PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org January 23, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Study backs stationing brigade in Europe I nstead of relying on nine-month deployments to Europe, the Army should forward-station troops in allied European countries, according to a recent report from the Atlantic Council. “Assuming the United States maintains some kind of troop pres- ence in Europe … relying primarily on rotational presence doesn’t make sense fiscally,” writes author John Deni, a research professor at the Army’s Strategic Studies Institute and a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative. “This may seem counterintuitive, but recent U.S. Army data indicate that recurring annual costs of back-to-back nine- month deployments outweigh those associated with basing units in Eu- Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, with NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Poland, engage targets with their M1A2 Abrams tank during training at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. CECIL ELLIOTT) Military Logistics Transforms for Future 3 Registration Opens for AUSA's Global Force 4 Family Readiness Resources for Positive Change 6 Chapter Highlights Redstone-Huntsville 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 37 JANUARY 23, 2025 See Rotational deployments, Page 6 rope on a full-time basis.” Continually rotating an armored brigade combat team into Europe costs almost $70 million more annu- ally than stationing troops in Ger- many or Poland, Deni found. Though building the infrastruc- ture to support an armored brigade combat team could be “significant,” host nations can utilize cost sharing to reduce U.S. expenses. “For example, the Polish govern- ment has borne nearly all costs as- sociated with building facilities in Zagan, Poland, hoping to host an American Armored Brigade Combat Team,” Deni writes. “The cost of this investment is roughly $3.6 billion, all of which is paid by Poland.” Aside from cutting costs, shift- ing away from continuous deploy- ments may ease the negative effects of high deployment tempo on troops, including increased domestic vio- lence, divorce rates and suicides in the months following redeployment from overseas rotations, brigade com- manders told Deni. “It’s unclear whether reducing the number of back-to-back rotational deployments while increasing the number of forward-stationed troops in places like Germany or Poland would lower the incidence of divorce or suicide among troops in tank bri- gades—though given the human toll of those incidents, experimenting with ways to ease the burden on ser- vicemembers and their families is worthwhile,” Deni writes. Forward stationing an armored www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY January 23, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 'Deep transformation' needed to bolster military logistics 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 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 protracted,” he said. “I think we have to get over the mythology of this short, sharp fight and understand what we have to pre- pare for.” Contested logistics is having an impact on all stakeholders' ability to support the fight, Simerly said. “This strategic shift, this transfor- mation, if you will, is taking a logis- tics behemoth and turning it into a combat support juggernaut and op- erationalizing aspects of the agency to be relevant and able to operate at the speed of war,” he continued. 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 Left to right, Liz Miranda, executive deputy to the commanding general of Army Ma- teriel Command; retired Lt. Gen. Mary Legere, managing director of Accenture Global Defense; and Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly, director of the Defense Logistics Agency; speak during an AUSA Hot Topic forum focused on the industrial base. (AUSA PHOTO) Emma Mueller has been with AUSA for one year and describes working with the association and assisting its members as "a won- derful experience." She has always had a passion for helping soldiers, veterans and their families. In her free time, Emma enjoys playing golf, hiking and spending time with friends and family. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Emma Mueller Member Experience Associate 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 re- tired Lt. Gen. Mary Legere, manag- ing director of Accenture Global De- fense 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.” This panel discussion and all the presentations from the Hot Topic are available on AUSA's YouTube page.www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | January 23, 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. 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Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Sign up now for AUSA's Global Force Symposium and Exposition R egistration is now open for the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama. The three-day event will take place March 25–27 at the Von Braun Cen- ter in Huntsville, just outside Red- stone Arsenal and home to Army Materiel Command. This year’s theme is “Driving Con- tinuous Transformation of Ready Combat Formations,” with keynote speeches and panel discussions fo- cused on the continued transforma- tion of the Army as the force prepares for a complex future battlefield. Faced with growing threats and quickly evolving technology, the Army is pushing harder and faster to transform the force for the future. This includes expanding the service’s transforming in contact initiative, which puts new and emerging tech- nology into soldiers’ hands for testing and feedback. The event will highlight capa- bilities outlined in the Army Mod- ernization Strategy to drive trans- AUSA provides members free ac- cess to more than 9,300 on-demand fitness videos with Active&Fit. You can also join the program for $28 a month and access more than 12,700 participating gyms. Visit www.activeandfitdirect.com for more and www.ausa.org/gym to join. formational change. Presentations and panel discussions with senior military and industry leaders will address critical points of research and development, acquisition and contracting, force sustainment, stra- tegic divestiture and industry part- nerships. Leaders from Army Materiel Com- mand, Army Futures Command and the office of the assistant Army sec- retary for acquisition, logistics and technology are scheduled to partici- pate, along with leaders from other Army commands. Additionally, throughout the three-day event, the Army will run the Warriors Corner, featuring pre- sentations by Army leaders, from its booth in the Von Braun Center. There also will be more than 200 exhibits, showcasing the latest inno- vations from industry and the Army. Click here to view the exhibit hall. A full agenda will be available soon. To register or for more information on Global Force, click here. Soldiers, defense industry representatives, AUSA members and more gather on the ex- hibit floor during the 2024 AUSA Global Force Symposium