FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldiers and civilians are learning how to intentionally integrate artificial intelligence into military workflows in a two-day AI 201 course taught by U.S. Army War College faculty here on Feb. 11 and 12.
The course builds on previous induction training and focuses on how Soldiers think about problems, manage workflows, and determine how AI can responsibly improve performance across planning, operations, and staffing processes.
The training comes as Pentagon leadership pushes to rapidly accelerate AI adoption across the joint force. In early 2026, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched an “AI First” directive aimed at aggressively integrating artificial intelligence into operations across the Department.
This change is driving force-wide training events that include hands-on instruction designed to help Soldiers understand not only what AI can do, but when and how to use it.
Kelly Eime, assistant professor at the Army War College, said the course is designed to bridge the gap between basic awareness and practical application of AI.
An early adopter of generative AI in academic workflows, Imeh said he began experimenting with AI tools in 2022 and later incorporated its use into education at the Army War College before helping bring that knowledge to the broader force.
“No one is actually teaching this type of material yet,” Imeh said. “The focus of this course is not on the AI tools you can use, but on how you need to use your mind to think about problems and decide when using AI is a good solution.”
The AI 201 course focuses on seven core skill areas: questioning fixed mind frames. One of these areas is task delegation. This requires individuals to ask themselves which parts of a given task can be handled by AI, which parts need to be completed without AI, and where in the process it makes sense to insert AI and whether it makes sense to insert AI at all. Rather than relying on technology as a universal solution, the instructors emphasized developing sustainable habits to incorporate AI into daily work.
“Look at the everyday processes where you can deploy AI to save time and improve efficiency,” says Ihme. “To successfully integrate AI into your workflow and make a lasting impact, you need to get into the habit of using it regularly.”
This training introduces Soldiers to enterprise tools that are increasingly being used across the force, including GenAI.mil, the Department of the Army’s generative AI environment designed to provide advanced AI capabilities within a secure network architecture. The platform supports tasks such as document summarization, research support, and data analysis while maintaining data protection and accountability requirements across military networks.
Maj. Michael Donarski, a participant in the U.S. Army Sergeant Course, said expanding access to AI training could strengthen the force.
“I think the Pennsylvania National Guard would benefit from making these AI-focused courses more available and expanding the reach to engage a broader range of service members in training,” Donarski said.
Donalski added that one of the key takeaways from the course was the importance of learning basic skills before introducing AI into your workflow.
“Before we can effectively use AI to help, we need to know how to perform the skills and tasks we are trying to incorporate AI into,” he said.
At the end of the course, the instructors emphasized that while AI can support a variety of tasks to improve productivity, human judgment and oversight are still essential.
As the Army continues to integrate AI-enabled systems and tools, education like AI 201 helps ensure the Pennsylvania National Guard is prepared to operate effectively in an increasingly data-centric operational environment.
