The Association of the U.S. Army is urging key lawmakers to approve additional funding in the fiscal 2024 budget to support the Army’s transformation programs.

“We believe it is essential for the Army and the Department of Defense (DoD) to have the resources it needs to counter growing threats and to ensure the continued excellence of the all-volunteer force,” retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, writes in a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

“Thus, we request that you authorize funding at least at the level included in the President’s FY 2024 Budget Request and add additional resources to support the Army’s unfunded priorities, speed Army modernization, support Army and DoD infrastructure, improve both the organic and defense industrial base, and help mitigate inflation,” Brown writes.

In the May 11 letter, Brown and AUSA emphasize the need for “sufficient investment” to support the Army’s modernization, readiness and people programs.

When it comes to people, appropriate compensation is an important incentive for recruiting and retention, the letter says. AUSA supports the inclusion of “at least” a 5.2% pay increase for service members and civilian employees, as well as resources to “soften the impact of inflation.”

AUSA also supports provisions to improve quality of life programs for soldiers and their families, including child care, spouse employment, housing and health care, the letter says.

The letter also outlines the importance of the Army’s modernization and readiness programs. “While the Army undergoes its most significant modernization effort in four decades, it continues to answer the nation’s call domestically and across the globe,” Brown writes. “It rapidly surged forces to Europe in the wake of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, while providing key contributions in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific as part of the joint force to counter the continued malign activities of Iran, the remnants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and an increasingly aggressive China.”

The Army continues to play a key role in deterring America’s adversaries, building relationships with allies and partners and maintaining stability around the world, the letter says.

“It is clear, the Army must be properly resourced to meet its mission in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe,” Brown writes. “Indeed, a ready and capable Army is indispensable to national security.”

Read the full letter here.