and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY 6 AUSA Extra | January 23, 2025 Improve your financial, physical, social health in 2025 A t the beginning of a new year, many of us will take the op- portunity to make a fresh start. Change is hard, whether it’s a change you want to make or one that the military lifestyle requires, but understanding the “why” behind a change can make it more manage - able. Whether you’ve chosen to take the opportunity or duty calls, the Army offers many free benefits that can el- evate your chances of success. If you want to change your finan- cial situation, consider a visit to your installation’s Financial Readiness Program. The Army Financial Read- iness Program offers consumer advocacy services that include com- prehensive educational and counsel- ing programs. Through classroom training and individual counseling, participants can learn how to save and invest money, establish savings goals, eliminate debt and save for emergencies. Additionally, all active-duty, Na- tional Guard and Reserve service members, family members and sur- vivors are eligible to receive free fi- Family Readiness nancial counseling. Learn more at the Office of Financial Readiness website. MilTax software became available Jan. 15, backed by the Department of Defense and made exclusively for the military community. You can com- plete your tax return with special- ized software that accounts for the complexities of military life, connect with a tax professional and file fed- eral and up to three state returns, all for free. Click here for more. If improving physical fitness and overall health is on your list of goals, look for free fitness centers and rec- reational activities on your installa- tion. For nutritional assistance, your local commissary provides several programs to strengthen the nutrition and health of soldiers and families. Perhaps making more community connections is on your list for 2025. The Pentagon has partnered with Armed Services YMCA to offer won- derful services and opportunities, es- pecially geared toward young fami- lies, including free gyms, children’s programs and hourly child care in some locations. Your local AUSA chapter is anoth- er great way to get involved and con- nected within your community. Find your chapter here. Cindy Risch is AUSA's Family Readiness program manager. Rotational deployments From Page 1 Diane Hupko, left, Financial Readiness Program manager for U.S. Army Garri- son Poland, speaks with a soldier about budgeting strategies during a Garrison Soldier Support Services event in Toruń, Poland. (U.S. ARMY/BETHANY HUFF) brigade combat team in Germany or Poland would cut costs, reduce de- ployment tempo for troops and deter Russia while reassuring allies and partners in the region, Deni wrote. “The time may be ripe to recon- sider reliance on rotational deploy- ments,” he writes. “In an era when the size of the U.S. Army remains flat or is actually shrinking, forward stationing an Armored Brigade Com- bat Team in Europe means transfer- ring an existing one from somewhere in the United States, not building a new one overseas.” Read the full report here. Facilitators from the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command train personnel from the Polish military’s 33rd Army Prepositioned Stocks Battalion on the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tank at the Powidz APS-2 worksite in Poland. (U.S. ARMY/CPT. JAMES BATH)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY January 23, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 O utstanding NCOs from all three Army components were honored recently dur- ing the 19th annual Sgt. John Or- dway Leadership Awards ceremony hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Redstone-Huntsville chapter in Alabama. Ordway, the award’s namesake, played an important leadership role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803, exercising responsibilities such as issuing provisions, appoint- ing guard duties and keeping re- cords. The AUSA chapter created the awards program in 2005 to mark the expedition’s 200th anniversary. NCOs “take initiative, they le- verage experience, they take care of their people, and they coalesce a team around the mission. In short, they lead,” said Maj. Gen. Scott Lynn, deputy Army surgeon gen- eral for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs, as reported by the Redstone Rocket. The Ordway Leadership Award recipient for the active component was Master Sgt. Antoine Echols, assigned to Army Contracting Com- mand headquarters as the G-37 NCO in charge. Echols enlisted in 2007 and has served as a contracting NCO at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and at the contingency contracting and administrative con- tracting office in Amman, Jordan. For the National Guard, the award recipient was 1st Sgt. Chassidy John- ston of the 145th Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Battalion. She has served for more than two de- cades in the Alabama Army National Guard and since 2022 has been criti- cal to all efforts of the 31st Chemical Brigade. Sgt. 1st Class Steven Giltner, the award recipient for the Army Re- serve, has held a variety of leader- ship roles during his nearly 20 years of service, including assistant scout Chapter honors outstanding NCOs, marks Guard birthday Cutting a cake celebrating the National Guard’s 388th birthday are, from left to right, Marc Jacobson, president of AUSA's Redstone-Huntsville chapter; Maj. Thomas Hunt and Staff Sgt. Ryan Berry, the oldest and youngest soldiers present; Maj. Gen. Scott Lynn, deputy Army surgeon general for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs; and Rhonda Sutton, AUSA's Third Region president. (REDSTONE ROCKET/JONATHAN STINSON) Left to right, Sgt. 1st Class Steven Giltner, 1st Sgt. Chassidy Johnston and Master Sgt. Antoine Echols receive Sgt. John Ordway Leadership Awards, while Command Sgt. Maj. Jonathan Alred receives the President's Award during a ceremony hosted by AUSA's Redstone-Huntsville chapter in Alabama. (REDSTONE ROCKET/JONATHAN STINSON) squad leader and platoon sergeant. He currently serves as first sergeant of the 375th Engineer Vertical Con- struction Company in Huntsville. During the December event, the AUSA chapter also presented its President’s Award to Command Sgt. Maj. Jonathan Alred of the Alabama National Guard’s 142nd Military Po- lice Brigade. Alred enlisted in 1989 and has served in many leadership and staff assignments. He has de- ployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Southwest border mis- sion and numerous Defense Support of Civil Authorities missions. The event doubled as a celebra- tion of the National Guard’s 388th birthday, and in his remarks, Lynn emphasized that soldiers from the reserve components are “vital” to the nation’s security, especially dur- ing large-scale combat operations. “A warrior culture, servant leadership and the resulting will to fight abso- lutely requires engaged, professional and competent NCOs,” he said, ac- cording to the Redstone Rocket. Redstone- HuntsvilleNext >