Notations From the Grid (Special Thursday Edition): Thoughts & Ideas Courtesy AUSA

1  Not Ready Is OK Describing the Army’s new battalion commander screening process, Maj. Gen. Joseph McGee said there will be no “negative mark” against officers determined to not be ready for command. “It just says developmentally there is something you need to work on,” said McGee, director of the Army Talent Management Task Force. What to Watch: Screening of about 800 majors and lieutenant colonels as part of the Battalion Commander Assessment Program began Jan. 15 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and will wrap up on Feb. 9. 2  Trustworthy Soldiers A survey of trustworthiness by SafeHome.org found soldiers ranked sixth in the nation in terms of authority figures, behind paramedics, firefighters, doctors and teachers, but far ahead of judges, TSA agents and politicians. “People in positions of power were generally considered less trustworthy than people in positions of service,” the survey report said. What to Watch: A 68% trustworthiness rating for soldiers—the only military service included in the survey—puts troops just ahead of judges and police as authority figures in a poll that showed 44% said they “feel nervous” when people in uniform are in public places. 3  Urgent Pace The Army needs “to create a sense of urgency in the defense industry,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters in a discussion about modernization. “We need them to invest. We need them to invest in tooling, research and development, to put their best engineers against projects and build capability.” What to Watch: McCarthy is worried about the Army losing momentum. “The world is a very complex and dangerous place,” he said. “We cannot afford to wait around.” 4  AUSA Scholarships The Association of the U.S. Army awarded more than $315,000 in national-level scholarships at the end of 2019. For 2020, the scholarship schedule is changing. Applications will be accepted from Feb. 1 until May 15, with awards announced by mid-August. What to Watch: You must be an AUSA member to receive a scholarship, but nonmembers may join to receive eligibility. Details on available scholarships and the application process can be found here: https://info.ausa.org/e/784783/resources-scholarships/bj1v/75790587?h=ZTSoS_10ghVtDb9NavTVVzHpCdilxJUf2_ou2Zb8tLI 5  Recalling Rampage James Scott’s 2018 book, Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila, focuses on the 29-day battle to liberate the Philippine capital that was seized by the Japanese in January 1942 and which Gen. Douglas MacArthur was determined to free. The result was the destruction of the city and a massacre of the population, one of the most brutal battles of World War II. What to Watch: Scott will speak tomorrow at AUSA as part of the Lemnitzer Lecture Series. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and his presentation starts at 6 p.m.  For more information: https://info.ausa.org/e/784783/-lemnitzer-lecture-james-scott/bj2g/75790587?h=ZTSoS_10ghVtDb9NavTVVzHpCdilxJUf2_ou2Zb8tLI. Media may also register on-site.