PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org November 27, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Driscoll: ‘All of us need a battle buddy’ Robotic Dining Facility Gets 6-Month Pilot 3 AUSA Advocates for Defense Authorization Bill 4 Book Program NCO Professional Education 6 Chapter Highlights Eagle Chapters 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 7 NUMBER 29 NOVEMBER 27, 2025 Brig. Gen. Kevin Bradley, right, deputy commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, serves a Thanks- giving meal to a soldier on Monday at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. (U.S. ARMY/1ST LT. DECEAN BROWN) I n a holiday letter to the force, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll encouraged soldiers to “just pick up” when someone calls to check on them because “we all break eventu- ally, and we need each other.” Driscoll’s deeply personal Nov. 19 letter recalled a time in Rang- er School when he fell during the school’s grueling winter Mountain Phase. “I slipped and fell, couldn’t get up, and the cold crushed me,” he wrote. His Ranger buddies picked him up and helped to get him going again, Driscoll wrote, calling the moment “an inflection point for me.” “I realized no one can go through See Driscoll, Page 3 life alone, we all break eventually, and we need each other,” Driscoll wrote. “At some point, all of us need a battle buddy to share the load. In that moment, you need someone to pick you up with grace and compas- sion.” “Last year, we lost 260 soldiers to suicide,” Driscoll wrote. Soldiers aren’t getting the help they need, and signing letters of condolence “knowing we could have helped” is “heartbreaking,” he wrote. “I wish we never had to write another one,” Driscoll wrote. Effective immediately through Jan. 15, Driscoll ordered officers and NCOs to “deliberately check in on every Soldier daily to see if they need help” to try to get ahead of the loneliness and isolation some sol- diers might feel during the holidays. “Just pick up your phone or car keys—call, text or visit your bud- dy—and pick them up too,” he wrote. “Just pick up so we can provide help.” The letter provides two QR codes— one that links to the 988 Lifeline and another that links to the Army Suicide Prevention Program. Read the letter and see the QR codes here. “For those who need help: when your phone rings during daily check- up, just pick up, and ask for help,” Driscoll wrote. “Seeking help is not Happy ThanksgivingTHE FOUNDATIONS OF HOLISTIC HEALTH AND FITNESS AUSA HOT TOPIC SERIES 4 DECEMBER 2025 REGISTER TODAY AUSA CONFERENCE & EVENT CENTER 2425 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginiawww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY November 27, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 Army testing 1st automated dining facility in South Korea T he Army’s first automated din- ing facility has arrived with the opening of Market 19, a pilot food service program in South Korea, according to an Army news release. Launched Nov. 12 within the Camp Walker dining facility, the six-month pilot will use robotic technology to explore how automation can improve food service operations, combining food preparation, cooking and serv- ing with soldier oversight. “This pilot helps us evaluate how automated cooking systems can make Army dining operations more consistent, efficient and resilient,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 River Mitchell, food adviser with the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Com- mand, which originated and is con- ducting the pilot. Mitchell noted that the effort is not about replacing people but about strengthening the ability to feed sol- diers “anytime, anywhere,” he said in the release. “Human oversight re- mains critical. Our culinary special- ists still handle food safety, ingredi- ent prep and quality control.” In the automated system, soldiers and civilians select menu items on a touchscreen interface, and the sys- tem automatically portions, cooks and plates each meal. All ingredi- ents come from the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support supply chain and the Army food catalog, ensuring the same nutrition and safety stan- dards as traditional facilities, ac- cording to the release. Soldiers display performance-oriented meals prepared by robotic cooking modules in a new automated dining facility at Camp Walker, South Korea. (U.S. ARMY/KAILIL KENDRICK) Each meal display includes clear nutritional information, and menu options are performance-oriented and include Korean dishes such as bibimbap, kimchi fried rice and bu- dae jjigae. Market 19 was formally approved under the Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capa- bility program in coordination with U.S. Army Pacific. The pilot operates with soldiers and contracted staff jointly evaluat- ing performance of the autonomous kitchen, which uses robotic cooking modules programmed to prepare meals from fresh ingredients follow- ing standard Army recipes, Mitchell said in the release. Culinary specialist soldiers man- age quality assurance and nutrition education and supplement meals with additional food options. The culinary specialists who prepare the meal recipes and ingredients for the