PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY www.ausa.org IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 3 NUMBER 15 AUGUST 12, 2021 DoD to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines 3 Senate Honors WWII ‘Ritchie Boys’ 4 AUSA Paper Highlights Obscure Army Unit 5 NCO & Soldier Programs EANGUS Conference 6 Chapter Highlights Coastal South Carolina Delaware Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville speaks at the Eisenhower Luncheon during the 2019 7 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. (AUSA PHOTO) AUSA 2021 to prioritize health, safety ealth and safety are the para- for anyone over the age of 2 regard- Some events require separate reg- mount considerations as the less of vaccination status. istration and a fee, and there are a Association of the U.S. Army Framed around the theme “Ameri- few invitation-only events. Hcontinues planning for the 2021 An- ca’s Army and its People, Transform- The agenda is still being finalized, nual Meeting and Exposition, an in- ing for the Future,” the three-day and the latest details are available person event Oct. 11–13 at the D.C. event will have the traditional ex- here. convention center. hibitions, forums and presentations “AUSA is committed to the health The meeting will be conducted ac- from Army and industry leaders. and safety of our exhibitors, attend- cording to Centers for Disease Con- The opening ceremony is at 9:30 ees, partners and staff amid the trol and Prevention guidance, along a.m. Oct. 11. COVID-19 pandemic as we prepare with restrictions that might be re- Nine forums are planned, with one for this year’s event,” AUSA said quired by the District of Columbia focusing on the Department of Home- in statement. “We are continuously and the Walter E. Washington Con- land Security and eight on Army monitoring recommendations from vention Center. topics. Additionally, the traditional local health authorities and the Cen- Rules are expected to be revised as military family forums with Army ters for Disease Control and Preven- health risks change over time. leaders are scheduled. tion (CDC) for essential large group Those attending the meeting There also will be other profession- meetings and events. We encourage should be prepared to wear masks, as al development events for uniformed you to do the same.” required by the District of Columbia and civilian personnel. See Annual Meeting, Page 3 August 12, 2021 | AUSA Extra 1 WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE YOUR MONEY WORK HARDER AUSA & GEICO have teamed up to help you save with a special discount on auto insurance. geico.com/mil/ausa Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO contracts with various membership entities and other organizations, but these entities do not underwrite the offered insurance products. Discount amount varies in some states. One group discount applicable per policy. Coverage is individual. In New York a premium reduction may be available. GEICO may not be involved in a formal relationship with each organization; however, you still may qualify for a special discount based on your membership, employment or affi liation with those organizations. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2020. © 2020 GEICO ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY COVID vaccines to be mandatory for military personnel he Pentagon will make the COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for service members by mid- TSeptember, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday in a memo to the force. Shots could be required sooner if the vaccines receive full approval from the Food and Drug Administra- tion, according to the memo. Austin’s decision comes after Pres- ident Joe Biden asked the military to consider how and when it could add the COVID-19 vaccines to the list of vaccinations required for all troops. He also “consulted closely” with senior military leaders, the service secretaries and chiefs and medical Lt. Col. John Gwinn, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, re- personnel, Austin said. ceives the COVID-19 vaccine at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. (U.S. ARMY/1ST LT. ANGELO MEJIA) “Based on these consultations portance of continuing to battle CO- Unvaccinated federal personnel— and on additional discussions with VID-19 and the delta variant. uniformed or civilian—will continue leaders of the White House COVID “We are still on a wartime footing, to abide by restrictions and require- Task Force, I want you to know that and every American who is eligible ments for distancing and testing, the I will seek the President’s approval should take immediate steps to get memo states. to make the vaccines mandatory no vaccinated right away,” he said. “I “We will also be keeping a close eye later than mid-September, or imme- am proud that our military women on infection rates—which are on the diately upon the U.S. Food and Drug and men will continue to help lead rise now due to the Delta variant— Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever the charge in the fight against this and the impact these rates might comes first,” the memo states. pandemic, as they so often do, by set- have on our readiness,” Austin said. Biden expressed his strong support ting the example of keeping their fel- “I will not hesitate to act sooner or for Austin’s decision. low Americans safe.” recommend a different course to the “Secretary Austin and I share an The military will now begin pre- President if I feel the need to do so.” unshakable commitment to making paring for this transition, Austin The nation needs a “healthy and sure our troops have every tool they said. “I have every confidence that ready force,” Austin said. need to do their jobs as safely as pos- Service leadership and your com- “I strongly encourage all DoD mili- sible,” Biden said in a statement. manders will implement this new tary and civilian personnel—as well “These vaccines will save lives. Peri- vaccination program with profes- as contractor personnel—to get vac- od. They are safe. They are effective.” sionalism, skill, and compassion,” cinated now and for military Service More than 350 million shots have he said. “We will have more to say members to not wait for the man- been administered in the U.S. alone, about this as implementation plans date,” he said. Biden said, as he emphasized the im- are fully developed.” Austin’s memo is available here. Annual Meeting and the region you are travelling tions and no-contact health screen- From Page 1 from.” ings based on body temperature that For those living outside the U.S., AUSA intends to provide more de- can produce readings from 16 feet. the association recommends follow- tailed guidance closer to the event, There also will be contactless food ing “relevant guidance provided according to organizers. and beverage outlets, QR code order- by the World Health Organization Health and safety measures are be- ing and other options for attendees. (WHO), Embassy or your local health ing stepped up for the 2021 meeting, Registration for the annual meet- authority and adhere to government including more cleaning, air filtra- ing is now open here. issued travel restrictions issued by tion and disinfection of the facility, AUSA’s 2020 annual meeting was the region you will be travelling to widely available hand sanitizing sta- held virtually due to the pandemic. www.ausa.org August 12, 2021 | AUSA Extra 3 ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY WWII ‘Ritchie Boys’ recognized by lawmakers for service, bravery 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- sions of personal opinion and should not be interpreted as reflecting the official opinion of The ‘Ritchie Boys’ train at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, during World War II. (U.S. ARMY PHOTO) the Department of Defense nor of any branch, command, installation or agency of the Depart- he “Ritchie Boys,” a group of deserve to have their nation recog- ment of Defense. The publication assumes more than 19,000 refugees nize how they used their talents to no responsibility for any unsolicited material. trained in Maryland to be U.S. fight for freedom when it faced its Email: [email protected] Tintelligence specialists during World greatest threat.” ADVERTISING. Neither AUSA Extra, nor its War II, are being honored in a con- The father of Sen. Ron Wyden of publisher, the Association of the United States gressional resolution that passed the Oregon was one of the Ritchie Boys. Army, makes any representations, warranties or endorsements as to the truth and accuracy Senate Monday. Peter Wyden fled Germany and felt of the advertisements appearing herein, and They got their name from Camp “a deeply personal obligation to serve no such representations, warranties or en- Ritchie, where the foreign-born sol- his new home and fight to save his old dorsements should be implied or inferred from the appearance of the advertisements in the diers from more than 70 countries one,” the senator said in a statement. publication. The advertisers are solely respon- were taught to be counterintelli- “Until recently, I didn’t even know sible for the contents of such advertisements.