment all of the time, but our people, doctrine and philosophies must be at the leading edge in thought and practice. What training we do must be focused and effective.

In 1972 Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds put it this way: “The armed forces should primarily be trained and equipped for the possibility of conflict with a first-class power - the most severe testing they may have to face. /t has been proven over and over again, that well trained and well disciplined military forces, trained primarily for major warfare, can easily and effectively adapt to lesser roles of aid to civil power or peacekeeping. The reverse is not the case.”2

*Photograph courtesy of Colonel (Retired) Charles Simonds

We should pay attention to the wisdom of Guy Simonds, wisdom acquired through the “most severe testing”. So, the purpose of training must be clear - and that is to maintain an operational capability against modern military forces. The lack of operational focus of the Canadian Army between the First and Second World Wars led to the deterioration of professionalism. Many young Canadians paid for this deficiency with their lives and we owe them out of respect for them and their families we have a professional obligation not to repeat this mistake. It is essential that no matter the resource limitations we face, we must institutionally keep the art of warfighting alive. As recently as March 1997, Professor David Bercuson's recommendation to the Minister of National Defence was that “The Army must focus the combat arms on one goal: training to fight wars.” He is spot on.

THE DOCTRINAL BASE

“In discussing the Afrika Korps, the British official historian clearly understands what made the Germans such formidable opponents throughout the war: 'By insisting upon a clear and well-understood doctrine, thoroughly instilled on uniform lines, they made it possible for units and even sub-units to settle down quickly in new groupings and under new commanders with a minimum of confusion’.” 3

- Millet & Murray Military Effectiveness: Volume III, The Second World War

Doctrine may be defined as: Fundamental principles by which military forces or elements thereof guide their actions in support of national objectives. It is authoritative but requires judgement in application.

The warfighting capability of the Canadian Army will only be kept alive if it is founded on a realistic and well-conceived doctrine. A doctrine which is written by the generals who command the troops and a doctrine which is understood, practiced and followed by them and their subordinates. The doctrine should reflect a realistic Canadian Army mobilized - not necessarily an ideal army formation (a dream -world organization with all the bells and whistles) and certainly not a purely theoretical concept - but an army structured and equipped as Canada might in a future mobilization situation. Brigades and units will always function within divisions and corps in war, and the training philosophy should reflect these broader parameters. Such a sound doctrinal base would provide an atmosphere of unity of thought throughout the army, which is fundamental to efficiency, effectiveness and focus in training. It will provide a rationale for the training we do.

Part 3 - Training Design