ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

For the first time, XVIII Airborne Corps is conducting a warfighter exercise that simulates contingency operations in the Indo-Pacific Theater under the command of U.S. Army Pacific.

Launched on Aug. 1, the 10-day warfighter, dubbed a “campaign of learning” by senior leaders, is centered on the responsibilities of corps- and division-level staffs and leaders who will plan, prepare and fight against simulated near-peer forces in large-scale combat operations, said Gen. Andrew Poppas, commander of Army Forces Command.

Military-to-civilian transition programs should shift their focus to employment and improve oversight, according to a recent report from the Rand Corp.

“Transition aids, such as training, education, career advice, and job support, can boost veterans’ job prospects and help them find or develop fulfilling careers in civilian life,” the report found. “However, as prior RAND research has shown, many veterans still feel that they are unable to leverage their military skills in their civilian jobs.”

Influenced by images of Ukrainian soldiers in dug-in fighting positions, the Oklahoma National Guard is building a trench warfare training area to provide its citizen-soldiers more realistic combat scenarios.

Officials broke ground June 2 at the Oklahoma National Guard’s Camp Gruber Training Center, 60 miles southeast of Tulsa, and units are expected to be able to conduct trench warfare training as early as November, according to a news release.

With more than 1,700 programs and 20 more approved to open in the next two years, the Army’s junior ROTC now has access to a larger pool of instructors because of a provision in the 2023 and 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

As the Army adds new capabilities to the force, its efforts cannot stop at gear and hardware, a panel of experts said.

“It’s critical that we deliver that full capability to our force,” said Paul Reese, director of the fielded force integration directorate at the Army Combined Arms Center. This means making sure that the Army’s doctrine, organization, training, leadership and education, personnel, facilities and policy are synchronized with the new materiel, he said, referring to what’s known as DOTMLPF-P.