The United States Army hosts 900,000 active duty soldiers and more than 500,000 more personnel in the National Guard and Reserve, but the nation’s largest and oldest branch of the military finds itself in a tough spot. Despite withdrawing from its last war over three years ago, the Army, like other branches, needs new recruits and a modernized force, while keeping an eye on ever-changing global threats.
During the opening hours of this year’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) gathering, Army leaders discussed a wide range of issues facing both the top brass and soldiers in the field.
Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth announced good news for soldiers deployed far from home. Wormuth said new operational deployment pay would add an additional $240 per month to the pockets of troops deployed for more than 60 days.
“And that is both to recognize the hardship of being away from families, but also the rigors of deployment, and that is something that will be officially implemented retroactively to October 1 of this year,” Wormuth said.
One of the biggest hurdles facing any branch of service is the budget. While the Army’s budget has remained relatively flat over the past few years, the expectations placed on soldiers and leadership have not. Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said this situation requires hard choices and a willingness to find new ways of doing things.
“I can give you a lot of examples where previously we were, we were buying equipment, vehicles, radios, extra stuff that now can be done on an app. And that is a lot cheaper. So I think it is a combination of all those things that we are going to have to take a look at as we move forward,” George said.
Recruiting and retention also remain critical issues. With a goal of finding 61,000 new soldiers in 2025, the Army says it also remains focused on retaining highly skilled, highly trained troops already in its ranks, especially as the nature of combat continues to evolve.
“We have to have some concerns. It is a very competitive market out there. We see it with recruiting and retention, but we have a lot of capability to keep those soldiers in,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer stated. “First is purpose. They want to do their jobs. We see that. We are seeing that with transforming contact brigades right now. We are seeing soldiers who are getting to do things they had not had an opportunity to do before. Now they are doing it. Matter of fact, we are hearing from all the other brigades, ‘Hey, when are we going to get to do that?’ So now we are trying to figure out how we can do this faster, with that sense of urgency I referenced.”
The AUSA conference began shortly after the president approved the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel, along with the necessary troops. This decision brought the subject of air defense and the ability to work with allies to the forefront.
“For all of our air defense systems, anywhere we are going to go in the world, we are going to be operating as a joint team,” George said of the recent move. “That is exactly where we need to go with all of our systems, and a big reason why we are really focused on the network and IBCs. I know that will be a great increase in capability when it is sent over there, and it will help tie that whole picture together.”
According to an April report by the Congressional Research Service, the Army has seven THAAD batteries. Each battery generally consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, radio and radar equipment, and requires 95 soldiers to operate.
