PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org August 24, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 George: Army must fight as total force T he Army must be ready to fight anywhere and anytime it’s called, and it must do so as a to- tal force, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said. “People will talk about Europe, and they’ll talk about the Pacific and all those threats that are out there, but our Army is a global Army,” George said. “We’re going to have to be ready to go wherever we’re going to go, and wherever we go, it’s going to be a multicomponent solution. It’s always been that way, and it will con- tinue to be.” Speaking Aug. 20 at the National Guard Association of the United States’ 145th General Conference and Exhibition in Reno, Nevada, George said the strategic environ- Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who has been nominated to lead the service, addresses attendees Aug. 20 at the National Guard Association of the United States’ annual conference in Reno, Nevada. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. 1ST CLASS ZACH SHEELY) ment today is “as complex and dan- gerous as I’ve seen it in the time I’ve been in uniform.” To achieve and maintain the readi- ness it needs to respond to any threat anywhere in the world, the Army must work in tandem with its Army National Guard and Army Reserve components, said George, who has been nominated to be the next Army chief of staff. The Army National Guard, for ex- ample, makes up nearly 40% of the operational force, George said. “If the Guard is 40% of our force, you don’t go anywhere with just 60% of your team,” he said. Looking ahead, George said he is focused on warfighting and deliver- ing ready combat formations. “What we want are trained, fit, disciplined, cohesive and lethal teams,” George said. “We’re here to fight. That is why we have a U.S. Army.” There must be conversations at ev- ery echelon about training manage- ment and how soldiers are spending their time, George said. “If there’s something that you’re doing that’s not contributing to being more lethal or more cohesive, then we’ve really got to take a hard look at if we should be doing it,” he said. Two other areas where George is focused are continuous transforma- tion and strengthening the profes- sion of arms. “Discipline and stan- dards are the reason that we’re going to be successful in battle,” he said. “It’s the foundation of any good unit.” Survey: Women Face Barriers in USASOC 3 College Degrees Boost Retiree Satisfaction 4 Family Readiness Sharing Resources 8 Chapter Highlight North Texas-Audie Murphy 9 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 17 AUGUST 24, 2023Day / night use optic Onboard ballistic computer Integrated laser range finder Ballistically compensated 2 MOA red dot Programmed for use on: M3E1 MAAWS, M2 .50 BMG, MK 19 & MK 47 Grenade Launchers, H&K GMG, AT4, M240D/H, & M134 Minigun Additional weapons can be added based on customer needs Communicates with programming units for 40mm HV airburst munitions Available accessories: 3XL Magnifier & TH60 thermal imager A direct view optic for crew-served weapons that greatly increases first round hit probability on both static & moving targets. FCS13RE ™ M03552 CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION AND DEMO VIDEOSwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY August 24, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 USASOC initiatives seek to improve care for women A fter a commandwide survey found widespread gender bias and sexual harassment, Army Special Operations Command is working on dozens of initiatives to better care for the women serving in its formations. “Humans are more important than hardware, and anything that makes the individual [special operations] operator better … that’s our solemn responsibility,” said Lt. Gen. Jona- than Braga, commander of Army Special Operations Command. Speaking Monday at a media roundtable, Braga and other leaders from the command discussed find- ings from a study titled “Breaking Barriers: Women in Army Special Operations.” The goal was to identify barriers female soldiers encounter in Army special operations units and “establish lessons learned and best practices to recruit, maximize com- prehensive integration and retain ex- traordinary soldiers,” the report says. Using a commandwide survey that received responses from more than 5,000 people, 48 focus groups featur- ing almost 200 soldiers, and 25 com- mand team interviews, leaders heard from soldiers and civilian employees, both men and women. One key finding was 44% of wom- en reported ill-fitting equipment as a challenge. “Body armor, the Ad- vanced Combat Helmet (ACH) and A civil affairs officer with Army Special Operations Command assists a partici pant with fitting combat gear designed for female soldiers during a c ommand capabilities exer- cise at Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, North Carolina. (U.S. ARMY/MASTER SGT. RALPH STEVENS) Sam Votsis has been with AUSA for nearly six years as art director for the association’s flagship publi- cation. He is married with two chil- dren. In his spare time, Sam enjoys playing ukulele and bass guitar, walking the hills in his neighbor- hood and playing Dungeons & Drag- ons with his son. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Sam Votsis Art Director, ARMY magazine the MOLLE ruck system emerged as a nearly universal concern for wom- en, especially for those under 5’5” tall,” the report says. Other issues include gender bias, access to child care, social support, sexual harassment, morale and well- being, pregnancy and post-partum care, and overall quality of life. “Gender bias and sexism are mani - festing in a variety of ways as 40 per- cent of women service members re- ported Gender Bias in the Workplace as a challenge,” the study says. “The research team captured a significant number of overtly sexist comments from male service members primar- ily focused on an aversion to females entering the 18 series [Special Forc- es] career field.” Another top concern was sexual harassment, with as many as 30% of female soldiers reporting it as a chal- lenge, according to the survey. Access to child care is another stressor, with 44% of women and 70% of men in the command having at least one child, the study says. “This study is not about accommo- dations for