PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org August 8, 2024 | AUSA Extra 1 AUSA 2024 focuses on transformation W ith a theme of “Transform- ing for a Complex World,” the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition will highlight the Army’s efforts to modernize and restructure as it contends with an increasingly volatile and complex world. Registration is open for the con- ference, which is scheduled for Oct. 14–16 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The three-day event will feature addresses and professional develop- ment forums by top Army and DoD leaders, as well as more than 700 ex- hibits spread over five halls featuring the latest technology and equipment. There also will be several award Soldiers, defense industry representatives, AUSA members and more enter the association’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO) AUSA Graphic Novel Honors Korean War Hero 3 ‘Urgent Action’ Needed to Outpace Adversaries 4 Government Affairs Defense Bills Move Forward 6 Chapter/Region Highlights Second Region Fort Liberty 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 15 AUGUST 8, 2024 See AUSA 2024, Page 6 presentations, including the win- ners of the Best Squad Competition, the NCO and Soldier of the Year and the George Catlett Marshall Medal, AUSA’s highest award for selfless service to the country. This year, the Marshall Medal honoree is the U. S. Army Noncommissioned Officer. Attendance at the annual meeting is free, but registration is required. Some seated events require separate reservations and may have a fee. For more information or to register, click here. All Annual Meeting registrants will receive AUSA’s new Digital Ac- cess Pass, which can be downloaded on your smartphone and used to ac- cess events in the convention center, including contemporary military fo- rums and receptions. Preregistered Annual Meeting attendees will re- ceive their Digital Access Pass in early October. A printed badge is still required to visit the exhibit halls. The theme for this year’s meeting acknowledges the volatile, complex and dynamic security environment the Army is rapidly changing to meet. “We are transforming today be- cause we face new threats, new tech- nologies and new developments in warfare,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said earlier this year. “We are transforming so that we will be www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY August 8, 2024 | AUSA Extra 3 Korean War hero highlighted in AUSA graphic novel F ormer Staff Sgt. Hiroshi “Her- shey” Miyamura, who fought waves of enemy soldiers before being captured and held for over two years during the Korean War, is the subject of the latest graphic novel in the Association of the U.S. Army’s se- ries on recipients of the nation’s high- est award for valor. Medal of Honor: Hiroshi Miyamura tells of how Miyamura, deployed to Korea as a machine-gun squad lead- er, faced wave after wave of Chinese soldiers during a night assault. He ordered his men to fall back while he covered their withdrawal, and he was captured by the enemy and held for more than two years. News that Mi- yamura was to be awarded the Medal of Honor was kept quiet until his re- lease from a prisoner-of-war camp on Aug. 23, 1953, according to the Con- gressional Medal of Honor Society. “Hiroshi Miyamura’s medal may have initially been a secret, but we are glad to share his remarkable sto- ry with the world,” said Joseph Craig, AUSA’s Book Program director. “The creative team for the graphic novel has made sure that this Korean War hero will be remembered.” Medal of Honor: Hiroshi Miyamura is available here. AUSA launched its Medal of Honor graphic novel series in October 2018. This is the 23rd novel in the series. The digital graphic novels are avail- able here. Miyamura was born in Gallup, New Mexico. During World War II, he was drafted and assigned to the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team, but he would not see combat, as the Germans surrendered within days of his arrival in Italy in 1945. He returned to Gallup, where he worked as a mechanic until he was recalled for service in Korea as part of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd In- fantry Division. Then a corporal, Miyamura was put in charge of a machine-gun squad and assigned to join the defenses guarding AUSA’s latest graphic novel tells the story of former Staff Sgt. Hiroshi ‘Hershey’ Mi- yamura, who fought waves of enemy soldiers before being captured and held for over two years during the Korean War. (AUSA GRAPHIC) the southern banks of the Imjin and Hant’an rivers, the last line of defense between the capital of Seoul and the invading Chinese army. On the night of April 24, 1951, Miyamura and his soldiers were oc- cupying a defensive position when the enemy “fanatically attacked, threatening to overrun the position,” according to his Medal of Honor citation. Miyamura jumped from his shelter wielding his bayonet in close hand-to-hand combat, killing about 10 enemy fighters, the citation says. He then administered aid to his wounded comrades and directed their evacuation. When the enemy assaulted again, he delivered “withering fire” with his machine gun until he ran out of ammunition, according to the cita- tion. He ordered the squad to with- draw while he stayed behind. “He then bayoneted his way through in- filtrated enemy soldiers to a second gun emplacement and assisted in its operation,” the citation says. When the enemy attack contin- ued, Miyamura ordered his men to fall back while he covered them. He killed more than 50 enemy before he ran out of ammunition and was se- verely wounded, the citation says. Captured by the Chinese, Miyamu- ra spent more than two years as a prisoner of war. He was released in a prisoner exchange three weeks after the Korean Armistice Agreement. He received the Medal of Honor on Oct. 27, 1953, from President Dwight Eisenhower. Miyamura returned to Gallup, where he received a hero’s welcome. He died in November 2022. He was 97. Each AUSA graphic novel is cre- ated by a team of professional comic- book veterans. The script for Medal of Honor: Hiroshi Miyamura was written by Chuck Dixon, whose pre- vious work includes Batman, The Punisher and The ‘Nam. Artwork and the