PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org July 10, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Mingus: Tanks, air defense remain key A s the Army transforms for the future fight, its air defense formations are being reintro- duced, and as critical capabilities of combined arms maneuver, tanks “are going to be around for a little while,” Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus said. In remarks July 2 during a Strategic Landpower Dialogue event co-hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army and the Center for Strategic and In- ternational Studies, Mingus said the Army is going to begin to rapidly field what will be called the M1E3 tank, a next-generation main battle tank in- tended to replace the M1A2 SEPv3, which is “the most modern tank we have in our formations.” Mingus pointed out that warfight- ing platforms such as tanks were not Soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division engage targets with their M1A2 SEPv3 tank during a live-fire exercise June 25 at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland. (U.S. ARMY/STAFF SGT. CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS) Graphic Novel Honors Afghanistan War Hero 3 More Troops Authorized for Combat Patches 4 Government Affairs Total Army Advocacy 7 Chapter Highlights Fort Novosel-Wiregrass 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 7 NUMBER 9 JULY 10, 2025 See Mingus, Page 5 designed to operate independently. Rather, the “power of engineers, in- fantry, armor, artillery combined to- gether is still the future of warfare for the land force,” Mingus said. “A [U.S. Navy aircraft] carrier nev- er sails by itself, it typically has at least three to five destroyers or cruis- ers that accompany that carrier,” he said. “A tank is not designed to oper- ate by itself.” In Ukraine, Mingus said, the M1 Abrams tanks provided to Ukrainian forces by the U.S. Army have been destroyed by inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles. “At the highest level in our capstone doctrine, we say that unified land op- erations is how we do it, which is the ability to execute offense, defense and stability operations simultaneously,” he said. “Combined arms maneuver is the combination of all the warfighting functions put together in a meaning- ful way, synchronized over time.” As the Army continues to transform for large-scale combat operations, Mingus added, air defense capabili- ties that became “bill payers” during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, where there were no aerial threats, are being rebuilt. “We are reintroducing that struc- ture from the tactical level all the way up to theater level,” he said, ex- plaining that air defense formations will be in the form of battalions fo- cused on Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or M-SHORAD, Indirect Fire Protection Capability, or IFPC, and Patriot systems.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY July 10, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 New AUSA graphic novel tells story of COP Keating hero F ormer Staff Sgt. Clint Rome- sha, a 4th Infantry Division soldier who led a counterattack after one of the most violent enemy offensives in Afghanistan, is the fo- cus of the latest graphic novel in the Association of the U.S. Army’s series on recipients of the nation’s highest award for valor. Medal of Honor: Clint Romesha re- counts his actions as a section leader in Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, in the division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, during a massive ambush by a heavily armed enemy at Combat Outpost Keating in the Kamdesh District of Nuristan Province on Oct. 3, 2009. A native of Lake City, California, Romesha enlisted in September 1999 and has deployed to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Surrounded by the enemy On the morning of Oct. 3, 2009, Romesha and his soldiers woke up to an attack by some 300 enemy fight- ers who had surrounded the soldiers’ combat outpost and were firing recoil- less rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars and small-arms fire, according to Ro- mesha’s Medal of Honor citation. Moving under intense enemy fire, Romesha conducted a quick recon- naissance of the outpost and sought reinforcements from the barracks before returning to action with the support of an assistant gunner, ac- cording to the citation. Romesha took out an enemy ma- chine gun team and, while engaging a second, was peppered with shrap- nel when the generator he was using for cover was struck by a rocket-pro- pelled grenade. Ignoring his injuries, and with the help of another soldier and the assistant gunner, Romesha again rushed through the exposed avenue to assemble more soldiers, the citation states. He mobilized a five-man team and returned to the fight equipped with a sniper rifle. With complete disregard for his own safety, Romesha