PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org March 21, 2024 | AUSA Extra 1 Service seeks ‘urgent action’ on funding A s the Army rolls out its budget request for fiscal year 2025, the service urgently still needs funding for the current fiscal year, a panel of senior Army leaders said. More than five months into fiscal 2024, which began Oct. 1, the Army continues to operate under a continu- ing resolution, stopgap funding that keeps spending at the previous year’s levels and prohibits new starts. The current measure expires Friday. The Army also continues to support operations in Ukraine—almost $500 million this fiscal year—and provide an enhanced presence in the Middle East, said Maj. Gen. Mark Bennett, director of the Army budget. The Army is requesting “urgent ac- tion” on both base funding for fiscal 2024 and the supplemental spending bill, Bennett said Monday during an Association of the U.S. Army Coffee Series breakfast. The $95 billion supplemental spending bill, which is still pending in Congress, includes about $60 bil- lion in military aid for Ukraine as well as aid for Israel and Taiwan, the Associated Press reported. Without the supplemental funds, the Army has been pulling money from other accounts to pay for its ob- ligations to support Ukraine and the Middle East, according to Army bud- get documents. “The strains on the Army are significant with the cash flow issue,” Bennett said. “We’re still looking forward to the urgent pas- sage of that supplemental. The bills are significant there.” Looking to fiscal 2025, the Army continues to balance efforts to trans- form the force and maintain readi- ness for today’s missions while deal- ing with flat budgets, Bennett said. For fiscal 2025, the Army is re- questing $185.9 billion, a 0.2% in- crease from its fiscal 2024 request. It includes a 4.5% pay increase for troops and a 2% raise for civilian personnel. The request complies with the Fis- cal Responsibility Act of 2023, which was approved by Congress in the debt limit deal last year and limits fis- cal 2024 spending to the president’s Maj. Gen. Mark Bennett, director of the Army budget, speaks Monday during a Coffee Series event hosted at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. (AUSA PHOTO) Guard Grows State Partnership Program 3 AUSA Pushes for Defense Funding 4 Family Readiness Honoring Women Who Serve 7 Chapter Highlights Milwaukee Eagle Chapters 8, 9 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 45 MARCH 21, 2024 See Budget, Page 5 Special Global Force Issue Coming Friday, March 29DESIGNED FOR ROUND TRIPS YOUR MISSION. OUR HONOR. For decades, Oshkosh Defense has been a trusted partner of the U.S. Military. Together we are delivering advanced technologies to our Warfighters so they can complete their missions and return home safely. This is our mission, and it will always be our honor. VISIT US AT AUSA GLOBAL FORCE SYMPOSIUM IN BOOTH 903 The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 21, 2024 | AUSA Extra 3 National Guard to add 6 new partner nations in 2024 T he National Guard’s State Partnership Program will grow by several nations this year, expanding to more than 100 the number of U.S. military partner- ships with allies and partners, said Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau. In remarks before defense and in- dustry leaders participating in the McAleese Defense Programs Confer- ence in Washington, D.C., Hokan- son announced that Finland, Palau, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sweden and Tanzania will be added to the program in 2024. Created in 1993 to help establish military ties with 13 former Soviet bloc nations, the State Partner- ship Program in coordination with DoD and the State Department has paired 100 partner nations in every geographic combatant command with the National Guard in the 50 states, plus territories and the District of Columbia. The newly announced partner na- tions will be paired with states in the coming months, a process subject to DoD, State Department and combat- ant command input and approval, according to an Army news release. “Freedom and democracy are American values—but we can’t up- hold them alone,” Hokanson said at the March 7 forum, according to the Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson, center top, and Staff Sgt. Adelard Hoffarth, both assigned to the North Dakota Army National Guard, demonstrate teaching techniques to Togolese Army NCO academy instructors Feb. 26 in Temedja, Togo. (U.S. ARMY/1ST LT. NATHAN RIVARD) Lucas Costa has been with AUSA for two years. He recently passed all sections of the CPA exams and is pursuing his MBA with a concentra- tion in Business Analytics at Rad- ford University. In his spare time, Lucas likes to get out and play golf and basketball or watch his favorite sports teams, the New York Giants and New York Knicks. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Lucas Costa Financial Compliance and Tax Manager news release. “Instead, we must tend to our networks, nurture our alli- ances and invest in the partnerships that may one day make the difference between chaos and stability, authori- tarianism and democracy, or victory and defeat.” Hokanson said the program is one of the most productive, cost-effective security cooperation programs the United States has to offer. Posi- tioned in 2,800 communities across the country, the Guard also is ex- perienced with disaster response, search-and-rescue and civil-military relationships—focus areas of most State Partnership Program affilia- tions, the news release said. In recent years, Guard troops have conducted about 1,000 training ex- changes with their foreign counter- parts annually, focusing on every- thing from peacekeeping operations to NCO development, lifesaving tech- niques and cyber defense, according to the release. “The pairing of a state with a na- tion is not random,” Hokanson said. “Demographics, economics and mili- tary size and composition are all factored in. This helps establish a sense of commonality and to make the partnerships beneficial for both parties.” The program is about mutually beneficial relationships, he said. “Each of our partners is really good at a few things, and so are we. The National Guard is building partners and allies for our nation, and in turn, we’re helping them build capability and capacity for the good of their na- tion,” Hokanson said.www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | March 21, 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 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. 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Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUSA, other military groups join in call to pass 2024 appropriations AUSA members have car rental discounts at Ala- mo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National. Click here to get quotes on any of these brands. At Avis and Budget, you can combine coupons on the page with your member discount. Use your Budget Truck rental dis- count at www.ausa.org/truck . J oined by four other military associations, the Association of the U.S. Army is calling on Congress to pass the fiscal year 2024 defense appropriations bill before the current stopgap funding expires Fri- day. “Our nation faces numerous threats, and our service members op- erate in one of the most complex and challenging security environments in decades. From Chinese aggression and growing North Korean capabili- ties in the Indo-Pacific, to the crisis in the Middle East, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the escalating threat of terrorism, our nation’s interests and its security are at risk,” the asso- ciations say in the March 15 letter to the top four leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives. “Domestic emergencies like wild- fires and floods frequently also re- quire service members to execute critical missions in support of civil- ian authorities. This makes sufficient and timely funding vital to national security and to the well-being of our service members and their families,” the letter states. The Army and the other services have been operating under stopgap funding measures, known as con- tinuing resolutions, since the Oct. 1 start of fiscal 2024. The current con- tinuing resolution expires Friday. “A full-year Continuing Resolution (CR) harms national security, the Armed Forces, our service members and military families,” the letter states. In addition to impacts on readi- ness, training and quality of life pro- grams for troops and their families, a continuing resolution is a “waste- ful use of resources,” says the letter signed by retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO. “As has been demonstrated by the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, significant investment in the industrial base is required to ensure that our service members always have what they need to accomplish overmatch in a protracted high-end conflict,” the letter states. “A CR jeopardizes that.” In the letter, Brown is joined by retired Air Force Master Sgt. Dan- iel Reilly, president of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States; Stuart Bradin, president and CEO of the Global Spe- cial Operations Forces Foundation; retired Maj. Gen. Francis McGinn, president of the National Guard As- sociation of the United States; and Cara Rinkoff, national executive di- rector of the U.S. Army Warrant Of- ficers Association. “The image of the United States stumbling from one self-inflicted fis- cal crisis to another while failing to provide timely and sufficient funding to its Armed Forces ... surely reduces our security and global standing,” the letter states. “Our allies and partners are watching and are not reassured. Our adversaries, however, are emboldened by what they see.” Read the letter here. ‘A full-year continuing resolution harms national security, the Armed Forces, our service members and military families,’ the letter says. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 21, 2024 | AUSA Extra 5 Budget From Page 1 Visit navyfederal.org to join. When You’re With Us, So Is Your Family We’re here to help the military community and their families make the most of their money. Our members could earn and save $473* per year by banking with us. Insured by NCUA. *Dollar value shown represents the results of the 2022 Navy Federal Member Giveback Study. The Member Giveback Study takes into consideration internal market analyses comparing Navy Federal products with industry national averages, as well as member discounts, incentives, and other savings. Image used for representational purposes only; does not imply government endorsement. © 2024 Navy Federal NFCU 14233-G (2-24) budget request and provides for a 1% increase in fiscal 2025, according to CQ News. As a result, “we really do have negative real growth” in the budget, said Bennett, who spoke at AUSA alongside Kirsten Taylor, deputy assistant Army secretary for plans, programs and resources in the office of the assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology; and Maj. Gen. Joseph Hilbert, direc- tor of force development in the office of the deputy Army chief of staff for resources and plans, G-8. To offset the constrained budget, the Army has prioritized areas such as recruiting and retention efforts, modernization programs, barracks and housing improvements, quality- of-life initiatives and readiness. The request also projects an ac- tive Army troop strength of 442,300, down from the 452,000 requested in fiscal 2024 and the 445,000 that was eventually authorized. It also projects an Army National Guard strength of 325,000 and an Army Reserve strength of 175,800 in fiscal 2025, for a total force of 943,100, down from the 951,800 that was projected in fiscal 2024. “If fully funded, the [fiscal] ’25 budget will provide the Army what it needs to do what the nation asks it to do while taking care of soldiers and their families,” Bennett said. Sgt. 1st Class Landen Dela Cruz, right, assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard, in- structs recruits March 2 at Waimanalo, Hawaii. To offset the constrained budget, the Army has prioritized areas such as recruiting and retention efforts. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. LIANNE HIRANO)www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | March 21, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Global networks challenge Army sustainment functions YOUR VALUE DRIVEN PARTNER OF CHOICE ENGINEERING SERVICES INTEGRATED LIFE SUPPORT SERVICES HR & ADMIN SERVICES FIELD OPERATIONS SERVICES GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SECTOR INTEGRATED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT (IFM) TRANSPORTATION SERVICES KRH ACADEMY WORKFORCE IN PROJECTS 13,000+ COUNTRIES OF OPERATION 7 STAFF 500+ PARTNERS FROM 15 COUNTRIES 73 ANNUAL TURNOVER $250M5 YEARS AVERAGE CONTRACTS LIFECYCLE AccountabilityPassion Excellence Integrity Commitment Respect Innovation SCAN FOR MORE CENTCOM HQ KUWAIT, SHARQ, AL SHUHADA STREET, AL GHAWALI TOWER TEL: BD@KRHKW.COM +22320113965 OPERATING IN THE HEART OF CENTCOM SERVICES OVERVIEW VALUES TURNKEY SOLUTIONS | AGILE TEAM | DYNAMIC SERVICES T he proliferation of global com- munications networks is erod- ing the relative dominance the Army once counted on to safely conduct sustainment operations, a senior offi cer said. Brig. Gen. Jake Kwon, director of strategic operations for the deputy Army chief of staff for operations, G-3/5/7, said that while contested logistics is not a new concept to lo- gisticians who have faced challenges moving to and from the fi ght, the changing factor is “the ubiquity of global networks.” Coupled with an “increasingly pac- ing threat, we now for the fi rst time in recent history don’t enjoy relative geographic safety from adversaries and physical damage like we have in the past,” Kwon said at a recent As- sociation of the U.S. Army Hot Topic forum on contested logistics. “Sustainment, like all warfi ghting functions, will be network reliant,” Kwon said, pointing out that key ca- pabilities will be “the ability to not only share data and establish deci- sion dominance across our Army, but with those of our joint and coalition partners.” To maintain a competitive advan- tage, the Army must continually evaluate and refi ne concepts and capability developments that can be used to pose dilemmas for the adver- sary during competition and crisis and avoid confl ict, Kwon said. It also must look critically at lever- aging capabilities such as artifi cial intelligence and machine learning, learn from past data and “produce anticipatory models to assist with predictive logistics,” he said. Kwon also noted the importance of ensuring that there are “coding savvy warfi ghters” who can program apps at the point of need as the bat- tlespace and mission requirements change. Brig. Gen. Jake Kwon, director of strate- gic operations for the deputy Army chief of staff for operations, G-3/5/7, addresses a recent AUSA Hot Topic forum on con- tested logistics. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 21, 2024 | AUSA Extra 7 Women’s Memorial hosts Operation Deploy Your Dress Holly Dailey, second from left, AUSA’s Family Readiness director, and Family Readiness deputy director Thea Green, third from right, participate in the 2023 Operation Deploy Your Dress pop-up event at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. (AUSA PHOTO) L ocated at the ceremonial en- trance to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is a hid- den gem: the Military Women’s Me- morial, a tribute to America’s women in uniform. In-person visitors will journey through more than 250 years of wom- en’s service to the nation as they walk through the memorial’s impressive education center and information- filled exhibit gallery. There also is a 360-degree virtual tour and two virtual exhibits that can be viewed online. The heart of the memorial is the Register, an interactive database filled with the sto- ries of more than 312,000 women who have served. Created in 1987, the Register grows every day as new stories are added. “The story of women’s service to the nation will never be complete until the more than 3 million women who have served have taken their rightful place in history by having their ser- vice registered at ‘their’ memorial, the only major national memorial to honor America’s service women,” said retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyl- lis Wilson, the memorial’s president. Wilson also is a member of AUSA’s board of directors, and she is one of the association’s senior fellows. Teaming up AUSA’s Family Readiness director- ate, in partnership with Operation Deploy Your Dress, will host its sev- enth annual pop-up event April 13. This year, it will be at the Military Women’s Memorial. The event is open to individuals from all branches with a military ID card. Register here. The mission of Operation Deploy Your Dress is to help offset the cost of formal military events by offering gently used dresses and accessories to service members and their family members. The nonprofit organization, founded in 2015, has “deployed” over Family Readiness 20,000 dresses through its 14 shops around the world. “AUSA Family Readiness is thrilled to support our service members and families with Operation Deploy Your Dress, especially at the Military Women’s Memorial where we honor service women who have profoundly impacted the armed forces and contin- ue to do so,” said Holly Dailey, AUSA’s Family Readiness director. The Family Readiness team will be collecting donations for the pop- up event—including all sizes of for- mal attire and accessories such as shawls, purses and jewelry—at the Family Readiness pavilion during next week’s AUSA Global Force Sym- posium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama. This is the first time that a Family Readiness pavilion will be featured at Global Force. “We are so honored and excited to have a Family Readiness pavilion at Global Force this year. Our team is looking forward to connecting with you,” said Thea Green, AUSA Family Readiness deputy director. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s not forget the countless service women who have answered the call of duty, and those who have given their lives serving their coun- try. Their stories deserve to be told, their sacrifices remembered, and their accomplishments celebrated. May we honor their legacy forever. Kaylee Spielman is AUSA’s Family Readiness intern. The Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia will be the site of the annual Operation Deploy Your Dress D.C. pop-up event, co-hosted with AUSA’s Family Readiness directorate. (MILITARY WOMEN’S MEMORIAL/K. SAUNDERS)www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | March 21, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Chapter members support curling events for VA patients Chuck Yerkes, right, a volunteer with AUSA’s Milwaukee chapter, assists a veteran on the ice during an event at the Wauwatosa Curling Club. (AUSA PHOTO) A ssociation of the U.S. Army chapters around the world— made up entirely of volun- teers—support soldiers, veterans, families, retirees and Army civilians in a variety of ways, including recre- ational and educational opportuni- ties. Grassroots support for Ameri- ca’s Army can only come when people know and understand the value of the Army to the nation. Although the association’s Milwau- kee chapter in Wisconsin is not affili- ated with a mili- tary installation, chapter members continue to advance AUSA’s mission of supporting the Army. In 2007, following a curling sport demonstration at the National Veter- ans Wheelchair Games, hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the nursing staff of Milwaukee’s Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center approached the Wauwatosa Curling Club and asked if the club could offer a curling event to patients who have spinal cord injuries. Later that year, the club gave instructions to a group of veterans from the center so they could try curling themselves. This became a monthly