FORT LIBERTY, N.C. — Commanders and command sergeants major from across the U.S. Army Forces Command footprint gathered at Fort Liberty for the FORSCOM Commander’s Forum, Nov. 29-30, 2023. The conference brings together senior leaders from all Forces Command corps and divisions as well as the Army National Guard and Army Reserve for focused training and conversations on leading warfighters on the battlefield.

Gen. Andrew Poppas, FORSCOM commanding general, welcomed the group and explained there was much to cover over the two-days. He continued by explaining his “4-Wins:” Win Trust and Empower Leaders; Win the First Fight; Win the Future Fight; and Win as a Balanced Total Army.

“The framework we’ve laid out is the 4-Wins,” said Poppas. “This is the framework in which we move forward. And I will tell you that at every touchpoint within each one of these domains, I feel we’ve made great success. In the way we are building the team, in the way we’ve embraced it … strengthening the relationships we have and engaged leadership.”

He continued by expressing his vision of a warfighting force and professional warriors. Warriors need the mindset of always moving forward; the warrior spirit to hone yourself to be physically and mentally fit; and training methodology focused on building formations to their greatest capability, he said.

“The strength of that formation is that they rely on each other,” Poppas said. “It’s the person to your left that’s carrying the shield that protects you. It’s the strength of the formation that moves forward.”

Poppas explained the number one priority for the Army chief of staff is warfighting and FORSCOM owns warfighting. As he looked around the room, he acknowledged that the leaders sitting there were in the positions they are in due to their strong backgrounds as leaders, warfighters, and Soldiers.

This year, the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Randy George, was the guest speaker for the forum. George has served as the Chief of Staff of the Army since Sept. 21, 2023. He began his discussion by acknowledging that world today is a very complex place. The Middle East, Ukraine, Taiwan and Africa were cited as just a few of today’s global hot spots the U.S. Army has interests. In addition to these topics, George recognized challenges with recruiting efforts, equipment and parts delay and budget stability.

As he continued, George shared with the group the questions he asked to his staff at the Pentagon: what can we stop doing or change; how do we adjust our processes; how can we push down authority and funding; and are we making the right trade-offs?

“I generally don’t talk about 2030 because I don’t think we have that much time,” said George. “2030 is too far down the road. We are going to be a lot different before that, I can guarantee you. We are going to be a lot different in the next four years.”

The Army chief of staff continued the conversations, outlining his some of his priorities — such as warfighting, delivering ready combat formations, adjusting the approach to military construction projects, and production of a new mobile app to help inform Soldiers and families of quality of life programs available to them.

Focusing on continuous transformation, George explained that transformation is more than just purchasing new equipment. Transformation also includes changes to processes, training and how Army formations look.

“I want our leaders to decide what our formations will look like, not a bunch of us sitting inside the [Pentagon],” explained George. “I can certainly do that, I definitely have my own opinions on a lot this, but I want everybody involved in what we’re doing.”

The topic of strengthening the profession was saved until last to emphasize the point. George shared an example from his time as a division commander. Underlining how he and other division commanders would share advice and lessons learned with each other to help increase lethality and warfighting capabilities.

“I remember when I was a captain and pulling the drawer open and Armor Magazine and Infantry Magazine were there, and they were very helpful,” said George. “I’m asking for your help in making sure people are writing about our profession. We should be talking about our profession.”

By Adam Luther

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The Army has released its first doctrinal publication dedicated to the topic of information and its role in multidomain operations on the Army Publishing Directorate website, Nov. 27, 2023.

Army Doctrine Publication 3-13, Information, codifies the Army’s approach to the military uses of data and information, and recognizes all activities generate informational effects that can contribute to, or hamper, achieving objectives.

“Information is central to everything we do. It is the basis of intelligence, a fundamental component of command and control, and the foundation for communicating thoughts, opinions and ideas,” said Lt. Gen. Milford Beagle, Jr., commanding general, Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth. “As a dynamic of combat power, Army forces fight for, defend, and fight with information to create and exploit information advantages — the use, protection, and exploitation of information to achieve objectives more effectively than enemies and adversaries.”

