PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org October 19, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 AUSA 2023 ‘huge success’ for Army T he Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition was “a huge success for the association and the U.S. Army,” declared retired Gen. Bob Brown, the educational nonprof- it’s president and CEO. The three-day event featured the latest updates from senior Army leaders and the newest technology from more than 755 defense indus- try partners. A record 41,000 people registered to attend the Oct. 9–11 event, where they listened to key- note speeches from senior Army lead- ers, participated in discussions with panelists from across the force and visited exhibits spread across five halls in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Thousands more watched the speakers and forums online. A soldier takes a photo with AUSA mascot Sgt. R. Hero on the opening day of the association’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO) Army Key to Deterrence in Indo-Pacific Region 3 Graphic Novel Shows AUSA Logo Inspiration 4 Young Professionals Grow at Annual Meeting 6 Family Readiness Military Family Forums 7 Chapter Highlights Coastal South Carolina Community Partner Challenge 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 25 OCTOBER 19, 2023 “AUSA is proud to have hosted a successful meeting, bringing to- gether Army and civilian leaders to discuss ideas, trends and the latest developments in warfighting, partic- ularly as the Army faces many chal- lenges as it prepares for 2030 and beyond,” Brown said. The theme for this year’s Annual Meeting was “Be All You Can Be.” It featured keynote speeches from Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and new Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, sworn in less than a month ago on Sept. 21. There also were panel discussions on topics such as the Army profes- sion, recruiting and retention, the Army’s role in Europe and the Indo- Pacific and much more. Throughout the course of the event, attendees—Army leaders, sol- diers, Soldiers for Life, family mem- bers, industry leaders and advocates and supporters of America’s Army— shared big ideas for the way ahead, Brown said. The exhibit halls, contemporary military forums and military fam- ily forums were packed, as attendees sought to listen, learn and contrib- ute to discussions about some of the most pressing issues facing the force today, he said. America’s allies and partners also were well represented, with par- ticipants from 92 countries attend- ing the event, including 20 chiefs of Army. “We also took time to salute the many soldiers and AUSA members who have shown outstanding leader- ship, dedicated service and care for See AUSA 2023, Page 5 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 CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION AND DEMO VIDEOSwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 19, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Flynn: Increased US presence vital to Indo-Pacific security Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Division participate in live-fire training during Exercise Orient Shield 23 at Hokkaido, Japan. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/CPL. KALINA HYCHE) M ore and more partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific are turning to the U.S. as they work to deter China’s “aggressive, ir- responsible and insidious” behavior, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific said. The Chinese are “conducting op- erations where they are violating the territorial integrity and the national sovereignty” of their neighbors in the region, and those neighbors are turn- ing to their partner the U.S. Army, Gen. Charles Flynn said Oct. 12. “Land is the prize, because if you control land, then you can control peo- ple,” Flynn said. “We’re seeing that today in Europe, and you’re seeing that right now in the Middle East.” This is where armies have a key role, Flynn said. “What do armies do? They seize, hold and defend terrain, and the armies in this region are working to seize, hold and defend ter- rain, and they want to do that with their partner, the U.S. Army.” Speaking as part of the Strategic Landpower Dialogue co-hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army and the Center for Strategic and In- ternational Studies, Flynn said the Indo-Pacific may often be viewed as an air or maritime theater, but it is a joint theater with “joint problems” and several nations where the army is their primary force. “This region is really defined by the armies,” Flynn said. As examples, he said, 65% of the Japanese military is its army, 70% of the Philippine mili- tary is its army, and the army makes up 80% of India’s military. “My point is, they turn to their armies to provide security for their people,” Flynn said, adding that “partnership with the U.S. Army is integral to that.” For the U.S. Army, that means more exercises and engagements with its Indo-Pacific partners and al- lies. It also means a growing need to pay close attention to China, which leaders have called America’s “pacing challenge.” “What they’ve done over the last 10 years and what they’re signaling and intending to do over the next 10 years should be concerning for all of us,” Flynn said. “And it’s definitely concerning for the region, which is why they’re showing up for all those exercises.” China has three things the