cover are by An- drew Paquette, who has worked on Avengers, Daredevil and Hellraiser; and the lettering is by Troy Peteri, who has worked on Spider-Man, Iron Man and X-Men.www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | August 8, 2024 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 National defense commission issues dire warning about threats facing US “S ignificant and urgent ac- tion” is needed to prepare the United States for the national security threats it’s facing today, the leaders of a commission tasked by Congress said. “Our commission believes unani- mously that the threats to U.S. na- tional security and our interests are greater than at any time since World War II and are more complex than during the Cold War,” Jane Harman and Eric Edelman, the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy of the United States, said in written testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The commission also said the Army is too small for its mission of domi- nating adversaries and enabling the joint force. “Lessons from the Ukraine war demonstrate that the U.S. Army needs to expand its force structure in key areas—particularly air defense, counter–unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare, and long-range fires—that are applicable across the- aters, including in a Western Pacific contingency,” the commission says in its report. Additionally, “the public has no idea how great the threats are and is not AUSA members save up to 25% off car rentals at participating Hertz locations worldwide by reserving at www.ausa.org/hertz or with CDP# 83086. Whether renting for business or vacation, Hertz has a wide range of luxury, sports and hybrid vehicles available. mobilized to meet them,” Harman told the committee July 30. “Leaders on both sides of the aisle and across government need to make the case to the public and get their support.” Harman is a former member of Con- gress who led the Woodrow Wilson In- ternational Center for Scholars for 10 years. She served on advisory boards for the CIA, director of national in- telligence and the departments of De- fense, Homeland Security and State. A former U.S. ambassador to Fin- land and Turkey, Edelman is coun- selor at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Harman and Edelman warned that there is potential for “near-term war, and potential that we might lose,” cit- ing the partnership between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as a “major strategic shift that we haven’t yet accounted for.” “The joint force is at the breaking point of maintaining readiness today. Adding more burden without adding resources to rebuild readiness will cause it to break,” they said. “The United States must spend more ef- fectively and more efficiently to build the future force, not perpetuate the existing one.” Read the commission’s report here. Soldiers from multiple Army commands conduct a 36-hour situational training exer- cise in late July as part of the Regional Training Institute’s Infantry Advanced Leaders Course at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. SETH COHEN)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY August 8, 2024 | AUSA Extra 5 Senate confi rms next Army Guard, Reserve leaders T he Senate has confi rmed the nominations of two general of- fi cers who are set to lead the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, who has been the adjutant general of Ar- kansas since January 2023, is slated to become the next director of the Army National Guard. He will re- ceive his third star and succeed Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, who has led the Army National Guard since August 2020 and retired Monday. Maj. Gen. Robert Harter, who has commanded the 81st Readiness Divi- sion at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, since September 2020, will receive his third star and succeed Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, who led the Army Re- serve from July 2020 until her relin- quishment of command on July 30. Both nominations were confi rmed by voice vote on July 31. No dates have been announced for when they will begin their new positions. A career Army National Guard of- fi cer, Stubbs has spent more than 27 of his 29 years in uniform in the Ar- kansas Army National Guard. Stubbs has held every leadership position within the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, from rifl e pla- toon leader to brigade commander. He led Company C, 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment in Baghdad from 2004 to 2005 and served as the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team op- erations offi cer in Baghdad in 2008. He also served as an Active Guard Reserve offi cer in the Arkansas Army National Guard from 1997 to 2021, where he completed a variety of train- ing and administrative assignments. Harter’s most recent assignment before the 81st Readiness Division was deputy chief of the Army Reserve. A native of Alaska and Virginia, Harter was commissioned in 1988 as a fi eld artillery offi cer after graduat- ing from Virginia Tech with a degree in business and communications. Before transferring from active duty to the Active Guard Reserve program in 1999, Harter held assign- ments in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany and the 101st Corps Support Group. His Active Guard Reserve assign- ments included training chief for readiness in the 99th Regional Read- iness Command; support operations offi cer in the 55th Sustainment Bri- gade; distribution management chief in the 316th Expeditionary Sustain- ment Command in Iraq; and various staff positions on the Joint Staff and in the Offi ce of the Chief of Army Re- serve, according to his biography.www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | August 8, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Defense legislation advances as Congress enters recess Congressional staff delegates observe the various medical capabilities of Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital personnel during a visit in late July to the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, Louisiana. (U.S. ARMY/ANTOINE AARON) C apitol Hill is quiet this week as the House of Representa- tives and the Senate are in recess during