The Origins and Development of the National Training Center 1976-1984

Few developments in Army training have been of such broad scope and long-term significance as the National Training Center NTC, established in October 1980 at Fort Irwin in the Mojave Desert of California. This instrumented training facility, for armor and mechanized infantry battalions of Army divisions based in the United States, represented a major and unprecedented initiative in bringing realistic simulated-fire, force-on-force training to the battalion level. The NTC thus served the country well in helping to produce a ready fighting force for the deserts of Southwest Asia in early 1991. This monograph, prepared by Dr. Anne W. Chapman, Research Historian in the Office of the Command Historian, surveys the TRADOC role in the development of the National Training Center from its origin in the 1976 concept through the end of the first phase of operation in 1984. It provides a documented historical analysis of how and why such a landmark event in Army training was launched, examining attendant policy issues, funding, instrumentation, and training problems involved in bringing the project from concept to reality. The work also furnishes a record of how a major defense project was brought on line, making it valuable as a case study.