U.S. does not, Flynn said. They are oper- ating on interior lines—for example, they are just 100 miles from Tai- wan—and they have mass and maga- zine depth. “We’re trying to counter those three things,” he said. Flynn said he is excited about the gains the U.S. Army has made, par- ticularly in increasing readiness and strengthening and expanding rela- tionships in the region, “but there are still miles to march before we rest.” China is on a “dangerous path,” Flynn said. “I worry less about what they’re doing, and I worry more about what we’re doing, and we have to get into position now,” he said. Samantha Garza, a graduate of George Mason University with a mas- ter’s degree in global affairs, has been with AUSA for four months. A former Peace Corps volunteer, she loves to read about past and current global topics. In her free time, Samantha enjoys listening to comedy podcasts and eating any type of Mexican food. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Samantha Garza Program Manager, Chapter Supportwww.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | October 19, 2023 Gen. Bob Brown, USA Ret. President and CEO, AUSA Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, USA Ret. 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Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUSA members get exceptional FedEx discounts, with savings of up to 50% off FedEx Express, up to 30% off FedEx Ground and up to 30% off FedEx Home Delivery. If you currently ship with FedEx, you can continue using it the same way you do today—the discounts will be added to your account and automatically applied to your shipments. If you don’t have an account, click here to enroll. Graphic novel honors WWII Rangers who inspired new AUSA logo I n celebration of its new logo, the Association of the U.S. Army has released a graphic novel honoring the Army Rangers who scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, France, on D-Day. AUSA’s new logo, unveiled Oct. 9 on the fi rst day of its 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition, is inspired by the Rangers’ actions that day in June 1944. Pointe du Hoc: Army History, Army Values is available here. “We are excited to help celebrate the new AUSA logo by publishing this look into a remarkable piece of Army history,” said Joseph Craig, AUSA’s Book Program director. “I hope it encourages readers to learn even more about Pointe du Hoc and the drive to liberate Europe.” On June 6, 1944, as U.S. and Al- lied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, the Rangers scaled the steep cliffs of Pointe du Hoc. Located 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, the Germans had built a fortifi ed posi- tion 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 German coastal battery. The Rangers approached Pointe du Hoc by boat and began the dan- gerous ascent, braving heavy enemy machine-gun fi re and grenade at- tacks. Rudder and almost 200 Rang- ers reached the top within 30 min- utes of landing. The soldiers moved out to destroy the enemy guns, but they soon discovered that the guns were missing. Rudder and his Rangers moved on to their next objective—seizing the coastal road to prevent German re- inforcements from reaching Omaha Beach. They quickly found them- selves under enemy fi re again. As the Rangers fought back, they discovered fi ve of the missing 155 mm guns hidden in the woods, aimed to fi re toward Utah Beach. The Rang- ers destroyed the guns and fought enemy counterattacks for hours until reinforcements arrived from Omaha Beach. The Rangers accomplished their mission, but at a heavy cost. Of the 225 men who landed at the cliffs, only 90 could still fi ght. Drawing from the Rangers’ in- credible 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. Each AUSA graphic novel is cre- ated by a team of professional comic book veterans. The script for Pointe du Hoc: Army History, Army Values was written by Chuck Dixon, whose previous work includes Batman, The Punisher and The ’Nam. Artwork and the cover were by Wayne Vansant, who has worked on The ’Nam, Savage Tales and All Qui- et on the Western Front. The lettering was by Troy Peteri, who has worked on Spider-Man, Iron Man and X-Men.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 19, 2023 | AUSA Extra 5 Crowds of soldiers, AUSA members, defense industry representatives and more enter the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for the AUSA Annual Meeting. (AUSA PHOTO) AUSA 2023 From Page 1 their fellow service members and community,” Brown said. More than 100 news articles were produced over the course of the An- nual Meeting as Army leaders shared their vision for the future and pan- elists discussed progress in Army transformation and the service’s ef- forts to grow the force and attract talent. Early calculations show Army so- cial media posts with the #AUSA2023 hashtag had an overall reach of more than 102 million accounts, with so- cial media posts reaching more than 647,000 people. The Army also livestreamed sev- eral events, including Wormuth’s speech during the opening ceremo- ny and George’s speech during the Dwight D. Eisenhower Luncheon, drawing a live audience of almost 88,000 viewers. 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. 