Army Unveils New Fitness Assessment for Ranger Students

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U.S. Army Ranger Students, assigned to Charlie Company, 5th Ranger Training Battalion, pulls security and starts to move off the landing zone, after exfiltrating out of a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter, assigned to 4th Ranger Training Battalion (Ravens) to conduct an Air Assault at Camp Frank D. Merrill, Dahlonega, Georgia.
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Army Unveils New Fitness Assessment for Ranger Students

With a new focus on functional combat fitness training, the U.S. Army Infantry School has modified the physical fitness assessment for students attending the Ranger Course.

Formally known as the Ranger Physical Fitness Assessment, the assessment will still require students to perform a 5-mile run and six chin-ups, but it no longer includes situps and pushups, according to a Maneuver Center of Excellence news release.

Mission, Purpose Drive High Special Operations Retention

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Soliders board helicopter
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Mission, Purpose Drive High Special Operations Retention

The recruiting program that enlists civilians to become Green Beret candidates “is critical to Special Forces,” the commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command said.

Known by the MOS 18X, the Special Forces candidate program enlists young people to help build the force rather than recruiting only from within the ranks, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga said. Soldiers who joined the Army through the 18X program and made it through the long and arduous path to become Green Berets, he said, “make up over 50% of the force.”

Fenton: Recruiting Shortfalls Impacted Special Ops Units

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U.S. Special Operations Command recruiters provide hands-on display of equipment to Savannah community members during a Night of Honor event.
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Fenton: Recruiting Shortfalls Impacted Special Ops Units

Assessment and selection for special operations soldiers has lagged the past two years as the Army struggled to meet its recruiting numbers, said Gen. Bryan Fenton, commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Command.

Still, he expressed optimism that the Army’s effort to overcome the national military recruiting challenge bodes well for special operations.

SOCOM Boss Warns of Increasingly Dangerous World

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U.S. Army soldiers with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group train an evacuation with a Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Chinook Helicopter after a successful training operation on Local Training Area during a small unit tactic training on August 29, 2023, Baumholder, Germany (U.S. Army Photo by Ruediger Hess)
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SOCOM Boss Warns of Increasingly Dangerous World

A “convergence” of adversaries is threatening global security, a development made more complex by the proliferation of battlefield technology and commercial disruptions, a senior Army officer said.

Gen. Bryan Fenton, commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Command, said he sees the security environment through three lenses, the first of which is the volatile alliance formed among the adversaries of the United States and its allies.

Army Special Operations Command Innovates for Next War

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Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Army Special Operations Command speaks
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Army Special Operations Command Innovates for Next War

The side that adapts and innovates first will win the next war, said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Army Special Operations Command.

The key to achieving that is adopting a collective mindset, he said.

USASOC Seeks to Remove Barriers for Women

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Female soldier training
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USASOC Seeks to Remove Barriers for Women

After a commandwide survey found widespread gender bias and sexual harassment, Army Special Operations Command is working on dozens of initiatives to better care for the women serving in its formations.

“Humans are more important than hardware, and anything that makes the individual [special operations] operator better … that’s our solemn responsibility,” said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Army Special Operations Command.

Register for AUSA’s Warfighter Summit

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Warfighter 2023 Logo
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Register for AUSA’s Warfighter Summit

Registration is now open for the Association of the U.S. Army’s Warfighter Summit and Exposition in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Scheduled for July 26–27 at the Crown Complex near Fort Bragg, the two-day, in-person summit is a leader and professional development event focused on the warfighter. This is the second year AUSA is hosting the Warfighter Summit.

This year’s theme is “America’s Army: Ready for Today, Modernizing for 2030 and Beyond.”

Green Beret Selected as Next SMA

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Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer speaks at an event.
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Green Beret Selected as Next SMA

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer, a Special Forces soldier with more than 20 years of experience in Army special operations, has been selected to become the 17th sergeant major of the Army. 

Weimer will succeed Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston this summer. Grinston has served as the Army’s senior enlisted leader since August 2019. 

AUSA SOFEX Pavilion Features 27 Companies

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A view of the USA Pavilion at the 2018 SOFEX.
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AUSA SOFEX Pavilion Features 27 Companies

The USA Security and Defense Pavilion at the 2022 Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference in Jordan opens Nov. 1 for events that include presentations by U.S. and defense industry leaders.

Organized by the Association of the U.S. Army, this year’s USA Pavilion features 27 companies and covers more than 550 square meters.

Legendary Ranger, Veteran of 3 Wars Dies

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Retired Lt. Gen. David Grange at a Ranger School graduation.
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Legendary Ranger, Veteran of 3 Wars Dies

Retired Lt. Gen. David E. Grange Jr., a decorated veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and the revered namesake of the Army’s Best Ranger Competition, died Sept. 11. He was 97.

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