The Army Brief: Florida trainers are back; Military backbone; Pacific budget concerns; and more...

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

Gator trainers. A Florida National Guard unit has resumed training Ukrainian forces in Germany after the invasion forced them to leave Ukraine, Defense One reports. The Ukrainians are being trained on the new U.S. howitzers, of which almost all 90 of them are now in Ukraine.

Strong NCO corps. The war in Ukraine is highlighting the advantages of having a strong, professional NCO corps in modern warfare where low-level decisions are important, Defense One reports. China is working to improve their own NCO corps but Russia still prefers to leave its leadership and troop-discipline responsibilities with junior officers. 

Don’t forget the Pacific. A bipartisan letter to the House Appropriations Committee is urging them to boost funding for the Pacific region after the Pentagon’s 2023 budget request appears lower than what Indo-Pacific Command said they needed last year, Defense One reports.

Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1864, Gen. William T. Sherman and his troops were in the third week of their march on Georgia, about 65 miles from Atlanta. Watch this PBS series about the Civil War campaign: 37 Weeks: Sherman on the March.

From Defense One

Reversing Roe Would Harm Military Readiness, Abortion-Rights Advocates Warn // Jacqueline Feldscher

"If a woman is considering enlisting, I would highly encourage her to rethink that choice," said one veteran.

The Army Wants to Change How It Manages Cyber Risk // Lauren C. Williams

The service is working to stand up a risk management council in the coming month.

For Russia and the West, Ukraine War Is a Study in Supply // Caitlin M. Kenney

"I fully believe that logistics has been an Achilles heel for the Russians," Army Secretary Wormuth said.