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Bringing
out the best in leaders
By
Cpl Damian Shovell
OFFICER training and promotion will significantly change when the
All Corps Officer Training Continuum (ACOTC) is introduced in March
2004.
CA
Lt-Gen Peter Leahy said the Continuum was the most significant change
to officer training since the 1970s and would provide the Army with
a more capable and competent officer corps.
"It
is essential in order to maintain our professional competence and
assure our success in future operational deployments," he said.
Under
the Continuum, officers will need to achieve 36 competencies in
a continuum of training from Lt to Lt-Col, with training being linked
with promotion.
In
November 2002 the Pre-Command Course, (the first of the new courses
to be introduced) was successfully conducted.
This
preceded the introduction of the full-time General Service Officer
Grade 2 and 3 courses, which will replace the current intermediate
Operations Course (IOC) and Intermediate Staff Course (ISC) respectively.
The
Grade 2 "pilot" course will commence in March 2004 and
the Grade 3 "pilot" course in March 2005.
Initially,
the residential components of the course will be about eight weeks
long reducing to six weeks or less as content is converted to technology-based
training that can be conducted at home locations.
The
existing backlog of officers requiring IOC and ISC courses has been
addressed with an intention to increase course panels to 100 from
2004, and to grant waivers for attendance to some officers.
"Consideration
is also being given to how this initiative can be adapted for the
Army Reserve," Lt-Gen Leahy said.
Information
packages on the ACOTC will be distributed to Commanders as well
as each officer in the Army and a briefing team will visit each
major Army base to consult and brief officers on the implementation
program.
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