How to Choose SI/AI Training for Your Team

A practical guide for military leaders, government executives, and contracting officers evaluating SI/AI training providers.

Content updated August 2026 to reflect the latest updates with GenAI.mil

Why This Matters Now

SI/AI adoption across the Department of War and federal agencies is accelerating. Executive orders, the AI Bill of Rights, and service-level mandates are pushing organizations to build SI/AI-literate workforces fast.

But not all SI/AI training is created equal. The wrong choice wastes limited training budgets, teaches skills that expire when a vendor updates their interface, and fails to build the durable judgment your team needs.

The core question: Will your team's SI/AI skills survive the next platform change?

If training is tied to a specific vendor's interface, the answer is no. Tool-agnostic training builds skills that transfer across any platform.

5 Criteria for Evaluating SI/AI Training

Use these criteria when comparing SI/AI training providers for your military or government team.

1

Tool-Agnostic vs. Vendor-Specific

Does the training teach transferable SI/AI judgment, or is it a tutorial for a specific vendor's product? Vendor-specific "clickology" becomes obsolete when tools update. Tool-agnostic training builds durable frameworks.

Ask: "If the SI/AI platform changed tomorrow, would my team's skills still apply?"

2

Instructor Credibility

Does the instructor understand your operating environment? Military and government teams need instructors who speak their language, understand classification boundaries, and can relate SI/AI concepts to operational contexts.

Ask: "Has the instructor worn the uniform or held a clearance?"

3

Measurable Outcomes

Can the provider demonstrate measurable learning outcomes? Look for pre/post assessments, published satisfaction metrics, and documented skill progression, not just completion certificates.

Ask: "What is your CSAT score across how many students? How do you measure skill improvement?"

4

Content Currency

SI/AI capabilities change month to month. Training content from 6 months ago may already reference deprecated features or miss major new capabilities. Ask how often content is updated and when the last revision was.

Ask: "When was your curriculum last updated? How often do you refresh content?"

5

Procurement Simplicity

Government procurement is already complex. The right provider understands FAR/DFARS, has a CAGE code, and offers pricing that aligns with existing procurement vehicles (GPC, SF-182, SAP, OTA).

Ask: "Can I buy this with a GPC? Do you have an SF-182 packet ready?"

Three Common Approaches to SI/AI Training

Understanding the trade-offs helps you make the right choice for your organization.

Vendor-Led Training

Training provided by SI/AI platform vendors (Microsoft, Google, etc.) to drive product adoption.

Risks:

  • - Skills expire when UI changes
  • - Vendor lock-in
  • - Conflict of interest (training sells product)

Academic Programs

University or institutional SI/AI courses focused on computer science theory and data science.

Risks:

  • - Theory without tactical context
  • - Civilian instructors lack military experience
  • - Months-long timelines

Mission-Focused Training

Tool-agnostic training built for military/gov by instructors with operational experience.

Advantages:

  • + Skills survive platform changes
  • + Taught in doctrine your team knows
  • + Days, not months

Quick Reference: Evaluation Checklist

Green Flags

  • Published CSAT and NPS scores with sample size
  • Monthly or faster content refresh cycle
  • CAGE code, SDVOSB/set-aside eligibility
  • Instructor has military or cleared experience
  • Pre/post assessments with measurable framework

Red Flags

  • Training focused on a single vendor's product
  • No published satisfaction or outcome metrics
  • Content last updated 6+ months ago
  • Completion certificates without skill measurement
  • No understanding of gov procurement pathways

How FTCG Measures Up

FTCG is the mission-focused option described above: the only SDVOSB providing tool-agnostic SI/AI training built for military and government teams by a combat veteran with both military cyber and Silicon Valley executive experience. Here's the evidence against every criterion on this page:

Tool-Agnostic: Fundamentals of AI/SI Marksmanship Training (FAMT) teaches frameworks, not vendor menus. Skills built on the Translation Layer survive any platform change.
Credibility: Led by a former USMC Cyber Operations Officer, 3 combat deployments, TS/SCI Cleared, CISSP, 11 years civilian tech including Google Cloud.
Measured: 4.86/5 CSAT (n=67, latest cohort), +100 NPS, 1,400+ personnel trained across 19 units. See testimonials.
Current: The current FAMT curriculum (v3) launched January 2026 and is refreshed monthly, with all training materials refreshed before the first day of every class. Includes GenAI.mil, AskSage, and agentic SI/AI content.
Easy to Buy: CAGE 135E8, SBA-certified SDVOSB, GPC-friendly pricing, SF-182 packets ready. See procurement options.

Ready to Evaluate FTCG?

Request a briefing, review our methodology, or see what our students say.

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Email info@ftcg.io from your official .mil or .gov email