ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

In its pursuit of robotic combat vehicles, the Army is prioritizing speed, ease of use and the best products and industry partners it can find, two senior leaders said recently.

“The winner is the soldier, at the end of the day,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, director of the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. “The goal is I want the best that we can get. If I can have company A and company B bring their best thing, instead of company A trying to do what company B does, I’d rather have every company doing what they do best.”

Better food options and barracks with internet connectivity are among the priorities for Army leaders seeking to improve and maintain quality of life for soldiers.

At a Warriors Corner discussion during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, Sgt. Maj. Michael Perry outlined some of the initiatives under consideration to improve food options for enlisted soldiers, as well as some of the challenges with giving soldiers what they want.

Army Materiel Command is “totally focused” on delivering ready combat formations around the world and at home, said Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, the command’s deputy commanding general.

In a keynote address March 28 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, Mohan outlined the work being done by the Army’s sustainment enterprise and stressed the importance of working closely with industry partners to achieve the mission.

Changes in vehicle maintenance standards are underway across the Army as part of an effort to reduce excess equipment and unburden soldiers, said Lt. Gen. Heidi Hoyle, deputy Army chief of staff for logistics, G-4.

These new standards are a change to decades-old processes that govern when vehicles receive maintenance. The goal is to gain efficiency without sacrificing the quality of maintenance.

As robots are integrated into the operational environment, soldiers will need to shift from a mindset of doing it all to trusting the new technology and understanding its potential, according to senior Army leaders.

Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, commander of the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Moore, Georgia, formerly known as Fort Benning, said he observed the human dynamic at play in a recent training scenario involving robotic platforms.

Efforts to strengthen the Army profession are “necessary” to ensuring the service’s success in building a competent, lethal and cohesive force, the commanding general of Army Training and Doctrine Command said.

More than 60 emerging leaders took part in the inaugural Generation Next Forum at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama.

Hosted by AUSA’s Center for Leadership, the workshop opened with an interactive session with Sarah Draper, a former FBI supervisory special agent and owner of Leading Well Strategies, who encouraged the young leaders to think about the elements and life skills that contribute to effective leadership.

Speed, flexibility and teamwork are critical as the Army moves forward with its transformation for the future, the service’s top acquisition and modernization officials said.

Speaking March 27 on a panel at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, Douglas Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the Army cannot do what it needs to do without teaming up with industry.

The Army is creating a new team focused on helping the force better see, sense and target deep into the battlefield.

The All-Domain Sensing Cross-Functional Team will be stood up out of the Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing/Space Cross-Functional Team, Army Futures Command announced March 26 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama.