{"id":41257,"date":"2018-12-07T21:40:31","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T21:40:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/07\/army-moves-3-star-command-as-it-prepares-for-singular-focus-on-modernization\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:07:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:07:52","slug":"army-moves-3-star-command-as-it-prepares-for-singular-focus-on-modernization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/12\/07\/army-moves-3-star-command-as-it-prepares-for-singular-focus-on-modernization\/","title":{"rendered":"Army moves 3-star command as it prepares for \u2018singular focus\u2019 on modernization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A key piece of how the Army develops its new way of war fighting<\/a> will include soldiers at the lowest ranks experimenting with new concepts<\/a>, equipment and tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, the service transferred its Army Capabilities Integration Center from Training and Doctrine Command to fall under the newly created Army Futures Command. Formerly known as ARCIC, the command will now be known as the Futures and Concepts Directorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move is an effort to provide a \u201csingular focus\u201d on Army modernization and incorporate the evolving warfighting concept known as Multi-Domain Operations<\/a> into formations, commands, installations and other entities across the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gen. John Murray, Army Futures Command commander, said the move is \u201call about the future, future concepts, future capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[And] ensuring U.S. soldiers and allies have the tools and concepts to fight and win on the future battlefield,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the move is a \u201ctop-down approach\u201d in terms of spreading modernization across the force, the component that will help drive what\u2019s realistic and what makes sense for the soldier is not isolating the futures thinking at high levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe key thing that we must do differently to be successful \u2014 is get concepts, equipment, experimentation into the hands of war fighters,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That will take one very important task off TRADOC\u2019s plate and put it squarely within AFC\u2019s wheelhouse, Murray said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFC will serve as a way to balance and vet the work of the directorate before it flows to Army senior leadership to implement across the service, Murray said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new directorate will help implement ongoing work on the new war-fighting concept, Multi-Domain Operations 1.5, which was released this week also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY BARKING SANDS, Hawaii Soldiers with the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, prepare to fire a Stinger missile using Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADs), during RIMPAC 2018 (Sgt. 1st Class Claudio Tejada\/Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley, directorate commander, pointed to experiments in U.S. Army Pacific over the summer that helped inform some of the changes to the new version of MDO. That work included integrating joint networks and new methods of targeting and fires that focus on multidomain considerations, such as degraded networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way the higher command will measure success is through \u201cannual mission guidance\u201d publications that will hold the various entities accountable for goals and objectives of modernizing the force, Wesley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s been some reports that the total defense department budget could be cut by as much as $33 billion, down to about $700 billion in the next fiscal year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, Murray said, the Army chief of staff and secretary have been clear that whatever the budget, modernization priorities will get funded before anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re committed to those priorities and that these are the right capabilities,\u201d Murray said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t