AUSTIN (Realist English). The U.S. Army has officially merged two of its major four-star commands — the Army Futures Command (AFC) and the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) — into a single organization called the Transformation and Training Command (T2COM). The move marks the most significant structural overhaul in more than half a century and aims to align modernization, training, and innovation under one banner.
The announcement came on October 2, during the second day of a government shutdown, when the Army cased the colors of TRADOC and AFC and unveiled T2COM’s new insignia — a sword, symbolizing the fusion of tradition and transformation.
“T2COM is a good decision — this is the right decision for the Army,” said Gen. James Rainey, the outgoing AFC commander, who retires later this month. “It’s not about efficiencies as much as opportunities.”
From Austin’s tech hub to Army innovation hub
The Army established Futures Command in 2018 under then–Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and President Donald Trump, with a bold goal: to break free from bureaucratic inertia and accelerate modernization through proximity to America’s tech sector.
Based in downtown Austin, Texas, the command was envisioned as a bridge between the military and the nation’s most innovative minds — a place where soldiers, engineers, and entrepreneurs could collaborate to bring emerging technologies like AI, robotics, and long-range precision weapons into the force.
In just seven years, the command launched initiatives like the Army Applications Laboratory, the Software Factory, and Project Convergence, which connected advanced sensors, drones, and next-generation systems across domains. Yet it also faced setbacks — including the cancellation of major programs such as the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft and Extended-Range Artillery Cannon.
A new chapter: from vision to victory
Under T2COM, the Army seeks to merge force design, development, and generation — creating a continuous pipeline from innovation to battlefield application. Its new motto: “From Vision to Victory.”
“The world isn’t slowing down — and neither will we,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. “Transformation is not just about product innovation; it’s about process innovation. T2COM will help us cut redundancy, reverse stagnation, and get new technology into soldiers’ hands faster.”
Gen. David Hodne, who previously led the Futures and Concepts Center, will command T2COM. He described the merger as a “reset” — a deliberate blending of two proud traditions into something new, designed for an era defined by AI warfare, drone swarms, and digital command networks.
Structure and scope
T2COM will remain headquartered in Austin, expanding its presence in the region and retaining programs like the Army Applications Lab and Software Factory. Three subordinate three-star commands will report to T2COM:
- Futures and Concepts Command (Fort Eustis, Virginia)
- Combined Arms Command (Fort Leavenworth, Kansas)
- Army Recruiting Command (Fort Knox, Kentucky)
“Technology alone never transformed war,” Hodne said. “The tank, the airplane, the drone — none changed battlefields by themselves. They required new tactics, new organizations, and new thinking. T2COM is the Army’s answer to that challenge.”
With wars in Ukraine and the Middle East reshaping modern combat, the Army hopes T2COM will ensure it can adapt as fast as technology evolves — uniting training, doctrine, and innovation into a single engine of transformation.
