WASHINGTON — The Army is designing a new calibrated force structure to bolster capabilities at the brigade level and above, catered to meet regional mission requirements.

The Army Futures and Concepts Center recently started work on “AimPoint Force,” a new structure alignment that is optimized to meet multi-domain operational requirements and create overmatch, said its director, Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley, during a press briefing Tuesday.

The AimPoint process started when the MDO concept was published in December 2018. Then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley directed FCC to design a force structure, resource unconstrained, that could fight MDO and win.

Affectionately called the Whiteboard Force, he said, the idea was to create a force structure that adhered to the MDO ideology but was free of any financial or resource constraints.

The whiteboard process eventually evolved into AimPoint after Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville and Gen. John Murray, head of Army Futures Command, which oversees the FCC, identified the need for a “resource-informed design to responsibly guide modernization efforts,” Wesley added.

“AimPoint is not a lockdown design,” he said. “It is an architect’s design for a force structure in the future.

“When you’re resource unconstrained, you can go out and buy a Maserati — it goes fast and turns well,” Wesley added. “When you’re resource informed, you might buy a Corvette. It still goes fast and turns well, but you have to mitigate some of the differences.”

As the Army shifts from its continual support of counterinsurgency to near-peer competition, the force must continue to build out the echelons above the brigade level to compete in large-scale operations, he said.

“Those echelons have been mortgaged a bit in the last 20 or 30 years because our (brigade combat teams) were so powerful relative to our opponent,” Wesley said. “Now, we are contested in all domains, and our two peer competitors are investing in their militaries.”

With an emphasis on information warfare, cyber, and space access, the Army must “build back some of that campaign quality at echelon,” he added. Further, the force will need a way to connect capabilities to exploit opportunities at the BCT level and below.

AimPoint also targets formational changes to overcome the geographical distinctions between the European and Indo-Pacific theaters, he said.

The “tyranny of distance” is a significant challenge in the Pacific region, officials said. In turn, AimPoint looks to tailor the Army’s long-range precision fires, future vertical lift, and air and missile defense capabilities to meet regional requirements, Wesley said.

In Europe, the Army will need to rely on the rapid deployment of maneuver ground forces, he said. Therefore, AimPoint experimentation will target long-range precision fires, network, next-generation combat vehicles, and Soldier lethality capabilities, to name a few.

Establishing a calibrated force posture is a core tenet under MDO, and it will continue to be informed by “political and resource decisions,” Wesley said.

However, the Army has already taken steps to improve its posture with the revival of V Corps — a headquarters that was deactivated in Germany in 2013. It is being reactivated at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to provide personnel who will rotate to an operational command post in Europe.

With the need for long-range fires in both regions, the FCC also supports the establishment of a new Theater Fires Command within the AimPoint construct.

“Building out the ability to integrate fires at echelon is important to fight at scale,” Wesley said. “Penetration requires long-range precision fires to strike a combined arms army” to disintegrate an adversary’s anti-access and area-denial defenses.

“These are problems that the BCT commander does not solve in theater. Some of that will have to be done at higher echelons,” he added.

By Devon Suits, Army News Service

WASHINGTON — Even in difficult times, the rules still apply.

As the coronavirus continues to spread nationwide and the economy feels its impact, the Army Office of the General Counsel warns Soldiers that potential problems could arise if they choose to start fundraising campaigns for themselves or other Soldiers.

Some Soldiers or federal employees may have spouses or family members who have lost their jobs during the nationwide lockdown. Those shouldering additional financial burdens may want to turn to popular crowd-sourced fundraising websites such as GoFundMe or Kickstarter.

John Kent, associate deputy general counsel at the Army Office of General Counsel and expert in ethics, said Soldiers should familiarize themselves with which gifts are acceptable.

“A gift is OK in some instances and not OK in others,” Kent said. “The overarching rule is it’s not OK when the gift is either given because of the individual’s status as a Soldier or an Army employee, or when it comes from a prohibited source. But there are exclusions and exceptions to this rule that may apply.”

Soldiers and Department of Defense employees cannot use their status as a service member or government employee as a means for soliciting funds. Further, DOD regulations generally prohibit Soldiers from receiving funds from “prohibited sources” – such as companies or private organizations that do business with or have vested interests with the DOD. Soldiers and employees also cannot receive donations from federal personnel who earn a lower annual income.

Fundraising campaigns could be organized, but rigorous accountability of donors and records of sources must be kept.

“They are theoretically possible,” Kent said. “But the pragmatic problems with conducting them within the rules that we have to follow make that extremely difficult.”

Soldiers who choose to run such campaigns must be able to provide records, or otherwise they may have to return the funds. Kent said the problem could be escalated further if patrons donate anonymously.

“Some platforms cannot or will not identify who the real donors are,” he said. “And that poses a real problem.”

As an alternative to fundraisers, Soldiers can also apply for the Army Emergency Relief program to receive funds in financial emergencies. The funds can be applied towards utilities, rent and other living expenses.

As Soldiers become more publically visible in the fight against the global pandemic, they should understand the rules on accepting gifts from the public. Members of the National Guard, for instance, have deployed to assist hospitals in various states throughout the country, prominently in New York City and the northeast.

Soldiers generally may not accept gifts exceeding $20 in value from a prohibited source or given to them because of their official positions as Soldiers, and such gifts must not total more than $50 annually from any single source. Those gifts could include donations of protective equipment like masks and gloves. Unless an exception to the rule applies, gifts of cash may never be accepted from a prohibited source or because of one’s status as a Soldier.

