PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org January 16, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Modernization, allies key to sustainment T he Army must prioritize mod- ernization of the industrial base and integration of allies and partners as it works to more quickly deliver capabilities and maintenance to the front lines, a se- nior officer said. In remarks Wednesday at an As- sociation of the U.S. Army Hot Topic titled “Connecting the Industrial Base to the Tactical Edge,” Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command, said that many of the lessons learned from studying operations in Ukraine have shown that supply chain capa- bilities would be impossible without working closely with allies and part- ners. “If you look back at our previous Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command, speaks Wednes- day at an AUSA Hot Topic forum focused on the industrial base. (AUSA PHOTO) Logistics Must Keep Pace with Transformation 3 Wormuth Reflects on Time as Army Secretary 4 NCO & Soldier Programs Fostering Connections at Fort Irwin 7 Chapter Highlights Greater Los Angeles Fort Knox 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 36 JANUARY 16, 2025 See Sustainment, Page 5 conflicts, we don’t fight alone, so we have to be integrated,” said Mohan, who also has been acting command- ing general of Materiel Command since March 2024. Integration with overseas part- ners would be bolstered by advanced manufacturing capabilities provided by teams of artisans on site who can work with remote subject-matter ex- perts in the United States through secure telemaintenance channels. As an example, Mohan described a scenario where a High Mobility Ar- tillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is out of commission, and the criti- cal part to repair it is not on hand in theater. “In the world we envi- sion, that HIMARS crew jumps on our telemaintenance chat and pulls up that subject-matter expert, the engineer that is responsible for that weapon system,” Mohan said. “So, fortunately there’s a support unit or an allied capability that has the 3D printing technology to fabricate the required part, and we have the intel- lectual property so we can actually print the part.” The telemaintenance and fabrica- tion approach, he said, “dramatically reduces lead times compared to tra- ditional logistics that would have taken weeks” to pull the part off a warehouse shelf, transport it over- seas and out to the tactical edge. Mohan also noted that as the Army prepares to engage in combat opera- tions against any number of possible www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY January 16, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 Healthy supply chain keeps Army in the future fight A s the Army and the other ser- vices transform to meet the needs of future conflicts, the military’s logistics capability must also keep pace, the director of the Defense Logistics Agency said. “Each of the services is going through a deep transformation cycle currently. We have to make sure that our logistics capability is also going through a deep transformation,” Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly said Wednes- day during a panel on supply chain health at an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic on the industrial base. “The scale” of future conflict “is global, and the time frame is pro- tracted,” he said. “I think we have to get over the mythology of this short, sharp fight and understand what we have to prepare for.” As global supply chains recover, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Army is working to fight effectively amid a “resource- constrained environment,” said Liz Miranda, executive deputy to the commanding general of Army Mate- riel Command. “We don't have all the money in the world to maintain everything hot and ready,” she said. “We may have to keep some things warm and some things cold so that we can leverage and focus on the right things that our Army needs and our soldiers need to fight. In a resource constrained en- vironment, that's very challenging.” The Army needs to be prepared for global supply chain challenges and expect “constant disruption,” said retired Lt. Gen. Mary Legere, man- aging director of Accenture Global Defense and former deputy Army chief of staff for intelligence, G-2. She cited the war in Ukraine as an example. “We need to rise to this challenge. The level and speed and pace of change is something that we have to understand,” she said. “Global supply chains are reacting to geopo- litical realities of the world dividing again and camps forming. … We're up against a long struggle where, once again, supply chains are going to choose sides.” The future fight will be won through sustainment, Simerly said. “As we think about where we are to- day, the risk to our fight, I really like the language that was used recently where we said, as a nation, we're in an undeclared state of emergency,” he said. “The only requirement is winning. We have to find how we're going to sustain the surge and con- traction of future conflict so that we can win through sustainment.” Staff Sgt. Stephon McIntosh, left, of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, guides Pfc. Sterling Maness to stage his M109 Paladin howitzer during offloading operations Dec. 28 at the port of Koper, Slovenia. (U.S. ARMY/CAPT. MISAEL SALDIVAR) From left to right, Liz Miranda, executive deputy to the commanding general of Army Materiel Command; retired Lt. Gen. Mary Legere, managing director of Accenture Glob- al Defense; and Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly, director of the Defense Logistics Agency, speak at an AUSA Hot Topic forum on the industrial base. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | January 16, 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. 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 . Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Outgoing Army secretary says service is ‘going in the right direction’ P reparing to wrap up her ten- ure as the 25th secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth offered leadership advice and reflect- ed on her time on the job during a recent episode of the From the Green Notebook podcast. “I think there's a reason that there's the expression, ‘It's lonely at the top.’ It is lonely sometimes to be a leader,” she said. “You have enor- mous responsibility. People have to have trust in you. They have to be- lieve that [you]'re holding yourself accountable and not playing favor- ites, and that takes discipline to do that day in and day out.” Nearly four years after she made history as the first woman to serve as secretary of the Army, Wormuth said that she is “planning to run through the tape” as she rounds out her term in the coming days. Speaking to Army leaders, Wor- muth urged them to master the skills they will need to operate at the “en- terprise level.” “I'm not sure we're always putting as much emphasis on the sets of skills that I think you need to be a leader in the Army at the more enterprise level,” she said. “Critical thinking, the ability to not just describe prob- lems, but actually analyze problems and come up with recommendations for how to solve problems [are] criti- cally important.” The best leaders across the Army maintain a level of humility and rec- ognize how essential their team is, Wormuth said. “One of the things I love the most about the Army is how it is so culturally oriented around the idea of team,” she said. During any change-of-command ceremony, “it is extremely rare in my experience to have a leader who is changing command not talk about what the team did,” Wormuth said. “It's not about their individual ac- complishments; it’s about the team Army Secretary Christine Wormuth ad- dresses a forum during the 2024 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO) A Place for Mom is the nation’s leading senior living advisory service. AUSA members re- ceive a $350 credit toward moving expenses when they use A Place for Mom to move to a referred part- ner community. Visit https://www. aplaceformom.com/affiliate/ausa. that made it happen. … It’s really important to remember that.” Looking forward, Wormuth expects the incoming administration will continue the efforts the Army has undertaken over the past four years. “I think the things that we have been pursuing as an Army for the last al- most four years, whether it's in the force structure changes we've been making or the modernization priori- ties we've been pursuing, we're going in the right direction,” she said. “I think there’s going to be continuity in a lot of places.” Despite the challenges that come with working in the national secu- rity space, the stakes of the work have kept Wormuth dedicated to her profession. “I have been blessed to almost al- ways feel like what I spend my pro- fessional time doing really matters,” she said. “Since walking through the doors of the Pentagon when I was 26, I've been blessed to have opportuni- ties that allowed me to do that in some small ways and then over time in some bigger ways, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.”www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY January 16, 2025 | AUSA Extra 5 Sustainment From Page 1 adversaries, it must ensure that it is acquiring the right capabilities—a question that will be governed by the rapid evolution of battlefield technol- ogy. He offered as an example the pro- liferation of unmanned aerial sys- tems and how quickly the systems’ capabilities are advancing. The “UAS space is exploding, UAS and counter- UAS, it is dynamically changing the battlefield,” he said. This requires the Army to ask if it’s “buying the right stuff, are we spending our tax- payers’ [money] on the right capabil- ity? We’ve got to think really hard on that.” Purchasing massive numbers of unmanned aerial systems also would require building facilities to house and maintain them, he noted. “The hangar is going to last 150 years when we don’t know what the avia- tion fleet is going to look like in five years,” Mohan said. “We are on a 12- week integration cycle in Ukraine. A 12-week cycle. Build something new, fight something new, react to the en- emy’s countermeasures, build some- thing new—so we’ve got to think, we’ve got to challenge ourselves.” Task Force Aviation soldiers assigned to Regional Command East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission perform repairs on a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/SGT. CHERYL MADOLEV)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY 6 AUSA Extra | January 16, 2025 T he West Point Association of Graduates has served since 1869 as the alumni association and foundation for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, connecting cadets, soldiers, veterans and retirees. “The history of the United States Military Academy at West Point and its graduates truly goes hand-in- hand with the history of the United States of America,” the association’s website says. “From the War of 1812 to the