ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Faced with a shifting global security environment that has grown even more uncertain in recent days, the Army is building readiness through the warfighting skills that come with trusting and empowering people, the commander of Army Forces Command said.

On the third and final day of the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Gen. Andrew Poppas led a discussion on what it will take to fight and win future wars, having listened in on security forums from Army leaders in the Indo-Pacific, Europe and Africa.

Army civilians are playing a vital role in building the Army of 2030, Army leaders said Oct. 11. 

“We cannot afford to lose sight of the efforts required to recruit the necessary skill sets and personnel to maintain robust career paths [for Army civilians], guarantee immediate and long-term readiness and construct the Army of 2030 in the face of adversity,” Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, said during an Army civilian showcase at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition. 

The Association of the U.S. Army awarded its highest honor for selfless service to retired Gen. Eric Shinseki, a former Army chief of staff and former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The 80-year-old Hawaii native received AUSA’s George Catlett Marshall Medal Oct. 11, the final day of the association’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition, saying he was “deeply humbled” to receive the award. The Marshall Medal is named for the Army officer and statesman who led the Army, the State Department and Defense Department.

A Leader Solarium organized by the Association of the U.S. Army concluded Oct. 11 with the opportunity for about 160 mid-grade NCOs and officers to pitch ideas to senior Army leaders about solving some of the service’s big challenges.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer listened to ideas on fixing a troubled soldier pay system, expanding cold-weather training and straightening out a complicated batch of unit rosters that don’t always agree on how many soldiers are in a unit.

Making sure military families on large Army posts have what they need to thrive is a big, intensive job—and it extends beyond the installation gates, a panel of leaders said Oct. 11.

NCOs drive change across the Army, and they will have a critical role as the service renews its focus on standards and discipline, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer said.

“We’re going to get after standards and discipline,” Weimer said Oct. 11 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “I can’t go anywhere in the Army and not have a conversation about standards and discipline.”

In a town hall for family members featuring the Army’s top leaders, one soldier stood and stated his problem bluntly. His wife, he said, “would rather deal with Comcast than try to find information from the Army.”

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth visibly reeled from the rebuke, but then turned to the service’s new chief of staff, Gen. Randy George. 

With an ongoing war in Europe and a new war in the Middle East, it’s more important than ever to keep war in Asia at bay by building the Army’s presence and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, said Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of U.S. Army Pacific.

By building relationships, forward positions and training areas and conducting regular, campaign-style exercises with partners and allies, the Army is creating enduring operational advantage in the region for the joint force, he said.

Ensuring that soldiers and their families can access quality health care is essential to maintaining the Army’s readiness, a panel of leaders said. 

As Russia’s war on Ukraine wears on into its second year, the leader of U.S. Army Europe and Africa said that preparing for future fights will mean leaning into real-world battle scenarios.

Speaking Oct. 10 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Gen. Darryl Williams said that, following NATO's July summit emphasizing deterrence and allied support of Ukraine, the Army would stress becoming more prepared to fight the real threat in the region.