PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org

IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 2 NUMBER 32 DECEMBER 10, 2020

Review Prompts Safety Improvements 3 Army Reserve CSM Speaks at AUSA Event 4 Government Affairs Defense Legislation Progresses 6

Chapter Highlight Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin presents the General Colin L. Powell Lecture for students of the 2019 Greater Los Angeles Command and General Staff Officers’ Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.(U.S. ARMY PHOTO) 7 Austin nominated for defense secretary retired Army four-star general require a congressional waiver be- Biden wrote. is President-elect Joe Biden’s cause the National Security Act of “He played a crucial role in bring- A choice to become his secretary 1947, last modified in 2008, requires ing 150,000 American troops home of defense, a historic selection because a minimum seven-year gap between from the theater of war. Pulling that Gen. Lloyd Austin would be only the active-duty service and an appoint- off took more than just the skill and third retired general officer to serve ment to be defense secretary. strategy of a seasoned soldier. It re- in the post and the first Black person A waiver was granted in 2017 allow- quired Austin to practice diplomacy, to lead DoD. ing retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis to building relationships with our Iraqi The 67-year-old Austin retired serve as defense secretary. A waiver counterparts and with our partners from the Army in 2016 after rising was also required in 1950 for General in the region. He served as a states- to serve as the 33rd Army vice chief of the Army George Marshall. man, representing our country with of staff and the 12th commander of Austin has a personal connection honor and dignity and always, above U.S. Central Command. to Biden. In a Dec. 8 commentary in all, looking out for his people.” Austin, who grew up in Thomas- The Atlantic, Biden wrote that he Austin, speaking Wednesday at ville, Georgia, is a 1975 graduate of was at the 2010 change of command an event where Biden announced the U.S. Military Academy at West ceremony at Camp Victory in Iraq his nomination, called it “my sincere Point, New York, who began his ca- when Austin became commander of honor and privilege” to serve. reer as an infantry officer. He has 41 U.S. Forces-Iraq and was there again He added that if he’s confirmed, years of military service, including with Austin in December 2011 for a “my priority will always be the men time in Iraq and Afghanistan. ceremony marking U.S. forces’ de- and women, military and civilian, Austin’s confirmation by the Sen- parture from the country. who make up the department, and ate to the top Pentagon post will “General Austin got the job done,” their families.”

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Army works to improve troop safety after Fort Hood review he Army is standing up a task force to address a series of rec- Tommendations to improve sol- diers’ safety, welfare and readiness, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy an- nounced Tuesday. The service also has relieved or suspended 14 commanders and other leaders at Fort Hood, Texas, in ex- traordinary actions after a three- month review of the command cli- mate and culture at the installation. The review and actions result from the April murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old member of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood who went missing April 22. Her re- mains were found June 30. The soldier suspected in her death killed himself when confronted by law enforcement, and a civilian sus- ‘The findings contained in the committee’s report impact the entire Army and more than pect was arrested. 1.2 million soldiers,’ Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said. (U.S. ARMY/SGT. ELISE MOORE) “The challenges at Fort Hood forced us to take a critical look at our the greatest Army in the world is we tions and responsibilities of unit systems, our policies and ourselves,” recognize when we must change.” commanders and Army law enforce- McCarthy said. “This is not just The review extends beyond one in- ment authorities” during the first 48 about metrics, but about possessing stallation, McCarthy said. hours after a soldier fails to report the ability to show compassion for “While the independent review fo- for duty. our teammates and to look out for the cused on the command climate and “When one of our teammates does best interest of our soldiers. This re- culture at Fort Hood, the findings not report for duty, we will change port, without a doubt, will cause the contained in the committee’s report their duty status to ‘absent-unknown’ Army to change our culture.” impact the entire Army and more and take immediate action to find than 1.2 million soldiers,” he said. them,” McCarthy said. Taking action The People First Task Force will The new “absent-unknown” duty The independent review was con- study the recommendations, map out status code will give commanders ducted by a panel of five civilians. a plan to tackle them, and reevaluate time to determine an absent soldier’s Their report found a “deficient” current Army policies and programs, status. Previously, soldiers who were command climate at Fort Hood, in- McCarthy said. The goal is to begin absent for unknown reasons were cluding ineffective implementation implementing changes by March. listed as “absent without leave.” of the Army’s Sexual Harassment/ The task force will be led by Lt. If commanders cannot determine Assault Response and Prevention Gen. Gary Brito, deputy chief of staff that a soldier’s absence is voluntary, program that resulted in a pervasive for personnel; Diane Randon, assis- they will be classified as “missing,” lack of confidence, fear of retaliation tant deputy chief of staff for intel- and the Army will initiate a “duty and significant underreporting of ligence; and Sgt. Maj. Julie Guerra, status whereabouts unknown” casu- cases, the Army said. the G-2 sergeant major. alty case, providing the soldier’s fam- The report also found that Fort ily with a liaison officer while com- Hood leadership knew or should have Missing soldier policy manders continue to try to locate the known of the high risk of harm to fe- The Army also announced a new missing soldier. male soldiers, according to the Army. policy on missing soldiers, with the The actions announced Tuesday “We will fix this,” pledged Army goal of making sure the service are just a start, McCarthy said. Chief of Staff Gen. James McCo- “maximizes efforts to find missing “We have a great deal of work nville. “We know in the Army that soldiers,” the service said. ahead of us,” he said. we’re not perfect, but what makes us The directive clarifies “expecta- The full report is available here. www.ausa.org December 10, 2020 | AUSA Extra 3 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Army Reserve on track to meet end strength goals despite ‘tough year’ Voice for the Army – Support For the Soldier

