ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

As they travel across the force, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer are reinforcing the importance of an Army that’s focused on warfighting and able to respond to any contingency anywhere in the world.

“Our Army exists to fight and win our nation’s wars. That’s why we exist, that’s why we’re in this uniform,” George said. “We are a global Army. We’ve got to be ready to go anywhere on short notice.”

In one of his first messages to the force, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer called on NCOs to set the example for their soldiers.

After leading the Army together for four years, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston stepped down from their posts Aug. 4.

McConville, the 40th Army chief of staff, relinquished responsibility to Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. George has been nominated to be the next Army chief of staff, but he must still be confirmed by the Senate.

From responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to pushing for changes to the Army’s policies on tattoos and socks, the sergeant major of the Army plays an important role in taking care of soldiers, tending to morale and making sure the service’s top leaders have a good feel for the state of the force.

The Army is changing its tape test as the service refines how it measures soldiers’ body fat and fitness, the service announced. 

“For years, we have been committed to reducing body fat across the force,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston said in an Army news release. “It’s one of the driving factors in supporting the Holistic Health and Fitness program, as well as one of the reasons to request a study on the Army Body Composition Program.”

In the vast Indo-Pacific, where soldiers operate in small groups and alongside allies and partners, trust is critical to success, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston said.

“I would say it’s the secret sauce in our Army, this thing called trust,” Grinston said May 16 during a fireside chat focused on the role of NCOs in the Indo-Pacific on the first day of the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu.

Facing one of the most challenging recruiting environments in decades, the Army continues to operate at a high pace, with no relief in sight, the service’s top enlisted soldier said.

“We have an enormous strain on soldiers,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston said. “We’re busier now than we ever have been.”

Speaking at the recent Fires Symposium in Lawton, Oklahoma, Grinston said the Army’s operations tempo is a “huge concern.”

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston, beginning a farewell tour of Congress as he nears retirement after 36 years of service, told a House subcommittee that he’s convinced the Army can overcome its recruiting challenges if it takes steps to make service more rewarding.

Testifying Feb. 28 about quality of life in the military, Grinston said, “Young Americans want to be part of something larger than themselves.” 

“We need a national call to public service,” he said, noting that it “only goes so far.” 

Initiatives to sharpen soldier fitness, leadership skills and readiness continue to be top priorities for Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston as he enters the last six months of his tenure as the Army’s senior enlisted leader.