Stand-To: Procedure prior to first light to enhance unit security, a daily compendium of news, information, and context for Army leaders.

"There's this belief at times that no one's doing anything; that 96,000 Soldiers are just kind of waiting for something to happen. We are not in the observe-and-write-about-it mode. We are effectively out there doing things every single day."

- Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commanding general, United States Forces - Iraq, emphasizing that the United States has shifted from performing counterinsurgency operations to taking on the task of training, advising, enabling and partnering with Iraqi forces.

U.S. troops in Iraq adopt new role

"The factors of the children’s beliefs, what they feel about the Army, what they feel about the nation, make a difference. And so how do you influence a child's beliefs? That’s a critical question and that will have us thinking for a long time."

- Leonard Wong, a research professor from the Army War College, stressed in his recent findings that an unexpected predictor of deployment stress on military children was a child’s belief that the American public supports the war. He along with Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist from Rand Corp highlighted the findings of two recent studies during testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, Mar. 9. Both studies focused on military children ages 11 to 17.

Support helps children cope with deployments

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March 2010

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External Links Disclaimer

2010 Quadrennial Defense Review

What is it?

On Feb. 1, 2010 the Department of Defense submitted to Congress the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). As with all QDRs, the 2010 QDR was led by the secretary of defense and reflects his vision and priorities for the future. The senior leadership of the Army participated fully throughout the 2010 QDR and supports the SECDEF findings and recommendations.

What has the Army done?

QDR has four priority objectives:
• Prevail in today's wars
• Prevent and deter conflicts
• Prepare to defeat adversaries and succeed in a wide range of contingencies
• Preserve and enhance the all-volunteer force

Army leaders provided input that reflected how the last eight years of overseas contingencies have stressed the force and put the Army out of balance. Of note for the Army, the 2010 QDR recognizes the significant strain borne by Soldiers and Army families, and our collective imperative to preserve and enhance the all-volunteer force. The 2010 QDR supports the need for ready forces rotating at sustainable rates and with sufficient time at home station between deployments, and recognizes the important contributions of our reserve components at home and abroad.

What continuing efforts does the Army have planned?

Implementing QDR initiatives will improve Army capabilities in many areas including irregular warfare, rotary-wing lift, support to Special Operations Forces, additional Stryker units, and both manned and unmanned aerial intelligence. The challenges facing the United States today and in the future will also likely require us to continue to operationally employ portions of the Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve to fulfill requirements for which they are well-suited in the United States and overseas. As the operational environment allows, the Army will seek ways to rebalance its reliance on the reserve components to ensure the long-term viability of a force that has both strategic and operational capabilities. Over the coming year, the Department of Defense will conduct a comprehensive review of the future role of the reserve components, including an examination of the balance between active and reserve forces.

Why is the QDR important to the Army?

When implemented, the recommendations of the 2010 QDR will enhance the Army capabilities for the wars we are in and the challenges we are likely to face in the future, continue to adapt our institutions for the 21st century, and preserve and enhance the all-volunteer force. An independent review of 2010 QDR directed by Congress is ongoing.

Resources:

QDR

G-8 Web site

Defense Reviews

Proposed 2011 Budget Request