U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team prepare to move out during a combined arms blank fire exercise at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Sept. 21, 2022. U.S. Army / Sgt. Randis Monroe
The Army Brief: Missed recruiting goals; Weapons request; Maintenance chatrooms; and more...
Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future.
Recruiting deficits. The National Guard will come up 9,000 short this year in their end strength goals, Defense One reports. The Army National Guard is also anticipating thousands of troops being kicked out in 2023 and 2024 for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
Negative perception. Military officials told senators that “negative publicity” is giving the public a skewed understanding of military service as they struggle to gain recruits. However, the lawmakers brought up problems like military sexual assault and poor living conditions and how they may discourage potential recruits from joining.
Weapons wishlist. To keep up their recent military gains, Ukraine wants longer-range missiles and fighter jets, which the U.S. has been hesitant to send due to concerns Russia would escalate the conflict, Defense One reports. Ukraine wants ATACMS, a type of surface-to-surface missile, to take out Russian logistic centers and ammunition depots that are out of range of their HIMARS artillery.
A specialist has entered the chat. Ukrainian forces who find themselves in need of mechanical advice for their U.S. weapons can enter a chatroom with American soldiers in Poland, Defense One reports. Maintenance specialists have so far had to address the aggressive wear on howitzers, which are firing rounds at a higher rate than what they’ve seen in decades.
Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On Sept. 24, 1957, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas, on the orders of President Dwight D. Eisenhower to protect nine black students who were trying to attend a newly desegregated high school.
From Defense One
US Working on AI to Predict Ukraine's Ammo and Weapons Needs // Patrick Tucker
But a Pentagon watchdog is already unhappy with the way materiel is being tracked.
US Weighs Escalation Risk As Ukraine Asks for Longer-range Missiles // Patrick Tucker
Will ATACMS become the latest weapon that Washington has initially withheld, but ultimately given?
NATO Readies Strategy To Steer Use Of Autonomy // Lauren C. Williams
The document, expected later this year, will include moral and ethical guidelines on how to best use autonomous technologies.