The importance of Central Asia to three major powers the United States, China, and Russia is well understood but not widely recognized or discussed. Involvement in the region by the United States has been spotty and uneven over many years, but since 9.11 has taken on renewed importance in the War Against Terrorists. Russia views the region as its traditional sphere of influence, and the many strong ties between Russia and countries in Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, reinforce this view. China has had a presence in the region via trade routes for centuries, but has only recently made a...

The training circular (TC) is a tool that platoon leaders can use as an aid
during training strategy development. The products in this TC are developed to support the battalions mission plan. This TC provides guidance for platoon leaders, leaders, and Soldiers who are responsible for planning, preparing, executing, and assessing training of the mortar platoon. The primary target audience for this TC is the platoon leader and other leaders within a mortar platoon. The secondary audience comprises training developers involved in developing training support materials for professional military...