Consolidating Active and Reserve Component Training Infrastructure

As part of a research project entitled "Evolution of the Total Army School System," this report examines ways to consolidate training infrastructure and augment capabilities across components to gain efficiency and achieve economies of scale in conducting individual training of Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component (RC) soldiers. Using an optimization model, the researchers examined three options in the area of maintenance-related training, focusing on RC Regional Training Sites-Maintenance (RTS-Ms) and the AC proponent schools offering maintenance courses. Results suggest that permitting AC and RC students to take courses at the nearest accredited school (AC school or RTS-M) has both economic and morale/cultural benefits. The former include reductions in travel, per-diem, and potential instructor costs. The latter include reductions in the time AC students spend away from their homes and units, lower training workloads for AC instructors, and more interaction, potentially building trust and confidence across components. Such interaction could also provide benefits in functional areas beyond maintenance, such as combat service support. Based on the analyses, the researchers recommend a pilot test to better understand the options and policy implications.