PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org December 7, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 George: Army faces complex challenges W hile the Army looks to the future by taking on its largest transformation in decades, the force still must contend with a variety of challenges in the near-term, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said. “I generally don’t talk about 2030 because I don’t think we have that much time,” George said, according to an Army news release. “[The year] 2030 is too far down the road. We are going to be a lot different before that, I can guarantee you. We are going to be a lot different in the next four years.” George spoke Nov. 29 at the 2023 FORSCOM Commander’s Forum at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, where leaders from Army Forces Command and the reserve components gath- ered for training and conversations on leading warfighters. Sgt. Joshua Briggs, with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, assesses his squad movement Tuesday during a live-fire training exercise at Krivolak Training Area, North Macedonia. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. JON CORTEZ) Author Shares Lessons From UN Peacekeeping 3 Government Affairs Defense Legislation Stalled 4 Member Benefits Gifts, Fitness, Education 6 Chapter Highlights Coastal South Carolina Fort Liberty 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 32 DECEMBER 7, 2023 Today’s world is very complex, George said, noting that the Army has interests in many volatile areas, including the Middle East, Ukraine, Taiwan and Africa. The service also is dealing with recruiting shortfalls and funding instability, he said, ac- cording to the Army news release. Warfighting is the Army’s No. 1 priority, and while the service’s mod- ernization efforts will help equip soldiers with the tools they need, transformation also means changes to training and how Army formations look, George said. “I want our leaders to decide what our formations will look like, not a bunch of us sitting inside the [Penta- gon],” George said. “I can certainly do that, I definitely have my own opin- ions on a lot of this, but I want ev- erybody involved in what we’re doing.” Army training must build teams and formations that are lethal and effective, said Gen. Andrew Poppas, commanding general of Forces Com- mand. “The strength of that forma- tion is that they rely on each other,” Poppas said, according to the Army news release. “It’s the person to your left that’s carrying the shield that protects you. It’s the strength of the formation that moves forward.” During the forum, Poppas ex- plained his “4-Wins” philosophy for moving the command into the future: Win Trust and Empower Leaders, Win the First Fight, Win the Future Fight and Win as a Balanced Total Army. “I will tell you that at every touch point within each one of these do- mains, I feel we’ve made great suc- cess,” Poppas said. “In the way we are building the team … strengthen- ing the relationships we have.”www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY December 7, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Webinar highlights US soldiers’ peacekeeping efforts Sgt. Stephen Fritts, assigned to the 297th Regional Support Group, instructs Mongolian Armed Forces soldiers in cordon and search operations during a United Nations training exercise at Five Hills Training Area, Mongolia. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/PFC. GRACE NECHANICKY) AUSA Basic Members can now view a selection of articles from the December issue of ARMY magazine. To read the articles, click here. ARMY magazine December issue A merican troops who support peacekeeping efforts as Unit- ed Nations military observers are unsung heroes, a retired U.S. Army colonel and author said dur- ing an Association of the U.S. Army Noon Report webinar. “Many people were unaware of the role of American military officers and the role they played in the Unit- ed Nations Truce Supervision Orga- nization since the modern state of Israel was founded in 1948,” retired Col. L. Scott Lingamfelter said dur- ing the webinar on Tuesday. “Their experience … [has] received scant treatment in military literature, yet the lessons that we learned [from them] are very important.” A 1973 graduate of the Virginia Mil- itary Institute, Lingamfelter served as a field artilleryman and a Middle East foreign area officer. He details his transition from preparing for combat to serving as a military observer in a peacekeeping mission in his book, Yanks in Blue Berets: American U.N. Peacekeepers in the Middle East. In 1948, the U.N. launched the United Nations Truce Supervi- sion Organization, or UNTSO, in response to the conflict that had erupted between Israel and its Arab neighbors, who were opposed to the creation of a Jewish state. The UNTSO quickly found itself overseeing the ceasefire lines be- tween combatant parties, and in the ensuring decades, as countries along the eastern Mediterranean engaged in a series of escalating conflicts, the UNTSO was continually challenged in its peacekeeping mission. The U.N. military observers are unarmed and “trained to observe and report violations of the agreements of ceasefire, disengagement,” according to the UNTSO website. Personnel come from 27 nations and include 153 military personnel, according to the website. Trained as warfighters, soldiers tasked with peacekeeping had to piv- ot in a way that Lingamfelter charac- terized as “discovery learning” with “little formal training.” “But what we did learn was none- theless valuable,” he said. In addition to learning from partner nations and about conflict in the Middle East, Lingamfelter said the most impor- tant lesson was “learning episodi- cally [about] how to deal with the parties to the [Arab-Israeli] conflict in reporting violations, resolving dis- putes, negotiating hostage releases and dealing with the deadly hostile fire that surrounded us all the time.” Though Lingamfelter was un- armed during his time as an observer with the United Nations Truce Su- pervision Organization, it worked to his advantage. “Being an unarmed observer is a dangerous business. ... All that was in our holster was just hard work, resourcefulness, patience and decisiveness,” he said. “Interest- ingly, I do believe that the fact that we were unarmed, on occasion, was beneficial to our credibility, because we were not seen as a