February 8, 2022
Whether
it is defending the country at home or overseas, our nation counts on
the United States Army to be the first line of defense. We stand ready
to deter and defend around the globe, as the tip of the spear in Europe
and the backbone of joint operations in the Indo-Pacific. The Army
surges in times of crisis and is ready when called upon to fight and win
the nation’s wars.
We
are navigating an unpredictable future, and our nation and our Army are
at an inflection point. Building on our strong foundational priorities
of people, modernization, and readiness, I have defined six objectives
to help guide the force through these shifting times. Through these
objectives, my goal is to enable the Total Army to achieve specific and
tangible outcomes that we can continue to advance in the years ahead.
As we emerge from two decades of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, my first objective is to put the Army on a sustainable strategic path amidst this uncertainty.
The Army must find a way to field the cutting-edge formations we need
to conduct multi-domain operations while facing increased fiscal
pressures. This means difficult choices must be made to sustain and
strengthen U.S. deterrence with China as the pacing challenge and Russia
as an acute threat we also confront. Charting this path requires a
commitment to innovation and experimenting with new ways of operating. The
work that is being done in Project Convergence to bring together our
sister Services to test new operational concepts and digital
technologies is the kind of innovative approach we need to win the
future fight. My
second objective is to ensure the Army becomes more data-centric and
can conduct operations in contested environments, which will enable our
ability to prevail on the future battlefield. Doing
so will allow us to embrace emerging technologies to become a more
effective and efficient force that can project power in cyberspace and
defend our networks, weapons, and data from cyber threats.
My third objective is to continue our efforts to be resilient in the face of climate change.
As the planet warms, the polar ice caps melt, and extreme weather
becomes commonplace, the Army must adapt its installations, acquisition
programs, and training to be able to operate in a changing environment
and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our future readiness depends on it.
The
cornerstone of America’s Army is our people. Three of my six objectives
are focused on caring for our Soldiers, families, and Army civilians
who are the very foundation of Army excellence. My fourth objective is to build positive command climates at scale across all Army formations. This
starts with continued Army leadership and must be developed both from
the top down and the bottom up. Character and culture matter, and I am
committed to ensuring that we select the best possible leaders and give
them the tools and resources to care for their Soldiers. My fifth objective is to reduce harmful behaviors in our Army.
This is integral to sustaining a positive command climate at scale. We
need to shift from responding to harmful events after they have happened
to finding ways to prevent them. To do that we must develop and
institutionalize prevention-oriented approaches that year after year
will reduce the frequency of harmful behaviors such as sexual harassment
and assault, extremist activity, racism, and domestic violence. We need
to do more to prevent suicide in the Army. I call on leaders to
continue making clear that there is no stigma associated with taking
care of yourself and your family. We should strive to connect our
Soldiers with the necessary resources for their wellbeing. The Army is
its people, and a strong, healthy, resilient, trained force is the most
important indicator of our readiness. Finally, the Army is the world’s
premiere land fighting force because we have brought the nation’s best
into our ranks. But the talent and recruiting landscape is changing
rapidly, so my sixth objective is to strategically adapt the way we
recruit and retain talent into the Army in order to sustain the
all-volunteer force. We need to tell the Army’s story in new ways to
ensure we remain the first choice for Americans who want to serve their
country. We need to reach out to Americans from all backgrounds,
talents, and geographies and give them multiple reasons to come in and
stay in our great Army. My goal is to help all Americans to be able to
see themselves in what the Army has to offer.
I
am excited to continue working with General McConville, Sergeant Major
of the Army Grinston and senior leaders throughout the force on the
extraordinary opportunities that lay before the Total Army. I look
forward to hearing from all of you about how things are across the
force. The tasks ahead of us are bigger than any one of us and need
every Soldier’s and Army civilian’s efforts if we are to be successful.
Army Strong.
//SIGNED//
Christine E. Wormuth
Secretary of the Army
