Senior leaders and soldiers at Camp Carroll, South Korea, received a surprise visit in early June when the Association of the U.S. Army’s president, Gen. Gordon Sullivan, USA, Ret., and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston, USA, Ret., AUSA’s director of noncommissioned officer and soldier programs, visited Camp Carroll soldiers to discuss some of the hot topics facing the Army today.AUSA is a private, nonprofit organization that acts as an advocacy group for the U.S Army.Its missions include providing support for deployed soldiers, educating the public on the importance of a strong Army, and serving as a liaison between the Army and local communities.With the Army facing new challenges after nearly 13 years of conflict, we need all the advocates we can get.Sullivan and Preston have some solid credentials.Sullivan has some 36 years of active service and was the 32nd Army chief of staff in the 1990s. He oversaw the transition of the U.S Army from its Cold War footing to the highly professional organization it is today.Preston also has 36 years of active service in the Army.Seven of those years were spent serving in the Army’s highest enlisted position, making him the longest serving sergeant major of the Army to date."I have served in some of the worst places in the world," said Sullivan to a packed theater of soldiers and senior leaders.Adding, "And I am here to make sure you get what you need."Many of the questions focused on looming sequestration and reduction of force issues.Less war fighters mean less sustainers, and given that Camp Carroll is a sustainment hub, it’s easy to see how these questions concern soldiers and leaders as they enter the future."As we draw down the force what does that mean for soldiers entering the Army and soldiers leaving the Army," asked one soldier in the audience. "What incentives will be there to bring the best of the best in and what will the benefits packages look like?""All of you represent the top 23 percent of our nation," said Preston.Adding, "That’s what our recruiters are looking for these days. Obviously we are looking at ways to attract the best of the best."After meeting with soldiers and senior leaders, Sullivan and Preston met with several junior enlisted soldiers for lunch, where they listened to soldiers’ concerns about the future of the force and gave a few reassuring words to the new generation of Army future leaders."I wore the uniform for a long time," said Sullivan.He added, "I love the Army, and I’m proud to say that."