PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org July 6, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 Warfighter Summit focuses on soldiers L eaders from Army Training and Doctrine Command, Army Futures Command, Army Spe- cial Operations Command, the XVIII Airborne Corps and more will speak at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Warfighter Summit and Exposition in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Scheduled for July 26–27 at the Crown Complex near Fort Liberty, the two-day, in-person summit is a leader and professional development event focused on the warfighter. This is the second year AUSA is hosting the Warfighter Summit. This year’s theme is “America’s Army: Ready for Today, Modernizing for 2030 and Beyond.” Topics of discussion for the sum- mit will span the six warfighting functions and highlight the way Fort Liberty’s operational force can win on the future battlefield. There also will be exhibits showcasing the latest from industry. To register for the Warfighter Summit or for more information, click here. The Warfighter Summit opens with a keynote presentation by Gen. Gary Brito, commanding general of Train- ing and Doctrine Command. There will be a fireside chat with Maj. Gen. Donn Hill, commanding general of the Army Security Force Assistance Command, a panel dis- cussion with leaders from the XVIII Airborne Corps to include Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue and Command Sgt. Maj. T.J. Holland, a panel fea- turing industry partners, and a pan- el on irregular warfare campaigning featuring Maj. Gen. Patrick Rober- son, deputy commanding general of Army Special Operations Command and other experts. The second day of the summit in- cludes a panel discussion on the ma- neuver force of 2030 and 2040 fea- turing Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, commanding general of the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Moore, Georgia, and experts from the armor and infantry schools. There also will be fireside chats with Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy Army chief of staff for installations, G-9, and later with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston. An afternoon panel will feature command sergeants major from across Army Forces Command, and the day will end with a keynote pre- sentation by Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of Futures Command. A paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division demonstrates defensive positions June 29 during a professional development event at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. HANNAH STEWART) Report Analyzes ‘Health of the Force’ 3 New Ideas Needed for Future Battlefield 4 Government Affairs Region Presidents on Capitol Hill 6 Member Benefits Health and Fitness Discounts 7 Chapter Highlight Fort Jackson-Palmetto State 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 10 JULY 6, 2023LEARN MORE & REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.AUSA.ORG/EVENTS Please join us on Tuesday, 18 July, at 12:00 PM EDT, for a Noon Report with General James C. McConville, 40th Chief of Staff of the Army. General McConville will provide an update on the state of the Army and reflections from his tenure as Chief of Staff of the Army. AUSA’s Noon Report webinar series features presentations by senior Army leaders responsible for key programs and initiatives, as well as contemporary military authors who weave together the past, present and future story of the United States Army. JOIN THE DISCUSSION! This webinar will include a Q&A session in which questions submitted by the audience will be selected and asked by the moderator. A recording of the webinar will be available on our YouTube page the following day. GENERAL JAMES C. M c CONVILLE 40th Chief of Staff of the Army Moderated by GEN (Ret.) Robert B. Brown President & CEO, Association of the United States Army 18 JULY 2023 1200–1300 EDTwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY July 6, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Sleep, behavioral health remain challenges for soldiers T he latest edition of the Army’s annual Health of the Force re- port found that soldiers’ health has remained stable, but the service also dealt with a decrease in sleep and an increase in behavioral health diagnoses. Now in its eighth year, the 2022 Health of the Force report analyzed data for over 20 health, wellness and environmental indicators across 41 installations throughout 2021. Soldiers’ sleep, activity and nutri- tion levels, which the report identi- fied as “critical for maximizing Sol- dier performance,” remained stable in 2021. Though fewer soldiers com- pleted a sleep, activity and nutrition assessment in 2021, the report found that “the proportion of Soldiers meet- ing [sleep, activity and nutrition] tar- gets is comparable between 2020 and 2021.” Just over one-third of soldiers slept seven or more hours during work or duty days, the report found. Soldiers also experienced more sleep disor- ders, which increased 5 percentage Soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade catch a few hours of sleep before a combat airborne training operation in Hohenfels, Germany. (U.S. ARMY/LT. COL. JOHN HALL) AUSA Basic Members can now view a selection of articles from the July issue of ARMY magazine. To read the articles, click here. ARMY magazine July issue points, from 9% in 2020 to 14% in 2021. “High-quality sleep is criti- cal to Soldier readiness and mission success,” the report found. “Quality sleep can help increase productivity and decrease the risk of accidents, errors and injuries.” The number of soldiers diagnosed with one or more behavioral health conditions increased by 1 percentage point since 2020, though the report notes that this increase “may be the result of delays in seeking [behavior- al health] care during the pandemic.” “In 2021, 16% of Soldiers had a diagnosis of one or more BH disor- ders,” the report found. “Early identi- fication and treatment of [behavioral health] concerns among Soldiers is a top priority for the Army.” Injuries also were a challenge for the Army, with 52% of soldiers being diagnosed with a new injury in 2021. Most of those injuries, about 70%, were overuse injuries, according to the report, and they can account for 8 million days of limited duty a year. Age is a risk factor, with 69% of soldiers aged 45 and older receiving medical care for injuries, compared with 49% of soldiers younger than 25. Additionally, women suffered more injuries than men, with 61% of female soldiers diagnosed with an injury compared with 51% of male soldiers in 2021. The report also evaluated health across installations and compared the health of each installation to the Army average. Most installations had a health score that was about the same as the Army average in 2021. U.S. Army Garrison West Point in New York, Joint Base Myer-Hender- son Hall in Virginia, the Presidio of Monterey in California, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington had health scores that exceeded the Army average. Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; Fort Polk, now Fort Johnson, Louisiana; and Fort Knox, Kentucky; had health scores below the Army average. “The Health of the Force data may be used to inform community health improvement and prevention strate- gies … [and] address specific health and readiness issues through resourc- es and calls to action,” the report says. Read the report here.www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | July 6, 2023 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 or by emailing membersupport@ausa.org, phoning 855-246-6269, or mailing Fulfillment Manager, P.O. Box 101560, Arlington, VA 22210-0860. Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUSA paper emphasizes need for ‘optimized’ approach to warfare AUSA members can always save with GE Appliances, and additional discounts are available now through July 19 dur- ing GE’s Independence Day sale. Save up to 42% on select appliances while supplies last, with free delivery on orders over $399. Sign up for the AUSA discount at GE by visiting www.ausa.org/GE. T he U.S. military should adopt an updated approach to warf- ighting, according to a new pa- per published by the Association of the U.S. Army. In “Move, Strike, Protect: An Al- ternative to the Primacy of Deci- siveness and the Offense or Defense Dichotomy in Military Thinking,” author Lt. Col. Amos Fox argues that “forces must be optimized” for the move, strike and protect model of conflict. “Western states should instead or- ganize their military forces around the principle of relentlessly driv- ing an adversary toward strategic exhaustion,” he writes. “Western militaries should accomplish this by possessing the ability to relentlessly iterate through a challenge-response cycle guided by the interplay of three transcendent warfighting activities: move, strike and protect.” This model “is an agile alternative to optimizing around either offensive operations … or defensive operations” and “account[s] for the attritional na- ture of armed conflict,” writes Fox, who is a doctoral candidate at the University of Reading in the U.K., deputy director for development with the Irregular Warfare Initiative and an associate editor with the Wavell Room. The military also should retire the term “decisiveness” because, among several reasons, it is an antiquated term that is “rarely an important ad- jective at the operations and tactical levels,” Fox writes. In his paper, Fox identifies the U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq as evidence that decisive- ness wins battles but fails to achieve policy aims. “To be sure, the U.S. military and its Western partners won nearly every engagement and battle during this period, but they generally failed to obtain their policy aims,” he writes. “One need look no further than the Taliban’s current control of Afghanistan and a frac- tured Iraq as proof-positive of these failed policy aims.” Further, Fox argues that militar- ies that can withstand and outlast their enemies, as opposed to offense- and defense-oriented militaries, win wars. “When thinking about how to op- timize a military, strategists’ focus should not be on offense, defense or decisiveness, but rather how the mili- tary can be used to push an opponent to strategic exhaustion through it- eratively cycling through challenge- response opportunities,” he writes. As war evolves, so too should the language and concepts that the U.S. military uses to dominate modern and future wars, Fox writes. “To ef- fectively compete, Western military thinking needs to evolve: it needs to develop new ideas for how to organize and fight,” he writes. “It must devel- op new terms for these ideas, terms that adequately express the ideas as- sociated with the new concepts.” Read the paper here. Soldiers assigned to the 25th Infantry Di- vision participate in a live-fire exercise in June at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. DARBI COLSON)AUSA region presidents and members of the association’s national staff visit Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of soldiers and families. (AUSA PHOTO) www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | July 6, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUSA region presidents advocate for Army on Capitol Hill In their meetings with congressional staff, the nine AUSA region presidents highlighted the importance of the Total Army to national security, countering aggression and reas- suring allies and partners around the world. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. MIKAYLA FRITZ) I n keeping with the Association of the U.S. Army’s mission to be a voice for the Army, the associa- tion’s nine region presidents visited Capitol Hill June 27 to meet with congressional staff and advocate for the Total Army. Accompanied by AUSA’s Govern- ment Affairs team, the region presi- dents met with staff members from the offices of Rep. Keith Self, R- Texas, Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., Rep. Mikie Sher- rill, D-N.J., and Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo. This marked the first time that AUSA’s region presidents went to Capitol Hill as a group to advocate in this way. They were well received in all the offices, and the discussion focused on AUSA priorities. The Army’s “People First” priori- ties, including improving housing for soldiers and families and supporting other quality-of-life initiatives, were prominent topics of discussion. The importance of ensuring that the Ar- my’s recruiting efforts are success- ful, providing the best possible care for veterans and providing support Government Affairs for the defense industrial base also were discussed. The region presidents advocated for timely passage of the annual appropriations and authorization bills and growing the Army budget topline. They also highlighted the importance of the Total Army to na- tional security, countering aggres- sion and reassuring allies and part- ners around the world. Particular focus was placed on AUSA’s 2023 Fo- cus Areas, which you can find here. Additionally, the Government Af- fairs team would like to highlight the AUSA-supported Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, also known as the PACT Act. The legislation “expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances,” accord- ing to the Department of Veterans Affairs. There is no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, but those who file a PACT Act claim—or quickly submit an intent to file—by Aug. 9 may re- ceive benefits backdated to Aug. 10, 2022, according to the VA. For more information on the PACT Act and how to file a claim, please click here. Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government Affairs director.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY July 6, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 Save on fitness programs, health benefits and more Y ou can access all of the many Association of the U.S. Army member benefits by visiting www.ausa.org/savings. This month, I want to focus on discounts for health services—click on the “Health/Well- ness” tab to access them. New HUSK benefit AUSA recently partnered with HUSK—previously known as Global- Fit—to connect members to the well- ness services they have requested. HUSK Marketplace is a curated wellness marketplace that offers ex- clusive pricing on gym memberships, tech and equip- ment, and virtual subscriptions for fitness, pre- and post-natal, health coaching and men- tal health. With HUSK Marketplace, AUSA members gain access to best- in-class pricing with some of the big- gest brands in the industry. AUSA’s partnership with HUSK also provides access to HUSK Nutri- tion, where you can get easy access to evidence-based tele-nutrition services delivered by registered dietitians. The company’s proprietary mobile application creates a seamless, intui- tive interaction between you and your dietitian through private one-on-one nutrition visits, direct messaging, goals, food tracking and more. Insured members may have ac- cess for $49.99 a month. Uninsured members may have additional options available and will be given coverage information from their registered di- etician. ChooseHealthy ChooseHealthy is a members-only site that provides access to health and wellness promotions, including the Active&Fit program where mem- bers can sign up for $28 a month and get access to more than 12,200 fitness centers nationwide. These include Golds, LA Fitness, Chuze Fitness, Snapt 24/7 Fitness, Member Benefits Anytime Fitness, Crunch Fitness, Blink Fitness, Curves, 24/7 Work- out Anytime and more. The site also provides 9,300 digital workout videos and other services. Prescription discounts Even if you have insurance, check prices for AUSA members on the New Benefits Rx site. Compare prices on the prescriptions you need for your family—both humans and pets—and the system will show you which phar- macy near you has the best price. I want to note that the pet options are for when your pet is prescribed a human medication, not pet-only med- ications like flea and tick or heart- worm preventatives. A Place for Mom A Place for Mom provides services to help you find the right senior living community for your loved one. The facilities are vetted, and A Place for Mom simplifies the process of finding senior living