ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Future training for Army aviation soldiers must be able to replicate the reality of combat using a synthetic training environment to supplement live training, Maj. Gen. Mark O’Neil said Jan. 14 at AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare Army Aviation Hot Topic forum.

O’Neil, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Army Center – Training, said after a decade of wartime operations, "Tomorrow’s leaders and soldiers require a training environment that is as complex as the situations they have faced in combat."

Training events must be challenging, with multiple events and obstacles for units to...

Defeating the widespread and varied threats to Army aviation in the future battlefield environment will require a combination of quick assessment, maintaining current skills, and integrating new technology, the Army’s top aviation officer said Jan. 14 at an Association of the U.S. Army Institute of Land Warfare Hot Topic forum.

"I don’t see the core competencies of Army aviation changing," said Maj. Gen. Michael Lundy, commanding general, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, Ala.

Adding, "We’re still going to have to find the enemy, provide the commander with maneuver space...

AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare (ILW) has recently released a new publication.

"These Are the Drones You Are Looking For: Manned–Unmanned Teaming and the U.S. Army" (National Security Watch 15-4, Dec. 21, 2015) examines the Army’s efforts to develop enduring technological superiority through Manned–Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T).

The Department of Defense (DoD) has initiated a third offset strategy to ensure that the U.S. military remains the most technologically advanced fighting force in the world.

However, the faster pace of the diffusion of technology, fueled in part by cyber intrusion, could...

In a world of uncertainty and emerging threats around the globe, disruptive technology will be a critical factor in the success of future Army operations, a panel of military and industry leaders said Jan. 14.

Speaking at an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic themed "Army Aviation: An Asymmetric Maneuver Advantage for the Nation," Maj. Gen. John Wharton said, "Disruptive technologies significantly affect doctrine and effectively reshape the way we do business."

Wharton, the commanding general of U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, said in the future, the Army is looking...

Soldiers assigned to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) welcomed soldiers from 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and their four AH-64E Apache Guardians to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

The arrival of the aircrews and airframes mark the start of a six-month training partnership between the 25th Infantry Division’s and 7th Infantry Division’s aviation brigades.

"There will be 61 total personnel associated with the 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion’s Bravo and Delta companies," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kennamer Yates, tactical operations officer, 2...

More than 70 soldiers and four U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopters, from 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), supported units from the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the Royal Danish Army during Operation White Sword at the Oksbøl Training Area on the western coast of Denmark recently.

Operation White Sword is a force-on -force exercise with more than 1,000 participants from Denmark and the United Kingdom aimed at building interoperability between NATO combat arms maneuver elements.

The exercise culminates in a combined-arms, live-fire event, which synchronizes armor...

The complex will provide a headquarters for B Company, 229th Aviation Regiment, and house a fleet of 12 MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft.

The unit known as the "Flying Tigers" has operated Gray Eagles since it was re-activated here Oct. 16, 2014. The unit is organized under the 2916th Aviation Battalion, 916th Support Brigade, and is deployed.

After being reestablished, soldiers of B Company began their...

At the first 2016 Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic forum, a one-day event focused on Army aviation, a panel of experts discussed the future of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the U.S. Army.

"Unmanned Aircraft Systems are not only a part of ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] now, but also an integrated part of combined arms maneuver throughout the Army," said Col. Paul Cravey, noting that these systems are on the leading edge of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cravey, who serves as director, Training and Doctrine Command Capabilities Manager, Unmanned Aircraft...

In a rapidly changing global security environment, coupled with declining military budgets, the Army needs top-notch aviators trained by creative and experienced commanders who can wring the most out of what little training budget they have, the Army’s vice chief of staff said.

"The creativity you apply in training your units will develop the next generation of leaders and shape the future of our Army," Gen. Daniel B. Allyn said. "Training in garrison cannot be viewed as ‘routine.’ It must replicate the complexity of flying in Iraq or Afghanistan and it is incumbent upon those of you who have...

Leaders on the field can also be leaders in their communities.

That is the key message U.S. Army All-American Bowl soldier mentors impart on the high school football athletes visiting the San Antonio-based Boysville, a residential care facility for children.

The players – the nation’s young football elite – spent their post-practice afternoon challenging the elementary-aged children on their math skills in a friendly competition.

But, beyond the smiles and games was ultimately another critical experience: how to be a leader in their own communities.

"Sometimes when you are part of an organization...

Images flashed across the screen depicting the National Guard from its inception 379 years ago to today’s fight against global terror.

Paintings showed the first muster of minutemen in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636, and showed the National Guard fighting in every war and conflict – from before the Revolutionary War to the current fight.

They also conveyed its peacetime and domestic missions with emergency response on 9/11 at the World Trade Center, and disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005.

The Oklahoma National Guard and Fort Sill celebrated the guard’s...

Tens of thousands of people made their way to the Alamodome to watch the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Jan. 9.

"This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m truly blessed to get the chance to be here," said Mark Jackson, West Team defensive end and a Cibolo, Texas, native.

For 16 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school football game, bringing together the nation’s top high school players, many of whom have gone on to have successful college and professional careers.

The bowl also highlights top high school band members as well. Many...

The Army chief of staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey recently visited U.S. Army Central (USARCENT) soldiers stationed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Dailey began his day by joining USARCENT soldiers on an esprit-de-corps run.

"You have to show soldiers that you’re still a soldier by getting out here and doing physical fitness training with them," Dailey said.

Adding, "It shows them that you care and what they’re doing is important to the success of not just our mission here, but to the United States of America."

The soldiers enjoyed having Dailey participate in their...