PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org December 5, 2024 | AUSA Extra 1 Fires transformation makes ‘great strides’ A rmy fires must develop and converge effects to support large-scale combat operations on a battlefield where the enemy can see everything, a senior leader said. Maj. Gen. Winston Brooks, com- manding general of the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill, Oklaho- ma, said that while air defense and field artillery are and should remain separate and distinct branches, effi- ciencies can be gained with sensors, shooters and battle command sys- tems. “We must continue to modernize the fires warfighting function by in- tegrating all forms of fires from air defense, field artillery, aviation and our non-lethal fires within the air defense and field artillery branches,” Maj. Gen. Winston Brooks, commanding general of the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, speaks Tuesday at an AUSA Hot Topic focused on future fires. (AUSA PHOTO) Scale, Speed Challenge Future Fires 3 Army Must Maintain Land Dominance 4 Government Affairs Work on NDAA Continues 6 Member Benefits Senior Living, Gift Savings 7 Chapter Highlights Central Virginia 8 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 6 NUMBER 32 DECEMBER 5, 2024 Brooks said Tuesday at a Hot Topic on the future of fires hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army. “We must seek opportunities to converge on commonality and make fires more efficient and effective to support our maneuver forces, we must fight better with fires and make every projectile, rocket and missile count,” he said. There are three elements of inte- grating fires, Brooks said. They are “sensor networks, data convergence of command and control or fire con- trol systems and common launcher platforms,” he said, adding that the fires enterprise is looking into devel- opment of “a common tactical fires radar that can execute counter-fire, target acquisition and air surveil- lance for our light divisions.” These capabilities, he said, will enable joint forcible entry operations and provide early warning in the fu- ture. Brooks cautioned that these ca- pabilities do not automatically create transparency on the battlefield. “We must create transparency through le- veraging these assets, our processes and the accurate use of the sensors that we have available,” he said. Progress has been made in mod- ernizing Army fires, Brooks said, noting that the service has “made great strides in activating field artil- lery headquarters at the theater and corps levels.” Since 2020, the fires enterprise has modernized for large-scale combat See Brooks, Page 6www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY December 5, 2024 | AUSA Extra 3 Army must leverage data, technology for fires overmatch Forward observers with the 166th Regiment-Regional Training Institute's 1st Battalion use small unmanned aircraft systems to acquire targeting data and call for artillery fire Nov. 15 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. (ARMY NATIONAL GUARD/SGT. 1ST CLASS SHANE SMITH) W hile the Army has been try- ing to see farther at least since the Civil War, it is now working to leverage data and un- manned systems to push even deeper into the battlefield, a panel of experts said Tuesday. “We’ve been here before. What’s dif- ferent is the scale and speed,” Brig. Gen. Rory Crooks, director of Army Futures Command’s Long-Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team, said during a panel discussion that was part of an Association of the U.S. Army Hot Topic on fires. During the Civil War, the Army tried to use balloons to see farther, Crooks said. Since the turn of the 20th century, it has looked to avia- tion to achieve that goal. “We were trying to adapt new technology to try to see farther,” Crooks said. “We’ve had satellite imagery, U-2 flights, Predators. What we’re doing now is trying to leverage these in ways so we can access their data better.” The panel discussion, titled “Ma- neuver to Destroy with Fires: Ex- tending Range and Survivability,” highlighted the importance of mass- ing and positioning fires on the bat- tlefield. “We’ve grown comfortable … say- ing any sensor, best shooter,” Crooks said. “Once we get access to the data, that’s going to take us from any sen- sor to all sensors. When we can take and ingest all the data … that allows us to see farther across the electro- magnetic spectrum as we ever had before.” But, Crooks warned, America’s adversaries also have the same ca- pability. “What that means is that we’re always potentially in contact, in ways we may not recognize,” he said. “If we’re always potentially in contact, everything we do must be more deliberately thought out.” Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of Army Futures Command, often says that the land component matters—and positioning matters, Brig. Gen. Rory Crooks, director of Army Futures Command’s Long-Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team, addresses an AUSA Hot Topic forum Tuesday. (AUSA PHOTO) Crooks said. “What we do to position our fires into a position of relative advantage absolutely matters, and why you maneuver to these positions of relative advantage is so we can en- gage at the maximum possible way,” he said. Whichever side does that success- fully first “allows that commander to shape and gain the initiative and re- tain the initiative,” Crooks said. Observing lessons from the fight- ing in Ukraine, there has been “huge attrition on the battlefield in Europe,” said James Miller, vice president of business development for BAE Sys- tems, who was on the panel with Crooks and retired Lt. Gen. Richard Formica, vice president of CALIBRE Systems. As industry works with the Army on what it needs, maneuverability and survivability are key, Miller said. In addition to preventing the enemy from “finding you” on the battlefield, survivability is something industry must consider and “how that trans- forms into requirements for industry to deliver to the Army,” he said. “We have a real good relationship between industry and the field artil- lery community and the Army, … to study things together and exchange ideas pretty frequently,” Miller said. “We’ve got to continue that and make sure the investments are going to the right place.” As the Army prepares for the fu- ture battlefield, “we know we have to emplace, we have to fight, we have to displace and we have to resupply much more quickly than we did be- fore,” Crooks said.www.ausa.org 4 AUSA Extra | December 5, 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. 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Paper: Modernizing Army must not sacrifice close combat capabilities T he Army would do well to dou- ble down on its close combat forces despite its cancellation of several modernization programs and its reduction in force structure, according to a new paper published by the Association of the U.S. Army. “Army modernization, according to an array of reporting, had a rough 2024,” retired Lt. Col. Amos Fox writes in his paper. “Constriction is the exact wrong thing that the Army should be doing, considering the wide array of threats, theaters and chal- lenges that the U.S. military must address, or might have to address, in relative short order.” In “An Army Modernization Up- date,” Fox, a professor of practice in Arizona State University’s School of Politics and Global Studies and a lec- turer in the University of Houston’s department of politics, writes that the Army must maintain its identity as a land warfare-centric force. The service’s force structure mod- ernization efforts prioritize long- range fires, drones and battlefield surveillance over close combat capa- bilities, Fox writes. “The Army has sacrificed for- ward-positioned close combat (and Sgt. Noah Morse of the 3rd Infantry Division shoots an M500 shotgun during a stress shoot competition Nov. 20 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. (U.S. ARMY/SPC. BENJAMIN HALE) combat-enabling) capability for a rear-focused, defensive, fires-centric strategy,” he writes. Despite the growing use of modern capabilities by U.S. adversaries, the Army’s most important defense is still its ability to maintain control of land, he writes. “Armies exist to fight other mili- tary forces (state and nonstate) for control of territory. Control requires land forces on the ground that can not only go toe-to-toe in direct close combat with a hostile force, but that, in doing so, can seal tactical and op- erational victories,” Fox writes. This year “has been a challeng- ing” one “for Army modernization,” he writes. “A land force can only be stretched in so many directions before it runs out of blood and money,” Fox writes. “Thus, if the Army is to accomplish its own mission, plus serve as the joint force’s key enabling service, it must not reduce its close combat forces, but rather must see them in- creased. The control of territory ex- ists in an adversarial context; thus, the Army must have bigger—not smaller—close combat forces.” Read the paper here.www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY December 5, 2024 | AUSA Extra 5 CENTCOM HQ KUWAIT, SHARQ, AL SHUHADA STREET, AL GHAWALI TOWER TEL: BD@KRHKW.COM +22320113965 SCAN FOR MORE OPERATING IN THE HEART OF CENTCOM YOUR VALUE DRIVEN PARTNER OF CHOICE TURNKEY SOLUTIONS | AGILE TEAM | DYNAMIC SERVICES KRHPROVIDESINTEGRATEDHRSOLUTIONSANDLIFESUPPORTSERVICESTOVARIOUSCLIENTS.KRHISRECOGNIZEDASAWELL-FOUNDED, SUSTAINABLE,ANDLEGALPARTNERTOBUSINESSESWITHINTHEREGION.ASINDUSTRIESEVOLVED,KRHISAGILEINGAININGADEEP UNDERSTANING OF ITS CLIENTS’ CHANGING NEEDS AND REFORMINGITS STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS NEW CHALLENGES. ENGINEERING SERVICES INTEGRATED LIFE SUPPORT SERVICES HR & ADMIN SERVICES FIELD OPERATIONS SERVICES GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SECTOR INTEGRATED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT (IFM) TRANSPORTATION SERVICES KRH ACADEMY SERVICES AccountabilityPassion Excellence Integrity Commitment Respect Innovation V ALUES Tricare’s window for health care changes ends Dec. 10 U ntil Dec. 10, military retirees and eligible benefi ciaries who use Tricare can enroll in or make changes to their health care coverage. Benefi ciaries who use Tricare Prime, Tricare Select or the U.S. Family Health Plan can stay on their plan, enroll in a plan or change plans. Changes go into effect Jan. 1. For benefi ciaries living in the Unit- ed States, Tricare announced the move of six states from the East Re- gion to the West Region. The states moving to the West Region are Ar- kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklaho- ma, Texas and Wisconsin. As of Jan. 1, TriWest Healthcare Alliance will replace Health Net Federal Services as the West Region contractor, while Humana Military will continue as the contractor for the East Region. All benefi ciaries must confi rm their information in the Defense En- rollment Eligibility Reporting Sys- tem, or DEERS. Those in the West Region, including those whose states are moving, can check if their pro- viders are in the TriWest network by visiting tricare.mil/west. Those who pay enrollment or pre- mium payments by credit card or bank transfer will need to transfer payment information to the TriWest self-service patient portal by Dec. 31. Outside of Tricare open season, benefi ciaries can enroll or change their enrollment following certain life events, including marriage, the birth of a child or retirement from active duty. Open season does not apply to ac- tive-duty service members or Tricare for Life, as coverage is automatic for eligible benefi ciaries. Premium-based plans, including Tricare Reserve Select, Retired Re- serve and Young Adult, also are not impacted by open season. Eligible benefi ciaries can buy these plans at any time throughout the year, ac- cording to Tricare. Additionally, eligible military ben- efi ciaries have until Dec. 9 to enroll in or make changes to their vision and/or dental coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vi- sion Insurance Program. Known as FEDVIP, the program, managed by the Offi ce of Personnel Management, offers a range of plans at varying costs, and benefi ciaries must act to enroll in a dental or vision plan. For more information on Tricare and FEDVIP open seasons, click here. For information on health plan costs for 2025, click here. www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY 6 AUSA Extra | December 5, 2024 Outcome unclear for critical defense authorization act B ack in session after the elec- tion, Congress has much work to do before the end of the year. Of particular interest, the Asso- ciation of the U.S. Army’s Govern- ment Affairs team remains hope- ful that the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act will become law before the new year, as it has seen significantly more progress than the appropriations bills. Work on the bill continued during the recess, but the exact timing of the legislation re- mains fluid. AUSA recently sent a letter to key leaders on Capitol Hill, advocating for swift passage of this critical legis- lation as well as authorization of ad- ditional funding for the Total Army, among other provisions. “As you know, the Army is indis- pensable to national security … we urge you to swiftly pass the NDAA and authorize additional resources that reflect the demonstrated need and urgency that our national secu- rity challenges require,” retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, writes in the letter. You can read the letter here. It is clear that lawmakers will not be able to pass the 12 appropriations bills before the current continuing Government Affairs resolution expires on Dec. 20. Al- though the House speaker has said he wants another short-term resolu- tion so Congress can complete the ap- propriations, there is potential for a full year stopgap funding measure. This would be unfortunate for the Army, and AUSA is on record for Congress to complete the appropria- tions as soon as possible. Nonethe- less, little visible progress has been made. You can help build momentum for quick passage of the National De- fense Authorization Act, all 12 appro- priations bills and additional fund- ing for the Total Army by contacting your representatives and senators or meeting with them. If you meet with lawmakers or their staff as a con- stituent, veteran and AUSA member, advocate for AUSA’s Focus Areas and passage of the bills mentioned above. We will continue to monitor these and other developments closely as we advocate for the Total Army with Congress. Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government Affairs director. Brooks From Page 1 operations, which requires command and control at echelon, massing ca- pabilities and the ability to integrate air defense capabilities, he said. Highlighting some examples, Brooks noted that the service stood up the 56th Artillery Command in Europe, as well as a theater fires element in the Pacific. An opera- tional fires command pilot program is underway with V Corps that will comprise soldiers from the Army Na- tional Guard. “The composite fires formations at echelon will employ advanced technol- ogies to deliver lethal fires integrated with non-lethal effects through com- mon sensing, command and control targeting and delivery capabilities,” Brooks said. “This increases our abil- ity to provide mass and lethality to support large-scale combat opera- tions in both [the Regular Army and Army National Guard].” Brooks also noted that the lack of short-range air defense, which left maneuver formations and critical nodes unprotected against enemy planes, helicopters, unmanned sys- tems and rocket artillery and mor- tar systems, is being addressed with the fielding of divisional air defense battalions, indirect fire protection capability battalions, counter-small unmanned aircraft systems batter- ies and division counter-small un- manned aircraft system sets “to de- fend our high priority organizations in large-scale combat operations.” “These organizational changes are all being done simultaneously as the Army undergoes continuous transfor- mation,” Brooks said. Congressional staff members speak with garrison leaders at Fort Carson, Colorado, about new housing projects on the installation. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. WOODLYNE ESCARNE)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY December 5, 2024 | AUSA Extra 7 Discounts on senior living, holiday gifts with membership S everal years ago, a friend of mine moved to a retirement community and always spoke highly of the benefits. I was surprised at the move because I didn’t think of him as “old”—he is athletic, volunteers for many veter- ans’ organizations, dates regularly and is always on the go. He wasn’t in need of any assistance, medically or otherwise. When I visited him, I felt like I was at an all-inclusive luxury hotel. He had a beautiful apartment, and there was a variety of recreational op- tions—swimming pool, tennis court, billiards, ping pong, poker and more. There were lots of fun, active peo- ple enjoying themselves, now free from yard work and the daily chores of running a household. My friend had a car, but trans- portation was provided to the golf course, appointments and shopping excursions, as well as group outings to museums, concerts and other ac- tivities. I couldn’t help but think, “We should all live like this.” So, after getting used to the fact that 55 is considered a “senior” in the industry, I started to see senior liv- ing differently and spoke with Brook- dale Senior Living about a member discount for Association of the U.S. Army members. Many seniors don’t consider senior living until they have increased med- ical needs. Others make the transi- tion to make the most of their retire- ment years and find new friends in the same season of life. There are more than 10,000 veter- ans and spouses enjoying Brookdale life. I enjoyed hearing some of their stories and hearing from Army vet- eran Richard Gambino. When his daughter suggested Brookdale, he said, “No way, I’m not doing it.” But he later found that he loved it and doesn’t plan to leave. This benefit is not just for AUSA Member Benefits members over age 55, but for mem- bers of all ages who may have noticed that their parents or other loved ones need some assistance. Brookdale is the largest operator of senior housing in the U.S., and AUSA members enjoy exclusive dis- counts on independent living, assist- ed living, memory care and in-home services. The discount can be used for your- self, your spouse, your parents, stepparents, siblings, in-laws, adult children and stepchildren, grandpar- ents—any qualifying family member. As you can imagine, those savings will be substantial over time. To learn more, use the code “Go Army!” at www.brookdale.com/ausa or call 1-888-303-8601 and mention the code. Services and availability vary by location, and certain restric- tions apply. Holiday gifts If you are seeking an incredible val- ue for an unforgettable holiday gift, all AUSA members—even those who have not served in the military—are eligible for Armed Forces Vacation Club, where you can enjoy weeklong resort stays for just $419 per week. For more information and to join, visit https://www.afvclub.com/ausa. Select “AUSA Member” as your mem- bership eligibility, even if you're a veteran, and search “R&R Vaca- tions” for the $419 offers. Now through Dec. 22, you can book those resorts for just $309 per week or purchase a Resort Vacation Cer- tificate for just $309 to provide this wonderful benefit as a gift. AUSA members also save on Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, Marine Corps Times and Defense News at https://offers.armytimes.com/ ausa-offer/. Save 60% on Stars and Stripes with code AUSA60 by visit- ing https://ww2.stripes.com/ausa. If you want to share the value of AUSA membership, you can gift a two-year premium membership to a friend or relative. Your recipient will have access to scholarships, a legal document ser- vice paid for by the association, dis- counts on meetings and events and many more savings and benefits. Susan Rubel is AUSA’s Association and Affinity Partnerships director. AUSA members have access to exclusive discounts on independent living, assisted living, memory care and in-home services with Brookdale Senior Living. (COURTESY PHOTO)www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, addresses Virginia Army National Guard soldiers during a visit to the association's Central Virginia chapter. (AUSA PHOTO) 8 AUSA Extra | December 5, 2024 Retired Col. Leif Johnson, left, president of AUSA's Central Virginia chapter, and re- tired Gen. Bob Brown, right, the associa- tion's president and CEO, recognize Staff Sgt. Jimmie Robinson of the Richmond Recruiting Battalion as the chapter's Top Recruiter for the year. (AUSA PHOTO) Chapter hosts AUSA president, honors exceptional soldiers I n November, the Association of the U.S. Army’s Central Virginia chapter hosted retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, for a daylong visit to meet with one of the chapter’s Community Part- ners, speak with soldiers and cadets and recognize outstanding service members. The day began with a guided tour of Tech for Troops, a veteran service organization and AUSA Community Partner that provides homeless, un- employed and disabled veterans and their families with computer technol- ogy and IT workforce training. “The lunch and tour of T4T was enlightening and demonstrated how one company's commitment to empowering vet- erans through technology, education and training is shaping a brighter future for vet- erans and their families,” said Pete Svoboda, the chapter secretary. Brown then visited with Virginia Army National Guard soldiers in Richmond, followed by a meeting with ROTC cadets at the University of Richmond. His remarks focused on enduring principles for successful leaders. The most engaging discussions took place during questions from the officers, NCOs and cadets in atten- dance, who received an AUSA coin or pin for their efforts. “The questions were wide-ranging, and Gen. Brown was more than up to the task,” using experiences from his time as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to his final assignment as commander of U.S. Army Pacific to give a per- sonal perspective on how best to lead, react, overcome failure and adversity and accomplish the mission, Svoboda said. “Brown’s foundational message was that success as a leader comes from establishing trust up and down the chain of command—and with peers—and to always, always take care of your soldiers,” Svoboda said. The visit culminated with a chap- ter dinner and general membership meeting hosted at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9808 in Mechan- icsville, where “a great turnout of members and guests made for a won- derful evening of fellowship,” said re- tired Col. Leif Johnson, the chapter president. During the meeting, several sol- diers and an Army civilian were recognized for exceptional achieve- ments, with retired Brig. Gen. Walt Mercer, the chapter’s vice president for reserve affairs, serving as the master of ceremonies. Sgt. Carter Cooper of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Staff Sgt. Patrick Bradner of the 276th Engineer Battalion were hon- ored as the Virginia Army National Guard Soldier and NCO of the Year, respectively. Richmond Recruiting Battalion soldiers Capt. David Butcher and 1st Sgt. Menard King were recognized as the Top Recruiting Command Team, and Staff Sgt. Jimmie Robinson as the Top Recruiter. Randal Westfall, who serves as a battalion intelligence adviser, was honored for outstanding service. The evening concluded with Brown's remarks, which focused on the con- tinued need for a strong Army and AUSA's role in supporting the service. “It's hard to imagine a better day and evening for the chapter and the Army community in central Virgin- ia,” Johnson said. “Our chapter is indebted to Gen. Brown for his gen- erous allocation of time and wisdom.” Central VirginiaNext >