AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

Developing Soldiers as athletes is a top priority. MG(R) Malcolm Frost, former Commanding General, Center for Initial Military Training, TRADOC, joins us today to discuss Army recruiting and training. He explains the background behind the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) in the broader context of the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program, and its five pillars: physical fitness, physical readiness, mental readiness, spiritual readiness and performance, nutrition and sleep hygiene. The new ACFT tests 11 components that are good predictors of what Soldiers will need to do to prepare for the rigors of the job. It is geared towards changing the culture of fitness within the Army and at increasing physical readiness, when lack of fitness, health and muscular-skeletal injuries were leading to higher undeployable rates. MG Frost discusses the drawbacks to the old Physical Training (PT) approach, and emphasizes that the ACFT is the first big change we are seeing within the Army as part of the H2F program. He suggests that recruiting Soldiers who are also athletes, or developing athletes, will be an elevated priority moving forward. Army hopefuls might worry about the impact COVID-19 could have on recruitment, but MG Frost reminds us that the ACFT can be trained for at home, without special equipment. Additionally, recruiters have shifted to more online hiring sessions due to the pandemic, so potential recruits can meet them in a virtual environment. In a COVID world, we expect to see continued online interaction and continued H2F rollouts supporting our Soldier Athletes.

Additionally, we welcome our new co-host, LTC Brittany Woods, AUSA’s new U.S. Army Fellow, to her first podcast with us. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guest: MG(R) Malcolm Frost, former Commanding General, Center for Initial Military Training, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)

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:

Center for Initial Military Training

Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT)

Mission Readiness

What are the DoD’s top priorities in security cooperation and assistance? LTG Charles Hooper, retiring this July from 40 years of service, tells us how the security assistance environment has changed over the past few years, how it fits into the larger U.S. defense strategy, and how the U.S. can effectively compete with China in this area. He also reflects on his time serving at the U.S. Africa Command, and later leading the Office of Defense Cooperation in Egypt before eventually becoming the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guest: Lieutenant General Charles Hooper, Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Resources:

Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Web: https://www.dsca.mil/

LinkedIn: @Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Today’s discussion with SMA Grinston covers a broad range of topics that are on the minds of our Soldiers, our leaders and our listeners.  These topics include: The loss of Army SPC Vanessa Guillen, racial inclusion and diversity in the Army, the impact of “This is My Squad,” an update on COVID-19 protection measures, and the new Army Combat Fitness Test 2 rollout. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guest: Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston, 16th Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA)

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

Resources:

Sergeant Major of the Army

Web: https://www.army.mil/leaders/sma/bio/

Twitter: @16thSMA

AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs

Web: https://www.ausa.org/programs/nco-and-soldiers

Twitter (Dailey): @15thSMA

How will the new U.S. Space Force (USSF) affect the Army? COL(Ret) Dan Roper, AUSA’s Director of National Security Studies, interviews LTG(Ret) Richard P. Formica about how the Defense Department should determine which space capabilities should be transferred to the USSF and which space-related capabilities should be retained by their respective service.  LTG Formica calls for a disciplined and thorough process and proposes three principles to guide the way forward to the mutual benefit of all services and combatant commands.

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

• Guest:  LTG(Ret) Formica, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, CALIBRE Systems

Resources:

AUSA Spotlight: The U.S. Army and the U.S. Space Force

United States Space Force (USSF)

Web: https://www.spaceforce.mil/

Facebook: @USSpaceForceDoD

Twitter: @SpaceForceDoD

Everyone’s working hard to get medical measures out there to defeat COVID. What is the Army doing, and how can families stay physically and mentally healthy while we wait for a solution? COL Deydre S. Teyhen, DPT, PhD, OCS, Commander, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), joins us today for an update on the Army’s vaccine effort, emphasizing safety throughout the development process. She describes how academia, industry and government have all come together to fight COVID-19, and how we will defeat it together as a team and as a community. Since mind and body are so intertwined, COL Teyhen also provides tips for relieving COVID-related stress arising from things like social isolation, too much family togetherness, and dealing with our emotions. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected]. 

