The highly-anticipated report from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission was released on Jan. 29.The commission’s recommendations would fundamentally change military benefits, including the current retirement and health care delivery systems.Here are some of the key areas the commission studied and their recommendations:Retirement – The commissioners recommend the creation of a blended system that would automatically enroll each service member in the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, an investment account that accrues savings.Individual troops would...
Becoming a software developer for the "America’s Army" video game at the U.S. Army Game Studio was an unlikely career choice for Matt Roberts, who was not a "big gamer" growing up.But after serving as a soldier in the Army, Roberts was drawn to this career as a way to empower others."I was looking around for what I could do and found that I wanted to keep helping soldiers to do their jobs. Simulations training in virtual environments was a great opportunity to do that," Roberts said.Roberts served in the Army as a combat medic and after a tour in Iraq, he attended a graduate program at...
Another round of sequestration would put the Army "on a path of accelerated and much deeper cuts to our forces while debilitating readiness and reducing modernization and manpower," Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno warned Jan. 28 in testimony before Congress.Appearing with the other service chiefs before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Odierno said such cuts could lead to the Army losing the trust of soldiers, force an additional 60,000 cut in the size of the Total Army and increase strategic risk by reducing training readiness."The center of everything we do is our soldiers,"...
The Army would get a $7 billion increase in its base budget for 2016 under the Obama administration plan unveiled Feb. 2.The increase primarily goes to operations, maintenance and weapons modernization programs.The administration requests $147 billion for the Army in fiscal 2016, $2 billion less than the current budget in a reduction resulting from reduced funding for contingency operations.For fiscal year 2015, the Army received $121 billion in the base budget and $28 billion in operating contingency funds.For fiscal 2016, the administration proposes boosting the base budget to $127 billion...
Though United States and coalition airstrikes are destroying facilities and equipment controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the terrorist group ultimately will fail because the people it’s trying to control will reject its ideology, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview broadcast Jan. 11.Appearing on "Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey noted that the new Iraqi government is reaching out to Iraq’s Sunni tribes and has made inroads in the strategic effort against ISIL."A group that embraces such a radical ideology has to...
The U.S. Army is our Nation’s most versatile and elite force, capable of prevailing against any foe to prevent conflict, shape the strategic environment and win our Nation’s wars.Your Army is a team of the finest Leaders ever assembled, molding and shaping the finest Soldiers.This team has met the needs of our Nation for over 239 years and continues to answer her call in an ever-changing, complex and uncertain world. I’m humbled and honored to serve as the 15th Sergeant Major of the Army.The world is a dangerous and unpredictable place, and it requires a new mindset on how we prepare our...
The Army remains the foundation of the Joint Force.It has, is, and will be called upon to respond to and meet every major National Security mission.Today, we are advising and assisting combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing humanitarian assistance in West Africa to halt the unprecedented outbreak of Ebola, responding to Russian aggression through shaping operations with European allies, assisting our partners and allies around the world to develop professional and capable armies, defending critical networks against cyber attacks, and supporting National Defense objectives in the...
Greetings from the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), our Army’s and our soldiers’ professional organization.This month we focus on our annual Membership Report and why it is important to be part of the Association of the United States Army.There are many compelling reasons to be part of the Army’s professional association, but now more than ever there are a couple compelling reasons that rise above all the others.The first reason for becoming a member the Association of the United States Army is the Association’s focus on the entire Army from a manning, equipping and training...
The 31st Annual Army Ten-Miler, the third largest 10-mile race in the world, is set for Oct. 11 at the Pentagon in Washington.Produced by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, the annual Army Ten-Miler features a world-class race that attracts over 35,000 runners.The race is preceded by a two-day Health and Fitness Expo with over 85 exhibitors and 40,000-plus attendees.Acclaimed for its fast, scenic course – passing by many national landmarks and monuments in our nation’s Capital – the Army’s race is the only running event to start and finish at the Pentagon.Race officials also...
A tsunami hit one of the United States’ Pacific partner nations.Communication is damaged or completely down. Water supplies have been interrupted. Power is out.The partner nation government expects many citizens will run out of food within a couple of days. They need help, and they reach out to the United States.The United States Agency for International Development and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance ask the Department of Defense for assistance, but the disaster just happened and, therefore, what is needed is not yet known.U.S. Army Pacific and I Corps send word to the 25th Infantry...
Following the 2013 repeal of the Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule, the secretary of defense is scheduled to announce final decisions to integrate remaining closed occupations and any approved exceptions to policy on or about Jan. 1, 2016.Juliet Beyler, the Defense Department’s director of Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management, reported "good progress" in the Women in Service Review, which validates all occupational standards to ensure they are operational, relevant and gender-neutral by September 2015."Throughout the course of the review of the regulations governing...
An Army veteran is the new chairman of the Senate subcommittee overseeing Army procurement issues.Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has been selected to chair the Airland Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee.The 37-year-old Army combat veteran was elected to a six-year term in November.The Airland Subcommittee focuses on aviation and land warfare programs that include the active, National Guard and reserve forces.It is also responsible for most Army weapons programs other than special operations, including research, development and procurement of the weapons.In a statement, Cotton said...
The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) has again partnered with the American Freedom Foundation to host the Warriors To The Workforce Hiring Event for veterans, in conjunction with SourceAmerica, GES, and Still Serving Veterans, to be held at the 2015 AUSA Global Force Symposium and Exposition March 31 – April 2.This one-day event, to be held on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala., is part of the American Freedom Foundation’s nationwide initiative to help veterans find jobs.The first event was held at the AUSA 2013 Annual Meeting and Exposition, and...
The 2nd Infantry "Warrior" Division is entering a significant phase in its 100-year history.For more than 60 years, 2nd Infantry Division soldiers have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their South Korean allies on freedom’s frontier, keeping the Southy Korea peninsula secure against an aggressive and oppressive North Korean regime.The division is constantly seeking ways to further improve its readiness and strengthen the historic alliance it shares with South Korea.The division is establishing a new organizational paradigm for the U.S. and Republic of Korea, or ROK, armies.In January 2015, the...
When the Army began implementing defense cuts in 2011 and 2012, and drawdown operations kicked off in Iraq and Afghanistan, military leadership believed the world would require less intervention on the part of U.S. forces."Frankly, that’s not happened, and I think that’s the concern," said Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno, speaking at the Association of the United States Army’s monthly Institute of Land Warfare breakfast in Arlington, Va."The threat of terrorism is not going away ... it’s in our face every single day and it’s going to be throughout our lifetimes and probably...