PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org November 23, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 All-volunteer force vital to future fight F ifty years on, and facing a tough recruiting environment, a professional, all-volunteer force remains “the best model” for the U.S. military, Deputy Defense Secre- tary Kathleen Hicks said. Speaking at the Center for a New American Security, Hicks said that when the U.S. shifted to an all-volun- teer force 50 years ago, “success was not a given.” “Moving from conscripts to rely- ing exclusively on volunteers to raise their hand and make a commitment to military service was a new ball- game,” Hicks said. To make it work, the U.S. profes- sionalized the force, incentivized volunteers with the “promise of good pay, benefits and family support, and ensuring that our value proposition remained a worthwhile one over the years,” she said. Command Sgt. Maj. Reese Teakell, left, senior enlisted leader of the Army Southern Euro- pean Task Force, Africa, and other senior leaders serve food to soldiers Tuesday during the Thanksgiving celebration at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. (U.S. ARMY/PAOLO BOVO) Rising Costs Could Slow Modernization 3 Army Must Prepare for Anti-Tank Missile Threat 4 Family Readiness Spouse Employment Resources 6 Chapter Highlight Central Texas 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 30 NOVEMBER 23, 2023 “That our all-volunteer force has lasted for 50 years, and that we have built the finest force in the world, is a testament to its strength,” Hicks said. But, she added, “we cannot take it for granted, and we must address and at- tend to its challenges.” Among those challenges are ensur- ing healthy civilian-military relations and recruiting and retaining the force needed to defend the country, she said. “We must ensure that as a society, we are familiar with the military, with military families and what they do and the sacrifices that they make for the nation,” Hicks said. “For years, Americans’ trust and confidence in our institutions … has been on de- cline. The military remains one of our nation’s most trusted institutions, and we’d like to keep it that way.” Recruiting is another challenge for the military, Hicks said. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic and amid a hot job market with the lowest unemploy- ment rate in 50 years, military re- cruitment has been a challenge, and we’ve been hard at work recovering.” Each of the services has been “work- ing tirelessly” on recruiting, she said, adding bonuses and incentives, mak- ing policy changes and standing up new programs. But the military also needs society’s help. “As the veteran population has gone from 18% of American adults in 1980 to less than 7% in 2022, it has reduced most Americans’ familiarity with the military,” Hicks said. “This means fewer Americans have direct ties to a family member, a friend or neighbor who served.” While the military must increase its community outreach and continue to tell its story, the nation must am- See Volunteer force, Page 3 Happy Thanksgivingwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY November 23, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Congressional report warns of military funding gaps I n a new fiscal warning, the Con- gressional Budget Office forecasts that the $842 billion 2024 defense budget pending before Congress is likely to increase to $922 billion by 2028 because military expenses would rise by 10% over the next five years, at a rate faster than inflation. The report, “Long-Term Implica - tions of the 2024 Future Years De- fense Program,” also says that the 2024 budget awaiting congressional action could be underestimating ex- penses by 3% or more, potentially creating funding gaps. Personnel, operations and main- tenance costs are likely to increase faster than inflation, the report says. It also anticipates the costs of acquiring new weapons systems will increase quickly in the next two fis- cal years. “To accommodate higher costs, DoD would need to scale back its plans or request larger budgets,” the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan arm of Congress, cau- tions in the report. Looking specifically at the Army, the report calculates an 8% increase in Army procurement spending from 2024 to 2028 “as the Army continued to modernize nearly all of its major weapons systems.” According to the Army’s plans, an - nual costs for combat and support ve- hicles and for missiles and munitions Volunteer force From Page 1 Spc. Austin Dix, with the 101st Airborne Division, monitors the spectrum on a new AI- enabled radio observation and direction system during training Monday at Honhenfels, Germany. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office warns that rising costs could impact the Army’s plans for next-generation capabilities. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO) Patrick Scanlan will have his four- year anniversary with AUSA in Feb- ruary. Patrick and his wife, Karen, are raising five boys, his oldest being a military intelligence officer who is currently branch detailed to armor. In his spare time, Patrick plays trom- bone and alphorn for three German cultural groups and the DC Different Drummers concert band. