ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Throughout my military career, I have had the pleasure of attending dozens of retirement ceremonies for senior officers. Although their stories were different, a common theme seemed to emerge. Many of the officers lost their family along the way or, at the very least, did not spend as much time with their family throughout the years as they could have or should have.

This is evident because their remarks during their ceremonies were filled with lament and phrases such as, “I’m sorry for not being there,” or “Your mom did a great job raising you kids.” Although nobody would argue that a U.S...

In the U.S. Army, “moral courage” is a trait expected of every officer, but not consistently demonstrated when the chips are truly down.

Moral courage is when a person sees something wrong and does more than say to themselves, “This isn’t right.” They do something. Mere hand-wringing also does not count. Moral courage is important in all things, because, as a wise first sergeant once told me, “When you walk by something that ain’t right and don’t say anything, then that becomes the new standard.”

This was the case with Capt. Elbridge Colby, who put his career on the line for principle...

When it comes to current changes in the character of warfare, it is almost impossible to discuss the topic without discussing drones. Drones have changed how the military thinks about warfare at the tactical, operational and strategic levels.

However, when looking at the nature of warfare, there is a concept that U.S. Army Rangers often call “droning” that has been a fundamental part of war throughout world history. Researcher Janna Mantua and colleagues at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research explored ways Rangers describe droning’s impact on operations in an article published in...

From squads all the way to divisions and corps, the U.S. Army is working hard to build a force ready to win on a future battlefield that promises to be more complex, lethal and volatile than ever.

“Time is not a friend,” said Gen. Andrew Poppas, commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command. “We need to be prepared when called upon.”

Part of that preparation includes building and sharpening the Army’s ability to conduct large-scale combat operations. For a force that has conducted counterterrorism operations for 20 years, it is a tall order that requires proper planning and...

There’s a new kind of war coming, one where almost everything soldiers do or say on the battlefield will be visible, identifiable and trackable by the enemy or the public.

With technology evolving at lightning speed, much of it available commercially, new threats have proliferated rapidly, and soldiers training at the U.S. Army’s combat training centers are learning how to outsmart an agile adversary with access to technology almost on par with theirs.

No longer will U.S. ground troops have many of the advantages they had in Iraq and Afghanistan, including air superiority, the relative...

Warfighting and global competition are no longer limited to the ground, air or sea. Now, they’ve gone to space.

Faced with growing competition and the rapid advancement of technology, critical space capabilities will be increasingly contested by America’s adversaries. The U.S. Army and its sister services depend on space enablers such as satellite communications, GPS, missile warning, electronic warfare and more as the services train and prepare for a transparent, more lethal future battlefield. As the military’s largest user of space, the Army must maintain its advantage in the final...

During the late 1960s, at the height of the Vietnam War, most Americans were unaware that the U.S. military was fighting on two fronts in Asia—in Vietnam and, some 2,000 miles north, along the Demilitarized Zone in Korea.

What is sometimes now labeled the “DMZ War” refers to the military conflict that raged along the DMZ from 1966 to 1969, exploding briefly again in the summer of 1970 before finally subsiding.

Fearful that events in Korea would jeopardize public support for Vietnam, then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara gave orders that nothing be done in Korea that would adversely...

Eighty years on, whether you call it the “Longest Day” or the “Mighty Endeavor,” D-Day on June 6, 1944, remains perhaps the most significant day for Western civilization in the 20th century.

As outlined by a February 1944 directive from the Allied Combined Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, led the largest amphibious force in history as it embarked on a mission to “enter the continent of Europe and, … undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces.”

When British Prime Minister Winston...

In the strategic expanses of the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Army’s I Corps is pioneering an innovation to redefine defense collaboration through the Mission Partner Environment. This groundbreaking digital communications platform underscores America’s commitment to strengthening alliances, fostering interoperability and ensuring secure, real-time information-sharing with global partners. The Mission Partner Environment initiative is a cornerstone for future military operations in the Indo-Pacific, setting a new standard for global defense collaboration.

Recognizing the strategic shifts...

America has worked hard to fulfill its sacred commitment to bringing home its fallen heroes with dignity, honor and respect. But it must examine its capabilities as the U.S. Army and the rest of the military prepare for possible large-scale combat operations against a near-peer adversary.

An Army mortuary affairs company is designed to process up to 400 human remains a day from up to 20 mortuary affairs collection points, according to Field Manual 4-0: Sustainment Operations. But this capacity is not enough to manage the expected daily casualty rate early in a large-scale combat...

America has worked hard to fulfill its sacred commitment to bringing home its fallen heroes with dignity, honor and respect. But it must examine its capabilities as the U.S. Army and the rest of the military prepare for possible large-scale combat operations against a near-peer adversary.

An Army mortuary affairs company is designed to process up to 400 human remains a day from up to 20 mortuary affairs collection points, according to Field Manual 4-0: Sustainment Operations. But this capacity is not enough to manage the expected daily casualty rate early in a large-scale combat...

The U.S. Army’s current recruiting crisis is the symptom of a broad disconnect between the civilian population and America’s armed forces. Despite frequent news coverage of military operations, the American public really has no idea what each branch of service does, and the younger generation does not see the armed forces as a viable option for employment.

There are several layers to this problem; however, specific roadblocks steered the Army to where it is today, and minor tweaks could help the cause.

Post-9/11 security requirements, and changing legal regulations, have caused the...

My daughter Jade, who is a first lieutenant in her Air Force Junior ROTC cadet corps at Westside High School in Jacksonville, Florida, embodies the spirit of “the greatest generation.” With plans to enlist in the U.S. Army in 2025 upon graduating from high school, Jade exemplifies the ethos of “Be All You Can Be,” reminiscent of the bravery seen on the beaches of Normandy, France, on D-Day.

Drawn by a sense of duty and honor, she sees the Army as a pathway to personal and professional growth where she can embrace diverse career options and specialized training. Jade values the camaraderie...

The 80th anniversary of D-Day in June is a reminder of the significance of battlefields. Thousands of people visit sites like Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, every year for myriad reasons. Of these, some visit as part of a military staff ride, while others visit as tourists. Another reason for battlefield visits is that people identify as pilgrims on a pilgrimage.

In all three cases, the battlefield geography remains constant, but the motivations for the visit underpin why people are there, how they engage with the landscape and the meaning they make from their experiences.

Historicall...

Novel Approach to Overlord Decision-Making

The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower. Michel Paradis. HarperCollins. 528 pages. $35

By Col. Kevin Farrell, U.S. Army retired

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings at Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, remembered since as D-Day. It is only fitting, therefore, that there is renewed interest in that landmark event.

Arguably, no one was more important to the success of the world’s greatest amphibious invasion than Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, and it is not surprising that...