PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org May 11, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 Operations tempo straining the force F acing one of the most challeng- ing recruiting environments in decades, the Army continues to operate at a high pace, with no relief in sight, the service’s top enlisted sol- dier said. “We have an enormous strain on soldiers,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Mi- chael Grinston said. “We’re busier now than we ever have been.” Speaking at the recent Fires Sym- posium in Lawton, Oklahoma, Grin- ston said the Army’s operations tem- po is a “huge concern.” “When you’re short people … and you come back from a deployment, my sense is you’re just going to move to another unit and redeploy right back somewhere,” he said. The Army has a brigade combat team in South Korea, three in Eu- rope and one in the Middle East, Grinston said. But the concerns don’t end with the Army’s brigade combat teams, he said. “The No. 1 right behind that is the [air defense artillery units],” he said. Grinston cited Iraq and Syria as an example. “When you look at what’s going on, there are real rockets, there are real things flying around and real people trying to kill our soldiers in combat right now,” he said. “And that’s the problem with air defense. We have an obligation to protect our soldiers, … and any time something happens, that causes a ‘Hey, do we have enough air defense in that area? We want more. We want to keep them there.’ ” There also are demands at home. “It’s amazing what your Army does all the time, and we do it over and over and over,” Grinston said. During his four-year tenure as ser- geant major of the Army, “the link of everything we’ve done has been the Army,” Grinston said. “Whether it’s COVID, hurricanes, forest fires, Russia, Ukraine, all the way to what we’re doing today. That’s why, again, I’m concerned about our optempo.” Not much relief is expected soon for the busy Army, which has gotten smaller as it struggles to make its recruiting goals. The Army in fiscal 2024 expects to have a total Army force level of 951,800. With 452,000 in the active Army, 325,000 in the Army National Guard and 174,800 in the Army Reserve, that’s about 20% less than in fiscal 2022. Despite the challenges, soldiers have always answered the call, Grin- ston told the audience at the sympo- Spc. Wilguerre Decayette with the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command carries a simu- lated casualty on his shoulders while his teammates carry another in a sled and provide security during a Best Squad Competition at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. RHEMA EGGLESTON) Army has Vital Mission in Deterring China 3 AUSA Event Honors Army Civilians 4 NCO & Soldier Programs Gainey Cup Tests Scouts 7 Chapter Highlights Fort Rucker-Wiregrass Monmouth 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 2 MAY 11, 2023 See Operations, Page 3www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 11, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Paper: Land power plays foundational role in Indo-Pacific T he U.S. Army and the capabili- ties it brings to the fight are critical to deterring China, ac- cording to a new Landpower Essay published by the Association of the U.S. Army. “More advanced military capabili- ties, particularly in the air and mari- time domains, are essential to deter- ring the People’s Republic of China, but implementing or operationalizing the National Defense Strategy (NDS) in the Indo-Pacific fundamentally re- quires landpower to practically inte- grate joint and combined military op- erations,” write Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, and Maj. Tim Devine, an Army strategist assigned to Army Pacific. In their paper titled “Implementing the Strategy to Deter China Hinges on Landpower,” Flynn and Devine de- scribe the Indo-Pacific as the “biggest and most complex operating environ- ment on Earth, including not only the world’s largest maritime expanse but also the bulk of the Asian continent, the Australian continent and 300,000 square miles of Pacific Island land- masses.” The region also is home to some of the world’s largest armies, including the Indian Army, the People’s Lib- eration Army and the Korean Peo- ple’s Army Ground Force, Flynn and Devine write. However, the Army faces “persis- tent challenges” when describing its value in the Indo-Pacific because the region is considered “predominantly Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division conduct convoy operations and rehearse strate- gic movement during a Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center rotation at Pohaku- loa Training Grounds, Hawaii. (U.S. ARMY/PFC. MARIAH AGUILAR) Operations From Page 1 an air and maritime theater,” they write. The Army “has long provided foun- dational capabilities that underpin unity of effort among all military services—which is a cornerstone of conventional deterrence,” their paper says. That work continues today, with three signature Army efforts to help DoD deter China and build enduring advantage, their paper