Secretary of the Army

Sat down today with Army leaders, acquisition professionals, and industry partners at the Army’s Low-Cost Interceptor Industry Day to advance scalable solutions for emerging aerial threats. Through collaboration and open dialogue, participants explored ways to empower industry partners to build faster, at lower cost, and at greater scale to ensure we protect America and our allies against all future threats 🇺🇸

Sat down with Finnish Minister of Defense @anttihakkanen and Commander of the Finnish Army Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki to discuss how we continue building on an already strong partnership. As NATO Allies, our armies are preparing for the realities of modern warfare and ensuring our Soldiers have the capabilities needed to deter, fight, and win. The future belongs to nations that are ready and willing to work together to adapt.

Today at EUROSATORY, 10 nations signed a Statement of Intent to join the @USArmy’s UAS and C-UAS Marketplace. This marketplace will change how we work with allies and partners and bring critical technology from industry to the warfighter faster than ever before. The future fight is changing quickly, and we are committed to changing with it. Together, we are building a more lethal force prepared to fight and win.

Part 5 of 5. Modernization. The Army’s 251-year legacy was built by generations who understood a simple truth. We either adapt or we fall behind. Now it is our turn. We are moving faster, breaking old models, and building an Army prepared to dominate the battlefield for the next 251 years.

Part 4 of 5. Drones. For 251 years, the Army has adapted to the changing character of war. Today, drones represent the next evolution in how humans inflict violence upon one another. The Army is not waiting to catch up. We are moving faster, learning faster, and making sure our Soldiers have the advantage.

Part 3 of 5. Readiness. The Army has spent 251 years preparing for the next fight. That mission has not changed, but the battlefield has. Through efforts like Operation Jailbreak, we are breaking down barriers between systems and making sure our Soldiers can move faster than our adversaries.

Part 2 of 5. People. 251 years of Army history comes down to one thing. Our people. Our Soldiers give everything to this Nation, and they deserve an Army that gives them the tools and support to succeed. We are rethinking how we take care of our people and building a better everyday experience for Soldiers and their families.

Part 1 of 5. Building Systems. For 251 years, the Army has changed to meet the needs of the Nation. Today, that means changing the way we build. We are fixing the systems behind the force, investing where it matters, and moving faster so Soldiers have what they need to win.

Visited Allegany Ballistics Laboratory and Joint Systems Manufacturing Center–Lima to meet the Americans building the future of our Army. The battlefield is changing, and our industrial base has to change with it. We are moving with urgency to make sure our Soldiers are ready.

82 years ago today, nearly 160,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, launching the liberation of Europe. We are free because they were brave. 🇺🇸

This week, I met with defense industry leaders and Army partners to discuss efforts to accelerate production, strengthen the industrial base, and deliver critical capabilities to Soldiers at speed and scale. From advanced munitions manufacturing to modernization initiatives across the force, these engagements reinforced the importance of collaboration between government and industry to ensure our Army remains ready for future challenges. 🇺🇸

Spent last week with the Soldiers, engineers, and innovators shaping the future fight. From testing at White Sands to connecting our systems through Operation Jailbreak, the Army is moving fast. And we’re just getting started.

Visited Fort Carson to see Operation Jailbreak up close. The people in this photo represent a small part of a much larger team working every day to solve one of the @USArmy’s toughest challenges. Their work is helping us connect systems that were never meant to work together. Now, legacy systems are talking to each other for the first time as we move toward a truly integrated force.

Today I visited White Sands Missile Range to see firsthand the technologies reshaping modern warfare. The scale of their airspace allows the @USArmy to test UAS and counter-UAS capabilities at scale, making this one of the most important proving grounds in the world.

The right to integrate is happening now. Soldiers, engineers, and industry partners are working together on the largest hackathon in history. They're tearing down barriers between systems and proving that we can move faster when we stop accepting the status quo.

From the very beginning, this nation has been defended by ordinary Americans willing to answer an extraordinary call to serve. Memorial Day is a reminder that our freedoms were paid for by Soldiers who gave everything, and by the families who carry that sacrifice long after the battlefield falls silent. Today we pause to remember the fallen, honor the Gold Star Families who keep their memory alive, and recommit ourselves to never letting their legacy fade with time. This We’ll Defend.

Today, I met with Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, @ZalewskiPawel, as Poland officially signed a Statement of Intent to join the @USArmy Counter-UAS Marketplace. During our discussion, we emphasized how this critical marketplace strengthens the national security of both our nations. Together with all our participating partners, we are committed to building a more integrated and robust UAS and C-UAS ecosystem.

Testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee-Defense on the Army's effort to expand strategic partnerships with private industry through the use of underutilized installation land. By aligning Army infrastructure with private sector capital, energy development, and computing capacity, we will accelerate modernization while building the technological foundation required for the future fight at no cost to the American tax payer.

Today, I spoke with the Senate Appropriations Committee-Defense on the counter-drone marketplace we are building to share information and equipment with our international parters. The faster we can connect industry, partners, and Soldiers to the right capabilities, the faster we can stay ahead of emerging threats.