January–April 2014 2 Engineer
Clear the Way
Brigadier General Anthony C. Funkhouser
Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School
H
appy New Year! I hope that every-
one had a safe and enjoyable holi-
day season with their Families or,
if deployed, that you were able to phone
Family and friends. After 4 months in the
position of commandant, I can honestly
say that the Regiment is off and running
in this new year and that there is a lot
going on across the force. I used the recent
Fall 2013 Engineer Regimental Com-
mand Council to update the feld on our
doctrine, organization, training, materiel,
leadership and education, personnel, and
facilities (DOTMLPF) efforts for Army
2020. If you were not able to participate,
you can fnd the transcripts and slides on
the Engineer School Knowledge Network, Fort Leonard
Wood Web site, .
In this issue of Engineer, I want to focus on a topic that
has been the centerpiece at recent warfghter, maneu-
ver, and Association of the U.S. Army conferences. If you
have heard General Robert W. Cone, commander of U.S.
Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), speak
recently, you may have heard him talking about the Army's
focus on strategic landpower and its relevance to the world
in which we live. If not, I want to ensure that you are aware
of what our senior leaders are discussing and what it means
to our Regiment. Landpower is defned by Army Doctrine
Reference Publication (ADRP) 3-0, Unifed Land Opera-
tions, as the ability—by threat, force, or occupation—to
gain, sustain, and exploit control over land, resources, and
people.
1
General Cone said, "There are times in our Nation's
interest where boots on the ground are absolutely essential
to those outcomes."
2
There are many outside the Army and
U.S. Marine Corps who believe that wars can potentially be
decided through technology without involving land forces.
U.S. Marine General James N. Mattis has said, "The endur-
ing nature of war as a human endeavor will remain largely
unchanged."
3
Historically, we have seen that it takes Soldiers and
Marines engaged on the ground with an understanding of
the human dimension to affect the will
of the enemy and the affected popula-
tion. We have repeatedly learned the
beneft of understanding the region, cul-
ture, language, beliefs, and the human
network, which all contribute to build-
ing relationships and trust. This on-the-
ground understanding has a long-term,
direct relationship to our potential suc-
cess. General Cone also said, "Working on
strategies like regionally aligned forces
will be what young Soldiers and leaders
do to maintain their wartime intellectual
acuity and their desire to be engaged
when they are back on U.S. soil. Our
young generation is used to solving real-
world problems. They are not interested in coming back to a
training environment that washes away all that complexity
and focuses on a handful of tasks."
4
Please take the time to
read General Cone's article in this issue of Engineer (see
page 7).
Our emphasis in TRADOC and within the Engineer Regi-
ment is on developing young leaders and ensuring that we
accentuate the importance of continued leadership develop-
ment and the capabilities that good leaders bring to their
units. I have heard Army Chief of Staff General Raymond
T. Odierno stress the importance of leader development
often, saying that it is one of his top priorities and the great-
est asymmetric advantage our Army brings to the fght. He
wants to return the combat training centers as venues for
leader development as opposed to a resource that has been
focused on generating unit readiness to support Army force
generation requirements. Our very own Chief of Engineers,
Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick, also sees building
professionals and proactively managing our most talented
leaders as a top priority. Within the Regiment, we are ready
to launch a credentialing program for our noncommissioned
offcers, warrant offcers, and commissioned offcers. We are
proactively informing our best offcers of opportunities to
expand their skills via the Army's advanced civil school-
ing, training with industry, and broadening programs.
"Within the Regiment, we are ready to launch a credentialing
program for our noncommissioned offcers, warrant offcers,
and commissioned offcers."
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