JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. -- "The Army must always be manned, trained, equipped and ready to fight," said Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, during a visit to U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command on Aug. 10, 2017. "Readiness is essential to protect our nation and secure our vital interests against determined and capable enemies."

During his visit, McCarthy received a briefing on the scope and scale of TRADOC's mission, including Army growth requirements and future battle capabilities.

As an Army veteran, McCarthy said he is focused on the Army's modernization efforts to prepare today's Soldiers for tomorrow's fight.

"Our foremost responsibility is to deliver ready, trained and equipped forces that meet the operational demands put before us," he said. "The Army must have a consistent approach to modernization that promotes future readiness."

McCarthy saw first-hand how such modernization is already being implemented at Fort Eustis. TRADOC's Operational Environmental Training Support Center creates the virtual battlespaces of tomorrow to provide Soldiers with as realistic of a training environment as possible.

"Investments [like this] can rapidly develop our capabilities," he said. "Making the hard choices will ensure we can shape, fight and win decisively across all domains on today's complex battlefields."