The Association of the U.S. Army hopes chapters and members will join a push to restore stability and provide full funding for America’s Army.

The 2017 AUSA Member Advocacy Campaign, officially launched Aug. 1, could help the Army get a 10 percent budget increase—about $15 billion—and steady, predictable funding so it can address priorities in a sensible manner. The campaign also fulfills a request from members to be more involved in AUSA’s core mission of being a voice for the Army.

As a nonpartisan educational nonprofit, AUSA is not involved in partisan political issues. That does not mean the association cannot be involved in educating members of the House of Representatives and Senate about the national security risk and harm to the Army if the chaotic federal budget situation isn’t resolved.

The materials you’ll need to write, call or meet with your elected congressional officials are available at www.ausa.org/voiceforarmy, including background material on the problem, sample letters for your representatives and senators and tips on how to meet with them or their staffs in August when most members of Congress are back in their districts and states. You’ll need to sign in to the site with your AUSA login and password.

The advocacy program even includes rewards for participation.

“Let your federal elected leaders hear your voice in this organized campaign. Only Congress can stop the damage that the defense caps are causing our Army, and they will not act unless their constituents urge them to do their job to provide for the common defense. Please join us in this all-out effort to get our soldiers the resources they need to do what our country asks of them,” said John Gifford, AUSA director of Government Relations.