Army opens its training network to non-CAC access

An Army major browses the Army Training Network on his tablet.

The Army has made it easier to access its primary website for training information, allowing soldiers to log in with a username and password without requiring a Common Access Card. The move opens up the Army Training Network to access via smartphones and tablets that don’t have CAC readers.

Despite the associated security concerns with opening access, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno directed the username and password implementation as a way to ensure the widest possible access to authoritative training information, according to an Army release. To ameliorate security concerns, the Army’s Training Management Directorate, or TMD, made a few changes to the network, such as segregating information that was For Official Use Only, which was only available to CAC card users. 

"This is a big step forward for the Army,” TMD director Col. Thomas J. Trossen said. “As we create more apps and websites for training and training management, we must include the soldier and unit-level training managers at the operational point of need."

The changes will allow for easier access to ATN training resources such as Unit Training Management, NCO Corner, Combined Arms Training Strategies and leader development materials. The ATN also has useful links for training meetings, event rehearsals and after-action reviews, among other features.    

"Some 93 percent of the information on ATN will be accessible with an Internet connection, username and password," said Charlie Ostrand, technical branch chief for the Army Training Management System. "Units in the field can have online access, and commanders will not have to carry stacks of training documents."