PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org October 5, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 2023 Annual Meeting begins Monday T he Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition kicks off Mon- day 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 event will take place with the full participation of the U.S. Army and other federal agencies after the Sept. 30 passage by Congress of a temporary funding measure that ex- pires Nov. 17. The three-day event, Oct. 9–11 at the Walter E. Washington Conven- tion Center, will feature keynote speeches, contemporary military fo- Soldiers, AUSA members, defense industry representatives and more gather on the exhibit floor during the 2022 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO) New Programs Aim to Transform Recruiting 3 Government Affairs Budget Uncertainty Looms 4 Member Benefits Free Legal Assistance 7 NCO & Soldier Programs Honoring AUSA Chapters 8 Chapter Highlights Redstone-Huntsville GEN Creighton W. Abrams 10 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 23 OCTOBER 5, 2023 rums, military family forums, War- riors Corner and Innovators Corner presentations and more. Army Secretary Christine Wor- muth, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Mi- chael Weimer are scheduled to speak, as are leaders from across the force. 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. There also will be more than 750 exhibits spread over five halls and several award presentations, includ- ing the winners of the Best Squad Competition, the NCO and Soldier of the Year and the Marshall Medal, AUSA’s highest award for selfless service to the country. More than 28,000 people have al- ready registered to attend the An- nual Meeting, including more than 1,000 individual international del- egates representing 92 countries. For more information or to regis- ter, click here. AUSA also has launched a new mo- bile app for the Annual Meeting that allows users to view the agenda and session information, create a person- alized schedule of events, connect and schedule meetings with exhibi- tors, network with other attendees and connect with the AUSA commu- nity. The app is available for iPhone and Android users here. This year’s Annual Meeting hashtag is #AUSA2023. Special Annual Meeting Issue Coming Friday, Oct. 13www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 5, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Army announces 5 initiatives to revamp recruiting Army recruiter Staff Sgt. Terrance Sims-Allen, left, discusses Army service with Junior ROTC cadet Thomas Oman of Eisenhower High School during a community outreach event Sept. 21 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. (U.S. ARMY/ANGELA TURNER) S weeping changes are com- ing to Army recruiting as the service aims to find soldiers in new markets, create a special- ized recruiting force and elevate the power of Army Recruiting Command, senior leaders announced. The moves, which seek to trans- form the Army’s recruiting enter- prise, come as the service has missed its recruiting goals for the past three years, including the most recent fis- cal year that ended Sept. 30. In a meeting Tuesday with Penta- gon reporters, Army Secretary Chris- tine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George announced five new recruiting initiatives. First, the Army will expand its fo- cus on recruiting high school seniors and recent graduates to markets that include college graduates and other people with more than a high school education. This demographic currently comprises 20% of the force. The goal, Wormuth said, is to have at least one-third of recruits from those markets by 2028. AUSA Basic Members can now view a selection of articles from ARMY magazine’s 2023 Green Book. To read the articles, click here. ARMY magazine Green Book Next, a specialized recruiting force will be shaped with the addition of a new MOS—42T or talent acquisition specialist. The Army will use the professional recruiting force, cur- rently the 79R MOS, as the founda- tion to build the new specialty. Additionally, there will be new re- cruiting warrant officers to provide subject-matter expertise and leader- ship in recruiting. The way recruiters are selected also will change. Beyond the basic background check and evaluation of their skills for working well with people, recruiters will be given an aptitude test “to make sure that the folks that we bring into the recruit- ing force have the kind of skills and attributes to be successful,” Wor- muth said. To give Army Recruiting Com- mand greater authorities, Wormuth said, the two-star command will be elevated to a three-star command, and it will subsume Army Cadet Command, which also is at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and the Army Mar- keting Office, which will remain in Chicago. In addition to becoming a three- star command, the job of commander of Army Recruiting Command will transition from a three-year assign- ment to a four-year stint. At the command, George an- nounced, there will be a new deputy commanding general in charge of in- novation and experimentation, with the ability to bust through some of the bureaucracy that could keep new ideas and programs from being im- plemented quickly. The Army ended fiscal 2023 with 55,000 new contracts, including 4,600 who are in the Army’s De- layed Entry Program and will ship to training in fiscal 2024. The year’s goal, which leaders had called a stretch goal, was 65,000 new recruits. Even though the Army missed its goal this year, it is “a very big achievement compared with last year,” Wormuth said, when the ser- vice fell short by 15,000 recruits. She said the slight uptick is “kind of re- building our bank account.”www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | October 5, 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 AUSA’s 20% dis- count at Red Roof is good year-round and better than the hotel chain’s military discount. AUSA members receive 20% off at more than 600 Red Roof locations nationwide, and pets stay free. Visit www.ausa.org/red to make reservations online or print your discount card, or use VP#622590 to access your discount by phone at 1-800-RED-ROOF. Work on 2024 budget remains after Congress narrowly avoids shutdown A last-minute bipartisan act of Congress avoided a govern- ment shutdown that threat- ened to leave soldiers unpaid, but this temporary funding bill doesn’t resolve any questions about fiscal 2024 defense funding and policy de- cisions. There is still much for Con- gress to do. Congress passed the continuing resolution to fund the federal gov- ernment through Nov. 17 on Sept. 30, with just hours to spare before the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, on Sept. 21, the Sen- ate confirmed Gen. Randy George to be the 41st Army chief of staff. He was sworn in shortly afterward by Army Secre- tary Christine Wormuth. But dozens of senior Army leaders are still awaiting confirma- tion in the Senate. This freeze has numerous negative impacts on readi- ness, units, Army families and na- tional security. The Association of the U.S. Army’s Government Affairs team continues to advocate for immediate passage of increased funding for the Army, the Defense Department and the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs. Click here to read a Sept. 26 letter that AUSA signed as part of The Military Coali- tion recommending swift action on military funding. Enacting these funding bills with- out delay will help ensure that our soldiers, families and veterans re- ceive the best possible resources and benefits they require and have earned. A long-term continuing reso- lution—or another possible shutdown in November—would be deeply dam- aging to national security. Much work remains in the appro- priations process. The House of Rep- resentatives has passed four of its full-year funding bills, including ap- propriations legislation for the Pen- tagon and military construction, vet- erans affairs and related agencies. The Senate Appropriations Com- mittee has voted out of committee all 12 of its appropriations bills on a nearly unanimous bipartisan basis, but the Senate has not passed any of the full-year funding bills. You can help to build momentum for rapid passage of these bills by contacting your representatives and senators. We will continue to monitor these and other developments closely as we advocate for the Total Army with Congress. Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government Affairs director. AUSA continues to advocate for swift passage of increased funding for the Army, the De- fense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO) Government Affairswww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 5, 2023 | AUSA Extra 5 Joint Chiefs chairman, former Army chief of staff retires G en. Mark Milley bid farewell Sept. 29 after serving as the 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the past four years. Milley became chairman on Oct. 1, 2019, after serving as the 39th Army chief of staff. During his tenure as the nation’s highest-ranking military of- ficer and principal military adviser to the president, defense secretary and National Security Council, he helped lead the U.S. military through sev- eral pivotal, critical events, includ- ing a pandemic, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and the Russian in- vasion of Ukraine. During a farewell tribute Sept. 29 at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia, President Joe Biden praised Milley for his unwavering service. “During his tenure as chairman, Mark has been the steady hand guid- ing our military,” Biden said. Milley was critical to building part- nerships around the world, keeping the force at the “cutting-edge of the fields of space and cyber,” standing with the people of Ukraine and more, Biden said. “You’ve given remarkable service to our country,” the president said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired general who also served with Milley while in uniform, said the retiring chairman “never hesitated to charge into danger for his troops or his country.” During his tenure as chairman alone, he has led while taking on the pacing challenge of the People’s Republic of China, confront- ing a once-in-a-generation pandemic and leading the world to help Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, Austin said. “Gen. Milley is a scholar and a war- rior,” Austin said. “We respect him for his wits, but we love him for his heart, and he’s thrown his whole heart into leading this tremendous joint force.” As he retires after more than four decades of military service, Milley will be succeeded as Joint Chiefs chairman by Air Force Gen. Charles Brown, who most recently was the Air Force chief of staff. In his remarks, Milley said he is humbled to have served as the 20th Joint Chiefs chairman. “The joint force is the most lethal and capable in the world, and our enemies know it,” Milley said. “We are currently standing watch with a quarter of a million troops deployed in 150 countries.” In the past four years alone, the U.S. military has conducted “count- less” operations and exercises around the world, supported Ukraine, main- tained stability in Asia, fought terror- ists in the Middle East and Africa and supported the nation as it battled the COVID-19 pandemic, Milley said. Milley had a special message for those who served in Afghanistan. “Be proud that you’ve protected this country for 20 consecutive years at great cost,” he said. “Hold your head high. You served, you did what your country asked, and each of you served with honor, courage, skills and digni- ty. Never forget that.” A Massachusetts native, Milley graduated from Princeton University in 1980. He has served in multiple command and staff positions, includ- ing commanding the 10th Mountain Division, III Corps and Army Forces Command. A veteran of multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Milley also has served in the Sinai, Panama, Hai- ti, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, So- malia and South Korea. As Army chief of staff and later as Joint Chiefs chairman, Milley has re- peatedly warned of a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape and the quick- ly evolving character of war. He also has pushed the Army and the other services to transform to maintain a technological edge over America’s ad- versaries. Milley also has repeatedly talked about the importance of the Constitu- tion, especially to those who serve in uniform. Calling it the “moral North Star,” Milley said the Constitution “gives purpose to our service … [and] purpose to our lives.” The U.S. military is unique because it doesn’t take an oath to a country or a tribe or a religion, Milley said. Nor does it swear an oath to a king, queen, tyrant or dictator, he said. “Each of us commits our very lives to protect and defend that document, regardless of personal price, and we are not easily intimidated,” Milley said. Gen. Mark Milley, right, 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shakes hands with his successor, Air Force Gen. Charles Brown, as Milley is honored with a clap-out during his final departure from the Pentagon. (U.S. ARMY/BERNARDO FULLER)www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | October 5, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Inspiration for new AUSA logo comes from WWII Rangers www.armorworks.com (480)598-5700 The ArmorWorks passion for protection is driven by an unwavering focus on research, development, and advanced engineering. Over the past two decades, this passion has resulted in some of the most unique and advanced survivability solutions available on the market today! A new logo for the Association of the U.S. Army, set to be revealed Oct. 9, drew inspira- tion from a band of storied U.S. Army Rangers on D-Day. On June 6, 1944, as U.S. and Allied forces stormed the beaches of Nor- mandy, France, the Rangers scaled the steep cliffs of Pointe du Hoc. Lo- cated 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, the Germans had built a fortifi ed po- sition for a coastal battery of six 155- mm howitzers. Commanded by Lt. Col. James Rudder, the Rangers were given the mission of capturing Pointe du Hoc and neutralizing the Germany coastal battery. Gen. Omar Bradley called it the most diffi cult task he ever gave any- one under his command. The Rangers approached Pointe du Hoc by boat and began the danger- ous ascent, braving heavy enemy ma- chine-gun fi re and grenade attacks. Although many soldiers were lost, the Rangers reached the top and ac- complished their mission by captur- ing Pointe du Hoc. Drawing from the Rangers’ incred- ible actions almost 80 years ago, AUSA’s logo seeks to recognize the tremendous contributions of those who came before while keeping their stories alive for the next generation. “You want to talk about tough mis- sions. I’ve been to that cliff. I know some of you have. It would be hard to climb that cliff with nobody shooting at you,” said retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO. “We