ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

From terrorism to cyberwarfare to fighting “by, with and through” coalition partners, the past 16-plus years of armed conflict have forced the Army to change. Much of this evolution has involved new hardware such as Predator drones, precision guided munitions and Stryker combat vehicles, but the Army has also grown increasingly reliant on contracted service and support to move, house and sustain its formations.

By way of illustration, the Pentagon reported in January that more than 46,000 contractors support the U.S. military in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, with most of them...

It may be a shortcoming of the English language to lack a word befitting the complexity of the global battlefield, or perhaps we’ve done a disservice to past battlefields by describing them as “complex.” Suffice it to say, “complex” (and all its synonyms) rings shallow when we talk about the ongoing and changing character of warfare. That its dictionary definition merely regurgitates synonyms should give the idea that we’re circling the matter at hand. And yet, at the risk of falling short of conveying its significance, today’s battlefield is one of barely imaginable complexity, challenging...

Trainees must graduate from Basic Combat Training ready to deploy, fight and win in combat with their first unit of assignment. However, leaders in the operational force have lost confidence in new soldiers coming out of Initial Entry Training. Leaders state new soldiers lack discipline, are unfit, have not been properly acculturated as soldiers and are lacking in the skill areas of marksmanship, medical and communications proficiency, and survival.

The most important trait leaders want from new soldiers, at a rate five times more than any other, is discipline. Leaders describe discipline in...

The situation in eastern Ukraine might best be described as “World War I with technology.” Venturing to the front line today, you would quickly learn the two greatest threats facing Ukrainian soldiers are snipers and Russian artillery. Unlike in 1915, however, soldiers on 2018’s “Eastern Front” receive text messages on their phones telling them their cause is hopeless and they must regularly attempt to avoid being spotted from an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The fighting in Ukraine during the past 2½ years provides great insight into the types of threats facing the U.S. Army today and sheds light...

In a March–April 2015 Military Review article, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster wrote about a handful of fallacies that plague thinking about modern war. Specifically, in “Continuity and Change: The Army Operating Concept and Clear Thinking About Future War,” McMaster suggested, “These fallacies are dangerous because they threaten to consign the U.S. military to repeat mistakes and develop joint forces ill-prepared for future threats to national security.”

The fallacies—the “vampire fallacy,” the “Zero Dark 30 fallacy,” the “Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom fallacy” and the “RSVP fallacy”—are a good starting...

Picture this: A nuclear weapon explodes at a high altitude above the United States. The power grid is decimated, the country is thrown into anarchy and the American people resort to cannibalism. This is the plot to William R. Forstchen’s 2009 novel One Second After about an electromagnetic pulse attack.

Nuclear strategist Peter Vincent Pry warns of just such an attack killing millions of American citizens. Pry goes so far as to provide a country as the threat—North Korea. Furthermore, China, Russia, Iran and a host of nonstate actors pose a similar threat to the U.S. So, what is America doing...

Soldier Embarks on a Marathon Recovery

Fighting Blind: A Green Beret’s Story of Extraordinary Courage. Ivan Castro and Jim DeFelice. St. Martin’s Press. 304 pages. $16.99

By Maj. Jason P. LeVay

Retired Maj. Ivan Castro is a celebrity in the world of triumph over adversity. Famous for running marathons as a blind man, this book satisfies the intense curiosity surrounding Castro’s story. With the help of co-writer Jim DeFelice, he describes a familiar yet discreet American soldier story.

Growing up in a small town in Puerto Rico, Castro didn’t particularly stand out, muddling his way through school...

Sgt. 1st Class Vincent “Rocco” Vargas is an Army Reserve drill sergeant. If the people he shapes into soldiers don’t know of him when they report for basic training, they are highly likely to know all about him by the time they’re through.

That’s because Vargas, 36, is one of a new brand of heroes among soldiers, wounded warriors and veterans. He’s known for his gritty and humorous insider’s take on going to war, losing your buddies, survivor’s guilt and working to get it right once you’re out of uniform.

A veteran of three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment...

The Australian Army is integrating its new primary rifle, the EF88, into the soldier training continuum in a manner that provides an excellent example for the U.S. Army.

By simultaneously amending the qualification standards and techniques for the rifle as it is delivered to army units, the Australians are able to leverage the increased capability of the weapon and instill the combat mindset in soldiers from all MOSs. The opportunity exists for the U.S. military to duplicate this in the future through range refurbishments, or as new ranges are developed.

The Combat Marksmanship Program in the...

The new national defense strategy has returned focus to great power competition, and Army air and missile defense (AMD) capabilities will be critical on these future battlefields, senior leaders said at an AMD Hot Topic Institute of Land Warfare forum hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army.

“We face an ever-more lethal and disruptive battlefield, combined across domains and conducted with increasing speed and reach,” said Daniel Klippstein, deputy director for plans and policy, Headquarters Department of the Army.

The Army has accepted risk over the last two decades in expectation of...

Show me the money! After years of fiscal austerity, getting a huge financial boost is a good problem to have.

However, trying to spend it responsibly before the end of the fiscal year is not.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892), passed by Congress in early February, is a two-year deal that raised defense spending caps by $80 billion for fiscal 2018 (setting the cap at $629 billion) and $85 billion for fiscal 2019 (setting the cap at $647 billion).

The Army could see a $6.5 billion boost in the fiscal year 2018 budget as a result of the agreement.

At a recent breakfast hosted by the...

Let’s review the timeline of significant events ahead for Capitol Hill.

At midnight on March 23, the continuing resolution will expire.

This is the fifth continuing resolution since the fiscal year (FY) started last October.

A sixth continuing resolution is unlikely, so unless the appropriations omnibus is passed by the House and Senate and signed by the president, the government will shut down. Again.

AUSA hopes that a shutdown doesn’t happen, and that FY18’s appropriation will pass so that Congress can focus on FY19.

During the remainder of this month and next month, Congress will hear testimony...

On April 28, the AUSA Family Readiness Directorate will once again partner with Operation Deploy Your Dress (ODYD), a 100 percent donation-based, volunteer-run, military spouse founded nonprofit organization.

ODYD collects and distributes gently used and new formal attire to military and dependent ID cardholders to offset the cost of attending military balls and other formal events.

Similar to last year’s first event, the Association of the U. S. Army’s General Gordon R. Sullivan Conference and Event Center will be transformed into a high-end evening wear boutique, but this time with a unique...

The 34th Annual Army Ten-Miler will be held on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 8 a.m., at the Pentagon.

This year’s race will precede the Monday, Oct. 8, opening session of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Produced by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, the Army’s race will attract military and civilian runners from around the world.

All race proceeds will benefit Soldier and Soldier Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs.

Army Ten-Miler officials have confirmed that they will continue the two-phase...

The Army has awarded Medals of Heroism, the service’s highest medal for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets, to the three Junior ROTC students killed defending their classmates from a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Feb. 14

The Medal of Heroism, awarded to Peter Wang, Alaina Petty and Martin Duque, recognizes JROTC cadets whose achievements “involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities, exemplifying praiseworthy courage and fortitude.”

All three students were among the 17 people killed by former Stoneman Douglas High School JROTC cadet...