PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org February 27, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Driscoll sworn in as 26th Army secretary F ormer Army officer and Iraq War veteran Daniel Driscoll was sworn in Tuesday as the 26th secretary of the Army after be- ing confirmed by the Senate. A former armor officer who de- ployed to Iraq from October 2009 to July 2010, Driscoll, 38, left the Army in 2011 at the rank of first lieuten- ant following four years of service, according to the Army. "As secretary, I will honor the Ar- my’s 250-year legacy of service and sacrifice, and I will stay focused on my mission and shoulder my share of the task as I know our soldiers will do,” Driscoll said during his swear- ing-in ceremony at the White House. Driscoll was confirmed by the Sen- ate in a 66–28 vote on Tuesday. In his confirmation hearing Jan. 30 before the Senate Armed Ser- Former Army officer and Iraq War veteran Daniel Driscoll, center, is sworn in Tuesday as secretary of the Army by Vice President J.D. Vance as Driscoll's wife, Cassie, holds the Bible. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO) Register for AUSA's New LANDEURO Event 3 Troops Eligible for Health-Related Benefit 4 Book Program Post-War Recovery in Ukraine 6 Chapter Highlights Eagle Chapters 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 42 FEBRUARY 27, 2025 See Driscoll, Page 3 vices Committee, Driscoll promised that, if confirmed, he would be “the soldiers’ secretary” and would priori- tize readiness and modernization to make sure troops have the training, equipment and leadership they need to succeed. He also said that America’s sol- diers and their families “will be my mission.” He takes the reins at a time when the Army is working to transform— and transform quickly—for an in- creasingly challenging battlefield and keep up with fast-evolving technology and capabilities such as drones and artificial intelligence. The service also remains busy sup- porting disaster relief efforts at home and missions across the globe, while contending with competition from global adversaries. The Army also continues to work hard on recruiting talented young people after struggling for the past two years to meet its goals. After missing its recruiting goals for two years, the Army has made strong progress, meeting its goal for fiscal 2024 and continuing to build on its success this year. Driscoll said the Army can “take the momentum” and build a “backlog and pipeline.” He cited as an example the suc- cess of the Future Soldier Prepara- tory Course, which helps potential recruits meet the Army’s academic or physical fitness standards. In the Jan. 30 hearing, Driscoll said he would “want to take a look and see if that can be scaled even further.” A third generation soldier whose father served during Vietnam and www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY February 27, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 AUSA launches LANDEURO, a new event focused on Europe R egistration is open for a new Association of the U.S. Army event focused on land forces in Europe. A premier international sympo- sium and exhibition dedicated to land forces in Europe, the 2025 LANDEURO Symposium and Expo- sition will take place July 16–17 in Wiesbaden, Germany, home of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The theme for the inaugural event is “Transforming with Allies for the Future Fight.” There will be keynote addresses and panels focused on cur- rent and future threats in the region, lessons from the war in Ukraine, the U.S. Army’s transformation efforts, building ties with allies and partners in the region and the role of NCOs in land power across Europe. “We are thrilled to host AUSA’s inaugural LANDEURO Symposium and Exposition in Wiesbaden, Ger- many, this summer,” said retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO. “The U.S. Army has a vital role supporting America’s allies and partners in Europe while deterring our nation’s adversaries. We look for- ward to bringing together the U.S. Army and its partners in Europe to delve into how land forces in the re- gion are transforming for the future fight while building stronger ties and collaboration.” For more information or to regis- ter, click here. Soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade convoy to Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, on Tuesday in preparation for Exercise Allied Spirit 25. (U.S. ARMY/MARKUS RAUCHENBERGER) Focused on land power and work- ing with allies and partners, LAN- DEURO serves to inform U.S., NATO and African audiences about the U.S. Army’s presence and purpose in the region, with a focus on enhancing lethality, advancing warfighting ca- pabilities and ensuring readiness to respond to emerging security chal- lenges. In addition to keynote addresses and panel discussions, LANDEURO will feature Warriors Corner pre- sentations and exhibits showcasing the latest advancements in technol- ogy and capabilities. By bringing to- gether military professionals, indus- try leaders and government officials from the U.S., Europe and elsewhere around the world, LANDEURO also serves as a key networking event and an unparalleled opportunity to bol- ster partnerships in the region. More than 38,500 U.S. Army sol- diers serve across Europe and Africa, including 14,000 rotational