PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org May 9, 2024 | AUSA Extra 1 AUSA creates Family Fellows program T he Association of the U.S. Army is launching a Family Fellows program to grow and enhance its support to military families. Four military spouses make up the program’s inaugural class. As AUSA family fellows, they are subject-mat- ter experts and advisers on issues re- lating to military families. They will expand the AUSA Family Readiness directorate’s mission to educate, in- form and connect through relevant programs and resources, educational and outreach efforts and advocacy for Army and veteran families. AUSA family fellows also are ex- pert resources for the association’s chapters, members, families and communities, and they will help cre- ate, build and execute Family Readi- ness products and events. The Family Fellows program is in addition to AUSA’s Senior Fellows and Leadership Fellows programs. “I’m delighted to welcome these in- credible Army spouses to the AUSA family,” said retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO. “Their expertise, experience and dedication will elevate AUSA’s ability to better serve and support soldiers and their families, who are so critical to the readiness and success of America’s Army.” “While soldiers and civilians make the mission happen each day for our Army, our spouses and family mem- bers keep us going every day,” said retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, AUSA vice president for Leadership and Education. “Our family fellows will bring that experience, toughness and grit to help us succeed. We are honored to have them on our team to help educate, inform and connect.” “We are humbled and honored that these talented, relevant and accom- plished leaders are joining our team to help expand AUSA’s Family Readi- ness mission,” said Holly Dailey, di- rector of Family Readiness at AUSA. “Together we will provide even more support to our soldiers and families.” For more information on the Fam- ily Fellows program, click here. The first members of the Family Fellows program are Karen Halver- son, Angel Mangum, Ginger Perkins and Tina Wright. Army spouses hear from the service’s senior leaders during a Family Forum at the 2023 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO) AUSA Honors Army Civilians 3 Army to Halt Temporary Promotions for NCOs 4 Soldiers Reporting Poor Sleep Quality 7 Government Affairs Supplemental Defense Bill Passes 8 Chapter Highlights Col. Edward Cross Capital District of New York Fort Liberty 10, 11 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 2 MAY 9, 2024 See Family Fellows, Page 5www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 9, 2024 | AUSA Extra 3 Outstanding Army civilians recognized at AUSA event A rmy civilians have a profound impact on the Army and its mission success, service lead- ers said during a ceremony hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army. Currently, more than 265,000 Army civilians serve in over 500 oc- cupations across the force. Whether they are designing the next vaccine or responding to a cri- sis, Army civilians have demonstrat- ed their value, said Yvette Bourci- cot, principal deputy assistant Army secretary for manpower and reserve affairs. “From the yellow fever commis- sion to [developing] the COVID-19 vaccine, [building] the Panama Ca- nal to the Francis Scott Key Bridge [collapse response in Baltimore], and countless other instances in between, service has been embedded in the Army civilian DNA from the begin- ning,” she said during her remarks at the ceremony at AUSA’s national headquarters. To attract top talent and increase awareness of opportunities, the Army is debuting a new Army civil- ian brand, logo and marketing cam- paign, Bourcicot said. “Tomorrow, the Army is introduc- ing its first-ever marketing cam- Yvette Bourcicot, principal deputy assistant Army secretary for manpower and reserve affairs, previews the service’s first-ever marketing campaign focused on Army civilian careers during an event hosted by AUSA honoring Army civilians. (AUSA PHOTO) paign focused on Army civilian ca- reers,” she said during the ceremony on Wednesday. The campaign, called “Find Your Next Level,” highlights unique Army civilian career oppor- tunities. “For folks who are looking for a ca- reer where they can have an impact … or those looking for a new chal- lenge, ‘Find Your Next Level’ high- lights the unique career paths avail- able to Army civilians and the vital skills and expertise they contribute to make the Army successful,” Bour- cicot said. The ceremony honored several in- dividuals for their service as Army civilians, including Judy Cade, who received the Army Civilian Service Retirement pin, and Stephenie Cole, Tristan Vasquez and Nathan Ash- baugh, who