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The Army’s chief of staff says the National Guard’s readiness is crucial in an increasingly "volatile" world.
Gen. Randy A. George added the Total Army — including the Guard — must transform how it operates to keep up with rapid changes in technology.
"It is a dangerous world," he told Guardsmen at the 146th NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition in Detroit Saturday. "It is something I haven’t seen in my time in uniform.
"The best armies in the world figure out how they are going to transform, and they adapt," George continued. "We have to be urgent."
George cited recent events in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the South China Sea as concerns for the Total Army.
He added that building "lethal and cohesive teams" is a key factor for maintaining readiness across the entire service.
"Given the world we are talking about, from my perspective, what America expects us to do is be as ready as we can be," George stated.
"We have to figure out how we will adapt to the modern battlefield," he asserted. "As leaders, we’ve got to figure out how we solve these problems."
George listed several focus areas for the Army in coming years, including delivering ready combat formations and continuous transformation.
For instance, George said the Army wants to continuously test things in different environments, with users, testers and developers all contributing to the process.
"A lot of things that would work here in Michigan won’t work in the Philippines due to the humidity," he said of continuous testing. "We can’t let technology encumber us. We have to let technology help us."
George answered audience questions after his remarks, discussing topics that included the Army’s warrant officers, incentive-pay parity and force protection for drone attacks.
In one exchange, George described lessons the Army has learned about drone warfare from the war between Russia and Ukraine.
"It is a lesson observed until you actually change how you train and operate and change how you operate and change how you buy things," he said.
George reminded his audience that "being a professional is the foundation of who we are in the military."
"It is what gives us trust with the American public," he said. "It shows we have standards and discipline in our formations."
George additionally praised the Guard for keeping "very busy" in recent years, adding that the nation will need the "whole Army" in the future.
"I’m proud of what you’re doing out there for our country," he said. "Keep it up. I think this is critically important."
George’s address at the NGAUS conference will be available soon through the association’s YouTube page.
— By Mark Hensch
