Soldiers assigned to Hardrock and Bulldog Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conduct Air Assault Operations in conjunction with a Support by Fire Live Fire Exercise on August 29, 2022, at Babadag Training Area, Romania. U.S. Army / Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley
The Army Brief: Study hall for recruits; Sexual assault reports; Helpful tech tools; and more...
Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future.
Prep course. The Army is hurting for talent and has set up a new preparatory course at Fort Jackson to help recruits whose aptitude or fitness scores fall just under the standard so they can improve and enlist, Defense One reports. The course is a pilot program and is expected to last a year before the Army decides whether to make it permanent and implement it at other basic training locations.
Sexual assault survey. The Army had the highest number of reported sexual assaults in 2021 among the military services, according to a new report, and reported assaults across the miltary increased by 13 percent from the previous year, Defense One reports. The Army saw a 25 percent increase in reports in 2021 from 2020.
Smart sensors. As soldiers gather more data to conduct missions, one program office is looking for tech that makes it easier for analysts to make sense of it all, Defense One reports. They are also investing in tools to make it easier for commanders to see and understand the digital battlefield.
Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 2005, the Battle of Tal Afar began in Iraq, when thousands of American and Iraqi soldiers entered the city to go after insurgents. The U.S. soldiers of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment who participated in the battle were led by then-Col. H.R. McMaster.
From Defense One
Poll: Half of Americans Say Sending Troops to Afghanistan Was 'A Mistake' // Jacqueline Feldscher
Less than one-quarter believe the two-decade conflict made America safer.
Defense Civilians To Get Average 4.6% Pay Raise in 2023 // Erich Wagner
Biden formalizes plan to raise federal workers' pay.
Fix and Expand the Interpreter Visa Program // Doug Livermore
The 2006 Special Immigrant Visa program, which helps Iraqi and Afghan interpreters and their families, desperately needs an overhaul and expansion to cover U.S. helpers elsewhere.