repeat- edly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire as he engaged and destroyed mul- tiple enemy targets, including three Taliban fighters who had breached the outpost's perimeter, the citation states. As the battle raged, Romesha maintained radio communication with the tactical operations center, and as enemy forces unleashed a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and recoilless rifle rounds, he identi- fied the point of attack and directed air support to destroy over 30 enemy fighters, according to the citation. Romesha and his team provided covering fire for seriously wounded soldiers, then pushed forward 100 meters under unrelenting enemy fire to recover their fallen comrades. Though eight soldiers were lost, Ro- mesha's heroic actions throughout the daylong battle were critical in secur- ing the lives of many others and the outpost, giving Bravo Troop the op- portunity to regroup and reorganize. Bravery, service, loyalty Romesha left the Army 2011 and moved with his family to North Da- kota, where he took a job as a field safety specialist for an oil company. He received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on Feb. 11, 2013, after which he said, “This award is for the eight soldiers that didn’t make it and for the rest of the team that fought valiantly and mag- nificently that day. I will forever be humbled by their bravery, their com- mitment to service and their loyalty to one another.” Medal of Honor: Clint Romesha is available here. AUSA launched its Medal of Honor graphic novel series in October 2018. This is the 25th novel in the series. The digital graphic novels are avail- able here. “This book is a great addition to our Medal of Honor series, a contem- porary story of a fierce ambush in which Staff Sgt. Romesha played a heroic role,” said Joseph Craig, direc- tor of AUSA’s Book Program. Each AUSA graphic novel is cre- ated by a team of professional comic book veterans. The script for Medal of Honor: Clint Romesha was writ- ten by Chuck Dixon, whose previous work includes Batman, The Punisher and The ‘Nam. Artwork and the cover were by Geof Isherwood, who has worked on The ’Nam, G.I. Joe and Conan the Barbarian; colors were by Peter Pantazis, who previously worked on Justice League, Superman and Black Panther; and the lettering was by Troy Peteri, who has worked on Spi- der-Man, Iron Man and X-Men.www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | July 10, 2025 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 Army expands combat patch eligibility S oldiers who deployed to more than a dozen countries in the Middle East and Africa be- tween Oct. 7, 2023, and June 24, 2025, are now eligible to wear the shoulder sleeve insignia for military operations in hostile conditions, the Army announced last week. Commonly known as the combat patch, the insignia is worn on the right sleeve of the uniform just below the American fl ag. “Awarding the combat patch re- fl ects the Army's commitment to rec- ognizing the contributions and sac- rifi ces of all soldiers serving in these operational environments,” the ser- vice said in a July 3 statement. The countries listed within the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Af- rica Command areas of responsibility include Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syr- ia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Soldiers from all three Army components who served at least one day during the authorized timeframe are eligible to wear the patch. “These changes acknowledge the The shoulder sleeve insignia for military operations in hostile conditions, commonly known as the combat patch, can now be worn by soldiers who deployed to authorized countries over the past two years. (U.S. ARMY/2ND LT. DAPHNEY BLACK) Benefi tHub is the world's largest member/employee discount program with exclusive and larger savings, sav- ing members an average of $2,500 per year on deals from thousands of lead- ing brands. And, you now earn cash back rewards when shopping. Visit ausa.benefi thub.com for more. inherent risks and challenges faced by soldiers in these locations and timeframes,” the statement says. The dates in the eligibility period line up with the 2023 Hamas attack against Israel that led to the ongo- ing confl ict in Gaza and the recent U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear capabili- ties, followed by the Iranian attack on U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Most forces were moved off the base, but two Patriot missile batter- ies remained behind to defend the installation, according to the Penta- gon. “[That's] roughly 44 American sol- diers responsible for defending the entire base, to include CENTCOM's forward headquarters in the Middle East, an entire air base and all the U.S. forces there,” Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a Pentagon press briefi ng. “These awesome humans ... stood between a salvo of Iranian missiles and the safety of Al Udeid,” he said. “They are the unsung heroes of the 21st century United States Army.”www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY July 10, 2025 | AUSA Extra 5 Mingus From Page 1 Navy Federal is federally insured by NCUA. *Terms and conditions apply. Loans subject to approval and eligibility requirements. Learn more at navyfederal.org/RateDrop. © 2025 Navy Federal NFCU 14434 (1-25) Get Everything You Need to Buy a Home Save time, money and hassle with ourHome Buying Center. Visit: navyfederal.org/homebuying •Apply for a Verified Preapproval •Connect with an experienced real estate agent •Protect your rate with our rate-lock options •Get rate-drop assurance with our no-refi rate drop* The air defense community will be rebuilt, he said, “with the vision, still, of how do you converge offensive and defensive fi res into a singular function.” While air defense is being reintro- duced, Mingus cautioned that ma- neuver formations that don’t have an air defense role will still need to perform those functions on one-way attack drones and other things that could come at them. He added that the air defense plat- forms themselves will have to trans- form as technologies advance. “Just because we started with this platform doesn’t mean that we’re stuck with that platform for the next 20 years, because the rate in which things are changing, that M-SHORAD capabil- ity we have today is going to have to be something different in four or fi ve years from now,” Mingus said. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus gives challenge coins to 250 new recruits at an enlistment ceremony June 14 during the Army’s 250th birthday celebration at Independence Mall in Philadelphia. (U.S. ARMY RESERVE/1ST. LT. SOPHIE JONAK)www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | July 10, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY spacesaver.com/military Storage Solved ® Your Partner For URGENT Requirements SIMPLIFIED PROCUREMENT OPTIONS FOR AMERICAN-MADE WEAPONS SOLUTIONS Chapter Challenge Winners The following chapters are the winners of AUSA’s Chapter Challenge in their award categories for the fourth quarter of AUSA’s fi scal year 2025. Each winner for growth in Community Partners or Premium Members receives a cash prize and fi ve points toward Best Chapter in their group. Community Partnerships • Fort Bragg and North Carolina – Group 1 • Texas Capital Area – Group 2 • Sunshine – Group 3 • Las Vegas-John C. Fremont – Group 4 • Tucson-Goyette – Group 5 • Korea – Outside Continental U.S. Group Premium Memberships • Central Texas – Group 1 • Fort Leonard Wood-Mid Missouri – Group 2 • Northern New York-Fort Drum – Group 3 • National Training Center-High Desert – Group 4 • Cowboy – Group 5 • Gen. Creighton W. Abrams – Outside Continental U.S. Groupwww.ausa.orgJuly 10, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Budget request includes pay raise, end strength boost I t’s been a busy month in Washing- ton, D.C., and on Capitol Hill. The administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget request was released June 26. It provides $197.4 billion for the Army, including $5.4 billion as part of a reconciliation package passed last week by Congress and signed into law on July 4. For fiscal 2026, the Army’s bud- get request centers on the Army Transformation Initiative, which represents major changes in force structure, weaponry, platforms and acquisition processes. It also in- cludes a 3.8% military pay raise, ju- nior enlisted pay reform (a 10% pay boost) and an end strength increase of almost 11,000 soldiers. The fiscal 2026 request is a 6.9% increase from the budget enacted for fiscal 2025. In addition to the $5.4 billion for the Army, the reconciliation package includes additional funding for Pen- tagon priorities. The Senate Armed Services Com- mittee is working on its version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, and the House Armed Services Committee plans to mark up its ver- sion next week. You can view some of those proceedings here and here, respectively. This week, retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, the Association of the U.S. Army’s vice president for Leadership and Education, will participate in a meeting of military and veterans service organizations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Warfight- ing, lethality and quality-of-life pro- grams are among the issues slated to be discussed. As we have mentioned previously, the fiscal 2026 appropriations pro- cess is getting underway. The House of Representatives passed its version of the military construction and vet- erans affairs appropriations bill in June; however, we do not anticipate Government Affairs that legislation or the defense appro- priations bills to be enacted in time for the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. As always, AUSA is advocating with lawmakers for timely, adequate and flexible