Endurance. Strength. Flexibility. Tenacity.These attributes could be used to describe so many military families that someone could assume they’re issued with military orders.It’s no secret that military families are exceptional, but some, like the Flores family, step away from the pack with their extraordinary efforts.The Flores family – 1st Sgt. Tommy, wife Laura, and kids Zanayah, 12, and Carlos, 10, – have been remarkable members of every community the Army has sent them to, and AUSA is delighted to honor them as our 2013 Volunteer Family of the Year.Adding new meaning to families serving...
Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks that happened 12 years ago, more than 2.5 million U.S. troops have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and over that same period, more than 260,000 service members have been diagnosed with the invisible wounds of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress as a result of combat-related injuries and accidents.To treat and care for those service members suffering from the most severe forms of Traumatic Brain Injury, known as TBI, and Post-Traumatic Stress, or PTS, the first of nine planned, nationwide Intrepid Spirit Centers officially opened its doors at Fort...
Our country relies on the skills and proven abilities our National Guard and Reserve service members provide. Citizen warriors are a vital element of our nation’s defense.Employer support allows these brave men and women in uniform to carry out their mission and is a direct contribution to our national security equation. Whether serving our country or supporting those who do, we all serve.Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, was established in 1972 to develop and promote employer support for Guard and Reserve service.For more than four decades, ESGR...
Advances in technology have made hearing aids into high-tech medical devices, and the best hearing aids ever made are now in production.Military retirees – active duty, guard and reserve – with a hearing loss and/or tinnitus are now eligible to participate in a new Department of Defense-sponsored program called the Retiree-At-Cost Hearing Aid Program ( RACHAP).Retired commissioned officers of the U.S. Public Health Service are also eligible for this program at military treatment facilities under certain conditions.RACHAP is designed to help retirees purchase hearing aids through an audiology...
Staff Sgt. Ty M. Carter, Medal of Honor recipient, is featured on the cover of the 2013-14 Green Book, the October issue of ARMY Magazine.He was presented the medal for his valor in the 2009 day-long battle to defend Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan.This year’s Green Book features reports from Army leaders on the challenges ahead in a time of budget turmoil and strategic shifts as the Army evolves from wartime engagement to building a globally responsive and regionally engaged force for the future.Among the issue’s status reports are articles by the U.S. Army secretary, chief of staff...
The General Creighton W. Abrams Medal for exceptional service to the United States Army is awarded to Gen. Louis C. Wagner Jr., USA, Ret.Wagner served more than 35 years in the United States Army before retiring in 1989.Upon graduating from West Point, he selected armor as his branch and served in Germany. He served two tours in Vietnam and held command and staff assignments at every level from platoon to armor brigade.He served as commanding general, U.S. Army Armor Center and commandant, U.S. Army Armor School and chief of armor. Key Department of the Army staff positions included assistant...
No way to do business. As this goes to press, the train of irresponsibility went speeding down the track and hit the wall.With no time to spare, the House approved a series of continuing resolutions (CR) they knew didn’t stand a chance of passing in the Senate because of added provisions that impacted the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The Senate stripped the provisions from the bill and sent it back to the House.On the Sunday morning talk shows, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., said that "the House position, which is basically the same one that they sent us the last time, is...
The narrow streets of Kathmandu, Nepal, are rarely quiet.The city’s 2 million residents move constantly through a maze of buildings, weaving through traffic and trekking over mounds of concrete rubble that permanently reside in front of busy shops and food stands.The heavily populated city is situated in a region historically active with natural disasters, and if it faced an earthquake, the devastation would be complex and massive.It’s estimated that more than 100,000 people would potentially be killed with many more injured, and at least 50 percent of the city’s infrastructure would likely be...
Greetings from the Association of the United States Army – our Army’s and our soldiers’ professional organization.Everyone who attends the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition’s opening ceremony on Monday, Oct. 21, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, will see Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew McFowler, USA, Ret., receive the prestigious Sergeant Major of the Army William G. Bainbridge Medal.The citation for the Bainbridge Medal states, in part, the AUSA award is presented to this outstanding NCO "… for his exceptional service to the Noncommissioned Officer...
Dr. Robert M. Gates, a former secretary of defense and director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the current chancellor of the College of William and Mary, will receive the 2013 George Catlett Marshall Medal, the highest award presented by the Association of the United States Army.Awarded annually to an individual who has exhibited selfless service to the United States of America, the medal will be presented to Gates by the Association’s Council of Trustees to recognize his contributions to the United States as a cabinet member, educator, presidential adviser and a strong supporter of...
With the military’s financial future unclear, officials must step to the fore and lead, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in Arlington, Va., Sept, 12.Speaking at the Association of the United States Army’s Gen. Bernard W. Rogers Strategic Issues Forum lecture series, Navy Adm. James A. "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr. detailed the problems facing the military."As we prepare to step onto the shaky financial field of the future, we find ourselves with no idea how much money the Defense Department is going to have in 2014, much less beyond," he said.Adding, "[We have] no idea when we’re...
The Army chief of staff told lawmakers if they don’t mitigate reductions under the Budget Control Act, 85 percent of brigade combat teams would be ill-prepared for contingency requirements by the end of Fiscal Year 2014.Gen. Ray Odierno was blunt, as he testified Sept. 18 before the House Armed Services Committee.His statistics on the Budget Control Act regarding the service’s readiness posture included both active and reserve component brigades, if the speed and magnitude of cuts are not stopped.Odierno and other service chiefs said the Budget Control Act, coupled with sequestration, will...
Georgia Regents University (GRU) held its Spring Formal at the Jaguar Student Activities Center on the GRU Campus in Augusta, Ga., with over 300 in attendance.The Jaguar ROTC Battalion’s guests included Dr. Gretchen B. Caughman, the university’s executive vice president and provost; Maj. Gen. LaWarren Patterson, commanding general, U.S. Army Signal Center of Excellence; Command Sgt. Maj. Ron Pflieger, the center’s command sergeant major; and Brig. Gen. Jeff Foley, USA, Ret., GRU vice president for military and global outreach.The guest speaker was Maj. Gen. Byron S. Bagby, USA, Ret., vice...
The Association of the United States Army’s North Texas Chapter has organized, led and funded a leadership program to help teach, coach and mentor college ROTC cadets in the north Texas area.The colleges and ROTC units involved include the University of North Texas, Texas Christian University and Baylor University.This unique leadership program involves "Leadership and a Movie" events, Tactical Decision Game Exercises and Battlefield Staff Rides."Leadership and a Movie" events involve a movie and a dinner and are held four times a year at the various college campuses.The event begins at dinner...
The complex issues facing the modern military tactician present unique challenges requiring leadership that exemplifies unparalleled ingenuity, flexibility and uncompromising integrity.From the emergence of insurgent warfare to the constantly evolving technological frontier, future military leaders must remain adaptable with an ability to thrive in an uncertain operational environment.To keep up with the fluidity of today’s battlefield and better prepare the nation's future military leaders to face myriad challenges, U.S. Army Cadet Command is revamping the training Reserve Officers’ Training...