PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org September 21, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 Senate confirms George as Army chief G en. Randy George was con- firmed today by the Senate to be the 41st Army chief of staff. The Army vice chief of staff since August 2022, George had been per- forming the duties of the chief of staff since Gen. James McConville retired Aug. 4. George was confirmed by a vote of 96-1. His nomination had been held up, along with hundreds of other gen- eral and flag officer nominations, in a dispute over a Pentagon policy on reproductive health care. On Wednesday, the Senate began moving to confirm George, Marine Gen. Eric Smith to be the Marine Corps commandant, and Air Force See George, Page 5 Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George testifies before lawmakers in July during a confirma- tion hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. DAVID RESNICK) Army Aims to Strengthen Profession of Arms 3 Download AUSA’s New Annual Meeting App 4 Family Readiness Annual Meeting Family Forums 7 Chapter Highlights Fort Liberty Tucson-Goyette 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 21 SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 Gen. Charles Brown to be the next Joint Chiefs chairman. Brown was confirmed Wednesday. He will succeed Gen. Mark Milley, who is retiring at the end of Septem- ber after a four-year term. The Senate is expected to vote on Smith’s confirmation later today. The other nominations are still pending in the Senate. George was nominated in April by President Joe Biden to be the Army’s next top officer. He most recently was the senior military assistant to Defense Secre- tary Lloyd Austin. A former commander of I Corps and the 4th Infantry Division, George is a 1988 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He commanded I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, from February 2020 to June 2021, and the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, from August 2017 to October 2019. As division commander, George led the 4th Infantry Division head- quarters to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He also was a brigade commander in the division, leading his soldiers to Af- ghanistan in 2009. The native of Alden, Iowa, also has served multiple deployments to Iraq. While performing the duties of Army chief of staff, George has em- phasized the importance of an Army that’s focused on warfighting and View the Oshkosh RCV at Booth 739 DELIVERING THE FUTURE OF COMBAT Based on decades of innovation, development, and testing, the Oshkosh RCV is soldier-centered, purpose-built, and ready now to exceed the demands of nearly any mission. The evolution continues. THE BATTLEFIELD EVOLVES. SO DO WE.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY September 21, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Brito: People give the Army its ‘asymmetric advantage’ R etired Gen. Bob Brown, left, AUSA president and CEO, speaks with Gen. Gary Brito, commanding general of Army Training and Doctrine Command, during a Coffee Series event Wednesday at the association’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia . (AUSA PHOTO) R einvigorating the profession of arms and building soldiers and leaders of character are critical efforts for the Army as it transforms for the future, the com- mander of Army Training and Doc- trine Command said. “Strengthening the profession of arms defines what we’re all about,” Gen. Gary Brito said Wednesday during a breakfast hosted by the As- sociation of the U.S. Army as part of its Coffee Series. “Soldiers and leaders of character, commitment and competency share a common purpose—a culture … built on trust of each other, cohesion, re- spect. All that’s important,” he said. “If you don’t have all that together, if we don’t move together, it will erode our warfighting capability.” Brito, who took command in Sep- tember 2022, said gaining that pro- fessionalism is not only a matter of education and leader development. It also requires “mastering the basic blocking and tackling at echelon, at every skill set.” “It’s ensuring there are no gaps, no deficiencies at delivering a combat- ready force through education, lead- ership development, … which is our asymmetric advantage over all our adversaries,” Brito said. Such professional development, he said, begins with the youngest privates. In a new initiative, drill Suzanne McCollum has served as AUSA’s registrar since 2017. She was an Army civilian for many years before coming to AUSA. In her spare time, you can find Suzanne listen- ing to true crime podcasts, trying to keep houseplants alive or planning the ultimate vacation to some far-off exotic location. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Suzanne McCollum Registrar sergeants will begin training ba- sic trainees to operate in squads in round-robin training that also places them in collective training scenarios. “So, when they graduate or go with a unit, they’ve operated in a team, in a squad, and they see the value of being part of a cohesive team,” Brito said. Addressing the recruiting chal- lenges that have kept the Army from bringing in the number of sol- diers it needs to fill the ranks, Brito said he remains optimistic and sees the “acute crisis as an opportunity” to build on the successes that have “made a big difference over the past year.” In addition to a handful of high- profile recruiting initiatives, includ- ing the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, which helps service-eligible individuals meet the Army’s aca- demic and physical standards and qualify to serve, Brito said the Army must adapt to the way young