< Previouswww.ausa.org20 AUSA Extra | October 13, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Soldiers brief senior Army leaders at AUSA solarium A Leader Solarium organized by the Association of the U.S. Army concluded Wednesday with the opportunity for about 160 mid-grade NCOs and officers to pitch ideas to senior Army leaders about solving some of the service’s big chal- lenges. Army Secretary Christine Wor- muth, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ran- dy George and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer listened to ideas on fixing a troubled soldier pay system, expanding cold-weather training and straightening out a complicated batch of unit rosters that don’t al- ways agree on how many soldiers are in a unit. George launched the Leader So- larium review by asking some big questions. “What are the things that prevent you from accomplishing your warfare mission and building cohe- sive teams?” he asked the group. “What keeps junior soldiers from taking initiative? How do you help leaders enforce standards and disci- pline?” he asked. One group asked for earlier and more comprehensive grading of how well soldiers have mastered their MOSs, possibly with annual evalua- tions called the Total Soldier Assess- ment Program. “You just came up with something we might be able to use,” Weimer said. George said he would have the Army Training and Doctrine Com- mand review the proposal. Wormuth also supported the idea, saying, “Great job. I think this is a great idea.” Inaccuracies in pay and different pay processing rules from one instal- lation to another were issues raised by Solarium attendees. There was no clear proposal to fix a complicated and frustrating payroll system, and Wormuth has gotten involved in dif- ficult cases. Understaffing of finance personnel may be part of the prob- lem. “It bothers me that you say this,” George said. “We will obviously take a look.” He warned, though, that not every problem is worth fixing, especially if it’s complicated and will take con- siderable time and money to remedy. “For everything we add, we need to think of what comes off the plate,” he said. Organized by AUSA’s Center for Leadership, the Solarium featured talks from Army leaders and ci- vilian subject-matter experts and small-group discussions. The group of about 160 specially selected sol- diers provided their feedback to the senior Army leaders at the end of the three-day event. Top: From left to right, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, Army Chief of Straff Gen. Randy George and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth respond to briefings from officers and NCOs participating in a Leader Solarium at AUSA’s Annual Meeting and Exposition. Bottom: A captain attending the solarium speaks to the Army’s top leaders. (AUSA PHOTOS)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 13, 2023 | AUSA Extra 21 AUSA unveils new logo inspired by WWII Rangers www.armorworks.com (480)598-5700 The ArmorWorks passion for protection is driven by an unwavering focus on research, development, and advanced engineering. Over the past two decades, this passion has resulted in some of the most unique and advanced survivability solutions available on the market today! T he Association of the U.S. Army unveiled a new logo inspired by the World War II Army Rangers who scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, France. Revealed Monday at the opening ceremony of AUSA’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition, the new logo represents AUSA’s role as the Army’s premier association and its efforts to grow and connect with a new genera- tion of soldiers. Established in 1950, AUSA adopt- ed its current logo in August 1954. Designed by one of AUSA’s fi rst mem- bers, it features a bald eagle, an olive branch, a shield and a torch. Creating a new logo is part of AUSA’s 2025 Strategic Plan. It aims to refresh the association’s brand while broaden- ing awareness of AUSA, its products and programs. It also seeks to appeal to a younger Army demographic. The 1950s logo will be retained as AUSA’s seal and reserved for offi cial documents, certifi cates and awards. On June 6, 1944, as U.S. and Al- lied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, the Rangers scaled the steep cliffs of Pointe du Hoc. Located 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, the Germans had built a forti- fi ed position for a coastal battery of six 155-mm howitzers. The Rangers approached Pointe du Hoc by boat and began the danger- ous ascent, braving heavy enemy ma- chine-gun fi re and grenade attacks. Although many soldiers were lost, the Rangers reached the top and ac- complished their mission by captur- ing Pointe du Hoc. Drawing from the Rangers’ in- credible actions almost 80 years ago, AUSA’s logo seeks to recognize the tremendous contributions of those who came before while keeping their stories alive for the next generation. Retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, said he hopes the new logo resonates