PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org March 13, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Senior leaders to speak at Global Force T he Association of the U.S. Ar- my’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition kicks off March 25 in Huntsville, Alabama. This year’s theme, “Driving Con- tinuous Transformation of Ready Combat Formations,” reinforces the Army’s drive to dominate the battle- field in an era marked by disruptive and fast technological changes. The three-day event at the Von Braun Center will feature several senior leaders, including Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer and lead- ers from Army Materiel Command and Army Futures Command. To register for Global Force, click here. For more information, click here. The event hashtag is #AUSAGlob- Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of Army Futures Command, speaks during AUSA's 2024 Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama. (AUSA PHOTO) Green: Resilience Key to Battlefield Success 3 Harding Paper Urges Army to Integrate Drones 4 NCO & Soldier Programs New Initiatives Bolster Recruiting 6 Chapter Highlights Chapter Challenge Winners 7 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 44 MARCH 13, 2025 See Global Force, Page 3 al, and the Global Force app can be downloaded here. Global Force opens March 25 with a keynote presentation by Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of Army Futures Command, followed by a mid-morning panel discussion titled “Transformation in Contact— The Future Starts Today,” featuring Lt. Gen. Joseph Ryan, deputy Army chief of staff for operations, G-3/5/7, Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, command- ing general of the 1st Cavalry Divi- sion, and others. An afternoon panel titled, “Agile Acquisition for Continuous Trans- formation,” will feature several Army acquisition officers, including Lt. Gen. Robert Collins, principal military deputy to the assistant sec- retary of the Army for acquisition, lo- gistics and technology and director of the Army Acquisition Corps. There also will be a fireside chat with Lt. Gen. David Hodne, director of the Futures and Concepts Center at Army Futures Command. On March 26, the day will start with a keynote address by Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy commanding general and acting commander of Army Materiel Command, followed by a panel titled “Transformation in Contact Sustainment.” A second morning panel discus- sion, “Institutional Training and Transformation,” will be followed by an afternoon panel titled “The Role of the NCO in Driving Continuous www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 13, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 Chief of chaplains lauds Army’s investment in health, fitness R esilience is built through gen- uine connection, the kind that happens when soldiers talk around a campfire, said the Army’s chief of chaplains. These “campfire moments” are “not laid out on a training calendar, they aren’t laid out on fancy PowerPoint slides, but they are decisive moments of leadership,” Maj. Gen. William Green said March 5 in remarks at a Hot Topic on “Holistic Health and the Resilient Soldier” hosted by the As- sociation of the U.S. Army. Addressing the tenets behind the Army’s Health and Holistic Fitness program, known as H2F, Green said that humans innately ponder un- spoken questions of belonging and whether they matter. Additionally, isolation and loneliness affect the body, mind and spirit, weakening re- silience. Campfire moments can take place anywhere at any time—and should, Green said. “It's the platoon sergeant who pulls a young soldier aside after a tough training day, not just to correct him, but to check on him to see how he's doing,” he said. “It’s the battalion commander who builds a culture where soldiers can have an honest conversation, because resilience is built in trust, not silence or fear. It's the chaplain sitting in the motor pool at the end of a long day quietly listen- ing to her grieving soldiers and of- fering a steady presence when words are simply not enough, and it’s the squad leader who has built such a Maj. Gen. William Green, the Army’s chief of chaplains, addresses an AUSA Hot Topic focused on holistic health and fitness. (AUSA PHOTO) Transformation While Delivering Ready Combat Formations.” An afternoon fireside chat will fea- ture Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer. On the third and final day of Glob- al Force, opening remarks will be fol- lowed by a panel titled “Continuous Transformation—Scaling Change at Speed,” and a keynote presentation by Patrick Mason, an Army acquisi- tion executive who is performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology. Throughout all three days of Glob- al Force, the Army will offer War- riors Corner presentations from its booth in the South Hall, and AUSA will host its Generation Next Forum, an AUSA Young Professionals meet- ing focused on personal and profes- sional development. There will be networking opportu- nities, almost 200 exhibits showcas- ing the latest innovations from in- dustry and