At its 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Association of the U.S. Army presented for the fourth year its National Partner awards, recognizing organizations that provide outstanding support to the association. “The National Partner Program is critical to the success of AUSA,” said retired Brig. Gen. Jack Haley, AUSA’s vice president for Membership and Meetings. “We simply could not accomplish our mission to ...
2025 Annual Meeting News
2025 Annual Meeting News
Post-Event News
Army special operations forces are transforming for the future by increasing multidomain capabilities, growing asymmetric lethality and expanding the ability to compete and win in the information space, senior special operations leaders said. There are some 36,000 soldiers in U.S. Army Special Operations Command, at least 2,500 of whom on any given day are deployed to as many as 70 countries, Brig. Gen. Kirk Brinker ...
For less than $800, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division are building drones that are designed to be disposable, the deputy commanding general of the division said. The Attritable Battlefield Enabler, or ABE 1.01, named after the division’s bald eagle mascot, is yet another advancement soldiers are making as the Army works to adapt and keep up with fast evolving drone warfare. At a cost of $740, the ABE 1.01 ...
Amid a global environment that is increasingly volatile, uncertain and complex, Army counterintelligence acts as an important “frontline defense,” said Lt. Gen. Anthony Hale, deputy Army chief of staff for intelligence, G-2. “Lethality starts with intel,” he said Oct. 15 during a Warriors Corner on transforming counterintelligence at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “For the last ...
The Army needs help from industry as it works to streamline its sustainment processes and become a more datacentric organization, a senior Army leader said. “Data is no longer just a support function, it’s central to everything we do,” Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, acting commander and deputy commanding general of Army Materiel Command, said earlier this year. “Our focus on [advanced analytics and artificial intelligence] is ...
Several months ago, the 1st Theater Sustainment Command-Forward was in a bind. One of its Patriots in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility was down as a result of a broken hydraulic hose. With the replacement part’s lead time at 900 days, the unit called Army Materiel Command for help. Its Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center in Illinois had the ability to craft a homegrown ...
The ability to take risks in combat starts with building trust at home station, according to the 75th Ranger Regiment’s command team, who addressed a session on leadership at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. Speaking before a group of 70 battalion commanders and command sergeants major selected to participate in the Leader Solarium hosted by AUSA’s Center for ...
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Richard “Rick” Merritt, a veteran of more than 36 years of service, 25 of which he spent in the 75th Ranger Regiment, was named Honorary Sergeant Major of the Army during the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “This is special,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer said as he introduced Merritt on Oct. 15 at the conclusion of a professional development forum ...
Transforming to mobile brigade combat teams. Fielding the M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicle. Delivering Next-Generation Command and Control to a division. Launching from the Artillery Execution Suite. Establishing Joint Interagency Task Force 401 for counter-unmanned aerial system warfare. The list goes on. The U.S. Army has accomplished much in the past year, and the pace of development, acquisitions and adoption of new ...
Eight companies were announced as winners of the Army’s xTechDisrupt competition Oct. 15 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. A total of 375 companies participated in the event, giving one-minute pitches to three-judge panels in one of four key areas: electronic warfare; power generation, management or storage; unmanned aerial systems; and counter-unmanned ...
Leaders must get their soldiers back to tough, realistic training at home station or risk being unprepared for the challenges of combat that lie ahead, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer said. Addressing dozens of senior sergeants major at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Weimer said he has witnessed a decline in fundamental soldier skills at the Army’s ...
“Everyone wants to work in sports.” That was Katie O’Rourke’s first lesson after her collegiate gymnastics career ended. Speaking Oct. 15 at a Generation Next Forum during the Association of the U.S. Army's 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition, O’Rourke told the audience of specially selected young professionals that she instead pursued an MBA and accepted a job in property management. She eventually found a position ...
In honor of their courage, service and commitment, Army recipients of the Medal of Honor were presented with the Association of the U.S. Army’s highest award for distinguished and selfless service. Accepting AUSA’s George Catlett Marshall Medal Oct. 15 on behalf of the soldiers who have earned the nation’s highest award for valor were retired Col. Paris Davis, retired Maj. John Duffy, retired Lt. Gen. Robert Foley ...
