As the Army transitions away from wartime commitments, what should the strategic focus be for future challenges and what will the Army of tomorrow and beyond look like?These questions were discussed during the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command-led "Army Campaign of Learning" Senior Leader Seminar, or SLS, at the National Defense University on Fort McNair in Washington Sept. 14.The Army chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, along with 75 senior Army and other DoD leaders and multinational representatives attended.To promote the candor necessary for open discussions, leaders’ names could not...
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey thinks one of the most important questions military leaders need to answer is how to best adapt changes to strategy to match changes in the world.Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke Sept. 20 at the inaugural Gen. Bernard W. Rogers Strategic Issues Forum in northern Virginia, sponsored by the Association of the United States Army.Dempsey said it seems change is happening more quickly now."Therefore, we’ve got to be quicker on our feet, and we’ve got to be more willing to make changes that provide what the nation needs in its military dimension...
James A. Baker III, a former secretary of state, secretary of the treasury and White House chief of staff, will receive the 2012 George Catlett Marshall Medal, the highest award presented by the Association of the United States Army.Awarded annually to an individual who has exhibited selfless service to the United States of America, the medal will be presented to Baker by the Association’s Council of Trustees to recognize his contributions to the United States as a cabinet member, presidential adviser and a strong supporter of national defense and the men and women of the armed forces."His...
More than 9,000 soldiers and civilians from numerous local, state and federal agencies participated in Vibrant Response 13, or VR 13, along with their equipment, mobile labs, helicopters, heavy equipment and so on, spread out over 5,000 square miles of southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.The major incident exercise was fast-paced and had many moving parts, making the preparations and planning all the more daunting, said leaders of U.S. Army North who helped coordinate more than 200 training events at 50 venues."We coordinate the venues independently and through the Indiana National Guard,"...
More than 9,000 soldiers and civilians from numerous local, state and federal agencies participated in Vibrant Response 13, or VR 13, along with their equipment, mobile labs, helicopters, heavy equipment and so on, spread out over 5,000 square miles of southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.The major incident exercise was fast-paced and had many moving parts, making the preparations and planning all the more daunting, said leaders of U.S. Army North who helped coordinate more than 200 training events at 50 venues."We coordinate the venues independently and through the Indiana National Guard,"...
U.S. Army North conducted the largest confirmation exercise to date for 9,000 members of the DoD’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) force.
AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare has recently released a new publication."Earned Deferred Compensation" (National Security Watch, August 2012) examines some of the proposed policies to overhaul deferred compensation for soldiers.By exploring the numerous historical reasons for the existence of a unique military compensation system, the paper puts the suggested changes in perspective and considers whether the proposals would achieve their intended aims at an acceptable cost.The arguments behind most proposals to revamp military pay, TRICARE fees or the military retirement system generally fall...
In the aftermath of a simulated nuclear explosion, one of the most important tasks to perform is locating survivors, many of whom would be suffering not only from injuries, but also from radiation exposure.Such was the task for the chemical and medical soldiers from the Alabama National Guard as they conducted night search and rescue operations during Vibrant Response 13.VR13 is a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.Searching for "survivors" in the daylight is difficult enough, but searching at night offered yet more urgency to an already...
The purpose of the exercise was to confirm the capabilities of various elements of the DoD’s chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear, known as CBRN.
Working with role playing civilians from as far away as Michigan and Texas, personnel from U.S. Army North are creating realistic training scenarios involving "sick" and "injured" civilians for the thousands of service members in Indiana for Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.At the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., and several other sites, civilians in moulage role play victims of a simulated 10-kiloton nuclear detonation in a major Midwestern city, and its after-effects.Service members perform search and...
In the aftermath of a simulated nuclear explosion, one of the most important tasks to perform is locating survivors, many of whom would be suffering not only from injuries, but also from radiation exposure.Such was the task for the chemical and medical soldiers from the Alabama National Guard as they conducted night search and rescue operations during Vibrant Response 13.VR13 is a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.Searching for "survivors" in the daylight is difficult enough, but searching at night offered yet more urgency to an already...
Responding to a simulated 10-kiloton nuclear detonation, soldiers from the 178th Engineer Company, Fort Polk, La., conducted a rescue mission during Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.The engineers worked with other Joint Task Force – Civil Support, or JTF-CS, units to demonstrate their ability to support local, state and federal authorities in the event of a natural or man-made disaster."The 178th Engineer Company is very proficient at what we do, and in the event something like this were to ever happen, I am confident...
The exercise confirms the operational readiness and tactical capabilities of military forces tasked with responding to natural and man-made incidents.
Responding to a simulated 10-kiloton nuclear detonation, soldiers from the 178th Engineer Company, Fort Polk, La., conducted a rescue mission during Vibrant Response 13, a major incident exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.The engineers worked with other Joint Task Force – Civil Support, or JTF-CS, units to demonstrate their ability to support local, state and federal authorities in the event of a natural or man-made disaster."The 178th Engineer Company is very proficient at what we do, and in the event something like this were to ever happen, I am confident...
The unthinkable happened: A (simulated) 3,000 lb. radiological dispersal devise exploded at a train station in a major Midwestern city.Within hours, reports indicated two additional radiological devises, as well as a possible nuclear device, also detonated within the city.Within minutes of the incident, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began the process of responding to the crisis; and soon after, an Army North defense coordinating element, or DCE, kicked into high gear as it prepared to help coordinate for Department of Defense assistance."Once an incident has happened, FEMA...