The Army Nurse Corps celebrated its 110th anniversary and another chapter in its rich tradition of dedicated service on Feb. 2.The theme for this year’s celebration "Touching Lives for 110 Years" epitomizes the women and men of the Army Nurse Corps and is the essence of what Army nurses do every day.What the Army Nurse Corps has doneMen and women have served as Army nurses since 1775.The history of the Army Nurse Corps, however, dates back to 1901 when Army nurses became a part of the Army Medical Department.Today, under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, deputy surgeon general...
The Army vice chief said the pyramid of information flow in combat operations has shifted so that NCOs and other enlisted soldiers are relied on to make "game-changing decisions."Speaking Feb. 23 at the Association of the United States Army’s Winter Symposium and Exposition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Gen. Peter Chiarelli said the speed of information flow has meant that soldiers on the ground are obtaining more information than in past wars.The fight no longer takes place on the traditional battlefield because the enemies have benefited the most from the cell phone where they can transfer...
An Army Acquisition Review Board co-chairman outlined some of the board’s findings that members suggest will result in acquisition processes having a better core workforce while reducing program costs.Speaking Feb. 25 at the Association of the United States Army’s Winter Symposium and Exposition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Gen. Louis C. Wagner Jr., USA, Ret., a former commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command and an AUSA senior fellow, said board members independently interviewed more than 100 people to include current and former chiefs of staff, secretaries of the Army, major command...
During a ceremony held in March at the Pentagon, the 13th sergeant major of the Army, Kenneth O. Preston, passed the torch to his replacement, Raymond F. Chandler.This is in keeping with Army tradition. One great soldier steps aside and another steps forward to take his place. That’s how we do it; that’s the strength of America’s Army.But in this case the 14th sergeant major of the Army has some big shoes to fill.Kenneth O. Preston has served for seven plus years as a member of the Army leadership team. That’s just short of two full terms and that makes him by far our longest serving SMA – and...
Changing the Army’s Field Manual (FM 3-0) to reflect an evolved understanding following over nine years of "persistent conflict" – in Iraq and Afghanistan – and the impact these conflicts have on how the Army operates, as Gen. Martin E. Dempsey put it, is a "Campaign of Learning" across the Army.Dempsey, commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and Army chief of staff designate, said in the introduction to Change 1 of the manual, this campaign concluded the Army must "adapt our concepts, doctrine, and processes more frequently than in the past."However, even with this...
resident Barack Obama’s budget for Fiscal Year 2012 was forwarded to Capitol Hill on Feb. 14.The president is requesting $553 billion for the Defense Department’s base budget, an increase of $22 billion above the Fiscal Year 2010 appropriation.The incremental costs of funding Overseas Contingency Operations, including the ongoing efforts in Afghanistan and transition activities in Iraq are funded separately in the budget at $118 billion. Of the $553 billion request, the Army would receive $144.9 billion.In a Pentagon press conference, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, "The budget decisions...
The Army’s 14th sergeant major of the Army was sworn in during a March 1 standing-room-only ceremony in the Pentagon.Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond F. Chandler III, a 30-year veteran, was administered the oath of office by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr.Following the arrival of the official party, Casey welcomed the newest SMA, his wife Jeanne and their six children to the nation’s capital. Casey told the audience it was a "great day to be a sergeant" – which brought on a rousing "Hooah" from those assembled."As I looked at trying to figure out who the next sergeant major of the Army...
Career Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, dean and executive professor at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, who retired as an ambassador from the United States Foreign Service in 2009, will receive the 2011 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 Crocker by the Association’s Council of Trustees to recognize his contributions to the United States Foreign Service...
The Army’s reliance on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has steadily increased in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an upcoming exercise will showcase the next step of integration between unmanned systems, manned aircraft and soldiers and sensors on the ground.Slated for September at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, the Manned/Unmanned Systems Integration Capability (MUSIC) exercise will be the largest manned and unmanned systems integration test ever conducted, said Timothy Owings, the UAS deputy program manager in the Army aviation program executive office."The MUSIC exercise will bring the...
The 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard, assumed responsibility Jan. 2 as one of the three Army divisions overseeing U.S. operations in Iraq.In a formal transfer of authority ceremony attended by Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, as well as numerous Iraqi dignitaries, the 36th unfurled its colors as it officially replaced the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, which had previously led U.S. efforts in the southern third of the country.Now, the incoming National Guard division headquarters will take command of the two active component brigades engaged in advising...
Dennis McCarthy, assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, said Jan. 31 that many who used to see the reserve components as a strategic force that is used "once in a lifetime," now understand that it will never be that way again.Speaking at the first-ever Reserve Officers Association (ROA) National Security Symposium, McCarthy emphasized that these ideas have changed significantly. Along with declining budgets, it’s the reserves that will likely get the call in the future."We’re going to continue to need a force that can deploy worldwide for a variety of missions – a full spectrum of...
The improvised explosive device (IED) while small has a strategic influence and will continue to be the weapon of choice for small-budget organizations that want to influence governments, not just in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Mitchell Howell, deputy director for rapid acquisition and Technology for the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO)."IEDs are here to stay, and they will not go away, and they will be the bane of large military forces for quite some time to come," Howell said while speaking Jan. 30 at the Reserve Officers Associations first National Security Symposium in...
Olympic Gold Medal Winner Justin Olsen competed for his country in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.Now New York Army National Guard Private 1st Class Justin Olsen will also serve his country.Olsen, a member of the United States Bobsled team since 2007, enlisted in the Army National Guard in a Jan. 7 ceremony in Latham, N.Y."I already represent my country," Olsen said. "Now I have an opportunity to serve and represent my country at the same time."Olsen will train as a human resource specialist for the Joint Force Headquarters after this season’s World Cup ends.Once he completes his individual entry...
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) announced an expansion of the Patriot Award Program to include employers of guard and reserve members’ spouses.
The Patriot Award was previously presented only to employers of guard and reserve members.
"After learning of the growing number of employers adopting supportive initiatives for military spouses, ESGR embraced the opportunity to recognize these employers with their own Department of Defense award," an ESGR spokesperson said.
The employer of a military spouse has no legal obligation to provide unique support, but guard and...
Alabama National Guardsmen with the 666th Ordnance Detachment are training at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center for an upcoming deployment to Kosovo