opportunity. The Milwaukee AUSA chapter was invited by members of the curling club in February 2015 to observe the veterans’ curling program and offer insights for expansion. Our initial impression was tempered by concern over safety issues, but I spoke with the nurses and surgeons from the VA medical center, who informed me that the events promote upper body strength and increase self-confidence for the veterans. Our chapter partnered with the club the very next month with the goal of assisting and adding to the veterans’ quality of life. We provided volunteers to assist on the ice and started a lunch program for attending veterans, cre- ating another opportunity for social- izing away from the hospital and an alternative to cafeteria food. The events have since been extend- ed to twice each month during the six-month curling season, and chap- ter volunteers continue working with the Wauwatosa Curling Club and the surgeons and staff of the VA hospital to support veterans. Taking a wheel- chair on ice gives patients the oppor- tunity of a lifetime to experience the sport of curling. The curling program also has ex- panded to other departments within the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Af- fairs Medical Center, including vet- eran patients from the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center and the Housing and Urban Devel- opment-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, or HUD-VASH, which provides rental assistance for homeless veterans. Currently, an av- erage of 35 VA hospital patients have the opportunity to experience curling on ice bimonthly. To provide the veterans even more opportunities to socialize, the Mil- waukee AUSA chapter recently pre- sented the nursing staff of the spinal cord unit with two group season pass- es to the Milwaukee Horticultural Conservatory. Each pass will admit a staff member and seven patients to view and experience events at the Mil- waukee Domes throughout the year. As a gesture of awareness and ap- preciation, many of the VA hospital patients and volunteers from the Wauwatosa Curling Club have joined our chapter. They understand AUSA’s mission and are proud to be a part of this national organization that sup- ports soldiers and families, provides a voice for the Army and honors those who have served. Retired Col. Tony Majewski is AUSA’s Milwaukee chapter secretary. Milwaukee Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Parker, left, AUSA’s Milwaukee chapter president, presents season passes to the Milwaukee Horticultural Conservatory to a nurse at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center. (AUSA PHOTO)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. Allegheny-Blue Ridge (8) Arizona Territorial (8) Benelux (8) CPL Bill McMillan-Bluegrass (8) Florida Gulf Stream (8) Fort Sheridan-Chicago (8) GEN Creighton W. Abrams (8) George Washington (8) Greater Atlanta (8) Greater New York-Statue of Liberty (8) Greater Philadelphia (Penn & Franklin) (8) Massachusetts Bay (8) Milwaukee (8) National Training Center-High Desert (8) Newton D. Baker (8) North Texas-Audie Murphy (8) PFC William Kenzo Nakamura (8) Picatinny Arsenal-Middle Forge (8) San Diego (8) Suncoast (8) Texas Capital Area (8) Thunderbird (8) Virginia Colonial (8) Arkansas (7) Arsenal of Democracy (7) Chattahoochee Valley-Fort Moore (7) Delaware (7) Dix (7) Fort Campbell (7) Fort Leonard Wood-Mid Missouri (7) Fort Liberty (7) Fort Riley-Central Kansas (7) Francis Scott Key (7) Gem State (7) Greater Los Angeles (7) Houston Metroplex (7) Indiana (7) Magnolia (7) Marne (7) MG Harry Greene, Aberdeen (7) Minutemen (7) Redstone Huntsville (7) Silicon Valley (7) Space Coast (7) St. Louis Gateway (7) Tri-State (7) Utah (7) Alamo (6) Central Ohio (6) COL Edward Cross (6) Columbia River (6) First Militia (6) Fort Huachuca-Sierra Vista (6) Fort Pitt (6) Korea (6) New Orleans (6) Rhode Island (6) San Francisco (6) SGM Jon Cavaiani (6) Sunshine (6) Western New York (6) Connecticut (5) Fort Jackson-Palmetto State (5) Greater Augusta-Fort Gordon (5) Las Vegas-John C. Fremont (5) Last Frontier (5) MG John S. Lekson (5) Northern New Jersey (5) Southern Virginia (5) United Arab Emirates (5) Coastal South Carolina (4) Fort Knox (4) Mediterranean (4) Northern New York-Fort Drum (4) Tucson-Goyette (4) Pikes Peak (3) White Sands Missile Range (3) Guam (2) www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 21, 2024 | AUSA Extra 9 AUSA 2024 Scholarships Premium Member or dependent Association Member or dependent No waiting period for new members $300,000+ thru 40 Scholarships Deadline 13 May ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA www.ausa.org/scholarships Educate | Inform | Connect Earn up to $48,000 in scholarship credit Military experience is not a requirement for many scholarships Applicants may apply to all programs for which they qualify with a single application ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIPS The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. DEADLINE 13 MAY APPLY NOW!Next >