Authors from CAC’s Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, the organization charged with writing the new manual, acknowledge that changes in the security environment necessitated an update to doctrine. Adversaries are already using informational power to try to gain regional influence and control well ahead of potential armed conflict. These actions make the competition for information and ideas continuous and persistent.

Key to achieving objectives in a contested environment like this means gaining an information advantage, a new term now defined in doctrine. An information advantage is “a condition when a force holds the initiative in terms of situational understanding, decision making, and relevant actor behavior.”

“Our new doctrine makes it clear that everyone plays some role in achieving information advantage,” said retired Army colonel and CADD Director Richard Creed. “And similarly, commanders need to consider information from a combined arms perspective because all Army capabilities create effects in the information dimension of our operational environment. We can’t make it the sole purview of a single staff section or certain specialties and expect success during operations. Operations now require leaders to consider how information enables operations, how to protect friendly information, how to employ information against an enemy or adversary, and how to attack the enemy’s ability to use information effectively.”

To facilitate that process, ADP 3-13 gives leaders a framework for developing information advantages during operations and at home station. It also spells out how commanders can leverage aspects of information that enable command and control; protect data, information, and networks; inform audiences; influence threats and foreign relevant actors; and attack the threat’s ability to use information.

The publication of ADP 3-13 is just the start of a sustained education campaign from CAC. As with the release of FM 3-0, CADD is developing a series of products to help Soldiers understand the new doctrine. Articles, videos and podcasts devoted to ADP 3-13 are in the works and will be announced via CADD’s social media channels. The team will also work closely with the Centers of Excellence, Army University and the combat training centers to ensure this information is incorporated into professional military education and training. In addition, mobile training teams will visit select installations and organizations to further integrate the ideas outlined in the manual.

“ADP 3-13 provides the intellectual underpinnings that describe how Army forces will gain, protect, and exploit information advantages; however, doctrine is only the beginning. The hard work starts when we begin to internalize these ideas into leader development, education, and training,” said Beagle.

To learn more about ADP 3-13 and other doctrine, visit the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate website.

By Randi Stenson, MCCoE Public Affairs

By SPC Jet Cortez

VILSECK, Germany — U.S. Soldiers and NATO partners participated in an event known as ‘E3B’ Nov. 6 to 10.

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment hosted and provided the opportunity, training, and evaluations necessary for candidates to receive the Expert Infantry Badge, Expert Soldier Badge, and Expert Field Medical Badge.

“Being in your own head can be one of the biggest challenges,” said U.S. Army Pfc. Simon Jack, an Infantryman assigned to Apache Troop, 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. “Just remember to relax, you’ve done it before, and just go through the steps like you did in training.”

Prior to the start of testing for E3B, the candidates went through a training phase for two weeks, sharpening their technical and tactical knowledge to be successful in the numerous tasks ahead.

During evaluation week, Soldiers were required to pass the Expert Physical Fitness Assessment, land navigation, three evaluation lanes with 10 tasks each: the patrol lane, weapons lane, medical lane, and then a 12-mile ruck march.

The amount of candidates narrowed down gradually. Each lane had graders evaluating every candidate, testing their ability to complete tasks correctly with various “go” and “no-go” scenarios.

“You’ve got to put in the hours and the work to make sure that you learn all 30 of these tasks and are able to complete them in a proficient manner, because if you’re not, then this is one of those badges that is going to be very difficult for you to get,” said U.S. Army Capt. Ben Do, a field artillery officer assigned to 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment.

“It’s definitely one of those things that you have to be fully dedicated to,” said Do.

Regardless of the outcome, Soldiers gained experience that they can use to teach others and become more reliable and capable leaders for their units.

“At the end of the day, we are getting a whole bunch of training that we can bring back to our troops and increase lethality,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Dylan Mecca, a horizontal construction engineer assigned to the 15th Engineer Battalion.

Out of the 1,700 candidates who participated in the E3B event, there were 548 candidates who earned their respective badges at the graduation ceremony.

Specific titles were given to candidates who earned their respective badges without receiving a single no-go in their particular lane, acknowledging the candidates’ efforts to execute every task of each event. These titles include “True Blue” for EIB, “No Blood” for EFMB, and “Perfect Edge” for ESB.

