U.S. Army Center for Army Lessons Learned facts for kids
The Center for Army Lessons Learned, or CALL, is like the Army's special learning team. Its main job is to help the United States Army learn from its experiences. CALL finds, collects, studies, and shares important lessons and good ideas. This helps the Army and its partners get better at what they do, especially in winning conflicts. CALL shares these lessons using websites, books, and other materials.
What is the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL)?
The Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) helps the U.S. Army improve. It finds important information from military operations and training. This information is called "lessons learned" and "best practices." CALL then shares this knowledge with soldiers and leaders. This way, the Army can adapt and get stronger.
How CALL Started: A Brief History
CALL was created because the Army wanted to learn faster. After a military operation in Grenada in 1983, called Operation Urgent Fury, Army leaders saw a need. The Chief of Staff of the Army, General John Wickham, asked a special group to study how the Army could learn better.
On June 15, 1984, this group, led by Colonel Wesley Clark, suggested a new system. They proposed a way to capture lessons from battles and training. This would help units get ready for future missions. General Wickham quickly approved their idea.
CALL officially began on August 1, 1985. It started as a part of the Combined Arms Training Activity (CATA). Its first home was at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Today, CALL is part of a larger organization called the Mission Command Center of Excellence.
What Does CALL Do?
CALL has several important tasks. First, it identifies and collects lessons. This means finding out what went well and what could be improved during Army activities. They gather information from soldiers, reports, and observations.
Next, CALL analyzes these lessons. They study the information to understand why things happened. This helps them find patterns and important insights.
Finally, CALL disseminates and archives the lessons. Disseminating means sharing the information widely. They use their website, publications, and other tools. Archiving means keeping the lessons safe for future use. This ensures the Army can always look back and learn from its past experiences. This continuous learning helps the Army stay ready for any challenge.
