PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org January 22, 2026 | AUSA Extra 1 George: Army is speeding transformation AUSA Hosts 2nd Annual Writing Workshop 3 New MOS Prioritizes Military Working Equines 4 Family Readiness Financial Readiness Resources 6 Chapter Highlights Redstone-Huntsville 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 7 NUMBER 35 JANUARY 22, 2026 Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George greets cadets from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, during an AUSA Coffee Series event on Tuesday. (AUSA PHOTO) L everaging new technology more quickly has become the bedrock of the Army’s effort to modern- ize its equipment, manage its forma- tions and change cumbersome acqui- sition processes, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said. By harnessing the momentum of continuous transformation and part- nering more closely with industry, the Army is accelerating several key programs vital to its success on a modern battlefield. George cited as an example the M1E3 Abrams tank. The first prototype of the next-gener- ation tank was unveiled in mid-Janu- ary at the Detroit Auto Show. The M1E3 tank “can knock out a target in a tenth of a second at a quarter mile,” George said, adding that “what’s most exciting about this for the Army is this is a tank we have produced six years ahead of schedule.” Equally exciting is that the tank is modular, has an active protection system and is 25% lighter than the Army’s legacy Abrams tanks, George said Tuesday at a Coffee Series event hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army. Additionally, several compa- nies are working on the tank’s soft- ware systems, he said. “That’s the way of the future here—nothing should take us five to seven years to produce,” George said. During his remarks, George also highlighted several other techno- logical leaps that are taking place across the service. Chief among them is Next-Generation Command and Control. Known as Next-Gen C2, the program seeks to provide the inte- grated information framework that commanders need to make rapid de- cisions across warfighting functions, according to an Army news release. It also will give Army tactical units lighter, more mobile and survivable network and command and control equipment, according to the service. Leading the charge on testing Next-Gen C2 are the 4th Infantry Di- vision at Fort Carson, Colorado, and the 25th Infantry Division at Scho- field Barracks, Hawaii, each working See George, Page 6Register today // Sponsorships Available sponsorships@ausa.org // WWW.AUSA.ORG/LANPAC 30+ Countries 70+ Exhibits 2,000+ Attendeeswww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY January 22, 2026 | AUSA Extra 3 Isenhower: Writing is ‘critical aspect’ of Army profession Lt. Gen. Jim Isenhower, commanding general of Army Combined Arms Command, ad- dresses a writing workshop hosted by AUSA on Tuesday. (AUSA PHOTO) W riting effectively and clearly remains “a critical aspect of our Army pro- fession,” the commanding general of Army Combined Arms Command said. “When we’re at war, it’s when we must be at our most alert and aware status,” Lt. Gen. Jim Isenhower said Tuesday during a writing workshop hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army. “Our ability to then under- stand those problems and communi- cate clearly, whether it's in orders or it's verbally or it’s through journal articles and other professional writ- ings, the importance is hard for me to overstate.” Inspired by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s emphasis on professional writing, AUSA’s second annual “Writing & Editing Work- shop: Powerful Prose” brought to- gether soldiers and stakeholders who are dedicated to revitalizing profes- sional writing across the force. George initiated the Harding Project, named for Maj. Gen. Edwin “Forrest” Harding, who revitalized Infantry Journal during the inter- war years, to reinforce scholarship and writing across the force. As part of the Harding Project, the Army created the Harding Fellowship, a competitive three-year broadening opportunity that selects soldiers for a master’s program before serving as editors in chief of the Army’s branch journals. In turn, AUSA launched the Hard- ing Papers, which highlight the work and scholarship of fellows in the LTG (Ret.) James M. Dubik Writing Fel- lows Program. Dubik Fellows engage in a voluntary, non-resident writing fellowship as they contribute to vital military and national security dis- cussions. The Harding Project has been gain- ing recognition, Isenhower said. The Army’s made a “deliberate decision” to “institutionalize” the project and “bring it over” to the Combined Arms Command, he said. “You’ve gotten us back to an Army that is spending more time reading the writings of its own as it tries to figure out the right path forward in what is definitely a challenging time,” Isenhower said. Isenhower praised the Harding Fellows during his keynote address. “Writing is a fundamentally human skill,” he said. “You represent the best our Army has to offer in terms of effective writing, and you’re only going to get better in your current billets as you address this.” Army writers and leaders alike have to cut through the noise to ef- fectively guide troops, Isenhower said, using the Army’s transforming in contact initiative as an example. The initiative puts new and emerg- ing technology in soldiers’ hands for testing and experimentation. “There’s a lot of noise” surround- ing the initiative, “but what we can do in professional writing is separate the signal from the noise and bring clarity,” he said. That writing “is go- ing to be tremendously useful to the field as you discern the right conclu- sions from [transforming in contact] and then convey those … across the force.” Charlie Wilson has been with AUSA for 10 months. He is original- ly from West Virginia and currently lives in Washington, D.C. In his spare time, Wilson enjoys watching the Washington Commanders foot- ball team, working on cars, building computers, playing video games and working out. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Charlie Wilson Financial Compliance and Tax Managerwww.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | January 22, 2026 Gen. Bob Brown, USA Ret. President and CEO, AUSA Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, USA Ret. 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Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Army announces new equestrian MOS D esignated as 08H, a new Army equestrian MOS is set to replace the military horse- man identifier D2 as the service creates a specialized career path dedicated to the professional care of military working equines, the Army announced in a news release. The new MOS, which goes into ef- fect on March 3, is open to infantry NCOs from sergeant to sergeant ma- jor who will perform “all functions in support of the husbandry, training, transportation, recruitment and dis- position of military working equids,” according to the MOS description. “Supplying trained personnel and animals allows us to maintain the program's high standards,” Col. James Fuhriman, assistant deputy for Army health affairs, said in the release. “It empowers the Fort Hood and Riley [Military Working Equid] programs, much like The Old Guard, to continue their legacy of excellence in preserving the Army's equine her- itage.” As the Army aligns its resources with warfighting capability and readiness, three of the service’s Mil- itary Working Equid programs are being discontinued by summer, while Cambridge Credit Counseling is a nonprofit organi- zation which per- forms an in-depth analysis of your financial situation to help you save money and get out of debt quickly, often getting better terms with your creditors. Visit www.ausa.org/Cambridge for more. four of the programs will remain in force. The program includes horses, mules and donkeys owned by the War Department and housed on Army in- stallations. The Army announced last sum- mer that all Military Working Equid programs, except Old Guard Caisson units in the Military District of Wash- ington and at Joint Base San Antonio would be discontinued. In December, the service announced that it had par- tially reversed its decision, and the programs at Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Riley, Kansas, will be retained. “After careful consideration, the Army has determined that retain- ing these [Military Working Equid] programs is in the best interests of the force,” Fuhriman said in the release. “These programs provide unique capabilities and benefits that are difficult to replicate, and their continuation aligns with our broader commitment to readiness and com- munity engagement.” The Army will continue to sunset ownership, operation and materiel support of the programs at Fort Ir- win, California, Fort Huachuca, Ari- zona, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, ac- cording to the release. Capt. Megan Korpiel, Horse Cavalry Detachment Commander for the 1st Cavalry Divi- sion, leads her detachment on horseback Jan. 1 during the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. STEVEN DAY)Interested in advertising on Army Matters? Email podcast@ausa.org for more information. AUSA’s Army Matters podcast amplifi es the voices of the Total Army – one story at a time. Join hosts LTG (Ret.) Les Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey as they interview the modern chroniclers of the Army experience to discuss inspiring leadership stories, current issues faced by soldiers, and our military families’ journeys. Apple Podcasts SpotifyPodbeanAmazon Music YouTube Music Find us on your favorite podcast app! Or listen online at www.ausa.org/podcast . Scan to listen now!www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | January 22, 2026 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Programs available to help soldiers, families with finances with up to six different companies. The concept, George explained, is that leaders can take a tablet or their laptops to their vehicles “and go di- rectly to the battlefield, and you can do everything,” he said. “In our view, there’s no such thing as a business system, these are all readiness systems, and they should be systems that are intuitive, easy to use, that travel with our soldiers,” George said. Applications on the new command- and-control system use agentic arti- ficial intelligence to help reduce tar- geting from minutes to seconds, he George From Page 1 Loreta Guzman, financial readiness ana- lyst for U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland- Pfalz Army Community Service, counsels a soldier on the Army's Financial Readi- ness Program. (U.S. ARMY/MARY DEL ROSARIO) H appy New Year from the As- sociation of the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness team. As 2026 kicks off, many of us are focused on new goals or resolutions. Whether your goals are small or large, there are plenty of programs and re- sources available to achieve them. Financial readiness is one impor- tant goal to build upon and enhance no matter where you are on your jour- ney. Having had the honor to be an Army Spouse for Life of 32 years, I know firsthand the great wealth of re- sources available for Army families, especially regarding financial readi- ness. The Financial Readiness Program and Consumer Advocacy Services is a great place to start for soldiers and families, offering resources for personal financial readiness. Topic areas include budgeting, saving, money management, credit manage- ment, consumer advocacy and much more to help achieve your goals and maintain financial well-being. Free financial counseling also is available to Regular Army, National Guard and Army Reserve service members, family members and survivors. Family Readiness Complementing the Financial Readiness Program, which is avail- able through Army Community Service, is the Army’s online hub of financial readiness resources, Finan- cial Frontline. Many resources are