• Guest: Colonel Deydre S. Teyhen, Commander, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

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:

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)

U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (MRDC)

Honoring those who served in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, a new memorial in Washington, D.C., is planned for 2021. Authorized by Congress for construction, the memorial will create a meaningful and deeply moving experience for visitors as it educates them about the historical significance and accomplishments of Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Despite its swift and successful completion, the war took the lives of many service people, and this new space, located downtown on the corner of 23rd and Constitution Avenue, will commemorate them.

Two DS/DS veterans join us today to share their enthusiasm about how the new memorial will honor our troops and connect with the American public. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

• Guest: Cee Freeman, Vice President and Deputy Associate Director of Planning & Design Team, National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial Association 

• 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:

National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial

Americans have elevated the discussion on race following the killing of Mr. George Floyd, and that includes the U.S. Army. Further discussions and the aftermath have revealed that there are still racial injustices seen in the workplace, organizations, as well as within the military. Thereby, AUSA along with the U.S. Army are having needed, yet uncomfortable, conversations in order to gain a better understanding and allow for voices to be heard. We hope that we can learn and grow from one another.

In this special edition episode, a group of former soldiers join us to discuss their experiences with race in the Army, and also touch on how the Department of Defense and the Army are already responding to diversity and racial concerns. This program follows two AUSA webinar events featuring current and retired Army leaders discussing the same topic. Links are included below.

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

• Guests:
  • LTC Frank Turner, USA Retired 

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

Related AUSA Webinars on YouTube:

•  17 June 2020: AUSA Noon Report - An ARMY Discussion on Race (Part 1) with James E. McPherson, Under Secretary of the Army and Gen. Joseph M. Martin, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

CASAs are the connective fiber between the American people and Secretary of the Army. They are also Great Americans. Ken Wong, CASA for Pennsylvania-East, was born and raised in Philadelphia, and joins us today to describe why he became a CASA, and how he liaises with local community leaders to share the Army story.

Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army (CASAs) are business and community leaders appointed by the Secretary to advise and support Army leaders across the country. They assist with recruiting, connect with local National Guard and Army Reserve units, serve as a voice for Soldiers and Army Families, and speak at community events about the Army’s message. There are over 100 CASAs throughout the U.S. and its territories, and they all have agreed to serve without salary, wages or related benefits, and are afforded a 3-star protocol status. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

Note: This episode was recorded 26 May 2020.

• Guest: Ken Wong, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for Pennsylvania-East and President, CIG Asia Ltd.

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

Resources:

Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army

AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs

Today we honor all the extraordinary women who have served in the U.S. Military. Due to COVID-19, AUSA had to cancel its Women’s History Month program back in March, so we are hosting this Special Edition podcast to highlight the voices of women who have served. Joining us today are two remarkable women who chose Army careers, CW5(R) Phyllis Wilson, President of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, and CSM(R) Donna Brock, Executive Coach, Facilitator, Community Coach for Together With Veterans, and Treasurer for the Army Womens Foundation. They describe what motivated them to join the Army, their accomplishments and challenges, mentorship, and how their military experience has affected their life today. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

•  Guests:

• Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Retired) Phyllis Wilson, President, Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA) Memorial Foundation

• Host: 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:

Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA) Memorial Foundation

Army Womens Foundation

Together With Veterans: Rural Veterans Suicide Prevention Program

The goal is to bring in 10,000 new Soldiers. CSM Tabitha Gavia, the senior enlisted leader at the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC), shares with us about the upcoming Army National Hiring Days, June 30 – July 2. This is an Army-wide virtual campaign showcasing the U.S. Army’s 150 full-time and part-time career options, training, benefits and education to inspire individuals to consider military service. USAREC’s mission is to recruit America's best and brightest volunteers that are able to deploy, fight, and win. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command is responsible for manning both the Active Army and the U.S. Army Reserve, ensuring security and readiness for our Nation. Recruiting operations are conducted throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and at U.S. facilities in Germany and Asia. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].

Army National Hiring Days, June 30 – July 2, 2020: www.goarmy.com/hiringdays

Community Partner Outreach Program: https://armystrong.goarmy.com/a/cp.html

• Guest: Command Sergeant Major Tabitha A. Gavia, Command Sergeant Major, 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 National Hiring Days, June 30 – July 2, 2020: www.goarmy.com/hiringdays

Community Partner Outreach Program: https://armystrong.goarmy.com/a/cp.html

U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC)

AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs