Army and German Officers Train Together on Joint Planning at Fort Leavenworth
U.S. Army and German Bundeswehr students gathered around acetate-covered maps at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas this week to plan large-scale combat operations during Eagle Adler, one of the Army Command and General Staff College's longest-running exchange exercises.
The exercise, which runs for just over a week, brings together more than a dozen German officers with American Command and General Staff Officer Course students for division and corps-level planning. This year's iteration added approximately 100 hours of planning work to students' coursework and incorporated artificial intelligence and command operating collaboration systems for planning production.
Building Skills Across Planning Systems
Students trained on two planning processes: NATO APP-28 and the Military Decision-Making Process. The exercise exposes officers to how different allies approach problems and apply experience to tactical scenarios, said Rob Smith, assistant professor in CGSC's Department of Army Tactics and exercise lead.
"Exercises like this strengthen critical thinking by exposing students to how different partners approach problems and apply their experience to tactical problem sets," Smith said.
More Than Technical Training
The professional networks built during Eagle Adler extend beyond warfighting skills. German Army Lt. Col. Michael Utsch said the exercise teaches officers how allies think differently about risk mitigation and planning under uncertainty.
Maj. Mark Marten, a U.S. Army logistician, noted that identifying similarities in planning and logistics approaches with German counterparts created lasting interoperability. "Having an opportunity to understand what they could be thinking, or how they would approach a certain problem provides us insight as well as clear, concise language to get through some of the interplay of confusion when it comes to translation," he said.
Trust developed quickly during the week-long exercise, allowing students to move past introductions and focus on understanding each other's military capabilities.
Preparing for Joint Operations
The exercise replicates the joint planning environment officers will likely encounter after graduation. Utsch described the value of having time to work through complex problems without the pressure of active operations.
"We've got the time and space to really sit down and plan through some complex problems and issues that we would face when we work together downrange," Marten said.
Lt. Col. Marc-Andre Walther, assistant professor in CGSC's Department of Tactics, connected the exercise to professional military education's core mission. "Knowledge must become capability," he said, referencing Carl von Clausewitz. "The exchange directly contributes to that."
Eagle Adler will mark its 60th year next academic year, reflecting a sustained commitment from both nations to develop military leaders prepared for allied operations.
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