ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

A House subcommittee will urge the Army to concentrate on common battery charging systems rather than relying on so many different types.

In its draft report on the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on readiness asks the Army to do what the Marine Corps has been trying to do since 2016. “Common charging solutions exist,” the report says. “The Army’s use of such platforms has been limited in scope and capability.”

Getting blood to the front lines of future battles is a critical survival factor for injured troops and a challenge for Army medical personnel. 

The Iraq and Afghanistan wars proved the value of having blood available as close as possible to the front lines, Brig Gen. Mark Thompson, Army Medical Command’s deputy chief of staff for support, said during a Warriors Corner presentation at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine has provided a stark reminder that the U.S. and its allies and partners must be prepared for large-scale combat operations and for a regional conflict to have global implications, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said.

Speaking Jan. 18 at a Coffee Series event hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army, McConville had recently returned from an 11-nation tour that left him “impressed” with how American soldiers are working with troops from other nations. 

The Army has a lot to learn and a lot to develop to prepare for large-scale, high-casualty and remote wars. 

In an Oct. 11 Warriors Corner discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2022 Annual Meeting and Exposition, medical leaders said they are sharply focused on caring for future casualties on distant battlefields from which quick evacuation isn’t possible.  

Across the XVIII Airborne Corps, leaders have their eye on getting the most out of the data that proliferates on and off the battlefield.

“Whether in the military or business, if you’re not learning, you’re failing, and in our line of work, you’re dying,” said Brig. Gen. John Cogbill, then-chief of staff for the XVIII Airborne Corps. “You have to continue to evolve and to learn. You need to be able to not only survive on the modern battlefield but dominate the modern battlefield.”

A new approach to the Army’s leadership concepts will be critical to maintaining unit cohesion on a dispersed battlefield, an Army psychologist writes in a new report.

With a reliance on “rational authority,” which motivates soldiers with external incentives such as pay or avoidance of legal problems, the Army is missing the chance to allow leaders to develop “charismatic leadership,” which relies on internal incentives such as loyalty to the leader.

Tough lessons on failures in leadership and the importance of seizing the momentum in battle were some of the issues discussed on an Oct. 9 staff ride hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army.