AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

How will COVID-19 impact the Military Health System (MHS) during and after the pandemic? LTG Ron Place and CSM Michael Gragg of the Defense Health Agency join us today to discuss MHS reform initiatives, progress on vaccine research and how enlisted staff are supporting. They provide insight into how NCOs enable readiness at the Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs), standardization of Exceptional Family Member healthcare across military services, and TRICARE updates including enrollment requirements for TRICARE Select.

• Guests:
  • LTG Ronald J. Place, Director, Defense Health Agency

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

Resources:

LTG Place was featured on a previous Army Matters episode:

• 4 March 2020: Special Edition: Military Health System Changes & Coronavirus Update

The Military Health System and the Defense Health Agency

Nurse Advice Line – 24/7 health care support for TRICARE beneficiaries

What resources are available to Veterans? Today, our guest, Margarita Devlin, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits at the VBA, joins us to discuss the GI Bill, VA home loans, and transition programs like Solid Start and Veterans Readiness & Employment (VR&E). She also gives an update on how the VA is handling benefits payments and Veteran engagement during the pandemic.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected]. 

• Guest: Margarita Devlin, MA, CRC, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs 

• Nzinga Curry, AUSA’s Director of Education & Programs

Army Real Talk, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to help AUSA and the Army better connect with the younger generation.

Resources:

Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Change is afoot for Army Civilian Career Programs. Civilians make up close to 70% of the U.S. Army’s workforce, and these new developments are aimed at improving civilian talent management. Find out the scope and background of what is in store directly from our guest, Barbara Guy, Director of the Career Management Policy Office, DASA-CP, ASA (M&RA).

Plus, CPT William Ibrahim of the Black Jack Brigade shares some farewell remarks as the U.S. Army’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, transitions back home. Army Real Talk has been following their deployment to Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR), since Sept 2019. Previous episode links are included below.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guests:
  • Barbara C. Guy, Director, Career Management Policy Office, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASA(M&RA)), Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civilian Personnel (DASA-CP)

• Co-Hosts:
  • Nzinga Curry, AUSA’s Director of Education & Programs

Army Real Talk, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to help AUSA and the Army better connect with the younger generation.

Resources:

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASA(M&RA))

Black Jack Brigade

• 9 September 2019: Life of a Deploying Unit: Adoption of the Black Jack Brigade

Meet the new senior enlisted leader at U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC). CSM John Foley joins us today to discuss his 31+ year career with the Army, including what inspired him to enlist. He also provides an update about the recent Army National Hiring Days, the first virtual hiring campaign by the Army, and a look ahead to Fiscal Year 2021 Army Recruiting.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guest: Command Sergeant Major John W. Foley, Senior Enlisted Leader, U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC)

Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs.

Resources:

Army Matters Podcast (24 June 2020): Special Edition: Army National Hiring Days (June 30 – July 2) with CSM Tabitha Gavia, U.S. Army Recruiting Command

Taking care of our people is important during difficult times. Building cohesive teams and tackling suicide within the Army are some of the ways to do that. Today’s discussion with the Army’s Vice Chief of Staff, GEN Martin, and top NCO, SMA Grinston, covers how initiatives like “This is My Squad” (TIMS) and “A Life Worth Living” work together to help leaders at every level address tough issues and build strong teams.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guests:

• General Joseph M. Martin, 37th Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs.

Resources:

Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

Sergeant Major of the Army

AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs

How did Ike approach challenging decisions to give America peace in Europe and prosperity at home? Author and one of Ike’s four grandchildren, Susan Eisenhower, describes how he strategically led the nation through a transformational time by focusing on fact-based decision-making, envisioning the whole, including causes and consequences, and  holding himself accountable. Pursuing the “Middle Way,” Ike led through pivotal events like D-Day, Little Rock, the Korean War, Cold War crises, Red Scare, and the Missile Gap controversies.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guest: Susan Eisenhower, Author, How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions

Resources:

How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions

Army engineers are fighting Covid-19 with virtual reality to design and build Alternative Care Facilities and using supercomputers to model predictions of viral spread. Three experts spearheading this vital work from the U.S. Army Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC), Dr. David Pittman, Dr. Todd Bridges, and Mike Channell, join us today to describe their efforts to defeat the coronavirus and to share insights they have gained for moving forward.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guests:  
  • Dr. David W. Pittman, Director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) & Director of R&D and Chief Scientist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 

• Host: COL(Ret) Dan Roper, AUSA’s Director of National Security Studies

Resources:

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program (DoD HPCMP)

Curious about the Army Finance Strategy for 2026 (AFS26)? Two top officials from the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management & Comptroller), Mr. Jonathan Moak and LTG Thomas Horlander, join us to describe how the AFS26 supports the Total Army. Find out how the 5 Pillars for Acceleration, core to the AFS26 framework, support the Army’s overall People First strategy. The pillars are: Develop the Workforce, Assign and Align Culture, Build the Bench, Inspire Innovation, and Enhance Communication.

• Guests:

• Mr. Jonathan D. Moak, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management & Comptroller) 

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

Resources:

Army Financial Management & Comptroller

How does wearing blue support our Army? Gold Star spouse, Lisa Hallett, started running as a coping mechanism after her husband John was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. Other surviving spouses joined her, wearing their fallen service members’ blue PT shirts during their first runs. The support system they built evolved into Wear Blue: Run to Remember, a nonprofit running community that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military. They run as a living tribute to the fallen, the fighting and the families of the U.S. military. Lisa and her colleague Dave Leach, join us today to discuss the background of the organization, their pivot to virtual races during the pandemic, and how supporters from both military and civilian communities can get involved. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

Guests:

• Lisa Hallett, President & Co-Founder, Wear Blue: Run to Remember

Host:

• Patty Barron, AUSA’s Director of Family Readiness

Family Voices, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to connect Army families to speakers and issues that are important to their everyday lives.

Resources:

Wear Blue: Run to Remember

• Web: https://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/

Army Ten-Miler

• Web: https://www.armytenmiler.com/

Immunizations are key to staying healthy during this unprecedented time, but there are a lot of questions about them. Does my child need immunizations even if school is virtual this Fall? Is it safe to take my child to the doctor during the pandemic? If I social distance and wear a mask, do I still need to get the flu vaccine? Two experts from the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Immunization Healthcare Division, Lt. Col. (Dr.) Ruth Brenner and Ann Morse, MSN, join us today to guide us through common queries, provide immunization resources and describe how the DHA is supporting Operation Warp Speed to provide a coronavirus vaccine to 300M individuals by January 2021. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guests:

• Lt. Col. (Dr.) Ruth Brenner, USAF, Deputy Chief, Defense Health Agency, Immunization Healthcare Division

Family Voices, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to connect Army families to speakers and issues that are important to their everyday lives.

DHA Immunization Healthcare Division

CDC Vaccines & Immunizations