Top Reserve MP officer pins Major General rank

FORT MEADE, Md. -- Washington D.C.-native Brig. Gen. Phillip Churn was promoted to the rank of major general during an Aug. 3 morning formation in front of the Fort Meade-based Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 200th Military Police Command.

Churn, who now lives in Lorton, Virginia, is the commanding general of the largest Department of Defense military police organization and oversees more than 13,000 Army Reserve MPs living in 44 states.

Churn picked two of the youngest Reserve Soldiers in formation to change his rank to assist in the promotion ceremony.

Pvt. Christopher Layman replaced the one star with the two-star rank in front of the command headquarters who oversees operations across four MP brigades, three CID battalions and numerous public affairs and chaplain detachments.

As Churn took his initial few steps as a two-star general, his first action was to shake the hand of the HHC guidon bearer, Spc. Nelson Castellanos, from Alexandria, Virginia and thanked him for his service in the Army Reserve.

"It's important for me to be promoted in front of you all today," Churn told the formation. "You are why I am here today. I will tell you this right now; I didn't get here by myself."

Churn told the formation of more than 150 Soldiers that his military roots were deeply embedded within the noncommissioned officer corps.

"My father was a retired sergeant first class," he said. "He instilled that sergeant's discipline as part of my values, so I haven't forgotten my roots with the NCO Corps. I am indebted to our NCO Corps."

Churn said the NCOs are the backbone of our Army and part of the NCO's responsibilities is to train officers.

"Never forget this," he said to the enlisted Soldiers.

When in Afghanistan as the commander of the 333rd Military Police Brigade, out of Farmingdale, New York, Churn said he measured success by the sergeants and staff sergeants executing a mission.
"It's no different now," he said. "Sergeants, you have to lead your Soldiers, train your Soldiers and make sure they are squared away."

He went on to tell officers and seniors NCOs it was their mission to guide young sergeants and staff sergeants.

"Ensure they know what 'right' looks like," he said. "We must ensure we are giving the right guidance to our sergeants so they can execute any mission. Ensure we live within our ethos."

For the past several months, Churn has been at the helm of the 200th MPCOM after Maj. Gen. Sanford Holman relinquished his command during a ceremony May 4.

"We are Soldiers, and the American public looks toward us to make sure everything stays right," he said. "Our mission is to ensure our American way of life endures."

 http://www.army.mil/article/131094/Top_Reserve_MP_officer_pins_Major_General_rank/

 By Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell

 

Fulfill your dream of becoming a pilot

FLIGHT TRAINING

Fulfill your dream of becoming a pilot

If you have dreamed of becoming an aviator, the Army can help you turn that dream into a reality. Warrant Officers pilot some of the most exciting, technologically-advanced aircraft in the world.
But the road to becoming a pilot won’t be easy. The Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) program is necessarily designed to be rigorous and stressful, as you’ll be responsible for the lives of your crew in a combat situation.
After candidates have completed the initial flight training course, they move on to specialized training in one of four rotary aircraft: the UH-60 Black Hawk, the CH-47 Chinook, the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior and the AH-64A Apache helicopters.

http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/current-and-prior-service/advance-your-career/warrant-officer/flight-warrant-officers.html

TECHNICAL WARRANT OFFICER

It's more than just a job, it's a career

Technical Warrant Officers are the Army’s mechanical experts. At higher ranks, Warrant Officers are also responsible for training others.

Upon enlistment and completion of military occupational specialty (MOS) training, interested applicants may compete for in-service Warrant Officer selection. There are 43 technical Warrant Officer specialties with 13 control branches that include military intelligence, Special Forces and human resources. You can find more information on technical Warrant Officer specialties by logging on to: www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant

 http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/current-and-prior-service/advance-your-career/warrant-officer/technical-warrant-officers.html

Top Performer Award to Lee’s Summit North Soccer Coach Ryan Kelley

Staff Sgt . Bennett from the Grandview Army Career Center presented the Top Performer Award to  Lee’s Summit North Soccer Coach Ryan Kelley. The Top Performer is determined by demonstrating the Army Values; loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. 

Congratulations coach, hoooaaah!

ARMY DAILY LIFE

Let’s get through the basics. A soldier’s daily life is not that different from the life you lead now. You’ll still eat the food you normally eat.  You’ll sleep in a regular bed. You’ll shop, worship, maintain and live your daily life pretty much as you do now. There are vets to take care of your pets, chapels and religious buildings, grocery stores, dry cleaners, etc.  You name it and it probably exists on or near your Post, no matter where you are. Sure, the names of places have changed, but the game really hasn’t. In fact, there are a number of things that might actually be better.

http://www.goarmy.com/soldier-life/army-family-strong/army-daily-life.html

Army turns to researchers for future lethality

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Sept. 2, 2014) -- The Army of the future may have fewer Soldiers but more lethality thanks to research in precision, scalable effects and improved range.

