Today's Focus:
Army's Ground Combat Vehicle
SENIOR LEADERS ARE SAYING
"They fought with great courage and personal valor. They helped build a South Vietnamese Army and an Air Force, and built life-long relationships with the people of South Vietnam. They built schools, villages, hospitals long before nation-building was in our Army's vocabulary."
- Brig. Gen. Robert "Abe" Abrams, commander of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, at the Fort Irwin Welcome Home Day Ceremony on April 7, giving a poignant "long overdue" recognition for exemplary service to Vietnam War warriors.
Never too late to say, 'Welcome Home'
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"I needed help. There can't be any shame in my game…You have to have faith that when you go into recovery, you're going to get better," he said. "I thought I was a strong man earlier in my career, but now I'm powerful…Everyone has a problem. But you're going to overcome it."
-Herschel Walker, Heisman Trophy winner and former football pro, advocating for the mentally ill and working to erase the stigma associated with mental illnesses and treatment, stressing to to WTU Soldiers at Fort Meade Warrior Transition Unit, that mental illness should not be considered a stigma.
Former Heisman winner discusses his struggle with mental health
CALENDAR
April 2010
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Month of the Military Child
May 2010
Mental Health Month
Asian Pacific Heritage Month
Military Spouses Day
TODAY'S FOCUS
Army's Ground Combat Vehicle
What is it?
The U.S. Army Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) effort is part of a holistic Army plan to modernize its combat fleet. This includes incorporating mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles into the fleet while modernizing current vehicle fleets including Stryker. The first ground combat vehicle will be an Infantry Fighting Vehicle
What has the Army done?
On Feb. 25, the Army released a request for proposals (RFP) for the technology development phase of the GCV. The GCV acquisition program will follow Department of Defense best acquisition practices and be a competitive program with up to three contract awards. Prior to the release of the RFP, the Army engaged with industry through a series of industry days to inform them of the government's intent for GCV development and gain feedback from potential contractors about GCV. The Army received significant feedback on requirements, growth, training and the program at large thereby informing the requirements process and indicating the potential for a competitive contracting environment. Also, as part of the formal process, the Army has made a Manned Ground Vehicle (MGV) "Body Of Knowledge" available to industry in order to capitalize on the technological gains --and money spent - during the eight-year development of the now-canceled MGV program. Specific requirements such as weight have not been set. Instead, the Army is allowing industry to propose the best solution to meet the requirements.
What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?
Once proposals from industry are received, the Army will enter source selection process and intends to award up to three technology development contracts by the fourth quarter of this year, marking a roughly 27-month period in which to test and mature subcomponents and other material elements of the designs prior to a milestone B, or prototyping phase, in 2015.
Why is it important to the Army?
The GCV will address capability gaps of mobility, information sharing for mounted and dismounted Soldiers on the move. It will offer a highly survivable platform and is the first vehicle designed from the ground up to operate in an improvised explosive device (IED) environment. It is envisioned to have greater lethality and ballistic protection than a Bradley, greater IED and mine protection than an MRAP and the cross country mobility of an Abrams.
Resources:
Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization
STAND-TO! NEWS
ABOUT THE ARMY
- Casey: Army nearing its goals for dwell-time (Army Times)
- U.S . Army moves ahead with Stryker hull modification (Defense Industry Daily)
- SMA visits Fort Sill and Backbone Ball (The U.S. Army)
- GAO: Army, AF failed to collaborate on UAVs (Army Times)
- Fort Bragg named Army's top post, gets $1 million (Fayetteville Observer)
- U.S. military's green projects to save $1.6 billion over time (USA Today)
- 'America's pastime' salutes America's military (The U.S. Army)
OVERSEAS OPERATIONS
- Defense chief backs troops on Apache attack video (New York Times)
- U.S. seeks to ease strained relations with Afghanistan (Los Angeles Times)
- Afghanistan-Pakistan situation dominates Singh-Obama talks (RTT)
- Medevacs for troops get faster in Afghanistan (USA Today)
- U.S. troops fire on bus in Afghanistan, 4 civilians killed (Washington Post)
OF INTEREST
- First lady visits, thanks Pentagon employees for service (The U.S. Army)
- Pentagon buys MRAPs with improved suspension (The U.S. Army)
- Survey: Military independents on the rise (Army Times)
- Former Heisman winner discusses his struggle with mental health (The U.S. Army)
- 'Army Wives' offers military spouses an outlet for their daily stress (Washington Post)
WORLD VIEW
- U.S. military warns oil output may dip causing massive shortages by 2015 (The Guardian)
- U.S. President Barack Obama warns of nuclear terrorism (BBC)
- Iran to take U.S. to U.N. over 'threat' (Al Jazeera)
- Pakistan army kills dozens of Taliban after checkpoint attack (London Daily Telegraph)
- U.S. troops killed in Afghan crash (Al Jazeera)
- Afghan killings spark anti-U.S. protests (Independent)
- U.S. troop flights at Kyrgyz base suspended amid unrest (London Daily Telegraph)
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