PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org September 25, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 NCOs training to bolster H2F program T he Army has established a new skills qualification identifier for NCOs who become trained as experts in the Holistic Health and Fitness program, Army Vice Chief of Staff James Mingus said. In remarks on Wednesday during a Noon Report webinar hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army, Mingus explained that the Holistic Health and Fitness program, known as H2F, will now have NCO advisers “who have gone through and learned the fundamentals on how to assess, program and execute” components of the program. The H2F program was established to address the need for soldiers to have a higher level of health, fitness A soldier in the NCO Academy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, conducts training Sept. 17 during a Holistic Health and Fitness Instructor Course. (U.S. ARMY/DANIEL AMBURG) Korean War Chaplain Honored in Graphic Novel 3 Army Test Pilot Chosen for 2025 Astronaut Class 4 Book Program Army Expo ’25 7 Chapter Highlights Southern Virginia Eagle Chapters 8, 9 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 7 NUMBER 20 SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 See Mingus, Page 5 and well-being for peak performance and to help empower them by opti- mizing physical and non-physical performance while minimizing in- jury. The system promotes mental, sleep, nutritional, physical and spir- itual readiness and is supported at the brigade level with specialists and equipment. Soldiers with the new skills quali- fication identifier, called the H2F Advisor or H2F-A, will act as con- sultants to brigade commanders and serve as a bridge between the embed- ded H2F Performance Teams and the H2F integrators at lower echelons, according to an Army news release. Soldiers eligible to acquire the new skills qualification identifier will be staff sergeants and sergeants first class from across the Total Army who have completed their key develop- mental assignments, earned the H2F Integrator, or H2F-I, Additional Skill Identifier, and completed their rank- equivalent professional military edu- cation, according to the release. A first cohort of advisers was set to complete the pilot program of instruction Oct. 10 at Fort Jack- son, South Carolina, said Hunter Rhoades, spokesman for the Army’s Center for Initial Military Training . With one week to go in fiscal year 2025, there were 71 H2F teams em- bedded across the force. The number of these teams, consisting of experts Available on © 2025 JC Technology Made in U.S.A. www.acecomputers.com | (877)-223-2667 | CCS@AceComputers.com High-Performance Desktop Powered by CCS-3 QEBwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY September 25, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 AUSA graphic novel honors heroic Korean War chaplain C apt. Emil Kapaun, the most decorated chaplain in Army history who continued minis- tering to his fellow soldiers while in captivity during the Korean War, is the focus 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: Emil Kapaun re- counts how Kapaun stayed to treat the wounded even when Chinese forces overwhelmed his unit during the Korean War. Sent to a prisoner of war camp, Kapaun gave his rations to his fellow soldiers and defied his captors to lead prayer meetings. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, Kapaun is under consider- ation for sainthood in the Catholic Church. “I am excited to see this inspira- tional story join the Medal of Honor series,” said Joseph Craig, director of AUSA’s Book Program. “The artists have done remarkable work to high- light Kapaun’s courage and kindness.” Medal of Honor: Emil Kapaun is available here. AUSA launched its Medal of Honor graphic novel series in October 2018. The digital graphic novels are avail- able here. A paperback collection of the four graphic novels released this year will be available at the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in October. Born in 1916 in rural Kansas, Ka- paun grew up on a farm before study- ing to become a priest. Ordained in 1940, he joined the U.S. Army Chap- lain Corps in 1944, according to the Army. Kapaun served briefly at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, before serv- ing the remainder of World War II in the Burma and India theater. He left the Army in 1946 and resumed pas- toral work in Kansas. ‘Withering enemy fire’ In 1948, Kapaun decided to com- mission into the Army Chaplain Corps for a second time, and he mo- bilized in support of the Korean War in 1950, according to the Army. He was serving as a chaplain with the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Bat- talion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, in Unsan, Korea, when enemy forces attacked on Nov. 1, 1950. “Chaplain Kapaun calmly walked through with- ering enemy fire in order to provide comfort and medical aid to his com- rades and rescue friendly wounded from no-man's land,” according to his Medal of Honor citation. The Americans repelled the as- sault, but they were surrounded by the enemy. “Facing annihilation, the able-bodied men were ordered to evacuate,” the citation says. “Chap- lain Kapaun, fully aware of his cer- tain capture, elected to stay behind with the wounded.” When the enemy broke through the lines on Nov. 2, Kapaun continued to make his rounds as hand-to-hand combat ensued around him, the cita- tion says. Shortly