ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Staff Sgt. Ruben Rivers, who ignored his own wounds to protect his fellow soldiers in the 761st Tank Battalion during World War II, is the focus of the latest graphic novel in the Association of the U.S. Army’s series on recipients of the nation’s highest award for valor.

Retired Lt. Gen. Julius Becton Jr., a longtime member of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Board of Directors and a recipient of the George Catlett Marshall Medal, AUSA’s highest award, died Nov. 28. He was 97.

Becton joined AUSA’s Board of Directors in 1994 and served for 13 years. In 2007, he was presented the Marshall Medal “for his numerous and consequential accomplishments over a lifetime of service as a soldier, leader, educator, administrator, mentor and role model,” according to the award citation.

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.

More than a century after his death, Charles Young, the first African American colonel in the U.S. Army, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general.

The long overdue recognition took place April 29 at an event hosted by Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where Young began his Army career and became the third African American to graduate from the academy in 1889. 

Decades after their trailblazing service, members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first and only all-female, all-Black American battalion to deploy overseas during World War II, will receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

The “Six Triple Eight” Congressional Gold Medal Act was signed into law March 14 by President Joe Biden after the legislation was passed by the Senate and House of Representatives. A date has not been announced for presentation of the award, which must be designed and struck by the U.S. Mint.

The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing four new podcast episodes in February, including a podcast focusing on mental fitness and a look at leader development in the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade.

First up in the “Army Matters” series is an interview with retired Lt. Col. Daniel Johnston, who will discuss the intricacies of the brain and mental fitness. An Army physician and researcher, Johnston co-founded BrainSpan, which works to help practitioners, patients and the public build and sustain healthier and more resilient lives.

A new monument honoring the legacy of West Point’s Buffalo Soldiers has been dedicated on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

During a ceremony on Sept. 10, the 10-foot bronze statue of a trooper mounted on horseback was dedicated on the south end of Buffalo Soldier Field, replacing a smaller memorial that had been in place since 1973. 

The Army will review Distinguished Service Cross medals awarded to African American and Native American troops for their actions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, the Pentagon announced.

The review, directed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to all the services, will examine whether the recipients of the Service Crosses warrant the Medal of Honor. The Distinguished Service Cross, which is awarded by the Army, the Navy Cross and the Air Force Cross are the nation’s second-highest valor awards, behind only the Medal of Honor.