were inspired by this amazing moment in history.” The new logo, which will be unveiled Oct. 9, on the fi rst day of AUSA’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., also represents teamwork, leadership and the strong bond shared by those who serve in and are connected to the Army. “The teamwork and commitment displayed during this day is exem- plary of the United States Army and of AUSA’s commitment to its mission, soldiers helping soldiers,” Brown said. “For almost 75 years, AUSA has pro- vided a voice for the U.S. Army, sup- ported it’s soldiers and honored those who have served.” Paratroopers assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment reenact the climb at Pointe Du Hoc, France, during the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019. (U.S. ARMY/YVONNE NAJERA)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 5, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 Access free legal documents for individuals, businesses M embership in the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army pro- vides many benefits. One of the most popular is a legal document service that AUSA provides at no cost to all members. The program is LawAssure, and it’s the same database many attorneys use to create documents for their cli - ents. AUSA pays for individual and small-business document services, so please take full advantage. Visit www.ausa.org/legal, create an account and access a variety of legal documents, includ- ing those below. This is a digital service that uses the laws of your state to create legal documents. It does not provide access to attorneys. Individual documents Users can select letters of complaint to collection agencies or contractors, documents requesting refunds or re- pairs, and bills of sale for automo- biles, among others. For properties, available documents include agreements for housesitting, housekeeping and property manage- ment services, subleases for residen- tial properties with a pet addendum, and a variety of rental agreements, notices and demands. You can also Member Benefits find parking space agreements and security deposit receipts. Parents may wish to examine the online safety documents, such as re- quests to review, correct or delete child information or removal of bul- lying or personally harmful content from a website. There also are forms for advance health care directives and medical privacy law authorizations, as well as care agreements for per- sonal or elder care. Finally, you can use LawAssure to create high-quality wills, funeral di- rectives, living trusts, pet trusts and amendments, and powers of attorney. Business documents Depending on your business, LawAssure has you covered. See be- low for a list of occupations and avail- able documents. • Agriculture and farming – equip- ment rental agreements and farm- land leases. • Business formation and gover- nance – buy-sell agreements, bylaws and LLC operating agreements. • Business operations – equipment rental agreements and storage space rental agreements. • Commercial landlord – commer- cial leases, farmland leases, lease extension agreements, parking space rental/storage space agreements, as- signments of lease, lease termination agreements, notices of lease violation, property management agreements, consent to sublease and subleases for commercial property. • Company policies – internet and email usage policies, privacy policies for a consumer website and terms and conditions of website use. • Construction and maintenance – equipment rental agreements, change orders, construction agreements, job proposals for construction, agree- ments for electrical/HVAC/painting/ plumbing/roofing and subcontractor agreements. • Events – agreements for cater- ing, DJs, wedding planners and venue rentals. • Finances – formal demands for payment, invoices and past due notices. • Horses and livestock – horse bills of sale, horse boarding agreements, horse purchase and sale agreements and livestock bills of sale. • Human resources – disciplin- ary notices, written warnings, end of employment, exit interview question- naires, termination notices, employ- ment applications, employment veri- fication letters and job offer letters. • Independent contractors and con- sultants – consulting agreements and recruiting services, • Intellectual property – nondisclo- sure agreements. • Maintenance and upkeep – jani- torial services agreements, landscap- ing maintenance agreements, mainte- nance agreements and snow removal agreement. • Remote work – remote work ap- plications and policies. • Risk prevention – hold harmless agreements, insurance cert requests, liability waivers, loaner vehicle agree- ments and receipts of company prop- erty. If you have any questions, contact me at srubel@ausa.org. Susan Rubel is AUSA’s Association and Affinity Partnerships director. AUSA members can access free legal document services with LawAssure, including wills, funeral directives, living trusts and much more. (COURTESY PHOTO)www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | October 5, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUSA recognizes top chapters for NCO, soldier support Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Newbury, left, president of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club- Ozark Region, is presented with a Giving 4 Living guidon streamer, recognizing leaders and service members who host blood drives, by Brennon Williard, president of AUSA’s Fort Leonard Wood-Mid Missouri chapter. (AUSA PHOTO) E very year, the Association of the U.S. Army recognizes its chap- ters that have best supported programs for NCOs and soldiers on their installations and in their local communities. This year’s top chapter is the Fort Leonard Wood-Mid Missouri chap- ter. Chapter members participated in more than 76 events throughout the year, including a Sergeants Major As- sociation breakfast, various change-of- command, change- of-responsibility and retirement ceremonies, and a pin- ning ceremony for Vietnam veterans. Brennon Willard, the chapter presi- dent, was elated when he learned about the win. He emphasized that the chap- ter has an amazing team dedicated to its involvement in the community. The George Washington chapter from the Washington, D.C., area came in second. The chapter’s qualifications include supporting a wreath-laying ceremony for the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the Best Ranger Competition at Fort Moore, Georgia, and hosting a break- fast for sergeants major. Rounding out the top three chapters is the Fort Liberty chapter in North Carolina, which participated in Basic Leader Course graduations and retire- ment ceremonies and provided support for junior ROTC at local high schools and the XVIII Airborne Corps Best Squad competition. Throughout the year and leading up to the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., each chapter must meet a set of criteria to compete for the NCO and Soldier Pro- grams Ribbon and the retired Com- mand Sgt. Maj. Don Thomas Chapter Challenge. To earn the ribbon, chapters must have at least one active-duty soldier or NCO on its chapter board, appoint an ambassador to lead NCO and sol- dier programming, participate in an NCO or soldier recognition ceremony, NCO & Soldier Programs host one collaborative event with like- minded organizations and host one NCO and soldier leadership seminar led by a sergeant first class or higher. The goal for this initiative is to con- nect chapters with their local NCOs and soldiers while providing oppor- tunities for professional development. Chapters that meet all the prerequi- sites are awarded the ribbon at the An- nual Meeting. This year’s meeting is Oct. 9–11 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. For chapters wishing to compete in the chapter challenge, there is an additional list of requirements. They include participating in a chamber of commerce event or hosting a party featuring an NCO or soldier guest to view a streaming event from AUSA headquarters, listen to an “Army Mat- ters” podcast or discuss a Soldier To- day email. Other requirements include registering five new active-duty mem- bers, conducting an AUSA briefing for soldiers and hosting one additional NCO and soldier professional develop- ment or leadership seminar. This challenge seeks to encourage chapters to take advantage of the re- sources AUSA has to offer, particu- larly NCO and soldier programming. This year’s three winning chapters will be recognized at the Sergeant Ma- jor of the Army awards forum on Oct. 9, the first day of the Annual Meeting. Each chapter will be presented with social and monetary prizes to contin- ue membership growth and expansion of NCO and soldier programs. Chap- ter representatives also will receive prime seating and recognition at the Sergeant Major of the Army Awards Luncheon, held that same day, where the winners of the Army’s Best Squad Competition will be announced. Congratulations to the Fort Leon- ard Wood-Mid Missouri chapter for its hard work and dedication to meeting all the criteria for both the ribbon and chapter challenge and being the best NCO and soldier chapter in 2023. We look forward to seeing what all our chapters do in the coming year and having the opportunity to recognize their efforts at the 2024 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Julie Guerra is AUSA’s director of NCO and Soldier Programs. Day / night use optic Onboard ballistic computer Integrated laser range finder Ballistically compensated 2 MOA green dot Programmed for use on: M3E1 MAAWS, M2 .50 BMG, MK 19 & MK 47 Grenade Launchers, H&K GMG, AT4, M240D/H, & M134 Minigun Communicates with programming units for 40mm HV airburst munitions Thermal day/imager with 2X, 4X, and 8X zoom Updated User Interface for quick and easy use in a combat environment A direct view optic for crew-served weapons that greatly increases first round hit probability on both static and moving targets. 011361 FCS14 ™ NEW AUSA BOOTH #3449 CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION AND DEMO VIDEOSNext >