The Center of Leadership, formed in October as a new department in the Association of the U.S. Army’s Education division, is hosting its first major leadership training program May 17–19 in connection with the LANPAC Symposium and Exposition. 

Led by retired Col. Scott Halstead, a 1991 West Point graduate who served 30 years in uniform, the center’s inaugural leadership training event focused on U.S. active-duty, Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers and allies from eight countries. They were mostly NCOs, but attendees also included some junior officers and warrant officers.  

Over three days, the Solarium program will include panel discussions and a variety of exercises designed to prepare young leaders for future challenges. This includes trust-building and team-building exercises.

Some of the focus will be on known, current problems that leaders must solve, but there also will be discussions about preparing for the even-more complex multidomain operations environment of the near and far future. 

“This is a new initiative,” Halstead said about the Solarium. About half of the three-day training involves attending LANPAC speeches and panel discussions. The other half focuses on professional development, often on a personal level by sharing perspectives of difficult leadership decisions. 

The goal, Halstead said, is learning how to tackle challenges such as building, maintaining or restoring trust, how to build coalitions and how to manage teams.

This first Solarium will be a model for future events.