ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing two new podcasts in October as part of its relaunched “Army Matters” series.

First up is a podcast featuring retired Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, a trailblazing Army officer who recently was honored when Fort Lee, Virginia, was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of him and Maj. Charity Adams Earley, who commanded the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first and only all-female, all-Black American battalion to deploy overseas during World War II.

The Army is launching a new pilot program that aims to improve access to child care for Army Reserve soldiers and their families, the service announced. 

Financial pressures, spouse employment and the impact of military service on family life were among the top concerns for military families, a new survey found.

The 13th annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, published in late March by Blue Star Families, uses data collected between May and July 2022 and includes research from more than 9,300 respondents from active-duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, veterans and their families. 

More than 1,000 cocktail dresses and formal gowns will be featured May 7 at a free pop-up event hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army and Operation Deploy Your Dress.

Teaming up for the sixth annual Operation Deploy Your Dress D.C., volunteers from the two organizations will welcome all military or dependent ID card holders at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

A special advance time slot for AUSA Premium members will begin at 8 a.m.

The Army is investing in military construction and improving family housing as it pushes toward its 2030 goals, a senior Army leader told lawmakers. 

Army spouses reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had a “considerable impact” on their lives, a Rand Corp. survey found. 

The survey of Army spouses analyzed how the pandemic affected areas such as finances, employment and child care from August 2020 to May 2021. The report was released this year.

The White House announced Jan. 31 that the 14th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation will take a closer look at the adequacy of pay and benefits for dual-income households. 

“The unique factors affecting military household incomes might require structural changes, to include the development of a new benchmark for military compensation,” says a memorandum from President Joe Biden establishing the review. 

Soldiers will have more time to spend with their growing families under DoD’s recent expansion of its Military Parental Leave Program. 

“It is important for the development of military families that members be able to care for their newborn, adopted or placed child or children,” Gilbert Cisneros Jr., undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in the memo announcing the expansion. 

The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing two new podcasts in December, following a major relaunch of its “Army Matters” series.

First up in December is an episode titled “Twenty-four Hours’ Notice to Deploy to Afghanistan,” featuring Lt. Col. Jacob Helgestad, executive officer for the Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.

Seventy new organizations have signed on to partner with the Defense Department to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses, the Pentagon announced.

Gilbert Cisneros Jr., undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, welcomed the new additions, which include government, nonprofit and private sector organizations, to the DoD-sponsored Military Spouse Employment Partnership program on Oct. 25.