ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Sleep is vital to rest the body and, most importantly, to reset the brain. The brain works hard to provide mental and physical readiness.

Soldiers require at least seven to nine hours of sleep every 24 hours to maintain peak performance, according to Field Manual (FM) 7-22: Holistic Health and Fitness, which is dated October 2020. However, this sleep must be uninterrupted in order for the brain to function at maximum capacity.

Many soldiers try to catch up on sleep over the weekends, but it is not always feasible to pay off sleep debt during ramped-up operating tempo.

The principles...

Sleep is vital to rest the body and, most importantly, to reset the brain. The brain works hard to provide mental and physical readiness.

Soldiers require at least seven to nine hours of sleep every 24 hours to maintain peak performance, according to Field Manual (FM) 7-22: Holistic Health and Fitness, which is dated October 2020. However, this sleep must be uninterrupted in order for the brain to function at maximum capacity.

Many soldiers try to catch up on sleep over the weekends, but it is not always feasible to pay off sleep debt during ramped-up operating tempo.

The principles...

Put Practical Leadership Principles to Use

Iron-Sharpened Leadership: Transforming Hard Fought Lessons Into Action. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) John Gronski. Fidelis Publishing. 296 pages. $17

By Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, U.S. Army retired

Retired Maj. Gen. John Gronski’s Iron-Sharpened Leadership: Transforming Hard Fought Lessons Into Action is true to its title as it examines a full range of leadership elements and brings each into sharp focus.

Gronski piques the reader’s interest at the outset with the title of the book. What is iron-sharpened leadership? It turns out that the...

Industry calls them Class 8 trucks: the legions of semitrucks and trailers that are a ubiquitous presence on America’s highways. The Army has its own inventory of these heavy movers, and they play a critical role in modern military operations.

However, while the Army might buy 600–800 of these trucks in any given year, commercial manufacturers could produce approximately 30,000–80,000 vehicles in that same year. It stands to reason the Army might look to exploit that manufacturing differential for the benefit of the warfighter.

That’s exactly what the service is exploring under an...

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston has taken on a unique mission, trying to convince an Army built on uniformity, drills and common procedure to embrace its many differences.

The 53-year-old native of Jasper, Alabama, who became the 16th sergeant major of the Army in August 2019, seeks to change Army culture in a move he believes will create stronger and more cohesive teams, from the squad level on up. 

In an interview, Grinston acknowledged the undertaking may be difficult, but the task isn’t hard to understand. The Army needs to define the culture it finds acceptable, then stick...

When the switch was pulled at 5:29 a.m. Mountain War Time on July 16, 1945, to detonate the world’s first atomic bomb, that historic moment marked the first test conducted at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. It also heralded the vision statement that rings true some 75 years later: “Testing the Future, Changing the World.”

Since July 1945, dedicated professionals have gathered countless times at the vast and remote stretch of desert to conduct tests so no weapon is placed in the hands of a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine or Space Force Guardian until proven safe and effective. To...

When the switch was pulled at 5:29 a.m. Mountain War Time on July 16, 1945, to detonate the world’s first atomic bomb, that historic moment marked the first test conducted at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. It also heralded the vision statement that rings true some 75 years later: “Testing the Future, Changing the World.”

Since July 1945, dedicated professionals have gathered countless times at the vast and remote stretch of desert to conduct tests so no weapon is placed in the hands of a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine or Space Force Guardian until proven safe and effective. To...

There is no more important priority to the U.S. Army than our people—the men and women representing all 54 states and territories and the District of Columbia who have volunteered to serve. The Army owes them and their families a healthy and respectful environment in which to serve and live as we build combat readiness.  

Last year, the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee issued its report identifying failings in climate and culture, in crime prevention and investigation, and in the structure and implementation of the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program. The...

There is no more important priority to the U.S. Army than our people—the men and women representing all 54 states and territories and the District of Columbia who have volunteered to serve. The Army owes them and their families a healthy and respectful environment in which to serve and live as we build combat readiness.  

Last year, the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee issued its report identifying failings in climate and culture, in crime prevention and investigation, and in the structure and implementation of the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program. The...

There is no more important priority to the U.S. Army than our people—the men and women representing all 54 states and territories and the District of Columbia who have volunteered to serve. The Army owes them and their families a healthy and respectful environment in which to serve and live as we build combat readiness.  

Last year, the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee issued its report identifying failings in climate and culture, in crime prevention and investigation, and in the structure and implementation of the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program. The...

About 17 years ago, amid the demands of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, the Army shifted from a division-centric to a maneuver brigade-centric force structure model. Institutionally, the Army managed readiness, deployment and modernization efforts with separate processes.

Now, as the nation’s strategic guidance has refocused the joint force on near-peer competition and conflict, the Army has initiated a return to a division-based structure. This will produce eight combat-ready Army National Guard divisions, complete with aligned maneuver and support brigades.

Meanwhile, the Army...

About 17 years ago, amid the demands of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, the Army shifted from a division-centric to a maneuver brigade-centric force structure model. Institutionally, the Army managed readiness, deployment and modernization efforts with separate processes.

Now, as the nation’s strategic guidance has refocused the joint force on near-peer competition and conflict, the Army has initiated a return to a division-based structure. This will produce eight combat-ready Army National Guard divisions, complete with aligned maneuver and support brigades.

Meanwhile, the Army...

Soldiers Journey to Rescue American POWs

Who Will Go: Into the Son Tay POW Camp. Terry Buckler With Cliff Westbrook. Palmetto Publishing. 360 pages. $29.99

By Master Sgt. Charles Sasser, U.S. Army retired

Terry Buckler was a 20-year-old Missouri farm boy when he enlisted in the Army. He had just completed Special Forces training when, in August 1970, notices appeared at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home of Special Forces, stating that Col. Arthur “Bull” Simons required volunteers for a top-secret, “moderately hazardous” mission.

Buckler was the youngest of 56 Green Beret...

The U.K.’s recent Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy has important consequences for the British Army, which in turn will affect its interactions with the U.S. Army.

The U.K. government determined in late 2019, directly after its election, that “the most radical assessment of the U.K.’s place in the world since the end of the Cold War” was required. It is vital to understand the inclusion of defense as just one component of this comprehensive study, and the significance of such a pandepartmental approach to defining the nation’s future direction.

Clear...

Christine Wormuth, the experienced national security expert chosen to lead the land power transformation and make history as the first woman to serve as secretary of the Army, is not underestimating the challenge.  

Married to a retired Navy officer, and with a grandfather, father-in-law, sister and son-in-law who served or are still serving in the military, and with her own 25-year career as a civilian in and around DoD, the 52-year-old native of La Jolla, California, told Congress she is humbled and proud to be chosen for the job. 

“We have a window to make needed changes to ensure...