Editor's corner.

One peculiar development seen in the Iraq war was the presence, throughout the theater, of U.S. military teams led by 35 officers from the Joint Forces Command. Their sole job was to observe the war as it unfolded and assess the performance of the military services from a "joint" perspective. They also were responsible to compile "lessons learned" about the war, a process that traditionally had been conducted by each individual service.

"Jointness" was unquestionably the biggest lesson from the war, according to Army Brig. Gen. Robert W. Cone, director of the Joint Center for Lessons Learned, U.S. Joint Forces Command.

This keen emphasis on everything joint will affect not only weapons systems development and procurement, but also the way the services train.

Cone cited training, for example, as a key factor in the prevention of fratricide, which was one of the war's largest disappointments. Commanders interviewed by JFCOM officials agreed that "training is the number one thing" that could help avert friendly fire, said Cone.

In this month's edition, National Defense explores the fundamental trends emerging in military training today, many of which are being shaped by commanders' observations from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as homeland security demands.

To improve joint-service training, the Defense Department is funding a $1 billion project called Joint National Training Capability, which is designed to network various training ranges around the United States. Although the program is in its infancy and details are sketchy, it is receiving high-level attention. You can read more about JNTC efforts on page 46.

The Army, meanwhile, is restructuring its training-systems organization. The goal is to make sure its training programs are aligned with the priorities of the Army's so-called Future Force. A growing emphasis on digital modeling and simulation, additionally, is driving the Army to invest in sophisticated virtual-reality technology, designed to replicate combat missions. More on these developments can be found on page 50.

The Air Force and the Navy also are seeking to improve their training devices and simulations, in an effort to cut back on costly live training. Although decisions to cut back on flying hours often are unpopular among aviators, the Pentagon has directed the services to find ways to improve simulators and gradually begin substituting flying time with simulation-based training. Specifically, the Air Force plans to upgrade flight-training devices under a program called Distributed Mission Operations. You can read more about this on page 72.

Of special note in this month's edition is an exclusive, in-depth look at a training program for U.S. border guards and customs officers, who increasingly are becoming the "first line of defense" in preventing the influx of weapons of mass destruction into the United States. That story begins on page 32.