PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org March 7, 2024 | AUSA Extra 1 Global Force to feature senior leaders T he Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, will feature several senior leaders, including Army Undersec- retary Gabe Camarillo, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer and lead- ers from Army Materiel Command, Army Futures Command and Army Training and Doctrine Command. The three-day event will take place March 26–28 at the Von Braun Cen- ter in Huntsville, home to Materiel Command and Redstone Arsenal. This year’s theme is “Continuous Transformation to Deliver Ready Combat Formations,” with keynote speeches, panel discussions and War- riors Corner talks focused on the con- tinued transformation of the Army as the force prepares for a complex future battlefield. To register for Global Force, click here. For more information, click here. Global Force opens March 26 with a keynote presentation by Camarillo, followed by a panel titled “Delivering Precision Sustainment in Support of Ready Combat Formations.” The panel will feature Maj. Gen. Michelle Donahue, commander of Army Combined Arms Support Com- mand; Col. Shane Upton, director of Futures Command’s Contested Logistics Cross-Functional Team; Christopher Hill, director of Army Materiel Command’s Analysis Group and chief data and analytic officer; and Shon Manasco, senior counselor at Palantir Technologies. There also will be two fireside chats, one with Weimer and another with Maj. Gen. Eric Shirley, com- mander of the 1st Theater Sustain- ment Command. In the afternoon, a panel titled “NCO Sustainment Training with Industry, Force Structure and Pro- fessional Military Education” will fea- ture the senior enlisted leaders from Materiel Command, Futures Com- mand, Army Forces Command and Training and Doctrine Command. On March 27, the day will start with a keynote presentation by Gen. James Rainey, commander of Fu- tures Command, followed by a panel titled “Transformational Capabilities Enabling Ready Combat Formations” featuring Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, Rainey and Jeremy Tondreault of BAE Systems. There will be a fireside chat on Gen. Charles Hamilton, commander of Army Materiel Command, speaks during AUSA’s 2023 Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama. (AUSA PHOTO) Army Reserve Preparing for Future Battlefield 3 Government Affairs Appropriations Delays Continue 4 Member Benefits Financial Planning, Digital Security 6 Chapter Highlights MG Harry Greene, Aberdeen 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 43 MARCH 7, 2024 See Global Force, Page 5www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 7, 2024 | AUSA Extra 3 Lombardo: Army Reserve in ‘strong position’ for future T he Army Reserve is building to compete with its adversar- ies and prepare for a complex future battlefield, the component’s senior enlisted leader said. “I’m pretty confident that the Army Reserve is in a strong position and ready to meet the challenges of the future,” Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo said Wednesday during an Association of the U.S. Army Noon Report webinar. A native New Yorker, Lombardo is a deputy inspector with the New York City Police Department in his civilian life. During an Army career that has spanned over 33 years, Lom- bardo has served over six overseas deployments, including operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, in Bosnia and Kosovo, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Endur- ing Freedom. Today, about 6,000 Army Reserve soldiers are deployed in support of Army operations throughout 23 coun- tries and about 2,000 are mobilized domestically, Lombardo said. AUSA Basic Members can now view a selection of articles from the March issue of ARMY magazine. To read the articles, click here. ARMY magazine March issue Lombardo expressed support for the Army Reserve’s “E-5 in 5” ini- tiative, which aims to get soldiers promoted to sergeant within five years. The initiative, led by Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels and Lombardo, was spurred by an “excess of specialists” in the ranks, Lombardo said. The component also has been chronically understrength in key NCO ranks. “We realized that we … needed to change, that our noncommissioned officers were looking in to see if you were ready for promotion versus dem- onstrating the potential to be pro- moted,” Lombardo said. The program has seen success, he said. The Army Reserve went from having not enough sergeants to “achieving 100% of our sergeant strength,” he said. As soldiers train to meet the chal- lenges of the future, the Army Re- serve will not have the luxury of time when it is asked to respond to contin- gencies, Lombardo said. “The global commons have changed,” he said. “We have near-peer threats, so we can’t rely on a model where we spend 90 days to six months getting ready after we’re mobilized. The way you can help is by preparing your people before they’re mobilized.” Throughout his career, Lombardo said his leadership philosophy has been guided by the values of trans- parency, fairness and a passion for training soldiers. Following his term as the Army Reserve command ser- geant major, Lombardo said he would like to be remembered for his passion for ensuring soldiers received tough, realistic training. “I would like to be remembered [as] somebody that had passion for tough training and getting us … back to training with a focus on being able to be supportive of the total force with multidomain operations,” he said. Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo, senior enlisted leader of the Army Reserve, ad- dresses senior NCOs from the 377th Theater Sustainment Com mand during a summit at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. 1ST CLASS JEFF VANWEY) Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo, left, senior enlisted leader of the Army Reserve, speaks with retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, during a visit Wednesday to the association’s head- quarters in Arlington, Virginia. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | March 7, 2024 Gen. Bob Brown, USA Ret. President and CEO, AUSA Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, USA Ret. Vice President, Leadership and Education, AUSA Luc Dunn Editor Desiree Hurlocker Advertising Manager Advertising Information Contact: Fox Associates Inc. 116 W. Kinzie St. • Chicago, IL 60654 Phone: 800-440-0231 Email: adinfo.rmy@foxrep.com ARTICLES. Articles appearing in AUSA Extra do not necessarily refl ect the opinion of the offi cers or members of the Council of Trustees of AUSA, or its editors. Articles are expres- sions of personal opinion and should not be interpreted as refl ecting the offi cial opinion of the Department of Defense nor of any branch, command, installation or agency of the Depart- ment of Defense. The publication assumes no responsibility for any unsolicited material. Email: extra@ausa.org ADVERTISING. Neither AUSA Extra, nor its publisher, the Association of the United States Army, makes any representations, warranties or endorsements as to the truth and accuracy of the advertisements appearing herein, and no such representations, warranties or en- dorsements should be implied or inferred from the appearance of the advertisements in the publication. The advertisers are solely respon- sible for the contents of such advertisements. MEMBERSHIP RATES. Premium membership rates are $40 for two years or $75 for fi ve years. Lifetime membership is $400 and can be paid in full or in four monthly installments. A special Premium rate of $10 for two years is open to E1–E4 and cadets only. New two-year Basic membership with select benefi ts is free. Learn more at www.ausa.org/join. Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Despite some progress, much work remains for defense funding bills C ongress will be busy for the next few weeks as the situation on Capitol Hill remains quite uncertain. The appropriations process con- tinues to consume signifi cant time and energy for lawmakers. Most no- tably, stopgap funding was extended through Friday for the military con- struction, veterans affairs and relat- ed agencies bill, and March 22 for the defense appropriations bill—avert- ing a government shutdown for the time being. These short-term mea- sures, or continuing resolutions, keep funding at the previous year’s levels and prohibit new program starts. The Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s Government Affairs team is encouraged that progress has been made, with the release last Sunday of a bipartisan agreement on fund- ing amounts for each of the fi rst six bills. Those bills passed the House on Wednesday, but much work remains. Because of the many challenges in the appropriations process, a full or partial government shutdown or a full-year continuing resolution could occur in March. A full-year stopgap measure would be unprecedented for Government Aff airs DoD and very damaging to national security and the Total Army. Additionally, the administration’s fi scal year 2025 budget request is expected to be released March 11. This helps inform the authorization and appropriations processes. Major Richard Star Act On Tuesday, AUSA’s Government Affairs team participated in an ad- vocacy day in support of the Major Richard Star Act, in conjunction with other organizations in The Military Coalition. If enacted, the Major Rich- ard Star Act would allow certain combat-wounded veterans to receive their earned retirement pay along with their disability compensation. This legislation is a longstanding priority for AUSA. You can help build momentum for the Major Richard Star Act, the Na- tional Defense Authorization Act and appropriations bills by contacting your representatives and senators. We will continue to monitor these and other developments closely as we advocate for the Total Army with Congress. Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government Aff airs director. A full-year stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, would be un- precedented for DoD and very damaging to the Total Army. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO) AUSA members save 25% when fi l- ing federal and/or state returns with easy-to-use software from TaxAct. They guarantee you’ll get your maxi- mum refund—backed by $100,000. Visit www.ausa.org/tax for personal fi lings, and www.taxact.com/ausasmb for small-business fi lings.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 7, 2024 | AUSA Extra 5 Global Force From Page 1 rapid innovation with Lt. Gen. Ross Coffman, deputy commander of Fu- tures Command, and Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, director of the rapid capabili- ties and critical technologies office. To open the third and final day of Global Force, Gen. Charles Hamilton, commander of Materiel Command, will give a keynote presentation. It will be followed by a fireside chat with Gen. Gary Brito, commander of Training and Doctrine Command, who will focus on the command’s core missions. A panel in the morning will focus on synchronizing modernization and future capabilities, featuring Lt. Gen. Milford Beagle, commander of the Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Rich- ard Creed, director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate; and Paul Reese, director of the Fielded Force Integration Directorate. Throughout all three days of Global Force, the Army will offer presenta- tions at the Warriors Corner from its booth in the South Hall, and AUSA will host its inaugural Generation Next Forum, an AUSA Young Profes- sionals meeting focused on personal and professional development. Additionally, an AUSA Family Pa- vilion will be featured for the first time at Global Force, extending the organization’s reach in supporting soldiers and their families. There also will be almost 200 exhib- its showcasing the latest innovations from industry and the Army, and some 6,000 attendees are expected. Soldiers, defense industry representatives, AUSA members and more gather on the exhibit floor during the association’s 2023 Global Force Symposium and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | March 7, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Member discounts for fi nancial planning, digital security T his month, I want to highlight two benefi ts for Association of the U.S. Army members that focus on fi nancial and digital secu- rity. NovaPoint Capital For AUSA members seeking fi nan- cial planning or investment advice, retirement planning as an employee or business owner, or accounting and tax planning assistance, NovaPoint Capital, a new AUSA benefi t provid- er, can be a value-added partner. Visit NovaPoint’s AUSA page to schedule a 30-minute complimen- tary consultation. AUSA members who engage No- vaPoint’s services receive a 20% discount on the orga- nization’s standard fees. NovaPoint is a veteran-owned in- vestment advisory, accounting and tax fi rm that works with individu- als, small businesses and nonprofi t organizations nationwide. Aura You would do anything to protect your family. You lock your doors and windows. You know your surround- ings and neighbors. You have secu- rity systems or other protocols to secure your home. So, don’t neglect your family’s online safety. According to a 2022 report from the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Americans lose four times more to digital crime than to home burglaries. Active-duty service members, vet- erans and their families are at high- er risk for identity theft and fraud than other adults. According to the Federal Trade Commission, they are three times more likely to report debit card misuse or other electronic theft of money directly from bank ac- counts, and 22% more likely to report fraudulent accounts were opened us- ing stolen information. One in fi ve active-duty service Member Benefi ts members have experienced two or more types of identity theft, and mili- tary consumers reported total losses of $414 million to the Federal Trade Commission in 2022. AUSA has partnered with Aura, a top provider of intelligent digital safety, to provide members up to 68% off its award-winning digital security plans, starting with a two-week free trial. Choose from individual, couple or family coverage (which can cover up to 5 people, including parents). Aura is rated A+ with the Better Business Bureau, has 4.7 stars on Trustpilot and holds the No. 1 rank- ing on “Tom’s Guide” as the best iden- tity theft protection service in 2023. Aura’s customer service representa- tives are 100% U.S.