PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org June 19, 2025 | AUSA Extra 1 Driscoll: Troops drive transformation S oldiers on the ground are best suited to ensure that the Army is transforming into the most efficient, lethal force possible, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said during a recent episode of the From the Green Notebook podcast. “Instead of saying, ‘Hey, I need to change to move the ship,’ or ‘Gen. [Randy] George needs to move the ship,’” Driscoll said, referring to the Army chief of staff, “we need to … just provide air cover down so that the soldiers can move the ship.” Fighting in Ukraine has shown that warfare has changed, Driscoll said. “In a lot of ways, the average soldier, if we just give them a credit card and say, ‘Innovate to save your life and the life of your buddy if we ever deploy,’ … I think they would be Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, left, meets with soldiers participating in the Army Fitness Competi- tion June 14 during the Army Birthday Festival in Washington, D.C. (U.S. ARMY/PFC. JOSE GARCIA) 25th ID Soldiers Test New Tech on the Go 3 AUSA Marks 250th Army Birthday 5 Family Readiness Supporting Army Traditions 7 Chapter Highlights Greater Los Angeles 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 7 NUMBER 6 JUNE 19, 2025 See Driscoll, Page 6 superb at it,” he said. “We just need to get out of their way.” About 15 years after he served as an armor officer with the 10th Mountain Division, Driscoll is three months into his time as the 26th Army secretary, a position that has challenged him to remain calm in the face of inefficien- cies he refers to during the interview as “irrationality … at scale.” Spending time with soldiers and understanding their experiences lim- its groupthink, Driscoll said, adding that about 90% of the valuable feed- back he’s gained about the Army in the past three months has come from having those conversations and “in those moments.” Driscoll leads an Army that has just celebrated its 250th birthday and is working through a sweeping transformation that includes trans- forming in contact, which puts new technologies in soldiers’ hands for testing, and the Army Transforma- tion Initiative, a plan announced in May that eliminates obsolete equip- ment, streamlines the force and pur- sues capabilities such as drones and long-range fires. “If everyone in the United States Army doesn’t feel something from it in the next six months, we have failed,” Driscoll said about the Army Transformation Initiative. “The reason … [the] Army Trans- formation Initiative came to be is because, for 30 or 40 years, the Pen- tagon has optimized for … interests that just don't serve soldiers well in the short term,” Driscoll said. “And www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY June 19, 2025 | AUSA Extra 3 Soldiers produce drones, potable water in the Philippines Shelby Parish has been with AUSA since the spring of 2021 and man- ages aspects of logistics for the as- sociation's major events. With nearly 20 years of experience in associa- tion event planning, Shelby brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Outside of work, she spends her time chasing after her toddler and count- ing the days until warm weather ar- rives and summer gardening begins. Meet the AUSA headquarters staff Shelby Parish Senior Meetings Manager M anufacturing drones and producing potable water are some of the renewable combat capabilities being executed forward by a 25th Infantry Division brigade in the Philippines, said Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans, the division’s commanding general. Leveraging the resources of the Joint Pacific Multinational Readi- ness Center-Exportable headquar- tered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, and the 7th Infantry Division, the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Mobile Bri- gade Combat Team recently conduct- ed realistic training with U.S. allies and partners during exercises at Fort Magsaysay in the Philippines. Designated as a transforming in contact brigade last fall, the 2nd Mobile Brigade has used some 200 pieces of equipment for testing and experimentation, Evans said during a June 4 call with reporters. While the division has more than 300 drones, by deploying with addi- tive manufacturing equipment, the brigade has produced dozens more drones for immediate use by soldiers. “We started this initiative at the be- ginning of this year, … which is a deployable 3D-printing capability forward into the region,” Evans said. The drones are being 3D-printed by soldiers specially trained to oper- ate additive manufacturing equip- ment through the division’s Light- ning Lab, an innovation center at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. On the ground in the Philippines, the drones were even improved upon, said brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Guevara, who explained that the 3D lab developed a single-component frame that’s easier to assemble than a previous frame that involved three to five parts. By using off-the-shelf components such as motors and cameras, Guevara said, soldiers were able to assemble three to four