Army

CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Designing is what Derek Mayhew lives for. He often creates graphics seen across U.S. Army Garrison Japan, but he also draws and paints, and plans to produce a new backpack as his side gig.

Mayhew has already left his mark — literally — at the garrison’s Visual Information Division just a half a year after being hired there as a local national employee.

The 43-year-old Australian native helped rebrand the division with a new logo. He also reconfigured his office’s break room refrigerator into the police-box-turned-time-machine from the popular TV show, “Dr. Who.” And inside his office, he has adorned the walls with “Stars Wars”-themed paintings.

When a contest was announced in December to design the next official garrison coin, Mayhew unleashed his creativity once again. His design was recently chosen as the winner.

“I feel honored that my design will be replicated,” he said. “I get a good feeling at the end of the day when I’ve created something, and that’s amplified if other people see it.”

But it’s not the recognition he strives for when he decides to create something. He said the creative process allows him to get lost in his own fantasy world.

He also compares the work to kaizen, a Japanese business philosophy in which the aim is to continually improve something.

“I find it’s a process that, once I start, it’s very hard to stop,” he said. “I’m always refining.”

On the front of the coin, Mayhew, who has an interest in martial arts, used a blue samurai helmet to contrast against a golden background for a distinctive look. He then incorporated the insignia of garrison leadership, Army civilians and local nationals as well as both U.S. and Japan flags.

Flipped over, the coin displays the iconic “Great Wave off Kanagawa” with a rising sun and Mount Fuji in the background, which Mayhew said reminds him of the view he sometimes sees near his home in Chigasaki.

Along the edges of both sides of the coin also reveal the names of all 17 geographically dispersed USAG Japan installations and sites.

“The winning coin was chosen because it was unique,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Justin Turner, the garrison’s senior enlisted leader. “It tied in some of the history of Japan, as well as Camp Zama and our garrison’s mission together. I think our service members and garrison employees will be happy to receive one of these coins.”

Turner said the command group decided to redesign the coin to commemorate the garrison’s new direction, which places more focus on providing quality service and support to community members in an effort to build resilience.

The contest also allowed community members to choose the winning coin. Out of 13 submissions, the command group picked five finalists that were then shown online for the community to vote. About 130 people responded.

“This coin is for the community; it’s not for the garrison commander and me,” Turner said. “It’s for the community and our garrison employees. We feel that if they are part of the vote on selecting their new coin, then they will be more appreciative to receive that coin.”

Mayhew said the hardest part of the design was fitting the several logos and images that reflect Japanese culture onto the coin.

“It was tricky to accommodate each into a nice spacing that would still feel that it is complete,” he said.

It took several adjustments over about a month to achieve the final design.

“Design, to me, is like meditation,” Mayhew said. “I can lose hours just doodling on pages and experimenting with different variations.”

The dedication and time spent to include those finer details on the coin was not lost on Turner.

“The first coin will go to Mr. Mayhew,” Turner said, adding that Mayhew will also receive a certificate of appreciation. “He did an outstanding job on designing the coin and putting a lot of work into it.”

The new coins are scheduled to be available in early March.

Related links:

U.S. Army Garrison Japan news

USAG Japan official website

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One hundred and seventeen Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives sent a February 7th letter to the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (“Corps of Engineers”) stating that they:

. . . applaud the Agencies for taking this concrete and positive step toward restoring the strong clean water protections that our constituents, and all Americans, depend on. Federal protections based on sound science and consistent with the Clean Water Act are essential to ensuring clean water, which is essential for our economy and a healthy environment.

The definition of WOTUS is arguably one of the three critical jurisdictional terms in the Clean Water Act. Its importance is magnified since it is relevant to both National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permitting and non-NPDES programs such as:

• Section 404 of the Clean Water Act wetland permits
• Section 311 oil/hazardous substances release requirements
• Clean Water Act spill prevention control and countermeasure regulations

As result, the scope of the definition of WOTUS has been the subject of frequent litigation, legislative oversight, rulemakings and public policy debate since the enactment of the modern version of the Clean Water Act in 1972.

EPA and the Corps of Engineers announced on November 19, 2021, a revised definition of WOTUS. They had previously withdrawn the revisions to the Clean Water Act definition promulgated during the Trump Administration.

On December 7, 2021, EPA and the Corps of Engineers proposed a new rule to once again revise the definition of WOTUS.