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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 The Annual Meeting is a crucial way for the Army to talk about its priorities and tell its story to a wide audience, and AUSA is already plan- ning for the 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition, Brown said. “We are thrilled at this year’s suc- cessful Annual Meeting, and we’re already excited about the next one,” he said.www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | October 19, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AUSA helps young professionals become future leaders I n conjunction with the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, the AUSA Center for Leadership hosted its first-ever Young Professionals Fo- rum Oct. 8–11. Fifty young professionals from around the world gathered for a fa- cilitated workshop, with a theme of “Build Your Leadership Toolkit,” and immersion in the Annual Meeting. Participants included active-duty soldiers, soldiers transitioning out of the military, veterans, spouses and family members, government civil- ians and Army supporters. These emerging leaders are the fu- ture of AUSA, as they will become chapter and region leaders, dedicated volunteers, industry associates and Total Army partners for years to come. Thirteen of the 50 participants are part of the dedicated Young Profes- sionals Advisory Council, comprised of representatives from each of AU- SA’s nine regions. Though this was the first time they gathered in per- son, they hold virtual meetings each month to assist the Center for Lead- ership in building the national Young Professionals Program. The Center for Leadership is ex- tremely grateful for this team and its hard work. For the main event, participants in the Young Professionals Forum heard from two incredible speakers Oct. 9. Sarah Draper, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, facilitat- ed a workshop about resilience and developing a leadership mantra. At- tendees left with fresh takeaways, tips for their leadership toolkits and a renewed sense of how to live and lead well. Robert Seymour, managing direc- tor at J.P. Morgan Chase, provided an inspirational keynote address fo- cused on how he gained perspective throughout his leadership journey in the Army and the private sector. Throughout the Annual Meeting, the young professionals participated in various events, including recep- tions, contemporary military forums and AUSA region breakfasts. These events allowed the future leaders to network and connect with AUSA communities during their time in the nation’s capital. On Oct. 10, the young profession- als joined the “Inspiration to Lead” exercise with 100 soldiers from this year’s Leader Solarium, also hosted by AUSA’s Center for Leadership. The combined group went to the Na- tional Mall, where they visited the Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Me- morial, Vietnam Women’s Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, and heard presentations and personal stories from speakers at each stop. AUSA’s Young Professionals Pro- gram is poised to gain momentum and grow in the coming months. At- tendees at this year’s forum plan to return to their local communities and kickstart their local Young Pro- fessional programs with a renewed sense of excitement for what lies ahead. The overall vision for the program, created by the Young Professionals Advisory Council, is “to provide a platform for emerging leaders to en- hance their leadership potential, con- nect with like-minded young profes- sionals, and learn about their local military community through inspira- tional events and fun activities.” The Center for Leadership looks forward to seeing how these leaders take their lessons learned back to their units, companies and AUSA chapters. AUSA is thrilled to be able to con- tinue educating, inspiring and con- necting leaders at all levels. Angela Pubal is a senior program manager with AUSA’s Center for Leadership. Members of AUSA’s Young Professionals Advisory Council pose for a photo on the opening day of the association’s Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO) Sarah Draper, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, speaks at a workship for young professionals during the AUSA An- nual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 19, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 Forums highlight critical issues, resources for families Subject-matter experts discuss changes and updates to military health care during a military family forum at the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO) A s the Association of the U.S. Army continues its efforts on behalf of soldiers and fami- lies, its Family Readiness director- ate was honored to host four family forums last week during the associa- tion’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Ex- position in Washington, D.C. The forums featured both in-per- son and online audiences, and partic- ipants were able to ask questions and have their voices heard. Feedback also was collected through an online survey, with respondents receiving a “digital swag bag” full of resources from the forums. On Oct. 9, panelists in the first family forum discussed the impor- tance of resilience and preventing harmful behav- iors. The next day, a second forum focused on programs and resources to help military fami- lies reduce risk and stress and thrive in Army life. The third family forum, also on Oct. 10, featured panels on two criti- cal quality-of-life issues—health care and military spouse employ- ment. The first panel focused on re- cent military