In July 2006, DoD initiated the “Check It” campaign as part of its internal management controls program and co-opted the military aphorism “what gets checked gets done.” To check that something is being done correctly requires measurement and metrics.During the past decade, DoD has sought to measure the effectiveness of its counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also sought to measure the effect of fiscal year 2013 sequestration using varied metrics for readiness, modernization and force structure of the armed services. DoD is still struggling to find appropriate metrics to...
One of the stunning trends since 2001 is the tactical dominance of the American military, especially ground combat units. This success was not gained by accident or chance; it resulted from hard training and the ability of units to harness combat power down to the tactical edge. The historically unprecedented tactical prowess of our ground forces is enabled by a network, with systems and data, connected globally in ways that deliver power to the edge.This level of connectivity, however, has created expectations within our formations that may no longer be realistic as cyberspace is increasingly...
With a smoother ride, roomier and more comfortable cab, and performance that is off the charts, the latest generation of Army trucks has moved well beyond the traditional role of tactical wheeled vehicles and into the realm of what can only be seen as “muscle trucks.”A classic example can be found in the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), which was developed under an Army-led joint acquisition with the U.S. Marine Corps. Following a successful Defense Acquisition Board and subsequent approval by the defense acquisition executive, the U.S. Army awarded Oshkosh Corp. a firm-fixed-price...
We need some hard thinking. We are not winning the war against al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Iraq or Syria, or elsewhere across North and East Africa, the greater Middle East, South Asia and beyond. At best, one might argue that we are holding our own, but this is far from winning. The sooner we come to realize this, the more likely we are to identify a successful way forward. Calls for reassessment and new options with respect to the U.S. approach to this problem—especially in light of the attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., Paris and Lebanon, and the downing of the Russian civilian...
The Army captain who earned the Medal of Honor for tackling a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in 2012 was inducted into the Hall of Heroes during a ceremony at the Pentagon Nov. 13.
During the event, Capt. Florent A. Groberg’s name was added to one of the plaques that line the walls of the Hall of Heroes, a small commemorative enclave just inside the entrance to the Pentagon.
Groberg’s name now stands among the names of the more than 3,460 other recipients of the nation’s highest military award for bravery and selfless sacrifice.
Groberg is now medically retired from the Army.
After greeting Groberg...
Medically-retired Capt. Florent A. Groberg became the 10th living service member to receive the Medal of Honor for selfless actions on the battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan.
President Barack Obama draped the nation’s highest military award for conspicuous gallantry around the 32-year-old’s neck in the East Room of the White House in front of the soldiers who were part of the personal security detachment he was leading in Kunar province, Aug. 8, 2012.
Obama told Groberg’s story of how the French-born soldier came to America and became a naturalized citizen in 2001, the same year he graduated...
"Building Readiness for Today and Tomorrow" is the theme for the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2016 Global Force Symposium and Exposition, to be held March 15 to 17 in Huntsville, Ala.
This professional development forum, held at the Von Braun Center, marks the third consecutive year AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare is hosting a meeting in Huntsville, home of more than 900 defense contractors and a military workforce of uniformed and civilian personnel of more than 65,000.
The 2016 AUSA ILW Global Force Symposium and Exposition will explore the numerous capabilities outlined in the Army...
When it comes to transitioning out of the military, the only way out is through, said author and military sociologist Jacey Eckhart.
"Spouses think ‘it’s not my transition, it’s my service member’s transition,’ and that’s true, but it happens to the whole family," she said.
And now that Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has redefined the time to start prepping for a soldier’s exit from two years prior to their estimated departure to the second they step into uniform, the process feels all the more anxious.
While understanding the social science behind transition is Eckhart’s job description, it...
Greetings! I am excited to write this article as your new Director of Government Affairs at AUSA National Headquarters.
As an AUSA life member since 1992, it is humbling and an honor to join the team. Since I arrived at AUSA in July, your Government Affairs team has been busy.
We worked with the AUSA Resolutions Committee that produced the 2016 AUSA Resolutions. Many thanks to the AUSA chapters who voted to approve them.
The resolutions’ overall focus is on readiness, mirroring Gen. Mark Milley’s number one priority as the Army chief of staff.
The resolutions’ format was revised this year in order...
"The Army has depended on contractors for many years," said Maj. Gen. Theodore Harrison, director, operations, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. "Our defense industry, in and of itself, has really been a potent weapon."
Harrison spoke in December at an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic forum on Army contracting.
He described contracting as "the mechanism we use to leverage the defense industry to support our warfighters," and stressed the importance of communication between all stakeholders involved in the process: contracting officers, the requiring...
The next senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is an Army command sergeant major who is highly respected for his involvement in joint and international operations.
Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Troxell is a 33-year veteran currently assigned to U.S. Forces Korea who spoke in May at an Association of the U.S. Army-sponsored event about the importance of communication.
"We are never going to face another fight alone, by ourselves," Troxell said at AUSA’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, urging enlisted leaders to sharpen their communications skills so they...
Greetings from the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), our Army’s and our soldier’s professional organization.
With the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in the rear-view mirror, the remainder of 2015 was filled with travelling to visit posts, camps and stations across the country.
Throughout the year, we celebrate a number of holidays that are very special. One of those special days is Veterans Day that is celebrated across the nation and by other nations around the world.
This year’s Veterans Day, I had the honor to visit with the Last Frontier Chapter of the Association of the...
As the Army draws down, contracting can be a force multiplier for the Army, but communication between different stakeholders needs improvement, a panel of experts said Dec. 3 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Hot Topic forum on Army contracts.
"Like it or not, our force is getting smaller, and we’re going to have to rely more and more on contracted support," said Capt. Gary Broadwell, USN, Ret, who moderated a panel titled "Contracting as a Team Sport – Role of the Requiring Activity."
Rebecca Weirick, executive director and principal assistant for contracting, Army Contracting Command –...
One more thing. Congress’ last task before they departed town for the holidays was passage of a $1.15 trillion omnibus spending bill.
The legislation includes $514 billion in basic defense spending plus $59 billion for overseas contingency operations, a $26 billion increase over the fiscal 2015 budget.
Included in the legislation is funding for a 1.3 percent pay raise for military personnel and civilian employees although general officers are left out of the 2016 increase.
Lawmakers added $300 million above the president’s request for Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), but agreed with the Defense...
Real success in reforming the Army’s acquisition progress requires taming a risk-adverse environment, Harry P. Hallock, the Army’s deputy assistant secretary for procurement, said at a forum sponsored by the Association of the U.S. Army.
Speaking at an Army Contracts Hot Topic forum held at the new AUSA Conference and Event Center in Arlington, Va., Hallock said there are concerns among top Pentagon leaders that a high-profile "Better Buying Power" initiative is not getting full service support.
The problem isn’t that the services don’t agree with a plan designed to improve industry productivity...