The Democratic Congressmen in their February 7th letter state that the current rulemaking is “critical to protecting water quality across the nation and the furthering of Congress’s intent when it enacted the Clean Water Act.” They take the position that the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule (“NWPR”) undercut the Clean Water Act’s objective to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”

The February 7th letter discusses the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and notes that it includes $55 billion to expand access to clean water through initiatives such as:

• Replacement of lead service lines
• Measures to address PFAS contamination
• Enhancement of wastewater infrastructure

Also referenced is $47 billion that is stated to be allocated to:

• Climate resilience
• Measures to help communities prepare for worsening floods

Referenced as key measures to address flooding are healthy wetlands and headwater streams. The protection of such wetlands are deemed important in terms of both guards against flooding and natural carbon sinks.

The Congressmen also characterized clean water protections as playing a key role in what it describes as the Biden Administration’s and EPA’s commitments to environmental justice. They take the position that the NWPR harmed waters across the United States but that such harm did not fall equally on all populations. Specifically, they argue that the withdrawal of clean water protections was disproportionately felt by low-income communities and communities of color. Finally, they assert that clean water act protections are critical to protecting national, regional, and local economies. However, they single out agricultural operations as particularly benefited by Clean Water Act protections because of the need for clean water. In addition, they take the position that most ordinary agricultural activities do not require permits under the Clean Water Act because:

• Agricultural stormwater discharges are excluded
• Irrigation return flows are excluded
• Normal forming practices like building or maintaining stock ponds or irrigation ditches, building farm roads, maintaining drainage ditches and farming itself are excluded

A copy of the letter can be downloaded here.

CAMP SMITH, HAWAII – U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers from the 351st Civil Affairs Command, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), arrived here ready to integrate into Keen Edge 22, a bilateral command post exercise held Jan. 26 – Feb. 3, 2022. Arriving 20 January, the team participated in reception, staging, onward movement and integration (RSOI) meetings, level-set, academics, and warm start events prior to exercise kick-off.

Keen Edge 22 allows the Japanese Joint Staff and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command an opportunity to plan and conduct operations against all-domain competitors. For the 351st CACOM’s Government Function Specialty Team, it offered an opportunity to nest their expertise into the exercise and support the needs of a joint force under a single, unified command authority.

U.S. Army Reserve Col. Bradford Hughes, Government Functional Specialty Team Chief for the 351st CACOM, saw the exercise as an opportunity for his team to test their readiness across several Mission Essential Tasks. Those tasks included building readiness with the interagency, conducting rehearsals with geographic combatant command for crisis action planning, and theater entry in response to a variety of scenarios, all while remaining part of a credible deterrent force in the increasingly complex threat environment.

“This is an opportunity for us to actually partner with our geographic combatant command at the interagency level,” explained Hughes.

During their time at KE22 the 351st team, a blend of 38G military government specialists and other Army capabilities, including a team of International Law Officers (ILO) was able to nest capabilities with their interagency partners. The ILO team in particular hit the ground running,

integrating with the Command Judge Advocate (CJA) and providing expertise in “Lawfare,” while building multiple integrated products & briefs for the CJA and creating legal dilemmas for the exercise adversary.

“These Soldiers are really specialists,” said Hughes. “They bring that requisite expertise within their specialty, which is what USINDOPACOM wants to leverage as the Interagency engages in the Theater Campaign Plan. Across the Instruments of National Power (Domestic, Informational, Economic), while specifically partnering with Commerce, Treasury, USAID, and law enforcement, we bring that expertise. As such, the government function specialty program is here to help with that partnership and to advance it.”

Exercises such as KE22 provide the U.S. Army Reserve the opportunity to build the relationships through rehearsals and improve interoperability between the Joint Forces and the Reserve component. This increase in readiness through realistic training is critical in ensuring that seamless support of the geographic combatant commander in real time events.

Team noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Sgt. Samantha Gomes, senior health care noncommissioned officer, 351st CACOM, sees the exercise as an opportunity to reinforce the skills her team already has and assess their ability to adapt to challenging circumstances. As the functional team role continues to adapt and change with real-world demands, it becomes increasingly important for them to use exercises like KE22 to align themselves with their interagency partners.

“I think for us, solidifying our doctrine,” she explained. “It was updated and rewritten last summer, so here [at Keen Edge] we ensure we’re operating within that doctrine and really have a solid sense of what it is that we’re doing and why we’re here. Not only in an exercise format, but as we augment and fill roles that aren’t as familiar but give us a reason to really put the foot down and go after it to find the work.”

