In 2021, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) will advocate in support of our Focus Areas for the Total Army and our membership:

• Total Army: Regular, National Guard, Reserve, Army civilians, families, veterans and retirees
• AUSA membership: Individual members, National and Community Partners, and like-minded associations

1. On-time Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act

   Pass the FY 2022 Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Appropriations, and pass the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act on time (by October 1, 2021).

2. People First Support the Army People Strategy for Regular Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Soldiers, Army Civilians, and Army Families.

   Support diversity and inclusion initiatives to include “This is my Squad.” Support the Army’s top quality-of-life programs to increase Soldier and family resilience, and to enhance readiness for the Total Army: quality housing for both families and Soldiers in the barracks; world-class health care; quality childcare and youth services; meaningful employment for spouses; and solving permanent change-of-duty-station moving issues.

3. Readiness

   Provide on-time, adequate funding to continue improving Army readiness throughout the Total Army, so all attain their required readiness levels.

4. Modernization

   Maintain the momentum of the ongoing Total Army modernization priorities in this once in a generation opportunity to modernize the Army. Modernization is essential to meeting the requirements of the National Defense Strategy and winning on future battlefields. Continue modernizing the Army to the achieve and maintain overmatch in multi-domain operations (land, air, sea, space, cyber) against threats to the United States.

5. New Administration, New Congress and the National Defense Strategy

   With the ongoing changes in the Executive and Legislative Branches of the U.S. Government, and the potential for flattening budgets, maintaining a balanced set of priorities for people, readiness, and modernization programs for the Total Army is essential. The Army requires 3–5 percent budget growth annually to fully support the National Defense Strategy. If budget growth is not immediately possible, maintaining the correct balance among these three areas is critical.

Download AUSA's 2021 Focus Areas PDF