November 7, 2005



We are coming upon one of the most important days of the year – Veterans' Day – where we as a nation pause and recall the service of millions of men and women to their nation.

Nov. 11 marked the signing of the armistice that stilled the guns of World War I. That was to have been “the war to end all wars.” It was not to be.

As I write this, thousands of American servicemen and servicewomen are directly engaged in the Global War on Terrorism. It is a conflict that has lasted longer than the United States’ involvement in World War II, a prolonged struggle that finished with a victory over the Nazis in Germany, the fascists in Italy and the militarists in Japan.

I was particularly moved by the coverage in ARMY and AUSA NEWS on the overseas cemeteries and memorials maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission and how they “honor this inspiring and continuing military heritage of competence, courage and sacrifice,” in the words of Gen. Frederick Franks, USA, Ret., the commission’s chairman.

Veterans form a core constituency of AUSA membership, and we have been a vigorous advocate on veterans issues before the Congress. These issues from education to health care to home ownership and more are included in our recently adopted resolutions.

I recently sent a note to say thanks to all chapter, state and regional volunteer leaders for the terrific effort they put in that resulted in 117 chapters voting on the 2006 resolutions, our legislative agenda for the year. This is grassroots activity at its very best and will allow us to represent all – today’s veterans, tomorrow’s veterans and every part of the AUSA membership more vigorously on Capitol Hill. Last year we had 80 chapters participate. The quantum leap this year says a lot about our leaders at region and chapter level. You are truly engaged. To all – thanks and hooah. Tremendous effort!

Let’s look at the resolutions and what your Association is working on.

AUSA’s 2006 resolutions include calls to “eliminate inadequate Army family housing by 2007 and renovate soldiers’ barracks to one plus one by 2008,” “eliminate the pay gap [between military and civilian pay] and make pay commensurate with level of responsibility and maintain comparability in the out years” and “modernize the reserve component retirement system and reduce the age at which retired RC personnel begin to receive their pay and benefits from 60 to 55.”

The Resolutions Committee was very aware of the changes expected to the Department of Defense civilian personnel system. “We want to ensure that the National Security Personnel System gives the Army the ability to hire quickly, deploy rapidly, train, develop and retain a quality civilian workforce without infringing on workers rights."

The resolutions, drafted during our Annual Meeting in early October and sent to our 126 chapters shortly afterward, form the basis of the Association’s legislative agenda.

In addition to people issues, such as pay, housing and health care, the resolutions address readiness issues. The global war on terrorism is a “protracted conflict against implacable enemies” that “is occurring in a security environment that is dangerous, uncertain, complex and ambiguous,” the resolutions state.

The readiness section of the resolutions also addressed concerns over paying for base realignment and closure and supporting soldiers and their families returning from Europe and Korea to installations in the United States with proper housing, offices, training facilities and schools for their children.

Our resolutions reflect our deepest belief that there cannot be a “time out” for readiness at our installations and in resetting the operational fleet of aircraft and vehicles. We recognize that to do this the Department of Defense’s budget needs to grow to 4 percent from the current 3.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, and the Army’s share of that budget needs to grow from 24 percent to 28 percent of the defense budget.

The resolutions look to the future needs of the Army through its science and technology program. We know that soldiers today are benefiting from technologies that came from past investments, such as advanced fiber technologies that led to lighter weight ballistic protection. We see how some technologies intended for future use but paid for now can be used to protect soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. A good example of that would be radio frequency jamming technologies to defeat radio-controlled improvised explosive devices today.

Likewise we are leveraging this expertise in science and technology to solve unforeseen problems such as the rapid design and fielding of add-on survivability kits for Humvees.

William Loper, AUSA’s director of government affairs, said 80 chapters voted on the resolutions last year. He credited the increase turnout to the efforts of regional presidents “to get out the vote.”