END STATE - Commander's Visualization at the Company Level: Training Refinement and Transition

Abstract : Visualization is a critical command skill that must be acquired earlier in a leader's career than ever before. Training is needed that will improve commander's visualization through deliberate reflection and practice, coupled with performance assessment and expert feedback and guidance. To meet this requirement, the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences researched and developed a training product called END STATE - Commander's Visualization at the Company Level. This report documents follow-on research conducted to refine and transition the END STATE training product to the U.S. Army's junior leaders. During prior formative evaluations, 48 captains, lieutenants, and senior non-commissioned officers (NCO) concluded that the END STATE training product is relevant, effective, and worth using. Given the additional refinements and results of the present research, the authors conclude that END STATE is a relevant learning tool that will help junior officers and NCOs develop the visualization skills needed to understand and adapt to the challenges of today's counterinsurgency environments.