PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org June 13, 2024 | AUSA Extra 1 Celebrating the Army’s 249th birthday O n Friday, the Army celebrates its 249th birthday with sever- al events in the Washington, D.C., area and across the force. This year’s theme is “Honoring the Past, Defending the Future.” Since its official establishment on June 14, 1775—more than a year before the Declaration of Indepen- dence—the Army has played a vital role in the growth and development of the nation. “Our Soldiers and civil- ians are committed to defending our country, just as they have for the past 249 years,” Army officials said in a news release. “From the Revolutionary War through today, the U.S. Army has answered every time the nation has called,” said retired Gen. Bob Brown, president and CEO of the Association of the U.S. Army. “Here at the As- sociation of the U.S. Army, we are proud to support America’s Army, the greatest land force the world has ever known, and the soldiers who serve to- day and those who came before them. Happy birthday, Army!” Celebrations in the Washington, D.C., area began Wednesday with a Twilight Tattoo featuring soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at Joint Base Myer- Henderson Hall, Virginia. At 7 a.m. Eastern Friday, a run/ walk will take place beginning at Summerall Field on Joint Base My- er-Henderson Hall and continuing through Arlington National Cem- etery. At 10:45 a.m. Eastern, senior Soldiers with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) perform during a Twilight Tattoo show at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. NATALIE PANTALOS) Recruiters Face Limited High School Access 3 AUSA Noon Report Features Former Ranger 4 NCO & Soldier Programs Serving with Pride 7 Chapter Highlights Gen. John W. Vessey 9 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 7 JUNE 13, 2024 Army leaders will conduct a wreath- laying ceremony at the cemetery, which will be livestreamed here. At 11:30 a.m. Eastern, a cake-cut- ting and reenlistment ceremony at the Pentagon will feature 30 soldiers from all three Army components. Click here to watch the livestream. On Saturday, an Army birthday festival will be held at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with live entertainment, equipment displays, aerial parachute demonstrations and more. You can reserve free tickets here. Senior Army leaders will host a cake-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. Eastern, which can be viewed here. A list of interactive links for Army Birthday Week can be found here.SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE POWERED BY: 35,000 ATTENDEES 650+ EXHIBITORS 150+ SESSIONS 80 COUNTRIES Housing Opens 12JUNE eventhousing@ausa.org | sponsorships@ausa.orgwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY June 13, 2024 | AUSA Extra 3 Rand: High school access remains challenge for recruiters M ilitary recruiters are hav- ing trouble accessing poten- tial recruits at high schools, according to a recently released re- port from the Rand Corp. “Recruiting at high schools is an effective method to successfully meet manning requirements of the all- volunteer force and ensure that the services have the troops they need to help defend the nation,” the report found. “However, recruiters have been facing challenges in accessing high schools.” The study identified high schools with recruiting challenges using 2017 data and conducted interviews in 2022 and 2023 with military re- cruiters and school representatives to understand the barriers recruiters face at high schools. Just under one- third of the recruiters and supervi- sors interviewed in the report were soldiers. Common challenges Up to 14% of schools in some states failed to comply with the law or pro- vided inadequate access, the report found. The most common challenges were not providing student names, which is required by federal law, and not allowing recruiters school access or highly restricting access even when it is granted. The report identified several struc- tural factors that increased the like- lihood that recruiters may have dif- ficulty accessing potential recruits, including larger school populations, schools where most students don’t receive free or reduced lunch and schools in urban areas. The Army has been working hard to address high school access issues. “More recently, U.S. Army leaders have acknowledged that high school access sometimes is a challenge and have started visiting high schools and talking to stakeholders to under- stand what the military can do better to reach young people and convince them that the military is a good ca- reer choice,” the report found. Interactions with school faculty and students, including through demonstrations, can help recruiters to describe Army career opportuni- ties and build rapport, a recruiter interviewed for the study said. “Demos are a real connection be- tween recruiters and the school[s]. We had one where they were able to fly … helicopters [via a flight simu- lator]. Students went first to try it, then school administrators went sec- ond. They were saying things like, ‘We didn’t know the Army had he- licopters,’” the recruiter said. “So, it was building that bridge for stu- dents, faculty, and administrators.” Improving outreach In response to access issues, the report recommends that DoD review its outreach practices to high schools, streamline its infrastructure for re- porting school access issues and work with the services to ensure high schools understand federal regula- tions regarding military recruiter access, among other recommenda- tions. “Many school representatives lack knowledge about the wide range of skills that recruits can develop through military service” such as “cybersecurity, logistics, and oth- er technical skills that are highly transferable to later civilian ca- reers,” the report found. “Messaging from recruiters about the benefits of military service and the marketable skills gained ... should be shared not only with students, but also with school representatives and the broad- er school community.” Amid an already difficult recruit- ing environment, recruiters’ access to high school students is more im- portant than ever. “High schools are critical venues for recruiters as they seek to provide information about military careers to the widest rel- evant audience,” the report found. “Most recruiters face challenges in building strong relationships with high schools. … Even when access was provided to recruiters in ac- cordance with legal requirements, there were concerns that for some high schools the level of access fell short of what is needed for effective recruiting.” Read the full report here. Lt. Col. Adam Kirschling, left, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regi- ment, administers the oath of enlistment to 10 soldiers and four airmen June 7 at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. (U.S. ARMY/CAPT. ERICK SCHNEIDER-CUEVAS)www.ausa.org4 AUSA Extra | June 13, 2024 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 Former Ranger remembers Battle of Mogadishu and its legacy Retired Lt. Col. James Lechner shares first-hand knowledge of the Battle of Mogadishu in his book, With My Shield: An Army Ranger in Somalia. (AUSA PHOTO) Armed Forces Vacation Club offers weeklong resort stays for just $419. All AUSA members may join, and no military ID will be requested. To learn more, visit www. afvclub.com/ausa and choose “AUSA Member” for your eligibility when you create your account. A s a young lieutenant with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regi- ment, in 1993, James Lechner was selected for a special operations task force and found himself em- broiled in the Battle of Mogadishu. What began as a raid in Soma- lia’s capital turned into an 18-hour firefight, and Lechner and his fellow Rangers and Delta Force operators were surrounded and outnumbered af- ter they came to the aid of two Ameri- can Black Hawk helicopter crews shot down by insurgents. By the end of the battle, 18 Americans were killed and dozens more were wounded. “I think [Task Force Ranger] stands for a lot of important themes that are … at issue right now, [including] bru- tal and realistic training. Civilians often see military training … as bru- tal, but there’s a reason for it,” Lech- ner, a retired Army infantry officer, said June 6 during an Association of the U.S. Army Noon Report webinar. Unit cohesion is another key to enabling soldiers to withstand the “test of combat,” he said. “I think Task Force Ranger and its story is a testament to why those things are important.” Lechner recounts his experienc - es during the Battle of Mogadishu, made famous in the book and movie Black Hawk Down, in his new book, With My Shield: An Army Ranger in Somalia. He served for 27 years in six wars, including operational de- ployments and tours in Sinai, Bos- nia, Iraq and Afghanistan. After Somali insurgents downed the two helicopters, the raid shifted to a fight to survive. “Less than 125 guys on the ground had to fight to secure that crash site against tens of thousands of Somalis, as we’d struck right in their strong- hold in the middle of the day,” Lechner said. “Because we had to get the guys out of the helicopters … we [had] to stand all together like a shield wall, and we were not going to take a step back no matter what came at us. That’s the only way we could survive.” Lechner pushed back against those who call the battle a defeat. “Just to take the … fact that 18 guys were killed, a high number of casualties, that does not translate to defeat,” he said. “From a tactical perspective, we achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve that day, we succeeded in our mission and captured all of our targets that we were after, and we successfully got out.” Soldiers today must be ready to meet the demands of battle, Lech- ner said. “When combat becomes ex- tremely adverse, … we’re going to be challenged, and our soldiers are going to be faced with adversity,” he said. “I never thought I’d be outnumbered. I never thought I wouldn’t have the overwhelming advantage. I’ve found myself in that situation a number of times now. Mogadishu was the first, and that’s going to happen again.” www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY June 13, 2024 | AUSA Extra 5 Harter nominated to be next chief of the Army Reserve M aj. Gen. Robert Harter has been nominated by Presi- dent Joe Biden to be the next chief of the U.S. Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command. If confi rmed by the Senate, Harter, who has commanded the 81st Readi- ness Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, since Sept. 20, 2022, would receive his third star and succeed Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, who has led the Army Reserve since July 28, 2020. Harter’s most recent assignment before the 81st Readiness Division was deputy chief of the Army Re- serve. A native of Alaska and Virginia, Harter was commissioned in 1988 as a fi eld artillery offi cer after graduat- ing from Virginia Tech with a degree in business and communications. 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Before transfer- ring from active duty to the Active Guard Reserve program in 1999, Harter held as- signments in the 11th Armored Cavalry Reg- iment in Germany and the 101st Corps Sup- port Group. He also commanded the 584th Direct Sup- port Maintenance Company at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, according to his biography. His Active Guard Reserve assign- ments included training chief for read- iness in the 99th Regional Readiness Command; support operations offi cer in the 55th Sustainment Brigade; distribution management chief in the 316th Expe- ditionary Sustainment Command in Iraq; and various staff positions on the Joint Staff and in the Offi ce of the Chief of Army Reserve, according to his biography. Harter’s general offi cer assignments include as- sistant deputy command- ing general for Reserve Affairs and full-time chief of staff for Army Materiel Com- mand; commander of the 316th Sus- tainment Command (Expeditionary); chief of staff and operations offi cer in the Offi ce of the Chief of Army Re- serve and the Army Reserve senior representative to the 39th Chief of Staff of the Army Transition Team, according to his biography. Maj. Gen. Robert Harter. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO)www.ausa.org6 AUSA Extra | June 13, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY READY FOR ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. SPACESAVER.COM/MILITARY WEAPONS SHIPPING CONTAINER THE ULTIMATE STORAGE SOLUTION T he Command and General Staff College Foundation, Inc., is a nonprofi t educational foun- dation that provides resources and support to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Founded in 1881 as the School of Application for Infantry and Cav- alry, the Command and General Staff College aims to educate and develop leaders for full-spectrum joint, interagency and multinational operations. It is comprised of four schools: the Command and General Staff School, the School of Advanced Military Studies, the School for Com- mand Preparation and the Sergeants Major Academy. The foundation “enhances the de- velopment of agile and adaptive lead- ers by helping connect the American public with the Army and the College in support of multi-service, interagen- cy, and international leaders,” accord- ing to the organization’s website. Programs include roundtables, seminars and lecture series focused on national security issues; sponsor- ship of awards for academic excel- lence; staff rides and other leader development programs; and a schol- arship program for high school and college children and grandchildren of Command and General Staff College students, faculty and alumni. The foundation also funds the Ar- thur D. Simons Center for Ethical Leadership and Interagency Coop- eration, a research, analysis, studies and publication center that opened in 2010 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Overall, the foundation has provid- ed more than $9 million in support of the College. For more information, please visit www.cgscfoundation.org. If your association is interested in partnering with AUSA, contact Su- san Rubel at srubel@ausa.org. Association Partnershipwith 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: CGSCFwww.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY June 13, 2024 | AUSA Extra 7 Commemorating Pride Month with dignity and respect I n December 2010, Congress ended the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that had been in place since 1993. The policy allowed service members to serve only if they kept their sexual orientation secret, and the military did not learn of their sexual orientation. Many service members across all branches were separated because of this policy. The Department of Defense cel- ebrated its first Pride Month in June 2012, and now the entire department, to include the Army, recognizes Pride Month as a reminder that the LGBTQ+ community is valued and deserves to serve with dignity, respect and support. Staff Sgt. Franceska Allende, a sol- dier stationed at Joint Base Henderson Hall-Fort Myer, Virginia, married her wife, Yvonne, this spring in Florida. Being able to openly serve as a gay woman meant representation and showing others that they are not alone. “I get to express my individuality and be my authentic self while also al- lowing others like me to do the same,” Allende said. Gregory Hale-Morales, spouse of Capt. Cody Hale-Morales, who is sta- tioned at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, spoke with me about his experiences. “Being a gay Army spouse certainly comes with its challenges, no more or less unique than any other Army spouse,” Gregory Hale-Morales said. “The pride and love my husband and I live out every day as Americans is only enhanced by his being able to serve our nation with dignity—that is, without legal barriers.” The couple was stationed overseas for three years, where he saw that oth- er countries did not celebrate Pride in the same way, Gregory Hale-Morales said. “We both have a newfound ap- preciation and respect for how blessed we are to be able to share our lives to- NCO & Soldier Programs gether, thanks in large part to those opportunities afforded us through his service,” he said. More than 6% of the U.S. military identifies as LGBTQ+. Across the Army, there are multiple events to commemorate this month, from obser- vances to color runs and more, that celebrate the soldiers who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Most recently, the California Na- tional Guard had the opportunity to participate in the San Diego Pride pa- rade, celebrating efforts to support the individual rights of all people. You can find events celebrating Pride in your local community and at many Army installations. Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Julie Guerra is AUSA’s director of NCO and Soldier Programs. Left: Capt. Cody Hale-Morales, his husband, Gregory, and family and friends attend his promotion ceremony to captain. Right: Staff Sgt. Franceska Allende marries her wife, Yvonne, earlier this year in Florida. (COURTESY PHOTOS) Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew Reece of the California Military Department marches in the 2023 San Diego Pride parade. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/SGT. MARLA OGDEN)AUSA chapter presidents and the association’s national leaders convene June 5 at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. (AUSA PHOTO) www.ausa.org8 AUSA Extra | June 13, 2024 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Volunteer leaders conduct training at AUSA headquarters F rom June 5–8, new chapter presidents with the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army gathered at the association’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, for training and discussions on best practices. Attendees heard from AUSA’s ex- ecutive leaders and representatives from many of the association’s de- partments. Topics included finances, marketing, volunteer recruiting, ac- tivity planning and more. “The passion these volunteer lead- ers have for supporting soldiers and families is truly remarkable,” said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Troy Welch, AUSA’s Membership direc- tor. “After spending time with them, I am confident that our chapters around the world will do more than ever in the coming year to educate, inform and connect the Army with the American people.” Stop overpaying for MANET Explore Mesh Rider Radios www.doodlelabs.com WEARABLENANOEVOLVE DYNAMICS SKY MANTIS 2MINI High-performance mesh radios at a fraction of the cost. Available in L, S, C-band & more. ®www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY June 13, 2024 | AUSA Extra 9 AUSA member donates Purple Heart medal to alma mater I n a unique effort to give back to the community, an Army veteran and member of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Gen. John W. Vessey chapter, based in St. Paul, Minneso- ta, donated his Purple Heart medal to his alma mater of Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. “I was with my daughter one day and she said, ‘You should make the same impression on OSU-Tulsa that they made on you. Do something to show them that you appreciate what they did for you,’” said retired Cpl. Shannon Matthews, according to a news release from the university. Matthews, a motivational speaker who retired from the Army Corps of Engineers in 2012, earned his Pur- ple Heart nearly three decades ago during Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti. “My Purple Heart was up in a box, dusty as you know what. We thought, ‘This was a chance for me to do something different, something other people haven’t done,’” Mat- thews said, according to the release. A native of Tulsa, Matthews joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 1989 after graduating from high school. He served during the Gulf War and transferred to active duty in 1992. In September 1994, while assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, formerly known as Fort Bragg, Matthews was deployed to Haiti for Operation Uphold De- mocracy. The U.S.-led military in- tervention succeeded in removing the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup that overthrew elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. On Oct. 9, 1994, Matthews encoun- tered two men crawling under a fence to enter the compound where he was stationed. When he told the men they couldn’t enter, they attacked him and knocked him down. “One guy slugged me, they both started beating me up pretty good,” Matthews said, according to the release. “One of them had a knife covered in barbed wire, and I got stabbed in the leg.” Other soldiers arrived and took the men into custody, and three days later, Matthews was back in the U.S. recovering from his wounds. The cut to the bone required 12 stitches, but his recuperation didn’t end there. “I had got really, really, really sick while I was in. Come to find out I was suffering from multiple sclerosis. Couldn’t run, couldn’t do anything. So I had to ease on out and move on to something else,” Matthews said. After leaving the military, Mat- thews used his G.I. Bill benefits to attend Tulsa Community College and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business at OSU-Tulsa in 2001. He was presented with the Purple Heart by then-Sen. Jim Inhofe in 2000. He then worked in civilian pro- curement jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Army Recruit- ing Command, the Army Reserve Contracting Agency and finally the Corps of Engineers. Matthews also established the Shannon L. Matthews Scholarship for veterans at Tulsa Community College in 2010. Matthews’ Purple Heart is now on display in a glass case in the OSU- Tulsa Student Union. “Members of AUSA are doing posi- tive things,” Matthews said. “Service doesn’t end when you get out of the military—it’s only beginning.” Gen. John W. Vessey Mitch Reed, left, legislative ambassador for the State of Oklahoma Purple Heart Associ- ation; Chris Benge, center, interim senior vice president for Oklahoma State University- Tulsa; and retired Cpl. Shannon Matthews attend the ceremony for Matthews’ donation of his Purple Heart medal to the university. (COURTESY PHOTO) Retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dai- ley, left, AUSA’s vice president for NCO and Soldier Programs, greets retired Cpl. Shannon Matthews during a visit to AU- SA’s Gen. John W. Vessey chapter in St. Paul, Minnesota. (COURTESY PHOTO)Next >