ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Army leaders at every level must get back to knowing the soldiers in their formations and reestablishing the “human-to-human contact” that was lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior commander said.

Gen. Andrew Poppas, commander of Army Forces Command, said Sept. 15 at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Benning, Georgia, that the only way to ensure a trained and ready force is through “engaged leadership.”

In an impassioned call to leaders, Poppas reminded members of the audience that leadership is a 24/7 task.

The Army is hitting its stride when it comes to reaching its modernization goals, Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo said.

“I think we've got a tremendous amount of momentum headed into our modernization portfolio,” Camarillo said Sept. 7 during a conference hosted by Defense News. “Many of our programs … are working their way through the process to achieve these critical milestones and getting to the next phase … where we can field capabilities that are relevant to our soldiers.”

Soldiers from five active-duty divisions are providing “campaign-level support” to help the Army navigate the national recruiting crisis, a senior commander said.

The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing four new podcasts in September, including a conversation with the Army’s top general in the Indo-Pacific and insights from a two-star general who has deployed 18 times.

The power of information operations is one of the biggest lessons the Army can learn from the war in Ukraine, two Army special operations leaders said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been a “powerful” figure as he’s put the spotlight on Russia’s attack on his people and his country and sought to motivate the other nations of the world to support the Ukrainians’ fight, said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Army Special Operations Command.