ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

When it comes to delivering next-generation capabilities to soldiers, Army leaders on Oct. 13 emphasized the importance of teamwork between the service and industry.

“It’s a team sport,” said Karen Saunders, senior official performing the duties of the assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology.

Gen. Mike Murray, commanding general of Army Futures Command, agreed, citing the Army’s 31 plus 4 priority modernization efforts. 

Climate change poses a “very serious” threat to U.S. national security, but the Army’s mission remains the same, said J.E. “Jack” Surash, senior official performing the duties of assistant Army secretary for installations, energy and environment.

As the Army continues to modernize, it’s more important than ever that the service’s civilian employees keep pace with the right skills to support a force capable of multidomain operations.

“If you're an Army civilian, what I'll tell you is readiness is not all about Army units that are trained, equipped and manned to fight battles,” said Christopher Lowman, senior official performing the duties of Army undersecretary. “Army readiness applies to you and I just as much, because you play a critical role in developing the Army and making sure that they'll be successful.”

Facing COVID-19, a new and silent enemy, the Army fought back with a level of cooperation and created “a synergy that was unprecedented,” Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle said Oct. 13 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Several of the Army’s cross-functional teams provided updates on their modernization efforts during Warriors Corner presentations at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Topics covered Oct. 12 included the critical ties between aviation modernization and the new modular open systems approach; the role of the Unified Network in enabling decision dominance; the  asymmetric advantage provided by synthetic training; and advancements in next-generation combat vehicle development.

Day Three of AUSA 2021 includes a series of contemporary military forums and the presentation of the Association of the U.S. Army’s highest award.

The Army’s top leaders fielded questions from family members on a variety of issues—from marijuana use to food insecurity to moving household goods—while reassuring them that no matter what the issue, the leaders are there to help.

“Every time we do this, I learn more and more about our Army,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said Oct. 12 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Exposition, held at the D.C. convention center. 

The Army’s most valuable asset is not weaponry or any material goods, but character, retired Gen. David Perkins said at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition.

The hazy future is a big concern as the Army stands ready for a near-term conflict and the U.S. government and military continue to wrestle with what the future of warfare will look like, a panel of experts said Oct. 12. 

The term “strategic competition” gets thrown around a lot, but a key question that must be asked is, “What does warfare look like? What does it look like when it goes bad?” said Vikram Singh, senior adviser at the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Asia Center.

National resilience requires close cooperation between the Department of Homeland Security, DoD and the Army, experts said Oct. 12 at a forum held during the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Exposition. 

“Our country is no longer a safe haven for those who want to do us harm,” said Lt. Gen. A.C. Roper Jr., deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command. Building national resiliency is national defense, he said, noting potential adversaries have been watching as the U.S. responds to disasters and are ready to react if given a chance.