Your Association of the U.S. Army has come a long way since its founding in 1950 as a nonpartisan, educational nonprofit dedicated to professional development, advancing national security and promoting greater recognition of the Army’s vital role in American life.

The handful of infantry and field artillery officers who attended the association’s first meeting in a small Pentagon office wanted the Army’s professional association to grow. They couldn’t have imagined that, in 2023, AUSA would have more than 1.3 million members committed to a strong national defense and to supporting the Total Army—the Regular Army, Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve—and Army families, Army civilians, retirees and veterans.

Since January 2019, AUSA membership has grown by 848%. Since the beginning of 2023, AUSA grew 251%. This explosive growth, the result of hard work by our 121 chapters and national staff, is building strong and lasting relationships with those who share our mission, including AUSA’s national and community partners, and further strengthening the bond between soldiers and their communities.

Million-Member Impact

Having more than 1 million members makes a difference, and we already feel the impact when we visit congressional offices to advocate on behalf of Army issues and priorities. We are better advocates on behalf of the Total Army because of this growth. For an association that prides itself on being a voice for the Army, we have taken a major step forward. No one can do a better job than we can to support our many constituencies.

More members help us better achieve my three primary objectives to support the Army of today and the future—Educate, Inform and Connect.

“Educate” means many things at AUSA, including our many programs, publications, products, events and resources for soldiers and their families, Army civilians, veterans and retirees, as well as the many businesses and industries that support the Army. Using our platforms, we spread awareness of the Army’s critical role in national security and the unique capabilities and resources it provides.

Our 2-year-old AUSA Center for Leadership is a big part of the association’s education mission. Focused on sharing best practices and developing new ideas for helping young officers and enlisted leaders, the Center for Leadership uses podcasts, webinars and in-person events to help leaders and their teams succeed.

Informational Mission

“Inform” means telling the Army’s story to a wide audience, something that has been a priority for AUSA since its founding. Through ARMY magazine and our many other publications and events, we explain why the Army exists, its critical role in peace and war, and its many benefits to the nation. Our spectacular growth means we are telling the Army’s story to even more people.

“Connect” is what we are doing as our membership and partners grow. Our expanding network means we have far more impact when we get our members, industry and the public working together on behalf of America’s Army and the nation’s security.

AUSA’s new and stronger voice could not have come at a better time. America faces new and evolving national security challenges and a growing disconnect between service members and those they serve. The nation also faces tough national security decisions ahead and tightening financial resources dedicated to national security and defense priorities.

AUSA can be a steady voice as tough choices are being made about government spending and defense priorities. We can use the weight of our 1.3 million members to connect, inform and make a compelling case for the Army’s priorities, including supporting critical transformation programs and championing compensation and qualify-of-life initiatives for soldiers, veterans and their families.

A larger voice also gives us a greater responsibility to speak out and educate key decision-makers and the public through AUSA’s many platforms—events, publications, podcasts, social media and more—about what is required to keep the Army strong.

Pressing Issues

There are two critical areas where we can use this bigger voice: sustaining support for the Army’s transformation to ensure that the force is ready for the future and helping with the Army’s most serious short-term problem of recruiting qualified and enthusiastic future soldiers.

In terms of transforming the force, the Army has an ambitious set of priorities that by 2030 will result in new capabilities and doctrine designed for the changing character of war. These include bold changes that, with the help of cutting-edge technology, will give the U.S. an edge when it comes to speed, range and lightning-fast communications and sensors.

The Army has six modernization priorities: long-range precision fires, the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle, Future Vertical Lift, air and missile defense, the network and soldier lethality. Everything must be linked, with a wide net of sensors that provide commanders with a seamless stream of data for information and decision dominance.

Our 1.3 million members can help—not by designing the communications network of 2030 or developing a superfast, all-weather supply delivery system—but by spreading the word about the importance of making sure the Army has the time and resources to make the big technology leaps needed for the future.

Critical Transformation

AUSA can remind the nation’s leaders of the importance of the Army’s role in the joint force and why this transformation, the most ambitious in four decades, is critically important.

There will be plenty of competition for scarce and essential government funding. We need our growing membership base to help fight for dollars and patience while the Army makes hundreds of decisions in preparation for global competition and large-scale combat operations.

Every voice counts when it comes to helping the Army maintain momentum on transformation, and every voice can help with the pressing recruiting problem.

One challenge facing the Army today is that fewer service-aged youth are eligible for military service because they can’t meet the service’s academic, health or fitness standards. A bigger hurdle is that less than 10% of those between the ages of 17 and 24 are interested in military service.

The Army is adjusting to the challenge, finding success in helping those who don’t meet enlistment standards through the Future Soldier Preparatory Course. Available at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Fort Moore, Georgia, formerly known as Fort Benning, the course offers extra schooling to those who need a higher score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Extra help also is provided at Fort Jackson for those who don’t meet the Army’s fitness standards. In its first year of operation, the course has helped more than 8,800 people qualify for service and has a 95% graduation rate.

To further boost recruiting, enlistment bonuses have been increased, and so have bonuses and promotion incentives for recruiters.

But the preparatory course and bonuses aren’t enough. That’s where AUSA members can help, by spreading the word and telling their Army stories, whether they are separated, retired or still serving.

The Army’s current recruiting campaign uses the iconic “Be All You Can Be” slogan from the 1980s in a pitch aimed at convincing service-aged youth of the vast opportunities available through military service. Marketing research has revealed that many young people admire the Army, but they don’t see a place for them in the ranks. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said filling the ranks requires convincing potential recruits and their friends and families of the many opportunities and jobs available in the Army and how service can benefit them throughout their lives, whether they serve one term or a 20-year career.

Tell Your Story

If you’re an AUSA member who served or know someone who did, you can help by telling your story. You can help rebuild that connection between the Army and the nation it serves, helping dispel misconceptions about service and educating young people about the benefits of service.

There are many reasons to serve. You become part of a family that embraces a patriotic call to serve. You get the chance to do something meaningful and bigger than yourself. You become part of a team. And the Army offers adventure and the chance to travel and see new things.

The Army is a good place to learn a trade or valuable skills. It also offers strong financial incentives, from the Post-9/11 GI Bill to medical care to housing. You also receive 30 days of paid time off every year, and you have the chance to earn a pension.

Army recruiters can list these advantages and more to potential recruits, but it means so much more coming from someone who served and can share their firsthand experiences. I urge all our members to reach out. Talk to a young person. Share your story. You can make a difference.

Together, we here at AUSA and our 1.3 million members pledge to continue supporting and advocating for America’s Army.