-based. What makes Aura stand out is that most of its competitors are point solu- tions—their individual services only solve one problem and don’t learn from or talk to each other. Aura’s individual features are built on the same artifi cial intelligence, enabling them to learn from each other for bet- ter protection. Individual services include: • Online and device security: Anti- virus, VPN, safe browsing, password manager, vault and AI spam call and message protection. • Identity theft protection: Online account monitoring, Social Security number and personal information monitoring, spam call and junk mail removal, identity verifi cation moni- toring, home and auto title monitor- ing, criminal and court records moni- toring, child Social Security number monitoring and child three-bureau credit freeze. • Financial fraud protection: Three-bureau credit monitoring, credit lock, bank fraud monitoring, fi nancial transaction monitoring, monthly credit score and annual credit reports. • Parental controls: Mobile device management, content blocking and fi ltering, screen time limits and in- ternet usage tracking. • Safe gaming (online predator alerts): 24/7 in-game voice and text monitoring, cyberbullying and pred- ator alerts and a weekly gaming ac- tivity report. Learn more and access your mem- ber savings at buy.aura.com/ausa . Susan Rubel is AUSA’s Association and Affi nity Partnerships director. AUSA has partnered with Aura, a top provider of intelligent digital safety, to provide members up to 68% off its award-winning digital security plans. (COURTESY PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 7, 2024 | AUSA Extra 7 Chapter leader recognized by 20th CBRNE command Maj. Gen. Daryl Hood, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Silva, right, command team for the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command, present the command’s 2023 Defender of Liberty award to retired Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Graham and a certificate of appreciation to his wife, Melony. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. GREGORY HAZELTINE) A volunteer leader with the As- sociation of the U.S. Army’s MG Harry Greene-Aberdeen chapter was honored for his contribu- tions to the 20th Chemical, Biologi- cal, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command in a ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Ken- neth Graham was selected as the command’s 2023 Defender of Lib- erty—the first enlisted leader to re- ceive the award. Graham serves as the AUSA chapter’s vice president for NCO and Soldier Programs. “I’m proud to stand next to the former recipients of this Defender of Liberty award,” Graham said, ac- cording to an Army news release. “I look forward to continuing to serve this organization.” The award, established in 2019, is presented to leaders who have had a significant im- pact on the unique Army command, which holds 75% of active-duty chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialists and explosive ordnance disposal technicians. Graham served as the unit’s senior enlisted leader prior to his retirement in 2019. A native of Warren, Ohio, Graham served in leadership positions from squad leader to command sergeant major during his 31 years of Army service. He deployed for Operation Desert Storm and Operation Joint Endeavor, and to Iraq three times for Operation Iraqi Freedom. “Talk to anyone who served under him or beside him and then you will be inspired,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Silva, a master EOD tech- nician who is now the senior enlisted leader of 20th CBRNE Command. “He gave me the opportunity to lead, and that gave me the opportu- nity to stand here and sing his prais- es from the position he proudly held before me,” Silva said, according to the Army news release. Retired Col. Robert Gutjahr, the AUSA chapter president, was joined by retired Maj. Gen. John Doesburg, the 2020 recipient of the Defender of Liberty award, and retired Brig. Gen. William King, former commander of the 20th CBRNE Command, in praising Graham for his leadership and commitment to soldiers. Other Defender of Liberty recipi- ents include retired Gen. Richard Cody, a former Army vice chief of staff who was the first recipient of the award in 2019 for authoring the memo that led to the creation of the 20th CBRNE Command; Maj. Gen. Keith Wendel in 2021; and retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, who is AUSA’s vice president for Leadership and Ed- ucation, in 2022. Mary Jane Jernigan, AUSA’s Maryland state president and civil- ian aide to the secretary of the Army for northern Maryland, presented a coin and commendation letter to Gra- ham during the event. Graham is an example of the kind of leadership that has made the 20th the premier CBRNE command in the U.S. military, Silva said. “It’s my pleasure to welcome you into this prestigious and small group. It is neat that he is the first enlisted [recipient] of this title and this award,” Silva said, ac- cording to the Army. “I can’t think of a better leader than retired Command Sgt. Maj. Ken Graham.” MG Harry Greene, Aberdeen Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Gra- ham, left, receives a coin and commen- dation letter from Mary Jane Jernigan, AUSA’s Maryland state president, during the 2023 Defender of Liberty award cere- mony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Mary- land. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. GREGORY HAZELTINE)Next >