WASHINGTON (Oct. 17, 2013) – Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno laid out his strategic priorities, in an email to the entire force, and with an attached document, for the Total Army — the active-duty Army, the Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve — so they will remain ready to accomplish the range of military operations they may perform in an unpredictable future.
It read:
As your 38th Army Chief of Staff, I have visited with Soldiers serving around the world as well as at our installations across the United States. At every location our Soldiers, civilians, and family members have inspired me with their passion, courage, and commitment to each other, to our Army, and to the nation.
Our Army serves in a period of dynamic uncertainty. International threats by both state and non-state actors to America’s national interests and those of our Allies and partners are in the headlines every day. The unpredictability so prominent in the contemporary security environment will almost certainly remain a characteristic of the future.
In this challenging environment, it is essential that our Total Army — the active-duty Army, the Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve — be ready to accomplish the range of military operations we are directed to perform. Our leaders and the American public rightly place their confidence in our professional competence and character, and they expect us to succeed.
While we continue to support our Soldiers and civilians who are in harm’s way around the world, we are making changes to our institutions and processes to ensure that we are maximizing the limited resources available to the Army.
To communicate my intent for how the Army must move forward, I am publishing here the following five priorities:
– Adaptive Army Leaders for a Complex World
– A Globally Responsive and Regionally Engaged Army
– A Ready and Modern Army
– Soldiers Committed to Our Army Profession
– The Premier All-Volunteer Army
These priorities are the basis for the objectives outlined in the upcoming 2014 Army Strategic Planning Guidance. That Strategic Guidance will provide the Total Army a definitive statement of our mission as we look ahead to build upon our hard-earned experiences of the previous decade of war and toward a future that poses distinct challenges of its own.
The attached document explains my priorities. I expect every member of the Total Army to know these and to implement decisions and actions in accordance with them. I look forward to discussing them with you further as I visit your duty locations.
Army Strong!
Raymond T. Odierno
General, 38th Chief of Staff
United States Army