machine have been trained by both Army and local national chefs, the release says. Integrating robotic technology into dining operations allows the Army to stay ready under any conditions, from garrison to field environments, while preserving the expertise of its culinary specialists. The pilot also supports the Army's ongoing mod- ernization efforts and aligns with the Holistic Health and Fitness program, the release says. “The data we collect here will guide decisions about future loca- tions and applications,” Mitchell said in the release. “We want to see how this can support sustainment both in the Pacific and eventually in the continental United States.” Driscoll From Page 1 weakness—it takes courage, faith and trust that your family, friends and community will accept you and help you. We want to pick you up, share your load and get you moving forward again.” As the son of a military family and the father of children whom he hopes also will serve, the Army is “literally my family,” Driscoll wrote, adding that he still leans on his platoon sergeant and driver from his 2009 deployment to Iraq. “When I make decisions, I do it fully knowing that my friends and our sons and daughters will bear the consequences,” Driscoll wrote. “This is personal for me, I know it is for you too, so let’s change it together.”www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | November 27, 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 AUSA urges passage of 2026 NDAA T he Association of the U.S. Army is urging top congres- sional leaders to pass critical legislation authorizing the funding and resources needed to support the Army’s warfighting priorities. In a letter addressed to the chair- men and ranking members of the Senate and House Armed Servic- es Committees, retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, underscores the Army’s priorities and urges quick passage of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authori- zation Act, or NDAA. “The Army is vital to national se- curity with ongoing conflicts across the globe demonstrating that land- power is essential and the land do- main is decisive,” Brown writes in his Nov. 18 letter. He requests that the committees “authorize funding— at least at the level included in the Senate passed bill.” Additional resources, he writes, “should support Army priorities, en- able continuous transformation, en- hance Army infrastructure and im- prove both the organic and defense industrial base—in a word—warf- ighting.” Addressing the volatility repre- sented by China and North Korea in the Indo-Pacific theater, Brown as- serts that the Army has the capacity to provide ground-based deterrence and is critical to facilitating and sustaining joint operations, training allies and partners and helping to maintain stability in the region. Brown requests the committees’ continued support for the Army’s continuous transformation, training and sustainment priorities, includ- ing a strong organic industrial base, network command and control, long- range precision fires and air and mis- sile defense, “which have proven to be indispensable capabilities for suc- cessful ground combat in the Europe and Middle East.” Acquisition reform, including multi-year procurement and flexible funding authorities and the right to repair, are “very important to the Army and the joint force,” Brown writes. He adds that inclusion in the NDAA of at least a 3.8% pay raise for soldiers is important, as are pro- visions that enhance recruitment ef- forts and educational opportunities for Junior ROTC. Brown also expresses AUSA’s sup- port for quality-of-life enhancements and improvements in military spouse employment and transition assis- tance. “As you know, the Army is in- dispensable to national security,” Brown writes, urging the commit- tees to “swiftly pass the NDAA and authorize resources and flexibilities that reflect the urgency and demon- strated need that our national secu- rity challenges require." Read the letter here. A letter from AUSA to congressional leaders requests support for the Army’s continu- ous transformation, training and sustainment priorities. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO) As you’re plan- ning your holiday travel, save money using your AUSA member discounts. It’s as easy as starting at www.ausa.org/savings#travel and booking from the links. You’ll find exclusive discounts on car rentals, hotels, resorts and more.www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | November 27, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY ‘NCO School’ paved way for modern military education I t’s been said many times because it’s true: NCOs are the backbone of the Army. But what do you do when there aren’t enough NCOs to support that skeleton? That’s the situation the Army faced in the mid-1960s, when the rapid buildup of troops in Viet- nam created the need for an expand- ed NCO corps. Army leaders responded by devel- oping the Noncommissioned Officer Candidate Course, an intensive com- bination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training to prepare quali- fied enlisted men to lead squads and fire teams in com- bat. Attendees called it “NCO School.” Daniel Elder, a retired command sergeant major and Association