Retired NCO Receives Distinguished Service Cross

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Soldier receiving award
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Retired NCO Receives Distinguished Service Cross

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.”

VA Streamlines Burn Pit Registry Enrollment

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A soldier stands in the glow of a burn pit.
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VA Streamlines Burn Pit Registry Enrollment

A newly redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs, includes automatic enrollment and simplified requirements to improve access to treatment for veterans who have been exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits.

Iraq War Hero Featured in Graphic Novel

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AUSA's Medal of Honor graphic novel series
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Iraq War Hero Featured in Graphic Novel

Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, who ignored his own wounds and repeatedly entered a burning vehicle to save his soldiers, 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.

Medal of Honor: Alwyn Cashe tells of the infantryman’s actions on Oct. 17, 2005, when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb near Samarra, Iraq. Cashe suffered terrible burns, but he kept returning to the burning vehicle to rescue his soldiers.

AUSA Features 2 New Podcasts in November

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AUSA podcast logo.
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AUSA Features 2 New Podcasts in November

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

First up in November is a podcast featuring Raymond James Raymond, author of Elite Souls: Portraits of Valor in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Counter-IS Fight Offers Lessons for Future Conflicts

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Soldiers engaging ISIS
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Counter-IS Fight Offers Lessons for Future Conflicts

The war waged by the U.S. against the Islamic State terror group during Operation Inherent Resolve was a decisive win for America, a renowned national security correspondent said. 

Burn Pit Bill Backed by AUSA

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US Capitol
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Burn Pit Bill Backed by AUSA

The Association of the U.S. Army has joined with other military and veterans’ organizations in support of bipartisan legislation that expands Department of Veterans Affairs health care to more than 3.5 million veterans exposed to the toxic fumes of battlefield burn pits.

Webinar Highlights Role of Special Operations Troops

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Special Ops troops
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Webinar Highlights Role of Special Operations Troops

A webinar hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army will highlight the role of special operations forces during the past 20 years of war and their part in future warfare.

The Dec. 9 event, part of AUSA’s Thought Leaders series, will feature three authors who have written books about special operations troops. It will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern. The webinar is free, but registration is required here.

Thought Leaders - In the Company of Heroes

AUSA’s Thought Leaders webinar series—an extension of our Thought Leaders podcast—focuses on contemporary military authors and senior military leaders. Thought Leaders seeks to educate the public on critical issues affecting land forces and strategy.

AUSA’s Thought Leaders Webinar series invites you to join us on Tuesday, 16 November 2021, at 1400 EST, to hear a presentation by James Kitfield, author of In the Company of Heroes: The Inspiring Stories of Medal of Honor Recipients from America’s Longest Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.