people communicate and engage. “We need to adapt to the young men and women of America,” he said. “The 18- to 20-year-old of today might be a little different than when I was [that age]. We just have to accept ... the way they learn, their level of physical fit- ness, their lifestyle, and yet infuse those opportunities to ensure we have a force that we need to have.” To dispel misconceptions about service in the Army, Brito said the Army “has improved a lot over the past year” in translating complicat- ed MOS codes into plain language that resonates with young people, parents, school counselors and other influencers, and showcasing educa- tional and other benefits. An expansion of Junior ROTC pro- grams also is underway, though it’s not a quick process, Brito said, as there are budgeting considerations, support from schools and the need for a cadre of qualified instructors.www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | September 21, 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 Soldier Fuel is the energy drink designed to be a point of pride for soldiers. The drink contains no sug- ar, has 116 mg of caffeine plus taurine and 200% of four key B vitamins. Soldier Fuel dedicates 15% of its profits to pro- veteran charities like AUSA, and members save 15% at www.soldierfuel.com with promo code AUSAmember at checkout. New AUSA Annual Meeting app helps attendees navigate, connect T he Association of the U.S. Army has launched a new mo- bile app in conjunction with its 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo- sition. This year’s event is Oct. 9–11 at the Walter E. Washington Conven- tion Center in Washington, D.C. With a theme of “Be All You Can Be,” the meeting will highlight how the Army is innovating, adapting and transforming for 2030 and beyond. The program will feature keynote addresses by senior Army leaders, including Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who was con- firmed today by the Senate to be the Army chief of staff. There also will be contemporary military forums, War- riors Corner and Innovators Corner presentations and more than 650 ex- hibits spread over five halls. The new AUSA Annual Meeting app allows you to view the agenda and session information, read speak- er bios, create a personalized sched- ule of events and receive reminder notifications. Using the app, you also will be able to connect and schedule meetings with exhibitors, navigate the con- vention center, network with other attendees, connect with the AUSA community and grow your profes- sional network. You will need your badge ID and email address to log in, build your profile and make connections. This year’s Annual Meeting hashtag is #AUSA2023. The app is available for iPhone and Android users here. This year’s annual meeting will open with a keynote address from Wormuth. George is expected to pro- vide the keynote during the Eisen- hower luncheon, and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, who became the Army’s senior enlisted soldier on Aug. 4, will host a forum and speak at various events. This year’s contemporary military forums will feature topics such as attracting talent for the 21st cen- tury, land power in the Indo-Pacific, strengthening the Army profession, the role of land forces in deterrence and defense in Europe, modernizing for the future fight, and taking care of soldiers and families. The Army is in the middle of its biggest transformation in 40 years, with ambitious programs that aim to prepare the force for 2030 and beyond. It also is working to main- tain its present-day readiness, with soldiers in high demand at home and overseas. “The Army does an incredible amount of work all around the world to defend this nation,” Wormuth said. “We are as busy today, almost, as we were during the years of the global war on terror. We can’t afford to get too small.”www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY September 21, 2023 | AUSA Extra 5 George From Page 1 Navy Federal Credit Union is federally insured by NCUA. 1 Credit and collateral subject to approval. 2 CARFAX is a registered trademark of CARFAX, Inc. 3 TruStage® Auto & Home Insurance Program is made available through TruStage Insurance Agency, LLC and issued by leading insurance companies. The insurance offered is not a deposit, and is not federally insured, sold or guaranteed by Navy Federal. Product and features may vary and not be available in all states. Discounts are not available in all states, and discounts vary by state. Certain discounts apply to specific coverages only. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; not all applicants may qualify. Navy Federal Credit Union is in no way responsible for any products or services provided by or through TruStage, Liberty Mutual or their affiliates, subsidiaries and insurance company partners. AUT-4210544.1-0122-0224 4 Navy Federal Credit Union is in no way responsible for any product, service, purchase or lease provided by or through CARFAX, TruStage, Liberty Mutual, SiriusXM or the Navy Federal Car Buying Service operated by TrueCar. © 2023 Navy Federal NFCU 14083 (2-23) Our Members Are the Mission Car Buying, Fully Loaded Terms and conditions apply. Learn more atnavyfederal.org/carbuying. 4 • Get a decision in seconds on great-rate auto loans 1 • Shop, compare and get up-front pricing through our Car Buying Service, powered by TrueCar® • Learn more about your vehicle's history with CARFAX® 2 • See if you could save on auto insurance from Liberty Mutual®, made available through TruStage® 3 • Explore FREE trial subscriptions to SiriusXM’s Platinum Plan Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, center, speaks with soldiers Aug. 25 dur- ing a visit to Grafenwoehr, Germany. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. EMMA ROBERTS) able to respond to any contingency anywhere in the world. “Our Army exists to fight and win our nation’s wars. That’s why we ex- ist, that’s why we’re in this uniform,” George said Sept. 12 at the 2023 Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Moore, Georgia. “We are a global Army. We’ve got to be ready to go anywhere on short notice.” To maintain the Army’s edge, George has four focus areas—warf- ighting, continuous transformation, delivering ready combat formations and strengthening the profession. “I expect you to focus on what makes you more lethal and cohesive,” George said. “If there are things that are on your training schedule that are not making you more lethal or a more cohesive team, … then you need to have a discussion about tak- ing that off your training schedule.”www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | September 21, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Leaders emphasize need for land power in future warfare Pfc. Jordon Kirby, left, and Spc. Isaiah Fernandez of the 101st Airborne Division examine their sector of fire during a force-on-force situational training exercise Sept. 16 at Camp Adazi, Latvia. (U.S. ARMY/STAFF SGT. OSCAR GOLLAZ) B attles are decided in the land domain, and as the world’s premier land power, the U.S. Army will remain a relevant force in any future conflict, the service’s se- nior leaders said. At the inaugural event Tuesday in the Strategic Landpower Dialogue series hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army and the Center for Strategic and International Stud- ies, Army Secretary Christine Wor- muth and Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George enumerated the ways in which the Army will remain a winning land power. “Land is the domain where people live,” Wormuth said. “We have not yet figured out how to get to Mars, we have not yet figured out how to live underwater. People live on the land, and the sovereignty of nations is generally decided on land.” George, who was confirmed today by the Senate to be the Army chief of staff and was performing the duties of the position while he awaited con- firmation, said that “in combat, all the decisive actions happen on land, and I think the Army will continue to be a big part of that.” The Army, he said, “is going to handle problems at scale, … wheth- er that’s battalion all the way up to corps and theater, that will be the Army. Same for integrated air and missile defense. It’s very, very hard to kill land-based long-range fires hiding in the clutter.” While skeptics have long claimed that land power is at an end, the critical role of land forces is evident in the “obscene war launched by Rus- sia against Ukraine,” John Hamre, president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in his opening remarks. Wormuth echoed Hamre’s remarks, adding that in Ukraine, where nei- ther side has achieved air superior- ity and ships have been sunk, land power “remains extremely relevant today,” she said. The Army also has a role to play in the Indo-Pacific, Wormuth said. In that region, deterrence will be carried out by the Army as “the most endur- ing manifestation of American com- bat power in that theater,” she said. “I do not think that war with Chi- na is inevitable, but the way to make sure that we don’t have to fight that war is to deter it,” she said. Retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, noted that “peo- ple are always looking for the precise, neat solution, but land power will al- ways be critical.” As the Army continues to modern- ize and transform, Wormuth said, it must double down on recruiting as it adjusts its force structure and builds new formations with the right capa- bilities. Acknowledging that the “recruit- ing headwinds are strong,” Wormuth noted that many of the initiatives the Army created over the past year have helped, and she predicted that the service would “finish this fiscal year pretty strong.” But more change is needed. The Army plans to make some announce- ments “in the relatively near future” about recruiting changes that will “allow us to take the progress we’ve made this year and build on it so we can get back to a point where we are recruiting 60,000 or more young Americans” each year, Wormuth said. Spc. Dustin Tran, assigned to the 10th Mountain Division climbs up a cliffside Monday in Smolyan, Bulgaria, during Combined Training Exercise Rhodope 23. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. UBALDO LECHUGA)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY September 21, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 Forums to focus on Army families, resources, support N ext month, the Association of the U.S. Army will host its 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Wash- ington Convention Center in Wash- ington, D.C. Scheduled for Oct. 9–11, the annu- al meeting is the largest land power exposition and professional develop- ment forum in North America, bring- ing together the Army, industry, mil- itary services, veterans, civilians, families, caregivers and survivors. AUSA’s Family Readiness director- ate will be hosting four military fam- ily forums at this year’s conference. The forums will be in room 147AB of the convention center, while the popular Army Senior Leaders’ Town Hall will be in room 146AB. The forums, featuring a robust slate of experts, also will be avail- able via livestream. Both in-person and online audiences—soldiers and family members, senior spouses, military caregivers, surviving family members, family program managers and representatives from organiza- tions involved in supporting Army families—will be able to ask ques- tions and have their voices heard. We will kick things off at 2 p.m. Oct. 9 with the first forum, “Trans- forming Army Prevention, Care, Education and Quality of Life.” The panel will feature Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy Army chief of staff for installations, G-9, and other ex- perts who can discuss how the Army is working to take better care of sol- diers and families. The second family forum, “Let’s Get Tactical: Resiliency and Up- stream Prevention Tool Kit Build- ing,” is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 10. It will focus on how to thrive and succeed in Army life and programs and services available to help. Two separate panels on quality-of- life topics, health care and military spouse employment, will make up the Family Readiness third forum. The first panel, “Sup- port of the Military Health System,” will focus on available resources and how the military health system has modernized in recent years. The sec- ond panel, “Military Spouse Employ- ment and Advocacy,” will focus on spouse employment and how it can improve quality of life and contribute to retention and readiness. The Army Senior Leaders’ Town Hall is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 11. Attendees will have a unique op- portunity to ask questions and par- ticipate in a discussion with the Ar- my’s top leaders. The town hall, our most popular event, also will feature a special performance by the Wash- ington Tattoo. AUSA’s Family Readiness team also will host a book signing at the forums with Ginger Perkins, author of Customs, Courtesies & Traditions of the United States Army: A Primer for Family Members and co-author of The Army Spouse Handbook. Join us at the annual meeting to hear about the Army’s efforts to improve quality of life and increase readiness through caring for the total force. The Army’s people—sol- diers, their families, Army civilians, retirees and veterans—are the Ar- my’s greatest asset and the service’s No. 1 priority. Finally, don’t forget to visit the AUSA Family Readiness Pavilion in Exhibit Hall A. Stop by and meet our exhibitors, including military family organizations and partners such as Operation Deploy Your Dress, which provides formal wear for service members and families. For more information or to register to attend the annual meeting, click here. We look forward to seeing you at the AUSA Annual Meeting and Ex- position. Kaylee Spielman is AUSA’s Family Readiness intern. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth ad- dresses family concerns during a town hall at the 2022 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (DoD PHOTO) Soldiers, spouses and family members listen and learn during a military family forum at the 2022 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | September 21, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUSA members honor Basic Leader Course graduates R etired Sgt. Maj. Ryan Sattel- berg, vice president of NCO and Soldier Programs for the Association of the U.S. Army’s Fort Liberty chapter, recently recognized several outstanding NCOs at the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Lib- erty NCO Academy. During the Basic Leader Course Class 009-23 graduation ceremony Aug. 30 at Fort Liberty, North Car- olina, formerly known as Fort Bragg, Sattelberg presented gift cards to the Distin- guished Honor Graduate, Honor Graduate, leadership awardee, top male and female physical fitness awardees, and the top instructor of the cycle. “One of the best parts of being a Soldier for Life is recognizing the ef- forts of Soldiers and rewarding them,” Sattelberg said in a Facebook post. The graduation ceremony’s guest speaker, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Kinglesmith, senior enlisted leader of the 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion, described the Basic Leader Course as “the first step in military education” for NCOs. Kinglesmith imparted three les- sons to “inspire and challenge” the graduating soldiers. First, he said, military service “is worth it. America has stood the test of time for some 247 years because of the men and women that have volunteered to fight and defend this nation.” Second, Kinglesmith told the NCOs that they would face difficul- ties in their military careers. “A life of service in the military is one of the most challenging jobs that any- one can sign up for,” he said, noting the importance of “stepping outside of your comfort zone” and learning from failures. Finally, the graduating NCOs “are the leaders of the future, and that fu- ture starts today,” Kinglesmith said. “Be the leader that you wanted dur- ing your service thus far, and do not allow your soldiers to be complacent in any aspect of readiness, training and personal life.” It’s important to be tough but fair and to always lead by example, King- lesmith said. “Be demanding, but be understanding at the same time,” he said. “Know your soldiers and believe in them more than they be- lieve in themselves. Teams that are hardened in training and trust their leaders win battles.” Retired Sgt. Maj. Ryan Sattelberg, vice president of NCO and Soldier Programs for the Association of the U.S. Army’s Fort Liberty chapter, presents gift cards to Basic Leader Course graduates at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. (AUSA PHOTO) Community Partner recognized for decade of support to chapter Michael Bartelle, right, president of AUSA’s Tucson-Goyette chapter in Arizona, pres- ents Brian McGlynn of NanoDX with a certificate recognizing the organization’s 10 years as a chapter Community Partner. (AUSA PHOTO) Fort Liberty Tucson- GoyetteNext >