Gomes went on to explain that KE22 was also a time to lay the groundwork for future exercises as the team began to show their value to fight within the multi-domain framework. The work being done here would allow for the inclusion of team in the planning phases of future exercises, maximizing the effectiveness of the team and their layers of expertise in a much broader scope.

“It comes down to working here on a strategic level.” said Gomes. “A lot of combatant commanders are looking at the bigger picture. We are providing that insight as specialists who come in and navigate between the lines, really get nitty gritty with the details and the specifics of the strategic planning.”

U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Kelly Wilson, a Law & Border Enforcement Specialist for the team, felt the work for USINDOPACOM at the 4-star strategic level was key to the future of the program.

Wilson explained how during the week he had the opportunity to meet with his counterparts from the Department of State, Bureau of Stabilization and Conflict, to share the 38G program’s Government Function Specialty Areas & Focus Areas to his working group, highlighting the specialties and how they complement stability operations and nest into the existing crisis action plans.

“We focus on basically everything to run a government,” Wilson laughed. “If there is a request for a government function capability, our team (or USACAPOC) can provide technically qualified and experienced individuals, to advise, enable, and assist commanders and their direct civilian counterparts with stability function tasks and governance expertise until appropriate civilian control is possible.”

With the priorities of the USARC and USACAPOC(A) commanding generals focused on rehearsals, relationships, and readiness, KE22 really gave the team an opportunity to nest themselves inside those goals.

“By us being here and partnering with the interagency that’s the relationship piece of it,” said Hughes. “We are wanting to establish the partnership to the level where we’re asked back for the next exercise … these exercises rehearse what we may very well do real world. By getting these reps in (i.e., rehearsals), it reinforces the readiness. If we can demonstrate that we can deploy and be self-sufficient, it spotlights our value to COMPO-1 (Active-Duty Forces) that here is a group we can call, and they can immediately integrate with us and get to work.”

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Feb. 22, 2022) — Nearly 100 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers strapped on snowshoes and rucksacks Feb. 22 for a 5.5-mile trail hike in support of suicide prevention.

Bill Van Orman, Fort Drum Suicide Prevention Program manager, said this was the first in a series of hikes called the Arctic Warrior 22 Challenge. By the end of the week, participants will hike 22 miles – referencing a statistic that, on average, 22 veterans commit suicide daily.

Van Orman said that, contrary to popular belief, suicide rates are higher in the spring than in the winter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates are lowest in December and tend to spike in April, May and June.

“So we decided to do something now to generate attention toward suicide prevention ahead of spring,” Van Orman said. “Instead of putting together the usual ACE (Ask, Care, Escort suicide prevention training) classes most Soldiers are familiar with, we wanted to do something a little different.”

The early morning trek started at the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum Museum and continued along the Black River Trail System. Other hikes will begin at the Commons, the Army Wellness Center and the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Center.

Van Orman said that each location was selected for a purpose, with the museum representing division pride in its history. The Commons was chosen to coincide with speaking engagements by Dr. Craig Bryan, clinical psychologist in cognitive behavioral psychology and author of “Rethinking Suicide: Why Prevention Fails and How We Can Do Better.”

“Then the next day we go to the Army Wellness Center, where they will learn about programs such as stress management and sleep education,” Van Orman said. “The last day we start at the BOSS Center, and talk about how we can build those social relationships and get involved in community service because those are important to our mental health.”

Van Orman said that, although September is Army Suicide Awareness Month, there are efforts year-round to promote suicide prevention training.

“We focus our awareness campaign in September, but we also focus on suicide prevention all year with training classes and outreach events,” he said.

Participants in the early-morning snowshoe hike represented units from across the 10th Mountain Division, and Van Orman encouraged them to be social and talk with Soldiers outside their brigade or company.

Capt. Rosa Chavez, with B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, said the event was a good way to build camaraderie and raise awareness.

“We had a loss in our unit just last year,” she said. “So it was important to me to show Soldiers what we have available in our Suicide Prevention Program, especially for new Soldiers coming into the 10th Mountain Division (LI) who don’t know about these programs.”

The Fort Drum Suicide Prevention Program office is located in the Soldier and Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 10250, 4th Armored Division Drive. For more information, call (315) 772-9018.

For information about the Army Suicide Prevention Program, visit http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide.

The Military Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource for all service members to speak with trained counselors. Call 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) or text 838255.