more recent Global War on Terror, West Point graduates have played an integral part ... of defend- ing our nation.” The association provides a vari- ety of opportunities for West Point graduates, including career services, information about veterans’ benefits, a travel program and memorial and funeral support. It also publishes West Point Maga- zine and hosts a podcast focused on the academy, with a recent episode featuring retired Gen. Bob Brown, president and CEO of the Association of the U.S. Army and a 1981 West Point graduate. Several awards are administered by the association, including the Distinguished Graduate Award; the Sylvanus Thayer Award, recogniz- ing a U.S. citizen who exemplifies the academy’s ideals; and the Alex- ander R. Nininger Award, honoring a graduate who has demonstrated valor on the battlefield. “Our mission is to serve West Point and the Long Gray Line; our vision is for the Long Gray Line to be the most highly con- nected alumni body in the world,” the association’s website says. For more information, please visit https://www.westpointaog.org/. If your association is interested in partnering with AUSA, contact Su- san Rubel at srubel@ausa.org. Association Partnership with AUSA is an opportunity for like-minded military service organizations to join AUSA in support of the Total Army—soldiers, DoD civilians and their families. Spotlight on AUSA Association Partner: WPAOG Longtime AUSA leader, finance committee chair dies R etired Col. Ian Patterson, an Association of the U.S. Army life member who also was a key financial adviser to the association’s Board of Directors, died Dec. 25. He was 80. Patterson served AUSA for more than two decades. Beginning in 1999, he was a member of the association’s Advisory Board of Directors, which supported what was then known as AUSA’s Council of Trustees. He was then appointed to the Leadership Committee and, later, to the Finance and Audit Committee, which supports and provides advice to the Board of Directors, AUSA’s governing body. As Finance Committee chair, Pat- terson advised board members on the association’s audit and budget re- quests. He worked with AUSA’s audi- tors as well as with AUSA leadership on understanding and recommending approval of the association’s budget proposals. He completed his tenure in 2020. “Ian was a dedicated and selfless member of the AUSA family who con- tinued to serve and support the Army even after his service in uniform,” said Manisha Patel, AUSA’s chief fi- nancial officer. “His steady guidance and leadership were invaluable to our team and our Board of Directors. He will be greatly missed.” Patterson, of Ashburn, Virginia, joined the Army as a second lieuten- ant in 1966 and served one tour in Vietnam. He was a military adviser to the Imperial Iranian Air Force in 1979 in Tehran when the Iranian gov- ernment collapsed, and he helped en- sure the safe and orderly evacuation of U.S. military personnel, according to his obituary. Patterson was deputy chief of staff for the 101st Airborne Division and commanded a HAWK missile battal- ion in Germany. After the first Gulf War, he led the staff responsible for Kuwait’s post-war construction, ac- cording to his obituary. In his final Army role, Patterson led the Defense Supply Service, where he streamlined procurement and sup- ply operations for the Department of Defense. He retired from the Army in 1994. A funeral service is scheduled for Feb. 26 at Arlington National Cem- etery. More information is available here. Retired Col. Ian Patterson. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY January 16, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 R etired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey, the Association of the U.S. Army’s vice presi- dent for NCO and Soldier Programs, and I traveled to Fort Irwin, Califor- nia, in December for a meaningful opportunity to engage with soldiers and leaders at the National Training Center and connect with the local community in Barstow. Nestled in the mountains of Cali- fornia, Fort Irwin is an isolated post that’s 45 minutes from Barstow, the nearest city—which makes the jour- ney to and from the installation an intentional and deliberate one. Our four-day trip allowed us to witness the hard work and dedication of the soldiers stationed there, as well as the challenges they face. Our first day began with a hands- on Life Skills session at the auto shop on post. Several soldiers participat- ed in a class that focused on how to change the oil in their vehicles—a key maintenance skill that often gets overlooked. It was inspiring to see sol- diers take an active interest in main- taining their personal vehicles, fos- tering a deeper understanding of the importance of regular maintenance. We then joined leaders from the National Training Center for lunch at the Coyote Café Dining Facility. Along with Holly Dailey, AUSA’s Family Readiness director, we en- gaged in discussions about leader- ship at various echelons, the chal- lenges of assignments and—most importantly—how we can best sup- port soldiers and their families. Fort Irwin’s unique mission and location present distinct challenges, including the high operational tempo of rotations that sees units coming in and out of the formidable Mojave Desert training area known as “the box” for weeks at a time. The following morning, we attend- ed a meeting with community lead- ers from Barstow and surrounding NCO & Soldier Programs Connecting with soldiers, local community at Fort Irwin areas, chaired by Renita Wickes of