ferences from one soldier to the next have consequences for most of the Army applications discussed in this report. Individual variability influences operational readiness and the ability of military units to perform assigned tasks optimally, but it is in many ways at odds with the conventional approach of training soldiers to be interchangeable components of a unit.

Recommendation 17. Using insights from neuroscience on the sources and characteristics of individual variability, the Army should consider how to take advantage of variability rather than ignoring it or attempting to eliminate it from a soldier’s behavior patterns in performing assigned tasks. The goal should be to seek ways to use individual variability to improve unit readiness and performance.