The Battle Focused Training Strategy (BFTS) is an Army National Guard – T3BL initiative. This strategy was developed to more effectively focus available training time and resources. The BFTS evolved based on the realities of resource constraints and the pressing need for more focused and efficient combined-arms multi-echelon training in the Army National Guard. In the past, units necessarily focused their training at the individual, squad/crew and platoon level due to time and resource constraints.

The key to the BFTS strategy is battle-focused, scenario-driven training. It is almost impossible to train all Mission Essential Task List (METL)/battle tasks to standard given the amount of training time available and resource constraints facing units. Therefore, the commander must determine his battle focus, which consists of the one or two METL/battle tasks upon which the unit can focus all resources and training.

Once the METL/battle task(s) are selected, a scenario is written by the higher HQs to drive this battle focus, thus providing the unit with a basis to establish their “campaign plan” for the Training Year. It is paramount that the unit’s entire training is based on a scenario and all phases of the campaign will be driven by Operations Orders (OPORDs) related to the overall scenario, NOT training schedules with unrelated events.