after he was captured, Ka- paun pushed aside an enemy soldier who was preparing to execute an American NCO, saving his life. Kapaun spent seven months in the Sambukol and Pyoktong prison camps, in what is now the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, according to the Army. He tended to the sick and wounded, scoured for food, built fires against the guards’ commands and fashioned iron sheet vessels to launder the clothing of the wounded and purify drinking water, according to the Army. Risking punishment, he also led prayers and spiritual services for the POWs. Courage, compassion and spirit Upon their release and return home, survivors of the Pyoktong prison told stories of Kapaun's cour- age, compassion and spirit, according to the Army. They also credited him with saving their lives, and hundreds more, before succumbing to his own wounds and prison maltreatment. Kapaun died in Pyoktong on May 23, 1951. After being interred in 1956 in a grave marked “unknown” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, his remains were positively identified in 2021. He is laid to rest near his Kansas home. Each AUSA graphic novel is cre- ated by a team of professional comic book veterans. The script for Medal of Honor: Emil Kapaun was writ- ten by Chuck Dixon, whose previous work includes Batman, The Punisher and The ‘Nam. Artwork and the cover were by An- drew Paquette, whose work includes Avengers, Daredevil and Hellraiser. The lettering was by Troy Peteri, who has worked on Spider-Man, Iron Man and X-Men.www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | September 25, 2025 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. To celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, from April 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025, membership rates are reduced to a five-year Premium rate of $50 and a two- year Premium rate of $30. Lifetime member- ship is $250. A special Premium rate of $10 for two years is open to E1–E4 and cadets only. Two-year Basic membership with select ben- efits is free. Learn more at www.ausa.org/join . Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY NASA selects Army aviator for 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class A n experienced Army test pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours is one of 10 people se- lected to be an astronaut candidate in NASA’s 2025 astronaut class, NASA announced on Monday. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ben Bai- ley is the sole Army candidate in the 2025 class. Bailey was selected by NASA to join the 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class while serving as an experimental test pilot specializing in developmental testing of emerging technologies for UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. He has a bachelor’s degree in me- chanical engineering from the Uni- versity of Virginia and is pursuing a master’s degree in systems engi- neering from the Naval Postgradu- ate School in Monterey, California, according to his bio from NASA. “I’m honored to welcome the next generation of American explorers to our agency,” Acting NASA Adminis- trator Sean Duffy said during a cer- emony introducing the class. “The 10 men and women sitting here today embody the truth that in America, regardless of where you start, there is no limit to what a determined dreamer can achieve—even going to space.” NASA evaluated more than 8,000 applications to select its 2025 as- tronaut class, according to a NASA news release. Before joining the Army, Bailey was a nuclear engineer who con- structed aircraft carrier propulsion plants. In the Army, Bailey served as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot from 2016 to 2022 at Joint Base Lewis- McChord, Washington. During that time, he deployed in support of over- seas operations, according to his NASA biography. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, in 2022. An instructor pilot, he has over 2,000 flight hours Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ben Bailey has been selected to be a candidate in NA- SA’s 2025 astronaut class. (NASA PHOTO) As an AUSA member, you have access to special insurance savings from Farmers GroupSelect, an easy way to shop for auto, home and renters insurance and more. Click here or call 1-877-491-5089 and provide the AUSA member discount code FX3. across more than 30 different rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. In addition to Bailey, several other candidates in the 2025 class have military experience. Candidate Kath- erine Spies is a Marine Corps veter- an, Lt. Cmdr. Erin Overcash serves in the Navy, and Rebecca Lawler and Imelda Muller are Navy veterans. Majs. Adam Fuhrmann and Cameron Jones serve in the Air Force. The 10 candidates will undergo two years of training before they are eligible for missions to low-Earth or- bit, the moon and eventually to Mars, according to a NASA astronaut selec- tion program webpage. NASA hopes the latest astronaut class will further its goals of inno- vation and exploration, said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “Today, our mission propels us even further as we prepare for our next giant leap with NASA’s newest astronaut candidate class,” she said. “Representing America’s best and brightest, this astronaut candidate class will usher in the golden age of innovation and exploration as we push toward the moon and Mars.”www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY September 25, 2025 | AUSA Extra 5 Mingus From Page 1 Retired Gen. Bob Brown, left, AUSA presi- dent and CEO, greets Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus on Wednesday be- fore a Noon Report webinar at AUSA head- quarters in Arlington, Virginia. (AUSA PHOTO) such as strength coaches and nutri- tionists, is projected to grow to 91 over the next year and to 111 by the end of fiscal 2027, Mingus said. He added that “within about a year after that, I think we’ll have the whole Army.” A prototype program will be intro- duced next year in the Army Nation- al Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve at four locations that will each have four teams, programs that will be “vastly different” for the two compo- nents, he said. “You can have great control and great oversight and leadership in- side those organizations a couple of days a month, but what do you do the other 29 days?” Mingus said, noting that Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, di- rector of the Army National Guard, and Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of the Army Reserve and commander of Army Reserve Command, “are going to help us understand that and get it on track.” For decades, Mingus said, the Ar- my’s physical fitness programs pro- moted and measured pushups, situps and a two-mile run. “It created an Army that was very fit from a muscular and cardiovascu- lar endurance perspective … but did not get after muscular strength, agil- ity, power, speed and all the things it’s going to take our soldiers to win the next fight,” Mingus said. At the heart of the 22-person H2F teams are the strength conditioning coaches who work with the chain of command to assess the program and execute functional fitness. The teams work for the command- ers and provide subject-matter ex- pertise on how to do the assessments and programmatic aspects of H2F. “When you start to deal with the complexities of what a soldier needs to be able to do, it gets hard real fast, and we ought to treat our soldiers like professional athletes,” Mingus said.www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | September 25, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Georgia Army National Guard soldiers conduct the two-mile run event of the Army Fitness Test Sept. 21 in Marietta, Georgia. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. 1ST CLASS JAMES BRASWELL) Fitness test high scorers exempt from body fat standards RF congestion. Spectrum deception. Hard-to-find, fast-moving threats. Deploy elite Mod Payload solutions for software-defined crewed and uncrewed SIGINT, ISR, EW, and CYBER missions. DETECT LOCATE DISRUPT CONTEST SPECTRUM CHAOS octasic.com/ausa2025 MEET OUR EXPERTSAUSA BOOTH 8500 — Hall E S oldiers who score 465 points or more on the Army Fitness Test are exempt from the service’s body fat standards, according to a new directive published Sept. 4. “This is a welcome continuation of our previous policy under the former Army Combat Fitness Test,” said Sgt. Maj. Christopher Stevens, senior en- listed adviser to the deputy Army chief of staff for personnel, G-1. Under the prior iteration of the fi t- ness test, known as the Army Combat Fitness Test, which was scored out of 600 points, soldiers who scored 540 points or higher were exempt from the body fat assessment, according to an Army directive from March 2023. This new directive comes several months after the Army Combat Fit- ness Test was replaced on June 1 by the Army Fitness Test, which consists of fi ve events and introduced general and combat fi tness test scoring. In addition to achieving 465 points or more, soldiers must score 80 points or more in each event, and no alter- native events are permitted. All soldiers must still undergo height and weight screening and have their data recorded. Soldiers who do not meet the height and weight standards but meet the fi tness test score requirement will not have to complete a tape test, according to an Army news release. The directive, which was effective immediately, applies to all Army components and to the general and combat versions of the fi tness test. Exemptions based on fi tness test per- formance “are valid until the next re- cord test,” the Army said. The directive incentivizes soldiers to perform well on the fi tness test, Stevens said. “It rewards soldiers who consistently demonstrate high levels of fi tness, which supports read- iness, health, and creates a culture that values performance,” he said. Read the directive here.www.ausa.orgSeptember 18, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Army Expo connects community with soldiers, history L ast week, thousands of people took advantage of the great weather to enjoy Army Expo ’25, and the Association of the U.S. Army’s Book Program was pleased to be part of the festivities. Army Expo is the U.S. Army War College’s public outreach program, designed to showcase the service’s ca- pabilities and workforce. This year’s event took place Sept. 13–14 at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Army Expo is free to the pub- lic, offering an op- portunity to “meet your U.S. Army past, present, and future,” in the words of the organizers. Over 6,700 people took advantage of that oppor- tunity over the weekend. The family friendly event offered a full program to excite children of all ages. Both days started with a UH- 74 Lakota helicopter from the 2nd Aviation Detachment landing on the grounds. Once the dust cleared, visi- tors were invited to climb aboard and take pictures. That