Eight years ago, the Kremlin annexed the Crimea peninsula, an act globally condemned as breaking international law. Putin has since amassed an estimated 150,000 ground troops near the border of Ukraine, threatening a full-scale invasion. Washington’s response is now reminiscent of the escalations that fueled the ongoing feud between the two superpowers during the Cold War. The Biden administration says that this sudden deployment of paratroopers and other soldiers is not intended as preparation for a fight with the Russians in Ukraine should they invade. Instead, the White House insists that U.S. troops will serve as an element of international aid to Americans and refugees escaping the potential military conflict.

I wish I could believe that.

I wish I could believe that we sent the 82nd anywhere “just to help.” But that’s not what the 82nd does.

I know the level of terror and mayhem just one battalion of elite paratroopers from this division can deliver — because from 2002 to 2006 I was an infantry squad leader in the 82nd helping to deliver it. For context, the 5,000 paratroopers gathering around Ukraine is about 4,500 more than it took us to occupy thousands of square miles in the most dangerous places on Earth during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 82nd Airborne Division is America’s rapid response infantry. It’s been called “The Presidential Unit,” as it can be ready to deploy to any point on the planet within 18 hours. The division’s unequaled readiness and level of training has made it one of the most utilized divisions since its inception in 1944 — especially over the past two decades. That’s the reason that someone like me, who signed up for just one enlistment, still managed three combat tours.

The 82nd was at the head of the fight in the European theater during WWII, when the Soviet Union was our ally. Military generals agreed that a new strategic and elite fighting unit was need in order to successfully invade Nazi-occupied France, one that could be expected to fight faster, harder and longer than any other troops on the ground. Out of this need came the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the latter of which is no longer active.

Paratroopers arrive on the field of battle by hurling themselves out of a moving airplane, oftentimes while under enemy fire. Their arrival in Europe marked the first time in the war that the Germans faced a formidable enemy. Those paratroopers were the tip of the spear in the victory at Normandy and the eventual defeat of the Nazi party.

During Vietnam, the 82nd Airborne was used in the cities of Hue and Khe Sanh, the bloodiest locations during and after the Tet Offensive of 1968. Since Vietnam, the 82nd is the only conventional military unit to engage in direct infantry and combat action in Grenada, Panama and the First Gulf War.

The 82nd has only been sent on one significant modern day peacekeeping mission — to provide extra security to the streets of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Most of the soldiers who went there were fresh back from a tour in Iraq. They were sent there to strike fear into the hearts of an already disenfranchised people — and it worked.

82nd Airborne paratroopers are not aid workers. They are not peacekeepers. They are not humanitarians. They are elite killers who train day in and day out to execute the bloodiest of missions.

I hold my time in the 82nd Airborne Division with equal parts pride and shame. Pride in knowing that I was part of one of the best fighting units the world has ever known. And shame in knowing what that means when you’re actually on the ground.

I say all this to hammer home the point that the 82nd Airborne is not deployed lightly. If paratroopers are on the ground, it means a fight is almost certainly imminent. As a student of history, and as a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division, I’m now dripping with unease.

At best, this deployment of paratroopers is a major show of force to Putin, stating that America will not stand by and let Russia invade Ukraine without a fight. At worst … frankly, I don’t want to speak it into being.

The ranks of the 82nd are made up of career combat soldiers. They are the very best at what they do. But, make no mistake, what they do is swiftly and efficiently kill enemy combatants.

Joseph Holsworth is a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is the author of two novels and holds a masters in fine arts in writing from California College of the Arts.

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va – The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command will host a Leader Professional Development webinar on the power of inclusion on Feb. 23, 2022.

Lt. Gen. Maria Gervais, TRADOC deputy commanding general, will host guest Dr. J. Bruce Stewart, retired Air Force Lt. Col., former deputy director for Diversity and Inclusion under the Obama Administration, and CEO of Small World Solutions.

Stewart will share what he has learned over the course of his involvement in various leadership and diversity initiatives, including his position as Air National Guard Director of Cultural Diversity Transformation.

One key lesson Stewart took with him from his experience was that racism and sexism were not always to blame for the racial, ethnic, and gender disparities that exist in society. He claims the innate cognitive biases of human beings influence behavior.

“From my experience, disparities can exist in large part due to our fundamental nature as social animals,” Stewart said. “It’s been well documented that, as human beings, we are creatures of habit and make most decisions highly influenced by our unconscious mind.”

