William Lasher, chief information officer/G-6 for the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), spoke about technology as an enabler for the force at the chapter's March luncheon at Peaden's Seafood. Lasher, a former Army officer, contractor and now senior executive, detailed the role of FORSCOM in shaping the future force, discussed key areas of focus for the command moving forward and discussed how technology will enable them to better train the force at less cost. FORSCOM, according to www.army.mil, is the Army's largest command and prepares conventional forces to provide a sustained flow of trained and ready land power to combatant commanders in defense of the nation at home and abroad.
Lasher iterated this is a challenging tasking, but one the command is tackling head-on. One of the challenges Lasher sees currently is equipping returning forces with the information technology (IT) assets needed for time in station and in retrofit for downrange operations. To solve this challenge, Lasher and FORSCOM are looking at Army Baseline Information Technology Services, or ABITS, as a way to consolidate, standardize and deploy IT services for inbound and outbound commands. We want to see the installation as a docking station, Lasher said. We want the ability to provide the soldier simplified yet robust IT services whether they are in garrison, at home or in the field, Lasher said.
He mentioned the main challenge to getting there is security and information assurance. Lasher's view of the future for FORSCOM and its support of the warfighter is mixed with promises and challenges. As the force returns, drawdowns are sure to occur, Lasher mentioned. It will be a return to more garrison-based operations. That means the Army's challenge to train the force in a productive way becomes even more important. And with budgets tightening, greater scrutiny placed on contracts and commands being asked to do more with less, Lasher is looking to partner with industry to help him solve many of the challenges. One area being explored is around live, virtual constructive gaming, Lasher said. Instead of packing up forces and sending them to a theater for an exercise (e.g. Exercise Reforger, Return of Forces to Germany), we make use of simulation-based training. This reduces costs in logistics and should amplify training time. Lasher also stressed to industry partners that innovation and diversification are two areas they can prepare themselves for the budget confines of a smaller Army. The Army will get smaller and spend less, Lasher said. It's important for industry partners to help the Army find cost-effective, simple solutions to help FORSCOM complete the mission and help its warfighters maintain a lean forward posture. |
