Articles

Maintaining Momentum: Army’s Top Civilian Looks to Deliver on Readiness, Modernization Gains

Rick Maze, Editor in Chief
Ryan D. McCarthy, the former Ranger and Afghanistan War veteran called on for the fourth time to be the civilian leader of the U.S. Army, is both optimistic and concerned about the future of America’s foundational force. Confirmed by the Senate on...

Putting People First: McConville Looks to Revolutionize How Soldiers Serve

Michelle Tan, Deputy Editor in Chief
In his first day as the 40th Army chief of staff, Gen. James C. McConville declared that people are his No. 1 priority. From soldiers and family members to veterans and Army civilians, the Army is about people, McConville said during his Aug. 9...

Empowering NCOs: SMA Emphasizes Talent, Fitness, Mastery of Fundamentals

Michelle Tan, Deputy Editor in Chief
As the Army reorients itself after almost two decades of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston is focused on making sure soldiers are fit, healthy and ready for the next fight. To do that, Grinston is looking at...

The Path Ahead: A Growing Army Requires Our Support

Gen. Carter F. Ham, U.S. Army retired
I was privileged not long ago to join a gathering of several former Army chiefs of staff. These were the leaders of the Army I grew up in, from the 1970s until my retirement from active service in 2013. They were, and are still, to me, legendary...

Ready for the Warfight: Army National Guard Trains to Respond at Home and Abroad

Gina Cavallaro, Senior Staff Writer
The Army National Guard’s capabilities “exist for our warfight,” so soldiers must be deployable, maintain their equipment and make sure their skills are interoperable with the Regular Army, says Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, who became director of...

A Culture Shift Toward Combat: Army Reserve Evolves to Face Near-Peer Threat

Gina Cavallaro, Senior Staff Writer
A culture shift driven by the new threat environment, along with improvements in medical readiness, reductions in the number of nondeployable soldiers and a purposeful focus on fostering a warrior culture, have pushed the U.S. Army Reserve to...

A Lifetime of Service: Dempsey’s Marshall Medal Highlights Legacy of Leadership

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, U.S. Army retired
Retired Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and 37th Army chief of staff, was selected by the Council of Trustees of the Association of the U.S. Army as the 2019 recipient of the George Catlett Marshall Medal for...

New AUSA book is first-ever bio of ‘unique’ Army leader

Joseph Craig, Director AUSA Book Program
Gen. John “Shali” Shalikashvili was the first immigrant, draftee and Officer Candidate School graduate to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Born into a noble European family just before World War II, Shalikasvili’s life went from...

Amplifying the Army Message: Civilian Aides Advocate, Recruit in Communities

Angela K. Ritz
Many soldiers might recognize their local Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army from the ceremonies the aides attend or the help they have provided to troops or their families. What most people don’t know is the Civilian Aide to the Secretary...

Treating Others With Respect Is a Core Value

Lt. Col. Amy ThompsonLt. Col. Cleve SylvesterMaster Sgt. John Ahern
“Mission first, people always” is a motto that rings true and cuts to the heart of what the Army is about. The Army exists to deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars, yet every aspect of operations remains a human endeavor. A soldier is behind every...

Building Better Soldiers: Significant Returns Expected With Expanded Initial-Entry Training

Brig. Gen. Dave HodneCol. Dave Voorhies
For the first time in over 43 years, the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, has overhauled One-Station Unit Training for initial-entry infantry soldiers. The familiar 14-week training model dates to 1978 and remained relatively...

New Recruiting Model Emerges Across the Pond

Col. George Maund
Although British and American societies differ in some ways, in terms of the contemporary recruiting environment, our armies face almost identical challenges: most 17- to 24-year-olds have little or no connection with the military; the strength of...

Rapid Response: Unit Works to Quickly Fulfill Urgent Requests

Col. Joe D. BookardRegina Barnes
In the 21st century, everything is at your fingertips thanks to modern technology. People have adapted to receiving information immediately to help them easily plan ahead, from minutes to months, using a suite of mobile device apps. Now imagine you’...

Facing Our Underground Nightmares: Casting Light on the Subterranean Fight

Maj. John W. Spencer, U.S. Army retiredCol. Liam Collins
On May 8, 2014, about three years into Syria’s civil war, anti-government forces prepared explosives—reportedly about 20 tons—in a freshly dug tunnel under the city of Aleppo. Above ground, Syrian soldiers in a hotel being used by the Syrian army...
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September 2019 Book Reviews

AUSA Staff
Future Warfighting Requires Agile Training Adopting Mission Command: Developing Leaders for a Superior Command Culture. Donald E. Vandergriff. Naval Institute Press (An AUSA Title). 320 pages. $49.95 By Col. J.P. Clark A “significant difference...