the AUSA National Training Cen- ter-High Desert chapter. The meet- ing underscored how essential it is for the military and local communi- ties to work together to support one another, especially in such a remote and high-operations location like Fort Irwin. Later in the day, Daniel Dailey had the honor of serving as the guest speaker for the 96th Combat Service Support Brigade’s NCO Induction Ceremony. More than 30 NCOs who provide critical support and sustain- ment to warfighters rotating through the National Training Center were inducted. It was inspiring to witness the dedication and commitment of these soldiers, who are integral to ensuring the operational success of the installation’s training cycles. On the final day of our visit, we participated in a Leader Develop- ment Forum for battalion-level and higher command teams, focused on leading with compassion and char- acter. Daniel Dailey shared valuable insights on how to lead with empa- thy and integrity, and the event was hosted by Brig. Gen. Brandon Ander- son and Command Sgt. Maj. Carvet Tate, command team of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin. We closed the trip by joining AUSA chapter members at the Barstow Community Center to stuff stockings for Gold Star families. It was a mean- ingful way to give back to those who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. This was not just a trip to a re- mote and strategically important lo- cation—it was a chance to honor the tireless efforts of the soldiers, lead- ers and AUSA members stationed there. The National Training Cen- ter plays a vital role in the Army’s mission, and the soldiers who serve there demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to their duties. For more on this trip and others, follow us on Instagram @ncosoldier- programs. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Julie Guerra is AUSA’s director of NCO and Soldier Programs. Retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dai- ley, left, AUSA's vice president for NCO and Soldier Programs, teaches a soldier about vehicle maintenance during a visit to Fort Irwin, California. (AUSA PHOTO) Holly Dailey, right, AUSA's Family Readiness director, and retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey, second from right, the association's vice president for NCO and Soldier Programs, stuff stockings for Gold Star families alongside members of AUSA's National Training Center-High Desert chapter in California. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY 8 AUSA Extra | January 16, 2025 Chapter supports California wildfire response efforts I n the wake of devastating wild- fires in California, members of the Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s Greater Los Angeles chapter are stepping up to support affected soldiers and veterans as well as ser- vice members called to assist civil authorities. “Our Greater Los Angeles chapter will be very involved in supporting our military units in the area,” said retired Lt. Col. Pete Seitz, the chapter president. “We have main- tained a military emergency fund for assisting soldiers and veterans that have financial challenges, and we will be using the fund to help mili- tary members displaced or impacted by the fires.” Seitz has been “in direct contact” with the California National Guard's 40th Infantry Division, the Califor- nia National Guard headquarters in Sacramento and the Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion “advising them that we are ready to help,” he said. “The response to our outreach has been very positive and appreciated.” Retired Lt. Col. Jim Cragg, the chapter's executive vice president, lives in Pacific Palisades and came very close to losing his home as sev- eral neighboring homes were de- stroyed, Seitz said. Cragg is also the former commander of the American Legion Ronald Reagan Pacific Pali- sades Post 283. “Despite being evacuated with his wife and daughter, Jim has remained at the American Legion building to provide aid and assist local residents and first responders,” Seitz said, de- scribing Cragg as “a real example of a true American hero.” The fires are among the deadli- est in California’s modern history, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 24 people, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I have been in this area for nearly 50 years, and this is the worst I can remember. It will be decades before communities recover and lives can return to nor- mal,” Seitz said. More than 1,850 National Guard troops from California, Nevada and Wyoming had been activated for air and ground firefighting efforts as of Jan. 6, according to the Army. On Jan. 12, California Gov. Gavin New- som announced he would activate an additional 1,000 California Guard troops to join the effort. Greater Los Angeles AUSA honors outstanding recruiters Staff Sgt. Carlos Araujo,right, of the California Army National Guard's 40th Combat Avia- tion Brigade, speaks with civil authorities Jan. 11 about joint operations to support water drop missions in Los Angeles County. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/SPC. WILLIAM ESPINOSA) Retired Maj. Mike Pesko, right in each photo, vice president-at-large for AUSA's Fort Knox chapter in Kentucky, presents Distinguished Honor Graduate Certificates of Commendation and chapter challenge coins to graduates of the Army Recruiter Course in December. The honorees are, clockwise from top left, Staff Sgts. Sean Potter, Thomas Gibson, Nelson Bonilla and Aliimatai Tuitoelau. (AUSA PHOTOS) Fort KnoxNext >