PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org December 21, 2023 | AUSA Extra 1 Budget delays hamper Army capabilities A ny further budget delays, in- cluding the possibility of a full-year stopgap funding measure, will have “significant conse- quences” for the Army and its efforts to recruit, modernize and support missions around the world, Army Sec- retary Christine Wormuth warns. “The significant consequences for our recruiting efforts, acquisition portfolio, and military construction program would diminish the Army’s ability to achieve its mission in sup- port of the National Defense Strategy, including by taking care of our people,” Wormuth writes in a Dec. 12 letter to leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I urge Congress to pass a full-year appropriation for FY 2024.” Since fiscal 2024 began Oct. 1, the Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, center, speaks with soldiers and leaders participating in a command post exercise during a visit to Fort Riley, Kansas. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. DAVID RESNICK) Army Recruiting is ‘Existential Challenge’ 3 Paper Calls for CTC Training Evolution 4 Family Readiness Volunteers Spread Holiday Cheer 6 Chapter Highlights GEN Creighton W. Abrams Central Texas 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 NUMBER 34 DECEMBER 21, 2023 Army and the rest of DoD have been operating under a temporary funding measure. Known as a continuing reso- lution, the measure keeps funding at the previous year’s levels and prohib- its new program starts. The current continuing resolution for DoD expires Feb. 2. Fiscal year 2024 ends Sept. 30. With an increas- ingly challenging environment in Congress, there have been discussions about the possibility of a full-year con- tinuing resolution. Such a continuing resolution would have “significant negative effects” on the Army, which has never gone a full year without an appropriation, Wor- muth writes. “With our country facing the most dangerous security environ- ment in decades, we need to avoid the AUSA Extra will be on break until Jan. 11. Happy holidays! harm a year-long CR would inflict.” The Army is already struggling to meet its recruiting goals in a tough market, and a yearlong continuing resolution would limit funds available for large prospecting events and mar- keting efforts, Wormuth writes. Under a continuing resolution, mili- tary construction projects cannot be- gin, forcing the Army to delay 35 proj- ects, including five barracks and four family housing projects, Wormuth writes. A continuing resolution also sets back long-range precision fires acquisition efforts, she said. “A full- year appropriation would allow the Army to invest in these needed capa- bilities—including our most valuable asset, our people,” Wormuth writes. Read the letter here.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY December 21, 2023 | AUSA Extra 3 Camarillo: Army making progress amid recruiting crisis Soldiers assigned to the Wichita Recruiting Company interact with the public and pro- vide information about enlistment opportunities and benefits of Army service during the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, Kansas. (U.S. ARMY RESERVE/PFC. AIDEN GRIFFITTS) D espite missing its recruiting goal in fiscal 2023, the Army is making progress in tack- ling what service leaders have called an “existential challenge,” Army Un- dersecretary Gabe Camarillo said. “Recruiting is an existential chal- lenge for our warfighters and for our Army,” he said. If the Army can’t re- cruit the talent it needs, the service will face “significant issues and prob- lems,” particularly as it transforms for the future and contends with growing threats around the world, he said. In fiscal 2023, the Army missed its recruiting goal of 65,000 new soldiers by about 10,000. Leaders have called it a “stretch goal,” and the target for fiscal 2024, which began Oct. 1, is about 55,000 new soldiers, Camarillo said. “It’s still a stretch goal, but it’s still one that we’re going to set for ourselves,” Camarillo said, adding that “the Army is smaller than we’d like for it to be,” and Army recruiters deserve “a lot of credit” for what they accomplished this past year. The recruiting challenge faced by the Army and the other services was “many years in the making,” Ca- marillo said during a panel discus- sion at the recent Reagan National Defense Forum hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. Michelle Cabotaje joined AUSA as an intern in January 2022 and is currently a program coordinator for the NCO and Soldier Programs di- rectorate. In her spare time, Michelle loves learning new recipes, strength training, golfing and photography. She is pursuing a master’s degree in security and intelligence studies. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Michelle Cabotaje Program Coordinator, NCO and Soldier Programs Factors such a tight labor mar- ket, rising obesity rates, a declin- ing propensity to serve and a lack of familiarity with what a military career entails, all contribute to the challenging recruiting environment, Camarillo said. “All of this came to a head in 2022, when the Army missed its recruit- ing goals for the first time in several years,” he said. “We recognized very quickly that the data was showing that this was the start of a long-term trend if we didn’t do something to act very quickly to arrest it.” In response, the Army has launched several initiatives, including the Fu- ture Soldier Preparatory Course, which helps prospective recruits meet the Army’s academic or physi- cal fitness standards, and incentives for soldiers who refer someone who ends up joining the force. It also is launching the “biggest recruiting transformation” since the creation of the all-volunteer force 50 years ago, Camarillo said. The Army also is transforming its recruiting workforce. Talking to Fortune 500 companies, the Army found one key difference, Camarillo said. “They have specialized talent acquisition workforces,” he said. “We are going to create a more special- ized workforce in the Army to take on these issues.” Leaders also are working to dis- pel common misconceptions about military service. Many young people worry that Army service can derail or slow their life goals, Camarillo said. It’s up to the Army to showcase the many opportunities available to those who serve, he said. Looking ahead, the Army is “trend- ing in the right direction,” Camarillo said. “But we’re nowhere near where we need to be. This is a long-term challenge the Army is facing.”www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | December 21, 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 All AUSA members have free access to legal documents for individuals and small businesses through LawAssure, paid for by the association. Visit www.ausa.org/legal and create an account—do not use your AUSA website credentials. Choose from documents like wills, trusts, powers of at- torney, bills of sale and much more. Paper: Combat training centers must adapt to ‘realities of modern warfare’ A soldier with the 1st Security Force As- sistance Brigade uses an RQ-11B Ra- ven Small Unmanned Aircraft System during a rotation at the National Train- ing Center at Fort Irwin, California. (U.S. ARMY/MAJ. JASON ELMORE) A s the Army’s premier training venues for maneuver forma- tions, combat training cen- ters must evolve to match the reali- ties of modern warfare, according to the author of a new paper published by the Association of the U.S. Army. This includes wargaming pre-de- ployment activities with an empha- sis on critical infrastructure, writes Capt. Daniel Eerhart, a psychological operations offi cer serving as a cyber policy, law and strategy research sci- entist at the Army Cyber Institute, in “Training Outside ‘The Box.’ ” “The realities of modern warfare are that America’s principal adver- saries can disrupt any step in the deployment process,” Eerhart writes. “This paper contends that the addi- tion of an information warfare com- pany to the opposing force (OPFOR) battalions can better prepare rota- tional training units at combat train- ing centers (CTCs) for the diffi culties of modern warfare.” Wargames “are analytic games that simulate aspects of warfare at the tactical, operational, or strategic level,” according to the Rand Corp. Eerhart cites an exercise called Jack Voltaic, conducted in 2020 by the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart, Georgia, with the Army Cyber Institute, as an example of wargaming that could benefi t the en- tire Army. “Throughout the exercise, cyber threat actors severely degraded the 3rd Infantry Division’s ability to get their equipment from Fort Stewart to the port,” he writes. “The 3rd Infan- try Division should not be alone in wargaming through friction points in its deployment plan.” Adding an information warfare company to the opposing force battal- ions would expose soldiers to tactical deception used in real-world combat operations, as well as enemy misin- formation and disinformation. It also would support cyber integration into tactical units, Eerhart writes. Combat training centers also need to harden soldiers against microtar- geting, where enemies try to infl uence soldiers’ behavior through data and targeted advertising, Eerhart writes. “Servicemembers … are likely to be targeted by adversary microtargeted infl uence warfare,” he writes. Incorporating wargaming into pre-deployment operations at com- bat training centers is key to ensur- ing soldiers are protected against modern threats and enhancing the Army’s power projection capabilities, Eerhart concludes. “By expanding the training scope of combat training centers, the Army can ensure that units stand ready to face future adversaries while protect- ing its soldiers from the asymmetric risks they face,” he writes. “Wargam- ing pre-deployment activities with an emphasis on critical infrastructure enhances the Army’s ability to proj- ect force while simultaneously sup- porting the National Cybersecurity Strategy’s emphasis on defending critical infrastructure.” Read the paper here.www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | December 21, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Volunteers ‘make a huge difference’ for Army families Holly Dailey, left, AUSA’s Family Readiness director, recognizes the association’s Volun- teer Family of the Year during the AUSA Annual Meeting. (AUSA PHOTO) T he holiday season is a time to rejoice and celebrate with fam- ily and friends, and a time of goodwill, giving back to our commu- nities and helping those in need. The Association of the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness directorate sup- ports AUSA’s mission by recognizing the Volunteer Family of the Year. The AUSA Volunteer Family of the Year Award honors an exceptional Army family for dedicated service that improves their local community. Congratulations to the 2023 Vol- unteer Family of the Year—Lt. Col. Robert “Jody” Shipley, his wife, Em- ily, and their children, Grace, Gage and Hailey—from AUSA’s Central Texas chapter. In the past year, the Shipley family logged thou- sands of hours supporting a