Army Transformation Takes ‘All of Us’
Army Transformation Takes ‘All of Us’

In its bid to transform quickly to meet rapidly rising threats, the Army is expanding its “transforming in contact” initiative to get more new technology into soldiers’ hands.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George announced “transforming in contact 2.0” on Oct. 15 in his keynote speech at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Luncheon during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition.
The initiative puts new and emerging technology and equipment into soldiers’ hands for testing and feedback. Currently underway in three infantry brigade combat teams, the 2.0 version will include two divisions, two armored brigade combat teams, two Stryker brigade combat teams and additional formations in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve, George said.
“At the end of this [fiscal year], every warfighting function, including protection and sustainment, will be part of our transformation efforts,” he said. “The tech we will infuse in our formations are not years away, they are available now.”
In addition to expanding transformation in contact, the Army will “step on the gas” in three other areas in the coming year, George said. Army formations will “dramatically” improve their ability to counter enemy uncrewed systems; the service is doubling down on operational transformation by expanding the range and improving the accuracy of long-range precision fires; and the Army continues to modernize and strengthen its industrial base, he said.
Army leaders are working hard to transform the force for the future fight. “Everywhere I go, I see highly motivated soldiers willing to innovate, train and sacrifice for the mission, and we owe them the best,” George said. “We understand how the battlefield has changed and how dangerous the world is. All you have to do is look at the news and see violence on every side of the globe.”
The world has changed, and while soldiers are ready for action, the Army is not transforming “fast enough and not yet at the scale we need,” George said.
This is why the Army is looking to jettison antiquated processes and systems while seeking bottom-up innovation and absorbing lessons from the fighting in Ukraine and the Middle East, he said.
“Today the world is even more dangerous and ambiguous,” George said. “Our Army remains incredibly busy … [and] at the same time we see our adversaries are adapting by working together. Russia, China, Iran and North Korea represent an axis of upheaval.”
While these countries seek to drive a wedge between the U.S. and its partners, the Army continues to battle violent extremists. “Terrorists remain a persistent threat,” he said. “The battlefield is increasingly more lethal, more brutal and less forgiving.”
As it pursues transformation, the Army also is contending with tight budgets. “Our Army is no less busy than during the global war on terror, but we have fewer people and less buying power,” George said.
“All of us”—every leader, business executive, policymaker, ally and partner, soldier, family and friend—must “have the same sense of urgency about transforming our Army to meet the needs of our nation,” George said. “The good news is I know we can do this together. We are serious about change. Talking about it is not enough. Warfighting is our No. 1 priority. We have to do it as fast as we can.”
This effort requires a change in mindset for “those used to and comfortable with the old ways of doing business,” George said.
“We have to change the way we operate, how we organize, how we buy things,” he said.
He added, “Today we risk our warfighters becoming disadvantaged by a procurement process that denies them the ability to have the best equipment they need to be lethal on the battlefield. … We have to work together to meet the challenges that we currently face.”
The Army must make tough choices and be willing to stop buying equipment that’s old or obsolete, even if they were a requirement in the past or a program of record, George said. “Instead, we’re seeking adaptive, modular systems, dual-use technologies that can work together with interchangeable parts … to adapt to the battlefield and technology changes,” he said. “We have to buy smart and fast. Our budget is tight, our numbers are lean.”
As it prepares for the future, the Army continues to keep its eye on the world. “The Army will not just prepare for one theater or one conflict,” George said. “The challenge is we must be ready to go anywhere and respond at any scale in defense of our nation. We must be prepared to fight in all theaters in any environment.”