PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org March 20, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Mingus: Recruiting efforts bearing fruit T he Army is more than halfway to meeting this year’s recruit- ing mission and faces the pos- sibility of exceeding its funded end strength projections, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus said. “We’ve seen momentum unlike we have seen in probably a decade,” Min- gus said March 12 in testimony before the Senate Armed Services subcom- mittee on readiness and management support. He explained that the Army is 50% ahead of where it was last year, having recruited 44,358 of its goal of 61,000 new soldiers. Sgt. 1st Class Nickesha Cabrera, a recruiter assigned to Lacey Army Career Center, presents information about career and education options within the Army during a recruiting event on Feb. 26 at Ridge High School, Washington. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. ELIZABETH DEGROOT) Iraq War Hero Gets Award Upgrade 3 More Injury Data Needed for Army Fitness Test 4 Family Readiness Operation Deploy Your Dress Event 7 Chapter Highlights Eagle Chapters 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 45 MARCH 20, 2025 See Mingus, Page 6 Special Global Force Issue Coming Friday, March 28 The Army recruited 55,300 new soldiers in fiscal year 2024, exceed- ing its goal of 55,000, and placed 11,000 more into the delayed entry program. In the fiscal 2025 budget, the Army requested money to fund an end strength of 442,000 soldiers in the Regular Army, but with the strong recruiting environment, Mingus said he expects the fiscal year end strength to be higher. “What I believe will happen, if the trajectories remain consistent with where we’re at today, we’re going to end this year somewhere between 449,000 and 452,000, so almost 10,000 over what we believe will be appropriated from a military pay and allowances standpoint,” Mingus said. If that happens, “there will be a deficit there that we will have to come back and ask for help,” he said. Mingus testified alongside his counterparts from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force, and Diana Maurer, director of the Government Accountability Of- fice’s defense capabilities and man- agement team, about the readiness of the joint force. He told members of the subcom- mittee that the turnaround in the re- cruiting slump that marked the past three years is the result of initia- tives that overhauled how the Army recruits. These initiatives include professionalizing the recruiting force and expanding the recruiting demo-www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 20, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 Distinguished Service Cross awarded to retired NCO F or heroic actions in Iraq in 2007, retired Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy was awarded the Dis- tinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest award for valor, dur- ing a Pentagon ceremony on Tuesday officiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Geressy was awarded a Silver Star in September 2011 for his actions on Sept. 4, 2007, in Baghdad, where he took command of a combat outpost and thwarted a complex enemy attack. In upgrading his award to the Distin- guished Service Cross, Hegseth, who fought with Geressy in Iraq, though not in this battle, said it was time to “recognize his actions of that day.” Geressy was first sergeant of Eagle Company, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, when on Sept. 3, 2007, he and his soldiers conducted a relief-in-place at a combat outpost in Al Hadar in southern Baghdad, ac- cording to the award citation. On Sept. 4, with his company’s of- ficers away, Geressy received orders to check on a suspected vehicle-borne IED. While his soldiers were outside the safety of the outpost, they came under enemy gunfire, prompting Ge- ressy to deploy a quick-reaction force that extracted the soldiers and killed three enemy fighters, according to the citation. Within 15 minutes, the outpost Retired Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy, center, is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by De- fense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a Pentagon ceremony. (DOD/SENIOR AIRMAN SPENCER PERKINS) Maj. Young Joo is an active-duty Army officer currently serving as AUSA's Army Fellow. An avid fan of smoking meat, he has been trying to perfect the art of smoking bris- ket and beef ribs since 2018. Young lives in the Washington, D.C., met- ropolitan area and enjoys doing yard work, playing lacrosse and spending time with his family. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Maj. Young Joo Army Fellow, National Security Studies came under a complex attack led by up to 45 enemy fighters who simul- taneously launched a massive vol- ume of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades from three different direc- tions, the citation says. Geressy immediately requested an air weapons team, then moved to the rooftop and “exposed himself to direct enemy fire by moving from guard tower to guard tower assess- ing the situation and inspiring his soldiers by calmly encouraging them to keep up the fire,” the citation says. When one of his soldiers in a guard tower was shot, Geressy moved to his position to direct the medical evacu- ation and helped carry the soldier to safety, according to the citation. During this time, the air weapons team arrived and, acting as the on- scene commander, Geressy autho- rized the air weapons team to launch a Hellfire missile into the defensive position, crippling the enemy. As the quick-reaction force evacu- ated the wounded soldier, enemy gunfire increased, targeting the evacuation vehicles. Geressy autho- rized the air weapons team to launch additional Hellfire missiles and to conduct strafing runs with their 30 mm cannons, breaking “the enemy’s will to continue to attack,” the cita- tion reads. Geressy “heroically led his com- pany in high intensity combat” while fulfilling the jobs of company com- mander, fire support officer and first sergeant, Geressy’s citation says. “On numerous occasions, he fearlessly ex- posed himself to direct enemy fire to instill confidence in his men, care for his wounded and to destroy the enemy.”www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | March 20, 2025 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 reflect the opinion of the officers 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 reflecting the official 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 five 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 benefits 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 Report: Army Combat Fitness Test could reduce soldier injury risk AUSA members can create free legal documents for personal and business use through LawAs- sure. AUSA pays for this—there is no fine print or upsell. Using informa- tion you provide, your document is built according to your state's laws. Visit www.ausa.org/legal for more. Spc. Heremes Rodriguez of the Georgia Army National Guard performs the sprint- drag-carry event of the Army Combat Fit- ness Test March 9 at the Cumming Readi- ness Center in Cumming, Georgia. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/SPC. ALEXANDRIA AMOS) T he Army should collect more in- jury data and add physical fit- ness assessments to its injury monitoring programs to better mea- sure the Army Combat Fitness Test’s impact on soldier health, according to a report from the Rand Corp. When the Army announced the Army Combat Fitness Test in 2019, its first new fitness test in decades, “two of the Army’s stated goals for the ACFT at the time were to reduce injuries and to establish a culture of fitness,” the report said. “However, evidence regarding the relationship between the ACFT and soldier health and injuries remains limited.” In 2022, over 40% of all medical encounters among active-duty sol- diers were for injuries, amounting to 2 million injury-related encounters and outpacing mental and behav- ioral health-related visits, according to the Defense Health Agency’s 2022 annual injury surveillance report. Previous reports evaluating the ACFT, which consists of six events that measure key fitness indicators, have focused on soldier pass rates, but “relatively little guidance, poli- cy, or research addresses the mecha- nisms through which the ACFT is intended to transform the Army’s fitness culture or enhance mental toughness and stamina,” the report found. ACFT scores provide an accurate assessment of injury risk, according to the report. “The ACFT is a highly predictive test when assessing injury risk,” the report found. “Groups that scored higher on the ACFT overall had sig- nificantly lower risk of any injury than the group that received ‘nar- rowly passing’ total scores on the ACFT. ... Those who failed the ACFT, in contrast, were about 20 percent more likely to suffer an injury in the 180-day window following the ACFT.” As soldiers gain more experience with the ACFT, their injury risk goes down. “Injury risk declines with each subsequent attempt of the ACFT for at least the first three tests … and possibly for additional tests beyond these,” the report found. “These pat- terns suggest that, as the force gains experience with the ACFT, injury rates may continue to fall. The report recommends that the Army incorporate more demograph- ic and health data into its systems and incorporate the ACFT into the service’s injury surveillance efforts, among other recommendations. “Injury surveillance systems, whether aggregated