the Army, and some 6,000 attendees are expected. Global Force From Page 1 strong team that [physical training] extends to a Saturday hike for fun.” Built on a five-domain foundation of mental, sleep, nutritional, physical and spiritual wellness, the H2F pro- gram encourages soldiers to main- tain their health, fitness and well-be- ing for all-around peak performance. The program, which provides tech- nical specialists, equipment and re- sources to Army units, has been es- tablished at more than 75 brigades and will continue to expand across the Army, including the Army Na- tional Guard and Army Reserve, through fiscal 2027, Lt. Gen. David Francis, commanding general of the Center for Initial Military Training and deputy commanding general of Army Training and Doctrine Com- mand, said during the Hot Topic. Green, who became the 26th chief of chaplains in December, said the H2F program is the Army’s “No. 1 in- vestment in soldier readiness and le- thality” because it is more than just a program or a box-checking exercise. “It is the foundation of warfighting excellence,” he said. Resilient leaders “don’t just sur- vive hardship, they carry difficult missions to their conclusion,” Green said, adding that “resilience is more than just looking back or bounc- ing back from hardships. It’s about standing strong and ready together for the next challenge, the next mis- sion, the next fight, knowing that we can trust the people on our left and on our right.”www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | March 13, 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 Paper: Army should integrate drones into combined-arms battalions Cambridge is a nonprofit that provides ser- vices to help you with a variety of financial issues. They perform a no-cost, in-depth analysis of your financial situation to help identify ways for you to save money and get out of debt as quickly as possible. Click here to learn more. Staff Sgt. Jonathan Melvin, a tactical un- manned aircraft system operator with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, releases a Skydio X10D drone into the air March 3 during Ex- ercise Allied Spirit in Hohenfels, Germany. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/SGT. WESLEY RILEY) W ith the rapid proliferation of drones, the Army must lead in the drone warfare space, according to the author of a new paper published by the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army. “The dawn of tactical drone war- fare is here,” writes Lt. Col. Michael Kim. “The Russo-Ukrainian War clearly displays the advent of [kinetic drone] warfare, and it behooves the U.S. Army to make critical changes today. The U.S. Army must lead this effort and integrate tactical [kinetic drones] at scale before the next major conflict.” In his paper, “Full Speed Ahead: Integrating Kinetic Drones into the Combined-Arms Battalion,” Kim defines kinetic drones as “low-cost,” weighing less than 75 pounds and having payloads “for the purpose of destroying enemy capabilities.” Kim serves as an operations plan- ner for the Joint Planning Support Element, Joint Enabling Capabili- ties Command, and holds a master’s in military arts and science from the Command and General Staff College and a master's in systems engineer- ing from Cornell University. Between Feb. 24, 2022, and July 31, 2024, kinetic drone strikes dur- ing the Russia-Ukraine war ac- counted for over 40% of all combat- damaged vehicles where the weapon could be identified, outpacing artil- lery and armored fighting vehicles, according to data from the National Ground Intelligence Center. In his paper, Kim suggests that the Army would benefit from incorporat- ing kinetic drones into a restructur- ing of its combined-arms battalions. “The U.S. [combined-arms battal- ion] force structure is heavily orga- nized around the M1 Abrams Tank, the U.S. Army’s ‘battleship,’” Kim writes. “Perhaps there is great value, even as a thought experiment, in con- sidering replacing a tank company with a [kinetic drone] company.” In addition, Kim recommends equipping scout platoons within com- bined-arms battalions with counter- small UAS capabilities. “With the emergence of [kinetic drones], it is important for the [combined-arms battalion] to possess counter-small UAS capabilities,” he writes. “This fight must be the responsibility of the scout platoon.” Kim’s paper is part of AUSA’s new Harding Papers series, which was launched in conjunction with the Ar- my’s Harding Project, an initiative that aims to revitalize scholarship and writing across the force. The Army will have to reckon with the threat of kinetic drones in the next major conflict, Kim writes. “Autonomous [kinetic drones] are inevitable,” he writes. “Autonomous direct-fire capabilities will be lever- aged in multiple domains, and the U.S. Army must integrate these sys- tems at scale to prepare for future operations.” Read the paper here.