available to support various life mile- stones, including education, training and counseling services. There are videos, calculators and self-assess- ment tools, as well as connections to Army Emergency Relief and Mil- Spouse Money Mission, which pro- vides financial education for military spouses. Military OneSource is the De- partment of War’s trusted resources website with 24/7 support for ser- vice members, families and survi- vors. One example is MilTax, which provides free tax preparation and filing—both federal and state—ad- dressing the unique military life- style. In addition, you can connect with a tax professional for personal- ized support. Knowing about your financial re- sources ahead of time can help with transitions such as a permanent change-of-station move or prepara- tion for retirement. Army Retirement Services-Soldier For Life has a vari- ety of great resources to assist with the process of military retirement. Setting financial goals provides the opportunity for service members and spouses to help support each other and hold each other accountable. In- volving the whole family can also help teach our children, at an early age, the importance of financial goals. We wish you and your family a happy and successful 2026. Holly Dailey is AUSA's Family Readiness director. said, adding that the same is being done across all warfighting functions, which will allow for a significant re- duction in soldiers’ digital footprint and easier movement around the battlefield. The Army also continues to devel- op its Next-Generation Constructive program. Tied into the Next-Gen C2 effort, Next-Generation Constructive allows formations to model how they will fight ahead of time but also, while in the fight, simulate and test how to best attack the enemy based on a given situation, George said. “These are answers that our commanders are going to have at their disposal in seconds,” and warfighting exercises can be done “for a fraction of the cost,” he said. On the people front, George said there is an effort to reduce tempo- rary duty and get people to required training more quickly. “As fast as the world is changing, you can’t wait two or three years to go to school,” he said. “These are things that have to happen much more rapidly.” Private-sector companies, he noted, regularly change business systems and reduce headquarters. “We’re do- ing the same for us,” he said. “Why is that important? Because what we want to do is fill up our formations with our warfighters.”L ast month, outstanding NCOs from all three Army compo- nents were honored during the 20th annual Sgt. John Ordway Leadership Awards ceremony hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Redstone-Huntsville chapter. Ordway, the award’s namesake, played an important leadership role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803, exercising responsibilities such as issuing provisions, appoint- ing guard duties and keeping re- cords. The AUSA chapter created the awards program in 2005 to mark the expedition’s 200th anniversary. Last month’s event at the Jack- son Center in Huntsville, Alabama, also served as a celebration of the National Guard’s 389th birthday. Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham, assis- tant deputy commanding general for National Guard Affairs at Army Materiel Command and the event’s guest speaker, “delivered a heart- felt address with an emphasis on the courage, sacrifice and devotion of citizen-soldiers and their families,” according to the chapter. “Long before there was a United States, there were citizen-soldiers,” Grisham said, as reported by the Redstone Rocket. www.ausa.orgJanuary 22, 2026 | AUSA Extra 7 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Chapter recognizes exceptional NCOs, Guard birthday The 20th annual Sgt. John Ordway Leadership Awards ceremony hosted by AUSA's Redstone-Huntsville chapter featured, left to right, guest speaker Maj. Gen. Terry Grish- am and honorees Command Sgt. Maj. Darrelle Shepard, 1st Sgt. Timothy Edgerton, Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Harker and 1st Sgt. Marcus Boykin. (AUSA PHOTO) Redstone- Huntsville The Ordway Leadership Award re- cipient for the active component was 1st Sgt. Timothy Edgerton of Red- stone Arsenal’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company-Garrison, which provides administrative ser- vices for about 520 soldiers repre- senting 27 tenant units at the instal- lation. A native of Walterboro, South Carolina, Edgerton has been in the Army for more than 16 years and for- merly served with the Army Materiel Command logistics, G-4, section. Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Harker, the award recipient for the Army Re- serve, serves as the NCO-in-charge for the 334th Forward Engineer Sup- port Team-Advanced in Huntsville. Harker previously served at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For the National Guard, the award recipient was 1st Sgt. Marcus Boykin of 1st Battalion Support Company, 20th Special Forces Group (Air- borne). Boykin enlisted in the Missis- sippi Army National Guard in 2006 and hails from a long line of military veterans dating to the Revolutionary War. “It is a privilege to serve in my role,” Boykin said, as reported by the Redstone Rocket. “And although I do not ask for any recognition, it’s an honor to receive this award.” During the event, the AUSA chap- ter also presented its President’s Award to Command Sgt. Maj. Dar- relle Shepard, senior enlisted advis- er for the Alabama National Guard’s 46th CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package. “It's an honor for our chapter to recognize these soldiers for who they are as individuals and what they bring to their teams,” the group said in a social media post. Soldiers, AUSA members, community leaders and more gather to celebrate the Na- tional Guard's 389th birthday and honor outstanding NCOs during an event hosted by the association's Redstone-Huntsville chapter. 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