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Patrick Scanlan Program Manager, Education plify the value and importance of ser- vice, Hicks said. “This change in military recruit- ment patterns didn’t happen over- night,” she said. “It’s generational, and it is our responsibility to tell younger generations the benefits of military service, of the educational benefits and the cutting-edge training that they can receive ... of the finan- cial benefits and the family support, and of the opportunities to lead and work toward a common purpose.” would increase by roughly 25%. Ve- hicle costs would rise from $5.2 bil- lion in 2024 to $6.4 billion in 2028 as purchases of Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles and M10 Booker combat ve- hicles increased. Procurement costs for missiles and munitions would climb from $7.9 billion to $9.7 billion because of in- creased purchases of missile defense systems and several new long-range offensive systems. The increases would be partially offset by decreases in costs for air- craft and other equipment. Costs for aircraft procurement would decline by 17% over the Future Years De- fense Program, or FYDP, period as purchases of aircraft that are cur- rently in production reach comple- tion. Those decreases, however, would start to be offset by initial purchases of new Future Vertical Lift aircraft toward the end of the FYDP period. Funding for research, development, test and evaluation would decrease by 22% through 2028 as the devel- opment of new missile and armored vehicle systems neared completion. The report is available here.www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | November 23, 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 Through AUSA’s partnership with Active&Fit Direct and Choose Healthy, members can pay just $28 a month and access more than 17,200 gyms, including Golds, LA Fitness, Chuze Fitness, Snap 24/7 Fitness, Curves and many more. There are no long-term contracts, and it’s easy to cancel anytime. Visit www.ausa.org/gym. Paper: Army must implement ‘holistic solution’ to anti-tank missile threat A rmy formations will face the threat of modern anti-tank guided missiles in any future conflict, and leaders must act now to prepare technically and doctrinally, say the authors of a new paper. The use of modern anti-tank guided missiles has been observed in Ukraine and in 2006 during the second Lebanon War, where teams of Hezbollah fighters successfully at- tacked the Israeli Defense Force. The attacks spurred Israel to change its doctrine, training and combat plat- forms, according to the authors of “An Ode to the Sagger Drill: Addressing the Modern Anti-Tank Guided Missile Problem Set.” Published by the Association of the U.S. Army as part of its Land Warfare series, the paper points out that while the Army has sought materiel solutions to counter modern anti-tank guided missiles, it has not implemented a “ho- listic solution to the problem set.” The paper’s authors are Lt. Col. Michael Kim, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, in the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Ar- mored Brigade Combat Team; Phillip Webster, senior intelligence analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency; Capt. Ismael Orozco, military intel- ligence company commander in the 1st Infantry Division’s 82nd Engineer Battalion; and Sgt. 1st Class David DeSantis, a company tactical NCO at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. The Army, they write, “must re- think its equipment allocation and distribution, develop a react-to- ATGM platoon battle drill and update its crew and section training evalua- tion and outline.” Other recommendations include updated movement to contact and of- fensive doctrine at all levels for mech- anized forces up to the brigade level to reflect the ATGM threat; new, low- cost unmanned aerial systems with thermal imaging and simple payloads that can identify and destroy ATGM teams for scouts and infantry forma- tions; and updated methods of hinder- ing enemy observation and laser or thermal image guided tracking. Read the paper here. Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division train on the BGM-71 tube-launched, opti- cally-tracked, wire-guided, ground-based anti-tank missile firing systems in September at the Joint Readiness Training Center on Fort Johnson, Louisiana. (U.S. ARMY/PFC. TIEN-DAT NGO)www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | November 23, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Experts share spouse employment initiatives, resources Subject-matter experts address spouse employment and other issues affecting military families during a forum at the 2023 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO) M ilitary spouse employment and the array of resources and initiatives available to job seekers were among the key top- ics highlighted last month during the Association of the U.S. Army 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. While the Army, DoD and military support organizations are working to improve opportunities and provide support and resources, spouse un- employment remains high, Thomas Trail, a senior behavioral scientist at the Rand Corp., said during a military family forum on the top- ic. “In January 2023, the military spouse unemploy- ment rate was at 23%. [Permanent change-of-station] moves, gaining or losing child care, location and more factors influence employment,” Trail said. Other speakers at the forum shared programs and resources offered by Military OneSource to help military spouses find meaningful employ- ment and careers. One example is My Career Advancement Account, a workforce development program that provides up to $4,000 in financial as- sistance to eligible military spouses for education purposes, including certificates, licenses and associate degrees. It is part of the Pentagon’s Spouse Education and Career Oppor- tunities program, which offers access to career coaches who help with ca- reer exploration, resume building, licensing and employment readiness. The Military Spouse Employment Partnership—of which AUSA is a partner—is another element of the Spouse Education and Career Op- portunities program. It connects military spouses with more than 700 employers who recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses. The partnership “has helped employ over 275,000 military spouses,” said Pa- tricia Barron, deputy assistant sec- retary of defense for military commu- Family Readiness nity and family policy and a former Family Readiness director at AUSA. Other initiatives include the Mili- tary Spouse Career Accelerator pilot that was launched in January, said Elizabeth O’Brien, executive direc- tor of Hiring Our Heroes, a program by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “Hiring Our Heroes col- laborated with the Department of Defense and Deloitte to create [the pilot], which we hope someday will be a program,” she said. The $5 million pilot places military spouses in fellowships, which