of the U.S. Army Senior Fellow, tells the story of this transformative yet overlooked chapter of Army history in NCO School: How the Vietnam-era NCO Candidate Course Shaped the Modern Army. The AUSA Book Program sat down with Elder to talk about NCO School. ****** AUSA: What inspired you to tell this story? Elder: I was writing an article on the NCO Candidate Course for the newsletter of the Noncommissioned Officer Heritage and Education Cen- ter and had the chance to interview more than 30 graduates. They pro- vided rich insights into the program that I had not heard before. I saw how critically influential it was for the creation of modern military edu- cation and for developing the corps of enlisted leaders. AUSA: How did former Pennsylva- nia Gov. Tom Ridge come to write the foreword? Elder: I learned through my re- search that Gov. Ridge was a dis- tinguished honor graduate of the program. During an AUSA Annual Meeting where Gov. Ridge was re- ceiving a prestigious award, I had a Book Program chance to give him a brief rundown of the project. He immediately liked the idea and supported the creation of the book. AUSA: What are some miscon- ceptions about the NCO Candidate Course? Elder: The biggest is that it was a failed program. The candidates, who were derided with nicknames like In- stant NCO or Shake and Bake, were mostly well-educated draftees who served admirably. The program was graded where it mattered most, in the fields of battle in Vietnam. Their performance outweighed the alterna- tive of untrained fire team and squad leaders leading men into battle. AUSA: Why did the program end? Elder: The course outlived its use- fulness when the war in Vietnam end- ed and there was no longer a need for increased numbers of sergeants. The Army returned to a pre-war promo- tion system, but the curriculum that was developed for the course eventu- ally morphed into the current NCO Professional Development System. AUSA: What lessons from NCO School could the Army apply to to- day’s NCO training? Elder: Professional military edu- cation is the key to the U.S. Army NCO being the envy of all nations’ militaries, and key to that is the se- quential and progressive training NCO institutions offer. If we were to lose the investments made to date, our Army would falter. ****** Please visit www.ausa.org/books to order NCO School and other titles in the AUSA Book Program. Use the promo code F25AUSA for select member discounts when purchasing directly through the publisher links. Joseph Craig is AUSA’s Book Program director. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Elder addresses an Authors’ Forum during the 2025 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.orgNovember 27, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Eagle Chapters The following chapters attained Eagle status for October by showing positive membership growth. The number of consecutive months of growth since July 1 is shown in parentheses. Arsenal of Democracy (4) Benelux (4) Big Bend (4) Catoctin (4) Columbia River (4) Denver Centennial (4) Dix (4) Florida Gulf Stream (4) Fort Riley-Central Kansas (4) GEN Creighton W. Abrams (4) George Washington (4) Greater Los Angeles (4) Greater New York-Statue of Liberty (4) Las Vegas-John C. Fremont (4) Major Samuel Woodfill (4) Marne (4) National Training Center-High Desert (4) Newton D. Baker (4) San Francisco (4) Sunshine (4) Texas Capital Area (4) Thunderbird (4) Carlisle Barracks-Cumberland Valley (3) Central Ohio (3) Central Virginia (3) Coastal South Carolina (3) COL Edward Cross (3) Connecticut (3) Corporal Bill McMillan-Bluegrass (3) Crossroads of America (3) CSM James M. McDonald-Keystone (3) Delaware (3) Fort Jackson-Palmetto State (3) Fort Sheridan-Chicago (3) Francis Scott Key (3) Greater Atlanta (3) Greater Philadelphia (Penn & Franklin) (3) Guam (3) Houston Metroplex (3) Isthmian (3) Joshua Chamberlain (3) MG William F. Dean (3) Milwaukee (3) MSG Leroy Arthur Petry (3) North Texas-Audie Murphy (3) PFC William Kenzo Nakamura (3) Pikes Peak (3) Potomac-Liberty (3) Rhode Island (3) Silicon Valley (3) St. Louis Gateway (3) Stuttgart (3) Suncoast (3) United Arab Emirates (3) Virginia Colonial (3) West Point Area (3) Arkansas (2) Chattahoochee Valley-Fort Benning (2) First Militia (2) Fort Pitt (2) Gem State (2) GEN John W. Vessey, Jr. (2) Last Frontier (2) Major General Harry Greene, Aberdeen (2) Massachusetts Bay Minutemen (2) Mid-Palatinate (2) Monmouth (2) Redstone-Huntsville (2) San Diego (2) SGM Jon R. Cavaiani (2) Southern Virginia (2) Tri-State (2) Utah (2) Cowboy (1) Greater Kansas City (1) Hellenic (1) Northern New Jersey (1) Rock Island Arsenal (1) Tucson-Goyette (1)Interested in advertising on Army Matters? Email podcast@ausa.org for more information. AUSA’s Army Matters podcast amplifi es the voices of the Total Army – one story at a time. Join hosts LTG (Ret.) Les Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey as they interview the modern chroniclers of the Army experience to discuss inspiring leadership stories, current issues faced by soldiers, and our military families’ journeys. Apple Podcasts SpotifyPodbeanAmazon Music YouTube Music Find us on your favorite podcast app! Or listen online at www.ausa.org/podcast . Scan to listen now!Next >