The Army is much better prepared today to respond to a major national disaster than it was in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans, but it’s still unclear how prepared the Army is for the disaster that planners fear most – a 10 kiloton nuclear explosion in a major U.S. city."We’ve come a long way in a few years," said Lt. Gen. Perry Wiggins, commander of the U.S. Army North, the Army command responsible for homeland defense. "But we still have a long way to go."Wiggins and a panel of military and civilian agency chiefs described the grim and chaotic aftermath of a nuclear attack.The...
Noncommissioned officers must learn, adopt and promote the Army’s new Ready and Resilient Campaign for future success in mitigating internal problems like sexual assault, suicide and Traumatic Brain Injury/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (TBI/PTSD), according to the Army vice chief of staff, Gen. John F. Campbell."Once again the Army leadership is asking our noncom officers to lead culture change, so we can drive things from the top," Campbell said during the Army Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier Recognition Luncheon held during the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and...
The Army has published its plan to modernize Army Knowledge Online (AKO).The plan, published Sept. 20, transitions business users to a suite of more secure, interoperable Department of Defense (DoD) services.The improved security requires users to have Common Access Cards (CAC) embedded with users’ personal digital certificates.The Army will close all accounts for military and civilian retirees and family members who do not have CACs.The Army plans to close inactive retiree and family member AKO accounts on Dec. 31, 2013. These are accounts that have not had a password change in over 90 days...
Sgt. Isaac Njoroge leans toward remaining in the D.C. National Guard, where he works in logistics and transportation.Nevertheless, Njoroge roamed the floor at the 2013 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition with a keen eye for prospective employers, should he decide to end his military career.The soldier listened intently as Tonya May, a recruiter for Global Experience Specialists (GES), talked of the Las Vegas-based company’s need for logistics experts.The company specializes in setting up and breaking down conventions and trade shows – including the AUSA meeting...
With over 35,000 registered runners – the largest running field in the race’s history – the 29th Army Ten-Miler took place Oct. 20 at the Pentagon, the day before the 2013 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition.The first male runner to cross the finish line, Solonei Silva, completed the run in 48:04.The first female finisher with a time of 54:56 was Kerri Gallagher who also came in first last year.The Overall Male U.S. Army winner was Spc. Aron Rono, with a time of 48 minutes, 18 seconds. Rono is a member of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.The Overall Female...
Capt. Kelly Calway, who won the female division at the Marine Corps Marathon, Oct. 27, said she ran the race for all deployed service members.Calway said she was proud to run with "Army on my chest," and for the members of her unit who are already deployed and for all soldiers and service members who are deployed."It just means the world to me," said Calway, who is based at Fort Carson, Colo., and is preparing to deploy soon.She said she was "ecstatic" to be the first female to cross the finish line at the marathon."It was just amazing," she said.Her time, 2:42:16, qualified her for the...
The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) announced Nov. 7 that Gen. Carter Ham, USA, Ret.; Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger, USA, Ret.; and Maj. Gen. Raymond W. Carpenter, USA, Ret., have joined the Association as AUSA Institute of Land Warfare senior fellows.Gen. Carter Ham, the former commander of U S. Africa Command, who previously served as commanding general, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, began his military career as an enlisted infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger, the former commander, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan and Combined...
The commander of the Army Materiel Command addressed future Army officers during the 2013 ROTC Luncheon at the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition.Gen. Dennis L. Via, who was an ROTC cadet at Virginia State University 33 years ago, spoke to the cadets about his own experiences, and about their decision to serve as military officers.Via lauded the cadets for belonging to an elite community of Americans – the less than 1 percent who serve in the armed forces."Your role within that one percent is especially important," Via told the cadets.Adding, "You and your fellow cadets may be the only men and...
Army Secretary John McHugh described in harsh detail the impact deep funding cuts from sequestration had on the Army in this first year alone and warned that the painful reductions will continue."I wish I could promise you that better days were ahead, but I can’t. The indiscriminate cuts will continue," McHugh said at the opening ceremony of the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Oct. 21.McHugh also lamented the turmoil created by the 16-day shutdown of the federal government, particularly its impact on the Army’s...
The Army chief of staff, Gen. Raymond Odierno offered his "guarantee" that despite the unprecedented budget uncertainty and the continuing specter of sequestration, his service "will remain the greatest Army in the world."Addressing the Eisenhower Luncheon at the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Odierno said he would use the two years left in his term as Army chief to build a globally responsive, regionally aligned force able to adjust and prevail in the complex and changing security environment."There are many...
After describing the many sacrifices soldiers have made in the last 12 years and declaring: "Protecting this country is a sacred duty," former Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ voice broke as he said, "George Marshall would have been proud" of what they accomplished.Gates was speaking at the Association of the United States Army’s George Catlett Marshall Dinner as he accepted the Association’s highest award, named for Marshall.He said during his four years as secretary, first under President George W. Bush and then under President Barack Obama, he had been strong advocate of "soft power" –...
Despite a Department of Defense focus on the Asia-Pacific region, there is no Army policy to "contain" China, said the service’s senior leader.Speaking before an audience July 29, at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., the Army chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, explained the service’s new interest in the Pacific region – a focus driven by a national defense strategy released in 2012.While the Army has interest in that part of the world, Odierno said, it does not have an interest in "containment.""Where you get into that policy of containment is where you start having large...
The Association of the United States Army and Remember My Service (RMS) Productions have joined forces to provide a recognition and historical program Army-wide that will assist commanders with unit esprit-de-corps, morale and pride, as well as establish an important communication platform for soldiers and families to reinforce understanding of their service.As the "Voice for the Army" since 1950, AUSA’s mission – to increase public support and awareness of the world’s best Army, and to tell "The Army Story" – is enhanced by this partnership.Commenting on the AUSA partnership with RMS, Gen...
Sadly, there is not much new from Capitol Hill.The same old partisan gridlock has left the nation with no resolution to its continuing fiscal problems.The government’s fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, so again, as this column is written, we are two weeks from that date and no defense appropriations bills have been sent to the president nor has defense authorization legislation been sent to him.That of course means that federal agencies will be have to be funded through a continuing resolution until Congress finally gets off the dime (so to speak) and shows us the money!The continuing resolution...
AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare has recently released new publications on emerging topics."Addition Through Subtraction: Empowering the Soldier by Lightening the Load" (Torchbearer Issue Paper, October 2013) explores the Army’s efforts to revolutionize Soldier Power for the soldier and squad.The soldier and squad will remain fundamental to national security throughout the 21st century. Soldier-worn devices enhance situational awareness, speed the decision cycle and connect soldiers and squads at the lowest level with one another and their higher headquarters to produce significant advantages...