says. First is the Joint Pacific Multina- tional Readiness Center, the Army’s newest regional combat training center with campuses in Hawaii and Alaska and an exportable package that can be deployed to a host na- tion. “Now in its third year, JPMRC involves complex, high-end collective training in live, virtual and construc- tive environments in both tropical and arctic climates,” the paper says. The second initiative is Operation Pathways, which links the Army and the joint force’s well-established bilat- eral and multilateral exercises. “Op- eration Pathways is the predominant way that the joint force strengthens interoperability with allies and part- ners, builds joint readiness and denies key terrain to the [People’s Republic of China] by projecting combat-credible forces west of the International Date Line—in places like the Philippines, India, Japan, Thailand and Austra- lia—for extended periods of time,” the paper says. Finally, the Army is building joint interior lines in the region to provide the U.S. military with the “positional advantage to project and mass com- bat power along multiples lines of ap- proach from distributed locations,” Flynn and Devine write. The United States manages a com- plex framework of bilateral and multi- lateral security relationships against several threats in the Indo-Pacific, with China chief among them, Flynn and Devine write. “Based on the urgency to implement the [National Defense Strategy], now is the time to leverage the Army— landpower—in the priority theater to allow the joint force, together with our allies and partners, to deter one of the most serious threats that the U.S. military, the region and our na- tion has ever faced,” they write. Read the paper here. sium hosted by the Air Defense Artillery Association and the U.S. Field Artillery Association. Every time the secretary of de- fense or the president has called the Army, “we’ve never said no,” Grinston said. “I’ve watched these soldiers, year after year, they’ve said, ‘Yes, I’ll go do that.’ ”www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | May 11, 2023 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 Transformation in Army civilian corps is ‘top priority’ for senior leaders Quit the kibble, kick the cans. Skip the stores, preservatives and retail markups. The Farmer’s Dog delivers fresh, healthy dog food to your doorstep starting at $2 per day, and AUSA members can save 70% on the trial period. Start feeding fresh here. W hile the Army modernizes to build the force of 2030, the service’s civilian corps will also transform by changing the way it recruits, develops and retains the best talent needed to support the warfight- er, a senior Army civilian said. Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, said modernization of the Ar- my’s civilian policies, processes and systems will be a top priority for her as “we work to build the Army of 2030 and beyond.” “Throughout my career I have al- ways put an emphasis on Total Force issues, and that includes not just the reserve component and the active com- ponent, but it also includes civilians,” Schaefer said May 4 at an event hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army to honor Army civilians. During the event, which was held in honor of Public Service Recogni- tion Week, Schaefer recognized four Army civilians with awards for distin- guished service. Schaefer pointed out that civilians have been supporting the Army since 1776, a corps that today makes up 24% of the Army population. After just four months on the job, Schaefer said, she has made it a prior- ity to elevate the focus on Army civil- ians by charging ahead with the Civil- ian Implementation Plan, a program of initiatives introduced last year that aims to modernize civilian talent man- agement. “The Civilian Implementa- tion Plan is our roadmap to enhance the Army civilian experience by mod- ernizing how we recruit, develop and retain top talent today and for the fu- ture workforce,” she said. Schaefer, who was sworn in as an Army civilian on Dec. 22, previously served as a senior adviser to the depu- ty secretary of defense and the under- secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. In promising to advance the Civilian Implementation Plan, Schaefer said she will work to allow more movement for Army civilians across components, rotational job assignments for those who want to try different career tracks and to better match people with jobs by upgrading a talent management process and personnel system “that is very inflexible,” she said. “I am extremely proud to be an Army civilian, and along with you, I want to ensure that we are ready for the future with the right talent, skills and capabilities to support the warf- ighter,” she said. Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, speaks at an event honoring Army civilians at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virgiina. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 11, 2023 | AUSA Extra 5 Video showcases AUSA’s support for military families A video describing the resourc- es and benefits available to military spouses and fami- lies from the Association of the U.S. Army is now available online. Created by the Defense Depart- ment’s Military Spouse Transition Program, with help from AUSA’s Family Readiness team, the video shows how AUSA can help spouses find publications and podcasts on key topics, apply for scholarships and amplify their voices with Army senior leaders. AUSA also helps connect military families. “Connection is fostered through the 120-plus AUSA chap- ters that are located throughout the United States and abroad,” the video says. The video also illustrates how AUSA serves as a voice for soldiers and families by elevating their con- cerns, advocating on their behalf and advancing their interests. “AUSA Family Readiness was hon- ored to produce this video for DoD Military OneSource MySTeP explain- ing the association’s purpose and out- lining our efforts to assist military families,” said Holly Dailey, AUSA’s director of Family Readiness. View the video here. The video shows how AUSA can help spouses find publications and podcasts on key top- ics, apply for scholarships and amplify their voices. (DoD SCREENSHOT)www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | May 11, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY T he Ordnance Corps Association has the mission of “promoting, enhancing and preserving the legacy of the third largest branch in the U.S. Army,” according to the as- sociation’s website. It does this by supporting the de- velopment, production, acquisition and support of weapon systems, am- munition, munitions/missiles and maintenance support materiel, and focuses special attention on the role of the Ordnance Corps and its sol- diers in building strategic readiness and sustaining land warfare domi- nance, the group’s website says. In October 1985, the association’s executive council approved several objectives to guide its efforts. They include assisting the Army’s chief of ordnance in strengthening the image of the branch; supporting the Ord- nance Corps Heritage Center at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, which was formerly known as Fort Lee; and fos- tering the professional development of its members. The Ordnance Corps Association administers the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe Award, which recog- nizes individuals “who have served the Army Ordnance Corps with dem- onstrated integrity, moral character and professional competence over a sustained period of time and whose selfless contributions stand out in the eyes of their seniors, peers and subordinates alike,” the association’s website says. It also administers the “Keeper of the Flame” award for spouses and the LTG Levin Hicks Campbell Distin- guished Award of Merit for members who distinguish themselves through meritorious achievements or acts, and provides a scholarship named for Col. Decius Wadsworth, the Army’s first chief of ordnance.. For more information, please visit https://usaoca.org/. If your association is interested in partnering with AUSA, contact Susan Rubel at srubel@ausa.org. Association Partnership with AUSA is an opportunity for like-minded military service organizations to join AUSA in support of the Total Army—soldiers, DoD civilians and their families. Spotlight on AUSA Association Partner: OCAwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 11, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 Gainey Cup tests scout squads from US, allied armies Retired Command Sgt. Maj. William Gainey, center, namesake of the Gainey Cup, stands with scouts from the 42nd Brigade Reconnaissance Company of the Royal Netherlands Army, winners of the 2023 competition. (U.S. ARMY/PATRICK ALBRIGHT) D uring the first week of May, I represented the Association of the U.S. Army at the biennial Gainey Cup competition at Fort Ben- ning, now Fort Moore, Georgia. This year’s Gainey Cup featured 22 six-person scout squads from the U.S. Army and international militaries vy- ing to be named the best of the best. After five days of grueling physical and mental challenges, the 42nd Bri- gade Reconnais- sance Company of the Royal Nether- lands Army was named the top scout squad, marking the first time an allied partner has won the competition. The squad from the Illinois Army National Guard’s 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment, 33rd In- fantry Brigade Combat Team, came in second place, while the 4th Squad- ron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, based in Vilseck, Germany, was third. The Gainey Cup is designed to test scout squads on their knowledge, tac- tical competence and fortitude in the fundamentals of reconnaissance and security operations. Scouts can show- case their mastery of their profession while building camaraderie and esprit de corps among teams and nations. This competition is named after NCO & Soldier Programs retired Command Sgt. Maj. William Gainey, who served 33 years in the Army in armor and cavalry units and was the first senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before retiring in 2008. Critical tasks during the Gainey Cup include calls for