In their May Front & Center article, “A Question of Balance,” Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, U.S. Army retired, and Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger, U.S. Army retired, clearly point out the need to get the balance right in regard to the Army’s end strength. They suggest the balance requires a trained and ready force of 550,000. It should be pointed out, however, that an Army of that size was not adequate to accomplish our national military strategy this past decade, as manifested by the incredibly large number of what could be called casualties—suicides, cases of family violence, divorces, children with...
Whether they are traditional “Army brats”—growing up on Army bases—or children of veterans, the sons and daughters of U.S. Army soldiers contribute in all walks of life. Many fill the celebrity ranks.In sports, the stars include Tiger Woods, Robert Griffin III and Shaquille O’Neal. All make a point of talking about their Army upbringing.
Woods’ father, Earl D. Woods, spent a career as an Infantry and Special Forces officer, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1974. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Although born as Eldrick Woods, his son is known by the nickname “Tiger” and owes that to a...
A string of 20-ton Army trucks barrels along a rural Georgia highway at 40 mph with no one at the wheel, yet the trucks obey traffic rules, swerve to avoid obstacles and stop when a child darts into the street.Two pilotless planes circle over a town, searching the streets below for their target. When they spot it, they radio GPS coordinates to a driverless SUV, which moves in for the intercept.A squad of soldiers crouches behind a protective wall a short distance from the building they’re about to storm. They unpack CLARK—the Common Light Autonomous Robotics Kit—pulling out a palm-size...
Tristan Wyatt knew immediately that he had been hit. He was in Fallujah, Iraq, in the summer of 2003. The 19-year-old combat engineer was on a reconnaissance patrol with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the back of a lightly armored M113 armored personnel carrier. The squad began taking fire and peeled off the road in an attempt to flank the shooters. The move landed them squarely in the middle of an ambush. The enemy had five firing positions set up, all of them directed at Wyatt and his squad.Wyatt felt the impact before he saw it and, thinking he had taken shrapnel from a nearby mortar...
Since December 2011, the steady return to a garrison lifestyle from deployment has presented many unforeseen challenges to U.S. troops. Among them is the transition from a high-paced, high-adrenaline deployed environment to a slower, less exhilarating home station routine, but other unexpected consequences are now beginning to impact soldiers and their families.Some garrisons are concerned by potential impacts to privatized housing. Senior Army officials working with private housing companies report that within the continental U.S., family occupancy has been averaging around 94 percent. As the...
The mission of U.S. Army Forces Command is to train, mobilize and provide forces to operate as part of the joint team when our nation calls in order to prevent conflict, shape outcomes or, if necessary, win decisively against any foe, anywhere, anytime. Winning matters; there is no second place in combat.
The key to victory lies in a professional land force—tough, well-trained and led by smart, inspired, adaptive leaders. That is the task of U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), and for four decades, the dedicated soldiers and civilians of FORSCOM have answered the nation’s call. Located...
Facing almost certain death during an enemy assault in Afghanistan, a gravely injured Ryan Pitts, then a sergeant, fiercely fought on, keeping an observation post and the fallen soldiers around him from ending up in enemy hands.For his incredible bravery in Wanat, Afghanistan, July 13, 2008, Pitts received the nation’s highest military honor for valor, the Medal of Honor, at the White House on July 21.During that attack in Afghanistan at Vehicle Patrol Base Kahler and Observation Post Topside, nine of Pitts’ teammates were killed.He said his honor is theirs as well."This award isn’t about what...
AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare has released a new publication."The U.S. Army in Korea: Strategic Landpower at the Forward Edge of Freedom" (Torchbearer Issue Paper, August 2014) discusses the security interests shared by the United States and South Korea, and highlights the Army’s initiatives to support the alliance now and in the future.U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) – a sub-unified command under U.S. Pacific Command – supports the United Nations Command and the United States–Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command as the joint headquarters through which U.S. combat forces are provided to the...
Three Army medical professionals recently prevented a woman from choking at Applebee’s restaurant in Radcliff, Ky.Col. Brian McGlinch, an Army physician, noticed employees attempting to remove a customer from her chair. He began performing the Heimlich maneuver after identifying that she was choking.He was immediately assisted by two Army nurses – 2nd Lt. Jordan Flynn and 2nd Lt. Kelby Tidey.Together they began alternating choke-prevention techniques.After about four minutes of the woman turning blue and nearing cardiac arrest, the lieutenants cleared her airway, allowing McGlinch to remove a...
People are now visiting AUSA’s new online virtual community – Firing Line –and checking out the discussion forums, blog sites and surveys.For the past few weeks, AUSA social media sites, ARMY Magazine, and AUSA NEWS, announced the launch of the AUSA Firing Line.Now you have the opportunity to vote on the weekly survey question.This is your opportunity to voice your thought and opinions on current topics.For example, one of our latest survey questions is: "Will partisan politics keep us from being successful in defeating ISIS?"The most visited blog posts on the AUSA Firing Line include the Hero...
This year, one Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, or JROTC, high school program from each state was invited to the 70th D-Day anniversary commemoration in Normandy, France.Cadets from across the United States who participated in the commemoration walked in the steps of those who shaped history and met World War II veterans who also participated in this historic event.Participating cadets visited the St. James American Cemetery and the General Patton Cemetery, also known as American Cemetery, in Normandy, for special ceremonies.They also visited Omaha Beach for the opening ceremony, and...
High school students and soldiers were honored at the St. Louis Gateway Chapter of the Association of the United States Army Leadership Awards Ceremony.The ceremony took place recently at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown St. Louis, Mo.Thirteen students received scholarships and 25 Soldiers of the Year from the active Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps were recognized and were presented awards for their accomplishments.The keynote speaker was Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Richardson, commanding general, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command...
Before we can lead, we must understand what it means to follow. Sometimes it is a natural step, and other times it is achieved in stages.As the Army’s top ROTC cadets from each program assembled in Lexington Va., April 13-16 for the 2014 George C. Marshall Awards and Leadership Seminar, several of them did so from a unique vantage point. They were enlisted soldiers whose next career steps are to capitalize on their experience and take on more expansive leadership roles by becoming officers.The seminar is an opportunity for the Army’s top ROTC cadets to interact with senior military and...
The 2014-2015 issue of ARMY Magazine’s Green Book includes more than 30 status reports looking at accomplishments and goals for the service at a time of tight budgets and global challenges.Timed to be distributed before and during AUSA’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, the issue includes status reports from the Army secretary, chief of staff, sergeant major of the Army, assistant secretaries, deputy chiefs of staff, and commanding generals of every major command.Also, in the more than 300-page magazine is a comprehensive guide to Army weapons and equipment, a directory of senior command and...
Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno spoke for more than an hour to Army ROTC Leadership Development Assessment Course Cadets at Fort Knox, Ky., on July 10,, delivering a valuable message to help them in their journey as Army officers.He took time with cadets to share the wealth of experience he has gained during a 38-year career.Covering a wide range of topics, Odierno touched on conflicts across the world and he addressed the dynamics of constantly changing technology and cultures. His main focus, however, was the magnitude of the effect the future officers will have on the Army."The...