Gen. Carter F. Ham, USA, Ret. President and CEO, AUSA Lt. Gen. Guy C. Swan III, USA, Ret. Vice President, Education, AUSA Luc Dunn Editor Desiree Hurlocker Advertising Manager Advertising Information Contact: Fox Associates Inc. 116 W. Kinzie St. • Chicago, IL 60654 Phone: 800-440-0231 Email: [email protected]

ARTICLES. Articles appearing in AUSA Extra do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the officers or members of the Council of Trustees of AUSA, or its editors. Articles are expres- Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo talks with soldiers at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, sions of personal opinion and should not be interpreted as reflecting the official opinion of about the latest updates from Army Reserve leadership. (U.S. ARMY/SCOTT STURKOL) the Department of Defense nor of any branch, command, installation or agency of the Depart- he Army Reserve is set to meet ment, which will help you transition” ment of Defense. The publication assumes its end strength goal this year, to the Reserve from active duty. no responsibility for any unsolicited material. Taccording to the component’s He encouraged soldiers to talk to Email: [email protected] senior enlisted soldier, who said their retention NCOs about options in ADVERTISING. Neither AUSA Extra, nor its that while the component missed the Reserve, and he urged members publisher, the Association of the United States last year’s recruiting mission, it sur- of the Army’s sister services, whose Army, makes any representations, warranties or endorsements as to the truth and accuracy passed its retention goals. career options may have peaked, to of the advertisements appearing herein, and Describing 2020 as “a tough year” consider joining the Army Reserve. no such representations, warranties or en- for the Army Reserve as it carried “One of the benefits of the Army dorsements should be implied or inferred from the appearance of the advertisements in the out multiple emergency missions at Reserve is that you can get promoted publication. The advertisers are solely respon- home, Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew into any vacancy that we have any- sible for the contents of such advertisements. Lombardo, who became the 14th com- where in the country. We’ll pay you RATES. Individual membership fees payable mand sergeant major of the Army Re- to travel there, and we’ll also pay for in advance are $40 for two years, $75 for serve in April, said the component has your lodging as well,” Lombardo said. five years, and $400 for Life Membership. A increased its mission requirements Before his current assignment, discounted rate of $10 for two years is available to members in the ranks of E-1 through E-4, and is executing a plan that will help Lombardo, a military police soldier, and for service academy and ROTC cadets and boost recruiting. was the senior enlisted soldier of the OCS candidates. More information is available “We believe we’re going to meet the 200th Military Police Command at at our website www.ausa.org; or by emailing [email protected], phoning 855-246- end strength objectives for fiscal year Fort Meade, Maryland, and the com- 6269, or mailing Fulfillment Manager, P.O. Box 2021,” Lombardo said Wednesday mand sergeant major for the 99th 101560, Arlington, VA 22210-0860. during The AUSA Noon Report, a we- Readiness Division at Joint Base Mc- binar series hosted by the Association Guire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, PERK OF THE WEEK of the U.S. Army. the 100th Training Division and the The Army Reserve, with an end 333rd MP Brigade. strength of 188,703, fell just short He has served six overseas deploy- of its goal of 189,500 for fiscal year ments, including twice to Iraq during Members save 3%–10% on almost all products 2020, but Lombardo pointed out that Operation Iraqi Freedom and once to in the Apple store. All AUSA members, regard- the component exceeded its retention Afghanistan. He also served in Bos- less of military service, are eligible to shop the requirements by 134%. nia, Kosovo and the first Gulf War. military discounts site at Dell, plus receive an exclusive coupon for an additional 10% off. At Lombardo also noted that the Re- In his civilian career, Lombardo is HP, regular savings are up to 35% and much serve has 16 MOSs “that also offer a a deputy inspector with the New York higher during special promotions. Click the $20,000 bonus for a specific commit- City Police Department. logos on the AUSA savings page today.