variety of events and organizations. They volunteered at Memorial Christian Academy, Memorial Baptist Church, the Killeen Food Bank and Garden of Hope, a shelter for children entering the foster care system. AUSA’s Family Readiness direc- torate recently connected with Emily Shipley to see what her family was doing during the holiday season. With their recent permanent change-of-station move to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, the Shipleys are settling in and looking for volunteer oppor- tunities. “We have found that every community, big or small, is always in need of volunteers,” Emily Shipley said. “We have learned that even a simple gesture can make a person’s day, just taking time to smile and talk to someone or helping them with a task can make a huge difference.” For the Shipleys, they enjoy the relationships they form and the joy they share with their community, Emily Shipley said. For Christmas, they will spend time with their im- mediate and extended family, as well as a few ROTC cadets who will be Family Readiness joining them for the holiday meal. PCS moves shouldn’t deter you from volunteering. The Shipleys said volunteering helps them learn and become invested in their new com- munity. If you’ve recently moved or live on or near a military installa- tion, consider reaching out to the Army Volunteer Corps or your local AUSA chapter to find opportunities with organizations that benefit the Army community. Toy drive Here at AUSA headquarters, we recently hosted the association’s an- nual toy drive in conjunction with lo- cal AUSA chapters. The George Washington chapter delivered four large boxes of toys and gifts to Kelly Nebel, director for Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation at Joint Base Myer–Hen- derson Hall, Virginia, for distribu- tion to deserving military families. Separately, Dick Winter, the chapter president, presented Nebel with 20 $50 post exchange gift cards to be distributed through unit chaplains and command sergeants major. We also want to highlight AUSA’s Potomac-Liberty chapter for its efforts over the holidays. Chap- ter members raised gifts alongside AUSA national and distributed them to families at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The chapter also laid wreaths at Al- exandria National Cemetery, Virgin- ia, through Wreaths Across Ameri- ca, and hosted a chili cook-off and a chapter holiday gathering. Volunteers inspire us to help oth- ers by providing hope and purpose. Thank you to everyone who dedicates their time to helping people in and around Army communities. Kaylee Spielman is AUSA’s Family Readiness intern. Thea Green, left, AUSA’s deputy director of Family Readiness, and Family Readi - ness intern Kaylee Spielman pose for a photo at AUSA headquarters with toys gathered for military families. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY December 21, 2023 | AUSA Extra 7 Chapter leaders honor, remember US soldiers from WWII Stefan Deisenroth, first vice president of AUSA’s GEN Creighton W. Abrams chapter, places a U.S. flag in a foxhole used by soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s Easy Company in Bastogne, Belgium, during World War II. (AUSA PHOTO) V olunteer leaders with the As- sociation of the U.S. Army’s GEN Creighton W. Abrams chapter, based in Wiesbaden, Ger- many, recently traveled to Bastogne, Belgium, to honor and remember American soldiers who fought in World War II. “Our chapter often goes to Bas- togne, Belgium, to honor the soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II,” said Gemma Mc- Gowan, the chap- ter president, who also serves as the IT program man- ager (systems analysis) for U.S. Army Europe and Africa. McGowan, along with Stefan Deisenroth, the chapter’s first vice president, and Johnny Bona, a chap- ter member and staffer at the 101st Airborne Museum in Bastogne, added U.S. flags to the foxholes used by sol- diers from the 101st Airborne Divi- sion’s Easy Company. The soldiers, made famous in the Band of Broth- ers television series, fought between December 1944 and January 1945 against the German forces in Foy. The area holds special meaning for McGowan because her grand- father fought in the battle, and she remembers many of the stories he would tell her while growing up. “It is very special to now see these plac- es firsthand, and even more special to experience it with fellow chapter members,” McGowan said. After placing the flags and ensur- ing the area is free of any trash, the chapter leaders visited the Sherman tank on McAuliffe Square in the cen- ter of Bastogne. It symbolizes one of the lead American tanks breaking through the encirclement of Bas- togne in December 1944. GEN Creighton W. Abrams AUSA members sponsor Fort Cavazos gate cleanup O n Dec. 9, the Association of the U.S. Army’s Central Tex- as chapter partnered with soldiers from Fort Cavazos and other local organizations to remove litter from the installation’s gates. “Fort Cavazos’ main entrance shines a little brighter today after the 4th Annual Operation Great Place Clean-Up,” the chapter said in a Facebook post. The effort is part of the chapter’s Community Connection Program, which aims to increase partner- ships between Fort Cavazos soldiers and the central Texas community through mentoring and networking. Members of AUSA’s Central Texas chapter, soldiers from III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos and the Junior ROTC ‘Roo Battalion’ from the Killeen Independent School Dis- trict join forces to clean up trash around the installation’s main gate. (AUSA PHOTO) Central TexasNext >