During its 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Association of the U.S. Army presented for the third year its National Partner awards, recognizing organizations that provide outstanding support to the association. “AUSA’s extensive network of National Partners is critical to the success of our mission to educate, inform and connect America with her Army,” said retired Brig. Gen. Jack Haley, AUSA’s vice president ...
2024 Annual Meeting News
2024 Annual Meeting News
Post-Event News
When Gen. Randy George became chief of staff of the Army last year, he established four priorities for the service. One of them was “continuous transformation.” The first initiative to support that priority is what the Army calls “transforming in contact,” a short-term effort to transform but not necessarily “modernize” Army units for the rapidly evolving reality of warfare. Speaking at the Association of the U.S ...
In an Oct. 16 presentation at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, leaders announced that the service’s cadre of cooks—culinary specialists in the Army’s lexicon—will be relieved of their responsibility of running installation dining facilities under a plan currently in development. The shift, part of the Army’s Food Program Strategy, is intended to improve quality of life for these ...
The Army profession requires consistent attention and nurturing because it is “what we’re known for,” said Gen. Gary Brito, commanding general of Army Training and Doctrine Command. Strengthening the Army profession, Brito noted, is the fourth item on Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s list of four focus areas. It is preceded by warfighting, delivering ready combat formations and continuous transformation ...
The Army is doubling down on the resilience and readiness of its installations, said Rachel Jacobson, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment. “Installations are essentially the backbone of what our Army does. Without strong installations that are resilient and that are ready, we can't do what we do. It's that simple,” Jacobson said Oct. 16 during a Warriors Corner presentation on ...
The Army talks a lot about speeding up the acquisitions process, but Army Contracting Command has a new, concrete goal: No more than six months to award a contract, executive director Danielle Moyer said Oct. 16 at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition. The days when it took two years to make an award decision are over, she said. "We've really gotten away from the hundreds of pages of ...
Almost 75 young professionals from the Army, industry and Association of the U.S. Army chapters gathered Oct. 14–16 for the second annual Generation Next Forum. Hosted by AUSA’s Center for Leadership in conjunction with the association’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., the theme for this year’s forum was “The Future is YOU: Educating, Informing and Connecting the Next Generation of Leaders.” ...
Known as the backbone of the force, the United States Army Noncommissioned Officer was honored with the Association of the U.S. Army’s highest award for selfless service. Representing all NCOs, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer accepted AUSA’s George Catlett Marshall Medal on Oct. 16, the final day of the association’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. The Marshall Medal is named for the Army officer and ...
Wednesday, October 16
Setting the stage for a fight the Army must win, five of the Army’s most senior enlisted leaders provided in-depth briefings on the future battlefields NCOs need to prepare their soldiers for. In remarks during a professional development forum hosted by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, the command sergeants major of U.S. Army Pacific, Army Special Operations Command, Army Europe and Africa Command, the Army ...
Last year, a small cadre of Army maintenance specialists was dispatched from the service's depot in Corpus Christi, Texas, to perform a complex repair on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter based in South Korea. The work took 13 days, rather than the 220 estimated to ship it back to the U.S. for repairs. The savings: An estimated $2 million. That's according to Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, acting commander of Army Materiel ...
Amid an uncertain threat environment, Army civilians play a vital role in the service’s success, said Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs. “Our greatest assets rest not in our weapons systems, but in our people and the unique backgrounds and experiences they bring to the fight every day,” Schaefer said Oct. 16 during an Army civilian showcase at the Association of the U.S ...
The small, unmanned aircraft systems threat to ground forces is a problem that’s “not going anywhere any time soon,” said Maj. Gen. David Stewart, director of the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office. Defending the homeland against the threat of small drones further complicates the issue, he said. Speaking in an Oct. 14 Warriors Corner presentation at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and ...
For the first time in 500 years, the Nordic nations of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark are formal military allies. And with an existential threat in the form of an ambitious and pugilistic Russia close at hand, they're taking big steps to standardize their fighting gear and grow their forces. Speaking Oct. 16 on a panel at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., the ...
To craft a legacy of Army excellence, leaders can take inspiration from the culture and values of the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby team James Kerr analyzed in his bestselling book, Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life. “The All Blacks say to leave the jersey in a better place. And it's this idea of legacy, ... of making our mark and making our difference with the limited ...
