PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org May 15, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Clark: Land power key in Indo-Pacific A s the Army transforms for the future, land power remains as relevant as ever, the com- manding general of U.S. Army Pa- cific said. “Today, as we think about our re- sponsibility to prevail, it’s land pow- er that comes to the fore,” Gen. Ron Clark said Tuesday in a keynote ad- dress during the Association of the U.S. Army’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu. “The nature of warfare remains timeless, and some of the challenges that the Continental Army worked through during the Revolutionary War are some of the same sort of challenges we’re dealing with today,” Clark said. The Army of 250 years ago relied Gen. Ron Clark, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, addresses AUSA's LANPAC Sympo- sium and Exposition on Tuesday in Honolulu. (AUSA PHOTO) Pacific Requires Agile, Predictive Sustainment 3 Energy Initiatives Aim to Enhance Lethality 4 NCO & Soldier Programs Best Ranger Competition 7 Chapter Highlights Fort Novosel-Wiregrass 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 7 NUMBER 1 MAY 15, 2025 See LANPAC, Page 5 on allies and partners for legitimacy and direct military support, includ- ing military support from France and loans from the Dutch, Clark said. The Continental Army also fought across multiple domains where it did not have supremacy, and the troops of the time had to adapt. “We were not prepared to fight bat- tles in the European style of warfare, so we had to transform in contact,” said Clark, who has commanded U.S. Army Pacific, the Army’s largest ser- vice component command, since No- vember 2024. “Most importantly, the Revolutionary War proved that we could prevail through land power. It was land forces that guarded the sov- ereignty of our new nation.” Pivoting to modern times, land power remains relevant in large- scale combat operations, Clark said. “It’s relevant to our challenges here in the Indo-Pacific … despite misper- ceptions that it’s simply an air and maritime theater,” he said. After more than two decades of counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army today faces a “very different” adversary, Clark said. The Army is preparing to deter an adversary that has an anti- access, area denial network designed to fix U.S. air and maritime assets and put them at risk, he said. “Our mission, our responsibility, is to un- derstand that threat and attempt to neutralize their ability to impact our other domains,” he said.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 15, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 Army strengthening Indo-Pacific sustainment network T he Army is building a sustain- ment network that gives com- manders options across a cru- cial and challenging region, a panel of experts said Tuesday during the Association of the U.S. Army’s LAN- PAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu. “We don’t do it alone,” said Maj. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general of the 8th Theater Sustain- ment Command. “It’s an entire net- work—it’s a network that creates the foundation that allows for operation- al maneuver and gives options to the commander. That’s what logistics is supposed to do. Our job is to be the unsung heroes that set options up for the commander so they can be deci- sive at the place of our choosing.” Speaking during a panel titled “Sinews Across the Pacific,” Gardner and other leaders talked about the challenges of operating in the Indo- Pacific. From the vastness of the the- ater to the different and challenging types of terrain, the region poses unique challenges for sustainers, the panelists said. “Every piece of equipment that we mis-ship or we inadvertently put in the wrong place creates a lot of ad- A panel of military and civilian experts discusses logistics challenges in the Indo-Pacific region on Tuesday during AUSA's LANPAC Symposium and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO) Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division receive a supply drop from a CH-47 Chinook heli- copter April 24 during Exercise Balikatan 25 in the Philippines. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. BRANDON ROLAND) ditional friction that’s not going to be helpful,” said Lt. Gen. Jered Helwig, deputy commanding general of U.S. Transportation Command. “We’ve got to make sure that connection is well integrated, well-rehearsed, to ensure that when we do flow, it’s at the speed and scale desired,” he said. Gardner agreed, adding that the Army is working to set the theater now through a multitude of ways. One key element is prepositioning the right stocks and equipment for- ward, Gardner said. “You only deter if you’re forward in this theater,” he said. “It’s got to be at the right place, you’ve got to know what’s there … and knowing how to get access to it rapidly.” To combat the vast distances in the Indo-Pacific, the Army must have a logistics network that’s built upon a mesh system, Gardner said, so if one node fails, the system is agile enough to keep working. Another challenge is reducing de- mand for energy, whether it’s power or fuel or water, he said. “We need to do some energy reduction, and that’s all forms of energy,” Gardner said. Soldiers operating in the Indo-Pa- cific often deal with heat and humid- ity, which means they drink a lot of water, he said. “Moving water on the modern battlefield is a pain in the butt,” he said. “It’s one of the hard- est things we do.” Options to move water production forward and other ways to reduce de- mand are just some of the things the Army is looking at, he said. The Army’s efforts all support the soldier, Helwig said. “We owe them the best logistics network, in position, ready to go, in the future,” he said. “It can’t be one that hasn’t been re- hearsed, built and purpose-driven to support them. We owe [soldiers] the conditions for them to be successful.”www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | May 15, 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. To celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, from April 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025, membership rates are reduced to a five-year Premium rate of $50 and a two- year Premium rate of $30. Lifetime member- ship is $250. A special Premium rate of $10 for two years is open to E1–E4 and cadets only. Two-year Basic membership with select ben- efits 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 Cockrell: Delivering energy to point of need powers Army lethality T he Army is prioritizing a tar- geted approach to rapidly get energy and technology to soldiers at the point of need, said Brandon Cockrell, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for energy and sustainability. “The Army's [focus] is knowing that we have to deliver the energy when it’s needed, where it’s needed and at the level that it’s needed,” Cockrell said May 8 during a Noon Report webinar hosted by the Asso- ciation of the U.S. Army. As the service drives forward, it is keeping an eye on several key risks, including cyberattacks, natu- ral disasters, physical attacks and increased energy demand, Cockrell said during the webinar titled “U.S. Army: Powering the Mission.” The Army is leveraging and test- ing new technology, especially for soldiers in combat roles who may be farther from typical power sources, he said. “If you place a battery be- tween the generator and the need, we’re seeing up to a 50% reduction in generator run time,” Cockrell said. “Battalion commanders … are raving fans, because at night they’re able to Spc. Aydan Weaver, an air traffic controller assigned to the 4th Combat Aviation Bri- gade, 4th Infantry Division, sets up a generator in support of joint aviation interoper- ability training in April at Fort Carson, Colorado. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. DONIEL KENNEDY) A Place for Mom is the leading senior living advisory service with local experts to help families find the right care for their aging loved ones. AUSA members receive $350 when they move to a community referred by APFM. For more information, visit www.aplaceformom.com/affiliate/ausa. shut down the generator. … They are almost to the point of there’s no thermal signature, there’s virtually no auditory signature and they are at full ops.” Maintaining the energy and sus- tainability edge supports lethality and readiness for soldiers and their families, Cockrell said. In addition to making sure soldiers “have the energy that they need when they deploy,” the Army also is focused on ensuring “we have the energy back at the installation, to make sure we take care of that family through the entire deployment cycle,” he said. “While that soldier is deployed, as long as they ... know their family is taken care of at our installations, that ... allows them to be the most lethal soldier that they can be.” Above all, “getting this resilience in place for our soldiers is key,” Cock- rell said. “We’re pushing hard, and we’re pushing fast, and I think that is so critical moving forward. Every- thing we do is going to be through the lens of a soldier,” he said. “If we are better than our competitors in cer- tain areas, we have to … stay ahead of them.”www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 15, 2025 | AUSA Extra 5 spacesaver.com/military Storage Solved ® Increase READINESS, Prevent PROPERTY LOSS Spacesaver’s Universal ™ Weapons Rack on High-Density Mobile System LANPAC From Page 1 America’s adversary has been “re- peatedly aggressive, belligerent and coercive,” can mass forces and has developed magazine depth that can support troops at extended ranges and attempt to contest the sover- eignty of many of America’s neigh- bors and allies, Clark said. “These challenges are real,” he said. “They intend to test the joint force … in a way that we haven’t seen before.” To counter that threat, the U.S. must “prevail through combined, joint, all-domain operations on and from the land,” Clark said. “We must maintain the ability to execute mul- tidomain operations as part of a joint, multinational force to gain positional advantage.” Key to that task is maintaining the strategic land power network— the relationships, “built on bonds of trust,” that the Army has cultivated with its allies and partners, “our ability to work together in time and space with our allies and partners on the land,” Clark said. The Army also is placing capabili- ties forward in the theater, includ- ing deploying troops to train with partner armies and setting the the- ater for the joint force, Clark said, emphasizing his priorities of people and partnerships with the mission to prevail. “Land power opens those windows of opportunity to meet, partner and to win,” he said. Spc. Steven Palomares, of the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division, secures an area during air assault training May 8 in South Korea. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. ALEXANDER KNIGHT)www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | May 15, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY BREAKAWAY NVG MOUNT WITH THREE HOLE SHROUD & LANYARD RUGGED CONSTRUCTION, WITH UNPARALLELED RELIABILITY & ADJUSTABILITY ■ EASILY LOCKS INTO PLACE FOR A SOLID AND SECURE FIT ■ BATTLE-PROVEN DESIGN IS RESILIENT IN ADVERSE COMBAT CONDITIONS ■ INDUSTRY STANDARD - UNMATCHED VALUE AND QUALITY ■ MOUNT-SHROUD SYSTEM IS BACK BY A 5 YEAR WARRANTY LEARN MORE G70 KIT B ased in San Antonio, the Army Nurse Corps Associa- tion exists to preserve the history and traditions of the Army Nurse Corps, foster communication between all components—including currently serving nurses, veterans and retirees—and promote nursing scholarship, professionalism, scien - tific inquiry and research. The organization was formed in 1977 by a group of retired Army Nurse Corps officers and initially was restricted to retirees. In 2000, its bylaws were amended to include Army nurses and veterans from all three Army components. One of the association’s major ini- tiatives is its scholarship program, which supports nursing education for soldiers and veterans, as well as their family members, in an accred- ited baccalaureate or graduate nurs- Spotlight on AUSA Association Partner: ANCA ing or anesthesia program. It also advocates for the advancement of military nursing knowledge through seed grants for nursing research and evidence-based practice and sup- ports publication of military nursing research findings and nursing spe- cialty certifications. The group publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Connection, and “maintains an online membership roster to facilitate networking and communication among members,” ac- cording to the association’s website. In addition, the association conducts a biennial national convention. Finally, “one of the principal mis- sions of the Army Nurse Corps As- sociation is to serve as a repository and conservator of the Army Nurse Corps' rich history,” the group’s web- site says. For more information, please visit https://e-anca.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 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY May 15, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 Best Ranger Competition represents Army’s finest soldiers L ast month brought a longstand- ing tradition to Fort Benning, Georgia: the Army’s annual Best Ranger Competition. Now in its 41st year, the event is a grueling three-day competition held each April at the home of the Army’s Ranger School featuring 52 teams from across the Army. This year, 1st Lts. Kevin Moore and Griff Hokanson of the 75th Ranger Regiment took the top prize. A different team from the 75th Rang- er Regiment came in third place, with soldiers from the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade coming in second. In true Ranger fashion, history was made as the first female Ranger competed in and completed the competition. First Lt. Gabi White and her teammate, Capt. Seth Deltenre, representing the Ma- neuver Center of Excellence, came in 14th place. The Best Ranger Competition be- gan in 1982 after Ranger Hall of Fame inductee Dick Leandri found a way to honor his friend and Rang- er legend, retired Lt. Gen. David Grange. Known for his dedication to duty and contributions to the Army, Grange was a veteran of 20 cam- paigns in three wars as an infan- tryman. He enlisted in the Army in June 1942 and served as a parachute infantryman in Europe, taking part in the Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe campaigns of World War II. In 1950, Grange was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served in Korea with the 187th Airborne In- fantry Regiment. He served his first tour of duty in Vietnam in 1963 as an airborne/Ranger/infantry adviser to the Department of Defense's Re- search and Development Field Unit. Grange also commanded 2nd Bat- talion, 506th Infantry, 101st Air- borne Division, in Vietnam. He went NCO & Soldier Programs on to direct the Ranger Department at the Army Infantry School, serve as assistant division commander of the 4th Infantry Division and was chief of staff of I Corps in Korea. He commanded the 2nd Infantry Divi- sion, the Infantry School and Sixth U.S. Army before retiring in 1984 after more than 41 years of service. The 2025 Best Ranger Competi- tion included Day Stakes and Ranger First Responder events at Doughboy Stadium, night land navigation, he- locast jumps, a Zodiac event, a buddy run and many others over the three days. I arrived to observe the Day Stakes, connecting with members of the Ranger Hall of Fame, vendors and community representatives who were all excited to support the lead- ers participating in the competition. I also was proud to present a set of Randall Made knives to Moore and Hokanson on behalf of the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army. Only 16 teams made it to the final event, showcasing how difficult and strenuous the competition is. In the Ranger Creed, one stanza stood out to me as I watched the competition and the heart of the com- petitors in person: “I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other Soldier.” Not only is the Best Ranger Com- petition a very physical competition, but there is a lot of brain power, teamwork and sacrifice needed just to make it to the end. Each and every Ranger that qualified to compete in the event not only personified their creed, but they proved that they do indeed “Lead the Way.” Follow NCO and Soldier Programs on Instagram @ncosoldierprograms. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Julie Guerra is AUSA’s director of NCO and Soldier Programs. First Lts. Kevin Moore, left, and Griff Hokanson, assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, cross the finish line of the final buddy run during the 2025 Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Georgia. (U.S. ARMY/PATRICK ALBRIGHT)www.ausa.org 8 AUSA Extra | May 15, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Aviation leader shares branch updates at chapter meeting B rig. Gen. Kenneth Cole, depu- ty commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Ex- cellence and Fort Novosel, Alabama, provided an update on the aviation branch and a glimpse into future plans during a general membership meeting hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Fort Novosel-Wire- grass chapter. “At Fort Novosel, we have a clear mission: We produce aviation warf- ighters for the U.S. Army and for our nation,” Cole told those in at- tendance, as reported by the Dothan Eagle. Last year, the installation trained more than 18,000 students in more than 100 courses, Cole said. About 1,200 of those students were new Army aviators. “We conduct initial warrant officer training [and] en- listed soldier ad- vanced individual training, among dozens of other pro- fessional military education courses for our Army and our joint force teammates every year,” he said, as reported by the Dothan Eagle. The Army aviation enterprise is transforming along with the rest of the force, Cole said, citing as an ex- ample a new pilot program aimed at revolutionizing the future of initial entry rotary wing training, called “Flight School Next.” This initiative, which kicked off in early April, puts aspiring Army aviators behind the controls of commercially owned and operated helicopters, with the goal of enhancing training quality, produc- ing more proficient pilots and reduc- ing costs, according to the Army. “This program is currently being piloted at a civilian flight school, and it will begin [to be] phased into our curriculum next year,” Cole said. “As a key member of the Army’s combined arms team, Fort Novosel soldiers and professionals are also actively involved in all aspects of unmanned aerial systems, as well as managing Fort Novosel- Wiregrass the complex technologies and proce- dures in the Army’s joint air space.” Fort Novosel also has a significant impact on the surrounding commu- nities, Cole said, noting that the in- stallation employs more than 22,000 soldiers, civilians and contractors, and roughly 45,000 military ID card holders in three states live within a 40-mile radius. “From the pioneering aeronauts in hot air balloon days to today’s inno - vations, look at how far we’ve come together,” he said, as reported by the Dothan Eagle. “The Home of Army Aviation is the fifth largest employer in Alabama, generating $9.3 billion in 2024, according to the Alabama Economic Commission.” Cole lauded AUSA’s Fort Novosel- Wiregrass chapter for its dedication to supporting soldiers and families on the installation and around the region. “This chapter has been in- strumental in supporting the Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel, all of our tenant units, Amy National Guard, Army Reserve and all of the Army recruiting units, as well as the JROTC programs in the schools,” he said, as reported by the Dothan Eagle. In the past year, the chapter also awarded 19 scholarships totaling $20,200 based on academic and per- sonal achievement and community involvement, he said. “It’s exciting to see the continu- ing growth of [the AUSA] Wiregrass Chapter, and we know the chapter will continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our military and their families,” Cole said. “Above the Best, Fly Army.” Attending the recent membership meeting of AUSA's Fort Novosel-Wiregrass chap- ter are, from left, civilian aide to the secretary of the Army for Alabama (South) Mike Schmitz; retired Command Sgt. Maj. Otis Smith, the chapter president; Brig. Gen. Ken- neth Cole, deputy commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel, Alabama; and Enterprise Mayor William Cooper. (AUSA PHOTO) Army aviation flight school students from Fort Novosel, Alabama, participate in April in a proof-of-concept for a pilot program known as 'Flight School Next' aimed at revolutionizing the future of flight training. (U.S. ARMY/LESLIE HERLICK)Next >