Training researchers may need to make a choice between conducting studies in a laboratory environment or a real-world operational training environment. There are pluses and minuses to each approach related to internal validity, external validity, and application. To help address these challenges, we have adopted a "use-centered basic research" (Stokes, 1997) approach to conducting operational training research. We strive to answer practical questions while simultaneously seeking to develop fundamental principles. This paper analyzes the challenge of studying training in the wild through the exploration of a variety of issues such as learning from each other in the context of the research, the need to leverage diverse expertise, the benefits of programmatic research, and the advantages of conducting use-centered research. Based on these issues, we discuss lessons learned from conducting research in various operational training environments - from field-based and classroom-based training in the Army to simulator-based training in the Air Force and Navy. In doing so, we focus on the critical meta-scientific issues that were revealed through this research rather than specific research results. In particular, we highlight key best practices for conducting high-quality, insightful, and practical research in operational training environments, focusing on interaction and collaboration within the operational community. We conclude that through this "use-centered basic research" it is possible to solve current problems facing Warfighters while conducting research in which theories with broader implications are developed.