women,” said Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann, senior enlisted leader for Army Special Op- erations Command. “It’s about pro- viding tools to allow women to maxi- mize their performance and continue to serve.” The survey and the resulting ini- tiatives are just a start, Braga said. “We have a long way to go,” he said. “Changing culture takes time. … We have to be better. We must be better because our nation depends on it.”www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | August 24, 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 Study: College education influences military retirees’ financial security M ilitary retirees with at least a bachelor’s degree have a higher net-earning and are more satisfied than veteran non- retirees and civilians, a Rand Corp. report found. The report analyzed a cohort of men born between 1931 and 1941, who served prior to the modern all- volunteer force, to understand the re- lationship between their service and life outcomes. For military retirees without a bachelor’s degree, “military retire- ment benefits effectively offset the earnings gap” they experienced com- pared to their fellow veterans with- out retirement benefits, according to the report. For veterans with at least a bach- elor’s degree, “military retirement benefits more than offset the gap” compared to veterans without retire- ment benefits. Satisfaction with earnings, both during and after service, are key to military readiness, the report found. “From the standpoint of military readiness, it is critical that military members with the talents and capa- bilities to serve in senior leadership positions find earnings over a mili- tary career adequately attractive, including post-service civilian earn- ings opportunities, to induce them to stay for a career and seek higher- ranked positions where they are best suited,” according to the report. Given changes to the U.S. military since the cohort studied retired, the report notes that “military pay in- creased dramatically during the ear- ly years of the [all-volunteer force]” and that “newer entrants may be eligible for better civilian opportuni- ties and better post-service earnings than draft-era personnel.” By the time military retirees in the cohort were 55 and 56, they “had greater accumulated wealth” and “had on average $292,000 more” than veteran non-retirees, the report found. Military leaders can rest assured that the military retirement benefit will support their soldiers as they transition to civilian life, the report says. “For military leaders concerned with whether the military retirement benefit is sufficient to offset negative post-service earnings outcomes, the answer is yes—benefits are sufficient for the cohort studied here,” the re- port found. Read the full report here. Soldiers learn about retirement pay and benefits at a briefing by Army Retirement Ser- vices during the 2022 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (U.S. ARMY/ELIZABETH CARAWAY) Remember your AUSA discounts for back-to- school shopping at Apple, Dell, HP, Office Depot and eKnowledge, where you can get free SAT/ACT test prep materials. You can also get a lifetime license for Microsoft Office for one machine for just $39.99 through AUSA’s member discount program at Abenity.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY August 24, 2023 | AUSA Extra 5 T he Special Forces Association serves as the voice for the Spe- cial Forces community and strives to carry on its traditions, advance the image of Army Special Forces to the public and promote the welfare of Green Berets and their families, according to the group’s website. Founded in 1964 at Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, North Carolina, as the U.S. Special Forces Decade Club, the organization was incorporated in 1971 as the Special Forces Decade Association. In 1976, the word “de- cade” was dropped to allow member- ship for all graduates of the Special Forces Qualification Course. The association played a key role in establishing two organizations that provide resources and support to Special Forces soldiers and their families: the Green Beret Founda- tion in 2009 and the Special Forces Charitable Trust in 2011. It has also “provided numerous resources to as- sist the Special Forces units since our inception to ensure units are ad- equately manned and equipped for the defense of the United States,” its website says. According to the group’s website, its 85 chapters seek to honor the memory of Special Forces soldiers who have made the ultimate sacri- fice in defense of freedom and “unite fraternally all persons who are now or have been assigned to the United States Army’s most elite force, the Green Berets.” Chapters also spon- sor local fundraisers and host events recognizing wounded warriors from the special operations community. For more information, please visit www.specialforcesassociation.org. If your association is interested in partnering with AUSA, contact Su- san 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: SFAwww.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | August 24, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, AUSA’s vice president of Leadership and Education, speaks during an Operation Deploy Your Dress ‘Sip and See’ event at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. (AUSA PHOTO) Sharing resources, programs benefits military families I n late July, the Association of the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness team was thrilled to participate in AUSA’s Warfighter Summit and Exposition in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with the inaugural Warf- ighter Family Pavilion. Thea Green, deputy director of Family Readiness, created and imple- mented the pavilion, which featured seven military family community partners and government agencies that provided pro- grams, resources and swag to at- tendees. They included the Armed Services YMCA, Army Emergency Relief, the Defense Commissary Agency, Mili- tary OneSource, Tutor.com, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program and Op- eration Deploy Your Dress. Attendees who visited the pavil- ion gave tremendous feedback on the importance of resources for families and shared how grateful they were that AUSA stepped forward to pro- vide opportunities to learn more. At the Warfighter Summit, I had the honor to host Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for installations, G-9, and Dee Geise, director of soldier and fam- ily readiness and the Quality of Life Task Force, for a fireside chat where we discussed programs to improve housing, help spouses find employ- ment and other initiatives. Additionally, Thea and I were ec- static to host an Operation Deploy Your Dress “Sip and See” event in partnership with Yvonne Coombes, co-founder of Operation Deploy Your Dress; Emily Hardy, the Fort Lib- erty Operation Deploy Your Dress shop manager; Fort Liberty Armed Services YMCA Executive Director Jeremy Hester; and Jill Kiah-Saslav, the installation’s director of develop- ment and community relations. The event kicked off with open- ing remarks from retired Lt. Gen. Family Readiness Leslie Smith, AUSA’s vice president of Leadership and Education, and it provided an opportunity for local Army and community leaders and AUSA’s Fort Liberty chapter—repre- sented by retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmie Spencer, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew McFowler, Shauna Johnson and Tina Wright—to come together to network and learn about the great things AUSA chapters and community partners are doing to- gether for our soldiers and families. Following this session, the Opera- tion Deploy Your Dress shop opened for a special shopping event, allow- ing anyone with a military ID card to view the boutique and its family resources and receive a free dress with accessories. The first 50 people received a tote bag filled with swag, including the AUSA publication Customs, Cour- tesies and Traditions of the United States Army: A Primer for Family Members. And, we were proud to wel- come 71 new AUSA members. The Family Readiness directorate’s participation in these events furthers the AUSA mission to educate, inform and connect by supporting our chap- ters and connecting communities to AUSA and the Army. Most importantly, we seek to tell our soldiers’ and families’ stories, to be their voice and advocate for them as they serve our nation. Holly Dailey is AUSA’s Family Readiness director. Thea Green, left, AUSA’s deputy director of Family Readiness, joins AUSA members and community partners at the Family Pavilion during the association’s 2023 Warfighter Summit and Exposition in Fayetteville, North Carolina. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY August 24, 2023 | AUSA Extra 9 Chapter aids recruiters with professional sales training A s the Army continues to grap- ple with a difficult recruiting environment, the Association of the U.S. Army’s North Texas-Aud- ie Murphy chapter has facilitated a training program to help local re- cruiters reach their goals—with im- pressive results. “We’re on a mission to equip ser- vicemen and servicewomen with the training they need to succeed, and the results of our test program reveal the vast potential of this strategy to improve the quality and quantity of recruits to the U.S. Army,” said Patti McCoy, the chapter president, as re- ported by the Cross Timbers Gazette. To support the Dallas Recruiting Battalion, one of seven battalions un- der the Army’s 5th Recruiting Bri- gade, McCoy and other chapter lead- ers approached Jason Forrest and his wife, Mary, who run the Forrest Per- formance Group, one of the chapter’s Community Partners. Together, they created a customized version of the Forrest Group’s sales training pro- gram, tailored for Army recruiters. “To prepare new recruiters to com- municate the benefits of the U.S. Army better, we created an entirely new process, rewrote their script, and taught them to believe in the importance of their role,” said Ja- son Forrest, whose passion for the military stems from his years in the ROTC program at Texas Christian University. Professional education for recruit- ers is one area senior Army leaders are considering to help combat the current recruiting shortfall. “Most of our recruiters are NCOs who do other things most of the time, and then they come and recruit for a cou- ple of years and they go back into the operational force,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in July. McCoy echoed that sentiment. “If you’ve ever had a job you struggled in due to lack of training, then you’ve walked in the shoes of the unpre- pared soldier assigned to the role of U.S. Army recruiter,” she said, ac- cording to the Cross Timbers Gazette. The 38 recruiters who participat- ed in the specially tailored program, called the Warrior Sales Program, are already demonstrating the ben- efits of professional sales training. Each NCO who attended the pro- gram enlisted an average of six more soldiers over the 13-week training period compared to other recruiters, and they did so with nearly 300 fewer appointments. The program also sought to im- prove the recruiters’ mentality and reduce stress by emphasizing positiv- Jason Forrest and his wife, Mary, of the Forrest Performance Group, conduct Warrior Sales Program training for Army recruiters in Dallas. (CROSS TIMBERS GAZETTE PHOTO) ity, confidence and motivation. “Many of these well-intentioned young soldiers joined the Army to fight for their country,” said retired Col. James Hogan, executive director of AUSA’s Fourth Region, as reported by the Cross Timbers Gazette. “The Warrior Sales Program, donated by Forrest Performance Group at no charge, helped them see recruiting as another worthy way to serve.” McCoy believes that the program’s success could have applications on a much larger scale. “It’s a common- sense solution that, if applied nation- ally, holds vast potential to improve the quality of our armed forces and bolster national security,” she said. Soldiers assigned to the Dallas Recruiting Battalion practice techniques learned from training facilitated by AUSA’s North Texas-Audie Murphy chapter. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO) North Texas- Audie MurphyLEARN MORE & REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.AUSA.ORG/EVENTS Join us to hear a presentation by John H. Davis, author of Combat to College: Applying the Military Mentality as a Student Veteran. Davis—a former paratrooper who says he was the most tattooed person at Harvard—will give practi- cal advice to veterans who may be struggling as they start their college careers. 7 SEPTEMBER 2023 1200–1300 EDT 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. COMBAT TO COLLEGE Applying the Military Mentality as a Student Veteran with author John H. DavisNext >