Soldiers competing in the Warrior Games at Colorado Springs, Colo., are members of one of the 29 Warrior Transition Units (WTU) spread across the Army.They are wounded, ill and injured soldier-athletes with prosthetics, amputations, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress, and "through sport, daily activity and getting a sweat, they get better," Brig. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, assistant surgeon general and commander, Warrior Transition Command, said."That’s the resiliency of our Army," he said.Williams, speaking to reporters via telephone from the Warrior Games in Colorado, said the...
Reduced oxygen simulated higher elevations to help Staff Sgt. Spencer Anderson as he trained for the cycling competition in Colorado at the 2012 Warrior Games.Anderson, an Army medic, is among 30 soldiers and 20 veterans representing the Army at the Third Annual Warrior Games, a week-long event for wounded troops in Colorado Springs, Colo.Events include cycling, archery, wheelchair basketball, shooting, swimming, track and field and sitting volleyball.Cycling keeps Anderson, a soldier wounded in combat, on a positive track.He started cycling 16 months ago. Now, it’s part of a routine...
The network of people, government and private organizations that tends to America’s wounded, injured and ill service members has achieved results over the last decade that are "absolutely remarkable," the nation’s top military officer told an audience in Washington recently.Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke at a "Heroes of Military Medicine" event hosted by the Center for Public-Private Partnerships at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine."I do find heroes and military medicine to be a little redundant. Actually, every time...
Warrior Games, presented by Deloitte, were created in 2010 as an introduction to Paralympic sports for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.The competition is a springboard for many service members and veterans to continue participating in sports programs in their communities.Since the inception of Warrior Games – Medical Treatment Facilities, Warrior Transition Units and Wounded Warrior Battalions East (Camp Lejeune, N.C.) and West (Camp Pendleton, Calif.) have seen a more than a 20-percent increase in sports program participation by wounded warriors.Warrior Games are hosted...
Army athletes took six gold, five silver and seven bronze medals during the track and field events May 4 at the 2012 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs."One of the biggest things coming from something like this both on the mental side and physical side are improvements," retired Staff Sgt. Michael Kacer said.Adding, "Emotionally, mentally, physically, you just better yourself as a whole once you get into sports."Kacer joined the Pennsylvania National Guard right out of high school and remained in the military for 10 years and five months until his retirement in May 2010.During his deployment to...
First Lady Michelle Obama and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were among those who paid tribute to wounded warrior athletes at the opening of The 2012 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 30.Dempsey, accompanied by his wife Deanie, called the six-day event a powerful demonstration of the resilience of service members.Athletes taking part in the third-annual competition are a reminder of what service members have endured during 10 years of war, and an important reminder of the ability of wounded warriors to lead successful lives after returning home, he...
The Army is preparing to field up to eight brigade combat teams (BCTs) with an advanced, integrated tactical communications network beginning early next year, senior leaders said Feb. 23 during the Association of the United States Army’s Winter Symposium and Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.The Army is now synchronizing the production, fielding and training for Capability Set 13, composed of vehicles, network components and associated equipment and software.These technologies will, for the first time, deliver an integrated voice and data capability throughout the brigade combat team...
AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare has released a new publication – "Third Army: Empowering Theater Responsiveness by Synchronizing Operational Maneuver" (Torchbearer Issue Paper, March 2012) – which discusses the operational drawdown from Iraq and the implications for the future Army logistics and sustainment environment.The United States’ ability to move personnel and equipment around the world is the foundation of strategic flexibility and allows the U.S. Army to fulfill its Title 10 responsibilities.As the Army transitions from Iraq and Afghanistan, it must build on the lessons learned from...
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, are heavily involved in the Network Integration Evaluation 12.2, or NIE 12.2.They have trained on the Company Command Post, which is the cell from which they control combat scenarios for the exercise. During this NIE, the brigade will change its location twice, so it is extremely important that soldiers working in the Company CP know their jobs and can perform them without hesitation.During training at Brigade Modernization Command’s Mission Command Center, soldiers received instruction on several software systems...
The flashy systems may attract a lot of attention, but it is the soldiers who get the final say when it comes to evaluating new network technologies.As the Army prepares for the Network Integration Evaluation 12.2, or NIE 12.2, – an event that will finalize the first advanced tactical communications technologies that will be fielded starting this fall – a major responsibility rests on the shoulders of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, or 2/1 AD.The 3,800-person strong operational brigade combat team is dedicated to evaluating new network technologies from government and industry through...
Soldiers recovering from Traumatic Brain Injury had the chance to see if they were ready to get "back to the fight" during simulated combat skills training held recently at the Warrior Skills Training Center, Fort Hood, Texas.They were the first Traumatic Brain Injury, known as TBI, patients to go through simulation training as part of the Warrior Readiness Assessment program at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center’s Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic.Using a virtual environment, the soldiers practiced warrior tasks such as conducting a convoy, clearing a room and weapons qualification."This type of...
During a tour of the European theater, the Army chief of staff, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, sat down for a podcast with U.S. Army Europe, and spoke at a town hall meeting at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany, where he discussed Army values and sexual assault and harassment prevention.Odierno said sexual assault and sexual harassment, "are inconsistent with our values. It’s not consistent with the trust we expect to have between soldiers."Adding, "As part of the Army profession, it really is about our values, our moral and ethical values. It is also about what I consider to be the basic...
In November 2011, the Army concluded its second Network Integration Evaluation (NIE.)The NIE consists of a series of semi-annual field exercises to evaluate, integrate, and mature the Army’s tactical network.During the evaluations the Army integrates and assesses network and non-network capabilities to determine implications across doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel and facilities.NIE 12.1 concentrated efforts to extend network connectivity to the soldier and advance mission command on the move.The evaluation continued to establish the integrated...
As a member-based organization, AUSA annually solicits proposed resolutions from its membership.Throughout the spring and summer months, individual members and chapters are invited to submit proposed resolutions aimed at enhancing the Army – its equipment, capabilities, and the quality of life of its soldiers and their families.Standing AUSA advisory committees are asked for input as well.The Council of Trustees appoints a resolutions committee at its spring quarterly meeting.Resolutions committee members are appointed from nominations received from throughout the Association. Every effort is...
In advance of the major field exercise for the Army’s new tactical communications network, engineers are putting systems through their paces.