fire, land naviga- tion, route and area reconnaissance, communications and observation post operations. The team from the Neth- erlands performed consistently well in all of these “bread and butter” tasks. There also were dozens of warrior tasks and drills, range firing tasks and physical challenges to further separate the best from the rest. In a new addition this year, com- petitors were required to watch vid- eo footage from notional unmanned aerial vehicles and identify combat systems from allies and adversaries. All the teams performed very well, representing their units and nations with their organizational patches proudly worn on their sleeves. When I spoke with the winning team members about their prepara- tion for the competition, the Royal Netherlands Army squad said they spent several months preparing and learning the differences in doctrine. All of the Gainey Cup competitors learned what it takes to attain excel- lence in their profession. The dedi- cation and commitment required to prepare for and participate in this competition makes it a rare training opportunity for these young leaders. The knowledge and wisdom these soldiers take back to their units will make our Army and our allies better for the next generation to follow. Retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston is an AUSA senior fellow. He is the association’s past vice president for NCO and Soldier Programs and the 13th sergeant major of the Army. U.S. Army scouts carry a simulated casualty during a live-fire exercise testing their tacti- cal competence at the 2023 Gainey Cup competition. (U.S. ARMY/DAVID LOGSDON)www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | May 11, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Chapter donation aids Honor Flight memorial project Otis Smith, left, first vice president for AUSA’s Fort Rucker-Wiregrass chapter, and Mark Ivey, right, the chapter treasurer, present a $5,000 donation to Travis Parker, leader of the Wiregrass Honor Flight project. (DOTHAN EAGLE/MICHELLE MANN) T he Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s Fort Rucker-Wiregrass chapter in Alabama recently presented a $5,000 donation to the Wiregrass Honor Flight project, which provides trips at no cost to Washing- ton, D.C., for veterans to visit the me- morials built in their honor. Travis Parker, who is leading the project, received the donation from Otis Smith, first vice president of the AUSA chapter, and Mark Ivey, the chapter treasurer. “Participating veterans will visit a variety of sites, including Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial and Vietnam Memorial,” Parker said, as reported by the Dothan Eagle. “The honor flights started with a focus on World War II veterans, then the Ko- rean War vets were added, and now Vietnam-era veterans are the focus.” The first Wiregrass Honor Flight is planned for Sept. 13, Parker said. “We are using the week that the Viet- nam Wall will be in the Wiregrass as Ed Thomas, president of AUSA’s Mon- mouth chapter, speaks during a ceremony honoring Vietnam veterans hosted by the 254th Regiment of the New Jersey Nation- al Guard. (COURTESY PHOTO) a kickoff for the flight. That way the people who can’t go see the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C., in person can get an idea of what it is like,” he said, the Dothan Eagle reported. AUSA works to connect the Army, industry partners, like-minded asso- ciations and supporters at the nation- al, regional and chapter levels, said Doug Wynn, the chapter president. “Many of the younger veterans worked to send the original groups to see the monuments, so now it is their turn to go on the honor flight them- selves as a veteran,” Parker said. Fort Rucker was renamed Fort No- vosel on April 10. The AUSA chapter’s name has not changed. Fort Rucker- Wiregrass AUSA members honor service of Vietnam veterans S everal Vietnam veterans were honored last week by the As- sociation of the U.S. Army’s Monmouth chapter during a ceremo- ny hosted by the 254th Regiment of the New Jersey National Guard. The event in Sea Girt, New Jersey, was held in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the last U.S. troops leaving Vietnam in March 1973. During the cer- emony, each veteran in attendance was recognized with a memorial pin and coin by Ed Thomas, the chapter president, who served as master of ceremonies. Thomas said that 75 veterans and their families from 11 local organi- zations, including AUSA’s Northern New Jersey and Dix chapters, had been invited to participate in the ceremony. The golden coins, created for the event by the AUSA chapter and the Special Forces Association Chapter 19, were engraved with the words “Grata Domon,” which translates to “welcome home” in Latin. “Vietnam veterans represent nearly 10% of their generation, they fought under challenging conditions, and when their service ended, they were not always welcomed when they returned home,” said Thomas, as reported by the Coast Star. “So today, in some small way, we want to welcome you [our veterans] back and thank you for your service and sacrifice.” MonmouthNext >