Training Circular TC 3-20.0 Integrated Weapons Training Strategy (IWTS) June 2019

This manual, Training Circular TC 3-20.0 Integrated Weapons Training Strategy (IWTS) June 2019, provides a detailed description of the maneuver force’s overarching training strategy for all individual and crew-served weapons, through maneuver battalion at home station to achieve fire and maneuver proficiency. It includes the purpose of the IWTS, its standard structure, training requirements, the integration of combined arms assets, and resource requirements for the Armored, Infantry, and Stryker brigade combat teams’ maneuver elements. It provides training principles and techniques for use by units to gain proficiency in engaging and destroying threats ethically, effectively, and efficiently in any operational environment.

This publication includes all the planning and preparation required for a successful unit weapons training program. Where vehicle- or weapon-specific techniques in this TC conflict with technical manuals, the readers should follow the procedures in the technical manual.

This publication applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard, the Army Civilian Corps, and the United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated. Users and readers of this publication are invited to submit recommendations that will improve its effectiveness.

The principal audience for TC 3-20.0 is commanders, planners, trainers, and master gunners of maneuver units. It provides the details of the Integrated Weapons Training Strategy, known as IWTS, and structure for the maneuver brigade combat teams (BCTs) of the United States Army. The IWTS is an overarching, integrated, and standardized training strategy for the maneuver commander to train, evaluate and assess their unit’s overall proficiency at home station. The IWTS incorporates the training models for all individual, crew-served, and weapon platforms, Infantry squads, scouts, engineer squads, as well as maneuver sections, platoons, companies, and battalions, within the maneuver BCT. The IWTS provides the critical training path at home station to weapon, system, and unit proficiency. This includes the collective live- fire training requirements for dismounted squad through battalion live-fire events at home station. This standardized strategy is designed to synchronize with the Army’s force generation model (sustainable readiness model), and provide detailed training requirements to maneuver units.

The IWTS maximizes the use of training aids, devices, simulators, and simulations (known as TADSS) within all force-on-force and live-fire events in a systematic manner to increase and sustain Soldier and unit proficiency, effectiveness, and lethality. The training strategy is capability-based (weapon/system, ammunition, optics, Soldier) and maximizes the training resources available across the force. This strategy is directly synchronized with echelon-based proficiency gates established within the sustainable readiness model and meets the established training proficiency aim points and standards for a ready and capable force.

The IWTS encompasses all critical training that builds a unit’s ability to shoot, move, and communicate effectively and efficiently (termed the “critical training path”). Although the unit conducts other training as part of its training plan, the critical training path includes only those events that, at a minimum, should be conducted to ensure the maximum experience is achieved or gained by the trained Soldier or unit.