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Today's Focus:

Hon. John McHugh takes office as Secretary of the Army

SENIOR LEADERS ARE SAYING

"In the end... it all comes back to people, the men and women who step forward and don the uniform of our nation, the spouses, the children of those brave warriors who sacrifice so much as well."

- Secretary John McHugh, appointed 21st Secretary of the U.S. Army on September 21, 2009

Secretary of the Army

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Year of the Noncommissioned Officer

"As you get older, you might forget the small things. If you have a tattoo of that time in your life, when you're 60 and you look at that tattoo...it's kind of like a time capsule that you put on yourself."

- Sgt. Jeremy Leak, a force protection sergeant with 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.

Tattoos and the Army: a long and colorful tradition

CALENDAR

2009 Commemorations :

Year of the NCO

Year of the Military Family

100th Anniversary of the Chaplain Assistant

September 2009

Medal of Honor recipient SFC Jared C. Monti, microsite

National Preparedness Month

Sept. 15 - Oct. 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month

Sept. 27: Gold Star Mother's Day

PROFESSIONAL WRITING

Army Professional Writing

TODAY'S FOCUS

Hon. John McHugh takes office as Secretary of the Army

Who is he?

On September 21, 2009, Mr. John McHugh became the 21st Secretary of the Army. For the previous 16 years, he has served as a Member of Congress representing New York's 23rd Congressional District. During his tenure, he forged strong ties to Fort Drum, N.Y., and earned a reputation as a staunch advocate for Soldiers and their families, working tirelessly to ensure they have proper facilities, training and the quality of life necessary to carry out wartime missions while caring for those at home. Born in Watertown, New York, McHugh earned a B.A. in Political Science from Utica College of Syracuse University and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the State University of New York's Nelson A. Rockefeller Graduate School of Public Affairs in 1977.

What is his background?

As Secretary, McHugh will draw on his years of previous experience as the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) which oversees the policies and programs of the Department of Defense and each of the Armed Forces. Prior to becoming the Ranking Member of the HASC, Mr. McHugh served as the Ranking Member of the HASC Military Personnel Subcommittee and previously as its Chairman for six years. In addition, at the time of his nomination, McHugh was co-chair of the House Army Caucus, a bipartisan organization that works to educate fellow House Members and their staffs about Army issues and programs and a 14-year member of the United States Military Academy Board of Visitors. Over the last eight years, McHugh made ten official visits to Iraq and four visits to Afghanistan and other combat theaters. In addition, he has frequently visited Fort Drum and met with Soldiers and Army officials there.

Why is this important to the Army?

As Secretary of the Army, McHugh has statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the U.S. Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition, communications, and financial management. He is now responsible for the Department of the Army's annual budget and supplemental of over $200 billion. He leads a work force of more than 1.1 million active-duty, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Soldiers, 221,000 Department of the Army civilian employees, and 213,000 contracted service personnel. Also, he provides stewardship over 14 million acres of land.

Resources:

Secretary of the Army Web site

Related article:

John McHugh assumes duties as 21st Secretary of the Army

STAND-TO! NEWS

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