As the Army pursues a network that is simple, unified, rugged and easily upgradeable, the service must learn to harness innovations that already exist in the private sector, two senior leaders said. “The difference today that we’ve never experienced before in the Army is the technology is already there,” Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo said. “The real challenge is how good are we at ingesting it and adopting it ...
The side that adapts and innovates first will win the next war, said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Army Special Operations Command. The key to achieving that is adopting a collective mindset, he said. “Innovation is a mindset. It's not a thing, it's not a widget, it's not an end state. It's a perpetual process, and what I'm asking here is really a call to arms for the innovation cycle,” Braga said Oct. 15 ...
Once upon a time, if the Army needed a new weapon or communications system, it would send a list of requirements up the chain of command and wait for years to get the product fielded. But a new concept, called "transformation in contact," is streamlining that process. "It's user-driven, as opposed to lab-based," Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, who commands the 101st Airborne Division, said Oct. 15 at the Association of the U ...
If the Army goes to war, so will the Army Reserve, and the component’s formations must be ready now, said Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, the new chief of Army Reserve and commanding general of Army Reserve Command. Speaking at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, Harter said the Army Reserve will be needed “early and often” because it has the bulk of the service’s combat support and combat ...
Army senior leaders have heard soldiers' requests for higher-quality housing, and they believe a series of initiatives and investment efforts now underway will change the game. In a packed fireside chat that also was livestreamed at on-post watch parties around the country, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer fielded questions on the most ...
Day Three of AUSA 2024 features forums and panels and the presentation of the Association of the U.S. Army’s highest award. On-site registration opens at 8 a.m. In the morning, a panel titled “Northern Flank Land Forces: Expansion and Modernization” features leaders from the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish armies. An Army civilian showcase will feature Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Agnes Gereben ...
Tuesday, October 15
National Guard soldiers must be ready for combat, according to the new director of the Army National Guard, who said he is filled with a “profound sense of urgency” as global volatility grows. In remarks Oct. 15 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, who is also acting vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, said that with fighting raging in ...
Among a host of initiatives to strengthen the NCO corps, the Army is redesigning its physical training uniform, the service’s senior enlisted leader announced Oct. 15 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “It’s going to look a little different than what we’ve done in the past. We’re not going to get locked into the same T-shirt,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer said ...
In its bid to transform quickly to meet rapidly rising threats, the Army is expanding its “transforming in contact” initiative to get more new technology into soldiers’ hands. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George announced “transforming in contact 2.0” on Oct. 15 in his keynote speech at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Luncheon during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition. The initiative puts new ...
The Army is working to shift its fitness culture from a biennial test and weigh-in to a daily practice in not only physical but mental and spiritual health through its Holistic Health and Fitness program, now operational in 50 brigades and working its way to 111. "The [Army Combat Fitness Test] is important, and it's a great event, but it's something you do twice a year," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus ...
The Army is transforming medical care to meet soldiers and families where they are, said Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, director of the Defense Health Agency. “We all deserve good care, and we all have an expectation that we meet people where you're at,” Crosland said Oct. 15 during a warfighter and family forum focused on transforming medical care at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. ...
Despite Russia's catastrophic casualty rate—as many as 1,000 soldiers per day—amid its war of aggression in Ukraine, its threat to Europe remains robust and demands a concerted NATO response, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa said Oct. 15. Speaking at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Gen. Darryl Williams said Army Europe and Africa and its NATO partners ...
In a "banner year" for Army education, the service has embraced the Defense Department's rollout of a universal pre-K program and implemented new practices aimed at developing the service's cadre of highly qualified teachers, the DoD's acting chief academic officer said Oct. 14. Speaking on a panel of liaisons and advocates at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Lori ...
Shooting down drones has become one of the Army's top battlefield priorities in recent years, as the threat of roadside bombs downrange has given way to threats hovering overhead. "This has been one of the most stressed elements of the Army," Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo said during a panel Oct. 14 at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition. From October 2023 to February of this year ...
If Europe was the consequential theater of the 20th century, the relationship between the United States and China will define the 21st century, said Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific. Reflecting on his four years at the helm of the largest Army service component command, Flynn said his time as commander of the 25th Infantry Division from 2014 to 2016 was vastly different than it is now. “The ...
