Which two areas are identified as the Army's investment priorities for preparation?

• A. Training
• B. Leadership development
• C. Both training and leadership development
• D. Equipment modernization

Answer: (C)

Focusing preparation investments on people through both training and leadership development is what builds ready, capable forces. Training builds the concrete skills and proficiency soldiers need to perform tasks to standard, adapt to new missions, and operate effectively in diverse environments. Leadership development creates the leaders who can plan, lead, mentor, and sustain operations, ensuring that trained individuals are guided by strong direction, discipline, and decision-making under pressure. Together, these two investments reinforce each other: training produces competent performers, while leadership development produces capable leaders who can maximize training outcomes and maintain unit readiness under stress. Equipment modernization matters for future capability, but in this context the emphasis is on preparing people, not on hardware, so the best choice is the combination of training and leadership development.