Members of the 85th Support Command, U.S. Army Reserve, located approximately 25 miles northwest of Chicago in Arlington Heights, Ill., held a cake cutting ceremony in honor of the Army’s 238th Birthday.Brig. Gen. Gracus K. Dunn, commanding general of the 85th Support Command, and deputy commanding general for support, First Army Division West – Fort Hood, Texas, Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Greene, command sergeant major, 85th Support Command and Master Sgt. Michael Kreinbring, honored after 33 years of service and retiring at the ceremony were members of the official party.Two hundred thirty...
High-ranking Army personnel sometimes visit cadets at their ROTC programs.But it is a rare occasion when Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets have the opportunity to visit the offices of generals and service secretaries at the Pentagon, Terrance Williams, a cadet with Howard University’s Army ROTC program, said.Williams joined Brandon Paquette, a cadet from Georgetown University’s Army ROTC program, and Chavez Leonen, a cadet with George Mason University’s Army ROTC program, for just such an opportunity, June 13, as part of the Army’s 238th birthday celebration.The three cadets and three...
Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal celebrated the Army’s 238th birthday with a cake-cutting and a tribute to wounded warriors.Westphal spent time with injured service members, Army families and volunteers during an Army birthday celebration and barbeque at the USO Warrior and Family Care Center at Fort Belvoir, Va.He cut an Army birthday cake with Col. Gregory Gadson, Fort Belvoir commander, and Elaine Rogers, president and CEO of the USO of Metropolitan Washington.America is proud of those who serve, Westphal said to attendees, which included a World War II Marine veteran...
At the ceremony celebrating the 238th birthday of the Army, Secretary of the Army John McHugh said birthdays can be bittersweet."When I blow out candles, I start thinking it’s another year closer to that inevitable conclusion," McHugh said.Adding, "But I want to make a suggestion for this occasion: that we consider instead of turning a year older, the Army is turning a year newer, a year better, a year stronger."Throughout the ceremony, which took place in the Pentagon auditorium, McHugh, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno, and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke on looking forward...
Twenty eight company grade officers were honored at a Pentagon ceremony when they received the prestigious General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award.The award is presented annually to company grade officers who epitomize the values championed by MacArthur: Duty, Honor, Country.Award recipients included 24 captains, two warrant officers and a first lieutenant. Each received a 15-pound bronze bust of MacArthur.Addressing the recipients and ceremony attendees, the Army chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, said the recipients would now join the ranks of the 649 soldiers who had been previously...
The commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) recently talked with members of the Virginia Colonial Chapter of the Association of the United States Army during the chapter’s annual professional development forum in Newport News, Va.Gen. Robert Cone, the forum’s keynote speaker, discussed a variety of topics including current TRADOC initiatives, challenges facing the force and the value the Army brings to the joint force, which he said is strengthened by lessons learned from the past."I’m always very interested in making sure we consider not just lessons, but the...
The story of World War II is one that has been told many times over by historians, authors and filmmakers.Yet, according to Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Rick Atkinson, with the proper "archival spade work" into the 17,000 tons of U.S. Army records from that era, there are always new things to be discovered – always new and intriguing stories to be told."I believe the narrative historian’s true calling is to bring back the dead, and that’s what I try to do," said Atkinson, who spoke at the Association of the United States Army’s national headquarters in Arlington, Va., as a part of AUSA’s and...
AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare has recently released a new publication."Déjà Vu" (Torchbearer Issue Paper, June 2013) summarizes the latest round of attacks on the military compensation system – which could have serious implications for military retirees – and explores the reasons why these attacks are misguided.It is imperative in this environment for the nation to preserve the mechanisms that incentivize skilled volunteers to become experts in careers that differ qualitatively from any civilian experience.But these mechanisms are crumbling, one after another – threatening service members’...
Defense committee chairman: Army restructure ‘Tip of the Iceberg.’ In response to the Army’s announcement that it is reducing end strength and reorganizing brigade combat teams, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., said, "As damaging as they are, these cuts don’t begin to reflect the crippling damage sequestration will do to our armed forces and national security. The committee will carefully examine the implications of this initial restructuring, but we all must understand that this is only the tip of the iceberg, much deeper cuts are still...
The Army would like its enlisted soldiers to remain on station for at least 36 months, and career managers are aiming to see that they will, said a director from Human Resource Command.In late 2012, senior Army leaders "asked us to look for ways to increase unit readiness, stability and predictability for soldiers and families," Col. Robert Bennett, director, Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate, said.Keeping soldiers on station for a longer period of time would accomplish those goals, said Bennett, who said he met with leaders in his directorate to go over options and implementation of...
Nearly everyone has heard the phrase "things were different back in my day" from someone older (and as they claim, wiser) at some point in their lives.The response is triggered by everything from fashion ("What are kids wearing these days?") to pop culture ("You call that comedy?"), and usually leads to lively discussions about the long gone glory days, obliterated by technological advancements and tabloids.Perhaps not so surprisingly, the same social commentary can be brought to the military community.The soldiers in today’s Army face different challenges and have different priorities and...
It is summer in Washington and the perennial problem of authorizing and funding our Army is in full flower.As I have reported, seemingly endlessly, defense authorization and appropriation legislation is moving forward in both houses of Congress at its usual slow pace.This year the process is shadowed again by the specter of defense sequestration that would cut enormous amounts of money out of the DoD budget and seems destined not to be resolved until after the next fiscal cliff occurs in October or November.The House has approved its version of the Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Authorization Bill.C...
The Army announced June 25 that 10 brigade combat teams based in the United States are slated to be reorganized by the end of Fiscal Year 2017.In addition to the 10 brigade combat teams, known as BCTs, announced today, the Army also announced last year it would cut two brigades in Germany that complete inactivation this fiscal year.These changes will reduce the number of BCTs in the Army from 45 to 33."Based on extensive analysis, the lessons of twelve years of war and the need to increase the Army’s operational capability and flexibility, the Army is reorganizing our brigade combat teams to...
Sexual assault and harassment are serious problems the Army is vigorously addressing, said the Army chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno.Odierno testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, June 4, along with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, service chiefs from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and six judge advocate generals."These crimes violate everything our Army stands for and they simply cannot be tolerated," Odierno told senators, as part of an oversight hearing on sexual assault and harassment in the services."As chief of staff of...
A bright light has been shown on a problem that has lurked in the shadows of our Army for too long.The problem is sexual harassment and sexual assault, and a series of sexual assault cases across the military services has highlighted its magnitude to the American public and our Congress.Statistics vary, but according to a recent Pentagon survey, about 70 troops a day are assaulted – last year 26,000 service personnel, a 35 percent increase from two years ago.These grim numbers show that previous efforts to combat sexual assault and sexual harassment have failed.This failure impacts unit...