or for individu- als, could include information on fitness performance—both overall ACFT and individual event scores— as an additional early warning sign for risk,” according to the report. Read the report here. www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 20, 2025 | AUSA Extra 5 Tricare users should download health records by April 1 KRHPROVIDESINTEGRATEDHRSOLUTIONS AND LIFE SUPPORT SERVICES TO VARIOUS CLIENTS. KRH IS RECOGNIZED AS A WELL-FOUNDED, SUSTAINABLE, ANDLEGAL PARTNER TO BUSINESSESWITHIN THEREGION. AS INDUSTRIESEVOLVED, KRHISAGILE IN GAINING A DEEP UNDERSTANING OFITS CLIENTS’ CHANGING NEEDS AND REFORMING ITS STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS NEWCHALLENGES. ENGINEERING SERVICES INTEGRATED LIFE SUPPORT SERVICES HR& ADMIN SERVICES FIELD OPERATIONS SERVICES GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SECTOR INTEGRATED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT (IFM) TRANSPORTATION SERVICES KRH ACADEMY AccountabilityPassion Excellence Integrity Commitment Respect Innovation SERVICES VALUES YOUR VALUE DRIVEN PARTNER OF CHOICE TURNKEY SOLUTIONS | AGILE TEAM | DYNAMIC SERVICES SCAN FOR MORE CENTCOM HQ KUWAIT, SHARQ, AL SHUHADA STREET, AL GHAWALI TOWER TEL: BD@KRHKW.COM +22320113965 OPERATING IN THE HEART OF CENTCOM B enefi ciaries who want to keep a copy of their legacy health re- cords must download them by April 1, before the Tricare Online pa- tient portal is decommissioned. “All military hospitals and clin- ics have transitioned to MHS GEN- ESIS. We encourage you to take these important steps to save your personal health records before the TOL Patient Portal decommissions,” Navy Rear Adm. Tracy Farrill from the Defense Health Agency said in a Tricare news release. The online change comes as the De- fense Health Agency transitions from the Tricare Online patient portal to the MHS Genesis electronic health record. Embracing the MHS Genesis system “eliminates the need to main- tain two systems and streamlines [electronic health record] manage- ment,” according to the news release. Parents can view complete health data for children under 12 and lim- ited health data for children ages 12–17, according to the news release. Service members and veterans who are planning to fi le a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs will not be affected by the decommission- ing of the Tricare Online patient por- tal, as providers will still have access to patients’ complete health records, according to the news release. After April 1, patients can request a physical copy of their health records from the records management offi ce at their military hospital or clinic. “Your medical history is a valuable resource for managing your health, and saving your records now ensures you have access if you need it,” Far- rill said in the release. For more information or to down- load your health records, click here. As Tricare benefi ciaries download legacy health records, parents can view complete health data for children under 12 and lim- ited health data for children ages 12–17, according to the Defense Health Agency. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/PFC. KAMERON SPENCER)www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | March 20, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Mingus From Page 1 graphic to colleges and private indus- try in addition to the traditional high school recruiting. The recruiting enterprise updated its training programs; added two new recruiter MOSs, including a new warrant officer recruiting spe- cialty; expanded the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which helps recruits meet the service’s academic or physical requirements; developed the GoRecruit mobile application; restructured Army Recruiting Com- mand by incorporating the Army Enterprise Marketing Office; and stood up two regional recruiting com- mands that oversee the five recruit- ing brigades responsible for enlisting new recruits. “All those things that we’ve been working on for the last 18 to 24 months, we believe are coming to fruition this year,” Mingus said. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus greets new Army recruits in the military entrance processing station at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. (U.S. ARMY/JEFFERSON WOLFE)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 20, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 Operation Deploy Your Dress, AUSA host pop-up event Thea Green, left, AUSA's deputy director of Family Readiness, and Family Readiness program manager Cindy Risch hold dresses donated for the Operation Deploy Your Dress pop-up event, scheduled for April 26 at AUSA headquarters. (AUSA PHOTO) A s a service member’s spouse, I’ve experienced firsthand the unique challenges and oppor- tunities that military families face and understand the importance of organizations that seek to improve quality of life for soldiers and their families. One of those groups is Operation Deploy Your Dress, which provides gently used formal wear to service members or their family members to offset the cost of attending formal mil- itary functions. These events, which include balls, galas and dining-ins, are crucial for maintaining military traditions and fostering camaraderie within the military community. That’s why I am excited to share that the Association of the U.S. Army is once again hosting an Operation Deploy Your Dress pop-up event. This year’s event will be on April 26 at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. This is the eighth year that AUSA’s Family Readiness director- ate has partnered with Operation Deploy Your Dress to host the event. This pop-up represents more than just a gathering; it celebrates commu- nity, resilience and patriotism. This year, we aim to beat our record from last year of “deploying” 824 dresses. Operation Deploy Your Dress cur- rently has 15 brick-and-mortar shops at Army installations worldwide, many of which work closely with AUSA chapters. This relationship is fundamental to the association’s mis- sion of fostering community through volunteerism. The shops are run by military spouse volunteers, providing a unique opportunity for spouses to gain valuable work experience while contributing to their community. Cultivating and continuing our military traditions is about honor- ing the history, values and sacrifices of those who serve. These traditions foster a sense of belonging and con- tinuity, connecting current service Family Readinessmembers and families with those who came before them. Operation Deploy Your Dress and AUSA Family Readiness are proud to help maintain these cherished traditions by ensur- ing that all families can participate, regardless of financial constraints. Our goals also extend beyond the military community. By bridging the military and civilian worlds, AUSA and Operation Deploy Your Dress events offer a tangible way for the public to show their appreciation for the service and sacrifice of military members and their families. Every dress donated, every hour volun- teered and every smile shared helps strengthen the bonds that unite us all. As we prepare for the pop-up event, we are confident that we will sur- pass our goal and continue to make a meaningful impact on the lives of military families thanks to the sup- port of our incredible volunteers, generous donors and the wider com- munity. Join us in April at AUSA head- quarters to participate in this inspir- ing mission. Together, we can make a difference—one dress at a time. To learn more and see where you can drop off your gently used dress- es, click here. Cindy Risch is AUSA's Family Readiness program manager. Yvonne Coombes, left, co-founder of Op- eration Deploy Your Dress, AUSA mas- cot Cpl. M. Power and Holly Dailey, the association’s Family Readiness director, prepare for the 2024 pop-up event at the Military Women’s Memorial in Virginia. (OPERATION DEPLOY YOUR DRESS PHOTO)www.ausa.org 8 AUSA Extra | March 20, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Eagle Chapters The following chapters attained Eagle status for February by showing positive membership growth. The number of consecutive months of growth since July 1 is shown in parentheses. Central Texas (8) Chattahoochee Valley-Fort Moore (8) First In Battle (8) Fort Campbell (8) Fort Riley-Central Kansas (8) Houston Metroplex (8) Pikes Peak (8) Puerto Rico (8) San Diego (8) Alamo (7) Arkansas (7) Columbia River (7) Crossroads of America (7) Delaware (7) Denver Centennial (7) Fort Sheridan-Chicago (7) Gem State (7) Greater Atlanta (7) Joshua Chamberlain (7) Las Vegas-John C. Fremont (7) Marne (7) Milwaukee (7) North Texas-Audie Murphy (7) PFC William Kenzo Nakamura (7) Redstone-Huntsville (7) St. Louis Gateway (7) Suncoast (7) Sunshine (7) Thunderbird (7) Arizona Territorial (6) Arsenal of Democracy (6) Big Bend (6) Cowboy (6) CSM James M. McDonald-Keystone (6) Dix (6) First Militia (6) Florida Gulf Stream (6) Fort Jackson-Palmetto State (6) Fort Pitt (6) Greater Los Angeles (6) Greater Philadelphia (Penn & Franklin) (6) Hawaii (6) Korea (6) Minutemen (6) New Orleans (6) Rock Island Arsenal (6) San Francisco (6) SGM Jon Cavaiani (6) Texas Capital Area (6) Tucson-Goyette (6) Utah (6) COL Edward Cross (5) Last Frontier (5) Mediterranean (5) Silicon Valley (5) Space Coast (5) White Sands Missile Range (5) Carlisle Barracks-Cumberland Valley (4) Fort Liberty (4) GEN William C. Westmoreland (4) Mid-Palatinate (4) Polar Bear (4) United Arab Emirates (4) Fort Novosel-Wiregrass (3) GEN Joseph W. Stilwell (3) Guam (3) MG Robert B. McCoy (3) Hellenic (2)Next >