From left, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III, Mike Conklin, Steve Dunning, Bonnie Carroll, Dr. Edmund Tramont, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, and David Feherty pose for a group photo after the Outstanding Civilian Service Award presentation during the Twilight Tattoo ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Oct. 11, 2012.

Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, speaks with Soldiers training at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La. Austin visited the post Oct. 11, 2012, to observe the first JRTC and Fort Polk Decisive Action rotation and meet with Soldiers on resilience, readiness and the health of the force.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and wife Linda pose for a photograph with Wounded Warriors at the Nationals vs Cardinals game at Nationals Stadium in Washington, D.C., Oct. 10, 2012. Wounded Warriors and active duty service members were honored during the game with a standing ovation by fans.

Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal discusses Army Transformation, Business Transformation and Army Equipment Modernization during Government Executive Leadership Briefing's "Fireside Chats", Oct. 10, 2012, at the National Press Club, Washington, DC. The moderated forum included government and defense industry executives and discussions on the impact of sequestration on Army programs, current operations in Afghanistan, business transformation initiatives, and posturing the Army for the future. Under Secretary Westphal underscored the importance of Army initiatives to address suicide (Ready and Resilient), fiscal challenges and the Army's commitment to Soldiers and leader development to meet current and future requirements. "We really have to focus on our people. They are our strength. The first thing we have to do as we transition to a smaller force, and into a force of a future, is invest in these individuals. We will maintain the best educated Army in history and it's critical that we continue making investments to ensure that in the future," Westphal commented. Government Executive Leadership Briefings are a moderated breakfast-time event that are hosted by the Government Executive Media Group. The forum is designed to promote open discussions amongst federal and industry leaders about current issues.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh speaks during the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention press conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2012. To the right of McHugh is Kathleen Sebelius, secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; to her right is Gordon Smith, president and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters; to McHugh's left is W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and to his left Dr. Regina Benjamin, U.S. surgeon general.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno presents a Purple Heart medal to a Soldier during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Zangabad, Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2012. The medals were presented to Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. Odierno is in Afghanistan visiting troops and meeting with leadership.

Under Secretary of the U.S. Army Joseph W. Westphal, originally from Chile, gives words of encouragement at the 9th National Latina Symposium, highlighting that the strength of the U.S. Army is its diversity, Sept. 6, 2012, in Arlington, Va. The symposium was held by Latina Style Magazine, which showcases Latina achievements in all areas, including business, science, civic affairs, education, entertainment, sports, and the arts. Over 500 Hispanic leaders and service members from across the country participated in this event, which is the largest annual gathering of Latina leaders in the United States.

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III briefs a congressional panel on Traumatic Brain Injury, Sept. 6, 2012, in Washington, D.C. Also in attendance were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA/1), and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL/9).

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler delivers remarks, June 27, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., for National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.

Gen. Dennis Via, commanding general, United States Army Materiel Command, explains how specific Abram's tank parts are refurbished to Secretary of the Army John McHugh during a tour of Anniston Army Depot's Combat Vehicle Repair Facility, Sept. 7, 2012, in Anniston, Ala.

Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal welcomes Soldiers in the 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry, Minnesota Army National Guard, returning from a deployment in support of Operation New Dawn during a visit to the Camp Ripley Training Center, Minn., Sept. 22, 2012. The unit conducted their 90-day reintegration events, which included container operations, supply inventories and periodic health assessments.

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III asks a question about resilience to Col. Kenneth Riddle, director of Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness, during a senior-leader briefing for the Army-wide suicide prevention stand down, Sept. 27, 2012.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler III, left, listens to an explanation of the Army warping tug from Sgt. Juan Vivar, right, a warping tug coxswain assigned to the 331st Transportation Company, 10th Transportation Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, during a visit to 3rd Port on Fort Eustis, Va., June 5, 2012.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh speaks with Maj. Gen. B. Bayarmagnai, deputy chief of general staff, Mongolian Armed Forces, and an exercise participant about the various courses held during exercise Khaan Quest 2012, at the Mongolian Armed Forces Peace Support Center in the vicinity of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Aug. 15, 2012. Khaan Quest is regularly scheduled multinational exercise sponsored by U.S. Army Pacific and hosted annually by the Mongolian Armed Forces.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond Chandler III stressed the importance of a professional culture in the Army while speaking to a group composed mostly of first sergeants at Fort Bliss, Texas, June 20, 2012. Chandler visited with Soldiers on Fort Bliss throughout the day.