The Army Brief: Army in the Pacific; Internal analysis; New landmines; and more...

Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future. 

Boots on the ground in the Pacific. Soldiers have a role to play in the Indo-Pacific region, from building relationships with other armies to providing support to the joint force if troops have to be deployed, the Army’s top officer in the Pacific said during the AUSA conference, Defense One reports. 

Analysis of resources. The Army is analyzing how it does business, from its force structure to its modernization programs, to make sure the service is focusing its resources effectively to deter, or if necessary, fight China, Defense One reports. “The stakes are high, but we are up to the challenge if we move decisively,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said at AUSA.

Landmine plans. The Army is reviving its effort to make new landmines, leaders said at AUSA, Army Times reported. In fact, “terrain shaping”—denying an enemy the use of land by using mines—is the Corps of Engineers’ top modernization priority, the Corps’ commanding general said. The news comes less than two years after Donald Trump reversed an Obama-era moratorium on landmine production and use in a bid to join the 164-nation Mine Ban Treaty.

Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On Oct. 16, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution. The invasion of Iraq would begin five months later on March 19, 2003. 

From Defense One

Defense Firms Pitch Arms, Gear to an Army Looking for Relevance in the Pacific // Marcus Weisgerber: On Wednesday, Lockheed Martin will attempt to fire a new weapon nearly 500 kilometers.

The Biggest Lesson from the Army’s Connect-Everything Experiment // Patrick Tucker: New labs to test interconnections are the key to joint all-domain command and control.

Catholic Troops Can Refuse COVID Vaccine, Archbishop Declares // Elizabeth Howe: “No one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience,” Broglio wrote.

An Afghanistan Evac Flight Was Almost Hijacked, Air Force Reveals // Tara Copp: While the chaos at HKIA is over, the effort to evacuate Afghans is not. Here’s how the U.S. is still getting people out.

AUSA Conference Wire: Financial Readiness // Defense One staff: The Army's top enlisted soldier has plans to help troops square away their finances.