4 AUSA Extra | December 10, 2020 www.ausa.org

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Defense bill prioritizes modernization efforts, families By Mark Haaland pervelocity Projectile, the Lower Tier embers of the House of Rep- Air and Missile Defense Sensor, high- resentatives have passed the energy lasers, Indirect Fire Protec- Mfiscal year 2021 National tion Capability Increment 2, and the Defense Authorization Act, and we Integrated Air and Missile Defense anticipate the Senate will pass the Battle Command System. bill very soon. The bill also sustains the Future This important legislation provides Vertical Lift program request and in- management policy and funding au- creases investment in Future Long- thorization for DoD and the services. Range Assault Aircraft development. The Senate Armed Services Com- It also invests in efforts to boost mittee’s summary of the NDAA de- the lethality of close combat forces, scribes the bill as being “built on including the Integrated Visual Aug- broad consensus” and focused on the mentation System, body armor mod- priorities of “implementing the Na- ernization, small-unit robotics and tional Defense Strategy to confront the Soldier Enhancement Program. current and future security challeng- The NDAA supports the Army’s re- es from China, Russia, transnational AUSA will continue to be an advocate for vised acquisition strategy for the Op- terrorism, and beyond.” Army readiness, including family readi- tionally Manned Ground Vehicle and ness and modernization support for the Other priorities include “regaining increases investment in Next-Genera- Total Force. (ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL PHOTO) a wide margin of military superiority; tion Combat Vehicle technologies. building a National Security Innova- technologies, prohibits the reduction The legislation also authorizes ad- tion Base to main- of military medical end strength au- ditional funding to accelerate the Ar- Government tain our techno- thorizations for 180 days following my’s multidomain task forces in the Affairs logical advantage; enactment, and mandates a compre- Indo-Pacific region. securing our sup- hensive clinical quality management ply chain; prioritizing accountability program throughout the military Appropriations and streamlining operations at the health system. Congress continues to work on an Department of Defense; and—most Additionally, the bill expands ben- omnibus appropriations package that importantly—taking care of our ser- efits available under Tricare’s Ex- would include defense, military con- vice members and their families,” ac- tended Care Health Option program. struction, veteran and other appro- cording to the summary. It includes reforms to address men- priations. Key provisions in the NDAA in- tal health and prioritize suicide pre- However, lawmakers do not believe clude updates to the COVID-19 re- vention, such as making permanent they can reach an agreement and sponse and support for health care a suicide prevention program for the pass legislation before the continuing and military families. reserve components and requiring resolution expires Friday, so another In response to the pandemic, the additional reporting to evaluate mili- continuing resolution will be needed. legislation directs a registry of Tri- tary suicides and prevention efforts. Fortunately, congressional leaders care beneficiaries diagnosed with CO- For military families, the NDAA remain optimistic the House and Sen- VID-19 and requires the comptroller defines “Family Readiness” and adds ate can pass an omnibus appropria- general to conduct a study on mental new legislation supporting spouse em- tions bill before the end of the calen- health services provided to service ployment, child care and education, dar year. members during the pandemic. and housing. The passing and signing of all this It also protects reserve component legislation would result in quite the troops from having their retirement Army modernization year-end gift to the country from Con- eligibility penalized because drill The NDAA includes several items gress, but challenges remain. weekends and annual training were specific to the Army, particularly the AUSA will continue to be an advo- canceled. service’s critical modernization ef- cate for Army readiness, including forts. family readiness and modernization Health care, family support It supports the Army’s long-range support for the Total Force. The NDAA takes steps to improve precision fires and integrated air and combat casualty care, encourages the missile defense priorities, including Mark Haaland is AUSA’s Government use of telehealth and virtual health the Precision Strike Missile, the Hy- Affairs Director.

6 AUSA Extra | December 10, 2020 www.ausa.org ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Chapter hosts discussion on Army role in space operations eaders from Army Space and Missile Defense Command dis- Lcussed the space domain and its role in the national defense strategy during a recent fireside chat hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Greater Los Angeles chapter. The Nov. 12 panel was part of the chapter’s annual symposium on space and the Army network. “Winning first in space really mat- ters, and we understand that here at SMDC,” said Lt. Gen. Daniel Kar- bler, commander of Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Left to right, Thomas Webber, director of the Army Space and Missile Defense Com- The command has far-reaching rel- mand Technical Center, Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler, SMDC commanding general, and Rich- ard De Fatta, director of the Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence, partici- evance, he said. “If you look at what pate in the fireside chat.(U.S. ARMY/JASON CUTSHAW) we’re doing with space and missile defense and with narrows between U.S. capabilities all domains.” Greater Los the network, not a and those of near-peer competitors, Angeles week goes by that said Col. Brian Bolio, commander of Enhancing modernization we are not talking the 1st Space Brigade. The space domain is also key to the about how space integration touches Soldiers have an “increasing reli- Army’s modernization efforts. different organizations across differ- ance on space-based capabilities to “Space and space-enabled capabili- ent elements,” Karbler said, accord- essentially shoot, move and commu- ties are going to enable and enhance ing to SMDC public affairs. nicate with tactical precision,” he virtually every modernization priori- Richard De Fatta, director of the said. ty the Army is working on right now,” Space and Missile Defense Center of “We can’t wait until we are con- Webber said, according to SMDC Excellence, said that Army personnel tested in every domain to seize the public affairs. with space experience “are in high high ground in space,” Bolio added. Col. Stephen Parrish, Army Satel- demand” as capabilities continue to “First Space Brigade warriors are lite Operations Brigade commander, grow and transform. what will help ensure the joint force talked about how his brigade—the “As capabilities like space, intel- can deploy space capabilities across only one of its kind in the Army— ligence and cyber become more and consolidates communications for ef- more important to a tactical com- ficient command and control up to the mander, we have to transform our joint force commander level. formations and our personnel,” he “We provide wideband and nar- said. rowband communications for all the services, agencies and departments Growing dependence across the Department of Defense The Army and joint force are grow- and the government, as well as in- ing more dependent on space-enabled ternational partners,” Parrish said. capabilities to execute ground opera- “The experts within my brigade have tions, said Thomas Webber, director a minimum of 22 months of experi- of the SMDC Technical Center. ence in operating satellite payloads.” “We … are developing technologies Senior leaders understand how to really get after better enabling critical the space domain is, said Col. ground combat operations for the Jason Kalainoff, chief of the Army Army,” he said, as reported by SMDC G-3/5/7 space division. public affairs. Soldiers with the Army’s 1st Space “Leaders recognize the importance Space operations can deliver deci- Brigade adjust a SIPR/NIPR Access of space as that key element in mul- sive combat power in support of the Point dish at Fort Carson, Colorado. tidomain operations,” he said. “That warfighter, particularly as the gap (U.S. ARMY/STAFF SGT. AARON ROGNSTAD) is where wars are fought and won.” www.ausa.org December 10, 2020 | AUSA Extra 7 SHOP AUSA

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