Wednesday, October 15
In one of the most anticipated panel discussions at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition, three Medal of Honor recipients spoke candidly about their actions in combat and what the Army taught them about leadership. Retired Capt. Flo Groberg was first to speak about how he responded to an attack on Aug. 8, 2012, when, as he led a security detachment out of Forward Operating Base Fiaz ...
Northern Europe’s most pressing problem is transforming at speed to combat Russia, according to a panel of European military leaders speaking Oct. 15 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. “Where we sit [geographically] is really shaping our perspective. For us, it's all about Russia,” Maj. Gen. Jonny Lindfors, commander of the Swedish Army, said during a northern ...
Whether it’s developing Next-Generation Command and Control or the latest drones, the Army must seek soldier feedback and move quickly, two senior Army leaders said. “This is all about the soldier,” said Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus. “This is ensuring that our troopers out there in the field have the right doctrine, the right organizational design, the right leaders, the right training, put together in ...
The Army is pushing prototypes of Next-Generation Command and Control, the service’s top modernization priority, to the division level, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division said. “If you’re not sure if the Army is serious … we’ll prototype an entire division,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ellis, said. “We're not just going to have a soldier touch point for a couple of days and then walk away from this. We own the solution.” ...
The Army and Department of Energy will work together to develop and install microreactors on Army installations in the United States, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Energy Secretary Christopher Wright announced Oct. 14. Dubbed the Janus Program, after the Roman god of transition, the initiative represents a “transition from prototypes to fully commercial nuclear power to provide energy resilience for our soldiers,” ...
The Army Cadet Luncheon, a fixture of the first day of the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition, provides cadets enrolled in both ROTC and Junior ROTC the chance to hear directly from Army general officers. The future officers selected to attend the 2025 luncheon had the rare opportunity to hear two of the Army’s seniormost leaders offer their perspectives on “officership.” Gen. David ...
The Army knows it must address child care shortages, construct better barracks and improve the quality of food at dining facilities. But it is tackling these issues for reasons its leadership says are more than quality of life measures: these problems must be solved so soldiers can focus on their jobs as warfighters. During a panel Oct. 14 on “The Soldier and Family Experience,” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Army ...
Day Three of AUSA 2025 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 will focus on the Northern European perspective on transformation, and the Sergeant Major of the Army Professional Development Forum will feature senior enlisted leaders discussing transforming the home station. Army Chief of Staff Gen ...
Tuesday, October 14
The Army is relentlessly and rapidly transforming to stay ahead of a world that is flooded with cheap drones and lethal technology, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. During a keynote address Oct. 14 at the Dwight D. Eisenhower luncheon, George struck a tone of urgency as he described why continuous transformation is ...
As the Army makes significant changes to its NCO professional education system, responsibility for training and leader development lies with both the operational unit and the institution, as well as the individual, the service’s senior enlisted leader said. Speaking Oct. 14 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer emphasized the importance of self ...
The nonprofit that provides grants and loans to active-duty soldiers in times of need will begin offering assistance next year to members of the U.S. Army Reserve, regardless of whether they are on federal orders of more than 30 days. Michael Grinston, chief executive officer of Army Emergency Relief, announced the change Oct. 14 during a forum on military and family wellness at the Association of the U.S. Army’s ...
The U.S. Army is changing the way it counters small unmanned aircraft systems, said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401. “We can't think about that on a five-year time horizon. We can't think about counter-UAS on a 10-year time horizon,” Ross said Oct. 14 during a contemporary military forum focused on Joint Interagency Task Force 401 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual ...
Though permanent change-of-station moves can be stressful, the Army has resources to ease moving challenges, said Sgt. Maj. Rubén Murillo, senior enlisted adviser in the Army’s Prevention, Resilience and Readiness Directorate. “PCSing is stressful, period. … It causes disruption in your normal day-to-day operation in every single thing that you do,” Murillo said Oct. 13 during a Warfighter and Family Forum focused on ...
Battalion command teams have “the most important role in the Army,” providing a link between soldiers and senior leaders, the commander of U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command told participants in the Association of the U.S. Army’s Leader Solarium. Speaking Oct. 13 during the Leader Solarium, held in conjunction with AUSA’s Annual Meeting and Exposition, Gen. David Hodne told about 70 battalion commanders ...
The U.S. Army is aiming to open new dining facilities—those similar to college dining halls—at posts in five U.S. states next year, with a goal to provide nutritious, tasty, appealing food for soldiers and their families. Troops stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Stewart, Georgia; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Carson, Colorado; and Fort Drum, New York, could see “soft openings” of the Campus-Style Dining Venues ...
The highlight of Day Two of AUSA 2025 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. A contemporary military forum titled “Joint Interagency Task Force 401: Rapid Delivery of Counter sUAS Capabilities to the Joint Force” will delve into the new Army-led task force on counter ...
Monday, October 13
Partnering with industry and garnering its best practices play a critical role in advancing modernization of the Army’s infrastructure, senior leaders said during a discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, Army Materiel Command’s deputy chief of staff for operations, outlined the role of the command. It is responsible for ...
Whether it’s delivering new fires capabilities to soldiers or mobilizing the defense industrial base to produce leap-ahead missiles, the Army can’t move fast enough, a panel of fires experts said during a contemporary military forum at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. “We have to be aggressive in this space,” said Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano, program executive ...
On the first day of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Leader Solarium, participants were given a view from the top of the Army and told what they’ll need to consider as they prepare troops for combat. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George acknowledged the importance of technology and how it’s only going to intensify, as he spoke before about 70 battalion commanders and command sergeants major from units across the ...
The U.S. Army must shed its reliance on decades-old technology and acquisitions strategies to become a fighting force as agile and lethal as potential adversaries, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said Oct. 13 during the opening ceremony of the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition. Pointing to Ukraine’s advancements in drone technology and its use of battlefield artificial intelligence to ...
The Army National Guard and Army Reserve are in high demand as the Army meets national and international challenges, said Gen. Andrew Poppas, commander of U.S. Army Forces Command. “You represent the best of our Army right here at home, on our border, in our cities” and “in the face of disaster,” Poppas said Oct. 13 in remarks at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “We rescued over ...
Chapter leaders are the “lifeblood” of the Association of the U.S. Army, providing a “vital connection” between soldiers, families and veterans and the American public, said retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO. Speaking Oct. 12 at an awards ceremony and reception for AUSA’s volunteer leaders one day before the association’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., Brown lauded their hard ...
The first day of the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition features a keynote address by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, as well as leadership forums, speakers and exhibits. The event, the largest annual land warfare exposition in North America, is being held for the 22nd time at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The three-day event will take place Oct. 13–15 and ...
Pre-event News
A little more than six months into the job, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is transforming the Army while tackling decades-old processes and systems he believes have stymied the service’s progress and hampered soldier’s ability to fight and win. “I think the decision-making apparatus in the Pentagon for probably the last 30 or 40 years has optimized for a lot of things that don't actually have to do with soldiers and ...
The Association of the U.S. Army will hold its Annual Meeting and Exposition as scheduled on Oct. 13-15 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Our signature professional development event is taking place as planned with the participation of Army leaders from across the force. Based on preregistration numbers, we are on track for record attendance. We are proud that we can ensure that our ...
The Association of the U.S. Army will hold its 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition on Oct. 13-15, even if the government remains shut down. While we await and encourage further action from Congress regarding government funding, we continue to work closely with the Army Staff to plan the Annual Meeting, and we are maintaining our momentum as we provide a venue that brings together leaders from the Army, industry, and ...
The Association of the U.S. Army has announced its six Best Chapter winners for 2025 based on their achievement and success in growing membership, hosting events, raising money for scholarships and other programs, and supporting units and recruiters. The awards will be presented in October during AUSA’s Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. “As the Army ...
The Association of the U.S. Army has announced the recipients of its 2025 National Awards, which honor individuals for their selfless service and dedication to the Army and its soldiers. “I want to congratulate our National Award recipients and thank them for their commitment, dedication, selfless service and support to soldiers and our Army,” said retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO. “They are examples ...
Registration is now open for the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition. Scheduled for Oct. 13–15 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., the three-day event will feature addresses and professional development forums by top Army and DoD leaders on the Army’s transformation and its efforts to grow and prepare the force for a complex future battlefield. There will ...
Meeting Photos
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