match and imposing costs in contested environments, converting faster isolation, decisive exploitation, and rapid regener- ation into operational tempo and decision advantage. Strategically, this advances deterrence credibility and warfighting readiness. To secure this future, we must impose institutional imperatives upon our- selves: codify the IER framework, stan- dardize our control measures, scale in- novation from the bottom up, and align our training and sustainment enterprises to the realities of contested, multi-do- main operations. By doing so, we will em- power the Armor branch to fight and win for generations to come, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the Army’s transformation.
Colonel Bryan Bonnema is currently the Brigade Commander for the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Divi- sion, operating in the EUCOM area of re- sponsibility. His key command and lead- ership roles include commanding the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment and G3 of the 1st Armored Division. COL Bonne- ma has been awarded the Purple Heart and two Bronze Star Medals. His educa- tion includes a bachelor of science from the United States Military Academy, a master of military art and science from Air University, and a master of strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Major Aram Hatfield is currently serving as the Operations Officer (S3) for the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infan- try Division, at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Major Hatfield’s key previous assignments include serving as the Executive Officer for the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment; a G5 Planner for the 3rd Infantry Division; and commanding A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment. He holds a bachelor of science from the United States Military Academy, a master of science from Eas-
Figure 4. RACER technologies that enable Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) to maneuver on unstructured, off-road terrain at speeds that are only limited by considerations of sensor performance, mechanical constraints, and safety. (Photo by Thomas Sakell)
tern Michigan University, and a master of arts from the School of Advanced Military Studies.
Major David R. Sturm is currently serving as the Brigade Intelligence Officer (S2) for the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort Stewart, Georgia. A graduate of the School of Ad- vanced Military Studies at Fort Leaven- worth, his previous key assignments in- clude serving as a G5 Intelligence Planner for the 3rd Infantry Division and as a Bri- gade/Battalion Intelligence OC/T for the Operations Group at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California. MAJ Sturm commanded a Military Intelligence
Company and served as a Battalion Intel- ligence Officer while assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st In- fantry Division, at Fort Riley, Kansas. He earned a bachelor of science in psych- ology from Texas A&M University.
Notes 1 U.S. Department of Defense, “Auton- omy in Weapon Systems,” DoD Direc- tive 3000.09 (Washington, DC: Office of the Secretary of Defense, January 25, 2023).
NOTE: The authors acknowledge using Ask Sage for brainstorming, prose re- finement, and formatting assistance in preparing this article.
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