was only the start of the ac- tion. The Black Knights parachute team from the U.S. Military Acad- emy at West Point, New York, dove into the event from high altitude, the U.S. Army Drill Team performed an impressive routine with bayonet- Book Program tipped rifles, and World War II tanks raced across a field, climbing obsta- cles and thrilling observers by firing their guns. Elsewhere across the 55-acre grounds of the Heritage and Educa- tion Center, reenactors from across the country shared stories of the lives of soldiers across the centuries. Things got a bit louder with live-fire demonstrations of firearms and ar- tillery pieces from different eras of Army history. The energy continued with musi- cal performances by Steel Traditions and CoverFire! from the 28th In- fantry Division, as well as the 78th Army Band. The AUSA national team partnered with AUSA’s Carlisle Barracks and Cumberland Valley chapter inside the exhibitor space. Representing the Book Program, I shared details on AUSA’s full breadth of programs and publications, handing out free samples of ARMY magazine, graphic novels, education studies and AUSA Family Readiness coloring books. Retired 1st Sgt. Stephen Canonico, AUSA’s assistant director of Army veterans and civilian affairs and pro- gram manager of Association Part- ners, worked with retired Col. Robert Hume and John Hobrle from the local chapter to enlighten attendees about the benefits of AUSA membership. We hope to see you at next year’s Army Expo, which will be held at the Heritage and Education Center on Sept. 12–13, 2026. Please visit www.ausa.org/books to learn more about the AUSA Book Program. Use the promo code F25AU- SA for select member discounts when purchasing titles directly through the publisher links. Joseph Craig is AUSA’s Book Program director. John Hobrle, center, with AUSA's Carlisle Barracks and Cumberland Valley chapter, rings a bell to celebrate a new member joining the chapter during Army Expo ’25, cheered on by Joseph Craig, left, and retired 1st Sgt. Stephen Canonico from AUSA national headquarters. (AUSA PHOTO) Attendees at Army Expo ’25 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, had the opportunity to interact with members of the Black Knights parachute team from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, reenactors from across the country, and much more. (U.S. ARMY/MADISON SIMMS)www.ausa.org 8 AUSA Extra | September 25, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY James Vardy, center left, president of AUSA's Southern Virginia chapter, presents a food donation to the Fort Lee Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Food Pantry. (AUSA PHOTO) Chapter food donation supports troops, families in need R ecently, the Association of the U.S. Army's Southern Virginia chapter contributed 100 pounds of food to the Fort Lee Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Food Pantry, helping support soldiers and families in need. The donation was made possible through a food drive organized by the chapter, with members coming together to provide nonperishable items for the pantry. The initiative reflects AUSA’s com- mitment to supporting the Army community and ensuring soldiers and their families have adequate re- sources. Representing the chapter dur- ing the donation was its president, James Vardy. “This effort shows the strength of our chapter and the gen- erosity of our members,” Vardy said. “We are proud to stand behind our soldiers and their families.” The food pantry serves as a vital resource at Fort Lee, offering sup- port and relief to service members and their loved ones. “We’re honored to support our mili- tary community through meaningful action and partnership,” the chapter said in a Facebook post. Southern Virginiawww.ausa.orgSeptember 25, 2025 | AUSA Extra 9 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Eagle Chapters The following chapters attained Eagle status for August by showing positive membership growth. The number of consecutive months of growth since July 1 is shown in parentheses. Alamo (2) Arizona Territorial (2) Arsenal of Democracy (2) Benelux (2) Big Bend (2) Catoctin (2) Columbia River (2) Crossroads of America (2) Denver Centennial (2) Dix (2) Fires (2) Florida Gulf Stream (2) Fort Riley-Central Kansas (2) GEN Creighton W. Abrams (2) George Washington (2) Greater Los Angeles (2) Greater New York-Statue of Liberty (2) Kuwait (2) Las Vegas-John C. Fremont (2) Magnolia (2) Major Samuel Woodfill (2) Marne (2) National Training Center-High Desert (2) Newton D. Baker (2) San Francisco (2) Sunshine (2) Texas Capital Area (2) Thunderbird (2) United Arab Emirates (2) Central California (1) Central Texas (1) Central Virginia (1) COL Edward Cross (1) Connecticut (1) Corporal Bill McMillan-Bluegrass (1) CSM James M. McDonald-Keystone (1) Delaware (1) Des Moines Freedom (1) Ethan Allen (1) First In Battle (1) Fort Jackson-Palmetto State (1) Fort Rucker-Wiregrass (1) Fort Sheridan-Chicago (1) Francis Scott Key (1) GEN Joseph W. Stilwell (1) GEN William C. Westmoreland (1) Hawaii (1) Houston Metroplex (1) Korea (1) Last Frontier (1) Milwaukee (1) MSG Leroy Arthur Petry (1) North Texas-Audie Murphy (1) PFC William Kenzo Nakamura (1) Picatinny Arsenal-Middle Forge (1) Pikes Peak (1) Polar Bear (1) Potomac-Liberty (1) Puerto Rico (1) Rhode Island (1) SGM Jon R. Cavaiani (1) Silicon Valley (1) Southern Virginia (1) Space Coast (1) St. Louis Gateway (1) Stuttgart (1) Suncoast (1) Virginia Colonial (1) West Point Area (1)Next >