ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Combining two key Army commands serves as a “win” for the U.S. and its allies ahead of a major multinational exercise in Africa later this year, a senior Army leader said. 

“We’re very excited about the merger,” Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said Feb. 23 during a press call. 

He added that “the consolidation of our two commands is a win for Africa and a win for the United States Army.”

The Army’s plan to modernize close-combat training hinges on a dynamic virtual training environment that is interoperable, realistic and scalable across all domains.

It also must have software that is compatible with a common architecture and easily updated.

Two Army officers are among 18 astronauts selected by NASA to become part of the team that will help pave the way for the next astronaut missions on and around the moon.

A bipartisan House Armed Services Committee task force that spent a year focused on the challenging strategic environment facing the U.S. sees a window of opportunity for progress.

Speaking at the Hudson Institute, task force leaders Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana said DoD faces a pivotal period as it confronts current and evolving threats that require new concepts in warfighting and new technologies at a time when money to pay for the improvements could be scarce.

As the Army ramps up training amid the COVID-19 pandemic—from small-unit exercises to large-scale rotations at its combat training centers—success takes teamwork and the right mindset, according to leaders from across the force.

“Our focus was to protect the nation by protecting our people so that we could, whenever the Army needed us to do anything, be ready,” said Maj. Gen. James Jarrard, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii.

The Army has managed to balance its priorities of readiness, modernization and soldiers’ safety during a “challenging” year, senior leaders said.

Despite challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, junior leaders “found ways to generate readiness” while protecting their troops, according to Gen. Michael Garrett, commanding general of Army Forces Command.

The Army is returning “to the science of large-scale combat operations,” with training that is “hot, sweaty and intense,” said Col. Charles Lombardo, deputy commander of the Army’s Combined Arms Center-Training.

The idea, he said, is to force soldiers and their leaders to deal with simultaneous enemy actions in training that is “the key to building readiness across our formations.”