with the Army community and AUSA members. “I want them to see that AUSA focuses on the people who are the Army,” he said. “It takes a team—soldiers, fam- ilies, civilians, retirees, veterans and industry—but one objective: to sup- port the Army community.”www.ausa.org22 AUSA Extra | October 13, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY NCOs must ensure soldiers are ‘brilliant at the basics’ T he 17th sergeant major of the Army encouraged all NCOs to get advanced degrees in warf- ighting and master the basics of sol- diering. “I worked on my bachelor of science, finished it online, but what we’re re- ally going to focus on is a master’s de- gree in warfighting, because if we’re called upon with the adversaries we have now, that’s the one that’s going to matter the most,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer said Tuesday at a senior NCO forum during the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. Weimer, a career special opera- tions NCO who became the Army’s top enlisted leader on Aug. 4, made his remarks at the conclusion of a panel discussion with the senior enlisted leaders from Army Forces Command, Army Training and Doc- trine Command, the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Army Mate- riel Command and Army Futures Command. He reinforced the tenets of a pro- fessional NCO corps and highlighted some of the key points from their dis- cussion. Ensuring soldiers are “bril- liant at the basics,” he said, “is our responsibility. Teaching is nonstop.” Weimer urged NCOs to get their soldiers to schools, even if it means taking a risk with unit manning strength, and he echoed Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Hester of Futures Command, who said that while tech- nology will be part of any future war- fare, it will be the basics of soldiering that ensure victory in battle. “We should not necessarily throw all of our eggs in the technology bas- ket. Technology is going to help us fight and win without a doubt, it’s going to bring a particular capabil- ity to our formations,” Hester said. “But I also flip that on its end and say technology’s also going to punish the untrained, the ill-disciplined, the unprepared organization. Fighting is about people.” Noting that the COVID-19 pan- demic affected the Army’s efforts to instill and maintain a warfighter mentality, especially with the ser- vice’s youngest soldiers, Weimer reiterated the need for the Army to get beyond the crisis and begin to strengthen the profession by being focused on mastering the basics. Weimer plans several changes to get the force back to a warfight- ing ethos while acknowledging that change is hard. But, Weimer said, what he plans for the force is more than just change. “I would argue some of it is pure change, and some of it is just getting back to what we know right looks like,” he said. Top NCOs from major Army commands discuss training, technology and the future force during the 2023 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO) NCOs from across the force listen to the Army’s senior enlisted leaders during a forum at the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO)SMART STORAGE SOLUTIONS CABINETS & TOOL BOXES STORAGE CABINETS MOBILE STORAGE WEAPONS STORAGE STATIONARY STORAGE VERTICAL STORAGE HEAVY PALLET STORAGE & RETRIEVAL SYSTEM (STAK) VERTICAL CAROUSELS VERTICAL LIFT MODULE (VLM) WORKBENCHES & WORKSTATIONS INDUSTRIAL WORKBENCHES LIGHT ASSEMBLY WORKSTATIONS SEATING SOLUTIONS INVENTORY MANAGEMENT STAFFED STOREROOMS & TOOL CRIBS RFID STOREROOMS & TRACKING SOLUTIONS VENDING SOLUTIONS AUTOMATED OPEN STOCK STORAGE AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE WHO PROTECT THE WORLDwww.ausa.org24 AUSA Extra | October 13, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Evolving technology requires more speed in acquisition A s the Army faces pressure to adopt the technologies and digital tools rapidly becoming the standard for business and pro- fessional operations, service leaders plan to roll out a slate of new develop- ment and acquisition policies aimed at standardizing best practices and taking advantage of outside exper- tise and already validated efforts. But even with these initiatives in motion, the Army may not be moving fast enough to satisfy the industry partners supporting its work. Army Undersecretary Gabe Ca- marillo, who headlined a panel about digital transformation Tuesday at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., hailed the work done in the past two years to empha- size simple and standardized initial capabilities documents, or ICDs, over more elaborate, bespoke and descrip- tive needs statements that can slow acquisition and development. En- abled by expanded authorities from Congress that allow for streamlined acquisition, this ICD-based approach is now in use by 11 Army programs, Camarillo said. “We are always looking for the best of breed, so how do we adapt our es- sential processes to do that is some- thing we’ve begun to do in a funda- mental way,” he said. “But there’s more to be done.” To that end, he said, the coming rollout of new policies “will funda- mentally reshape the landscape” for how the Army manages and main- tains software. These include changing the soft- ware test and evaluation process to acknowledge contractor testing that has already taken place, in order to avoid duplicating efforts; estab- lishing “coherent” contracting ap- proaches that require Army person- nel trained in software development and how to define the right require- ments; and importing knowledge in the form of a team of outside experts the Army can lean on to review and refine solicitations for complex soft- ware development. “I think industry would very much appreciate that,” Camarillo said. “The reality is, there are way too many programs for contracts that have been led without an under- standing of what we’re asking for in a real sophisticated way.” These efforts notwithstanding, an- other panelist faulted the Army for being too risk-averse when it comes to widespread deployment of systems and technologies. Karen Dahut, CEO of Google Pub- lic Sector, cited artificial intelligence and generative AI in particular as spaces in which a fear of the un- known was pushing the U.S. mili- tary to extensive testing and devel- opment rather than timely execution. When a crisis unfolds, like the war in Ukraine, Dahut added, the Defense Department then approaches indus- try partners demanding urgent de- livery of the products and capabilities they’ve long been deliberating over. “I think we tend, inside of the de- partment, to think too long and hard about these experimental technolo- gies, and that prevents us from per- vasively deploying them and really enabling the warfighter in a different way,” she said. What’s holding the Army back may come down to simply having the pro- tocols and procedures necessary to sustain the new systems, said Lionel Garciga, the Army’s chief informa- tion officer. “From a technology perspective, we could probably deploy ICAM across the Army today,” Garciga said, re- ferring to the service’s future Enter- prise Identity, Credential and Access Management system. Young Bang, principal deputy as- sistant secretary of the Army for ac- quisition, logistics and technology, said the Army should look to the Ma- rine Corps as a leader in developing tactics, techniques and procedures, rather than soliciting more tech to solve problems. “What does the Army do? We throw more money and more systems at the problem, versus the Marines, … they actually look at TTPs, because they don’t have a lot of money,” Bang said. “If we increase our technical debt, we’re never going to be able to get to our target systems or spend money for that.” Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo outlines new digital development and acquisition policies during a panel at AUSA’s Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 13, 2023 | AUSA Extra 25 UNPARALLELED CLARITY AND INTEGRATION ■ ADVANCED NIR VCSEL ILLUMINATOR ■ ABOVE RAIL ROOM ILLUMINATION ■ NETWORK ENABLED DATA SHARING ■ RED OR GREEN LASER OPTIONS LEARN MORE Town hall From Page 11 revealed persistent poor living con- ditions and hazards including sew- age overflow and mold. She said the service would “take all of those rec- ommendations on board,” as leaders work to increase spending for fiscal 2025 on military construction and barracks sustainment. “I would ask you to be patient with us,” she said, as the Army works to improve oversight and accountability while constrained by a flat current budget. She added that the Army is ex- ploring the possibility of launching a privatized barracks project at Fort Irwin, California, following the lead of the Navy, which has two such proj- ects in Norfolk, Virginia, and San Diego. “That would be a big shift, but it’s something we’re looking into, because it may work in some places,” Wormuth said. A final smartphone question for the audience asked attendees what factors most affected decisions about whether to continue serving. Topping the list, in nearly a dead heat, were salary and operational tempo. While demands on the Army con- tinue to be high, George said he is in the process of reviewing current practices and requirements in hopes of clawing back time from unneces- sary maintenance hours or training that could be better spent at home. “We have to learn to say no to certain things,” he said. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, third from left, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, second from right, and Army Chief of Straff Gen. Randy George, right, greet Lt. Col. Robert Shipley and his family—AUSA’s Volunteer Family of the Year—during the association’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org26 AUSA Extra | October 13, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Cyber threats, weather, border insecurity challenge US F rom cyberattacks to increas- ingly severe weather, the U.S. faces growing homeland secu- rity challenges, the commander of U.S. Northern Command said. Conditions around the world are “the most dynamic and challenging as I’ve seen,” Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck said. Speaking at a homeland security seminar Tuesday at the Associa- tion of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Wash- ington, D.C., VanHerck said “envi- ronmental change is a challenge to us right now, especially here in the homeland. More hurricanes, more wildfires, but really what we’re see- ing is the weather in the Arctic is creating opportunities and vulner- abilities for our adversaries.” As an example, Russia is sailing through the Arctic to provide fuel to China, VanHerck said. “Significant things are happening in the Arctic. Fifty-two percent of my [area of op- erations] is in the Arctic. I care very much about what goes on in the Arc- tic and the challenges we face.” The U.S. also is “under attack ev- ery day in the cyber domain and the information space,” VanHerck said. Around the world, China and Rus- sia remain real threats, and the two countries are working together, he said. The missile threat from North Korea continues to grow, with more than 70 launches last year, and “I significantly worry about Iran,” Van- Herck said. Transnational criminal organiza- tions pose a “global problem, a multi- domain problem and a problem here in the homeland,” he said. “We often talk about the symp- toms—human migration, narcotics flow—but the problem is we have transnational criminal organizations with weapons on par with nation states around the globe,” VanHerck said. America’s “strategic stability is eroding,” VanHerck said. “That’s what keeps me up a little bit.” Amid this challenging environ- ment, the military is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “most trusted partner,” said Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator. “You are our most trusted team that comes in to help us in all the things we’ve seen,” she said, including “extreme weather events that have given us challenges we haven’t seen before.” This includes teams that helped identify remains after the deadly wildfires on Maui, Hawaii, she said. “Every time we call, you are always there, and we’re calling you more and more and for different things,” Criswell said. The challenge for FEMA and or- ganizations such as Northern Com- mand and Army North will be deter- mining the best way to respond to evolving and increasingly dangerous threats—all while dealing with to- day’s crises, Criswell said. Leaders must think seriously about “how we’re approaching the differ- ent threats we’re facing, whether it’s climate-related disasters, whether it’s cyberattacks, whether it’s the border insecurity we’re facing or the contested information environment,” Criswell said. “We’re constantly in this response mode,” Criswell said. “We don’t have the time or the staffing … to really think about the future and solely fo- cus on how we can start to plan for that because we’re in this continuous repetitive cycle.” Sen. Mazie Hirono, left, of Hawaii, is briefed Tuesday by Col. Jess Curry, right, com- mander of the Army Corps of Engineers Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Field Office, on the recovery mission after the devastating August wildfires on Maui. (U.S. ARMY/KATIE NEWTON) Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, command- er of U.S. Northern Command, speaks at a homeland security seminar Tuesday dur- ing the AUSA Annual Meeting. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY October 13, 2023 | AUSA Extra 27 Civilian contributions essential to building Army of 2030 A rmy civilians are playing a vi- tal role in building the Army of 2030, Army leaders said Wednesday. “We cannot afford to lose sight of the efforts required to recruit the necessary skill sets and personnel to maintain robust career paths [for Army civilians], guarantee immedi - ate and long-term readiness and con- struct the Army of 2030 in the face of adversity,” Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, said during an Army civilian showcase at the Asso- ciation of the U.S. Army’s 2023 An- nual Meeting and Exposition. Today, there are about 262,000 Army civilians, Schaefer said. Army civilians work alongside soldiers and leverage their expertise and skills to contribute to the Army and its mis- sion, according to the Army’s website. The share of Army civilians is growing. The Army Corps of Engi- neers, for example, has “doubled in size in the last few years,” said Kar- en Pane, director of human resources Retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, speaks to chapter and region leaders from across the association dur- ing the AUSA Annual Meeting. (AUSA PHOTO) Volunteers help AUSA connect America with the Army T he Association of the U.S. Army is needed now more than ever, as the Army and the na- tion face “very difficult times,” AUSA President and CEO retired Gen. Bob Brown said Sunday. The linchpin in AUSA’s support for the Army—including the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve—is its 122 chapters around the world that foster relation- ships in their communities, Brown said. “When I talk to [Army Secre- tary Christine Wormuth] and other senior leaders about how AUSA can help, they tell me that connection is key,” he said. Brown addressed the association’s chapter and region leaders at a recep- tion the evening before the opening of AUSA’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washing- ton Convention Center in Washing- ton, D.C. When AUSA chapters “get the word out” about what the Army is doing, they are “connecting America with her Army—and that’s absolute- ly critical,” Brown said. Chapter vol- unteers are “telling the Army story,” he said. “Our AUSA chapter presidents are leaders in their communities as well as in the association,” said retired Brig. Gen. Jack Haley, AUSA vice president for Membership and Meet- ings, adding that the volunteers’ hard work is “essential” to the asso- ciation’s mission. “I want to thank each and every one of you for what you do—it’s ab- solutely incredible,” Brown said. “Selfless service, unbelievable vol- unteers—[you are] making a differ- ence every day for our soldiers, their families and veterans.” for the Army Corps of Engineers. Pane added that she expects the corps will continue to double in size, and it is focused on “innovating in everything [they] do.” Serving as an Army civilian is more than a career, said Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, deputy com- manding general and chief of staff of Army Materiel Command. “We can’t do it without you guys. … It’s not just a career, it’s a calling,” he said. Army civilians are an essential teammate to the warfighter, said Lt. Gen. Maria Gervais, deputy command- ing general and chief of staff of Army Training and Doctrine Command. “I would not be sitting up here if it hadn’t been for the great civilians I had the pleasure of serving with throughout my career,” she said. “We are a team. … At the end of the day, it’s about how you bring that whole team together so that you can lever- age the expertise, the experience and the knowledge from everybody and bring it to bear, which makes us the best … Army.” Building the Army of 2030 would not be possible without Army civil- ians, Schaefer said. “I extend my gratitude for your unwavering dedi- cation and commitment to our force,” she said. “The Army would not be the Army without you.” Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, addresses an Army civilian showcase at AUSA’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposi- tion in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO)www.ausa.org28 AUSA Extra | October 13, 2023 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Poppas: Guard must prepare today for future fight T he Army National Guard must prepare to face and define a new reality of war, the com- mander of Army Forces Command said. “We have to win the first fight,” Gen. Andrew Poppas said Monday during the MG Robert G. Moorhead National Guard and Army Reserve Breakfast at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “We have to prepare for the battle today, especially in this uncertain world. … We have to be ready today.” The Guard has responded effec- tively to several natural disasters throughout the year, Poppas said. “The response that we had to Hur- ricane Idalia included 6,500 Florida Guardsmen alone,” he said. “We saw the true Total Army with [its] response to the Maui wildfires that took place this past summer. Your teams are always ready … for whatever Mother Nature throws at us,” Poppas said. Now, after 20 years of war, the Guard is adjusting to a new era of conflict, Poppas said. “We’re putting even more intellectual rigor toward understanding when and how we’re going to operate when that next fight comes,” he said. “We’ve got to look at the future fight, not what we’ve done in the past. Twenty years of continuous conflict have built a lot of resilience and combat experience, and now we have to adjust as our own doctrine adjusts.” The Guard will need to determine its capabilities before future con- flicts emerge, Poppas said. “As the Army shifts focus to the division and division-level enablers as a tac- tical formation, now is the time to ask ourselves: who does what, [and] when do they have to do it?” he said. “We’ve got to find the gaps, the faults and the friction points in warfight- ing today.” When the next crisis comes, the “Army will not have the luxury of time” to build its lethal force and re- siliency, he warned. “We cannot wait. … We’ve got to be prepared today,” Poppas said. “The undisputed bottom line is that we know that the Guard and the Re- serve soldiers are going to be com- mitted, we know that they’re well trained and lethal and that they’re ready when called upon.” Gen. Andrew Poppas, commander of Army Forces Command, addresses a breakfast for the National Guard and Army Reserve during AUSA’s Annual Meeting. (AUSA PHOTO) A soldier with the New Jersey National Guard conducts weapons qualification opera- tions Sunday at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. SETH COHEN)Next >