The 2017 slate of resolutions for the Association of the U.S. Army focuses on maintaining the Army as the world’s premier land force, with priority given to budgets, personnel, operations and equipment.

A bigger Army with a bigger budget is one of AUSA’s priorities in the set of resolutions outlining actions required to properly fund, maintain and modernize a Total Army force ready to defend the nation in an unpredictable world.

AUSA calls for a fiscal 2018 budget for the Army of $150.3 billion. The Obama administration’s budget request for 2017 was $126 billion. It also calls for an Army of at least 1,032,000 soldiers, including 490,000 in the Regular Army, 343,000 in the Army National Guard and 199,000 in the Army Reserve. The 2017 authorization has a Regular Army of 476,000, with 343,000 in the Army National Guard and 199,000 in the Army Reserve.

Other resolutions call for protection of pay and benefits for soldiers and their families in the face of tight budgets and calls for cost-cutting, support of flexible reforms for the Army civilian workforce while closing the pay gap when salaries are compared with the private sector, and protecting health, commissary and exchange benefits from erosion.

Several resolutions are aimed at fully funding operations and maintenance programs, giving special attention to providing fully trained and equipped soldiers to meet the needs of combatant commanders.

AUSA’s resolutions also call for more rapid research, development and procurement of weapons needed to provide overmatch against potential adversaries. Increased funding for so-called “shovel-ready” programs to improve armored vehicles and brigade combat teams is another issue covered by the resolutions.

The full set of resolutions is available here: https://www.ausa.org/sites/default/files/2017-ausa-resolutions.pdf