These U.S. Army field manuals (FM 25-100, 25-5) provide the basic principles of training active and reserve U.S. Army forces. The preface to the manual "Training the Force" states: "Training prepares soldiers, leaders, and units to fight and win in combat—the Army's basic mission. "Training the Force" is the Army's standardized training doctrine applicable throughout the force. It provides the necessary guidelines on how to plan, execute, and assess training at all levels. The manual provides authoritative foundations for individual, leader, and unit training. Individual training must develop soldiers who are proficient in battlefield skills, disciplined, physically tough, and highly motivated. Leader training is an imperative for every echelon; it is an investment in the Army of today and tomorrow. Unit training must prepare our forces for the rigors of the battlefield. The Army must be trained and ready in peacetime to deter war, to fight and control wars that do start, and to terminate wars on terms favorable to US and allied interests. The complex world environment and the sophisticated military capabilities of potential adversaries, to include the Soviet Union, its allies, and a number of well-armed developing nations, have removed the time buffer the United States previously enjoyed that allowed it to mobilize and train to an adequate level of readiness before engaging in combat operations. As recent events have illustrated, our nation's ability to deter attack or act decisively to contain and de-escalate a crisis demands an essentially instantaneous transition from peace to war preparedness. This requires that all leaders in the Army understand, attain, sustain, and enforce high standards of combat readiness through tough, realistic multiechelon combined arms training designed to challenge and develop individuals, leaders, and units.
The preface in "Training For Mobilization And War" states: "At some point in the future, the US Army maybe called upon to go to war. The Army must be prepared to win that war. The cornerstone of preparedness is training. Mobilization is bringing the total Army force to a state of readiness for war or for other national emergencies. Mobilization considerations are an inseparable part of peacetime (premobilization) training. Training is the key to combat readinesss. Mobilization planning is based on the concept that Active Component (AC) units maintain overseas commitments, respond to contingencies at short notice, and provide initial surge units until the Reserve Component (RC) units can be mobilized and deployed. Peacetime planning involves training to improve proficiency in mission-essential individual and collective tasks to maintain high combat readiness. This manual is intended for use by commanders and staffs within the training bases, major Army commands (MACOMs), and units. It provides guidance regarding training doctrine for all elements of the Army upon mobilization and war. This manual outlines the mobilization process, the training requirements for the total Army force facing mobilization, the institutional and unit training, and the training support that will be available."