drones per hour, a pace that “definitely” increases lethality. “The bottom line is the soldiers here on the ground are absolutely working through the challenges that we en- counter with drones,” Guevara said. The brigade also has extended the range of its drones from a short- range reconnaissance capability of about 3 kilometers to up to 30 kilo- meters, Evans said. For the training event, the brigade deployed with a Tactical Water Puri- fication System. Pulling water from an “existing source,” Evans said, thousands of gallons of purified wa- ter has been produced and distribut- ed by land and air, eliminating the logistical challenge that comes with relying on bottled water. “To be able to take this newly de- veloped and fielded equipment that started in the fall time period has af- forded soldiers the opportunity to in- novate with this and provide bottom up feedback,” Evans said, noting that it all is taking place in a jungle en- vironment during monsoon season, affording soldiers the chance to work through additional environmental factors to “truly understand capabil- ity limitations and operational em- ployment considerations.” A soldier with the 25th Infantry Division uses a Developmental Command Exportable Lab to assemble first-person view drones at Fort Magsaysay in the Philippines. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO)www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | June 19, 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 War in Ukraine reinforces importance of boosting munitions modernization T he Army’s munitions indus- trial base is expanding and modernizing to prepare for the future fight, the commanding gener- al of Joint Munitions Command said. “The Army's [organic industrial base] is crucial to military readiness and national security,” Brig. Gen. Daniel Duncan said during testimo- ny before the House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcom- mittee. “The OIB ensures DoD can meet their joint force demands in war and peace.” The Army’s organic industrial base produces, maintains and repairs military equipment, including every- thing from ammunition to weapons systems, in government owned and operated facilities, he said. The Russia-Ukraine war high- lighted the importance of investing in the Army’s munitions capabilities, including “major investments in U.S. steel companies” to increase produc- tion of 155 mm artillery rounds, said Maj. Gen. John Reim, joint program executive officer for armaments and ammunition and commanding gener- al of Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. “Ukraine has really highlighted AUSA members save at National, the go-to brand for business travel- ers. National gives you maximum speed, choice and control, with more than 1,300 locations worldwide. Use the convenient widget on the AUSA website at www.ausa.org/aencar to get a quote for Alamo, Enterprise and National with your member discount. A Joint Munitions Command civilian employee welds missile containers at Letterkenny Munitions Center in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. (U.S. ARMY/DORI WHIPPLE) the significant demand and … the investments that are being made in infrastructure and our Army ammu- nition plants,” he said. Many key materials needed to pro- duce ammunition aren’t manufac- tured in the U.S., he said. The Army looked for international, “friendly” sourcing, but “in terms of national security and ... long-term strategy, we need to make those investments here in the U.S.,” Reim said. The Army also has launched a 15- year, $18 billion effort to modernize facilities, processes and the work- force to bring the organic industrial base into the 21st century, infusing industry best practices and refining human capital management struc- tures to maximize workforce skills and capabilities. Investing in the Army’s munitions is vital, speakers from the hearing wrote in a joint statement to the sub- committee. “As we look ahead, con- tinued optimized investment in the munitions industrial base and mod- ernization efforts at OIB facilities are critical in sustaining national security and supporting the warf- ighter,” they wrote.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY June 19, 2025 | AUSA Extra 5 Celebrating the Army's 250th birthday AUSA mascot Sgt. R. Hero cheers on an attendee doing bur- pees—a leg and chest endurance exercise—during the Army birthday celebration in Philadelphia hosted by AUSA and its Greater Philadelphia-Penn & Franklin chapter. (AUSA PHOTO) The Association of the U.S. Army is proud to mark 250 years of soldiers' service and sacrifice. Retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, speaks during the Army 250th birthday celebration in Philadelphia hosted by AUSA and its Greater Philadelphia-Penn & Franklin chapter. (AUSA PHOTO) AUSA mascot Sgt. R. Hero, center, and members of the association's national headquarters staff represent AUSA at the 250th U.S. Army Birthday Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org 6 AUSA Extra | June 19, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Apply today! Visit navyfederal.org/MoreRewards . With More Rewards, you can also enjoy: You Could Get 20,000 Bonus Points With Your Summer Purchases! Start the summer with a More Rewards American Express® Credit Card , and you could earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $2,000 within the first 90 days of account opening.¹ Plus, you can get a one-time $98 statement credit when you purchase an annual Walmart+ Membership.² Navy Federal Credit Union is federally insured by NCUA. ¹Offer valid for cardholders issued new Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® credit card accounts. 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However, purchases at restaurants located within another establishment (e.g., hotel, casino, commissary, grocery store, event venue), and purchases for gas at superstores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs, may earn 1 point per $1 spent because they typically are not assigned codes identifying them as restaurant or gas purchases. For more information, view the More Rewards American Express® Card Program Description at navyfederal.org. The Navy Federal More Rewards American Express® Card is issued and administered by Navy Federal Credit Union. American Express® is a federally registered service mark of American Express and is used by the issuer pursuant to a license. © 2025 Navy Federal NFCU 14496 (4-25) Plus, earn 1X points on all other purchases.³ 3X Points at Restaurants & on Food Delivery³ 3X Points at Supermarkets³ 3X Points on Gas & Transit³ Travel Discounts & Perks Our Members Are the Mission Driscoll From Page 1 then as you piled them on over 30 or 40 years, it actually kind of hol- lowed out the fundamental function that the Army leadership and the Pentagon leadership should be serv- ing for the soldiers.” That fundamental function, Driscoll said, is to train soldiers “as well as we can, give them the best equipment that we can possibly af- ford, and when we send them for- ward to fi ght and kill on our behalf, increase the odds of them being suc- cessful and coming home.” Soldier feedback is critical, and Army leaders are listening, Driscoll said. Previously, when troops en- countered ineffi ciencies, it was diffi - cult for them to reach leaders in the Pentagon, he said. He used as an example a raid on an IED factory during his deployment to Iraq. After risking roadside bombs and setting up a cordon around the target, the soldiers were poised to get to work by cutting a lock. But when they called on the radio that they were about to move in, the mis- sion was called off because the rules of engagement no longer allowed them to cut locks. “I remember lying in bed that night enraged,” Driscoll said. “One of us could have died. How could this possibly have come to be?” “Nobody intends those kinds of outcomes, but the feedback loop from that moment back up to the Pentagon has been broken for a long time,” he said. “When you see those moments, you have to tell us. You have to push it up, … because we need to get bet- ter. … If we're going to plan to en- gage in possible confl ict in the next one day to fi ve years with a peer, we have to be our best selves, and we, the leadership team, can no longer allow decisions like that … to occur anymore.” Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Reg- iment unload mortar ammunition in prepa- ration for a combined live-fi re operation June 15 during exercise Saber Guardian 25 in Hungary. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. CARLOS MARQUEZ)www.ausa.orgJune 19, 2025 | AUSA Extra 7 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Community partnerships celebrate, strengthen families A s we celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday, we are re- minded of its cherished tradi- tions that need to be preserved and passed down, such as Army balls. The formal attire of the ball signifies re- spect and honors the sacrifices of our service members and their families. That is why the Association of the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness directorate and Operation Deploy Your Dress are thrilled to continue to support these traditions through our partnership. Operation Deploy Your Dress was formed in late 2015 at Fort Bliss, Texas, by a group of military spous- es who organized a dress swap to lessen the cost of formal wear for holiday balls. The idea quickly grew into an organization run by dozens of volunteers, offering gently used dresses and accessories to military members and dependents. AUSA and Operation Deploy Your Dress recent- ly teamed up to host a pop-up event at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, in con- junction with the association’s LAN- PAC Symposium and Exposition. It was truly a magical event, with hun- dreds of gowns available for mili- tary and dependent ID card holders. Family Readiness Participants received one free dress of their choosing and an accessory. In addition, they were able to con- nect with and learn about military friendly resources such as the gar- rison’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation office, AAFES, the Defense Commissary Agency, Mili- tary OneSource and—of course—the local AUSA Hawaii chapter. “It was an honor to host the inau- gural Operation Deploy Your Dress event in Hawaii—an initiative that directly supports our mission of strengthening military families and enhancing readiness,” said retired Col. Tracy Lanier, the chapter presi- dent. “By providing spouses with com- plimentary gowns and accessories, we not only celebrated their contributions but also reinforced the importance of community connection and morale.” “Small gestures can make a last- ing impact,” Lanier said. “We look forward to supporting future ODYD events that continue to uplift and empower our military community in Hawaii.” We would be remiss if we did not send a special shoutout to the three places that collected gowns prior to the event: the Hui O Na Wahine Thrift Shop, the Aiea office of First Command Financial Services, and the Guaranteed Rate mortgage lender in Honolulu. We would also like to ex- tend a sincere thank you to those who volunteered, supported and donated gowns. Thank you for continuing to emphasize the importance of military traditions and for making a difference for all our military families. Holly Dailey is AUSA's Family Readiness director. Participants in the giveaway hosted by AUSA and Operation Deploy Your Dress at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, received one free dress and an accessory. (AUSA PHOTO) Holly Dailey, left, AUSA’s Family Readiness director, registers a mIlitary spouse for the association’s pop-up dress giveaway event in Hawaii, hosted in partnership with Opera- tions Deploy Your Dress. (AUSA PHOTO)Chapter symposium focuses on Army space capabilities Spcs. Klay Walker, left, and Alexander Best, assigned to the 1st Space Battalion, work on a Mobile Integrated Ground Suite in May at Fort Carson, Colorado. (U.S. ARMY/DOTTIE WHITE) www.ausa.org 8 AUSA Extra | June 19, 2025 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY L eaders from the Army space do- main shared their vision for the future of space and missile de- fense operations during a symposium hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Greater Los Angeles chapter. “It’s no secret that right now is a time of great change, in our Army and in our world,” said Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commander of Army Space and Missile Defense Com- mand, according to an Army news release. “I’m very fortunate to have a command that’s been called out in both the Department of Defense and the Army transformation initiatives when you’re talking Army space and Army missile defense and what we do for that fight.” To enhance the Army space cadre, the service has created a new 40D MOS, space opera- tions specialist, which is on track to become official by October 2026. Ultimately, the goal is to develop an Army space branch, Gainey said. “Having space profes- sionals and being able to grow fu- ture space professionals is incredibly critical as we move forward,” he said. An increasing reliance on space- based capabilities to operate with tactical precision and a closing gap between the U.S. and near-peer com- petitors means the Army can’t wait to achieve and maintain superiority in the domain, said Brig. Gen. Don- ald Brooks, deputy commander for operations at Space and Missile De- fense Command. “Denying the adversary access to space capabilities is tremendous- ly important as it increases, once again, our lethality by limiting the adversary’s ability to see, sense, un- derstand, stimulate and strike us in and through those space domains,” Brooks said. “In multidomain opera- tions, success in Army space is ab- solutely critical to fighting and win- ning our nation’s wars.” Col. Felix Torres, commandant Greater Los Angeles of the Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence, said that the Army’s strength lies in its ability to develop and field trained and ready soldiers, which applies to the space domain now more than ever. If non- space professionals can be taught to act as space enablers, the Army will exponentially increase its impact, he said. “The Space and Missile Defense school is ready to support Army, joint and coalition partner needs, current and future, by developing and main- taining a highly skilled workforce, recruiting and maintaining top tal- ent and cultivating strong leaders with deep expertise in this critical domain,” Torres said. The Army has a big role to play in joint force operations to deny, dis- rupt and degrade enemy operations throughout the space domain and de- liver capabilities and formations with precise specialized effects, Gainey said, adding that feedback from sol- diers will drive major innovations. “These are the types of opportuni- ties I have within Space and Missile Defense Command, to not only drive capability but get feedback from sol- diers within my command and multi- domain task force to move fast and to be able to keep pace with the threat,” he said. “We’re incredibly excited about what the future holds and how this command will play an important role moving forward.” Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commanding gen- eral of Army Space and Missile Defense Command, speaks May 29 during a sym- posium hosted by AUSA's Greater Los An- geles chapter in Long Beach, California. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. BRANDON SPILL)Next >