ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The highlight of Day Two of AUSA 2023 is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Luncheon address by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, but there also are many events for soldiers and family members.

On-site registration opens at 7 a.m.

A new executive order signed by President Joe Biden seeks to improve job opportunities and resources for military spouses, caregivers and survivors.

Applications are now open for a new DoD pilot program that aims to expand employment opportunities for military spouses.

The 12-week paid fellowship program enables eligible military spouses to work with civilian employers “across various industries and locations,” according to a DoD news release. Called the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot, it is open to spouses of service members across the active, reserve and National Guard components. 

Army spouse Monica Bassett is supporting soldiers and families who may need extra help through the recently opened Stronghold Community Food Pantry at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. 

What started in Bassett’s garage is now the first and only food pantry for active-duty service members at Fort Leavenworth. It opened Nov. 22 with support from Armed Forces Bank and Armed Forces Insurance.

“I am humbled by how the community has come together,” said Bassett, the food pantry’s founder. “This is truly a space to do good.”

Seventy new organizations have signed on to partner with the Defense Department to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses, the Pentagon announced.

Gilbert Cisneros Jr., undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, welcomed the new additions, which include government, nonprofit and private sector organizations, to the DoD-sponsored Military Spouse Employment Partnership program on Oct. 25.

While Army spouses have access to many on-post resources, including help with permanent change-of-station moves or adjusting to a new installation, they could benefit from additional support navigating those resources, a Rand Corp. report found. 

The Defense Department will host its sixth annual Virtual Military Spouse Symposium from May 10–12 as part of Military Spouse Appreciation Month. 

Hosted by the DoD Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, the symposium offers military spouses the opportunity to learn about how to develop their brand, gain work experience, tailor their job search, develop financial well-being and improve relationships, according to a DoD press release.

The Association of the U.S. Army is kicking off 2022 with five new podcast episodes in January, including an interview with the leaders of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and an update from the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade.

First up in the “Army Matters” series is an interview with Christine Lathrop, AUSA’s deputy director of membership, who will talk about the association’s “Welcome Back” campaign and how AUSA membership supports soldiers and the Army.

The episode is available Jan. 3.