“Once you wear the badge, it doesn’t mean that you can just brain dump it,” said Do. “People are gonna look to you to be the subject matter expert on any of the 30 tasks that you completed.”

With the conclusion of E3B 2023, U.S. Soldiers and NATO partners successfully engaged in the given opportunity to develop lethality, interoperability, and test their skills, which are vital assets for maximizing mission success in real-world environments to deter enemy forces.

To view more photos and videos of this event visit this website.

WASHINGTON — With the Georgia heat bearing down on them, Sgt. Jake Phillips and members of 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, struggled to finish the final leg of the 2023 Army Best Squad Competition’s first phase in September.

Still, the Soldiers had confidence in one another as they carried 35-pound rucks for 15 miles in the woods of Fort Stewart, Georgia. The Soldiers operated on only two hours of sleep and endured food deprivation. Fortunately, the squad boasted some of the most physically-fit Soldiers in the Army including Spc. Chancellor McGuire, who had the highest physical training test scores among all 60 competitors.

They had also competed and trained together for at least three years and some members even deployed together. Knowing his team’s robust fitness levels, Phillips wanted to push his squad to its limits.

The fire team leader learned that slowing their speed during the march actually helped his squad find the endurance needed to secure victory.

“I was always wanting to push the pace past what I think we’re capable of as a squad,” said Phillips, 25. “I was wanting to put more gas when it should have been more brakes. That was personally more challenging.”

Phillips’ guidance helped his 75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Army Special Operations Command squad win the 2023 U.S. Army Best Squad of the Year award. Phillips, a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, took Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year honors. McGuire, who hails from Austin, Texas, won Soldier of the Year.

“I think the key for us to win was we’ve all been working together for years,” Philips said. “We all know each other pretty well.”

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer presented the awards in a ceremony at the 2023 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. today. Soldiers from Army Medical Command finished in second place while the Army Pacific Command squad took third.

McGuire said keeping the goal in sight helped his squad weather through the endurance march.

“It was the last day of the competition. You can do anything for however long you tell yourself you can,” he said.

The 24-year-old McGuire credited his squad leaders and company commanders with helping mold him into a more capable special operations Soldier.

“It means I’m doing something right,” McGuire said of winning Soldier of the Year. “I took a lot from my team leaders coming up, my squad leaders. I took in everything that they have taught me … I’ve kind of become a sponge, so really I’m an image of them.”

The Army revamped its former Best Warrior contest two years ago into the Best Squad Competition to encourage a greater focus on team building and unit cohesion.

This year’s contest, executed by 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, featured another incentive. While competing, the participants could simultaneously earn their special skills certifications: the Expert Infantry Badge, awarded to Soldiers in infantry and Special Forces units; the Expert Soldier Badge, given to Soldiers who are not in infantry, Special Forces and medical branches; or the Expert Field Medical Badges, earned by outstanding medical technicians.

Twelve, five-person squads competed in the first phase of the competition during 10 grueling days at Fort Stewart.

The Soldiers went on ruck marches, completed exercises and did battle drills across more than 200,000 acres of land. The Soldiers engaged in land navigation, operated in urban areas and rucked from each destination. They learned to operate while sleep-deprived, while also taking part in night exercises.

During the competition’s final phase, the competitors travelled to Washington D.C. to be interviewed and evaluated by senior leaders.

McGuire said that his squad, which also includes Staff Sgt. Andrew Ewing, Spc. George Mascharka, and Spc. Shane Moon, finished first because of the bonds that the Soldiers share during and outside of duty. The Soldiers know each other’s families. They work out together and spend time studying in coffee shops.

The USASOC Soldiers faced stiff competition, particularly from the MEDCOM squad of Sgt. Jaime Padilla, Spc. Axxel Pasos, Sgt. 1st Class Kaleb Richardson, Spc. Robert Rupers and Christopher Trejo.

“My squad is the best squad,” said McGuire, a fire team leader. “We achieved something that we set our hearts and minds to, but at the end of the day we came out on top.”

By Joe Lacdan, Army News Service