appropriations and timely passage of the National Defense Au- thorization Act to enable a strong To- tal Army and improve overall nation- al security. We have met with more than 40 congressional offices, edu- cating and informing them about the Army and recommending legislation supporting the force and veterans. You can help build momentum for passage of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and the 12 appropriations bills—especially defense, military construction and veterans affairs—by contacting your representatives and senators or by meeting with them. We encourage you to meet with lawmakers or their staffs as constit- uents and AUSA members in sup- port of the Total Army. Advocate for AUSA’s Focus Areas and passage of the legislation mentioned above. Ad- ditionally, you can highlight the Ar- my’s critical role in the Indo-Pacific and recommend Congress support Army priorities such as warfighting, transformation and quality of life for soldiers and their families. As a reminder, AUSA only lobbies and takes positions at the federal level on federal issues, and the asso- ciation is nonpartisan and apolitical. Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government Affairs director. An Army Reserve soldier hands an ammo can to a congressional staff member, allow- ing her to feel its weight, during a congressional delegation visit June 6 to Operation Mojave Falcon at Fort Hunter Liggett, California. (U.S. ARMY/1ST SGT. NINA RAMON) The Army’s fiscal 2026 budget request centers on the Army Transformation Initia- tive, which represents major changes in force structure, weaponry, platforms and acquisition. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO)www.ausa.org 8 AUSA Extra | July 10, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Chapter president honored for 50 years of Army service R etired Command Sgt. Maj. Otis Smith Jr., president of the Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s Fort Novosel-Wiregrass chapter in Alabama, recently commemorated an exceptional anniversary—more than half a century of Army service. Smith was recognized by Maj. Gen. Clair Gill, commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, during a July 2 ceremony at the installation. Gill presented Smith with a 50-year Federal Length of Service lapel pin. “On behalf of our entire Army and our nation, for 50 years of exem- plary service to the government of the United States of America, I just want to say truly thank you and con- gratulations,” Gill said, according to an Army news release. Smith rose through the ranks after joining the Army in March 1975 as a cavalry scout, according to the Army. During his 34-year career in uni- form, he served across the country and overseas, including in Germany, Macedonia, Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq. In 2003, Smith was the brigade com- mand sergeant major for 2nd Bri- gade, 3rd Infantry Division, during the capture of Baghdad, a crucial point in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Smith’s final assignment before his retirement from the Army in 2008 was as the command sergeant major of the Armor Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. “It’s been a great time. I wouldn’t change a thing in the world. This has been awesome,” Smith said, accord- ing to the release. After retiring from the Army, Smith began serving as an Army civilian at Fort Rucker, where he oversees the training of hundreds of international military aviation students each year, fostering global partnerships and strengthening na- tional security. “There are a lot of things that he could be doing, but he Fort Novosel- Wiregrass Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Otis Smith Jr., left, president of AUSA's Fort Novosel-Wiregrass chapter, is recognized for 50 years of service by Maj. Gen. Clair Gill, commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, Alabama. (U.S. ARMY/LESLIE HERLICK) continues to serve,” Gill said. In addition to his service with AUSA, where he has served as chap- ter president since July 2023, Smith has taken on a variety of roles in support of soldiers, veterans and the community. He is a member and past commander of the local Veter- ans of Foreign Wars post, serves on the board of directors of the National Armor and Cavalry Heritage Founda- tion, and is co-chairman of the Enter- prise Military and Veteran Affairs Committee, to name a few examples. “His ongoing contributions reflect a lifelong commitment to service and a profound respect for those who defend freedom,” the Army news re- lease said. “As I look back, it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,” Smith said. “It’s been a blessing and praise to the Lord, because I put Him first in my life, and He has been good to me.” Friends and family congratulate retired Command Sgt. Maj. Otis Smith Jr., center, dur- ing a ceremony commemorating Smith's 50 years of Army service. (U.S. ARMY/LESLIE HERLICK)Next >