health system chang- es, while the second discussed how spouse employment contributes to retention and readiness. The Army is working hard to re- duce spouse unemployment and un- deremployment, but it is not in this alone. Federal agencies and private organizations are coming together and collaborating to improve career and employment opportunities for military spouses. On Oct. 11, a performance by the Washington Tattoo preceded our most popular forum—a town hall where attendees, both in-person and online, had an opportunity to ask questions and participate in a dis- cussion with our Army’s top leaders. Leaders announced a new app, “My Army Post,” and asked for everyone’s input to help create a tailored expe- Family Readiness rience for users. In addition, for the first time during the Army Senior Leaders’ Town Hall, attendees used their smartphones to provide instant feedback. Outside each forum, the Family Readiness team hosted a book sign- ing 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. Addition- ally, representatives from the Armed Forces Wellness Center, which seeks to improve quality of life by target- ing the behaviorally modifiable fac- tors most likely to result in chronic disease, injury and/or performance issues, brought a biofeedback device for attendees to try. To close out this fantastic Annual Meeting, I was thrilled that my friend Maverick stopped by to see us. Mav- erick, a 6-year-old, 150-pound Great Dane, recently was named the 2023 Therapy Dog of the Year by Ameri- can Humane for his help comforting service members and their families through the USO at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Thank you to all who participated in this year’s Annual Meeting and our military family forums. We hope you had a valuable experience and look forward to seeing you soon. Holly Dailey is AUSA’s Family Readiness director. Holly Dailey, AUSA’s director of Fam- ily Readiness, greets Maverick, American Humane’s Therapy Dog of the Year, dur- ing the AUSA Annual Meeting. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | October 19, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Chapter recognizes outstanding VA health care team Retired Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, second from right, vice president for veteran affairs with AUSA’s Coastal South Carolina chapter, presents the chapter’s quarterly Outstand- ing Service Award and letters of commendation to the leadership team of the Beaufort Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic. (AUSA PHOTO) T he Association of the U.S. Army’s Coastal South Caro- lina chapter awarded its Out- standing Service Award Oct. 3 to the Beaufort Veterans Affairs communi- ty-based outpatient clinic. Retired Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, chapter vice president for veteran af- fairs, presented the award plaque to lead physician Dr. Christopher Mur- phy, nurse manag- er Laura Deaton and Patrick Tal- bert, supervisory advanced medical support assistant. Each member of the clinic’s leader- ship team also received a letter of commendation from the chapter. “Providing kind, compassionate, highly skilled and empathetic care to veterans and their families is the constant goal of the Beaufort CBOC,” the award citation says. The leader- ship team and the other 61 employees at the clinic are known throughout the region “for practicing servant leadership and a tireless commit- ment to excellent service.” The clinic offers primary care and specialty health services, including mental health services, according to the VA. Its leaders “are unsung heroes, and they are each one of the reasons the CBOC gets high numbers of positive customer surveys and doz- ens of compliments from the veterans it serves,” Dandridge said. Community Partner Challenge The following chapters are the September winners of AUSA’s Community Partner Challenge in their award categories. Each winner receives $500 and 5 points toward Best Chapter in their group. • George Washington – Award Group 1 • North Texas-Audie Murphy – Award Group 2 • Sunshine – Award Group 3 • COL Edward Cross – Award Group 4 • Central California – Award Group 5 According to the most recent Con- sumer Assessment of Health and Systems survey, conducted by the VA to collect feedback from 150,000 veterans across the U.S., 91% of pa- tients “usually or always get an ap- pointment when they need it” for rou- tine care at the Beaufort clinic, and 90% get an appointment as needed for urgent care. Each quarter, the AUSA chapter presents its Outstanding Service Award to a different VA health care employee or team. Past recipients in- clude an intensive-care nurse, emer- gency room and mental health teams and a former chief of patient experi- ence. The Beaufort clinic is a great as- set to veterans in the county and sur- rounding area, said Dandridge, who was wounded in combat in Vietnam and is a 100% service-connected dis- abled veteran. “The Beaufort VA CBOC leaders are examples for other health profes- sionals to follow and are one of the reasons that the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System is a world- class patient- and family-centered care team,” Dandridge said. If a veteran is not enrolled in VA health care, they should find out if they are eligible for VA health care benefits by clicking here, Dandridge said. “I encourage every eligible vet- eran to enroll in and use VA health care,” he said. Coastal South CarolinaNext >