ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

“Budget,” the current buzz word in Washington, D.C., applies to both the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and the president’s budget request for fiscal 2019.

On Feb. 9, Congress passed and the president signed, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892), a two-year deal that raises discretionary caps for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 by $296 billion.

Defense spending caps will be increased by $80 billion in fiscal 2018, setting the cap at $629 billion.

Add the overseas contingency account and the total discretionary spending for defense will rise to $700 billion. For fiscal 2019, the caps will be...

The U.S. Army is looking for the best and brightest college students in the country to lead America’s soldiers as they conduct operations around the world – from relief efforts in Puerto Rico to combat operations in the Middle East.

The Army understands that college students are seeking a meaningful career once their collegiate days are over.

The Army is offering a limited opportunity to current college sophomores who have the physical stamina and mental agility to lead America’s Army tomorrow and into the future. A newly established $5,000 bonus will be awarded to current college sophomores who...

The AUSA Monmouth Chapter’s “Jewel in the Crown” is the Gingerbread Ball that benefits Fisher House Foundation, held this year at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa, a chapter Community Partner.

The Monmouth Chapter co-hosted this event with four other organizations, to include AUSA Community Partner, Association of Old Crows, Garden State Chapter; The New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade; and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, Greater Monmouth Chapter; and the Army Aviation Association of America, Mid-Atlantic Chapter.

The evening began with a VIP reception for sponsors, and...

Patricia McQuistion gave the U.S. Army 35 years of her life. To her, that was not enough.

The retired lieutenant general now serves as the Association of the United States Army vice president for membership and meetings.

She joined the civilian organization shortly after her retirement and focuses on ways to strengthen a group that supports the Army in several ways.

“I came into the Army from birth. My dad retired as a first sergeant, I joined ROTC and after college, I joined,” McQuistion told the audience at the AUSA Fort Rucker-Wiregrass Chapter’s annual Kick-Off Luncheon at the Dothan Civic...

Last year, the AUSA membership team and our association chapters had a very productive year.

Facing the 2017 goal of 100,000 members by the end of the year, we focused our efforts on our chapter volunteers.

AUSA staff members visited many chapters where they observed, surveyed, listened and learned from our volunteer leaders about the rewards and challenges they faced while generating ideas and initiatives to increase their membership at the local level.

We, at national headquarters, put those insights and recommendations to good use by producing and introducing the AUSA Skills Knowledge (ASK)...

Member Benefits – What’s New?

AUSA is celebrating its 13th consecutive month of membership growth.

We’re excited to welcome our newest members from the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), the Patriot Project and the Civil Affairs Association.

We invite you to take advantage of all the savings available to you with your membership. Visit www.ausa.org/perks for a current listing.

Lower premiums, more coverage

We’re in the midst of revamping some of the AUSA group insurance programs to bring you even better protection and value.

On Jan. 1, premiums on AUSA’s...

In 2017, the AUSA Family Readiness Directorate focused heavily on educational forums and outreach to our currently serving population of military families.

We began the year by providing a family forum at the Global Force Symposium and Exhibition.

The discussion, titled “Warrior and Family Wellness: It Takes a Team,” featured speakers and panelists from the Army Surgeon General’s office, the Redstone Arsenal Community Health Clinic staff, and a representative from the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology.

In April, which is the Month of the Military Child, we partnered with Our Military Kids...

Greetings from the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), our Army’s association for education and professional development and a major supporter of the Army’s Soldier for Life efforts.

I had the opportunity to start this New Year with soldiers and their leadership in San Antonio, Texas, for the annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

The All-American Bowl, for those who have never heard of the venue, is recognized by many as the nation’s premier high school football all-star sporting event.

For 19 years, the All-American Bowl serves as the pre-eminent launching pad for America’s future...

2017 was quite a year for AUSA. It seems the year simply zoomed by, a blur in many respects. So much changed: a new Commander-In-Chief; a new Secretary of Defense; and, after some delay, a new Secretary of the Army. For our Association, a new Chairman of our Council of Trustees, two new Chapters – Charleston and UAE – and many new Chapter Presidents.

The Army announced formation of a new Futures Command during our Annual Meeting and Exposition, and our series of Senior Executive Roundtables, Hot Topics and Institute of Land Warfare events proved immensely beneficial to the Army and to our...

Nominations to serve on the Association of the United States Army’s Council of Trustees were submitted by the national nominating committee to the council for consideration at its meeting in late January.

Four serving council members, Thomas Arseneault, Leanne Caret, Maj. Gen. Patricia P. Hickerson, U.S. Army, Ret.; Gen. Carl E. Vuono, U.S. Army, Ret., and Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, U.S. Army, Ret., currently serving as vice chairman for National Guard and Reserve Affairs were nominated to serve as trustees for three-year terms.

In addition, Frank St. John was nominated and elected to complete the...

Although we don’t like to admit this obvious point, the United States is a military empire. The U.S. does not claim ownership of foreign territories to the extent that Rome and Great Britain once did, but it does maintain a dominant worldwide military presence. At any given time, the U.S. Army has approximately 180,000 soldiers deployed to over 140 countries.

America’s enduring military operations in other countries create significant moral questions for its military professionals. To what extent should leaders risk their own soldiers’ lives to protect the lives of foreign civilians? Should it...

Senior leaders are betting the Army’s future on guerilla-warfare-like teams to battle an enemy that threatens to weaken its overmatch.

The enemy comes from within—an entrenched bureaucratic culture that hinders the decision-making process on weapons and systems. It’s to the point that the world’s greatest land force moves so slowly in fielding new capabilities that some things—especially when it comes to advanced technology and computer systems—are almost obsolete by the time they end up in the hands of soldiers.

The bureaucracy-killer the Army will deploy as early as this summer is a new...

Senior leaders are betting the Army’s future on guerilla-warfare-like teams to battle an enemy that threatens to weaken its overmatch.

The enemy comes from within—an entrenched bureaucratic culture that hinders the decision-making process on weapons and systems. It’s to the point that the world’s greatest land force moves so slowly in fielding new capabilities that some things—especially when it comes to advanced technology and computer systems—are almost obsolete by the time they end up in the hands of soldiers.

The bureaucracy-killer the Army will deploy as early as this summer is a new...

Critical to the materiel enterprise’s efforts to achieve materiel readiness is long-term strategic planning with the combatant commands. The U.S. Army Materiel Command is a supporting organization—the Army’s principal logistics and sustainment command, responsible for synchronizing materiel activities across the force. As we continue to focus on materiel readiness, with Army formations that are ready to “deploy now,” we must also look ahead to the next level of readiness: mobilization and proficiency in projecting and receiving our equipment.

As the Army’s senior logistician, I challenged the...

Perhaps one of the most iconic uniforms of World War II was the Army officer’s uniform, better known as the “pinks and greens.” Pink and green may not be the colors that come to mind when you think of the U.S. military, but in World War II those were the colors that led America to victory.

Officers who wore this uniform over 70 years ago remember the style to this day. But if it was loved and admired by so many, why was it removed from service?

As the new year is upon us, a development team is finalizing details to bring back the uniform, and making minor changes to the style that was unveiled...