ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Eighty years after the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion deployed to Europe during World War II, its soldiers were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Nicknamed the Six Triple Eight, the unit was the first and largest all-female, all-African American unit to deploy overseas during World War II. On April 29, with the two surviving members watching online, over 300 of the soldiers’ descendants and family members gathered on Capitol Hill for the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal.

Retired Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest award for valor, for heroic actions in Iraq in 2007.

In a March 18 Pentagon ceremony officiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Geressy addressed an audience packed with his former Army teammates, his family and friends. “What do you say with a room like this, full of all your people you respect the most?” he said. “… This has been going on forever, it seems like. This is very surreal.”

Two members of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee have been awarded the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Legislator of the Year award for their staunch and effective support of the Army and soldiers, veterans and their families.

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Democrat from Maryland, and Republican Rep. Steve Womack from Arkansas were honored on Capitol Hill by AUSA President and CEO retired Gen. Bob Brown and retired Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, AUSA’s vice president for Leadership and Education.

Maj. Kate Rubins received the Basic Aviator Badge with Astronaut Device and Space Badge during a ceremony Nov. 21 at the Pentagon, making her the first Army Reserve soldier authorized to wear the device. 

The Association of the U.S. Army has announced the recipients of its 2024 National Awards, which honor individuals for their selfless service and dedication to the Army and its soldiers.

An Association of the U.S. Army Book Program title has won a 2023 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award in its category.

Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness by retired Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin is recognized in the book category under Journals, Memoirs and Letters.

The Army Historical Foundation awards recognize “excellence in U.S. Army history writing.” The 2023 awards honor books and articles published in 2023.

Retired Col. Daniel Roper has been recognized by the Army Historical Foundation with a 2023 Distinguished Article Award for his article in ARMY magazine about the tough lessons learned from the Battle of Mogadishu 30 years ago in Somalia.