threat.” As he closed the discussion, Lin- gamfelter emphasized that “peace is worth it.” “I’m a warrior, and I was trained to be a warrior,” he said. “But I think if you talk to any warrior, we will all agree that peace is better than war. Sometimes you have to fight those wars, but it’s good to learn lessons from the past … to help populate our ideas for shaping these operations.”www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | December 7, 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 refl ect the opinion of the offi cers 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 refl ecting the offi cial 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 fi ve 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 benefi ts is free. Learn more at www.ausa.org/join or by emailing membersupport@ausa.org, phoning 855-246-6269, or mailing Fulfi llment 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 Take advantage of your AUSA member discounts for your holiday travel and fun. You can save on hotel stays with Choice and Radisson Hotels and Red Roof Inn (where pets stay free), car rentals with Avis, Budget, Hertz, Alamo, Enterprise and National, and guided travel with packages across all seven continents. Visit www.ausa.org/savings. Freeze on most promotions lifted, but defense funding bills still in limbo H undreds of general and fl ag offi cer promotions were ap- proved this week after a 10-month logjam, but lawmakers on Capitol Hill have much to do before the end of the year, including work on critical defense authorization and appropriations bills. The Senate approved about 425 se- nior offi cer promotions Tuesday, just hours after Alabama Sen. Tommy Tu- berville lifted his hold. About a dozen nominations for four-star positions, including Lt. Gen. James Mingus to be Army vice chief of staff, remain on hold. The Senate likely will consider these through fl oor votes soon. The Association of the U.S. Army has been advocating for confi rmation of these nominations as quickly as possible in support of military fami- lies, readiness and national security. Negotiations on the fi scal year 2024 National De- fense Authoriza- tion Act to reconcile the signifi cant differences between the versions of the bill passed by the House of Rep- resentatives and the Senate wrapped up earlier this week. However, consideration of the leg- islation by the House and Senate may take some time. Passage is not expected before next week, at the earliest. The National Defense Authoriza- tion Act is critically important legis- lation providing policy and program direction to the Defense Depart- ment. AUSA recently sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees outlin- ing the association’s priorities and calling for the bill’s swift passage. Final passage of the bill remains uncertain, but AUSA’s Government Affairs team is hopeful that it will become law before the new year. The appropriations process contin- ues to present a signifi cant challenge Government Aff airs to both chambers of Congress. A continuing resolution, a stopgap measure to fund the government and prevent a shutdown, was passed in November, pushing the next funding deadlines to Jan. 19 for some depart- ments and agencies and Feb. 2 for others, including DoD. Little progress has been made re- cently, and Congress still must fi nd agreement on all 12 appropriations bills before the current resolution expires. A full or partial government shutdown—or a full-year continuing resolution, which would hold funding at the previous year’s levels and pro- hibit any new program starts—could occur in the coming weeks. A full-year measure would be un- precedented for the Pentagon and very damaging to national security. Congress also continues to consid- er a possible supplemental national security funding bill or bills, but there has been little visible progress. You can help build momentum for enactment of the appropriations bills and the NDAA by contacting your representatives and senators. Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government Aff airs director. A full or partial government shutdown—or a full-year continuing resolution—would be very damaging to national security. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Decmber 7, 2023 | AUSA Extra 5 Deadline approaches for changes to Tricare coverage M ilitary retirees and eligible beneficiaries who use Tri- care have until Dec. 12 to enroll in or make changes to their health care coverage. Tricare open season, which began Nov. 13, allows beneficiaries who use Tricare Prime or Tricare Select to stay on their plan, enroll in a plan or change plans. Changes go into effect Jan. 1. Additionally, eligible beneficiaries have until Dec. 11 to enroll in or make changes to their vision and/or dental coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insur- ance Program. Known as FEDVIP, the program, managed by the Office of Personnel Management, offers a range of plans at varying costs, and coverage is not automatic, so benefi- ciaries must act to enroll in a dental or vision plan. Open season for FEDVIP began Nov. 13 and expires Dec. 11. Those who are not already in a Tricare plan and don’t enroll during open season could still receive care, but they will “only be eligible for care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available,” according to the Tricare website. Outside of Tricare open season, beneficiaries can enroll or change their enrollment following certain life events, including mar- riage, the birth of a child or retire- ment from active duty. Open season does not apply to active-duty service members. It also does not apply to Tricare for Life— coverage is automatic for eligible ben- eficiaries who have Medicare Part A and Part B, according to Tricare. Premium-based plans, including Tricare Reserve Select, Retired Re- serve and Young Adult, also are not impacted by open season. Eligible beneficiaries can buy these plans at any time throughout the year, ac- cording to Tricare. For more information on Tricare open season, click here. For informa- tion on health plan costs for 2024, click here. For more on the Federal Employ- ees Dental and Vision Insurance Pro- gram, click here. During open season, beneficiaries who use Tricare Prime or Tricare Select can stay on their plan, enroll in a plan or change plans . (DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY GRAPHIC)www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | December 7, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Discounts on gifts, fitness and professional certifications Y our membership in the As- sociation of the U.S. Army provides access to a variety of discounts and savings you can use as you go about your holiday shopping this year. Here are a few examples. Spouse-Ly Spouse-Ly is an AUSA affinity partner, offering a special discount for members. The company, owned and operated by a military spouse, offers products and services cre- ated by verified military and first- responder families. You can shop small and have a big impact, supporting those who support us. Check out the unique products at www.spouse-ly.com and use promo code AUSA to save 10%. Apple discount changes By visiting www.ausa.org/apple, AUSA members and their families who are current or retired employees or contractors of government enti- ties can access their Apple discounts through AUSA. For members who are not connect- ed to the federal government, you can still receive Apple “Employee Pur- chase Program” discounts through Abenity, an AUSA benefit partner. Visit www.ausa.org/abenity and create a new account to access thou- sands of local and national discounts. The Apple discounts include 10% off AirPods, accessories such as Air- Tags and software including File- Maker Pro, AppleCare+ and more; 6% off MacBook and iMac, Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil; 5% off iPods; 2% off Apple TV and iPhones; and 1% off iPad Air. FightCamp FightCamp is a connected at-home boxing gym, allowing you access to world-class boxing and kickboxing trainers, premium equipment and Member Benefits performance-tracking technology. The ever-growing library of box- ing, kickboxing, strength and con- ditioning and recovery workouts is designed to keep you engaged and focused. Take your game to the next level with punch tracking technology that calculates the speed and intensity of every strike. With real-time stats, FightCamp is designed to help you develop con- fidence and strength—both mentally and physically. Members save 10% with code AUSA10 and can try the program risk-free for 60 days. Learn more by clicking here. PM-ProLearn AUSA has partnered with PM- ProLearn to provide educational op- portunities with an exclusive benefit for members. All premium AUSA members re- ceive 30% off training to prepare for certifications including Project Man- agement Professional, Agile Certified Practitioner and Lean Six Sigma—a stand-alone methodology focused on improving quality and efficiency. Programs include: • Yearlong all-inclusive materials and training. • Veteran instructors who “speak” military and industry. • Application assistance and translation. • Exam and failure retest. • Help desk with instructors to provide one-on-one coaching and an- swer questions. • Two certifications per year with- in the Army Credentialing Assis- tance Program. Visit www.pm-prolearn.com/ausa to learn more. Susan Rubel is AUSA’s Association and Affinity Partnerships director. AUSA members can save 10% on FightCamp, an at-home boxing gym with access to world-class trainers and performance-tracking technology. (COURTESY PHOTO) Spouse-Ly offers products and services created by verified military and first-re- sponder families, and AUSA members can get a 10% discount. (COURTESY PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY December 7, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 Chapter leader recognizes local Vietnam veterans’ service Retired Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, left, vice president for veteran affairs with AUSA’s Coastal South Carolina chapter, and retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Susan Leith, right, pres- ent a Vietnam veteran with a commemorative pin during a ceremony at the Brookdale West Ashley Senior Living Community in Charleston. (AUSA PHOTO) A longtime advocate for soldiers and a leader with the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army’s Coast- al South Carolina chapter recently supported a ceremony honoring Viet- nam veterans at the Brookdale West Ashley Senior Living Community in Charleston. Retired Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, the AUSA chapter’s vice president for veteran affairs, was the guest speaker at the November celebration and pinning cer- emony hosted by Agape Care Group of South Carolina. He was joined in the pinning cere- mony by retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Susan Leith of Veterans Last Patrol, an organization that connects volun- teers with veterans in hospice, sup- ports honor ceremonies and provides emergency assistance. “I was honored to put veterans pins on the many veterans and spouses who attended the ceremony,” Dan- dridge said. In his remarks, Dandridge dis- cussed health care options available through the Department of Veter- ans Affairs, veterans’ benefits—es- pecially service-connected disabil- ity compensation—and surviving spouse benefits. Dandridge also had a display with pictures of helicop- ters at war in Vietnam and his book, Blades of Thunder (Book One), which was written to raise funds for Fish- er House Charleston. Through book signings and events over the past four years, Dandridge has raised more than $75,000 for Fisher House, which houses families of veterans re- ceiving care at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston. AUSA chapter honors outstanding food service soldiers T he Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s Fort Liberty chapter in North Carolina recently spon- sored and presented gift cards at the 406th Army Field Support Battalion- Liberty Food Services’ quarterly meet- ing and recognition ceremony. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew McFowler, the chapter’s past presi- dent, attended the event in November along with approxi- mately 60 food service professionals. McFowler discussed the history of AUSA and presented gift cards to the Junior and Senior Chefs of the Quar- ter—Spc. Roniece Todd and Staff Sgt. Andres Gonzalez, respectively. Coastal South Carolina Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew McFowler, past president of AUSA’s Fort Liberty chapter in North Carolina, presents gift cards to Spc. Roniece Todd, left, and Staff Sgt. Andres Gonzalez, Junior and Senior Chefs of the Quarter for the 406th Army Field Sup- port Battalion-Liberty Food Services. (AUSA PHOTOS) Fort LibertyNext >