PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org July 24, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Army contracting aims to boost speed W ith clear, urgent directives from senior leaders, the Army’s contracting profes- sionals are moving to streamline and accelerate how they get soldiers what they need for the fight, the command- ing general of U.S. Army Contracting Command said. “This isn’t just about some simple efficiency. It’s about being responsi- ble stewards of our taxpayer dollars, providing unwavering support to our warfighters and aggressively driving modernization for the future fight,” Maj. Gen. Douglas Lowrey said. Speaking on Tuesday at a Hot Top- ic on Army contracting and procure- ment hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army, Lowrey described the “rapid modernization and transfor- mation” the Army is seeing as “try- Maj. Gen. Douglas Lowrey, commanding general of U.S. Army Contracting Command, speaks Tuesday during AUSA's Hot Topic on Army contracting and procurement. (AUSA PHOTO) US, Allies Must Boost Industrial Base 3 Hodne Tapped to Lead New Army Command 4 Family Readiness Supporting Spouses in Germany 6 Chapter Highlights Greater Los Angeles 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 7 NUMBER 11 JULY 24, 2025 See Contracting, Page 3 ing to build an entire fleet” of planes “all at once as well as learn to fly it.” “It’s a complex undertaking,” he said, but “everything we do directly impacts the lethality and readiness of our soldiers.” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has noted that the service’s acquisition system has been bogged down by years of inefficiency, slow processes and wasteful spending, Lowrey said. “He has emphasized the urgent need for transformation,” Lowrey said. “He envisions a lean, lethal warfight- ing force built on stronger partner- ship with the private sector and a more agile approach to innovation.” Army Contracting Command is “fully committed” to supporting senior leaders’ push to move more quickly to get combat formations what they need, Lowrey said. “Ac- celerated modernization is a top di- rective for us,” Lowrey said. “We’re conducting deep internal reviews to eliminate unnecessary processes and identify opportunities for regulatory relief, empowering leaders at the lo- cal level.” A culture change also is under- way, he said. “We’re empowering our people to challenge the status quo and take smart risks,” he said. The Army’s acquisition practices too of- ten focus on the process instead of the results, which stifles innovation and drives up costs, Lowrey said. “To get past this, we’re embracing solution-driven acquisitions, invit- ing industry to propose solutions … to encourage innovative ideas and SECURE AMERICA GOBI RAPIDLY DEPLOY AUTONOMOUS COUNTER-UAS SYSTEM BUILT TO PROTECT CRITICAL DOMESTIC AND DEPLOYED NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURES DEFEAT FPV, FIXED-WING DRONE THREATS BEFORE THEY REACH YOUR CRITICAL ASSETS NEUTRALIZE INSTANTLY WWW.HARMATTAN.AIwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY July 24, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 Mason: US, allies must work together on industrial base T he “arsenal of democracy” is as relevant today as it was when the term was coined by Presi- dent Franklin Roosevelt during World War II, and updating that idea will re- quire close collaboration with defense industrial bases, a senior Army official said. Patrick Mason, acting principal deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, explained that the phrase described the need to unleash U.S. industrial capacity, grow sup- ply chains and suppliers and deliver armaments and goods to U.S. forces and allies as part of World War II. “As you look at updating the ar- senal of democracy, I would submit that while there was a preponder- ance of U.S. dominance in the arse- nal of democracy from FDR’s time, today's environment requires close collaboration with industrial bases here on the continent of Europe, for us over in the Indo-Pacific, as well as what we’re doing within the United States,” Mason said July 17 during a panel discussion at the inaugural LANDEURO Symposium hosted in Wiesbaden, Germany, by the Asso- ciation of the U.S. Army. Mason noted the evident fragility in supply chains over the past five to 10 years, as well as the demand on the U.S. military’s ability to pro- Contracting From Page 1 Sgt. Lucas Flores, with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, prepares 155 mm artillery shells dur- ing a field artillery certification in Grafenwoehr, Germany. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. ELIJAH MAGAÑA) Ella Hazen joined AUSA in Janu- ary 2024. She hails from Washing- ton state, where she grew up on a farm near Mount St. Helens, and she has two cats, Lucy and Jinx, a dog named Sir Dukes a Lot and a fer- ret named Naga. In her spare time, Ella enjoys traveling and spending time with her three grandchildren, Jayden, Sophia and Hydeei. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Ella Hazen Member Experience Associate build a more dynamic and effective partnership,” he said. “Despite these strides, challenges remain,” Lowrey said. “Our modern- ization goals demand more, faster and with greater value. We’re funda- mentally changing our culture.” The command’s ultimate focus is the soldier, Lowrey said. “They de- serve to know we’re working tireless- ly to provide them with the resources they need, and they deserve nothing but our absolute best,” he said. duce munitions for Ukraine. Those efforts have included an increase in the production of 155 mm shells, cou- pled with innovative technology and drones from start-ups that require looking at how to scale with speed, he said. “From my capacity and what I do, as the Army has invested within the larger [DoD], is to look international- ly and then here in Europe on how we can leverage what each country does for maximum benefit,” Mason said. “I do come from the acquisition side, so while there is often discussion of capabilities—that is the what—and I deal with the how, so the alignment of capital is always of focus to me.” Mason aims to understand the de- mand signals and “properly aggre- gate those into what is needed,” then address financing and regulatory as- pects “so that we can come together and look to scale with speed to meet the requirements,” he said. “Each of us, whether it's the United States or other countries here in Eu- rope, trying to do this without inte- grating and looking at how we col- laborate, is really an inappropriate approach to today's dynamic security environment,” Mason said.www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | July 24, 2025 Gen. 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Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Hodne to lead new 4-star command A senior leader at U.S. Army Futures Command has been tapped to lead the new U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command. If confirmed by the Senate, Lt. Gen. David Hodne, deputy command- ing general of futures and concepts, also will receive a fourth star. Part of the Army Transforma- tion Initiative, Futures Command and U.S. Army Training and Doc- trine Command will merge to create the new Army Transformation and Training Command. The consoli- dated headquarters is expected to be stood up later this year in Aus- tin, Texas, where Futures Command has its headquarters. Some elements of the command are expected to re- main at Fort Eustis, Virginia, home to Training and Doctrine Command. Army officials have said more de- tails about the merger will be avail- able in August, and that the new command could be stood up as early as October. A 1991 graduate of the U.S. Mili- tary Academy at West Point, New York, Hodne is a former commander of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado. He has led Rang- er, Stryker, cavalry, mechanized and light infantry formations and com- manded at every level from company through division, according to his Army bio. He previously was chief of infantry, commandant of the U.S. Army Infan- try School and director of the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team. The Army Transformation Initia- tive will “reexamine all require- ments and eliminate unnecessary ones, ruthlessly prioritize fighting formations to directly contribute to lethality, and empower leaders at echelon to make hard calls to ensure resources align with strategic objec- tives,” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George wrote in a May 1 message to the force. All AUSA members and their fami- lies, regardless of military service, en- joy exclusive travel deals with Armed Forces Vacation Club. Join for free at www.ausa.org/afvc to book resort stays from $419 per week and get $50 off your first resort booking. Choose "AUSA Member" for your eligibility. Among the key changes is the merger of Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command. Also merging into a single head- quarters are U.S. Army Forces Com- mand, U.S. Army South and U.S. Army North. The Army also plans to eliminate 1,000 staff positions at Army headquarters. “Our focus is on filling combat for- mations with Soldiers,” Driscoll and George wrote in their message. “Ev- ery role must sharpen the spear or be cut away.” The transformation initiative also calls for restructuring within Army Aviation and converting all infantry brigade combat teams into mobile brigade combat teams. “We are trad- ing weight for speed, and mass for decisive force,” the message says. The Army also will work to im- prove counter-unmanned aerial sys- tems mobility and affordability and integrate those capabilities into ma- neuver platoons by 2026 and compa- nies by 2027. “Our Army must transform now to a leaner, more lethal force by in- fusing technology, cutting obsolete systems, and reducing overhead to defeat any adversary on an ever- changing battlefield,” Driscoll and George wrote in their message. Lt. Gen. David Hodne, deputy commanding general of futures and concepts at Army Futures Command, addresses AUSA's 2025 Global Force Symposium and Expo- sition in Huntsville, Alabama. (AUSA PHOTO)Life Form Series includes GBD-1000, GBD-1100, or state equivalent. Accident Form Series includes GBD-1000, GBD-1300, or state equivalent. 251287-AUSA-TLADD-PAD HELP PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED WITH AUSA’S GROUP TERM LIFE AND ACCIDENTAL DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT INSURANCE PLANS. Like you, AUSA understands the importance of protection. 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Vincent Gasparri, director of the Bayonet Innovation Team for the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), in the exhibit hall at AUSA's inaugural LANDEURO Symposium in Wiesbaden, Germany. (AUSA PHOTO) T his month, the Association of the U.S. Army’s Family Read- iness team was excited and honored to travel to Wiesbaden, Ger- many, to support AUSA’s inaugural LANDEURO Symposium and its Eu- ropean Region Meeting. Dave Fulton, AUSA’s European Region president, along with many of our chapter members in the re- gion, including Gemma McGowan, president of the Gen. Creighton W. Abrams chapter; David Cain, Euro- pean Region treasurer; Mike Clauss, the region’s historian; and Desiree Faehr, secretary and vice president for Family Readiness with AUSA’s First in Battle chapter, collabo- rated with Ash- ley Dixon, presi- dent of the Wiesbaden Community Spouses’ Club, and Candace Carter, Wiesbaden area representative with Americans Working Around the Globe, to deliver the very fi rst family event complementing LANDEURO. The conference kicked off July 16 in Wiesbaden's RheinMain Con- gressCenter. Dozens of military and civilian spouses gathered in the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Mission Command Center at nearby Clay Kas- erne to watch a livestream of open- ing remarks from retired Gen. Bob Family Readiness Brown, AUSA’s president and CEO, and a keynote presentation from Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Throughout the day, Fulton and I were able to speak with spouses about AUSA’s mission to support sol- diers and tell the Army story. During the LANDEURO Fam- ily Forum, held in conjunction with the conference but at Clay Kaserne, spouses were intrigued to learn about the stories and impact of mili- tary families living and serving in Europe for nearly 80 years. “Ever since giants roamed the Earth, military families have been in lockstep with their soldiers in build- ing bridges, being unoffi cial ambas- sadors and community organizers. Our families played a key role in fur- thering the success and readiness of our Army,” Fulton said. After an incredible tour of the Mis- sion Command Center and a deli- cious lunch hosted by the Wiesbaden Community Spouses’ Club, our group headed to the RheinMain Congress- Center to tour LANDEURO, attend educational forums, visit the exhibit hall and participate in AUSA’s Gener- ation Next Forum featuring a keynote address by Joe Byerly, founder of the “From the Green Notebook” podcast. But the day didn’t end there. Spous- es from the Family Forum joined an AUSA social at the Wiesbaden Mu- seum and continued doing what they do best—supporting Army readiness through continuous networking, con- necting and fostering relationships. Holly Dailey is AUSA's Family Readi- ness director. On April 28, 1946, in the aftermath of World War II, 379 spouses of service members sta- tioned in Europe arrive in Bremerhaven, Germany. (COURTESY PHOTO)R oughly 4,000 soldiers from the California National Guard who were activated at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, received a special surprise in July thanks to an initiative from the As- sociation of the U.S. Army’s Greater Los Angeles chapter. The soldiers, activated in early June and assigned to the federal pro- tection mission, needed a boost for their spirits and morale. Thanks to AUSA chapter members, it was served up to them hot, fresh and tasty in the form of 800 pizzas. No soggy cardboard delivery boxes, but freshly cooked on-site at the installation. It’s not an easy task to feed fresh- baked pizza to 4,000 soldiers. But all it took to “show the love” to these sol- diers was a crazy idea and a brigade of volunteers. It’s been a long, hot and challeng- ing no-notice activation for these troops, who were dealing with tents with no air-conditioning, being away from home over the Independence Day holiday and Army food that gets repetitive after a while. But, like all soldiers, they serve where they are sent and do the job they’re asked to do. “We knew the soldiers have been somewhat isolated at the base since the activation began,” said retired Lt. Col. Pete Seitz, the AUSA chapter president. “We really wanted to let them know the community supports them and values their service—we wanted to thank them for their ser- vice.” The AUSA Greater Los Angeles chapter had plenty of help for this huge endeavor, including installation staff, Federal Task Force 51 and the cadets and advisers of Post 558 Mili- tary Explorers, a youth organization that meets at the installation. In addition to Seitz, the on-site AUSA team included Ron Cabrera, Tony Marraccino and Bill Wenger. www.ausa.orgJuly 24, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Chapter feeds 4,000 activated National Guard soldiers California National Guard soldiers activated at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, enjoy fresh-baked pizza courtesy of AUSA's Greater Los Angeles chapter. (AUSA PHOTO) Greater Los Angeles To top it off, the local branch of pizza company Pizzarageous made this mission a success. When asked if they could provide pizza for 4,000 soldiers, they didn’t even blink. The ovens were set up in the early morning, with pizzas stacked and ready. The team began feeding troops before noon and continued making and serving pizza until every soldier was full at around 5 p.m. When the stacks of pre-made piz- zas got low, our Pizzarageous part- ners simply made more. After concluding one of the largest events we’ve ever hosted, our chap- ter’s only thought was, “What can we do next for our soldiers?” “They have fought our forest fires, they helped with the Pacific Pali- sades fire and cleanup, and they pro- vide help and support in their local communities across the state every single day,” Seitz said. “We wanted to let them know their service and sacrifice is appreciated.” Patti Mente is the vice president of programs/newsletter for AUSA’s Greater Los Angeles chapter. Hundreds of pizzas are baked on-site for California National Guard soldiers at Joint Forc- es Training Base, Los Alamitos, thanks to AUSA's Greater Los Angeles chapter. (AUSA PHOTO)Next >