ARNSF looks at Army Transformation

The CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center hosted an Arter-Rowland National Security Forum luncheon event on March 19, 2026, at the Carriage Club in Kansas City. The event featured a presentation entitled “The Army Transformation Initiative” by Lt. Gen. Jim Isenhower, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command and Fort Leavenworth.

The CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center Director and ARNSF program leader Col. (Ret.) Todd Schmidt kicked off the Forum welcoming the ARNSF members and their guests. After lunch, he introduced Isenhower.

(Top photo and above) Lt. Gen. Jim Isenhower, commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command and Fort Leavenworth, conducts a presentation and discussion about the Army’s Transformation Initiative during the Arter-Rowland National Security Forum luncheon event at the Carriage Club in Kansas City on March 19, 2026.

General Isenhower began his presentation going over the new organization for the Combined Arms Command, formerly known as the Combined Arms Center, at Fort Leavenworth as a result of the Army Transformation Initiative. One of the primary changes at Fort Leavenworth was the move of the Army University headquarters to Carlisle Barracks, Penn. The Army University president is now a major general, and the university provost is now a civilian. The commandant role for CGSC is no longer the commander of the Combined Arms Center. That role has been pushed down and the commandant is no longer dual-hatted as both commandant and Army University provost.

In the larger view, Isenhower explained that the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command has been reorganized into T2COM, or “Transformation and Training Command,” a four-star command which is now comprised of three, three-star level commands: the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, the Combined Arms Command, which Isenhower commands, and Futures & Concepts Command. Isenhower explained the roles each of these subordinate commands and how they work together to recruit the right Soldiers, train and educate them, and how the Army works to develop new concepts and designs to meet the threats of the modern battlefield.

Isenhower boiled all the changes down to the individual Soldier, on whom we all count to be trained and ready when the nation calls. In that light, he transitioned from a discussion about the Army Transformation Initiative into a question and answer period. Questions were mainly about military operations around the globe, specifically Ukraine and the ongoing operations in the Middle East. Isenhower took every question and offered his perspective while avoiding the non-military policy aspects inherent with some of the issues.

After the presentation and extensive question and answer period, Schmidt presented Isenhower with a small gift in appreciation for his time with the Forum. Schmidt also provided information about future ARNSF gatherings.

For more photos see the CGSC Foundation Flickr album

Lieutenant General Jim Isenhower assumed command of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command in November 2025.

Isenhower was commissioned in 1992 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He has served in the 1st Armored Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army Pacific, 1st U.S. Army, and at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff and the Army Staff. He has commanded echelons through the division level and has also served as an assistant professor in the Department of History at the United States Military Academy, and as the executive officer to the commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific, and to the director of the Army staff in the Pentagon. He most recently served as the assistant deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7 at Headquarters, Department of the Army.

Isenhower has participated in operational deployments in Panama, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and throughout the IndoPacific. He served three combat tours in Iraq in Mosul, Baghdad, and the Diyala Province.
   
Isenhower’s military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Command and General Staff College, and the National War College. He holds a bachelor’s from the U.S. Military Academy, a master’s from the National War College, and a master’s and doctorate from Duke University. He and his spouse Sherrill have been married for 30 years and have three sons.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum (ARNSF) is led by the CGSC Foundation’s Simons Center and is an exclusive professional information sharing and networking forum for those interested in keeping abreast of relevant information about national security issues.

Members of the Forum and their guests meet periodically at guest speaker events in downtown Kansas City. National and regional guest speakers representing all elements of national power (Diplomatic, Informational, Military and Economic) highlight the meetings. The Forum is nonpartisan, but elected government officials may present from time to time.

The Forum is named after Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Arter, Founding Chairman of the CGSC Foundation, and Mr. Landon Rowland, the Foundation’s first major donor who was well-known in Kansas City for his keen interest in national security issues and his leadership in business and philanthropy.

ARNSF events are only open to ARNSF members and their guests. If you are not a member but are interested in joining, contact the CGSC Foundation.

The Arter-Rowland National Security Forum is sponsored by: