The commanding general of Army Training and Doctrine Command will be the guest speaker on the June 30 edition of The AUSA Noon Report.

Gen. Paul Funk, who has led Training and Doctrine Command since June 2019, is responsible for 32 Army schools that recruit, train and educate more than 750,000 soldiers and service members annually.

The livestream program starts at noon Eastern and is hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army. Retired Gen. Carter Ham, AUSA president and CEO, will provide opening remarks.

The event is free, but registration is required. Click here to register.

In recent months, Funk and Training and Doctrine Command have been integral to the Army’s efforts to keep soldiers safe during training amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Army has implemented several health and safety measures and created “safety bubbles” for soldiers as they enter training and, later, move to their first duty stations. 

At one point, the Army was shipping 50% of its typical number of soldiers to training. “We’ve been at 100% shipping for the last couple of weeks now,” Funk said June 17.

Since April, the command has moved 23,000 soldiers through the training base, including 13,000 soldiers from basic training to advanced individual training, and almost 10,000 to their first units of assignment, he said.

“We’ve done that in a COVID environment, focused like a laser beam to make sure we can keep those security bubbles as we move through the process,” Funk said.

Up next for Training and Doctrine Command is the first-ever Army National Hiring Days, a three-day virtual event June 30–July 2 that aims to recruit 10,000 new soldiers.

“We’re excited to bring young men and women into our force,” Funk said. “The Army is people, and that’s what makes us the special force that we are.”