The highlight of Day Two of AUSA 2024 is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Luncheon address by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, but there also are many events for soldiers and family members. On-site registration opens at 7 a.m. In the morning, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, the new director of the Army National Guard, will lead a seminar titled “Transforming the Army’s Combat Reserve for Global Campaigning and Large-Scale ...
Monday, October 14
There has been “so much progress” with growing resources and programs to support military spouses, particularly when it comes to employment opportunities, said Patricia Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy. “Military spouses have very unique skills and are very, very employable. The challenge is that we move around so much that we just get started somewhere, and then ...
Five soldiers from U.S. Army Pacific are the winners of the Army’s 2024 Best Squad Competition. Staff Sgt. Ethan Hays, Sgt. Luke Burton and Spcs. Mason Breunig, Colin Burrows and Gage Buck were named the winning squad Oct. 14 during a luncheon at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Breunig was named the 2024 Soldier of the Year, and Sgt. 1st Class ...
The Army’s top weapons and equipment buyer says the service is on the cusp of completing a major shift in acquisition at speed—and with requirements to support major allies in two global wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and more threats on the horizon in the Indo-Pacific, there’s no time to waste. Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, told an audience at the ...
As the show floor buzzed with the latest in Army technology at the Association of the U.S. Army's 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition, the head of Army Training and Doctrine Command reminded cadets attending an awards luncheon that none of the service’s advancements mean anything without leaders to steward them. "It's equipment, it's ideas and it's materiel—but none of it works without you as the leader," Gen. Gary ...
Calling it a “teeny bit of news,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth announced a new monetary benefit for soldiers who go on operational deployments of 60 days or more. The new benefit, called Operational Deployment Pay, is $240 a month and is effective immediately retroactive to Oct. 1, Wormuth said during a meeting with reporters at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington ...
The Army’s top leaders launched the Association of the U.S. Army’s Leader Solarium with a briefing on the service’s priorities and encouraged participants to provide feedback about theirs. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George provided the “view from our foxhole,” along with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, by addressing recruiting, budgetary constraints and his plan to tackle how the Army processes change. “We ...
Army leaders across the force must move faster and with more urgency to transform for the future fight, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said. “America’s adversaries are not going to sit back and let the United States set the pace,” Wormuth said Oct. 14 in her keynote speech to open the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “Despite being the world’s best land fighting force, we need to ...
The inaugural recipient of the new General Gordon R. Sullivan Leadership Medal is retired Lt. Gen. Roger Schultz. Named in honor of AUSA’s former president and CEO and the 32nd Army chief of staff, the annual award will be presented to an individual who demonstrates exemplary leadership and mentorship for the advancement of the Army both during and after their uniformed or civilian service. “We’re so proud to unveil ...
The National Guard and the Army Reserve are ready to meet evolving national and global threats, said Gen. Andrew Poppas, commander of Army Forces Command. “We saw flooding throughout the West, … record snowfall, tornadoes and wildfires throughout all of our communities,” Poppas said Oct. 14 in remarks at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. The reserve components’ response to these ...
The first day of the largest annual land warfare exposition in North America features a keynote address by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, the unveiling of the winners of the Army’s Best Squad Competition, and much more. The Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition is being held for the 21st time at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The three-day in-person event ...
Pre-event News
If there’s one word to describe Army Secretary Christine Wormuth’s tenure so far, it’s “transformation.” “We know we have to change,” she said in an interview in the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024–2025 Green Book. “We need to go from an Army focused on counterinsurgency and counterterrorism to an Army focused on and ready for large-scale combat operations against near-peer, nation state-level threats.” To get ...
This year’s Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition will highlight the Army’s efforts to transform, modernize and restructure for the future fight. With a theme of “Transforming for a Complex World,” this year’s event is scheduled for Oct. 14–16 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The three-day meeting will feature addresses and professional development forums by top ...
The Association of the U.S. Army has announced the recipients of its 2024 National Awards, which honor individuals for their selfless service and dedication to the Army and its soldiers. “Congratulations to our National Award recipients! We are tremendously grateful for their commitment, dedication, selfless service and support to soldiers and our Army,” said retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO. “They set ...
With a theme of “Transforming for a Complex World,” the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition will highlight the Army’s efforts to modernize and restructure as it contends with an increasingly volatile and complex world. Registration is open for the conference, which is scheduled for Oct. 14–16 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The three-day event will ...