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 13, 2025 | AUSA Extra 5 H eadquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the 28th In- fantry Division Association exists to support the soldiers serving in the unit and preserve the heritage of the oldest continuously serving di- vision in the Army. A unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the 28th Infantry Division traces its lineage to the mi- litia organized by Benjamin Franklin in 1747. It was given the moniker the “Iron Division” after a decisive victory in a brutal battle with the Germans during World War I. After the battle, Gen. John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, visited the battlefield and declared that the soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division were “men of iron.” The association “is committed to supporting educational opportunities, honoring memorials, and preserving Spotlight on AUSA Association Partner: 28thIDA the historical records that define the legacy of the 28th Infantry Division,” according to the group’s website. One of its key initiatives is the 28th Infantry Division Association Schol- arship Fund for active members of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Each year, the association awards four $500 scholarships to assist with books, room and board, lab fees and more. The organization also sponsors a Memorial Fund dedicated to main- tenance of memorials that honor the 28th Infantry Division. The association “acts as a guardian of history, diligently collecting and preserving historical records, vet- eran interviews, and documents that reflect the remarkable heritage of the 28th Infantry Division,” the organiza- tion’s website says. For more information, please visit https://28id.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.www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | March 13, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Senior enlisted leader discusses Army recruiting efforts Command Sgt. Maj. Shade Munday, left, senior enlisted leader of Army Recruiting Com- mand, presents the USAREC CSM Leadership Award to Sgt. 1st Class Jamaica Lago of the Hawaii Recruiting Company Feb. 21 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO) L ast month, I interviewed Com- mand Sgt. Maj. Shade Munday, senior enlisted leader for Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, about the service’s recruit- ing initiatives and how the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army can help with this critical mission. Munday and I met in 2017 when we were drill sergeants at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and have become friends over the past several years. He served in the National Guard be- fore transferring to the active-duty Army, following in the footsteps of family members as a third-generation soldier. We began our discussion by addressing the chal- lenges the Army faced bringing in recruits in 2022. Many factors led to the inability of the Army and other military services to meet their mis- sion, including the COVID-19 pan- demic, lack of eligibility in today’s youth—only 24% meet the stan- dard—and the job market. “We are competing with the same market that industry is,” Munday said. “When a local gas station chain in Texas is offering $22 an hour, that’s all they see.” In 2022, the Army brought in 45,000 new recruits, well short of its goal of 60,000. The Army met its mission of 55,000 in 2024, and the service is on pace to exceed its goals for 2025. Recruiters are in 1,500 locations across the nation, including Guam and Hawaii, and are currently 38% ahead of where they were last year, Munday said. In 2023, Army Recruiting Com- mand was reassigned as a direct re- porting unit to the secretary of the Army to streamline communication and initiatives. As a result, the com- mand created an innovation director- ate and incorporated the Army En- terprise Marketing Office and Army Cadet Command under its umbrella. NCO & Soldier Programs The innovation directorate will stay “up to speed of the environment and look at reorganization,” Munday said, adding that “the future of inno- vation is important to the command, which will allow new ideas to grow and cut ties with the ones that don’t.” Some of that innovation is in how recruiters are trained and the fu- ture of the profession. The recruit- ing MOS, 79R, has been part of the Army for quite some time. It will be replaced by the new 42T MOS, or tal- ent acquisition specialist, and 420T, talent acquisition technician, for which soldiers are being trained at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. “The first 22 leaders were able to train with industry, allowing them to think about how we recruit talent differently,” Munday said. This en- abled them to learn from corporate America and gain valuable insight in how they recruit and acquire their talent. When asked how members of AUSA and Soldiers for Life can assist with recruiting, Munday implored us to “bust the myths out there about what the Army is” and continue to connect by sharing our stories. “Walking into a recruiting station, introduc- ing yourself and sharing your Army story is important and helps with crushing rumors,” he said. It’s been a joy to see Munday’s leadership, passion and contagious energy invigorate Recruiting Com- mand and leaders across the Army. With his focus on building the next generation of recruiters and soldiers, I’m confident they will have contin- ued success. “I truly believe that without [Army Recruiting Command], there is no Army,” Munday said. “If we can’t bring them in the Army, we can’t fill the squads or the companies, battal- ions or brigades.” You can follow NCO and Soldier Programs @ncosoldierprograms and Munday @usarec_csm on Instagram. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Julie Guerra is AUSA’s director of NCO and Soldier Programs.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY March 13, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 Challenge boosts Community Partner, Premium membership T he Association of the U.S. Army has announced the first two groups of winners of its new Chapter Challenge, which recognizes outstanding membership growth ev- ery quarter during AUSA’s fiscal year, which runs July 1 to June 30. “The Chapter Challenge this year is twofold, as our membership focus is for both Community Partners and Premium individual members,” said Angela Quidley, AUSA’s Membership senior program manager. “The intent is to incentivize and reward chapters that show the most growth in both of the membership categories.” Previously, the Chapter Challenge was awarded on a monthly basis and focused solely on Community Part- ners. The challenge was amended to include Premium members and changed to a quarterly award to al- low more time for chapters to build relationships and generate growth in each category, Quidley said. There are six financial award groups, five based on chapters’ over- all membership size and one based on location, and winning chapters re- ceive financial awards to use in their programs to support soldiers, fami- lies and veterans. Those who place first, second and third receive five points toward becoming the year’s Best Chapter in their award groups. For the first quarter of AUSA’s fis- cal year 2025, July 1–Sept. 30, the following chapters saw the biggest increase in Community Partners. • George Washington – Group 1 • Arsenal of Democracy – Group 2 • Fort Sheridan-Chicago – Group 3 • Coastal South Carolina – Group 4 • Fires – Group 5 • Korea – Outside Continental U.S. Group These chapters gained the most Premium members in their group. • George Washington – Group 1 • Suncoast – Group 2 • Big Bend – Group 3 • National Training Center-High Desert – Group 4 • New Orleans – Group 5 • Last Frontier – Outside Conti- nental U.S. Group In addition, chapters that received points in the first quarter for Com- munity Partner growth include Cen- tral Texas, MG Harry Greene, Ab- erdeen, Chattahoochee Valley-Fort Moore, Newton D. Baker, San Fran- cisco, Fort Huachuca-Sierra Vista, Mid Palatinate, Redstone-Hunts- ville, Greater Los Angeles, Massa- chusetts Bay, Central Virginia, Con- necticut, Fort Riley-Central Kansas, Las Vegas-John C. Fremont, Milwau- kee, Northern New Jersey and Gen. Creighton W. Abrams. Points for growing individual Pre- mium membership were awarded to the following chapters: Arsenal of Democracy, Sunshine, San Diego, Central California, Stuttgart, Al- amo, Capital District of New York, Magnolia, Fort Huachuca-Sierra Vis- ta, Joshua Chamberlain, MSG Leroy Arthur Petry and Guam. In the second quarter, Oct. 1–Dec. 31, these chapters gained the most Community Partners in their group. • Central Texas – Group 1 • MG Harry Greene, Aberdeen – Group 2 • Capital District of New York – Group 3 • San Diego – Group 4 • Silicon Valley – Group 5 • Gen. Creighton W. Abrams – Outside Continental U.S. Group The award for Premium member- ship growth went to the chapters be- low. Award Group 1 did not have a winner in the second quarter. • Fort Leonard Wood-Mid Missouri – Group 2 • Pikes Peak – Group 3 • National Training Center-High Desert – Group 4 • Central California – Group 5 • Gen. Creighton W. Abrams – Outside Continental U.S. Group Points were awarded to these chap- ters for Community Partner growth in the second quarter: Redstone- Huntsville, George Washington, Fort Novosel-Wiregrass, Greater Augusta-Ft Eisenhower, Arsenal of Democracy, Suncoast, Texas Capi- tal Area, Central Virginia, Fort Knox, Space Coast, Marne, Coastal South Carolina, Las Vegas-John C Fremont, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Monmouth, MG William F Dean and White Sands Missile Range. Chapters receiving points for gaining the most individual Premi- um members include GEN John W. Vessey, Jr., Central Virginia, Cap- tain Meriwether Lewis, Thunder- bird, MAJ Sam Woodfill-Cincinnati, Las Vegas-John C Fremont, Fort Dix, Delaware, Joshua Chamberlain, Last Frontier and Isthmian. “We are proud to recognize our AUSA chapters that have gone above and beyond to gain new Community Partners and Premium individual members, furthering the associa- tion’s mission,” said retired Com- mand Sgt. Maj. Troy Welch, AUSA’s director of membership. Winners for the third and fourth quarters will be announced in AUSA Extra, and chapters with questions about the challenge can contact Quidley at aquidley@ausa.org. Chapters that place first, second and third in the Chapter Challenge receive five points toward becoming the year’s Best Chapter in their groups. (AUSA PHOTO)Next >