forces, according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa. With 104 countries in its area of responsibility, the command works to deter aggression and assure allies and partners through more than 60 exercises yearly, featuring more than 100,000 multinational participants, and countless other engagements. Driscoll From Page 1 grandfather during World War II, Driscoll graduated from the Uni- versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and after his military service attended Yale Law School, graduat- ing in 2014. He then began a career in finance, he wrote in a written re- sponse to senators. “The values and experiences I gained through military service molded me into the man I am today and opened the way for opportunities I could scarcely have imagined when I enlist- ed,” Driscoll said during the hearing. He added, “During my time in the Army, I was fortunate to serve and de- ploy to combat alongside soldiers who represent the very best of America. … I saw firsthand the immense sac- rifices they and their families make to uphold the freedoms we hold dear.” Among his priorities are readiness and modernization and reinvigora- tion of the defense industrial base. “The world is changing rapidly, and we must ensure the Army is prepared to operate in new, complex and con- tested environments,” he said. “... My sacred duty to our Army is to ensure our soldiers have the world’s finest training, equipment and leadership to accomplish any mission.” Driscoll succeeds Christine Wor- muth, who served as Army secretary from May 2021 to January 2025. Wor- muth was the first woman to serve as the Army’s top civilian leader.www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | February 27, 2025 Gen. Bob Brown, USA Ret. President and CEO, AUSA Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, USA Ret. 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Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier PERK OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Health care fl exible spending accounts off ered to service members for 1st time AUSA members save 25% when fi l- ing federal and/or state returns with software from TaxAct. The company guarantees you’ll get your maximum refund—backed by $100,000. Visit www.ausa.org/tax for personal fi l- ings and www.taxact.com/ausasmb for small business fi lings. Health care fl exible spending accounts save enrollees an average of 30%, according to the Offi ce of Personnel Management. (U.S. ARMY RESERVE/SGT. JERRY ZUETRONG) S ervice members will soon be able to sign up for health care fl exible spending accounts for the fi rst time, according to a Tricare news release. “An HCFSA is a new benefi t for service members,” according to the news release. “It’s a fi nancial tool that allows you to set aside pre-tax earnings to pay for eligible medical, dental, and vision health expenses.” Active-duty service members and Reserve troops and members of the National Guard performing Active Guard Reserve duty are eligible for the accounts. Eligible service mem- bers can sign up for an account between March 3 and March 31 through the Federal Flexible Spend- ing Account Program website and contribute between $100 and $3,300 to the account. Money in the account can be used to cover medical, dental and vision expenses such as copayments, de- ductibles, dental and vision exams, X-rays, braces, glasses and contact lenses; wellness services such as massage therapy and acupuncture; prescription and over-the-counter medications; and over-the-counter health care items such as bandages and blood pressure monitors, accord- ing to the news release. To enroll on the website, service members can select the “enroll in a plan” tab, select “qualifying life event” from the dropdown menu, se- lect “special enrollment period for members of the uniformed services March 3–31” and enter the date. Health care fl exible spending ac- counts save enrollees an average of 30% on eligible expenses, and you can roll over up to $660 in unused funds in your account from one plan year to the next, according to the Of- fi ce of Personnel Management. Though the health care fl exible spending account is related to health care, it is “not part of the Tricare pro- gram,” so Tricare members will not automatically be enrolled in the ac- count, according to the news release. After March 31, service members can only enroll in the health care fl exible spending account during fed- eral benefi ts open season or through a qualifying life event. For more information, click here. www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | February 27, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Author examines path to recovery for war-torn Ukraine P eace talks to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine have be- gun. While the length and re- sults of those talks are unknown, one thing is certain: Ukraine faces a long period of recovery. They will have some guidance for that journey, thanks to retired Lt. Col. Russell Glenn. He is the author of Brutal Catalyst: What Ukraine’s Cities Tell Us About Recovery from War, the latest title in the Association of the U.S. Army’s Book Program. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, Glenn commissioned in the Army as a Corps of Engi- neers officer and initially served with the 1st Infantry Division. He culminated his 25-year Army career as the director of plans and policy at Army Training and Doctrine Command, and he is the au- thor of more than 50 books and full- length reports on urban operations and other security topics. In Brutal Catalyst, Glenn, who holds a doctorate in American history, examines the challenges facing three Ukrainian cities—Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol—in their post-war re- covery. He uses case examples of cities devastated in World War II, among them Tokyo, Berlin and Manila, to il- lustrate the best principles to follow and pitfalls to avoid. The Book Program recently sat down with Glenn to talk about his new book. ****** AUSA: How did you become in- terested in urban warfare when you were in the Army? Glenn: Assigned to Rand as a se- nior Army fellow during the Black Hawk Down incident, I recognized the need for our military to hone its capabilities in light of the world's in- creasing urbanization. AUSA: Why is it important for the U.S. Army to focus on urban recovery operations? Book Program Glenn: Consider National Guard and active-duty units’ responsibili- ties to assist during and after the Los Angeles fires this year, post- Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and to govern as benevolent occupiers in Iraq beginning in 2003. Those—and the Army’s long history of repeatedly finding itself helping cities and their peoples recover—speak to the need for understanding urban systems and populations. AUSA: What is the significance of the book’s title, Brutal Catalyst? Glenn: War is one of mankind’s most punishing disasters, and disas- ters—war, hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding and others—share much in the way of lessons for recovery. War is also a phenomenon whose charac- ter doesn’t change. It acts as a cata- lyst for learning and adapting that provides the tools to anticipate, then plan for, catastrophes to come. AUSA: How do changes in modern cities’ size and technology affect the lessons learned from the recovery of World War II-era cities? Glenn: The list of relevant advanc- es is long. A brief sampling includes huge leaps forward in urban planning approaches; cheaper, faster and high- er-quality construction capabilities; and an improved recognition that re- covery is more than addressing physi- cal destruction alone. Leaders must meld economic, social, cultural and other considerations into the whole that is a successful recovery. AUSA: What priorities would you suggest for Ukrainian recovery ef- forts? Glenn: First, centralized over- sight is key. It abets effective use of funds; helps to minimize redundant efforts; and provides a forum for bringing together local government and community representatives, in- ternational experts and other rele- vant parties. Other priorities should include drawing on lessons offered by history, readying for the challenges inherent when regaining responsi- bility for occupied populations, and avoiding the pitfalls associated with flawed collaboration policies. ****** Please visit www.ausa.org/books to order Brutal Catalyst and other titles in the AUSA Book Program. Use the promo code W25AUSA for select member discounts when purchasing directly through the publisher links. Joseph Craig is AUSA’s Book Program director. Oleksii Makeiev, left, Ukraine's ambas- sador to Germany, meets with Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter, commander of the 7th Army Training Command, in Grafenwoehr, Germany. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. COLLIN MACKALL)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY February 27, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 Eagle Chapters The following chapters attained Eagle status for January by showing positive membership growth. The number of consecutive months of growth since July 1 is shown in parentheses. Captain Meriwether Lewis (7) Central Texas (7) Central Virginia (7) Chattahoochee Valley-Fort Moore (7) Fires (7) First In Battle (7) Fort Campbell (7) Fort Riley-Central Kansas (7) Houston Metroplex (7) National Training Center-High Desert (7) Northern New Jersey (7) Pikes Peak (7) Puerto Rico (7) San Diego (7) Alamo (6) Allegheny-Blue Ridge (6) Benelux (6) Coastal South Carolina (6) Columbia River (6) Connecticut (6) Crossroads of America (6) Delaware (6) Fort Knox (6) Fort Leonard Wood-Mid Missouri (6) Fort Sheridan-Chicago (6) Gem State (6) Greater New York-Statue of Liberty (6) Japan (6) Las Vegas-John C. Fremont (6) Major Samuel Woodfill (6) MG William F. Dean (6) Milwaukee (6) Monmouth (6) North Texas-Audie Murphy (6) PFC William Kenzo Nakamura (6) Picatinny Arsenal-Middle Forge (6) Redstone Huntsville (6) St. Louis Gateway (6) Suncoast (6) Sunshine (6) Virginia Colonial (6) Arizona Territorial (5) Arsenal of Democracy (5) Big Bend (5) Catoctin (5) Cowboy (5) CSM James M. McDonald-Key- stone(5) Dix (5) Ethan Allen (5) Florida Gulf Stream (5) Francis Scott Key (5) George Washington (5) Greater Kansas City (5) Greater Los Angeles (5) Greater Philadelphia (Penn & Franklin) (5) Korea (5) Lafayette (5) Minutemen (5) Potomac-Liberty (5) SGM Jon Cavaiani (5) Tucson-Goyette (5) Utah (5) West Point Area (5) Kuwait (4) Last Frontier (4) MG Harry Greene, Aberdeen (4) MSG Leroy Arthur Petry (4) Fort Liberty (3) Isthmian (3) United Arab Emirates (3) Fort Novosel-Wiregrass (2) Tobyhanna Army Depot (2)Next >