received the Department of the Army Civilian Service Recog- nition pin. Army civilians are the “connec- tive tissue” and “perform critical du- ties” to build the Army of the future, Bourcicot said. “We couldn’t grow our mission without the Army civilian,” she said. “Our abundant history of selfless ser- vice to the Army and the American people spans more than 2½ centu- ries, and we’re excited for the next 2½ centuries and beyond.” In his opening remarks at the cer- emony, retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, AUSA’s vice president for Leadership and Education, said, “Your unwav- ering dedication, often behind the scenes, assures that our soldiers and their families have the opportunity and the support they need to fulfill their duties with excellence.” Retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, AUSA’s vice president for Leadership and Education, ad- dresses a ceremony recognizing top-performing Army civilians Wednesday at the as- sociation’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | May 9, 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 Army seeks to realign its education requirements for NCO promotions Take advantage of your AUSA member discounts for your summer travel and fun. Save on hotel stays and car rentals; Armed Forces Vacation Club and guided travel with packages across the world; and theme parks, golf resorts, concerts and more at www.ausa.org/savings . I n an effort to reduce strain on the force and maintain readiness, the Army announced on May 2 that it will suspend a requirement for soldiers to complete the profes- sional military education previously required to qualify for promotion to noncommissioned offi cer ranks through master sergeant. The policy will take effect in June. In a letter to the force, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer also said that the service will end the use of temporary promotions for NCOs as it reevaluates the relationship be- tween completion of a formal educa- tion course and promotion eligibility. All previously issued temporary pro- motions for NCOs will become per- manent. Originally created to accommodate pregnant soldiers and new mothers, the temporary promotion policy ex- panded over time to cover deployed soldiers, and later in response to travel limitations imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. “In our attempt to increase trans- parency with our soldiers, we ac- knowledge those strains (operation deployments, family/personal cir- cumstances) that are outside of the soldiers’ control which interfere with timely attendance to PME,” Sgt. Command Sgt. Maj. Jared Voller, right, assigned to the 519th Hospital Center, inducts 25 newly promoted soldiers as members of the NCO corps April 11 during a ceremony in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (U.S. ARMY/ELISABETH PAQUÉ) Maj. Jonathan Uribe, senior enlisted leader for the directorate of military personnel management, said in an Army news release. The move comes after the Army evaluated more than 112,000 en- listed promotions between December 2021 through February 2024, half of which fell under the temporary sta- tus, Uribe said. Active-duty and Army Reserve sol- diers must still complete the appro- priate professional military train- ing for their current rank before progressing to their next rank. The director of the Army National Guard will provide separate guidance per- taining to Guard troops, Uribe said. “During this bridging strategy, the Army will continue to re-evaluate the synchronization between pro- fessional training and promotions,” Uribe said in the release. As part of the reevaluation, the service will “realign the required levels” of the NCO professional development sys- tem to advance soldiers to their next pay grade. “This effort requires active engage- ment across all echelons, and leaders will need to do their best to ensure soldiers are given the time and oppor- tunity to attend all phases of [school- ing],” Weimer added in his letter.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 9, 2024 | AUSA Extra 5 Family Fellows From Page 1 Halverson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984 and served on active duty for 10 years. The spouse of retired Lt. Gen. David Halverson, she has volunteered with organizations that support service members and their families, includ- ing Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, the Military Children Education Coalition, the Red Cross and United through Reading. She currently volunteers at Arling- ton National Cemetery as an Arling- ton Lady, serves as a mentor in the General Offi cer Spouse Mentorship Program and is vice president of her Naval Academy class. She and her husband have three daughters, two of whom are serving in the Navy. Mangum has been married to re- tired