ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

As reported in the September issue of AUSA News, the Association’s monthly newspaper for members will transition to an exclusively digital publication in early 2017.

Like the printed edition, the AUSA News digital edition will be available online to all AUSA members and will continue to tell “The AUSA Story” and “The Army Story.”

AUSA officials have announced the following schedule for the transition:

• „ The October, November and December AUSA News will be printed and mailed to your mail box.
• „ The January, February, and March News will be printed and mailed to your mail box AND also be formatted...

Ground was broken Sept. 14 at Fort Belvoir, Va., for the long-awaited National Museum of the United States Army with a goal to have the high-profile showcase open its doors to the public in three years.

“In 2019, the Army will finally have its long-overdue national museum, which will tell the comprehensive story of the Army as it deserves to be told,” retired Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, chairman of the Army Historical Foundation’s board of directors and former president and CEO of the Association of the U.S. Army, said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“This museum will enhance what all of us have...

Association of the U.S. Army officials recently announced that AUSA’s membership efforts for the remainder of 2016 and into 2017 will, as they have in the past, rely on its network of chapters and the volunteer leaders who contribute immeasurably to the Association’s well-being as it continues its mission: “Voice for the Army – Support for the Soldier.”

After conducting several training sessions, workshops and seminars at the AUSA national headquarters’ Conference and Event Center, chapter leaders all agreed that their efforts at the local level are needed now more than ever to actively...

In August and early September, your AUSA leadership team hit the halls of Congress to meet with key members and staffs.

Gen. Carter F. Ham, USA, Ret., AUSA president and CEO; Lt. Gen. Guy Swan, USA, Ret., vice president for education; and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Ken Preston, USA, Ret., director of noncommissioned officer and soldier programs, met with Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J; Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-Ind.; Rep. “Mac” Thornberry, R-Texas; Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.; and Rep. “Judge” Carter, R-Texas.

Sen. Reed is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee...

Since I was confirmed as Army secretary in May, I’ve tried to get out of the Pentagon and see America’s Army through the eyes of soldiers doing what they do, where they do it. I’ve engaged with teams of soldiers in exercises with our NATO allies in Poland. I’ve watched them conduct jungle warfare training in the Pacific, and participate in northern warfare training in Alaska. I’ve marveled at the ability of our Army—from our youngest soldiers to our most senior leaders—to engage with partner militaries from Malaysia to Jordan, and to train and mentor national armies fighting for their future...

My priorities have not changed over the past year; readiness remains the No. 1 priority. 

The 39th Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark A. Milley has called readiness “our No. 1 priority, and there is no other No. 1.” As the world becomes increasingly complex, it is difficult to predict the next challenge to American interests and, therefore, difficult to prepare our Army for what may lie ahead. So we must be prepared for anything, anytime, anywhere. Whether we are fighting the Ebola virus in Liberia or fighting the spread of the Islamic State group, the nation continues to ask the Army to perform a diverse number of combat and noncombat missions.

The increasing complexity we face...

The U.S. Army Forces Command anticipates new opportunities this year to improve unit readiness; master warfighting fundamentals; strengthen leader development; and care for soldiers, Army civilians and families. As our units operate in today’s complex global security environment and compelling realities, our vision remains unchanged: Develop combat-ready and globally responsive units that are well-led, disciplined, trained and expeditionary that will win in a complex world.

Readiness is, and will continue to be, our No. 1 priority. The 216,000 Regular Army soldiers of Forces Command (FORSCOM)...

U.S. Army Europe is America’s land power that is an ocean closer to every major security challenge America faces except the Pacific. The European security environment is changing. Russian aggression in Ukraine, Syria, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea is creating multiple dilemmas for governments across Europe. Fears of Russian encroachment have reawakened throughout Eastern Europe while Russian activities in Syria have done little to reduce the number of displaced persons seeking refugee status in Western Europe. This, coupled with an ever-present terrorist threat by radicalized Islamists and...

The Indo-Asian-Pacific region continues to be dynamic and complex, and U.S. Army Pacific remains as focused and engaged as ever before.

For over 118 years, the U.S. Army has maintained a presence in the Pacific region, earning more campaign streamers than anywhere else in the world except the Americas. Today, in support of the Pacific rebalance and in furthering U.S. Pacific Command strategic objectives, we regularly project forces from our home stations to west of the international date line, where we partner with our friends and allies to deter, reassure and engage the countries of this...

Few things are more challenging for the Army than being ready to fight today while simultaneously preparing for an unpredictable, constantly changing future. The evidence of these two competing requirements is all around us, as the Army works to regain combined arms maneuver proficiency after focusing on counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, all the while remaining heavily engaged in both those places and several others.

The inherent tension between present requirements and future demands is very real. We continue to fight with aging equipment while technology rapidly advances...

Despite budget cuts, network acquisition and modernization must remain key aspects of readiness – the Army’s number one priority.

“You can’t have a ready Army unless you have a network that’s resilient, available and meeting the needs of the warfighters who engage with the network every day,” said Lt. Gen. William Phillips, USA, Ret., vice president of Army/SOF Field Marketing for The Boeing Company.

His comments came during a panel discussion titled “Readiness across the Acquisition and Industry Communities” during a Hot Topic forum on Army networks held at the national headquarters of the...

The Army is on track for a February launch of the first advanced individual training cyber course for enlisted soldiers as discussions continue about working with private-sector companies on long-term training. 

The Joint Information Environment (JIE) will provide much-needed additional security and efficiency for military cyber operations, experts said at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Hot Topic forum on Army networks.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sorenson, USA, Ret., president and partner at A.T. Kearney Public Sector & Defense Services, and a former Army CIO/G-6, described the JIE as a multi-year effort focused on how to realign, restructure and modernize the DoD network.

The vision is to ensure civilian leadership, military commanders, warfighters and coalition partners have secure access to information...

Due to the speed of emerging threats and the exponential growth of the cyber domain, it is critical that the Army maintains a quality signal, cyber and intel workforce, and continues to improve cyber capabilities.

That was the message at a panel titled “Readiness across the Signal, Cyber and Intel Communities,” held during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Hot Topic forum on Army Networks.

Readiness is the Army’s number-one priority, and for good reason, said Jeffrey Rapp, the Army’s assistant deputy chief of staff, G-2.

“We’ve got to be able to win in this increasingly dangerous national...