A focus topic to be discussed during the LPD is how to consciously work on breaking down innate biases and form habits that foster a more inclusive environment.

How do we determine which behaviors need improvement? Stewart has created a new way of assessing where a company stands in regards to diversity and inclusion called the New Inclusion Quotient, or New IQ, that has now been adopted government-wide.

“When I assumed the role as the deputy director for Diversity and Inclusion during the Obama Administration, I quickly realized that the only measure of diversity and inclusion that existed within the federal government at that time was measuring demographics,” Stewart said. “To fully measure the impact of diversity, a meaningful measure of inclusion was required.”

The New IQ is an inclusive intelligence assessment that consists of 20 questions, or behaviors, grouped into five Habits of Inclusion: Fair, Open, Cooperative, Supportive, and Empowering.

“These behaviors can be learned, practiced, and developed into habits of inclusiveness and subsequently improve the inclusive intelligence of organizational members,” Stewart explained.

Based on the results of the assessment, the New IQ can provide useful information to organization leaders on how to improve their workplace inclusivity and diversity. In the upcoming LPD, Stewart will further explain the process behind utilizing the results of the New IQ.

When it comes to creating a more inclusive workplace environment in TRADOC and other Army organizations, Stewart advises to first apply the inclusion rule.

“The inclusion rule is to create a culture where all Soldiers feel a sense of belonging and are valued for the unique skills and perspectives they bring to the team. To do this, leaders need to model the five inclusive habits” he said.

This concept is similar to the Army People Strategy and changing the Army culture. The APS states that in the 21st century, the question for leaders is not whether culture should change, but how it should change, and that we must “amplify the positive behaviors that align with our vision of cohesive teams: civility and positive relationships; diversity, equity and inclusion; honor and respect; empathy; and care for Soldier and Civilian well-being.”

If there is one lesson Stewart would like the audience to take from the upcoming LPD discussion it is “effective leaders in the 21st century lead from the inside out, not the top down.”

“Effective leaders focus on connecting, not commanding,” he said. “They don’t view their Soldiers in just terms of human capital but more importantly in terms of building social capital. They realize leaders are only as effective as their teams and teams succeed through effective teamwork, and inclusion is the engine of effective teamwork.”

To view and participate in the LPD discussion, visit TRADOC’s Facebook page, DVIDs, or the TRADOC watch page at www.tradoc.army.mil/watch/ where you can submit questions to be answered throughout the session by LPD panelists.

By Sgt. Savannah Roy | February 20, 2022

Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. – Leaders and Soldiers from across the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, gathered to witness Lothar “Joe” Funke, a U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran, receive his gold spurs after 50 years, Feb. 17 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.

The “Order of the Spur” is a timeless cavalry tradition that allows Soldiers to earn gold spurs by serving in combat, or earn silver spurs by successfully completing a unit spur ride event.

“All Soldiers who support combat operations while assigned or attached to a cavalry unit earn gold spurs,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Paulus, the commander of the 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd CAB. “It is the cavalry equivalent of a combat patch, and denotes those troopers as combat Veterans.”

Funke was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966 as an artilleryman. Shortly after basic and advanced training, Funke was deployed to Vietnam. There, he served as a UH-1 helicopter door gunner for the 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) from 1967-1968.

“The U.S. Air Cavalry came into being during the Vietnam War, and troopers like Sgt. Funke were at the vanguard of its development,” said Paulus. “He and his fellow Veteran troopers established the foundation upon which our Squadron is built.”

When Funke left the U.S. Army in 1972, he was never awarded his gold spurs for combat operations in Vietnam. Fifty years later, the 3rd Sqn., 17th Cav. Regt., command team embraced the opportunity to induct Funke into the Order of the Gold Spur, finally presenting him with the coveted gold spurs.

“The opportunity for us to present Sgt. Funke with his spurs after 50 years is an honor for the Squadron and one that we could not pass up,” said Paulus. “It is a testament to the traditions and brotherhood that the U.S. Cavalry embodies – once a cavalryman, always a cavalryman.”

The 3rd ID commanding general, Maj. Gen. Charles Costanza, appreciated the opportunity for the Division to provide overdue recognition and gratitude.

“Vietnam Veterans fought and served under extremely challenging conditions, and were not always welcomed or commended when they returned home,” he said. “It means a lot to us that more than 50 years later, this generation of Marne Soldiers could contribute to Mr. Funke being properly recognized for his service to our nation.”

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