(By Capt. William Norman, Human Resources Officer with the 83rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB), and Lt. Col. William Wratee, Public Affairs Officer, 7th Mission Support Command)
KINGSTON, Ontario — Capt. William Norman, assigned to the 7th Mission Support Command, recently completed the Primary Reserve Army Operations College at the Canadian Army Command and Staff College, a yearlong professional military education program designed to strengthen staff proficiency and improve interoperability across multinational formations.
Through the United States Army Human Resources Command Additional Professional Development Education program, two U.S. Army officers are competitively selected each year to participate alongside their Canadian counterparts. The officers integrate during the course’s culminating phase—known as the “final drive”—an intensive capstone exercise that takes place over weeks. The course places US Army Officers in an high-tempo planning environment desinged to replicate brigade- and division-level headquarters operations.
Norman and fellow U.S. Army Reserve officer Maj. Terrance Adams, a network systems engineer assigned to Army Reserve headquarters, joined Canadian and allied officers during this demanding exercise. Working extended days in rotating staff roles, they developed operations orders, synchronized warfighting functions, and solved complex operational problems under realistic time constraints.
“For us, the experience presented a steep learning curve,” Adams said. “We were challenged to fill staff roles outside our primary career fields and rapidly digest a massive amount of mission information. Because we joined our teams during the final drive, it was essential that we provided immediate value. The 12- to 15-hour days were demanding but fulfilling, and I would highly recommend other U.S. officers take advantage of the opportunity.”
During the exercise, Norman served as syndicate senior and rotated through multiple staff positions, including chief of staff coordinator, G-5 aviation plans officer, G-4 plans officer and G-3 current operations officer. The assignments required him to integrate planning across all warfighting functions while supporting notional maneuver elements in a fast-paced operational environment.
Norman noted the Canadian officers’ proficiency with both digital and analog planning tools—skills he described as critical in a multidomain fight where technology may be degraded or unavailable. He also highlighted the professionalism and hospitality extended by allied partners, including engagement at the officers’ mess at Fort Frontenac.
“The versatility displayed by the Canadian Army staff officers was impressive,” Adams added. “As a smaller force, they’re cross-trained and proficient across multiple functions. They were extremely welcoming and invested in our success from day one.”
For future attendees, Norman emphasized preparation and adaptability. “Go in understanding it’s a minimum 12-hour day doing Canada’s version of the military decision-making process,” he said. “Be prepared to build full operations orders with annexes and tabs and think critically about maneuver in three-dimensional space and time.”
The course also included subject matter experts across operational disciplines and officers from the United States, Denmark, Estonia, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom. Norman said the multinational environment reinforced the importance of flexibility, communication and relationship-building when working with partner nations.
“Even in a standardized environment, there are differences in background, application and sometimes language or dialect,” he said. “Being ready to adapt, provide context and build trust makes the team stronger. Each repetition working together increases our collective readiness.”
Norman’s participation reflects the Army Reserve’s continued investment in professional development and allied education—ensuring leaders are prepared to operate effectively alongside NATO partners and enabling formations like the 7th Mission Support Command to deliver ready, capable sustainment forces wherever they are needed.