Soldiers who have fallen ill with COVID-19 or another illness can receive certain gifts from their fellow Soldiers, to include food and other comfort items subject to certain limitations.  Mr. Kent recommends seeking advice from an ethics counselor before accepting or giving such gifts.

There are some exclusions and exceptions to the base rule against accepting gifts from prohibited sources or based on their official status.  For example, in addition to the $20 gift rule, Soldiers may accept gifts from prohibited sources if the gifts have been made available to everyone or all military members. For example, during Operation Desert Storm, Busch Gardens offered free admission to all military members and their families. Certain social gatherings that meet specific exceptions may also be acceptable. Soldiers could potentially accept financial assistance from a crowd-sourced relief fund, provided that it does not discriminate based on position, rank or pay.

Additionally, Soldiers may benefit from gifts that are accepted by authorized senior Army leaders on behalf of the Army and then distributed to Soldiers and Army organizations supporting Soldiers. Such gifts could include equipment and discounts or free passes to entertainment events like concerts or sports games.

Soldiers should contact their ethics advisors if they are offered or have received excessive gifts from prohibited sources. Kent said such cases should be reported as early as possible.

Soldiers who have any questions regarding acceptable gifts can consult ethics counselors through their first sergeant or chain of command. Questions on whether donations from prohibited donors or fellow Soldiers are acceptable should also be directed to counselors, he said. “If there is a way for a Soldier to accept a gift within the applicable gift rules the ethics counselor will try to identify how that can happen.”

Story by Joseph Lacdan, Army News Service

Photo by Lt JG Matthew Stroup

The Arctic Tab, a visual representation of a Soldier’s ability to train and thrive in cold environments, just got an upgrade.

Not only does the tab have a new look, it can now be worn outside the confines of the Last Frontier thanks to a new U.S. Army Pacific policy.

According to the policy, approved in February 2020 by USARPAC Commander, Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, Arctic Operations-qualified Soldiers assigned to USARPAC units, including major subordinate commands and direct-reporting units, can now wear the Arctic Tab while serving at USARPAC installations throughout its areas of operation. However, wear is not authorized when Soldiers are on temporary duty or deployment status outside the USARPAC theatre.

The new policy does more than expand where and how the Arctic Tab is worn. It reflects the importance of the U.S. Army’s ability to train and fight in an arctic environment.

“I think what makes U.S. Army Alaska and our units unique is that we are the Army’s proponent for cold weather training,” said Maj. Gen. Peter B. Andrysiak Jr., U.S. Army Alaska commander. “We not only live here; we thrive here, and I want to make sure the tab properly recognizes our unique expertise.”

Originally worn below a Soldier’s unit patch, the Arctic Tab now rests above the patch, joining other prominent skills tabs such as the Ranger or Sapper Tabs. The previously rectangular-shaped tab was redesigned in November 2019 and now also sports the familiar rainbow arc of similar tabs.

The original version of the Arctic tab can be seen above, worn by COL Adam Lange, Deputy Commander, Sustainment, US Army Alaska.

A group of Soldiers who graduated the Northern Warfare Training Center’s Cold Weather Leaders Course, Jan. 17, 2020, became the first to wear the redesigned tab. The NWTC trains units and leaders in cold weather and mountain operations to increase warfighting capabilities. Learning those skills is vital for USARAK leaders at every level.

“As a leader, it is important I know and understand the harsh, arctic conditions and the impact it can have on Soldiers and equipment,” said Capt. Robin Furrer, a recent graduate of CWLC, “Soldiers operate and move differently when it is minus 25 out, and our equipment does as well. So it is important for us to have the knowledge to plan, make decisions, and adapt to these conditions.”

Although the look and placement of the tab has changed, what it takes to earn it remains the same.

Soldiers earn the Arctic Tab after completing either the CWLC or the Cold Weather Orientation Course held at the Black Rapids Training Site run by USARAK’s NWTC instructors. Upon graduating either course, Soldiers are qualified to implement basic, cold weather and ski training programs within their units to help mitigate the unique challenges they face while operating in harsh conditions.

“Anything can fail, even on the coldest days,” Steve Decker, an NWTC instructor, explained. “Soldiers attending these cold-weather courses are taught ways to get around those failures.”

CWLC is a 15-day course where squad- and platoon-level leaders hone the knowledge and skills required to perform small-unit operations in cold, snow-covered terrain. Soldiers learn everything from the basics of standing and moving on skis and snowshoes to a full range of arctic survival skills.

CWOC is a four-day course for commanders and staff officers to become more familiar with the knowledge and skills required in successfully planning and conducting operations in an arctic environment. Emphasis is placed on the effects of cold on personnel and material, the effects of a winter environment on operations, and planning considerations unique to the winter battlefield and cold regions. Cold weather risk-management procedures are stressed throughout the course.

“From jumping into minus 100, bitter, cold, exiting the aircraft over Prudhoe Bay, to conducting live-fire exercises at minus 30 in the Donnelly Training Area, the Northern Warfare Training Center’s team of professionals ensure our Soldiers are ready to deploy, fight, and win in any arctic environment,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Dillingham, USARAK’s senior enlisted leader. “We are the first line of defense in the West and the last line of defense in the Pacific. We are ready, we are arctic warriors, and we are arctic tough.”

Story by Spc. DeMarco Wills, US Army Alaska

Photos by US Army