August, but the fiscal year 2025 authorization and appro- priations process continues. The Senate Appropriations Com- mittee has marked up its versions of the defense ap- propriations bill and the military construction, vet- erans affairs and related agencies bill, which both passed unanimously. Additionally, the Senate Armed Ser- vices Committee passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act by a wide bipartisan margin. Both Senate bills would provide ad- ditional funding for the armed forces, which continues to be one of the As- sociation of the U.S. Army’s top legis- lative recommendations to Congress. The path forward for the legislation in the Senate remains uncertain. AUSA does not anticipate any of these important defense bills to be enacted before the November elec- tions. A continuing resolution—stop- gap funding that keeps spending at the previous year’s levels and pro- hibits new starts to programs—will likely be required when government funding runs out at the end of the fis- cal year on Sept. 30. You can help build momentum for enactment of the NDAA and appro- priation bills, along with additional funding for the Total Army, by con- tacting your representatives and Government Affairs ready for the future and ready to fight and win against any adversary.” The Army is operating with “a sense of urgency,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said at an AUSA event earlier this year. “There’s a lot of implications with that and how we do business and how we change,” he said. “The character of war is chang- ing rapidly. What we want to do is focus on our warfighting mission and building cohesive teams.” As the service undertakes its larg- est transformation in four decades, it must also maintain readiness, George said. “The world is more volatile today than I have seen it in my 36-year ca- reer,” he said. “A spark in any region can have global impacts. Our Army is as important as ever to the joint force. We must deter war everywhere and be ready to respond anywhere.” George said he tells leaders that the service must do everything it can to make sure soldiers have the right leaders, equipment and training they need when they go into harm’s way. “We can’t forget that, regardless of how far you get from the front line, that’s our mission,” he said. AUSA 2024 From Page 1 senators, or by meeting with them or their staff in your state and congres- sional district. For additional talking points, you can refer to AUSA’s 2024 Focus Areas, which include warfight- ing, delivering ready combat forma- tions, strengthening the Army pro- fession and supporting the service’s transformation efforts. 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. As a reminder, AUSA only lobbies at the federal level on federal issues, and we are nonpartisan and apoliti- cal. The association is prohibited from supporting or participating in any po- litical campaign for or against a can- didate for local, state or federal office. AUSA’s Government Affairs team continues to meet with lawmak- ers and their staffers in support of the Total Army. We will continue to monitor these national security mea- sures and other related developments closely. Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government Affairs director.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY August 8, 2024 | AUSA Extra 7 AUSA region vice president honored for volunteer service R etired Maj. Gen. Phillip Churn, vice president of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Second Region, was honored July 20 with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for completing more than 4,000 hours of lifetime community service. Churn received the award from Maj. Gen. Deborah Kotulich, deputy chief of the U.S. Army Reserve, dur- ing the 4th Annual Teachers Festival Awards Night at Georgetown Univer- sity in Washington, D.C. “I am deeply humbled and honored to receive such a prestigious recogni- tion,” said Churn, according to an Army news re- lease. “This recognition is in honor of my mother and father, who through their example of giving back to the community, church, friends and fam- ily is the example that I emulate.” In his remarks, Churn emphasized the importance of mentorship in en- suring force readiness and resilience. “I have seen the need to counsel, coach and mentor officers, noncom- missioned officers, enlisted soldiers and civilians from all branches of the military. I have had individuals who have stated that they never had a se- nior leader who would sit down and take time to mentor them on their ca- reers and critical life decisions,” he said, according to the Army. In addition to his role with AUSA, Churn is the Army Reserve Ambas- sador for the nation’s capital. “As an Army Reserve Ambassador, there are two key opportunities to continue to give back and serve our communities,” Churn said, according to the Army news release. “First, it is an absolute joy to talk to young men and women—mostly high school stu- dents—about the opportunities in the Army and Army Reserve. Being able to help these young men and women make very significant choices in their lives at an early age will have a sig- nificant impact in their lives in the future and for our nation.” Second, Churn volunteers with the 99th Readiness Division’s Yel- low Ribbon Reintegration Program, a DoD effort to promote the well-be- ing of National Guard and Reserve service members and their families by connecting them with resources throughout the deployment cycle. “I can help soldiers and family members understand some of the re- alities and consequences of decisions made or not made before, during and after mobilization,” said Churn, who deployed to Afghanistan twice be- tween 2010 and 2013. Second Region Retired Maj. Gen. Phillip Churn, right, vice president of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Second Region, receives the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from Maj. Gen. Deborah Kotulich, deputy chief of the U.S. Army Reserve. (U.S. ARMY/MASTER SGT. JUSTIN MORELLI) Chapter supports back-to-school drive Volunteers from AUSA’s Fort Liberty chapter in North Carolina and the installation’s Ser- geant Audie Murphy Club collect donations for local children in early August. (AUSA PHOTO) Fort LibertyNext >