com- monly turn into full-time positions. There are about 167 participating employers, and officials hope to have 400 spouses in fellowships by the end of the year, O’Brien said. For spouses who are looking to go back to school, Meg O’Grady, senior vice president of military and gov- ernment programs at National Uni- versity, San Diego’s largest private nonprofit university, highlighted the education benefits available for mili- tary spouses and dependents. The school has discounted rates for ac- tive-duty military personnel and de- pendents, as well as a $5,000 schol- arship program for military spouses. Entrepreneur training sessions are available for spouses seeking to start a business, said Stan Kurtz, director of programs for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Veterans Business Development. Pathway to Business is a two-day entrepreneur training session that provides partic- ipants with an overview of business ownership, and participants can fur- ther their education with a six-week virtual course on revenue readiness. AUSA’s Family Readiness team hopes the programs, resources and advice discussed during the Annual Meeting family forums are helpful to you. Please follow us on Facebook to watch the 2023 AUSA Family Fo- rums and connect with us. Kaylee Spielman is AUSA’s Family Readiness intern. Patricia Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and fam- ily policy, speaks at a family forum during the AUSA Annual Meeting. (AUSA PHOTO)T hree members of the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army’s Central Texas chapter were recognized for years of service to soldiers and the local community by III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos—formerly Fort Hood—officials during a Nov. 9 dinner at the installation’s Lone Star Conference Center. Bill Kliewer, a past president of the chapter, his wife, Mary, and retired Staff Sgt. John Footman received the 2023 Good Neigh- bor Award from the III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos command team, Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe and Command Sgt. Maj. John McDwyer. The awardees were presented with Phantom Blue blazers with a Fort Cavazos patch. “You would have to look for a long time to find folks more committed to their community and Fort Cavazos than these good neighbors we have with us today,” Bernabe said, accord- ing to the Army. Bill Kliewer served as an Army of- ficer from 1972–1977, mostly on as- signments with the 1st Cavalry Divi- sion. Since leaving the military, he has continued to serve soldiers and the community through leadership roles with AUSA, the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce, the Central Texas Youth Services Bureau and more. Mary Kliewer, a lifelong advocate for education and growth for soldiers, currently chairs the boards for the www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY November 23, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 AUSA members honored for lifelong support to soldiers Command Sgt. Maj. John McDwyer, left, and Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, right, the III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos, Texas, command team, present AUSA members, from left to right, Bill Kliewer, Mary Kliewer and retired Staff Sgt. John Footman with the 2023 Good Neighbor award at a dinner at the installation’s Lone Star Conference Center. (U.S. ARMY/SCOTT DARLING) Central Texas Central Texas Workforce and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Com- merce. Together with her husband, she started the Kliewer Family Leadership Award, given annually to a graduate of the Killeen Indepen- dent School District—often a Fort Cavazos dependent. Footman enlisted in the Army in 1967 and served for two decades. He deployed twice during the Vietnam War and was wounded by small- arms fire and a land mine explosion during his second tour. Earlier this year, nearly half a century later, Footman was formally awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with V device. “I once learned from an old mas- ter sergeant when I first came in, ‘Take care of your soldiers and your soldiers will take care of you,’” Foot- man said. “That’s what I did, and I enjoyed it.” Since retiring from the Army, Foot- man has continued taking care of sol- diers as the Texas state commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, where he is “a key player in assisting veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan fronts in receiving their Purple Heart medals,” according to the Army. “I am humbled to be selected as a Good Neighbor and be among so many great people,” Footman said. “I appreciate everyone, and I am so grateful for the work we get to do for our soldiers. I am proud to be a Fort Cavazos Good Neighbor, thank you so much.” The entire group of Good Neighbors and their spouses pose for a photo with Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe and Command Sgt. Maj. John McDwyer, the III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos, Texas, command team, during the 2023 Good Neighbors induction dinner at the Lone Star Conference Center at Fort Cavazos. (U.S. ARMY/SCOTT DARLING)LEARN MORE & REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.AUSA.ORG/EVENTS Join us to hear a presentation by L. Scott Lingamfelter, author of Yanks in Blue Berets: American UN Peacekeepers in the Middle East. While in his first book, Desert Redleg, Lingamfelter recounted his experiences as an artillery officer for the 1st Infantry Division during the Gulf War, in this book—and in this discussion—he will share what it was like for a Soldier who was trained in combat arms to serve instead as a frontline military observer for a peacekeeping mission. 5 DECEMBER 2023 1200–1300 EST JOIN THE DISCUSSION! This webinar will include a Q&A session in which questions submitted by the audience will be selected and asked by the moderator. A recording of the webinar will be available on our YouTube page the following day. YANKS IN BLUE BERETS American UN Peacekeepers in the Middle East with author L. Scott Lingamfelter Moderated by Jerry O’Keefe AUSA Senior FellowNext >