and home care with personalized guidance at no cost to families. The service is free—the company is paid by participating communities and providers. AUSA members have a special exclusive benefit, providing a $350 move-in credit. Aetna Dental Access To my knowledge, AUSA has the lowest rate available for the Aetna dental discount program—$3.16 a month—through Direct MedAccess. Even if you have dental insurance, this program will give you access to a variety of discounts, including those not covered by insurance, such as cos- metic procedures. When I didn’t have dental insurance, I saved more than $1,000 on a root canal with this card. Dental discount programs are not insurance, but providers have agreed to much lower rates for Aetna custom- ers so they can gain new business. This is well worth checking out for yourself or any family member who may not have dental insurance. The monthly fee includes a pharma- cy benefit and discounts on lab test- ing and MRI/CT scans, and you can upgrade to a program that includes vision and/or chiropractic discounts for just a couple dollars more. Susan Rubel is AUSA’s Association and Affinity Partnerships director. Take advantage of a variety of health and fitness discounts available through your AUSA membership. (NATIONAL GUARD/MAJ. AVERY SCHNEIDER)www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | July 6, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Vietnam War hero shares his story at chapter luncheon R etired Col. William “Bill” Col- lier Jr. was honored by the As- sociation of the U.S. Army’s Fort Jackson-Palmetto State chapter in South Carolina during the chap- ter’s monthly luncheon in June. Speaking to gathered AUSA mem- bers and other guests at the Fort Jackson NCO Club, Collier—a life member of the association—dis- cussed his new book, Outnumbered 20-to-1, which chronicles his leader- ship and experiences during the des- perate 54-hour Battle of Mo Duc in 1972 during the Vietnam War. Attending the luncheon was retired Marine Col. Steven Vitali, who wrote the foreword to the book and compared Mo Duc to the ill- fated last stand at the Alamo and the British Army’s successful defense of Rorke’s Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. “As the last significant battle in the war, Mo Duc speaks to the great- er American military tradition, and it significantly showcases the valiant efforts of those freedom-desiring al- beit ill-fated South Vietnamese sol- diers who made their last stand, winning the battle, though not the war,” Vitali wrote in his foreword. “Standing on the command precipice was then-Major Bill Collier, whose defiant stance against overwhelm- ing odds served as the juggernaut and protagonist against the strategic and political ambitions of the North Vietnamese leadership.” Collier, who was awarded the Sil- ver Star for his bravery during the battle, was nominated by Vitali and other combat veterans for the Medal of Honor in 2012. Though the nomi- nation failed to meet the requisite number of American witnesses on the ground, as Collier was leading South Vietnamese forces, the nomi- nation received strong endorsements from Air Force pilots flying forward air control missions over the Mo Duc battlespace. From left to right, retired Marine Col. Steven Vitali, retired Col. William ‘Bill’ Collier Jr. and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, president of AUSA’s Fort Jackson-Palmetto State chapter, attend the chapter luncheon featuring Collier’s new book. (AUSA/W. THOMAS SMITH JR.) Fort Jackson- Palmetto State “Against overwhelming odds, Bill Collier was the right leader on the ground at that particular point and place in time,” said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, president of the AUSA chapter. Lott, who has worked with Collier in a law enforcement ca- pacity, read the book within weeks of its publication in January. “Aptly titled, the North Vietnam- ese enemy outnumbered Collier’s beleaguered South Vietnamese gar- rison 20-to-1 and broke through at certain points along the line, nearly overrunning their entire position,” Lott said. Making matters worse, the panic- stricken South Vietnamese leader- ship virtually collapsed at Mo Duc (with at least one senior officer de- serting his post), leaving Collier, a 34-year-old artillery officer, the only man available to assume overall com- mand, rally, regroup and encourage the troops, call for supporting fires and beat back wave after wave of nu- merically superior enemy forces. The successful defense of Mo Duc “was dependent on [Collier] alone. He continuously exposed himself to withering enemy fire in order to co- ordinate and direct friendly ground artillery, naval gunfire, air power and his own force’s limited defen- sive weaponry. … Had [he] become disabled or killed, the entire rescue operation would most certainly have failed,” wrote Air Force Capt. Rich- ard Polling in a 2013 statement of support for Collier’s Medal of Honor nomination. Collier credits his and his outnum- bered force’s success to divine inter- vention, and he clearly expresses this throughout the book. “God was with me,” he said. “I prayed for his guid- ance and protection throughout the action, and he provided.” At the luncheon, Lott presented Collier with the Fort Jackson-Pal- metto State chapter’s coin of excel- lence for his book, Army career, work with veterans and lifetime of service to AUSA. W. Thomas Smith Jr. is a member of AUSA’s Fort Jackson-Palmetto State chapter.Next >