"Our scientists and engineers are, and have been, redefining the art of the possible to make this enabling technology a reality," said Dale A. Ormond, director of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. "Our strategy is to build from the Soldier out, equipping our squads for tactical overmatch in all situations."

In the September/October 2014 issue of Army Technology Magazine, the Army showcases research and development efforts to maintain overmatch.

"The Army has global responsibilities that require large technological advantages to prevail decisively in combat -- 'technological overmatch,'" Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno wrote for the Army's official blog. "Just as Airmen and Sailors seek supremacy in the air and on the seas, Soldiers must dominate their enemies on land. Modernizing, especially as end strength is reduced, is the key to ensuring that the Army's dominance continues."

Experts predict an individual Soldier of the future, armed with a 40mm grenade, may have the same lethal effects as current 155mm artillery.

"Lethality is more than just offensive lethality," said Keith Jadus, acting director of the lethality portfolio for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology. "It is the ability to provide protection. Lethality is what protects our Soldiers. It is the capability to reach farther than our adversary, and the ability for Soldiers to hold their ground, protect their ground, and move forward.

Army science and technology research examines affordability, extended range and precision to deliver new capabilities to Soldiers. The Army also seeks a scalable range of effects, both lethal and non-lethal.

"We envision the capability to decrease lethality to reduce collateral damage, or increase lethality tailored to the targets," Jadus said.

Officials said energetics research also holds the promise of a tenfold increase in range and explosive punch through the use of new materials and chemical compositions.

"Imagine being a commander in the field with 10 levels of scalable lethality," Ormond said. "Options increase exponentially. A strike need only be as lethal as necessary to accomplish the mission. As our sensors, targeting and associated technologies match our improvements in lethality, commanders will have fine-grained control to minimize if not completely avoid collateral damage."

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III, the featured interview for the lethality issue, said the best weapon in the Army is still the U.S. Soldier.

"He or she is also the most precise weapon that the Army has, because of a combination of skills, experience and knowledge. A combination of the technology and the Soldier makes us superior on the battlefield, and that's what makes the Army strong," Chandler said.

A tanker by background, Chandler said he has seen the evolution of lethality firsthand during his career.

"We can do a lot with the power of the Soldier when it is accurately matched to technology that provides the outcome we want to achieve," Chandler said. "In addition to lethality, we also need to increase our precision. We have made great strides in precision technologically, but the most precise weapon we have on the battlefield is the American Soldier. It's the person that makes the final decision to shoot or not to shoot. Combining our Soldier awareness and the technology that is available, we will be even more accurate and more lethal on the battlefield.

Army Technology Magazine is available as an electronic download, or print publication. The magazine is an authorized, unofficial publication published under Army Regulation 360-1, for all members of the Department of Defense and the general public.

 http://www.army.mil/article/132849/Army_turns_to_researchers_for_future_lethality/

 By David McNally, RDECOM Public Affairs

 

Rising Thunder brings Army, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force together

YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. (Sept. 3, 2014) -- Operation Rising Thunder roared to a start with an opening ceremony yesterday, at Yakima Training Center, here.

Soldiers with 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and their counterparts in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, referred to as the JGSDF, came together in a ceremony marking the beginning of a month of interoperability training.

"We're pleased to be a part of such an important event," said Lt. Col. Jeff Bryson, commander of 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. "Our mission is to facilitate this bilateral training to ensure the JGSDF have an increased ability to defend their homeland."

Operation Rising Thunder was designed to bring U.S. and Japanese forces together for training, and the opening ceremony marked the 16th anniversary of the operation.

"The focus of this exercise is to train combined arms in conjunction with maneuver and firepower, to perform comprehensive combat power with combined arms units and train bilaterally between Japan and the U.S to enhance interoperability," said Col. Takashi Goto, a JGSDF commander.

More than 300 JGSDF personnel and 470 U.S. Soldiers are scheduled to perform urban assault, sniper training, and combined arms training, among other tasks, during September.

"Since the 2nd Division is aligned to the Pacific, opportunities to train together are of increasing importance in the global environment," said Bryson.

Bryson looked forward to having his Soldiers interact with their Japanese counterparts, share experiences, and build personal relationships, to strengthen trust between the two nations.

"Through comprehensive training we are confident that the Japanese and the U.S. will have a strengthened working relationship," said Bryson.

The focus of this year's training is interoperability, said Bryson.

"We will build a mutual trust between Japan and the United States to complete the mission," said Goto. "I'd like to express appreciation to battalion commander Lt. Col. Bryson for providing logistics, ammunition and security."

Operation Rising Thunder is scheduled to end Sept. 23.

 http://www.army.mil/article/132945/Rising_Thunder_brings_Army__Japan_Ground_Self_Defense_Force_together/

 By Sgt. Cody Quinn