Lt. Gen. Kevin Mangum for 35 years. As an Army spouse, she served as a Family Readiness Group leader and an adviser at all levels of com- mand during her husband’s active- duty career. A certifi ed registered nurse anes- thetist with more than 30 years in the medical fi eld, Mangum has worked at Army hospitals in the U.S. and South Korea. After retiring as a medical provider, Mangum continues to volunteer for several causes. She is a docent at the Library of Congress, a mediator for the District of Colum- bia Superior Court, an Army general offi cer spouse mentor and an Army Arlington Lady. Mangum and her husband have a daughter who is an Army lawyer. Perkins, who is married to retired Gen. David Perkins, has been an Army spouse for 38 years with more than 20 moves around the world. Her daughter is a UH-60 Black Hawk pi- lot with two tours in Afghanistan, and her son is a West Point graduate and former soldier. She has written several publica- tions, including the Training and Doctrine Command Army Spouse Protocol and Social Guide, The Army Spouse Handbook and AUSA’s Cus- toms, Courtesies & Traditions of the United States Army, which is a prim- er for family members. David Perkins is the distinguished chair for leadership for AUSA’s Cen- ter for Leadership. Wright, who was born and raised in a military family, has been married to retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jef- frey Wright since 1986. During her 33 years as an Army spouse, Wright volunteered for and later served in Family Readiness Groups at all lev- els, including as a senior spouse in joint commands. She also worked in the education fi eld. Her son is an Army infantry offi cer, and her daughter is an Army spouse. Jeffrey Wright is an AUSA leader- ship fellow. spacesaver.com/military Storage Solved ® SPACESAVER’S MILITARY STORAGE SOLUTIONS READINESS When it Matters Mostwww.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | May 9, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Concepts, doctrine must account for new technologies 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 TURNKEY SOLUTIONS | AGILE TEAM | DYNAMIC SERVICES SERVICES OVERVIEW 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 VALUES OPERATING IN THE HEART OF CENTCOM SCAN FOR MORE CENTCOM HQ KUWAIT, SHARQ, AL SHUHADA STREET, AL GHAWALI TOWER TEL: BD@KRHKW.COM +22320113965 A rmy concepts and doctrine must evolve as the service looks to a future battlefi eld that arguably will be dominated by artifi cial intelligence and autono- mous systems, according to the au- thor of a new paper published by the Association of the U.S. Army. “The Principles for the Future of Warfare and Stand-off Warfare,” by Lt. Col. Amos Fox, is the third paper in a series focused on future warfare and how the military thinks about it. Fox is a doctoral candidate at the University of Reading and a freelance writer and confl ict scholar writing for AUSA. This latest paper calls on concept and doctrine developers, science and technology experts and force design- ers to work together to “develop prag- matic ideas and designs for future forces that integrate the key aspects of future technology without neglect- ing the enduring challenges of land warfare.” “For the Army’s principles of war to remain relatively unchanged for nearly 100 years does not refl ect their timelessness but rather the community of interests’ unwilling- ness to engage with the material in any meaningful way,” Fox writes. “This neglect should be alarming, especially considering that we are transitioning from a very human- centric era of warfare into one that will arguably be dominated by artifi - cial intelligence, human-machine in- tegrated formations and a multitude of autonomous systems.” Read the paper here. Through his fi ve-part series, Fox aims to start a discussion on military thinking about the future of armed confl ict by highlighting the differ- ences among strategy, concepts, doc- trine, plans and theory. The papers also will describe how institutional thinking is well represented in con- temporary military thinking, but independent ideas are underrepre- sented. Fox, whose research and writing focus on the theory of war and war- fare, proxy war, future armed con- fl ict, urban warfare, armored war- fare and the Russia-Ukraine war, has been published in RUSI Journal and Small Wars and Insurgencies, among many other publications. The fi rst paper in the series, “West- ern Military Thinking and Breaking Free from the Tetrarch of Modern Military Thinking,” is available here. The second paper in the series, “Myths and Principles in the Chal- lenges of Future War,” is available here.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 9, 2024 | AUSA Extra 7 Report: Fatigue, sleep deprivation common for soldiers S ervice members are not getting enough sleep and are report- ing poor sleep quality, accord- ing to a report from the Government Accountability Office. “DoD and the services have ad- ministered and reported the results of surveys on service member fatigue for over a decade, consistently find- ing that service members report not getting the DoD recommended 7 or more hours of sleep each day or re- port getting poor quality of sleep,” the report says. During the past five years, just over one-third of active-duty soldiers surveyed in the most recent Army Health of the Force report said they got seven or more hours of sleep a night, and the majority reported six hours of sleep or less, according to data cited in the GAO report. For this most recent report, the GAO surveyed and incorporated re- sponses from 190 officers serving in military occupations that are highly likely to experience fatigue. Army efforts The Army has taken several steps to address fatigue, including add- ing a section on sleep readiness in its Holistic Health and Fitness field manual published in October 2020, also known as FM 7-22, and issuing guidance for soldiers with specific jobs, such as air traffic controllers and vehicle operators. Sleeping less than seven hours a night can have “significant effects on cognitive, emotional and physi- cal capabilities that directly affect military performance,” including “deficits in marksmanship, physical training, decision-making and risk behavior,” according to a DoD survey from March 2021 cited in the report. Fatigue or lack of sleep caused 8% of the Army’s tactical vehicle ac- cidents between 2010 and 2019, ac- cording to a July 2021 GAO report cited in this recent report. Even when Army jobs have sleep requirements, they do not always translate into adequate sleep for sol- diers. “The constant change in my shift work schedule makes it difficult to get adequate sleep, this is in spite of my unit having good sleep policies in theory,” an Army helicopter pilot said in response to the GAO’s survey. Biometric data Looking to the future, wearable devices can proactively address sleep and related health issues. One ex- ample cited in the GAO report was the Optimizing the Human Weapon System program, which analyzes bio- metric data from wearable devices, such as sleep patterns and heart rate variability, to flag service members who may need supporting services or wellness checks. “The program has demonstrated an ability to preemptively detect person- nel hazards,” according to the report. “In one instance … program analysts detected an irregular sleep pattern from the wearable device worn by a soldier deployed to Afghanistan. This analysis prompted a wellness check by health officials embedded in the unit, and the soldier was found to be having suicidal thoughts, allowing Army health personnel to connect the service member with lifesaving resources.” However, the GAO report also says that these programs may be too ex- pensive to be implemented across the force. Among other recommendations, the report indicates that the service secretaries, including the secretary of the Army, should delegate respon- sibility for promoting adequate sleep among service members to leadership in accordance with DoD Instruction 1010.10, which includes steps to mit- igate troops’ sleep deprivation and promotes healthy sleep strategies. “Fatigue and sleep deprivation among active-duty service members continues to be more the rule than the exception,” the report found. “Minimizing sleep deprivation and reducing fatigue for service mem- bers is a significant undertaking that will involve structural and cultural changes across the department.” Read the GAO report here. Paratroopers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade get a few hours of rest before an early morning combat equipment jump at Vicenza, Italy. (U.S. ARMY/LT. COL. JOHN HALL)www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | May 9, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Megan Whalen, Country Caucus communications director in the House of Representa- tives, completes a turn on the virtual range April 24 during a congressional staff delega- tion visit to Fort Jackson, South Carolina. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. 1ST CLASS CRYSTAL HARLOW) Work continues on fiscal 2025 appropriations process On-time and sufficient appropriations and passage of the National Defense Authoriza- tion Act remain AUSA’s top advocacy priorities. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO) A ction on Capitol Hill contin- ues as both the House of Rep- resentatives and the Senate are in session this week. The Association of the U.S. Army is pleased that Congress passed— and the president signed—the bipar- tisan national security supplemental bill. The legislation provides impor- tant funding for the Army and the Department of Defense. Among its provisions, this legis- lation includes significant new re- sources for the Army and important investments in the defense industrial base. You can view a recent article from AUSA here that highlights the importance of the legislation to the Total Army, including the readiness of the force. As the association’s Government Affairs team mentioned in our last update, the fiscal 2025 appropria- tions process has begun. Hearings continue before lawmakers as they review the administration’s budget request. On-time and sufficient appropria- tions, as well as passage of the Na- tional Defense Authorization Act, remains AUSA’s top advocacy recom- mendation on Capitol Hill. The asso- ciation also continues to push for ad- ditional funding for the Total Army. You can assist in building mo- mentum for enactment of additional funding for the Army by contacting your representatives and senators, or by meeting with them. AUSA’s Gov- ernment Affairs directorate encour- ages you to contact and meet with members of your federal delegation in your state and congressional dis- tricts. A few things to keep in mind if you choose to meet with a member of Con- gress or their staff: meet as a constit- uent, veteran and AUSA member or region/chapter leader. Advocate for the Total Army through the AUSA Focus Areas, which include support Government Affairs for warfighting, readiness, the Army profession and the transformation of the force. Be sure to coordinate with your region and chapter leaders and tell us at AUSA national headquarters about it—we want to help. You can contact me at mhaaland@ausa.org and Government Affairs assistant director John Nobrega at jnobrega@ ausa.org. Further, please remember that AUSA only lobbies at the federal level on federal issues, and we are nonpartisan and apolitical. AUSA is prohibited from supporting or par- ticipating in any political campaign for or against a candidate for local, state or federal office. 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 Affairs director.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 9, 2024 | AUSA Extra 9 AUSA LANPAC Symposium and Exposition starts May 14 UNMATCHED PRECISION AT GREATER DISTANCES ■ ADVANCED NIR VCSEL ILLUMINATOR ■ ILLUMINATE A TARGET OUT TO 1800M ■ ACCURATE CALCULATIONS AT GREATER DISTANCES ■ PRECISE TARGETING AS ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS CHANGE LEARN MORE T he Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition kicks off May 14 in Honolulu. This year’s theme is “Campaigning with Landpower.” The three-day event at the Sheraton Waikiki will feature several senior U.S. and partner na- tion leaders, including commanders from U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Army Futures Command and the Japanese, South Korean and Australian armies. To register for LANPAC, click here. This year’s hashtag is #LANPAC2024. There also is an app for LANPAC. Download it here. Army updates from the symposium as well as a livestream of each day’s events are available here. An international symposium dedi- cated to land forces in the Indo-Pa- cific, LANPAC is expected to draw military leaders from more than 26 countries, including at least 14 army chiefs. A Commander’s Corner featuring presentations from Army commands in the Indo-Pacific also will be avail- able throughout the conference. LANPAC opens May 14 with a key- note from Gen. Charles Flynn, com- manding general of U.S. Army Pacif- ic, followed by a panel discussion on integrating all domains for the coali- tion and joint campaign. In the afternoon, there will be a panel on the evolving role of the NCO in the region, featuring senior enlisted leaders from U.S. Forces Korea, the Marine Corps and the armies of New Zealand, Singapore and Australia. Navy Adm. Stephen “Web” Koehler, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, opens Day 2 of LANPAC with a key- note address. Flynn will then lead a panel on forward positioning and tac- tical defense, featuring Gen. Yasunori Morishita, chief of staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Gen. An Su Park, chief of staff of the Republic of Korea Army, and Lt. Gen. Simon Stuart, chief of the Australian Army. In the afternoon, Stuart will pro- vide a keynote presentation, followed by a panel discussion on the impor- tance of multinational training and exercises led by Lt. Gen. James Jar- rard, deputy commanding general of Army Pacific. The third and final day of LANPAC will begin with a keynote by Young Bang, principal deputy assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology. Mario Diaz, deputy un- dersecretary of the Army, will later provide a keynote presentation on the Army and multidomain operations. For more on the agenda or the sym- posium, click here.Next >