The Association of the U.S. Army entered October with 155,772 members after a 27-month period of almost continuous growth.

This total is nearing AUSA’s historical high membership of 165,534 set in 1985.

“It is great to see the success of our sustained focus on increasing membership,” said retired Gen. Carter Ham, AUSA president and CEO. “We plan to do even better, especially in gaining soldiers and Army civilians as members, but this is a very positive result.”

Thanks in part to a creative program of adopting other associations as part of the AUSA team, total membership is 154% greater today than it was in November 2016 and 13.7% greater than at the start of 2019. Linking AUSA with like-minded organizations, an effort launched in 2017, accounts for 82,647 members today. The newest member of the team is the Huntsville, Alabama-based Redstone Federal Credit Union, which has branches across Northern Alabama and Central Tennessee.

Also joined with AUSA are the Army Aviation Association of America, the Army Spouses’ Club of the Greater Washington Area, the Army Strategist Association, the Association of Quartermasters, the Civil Affairs Association, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, the National Infantry Association, The Patriot Project, The Rocks, Inc., The U.S. Army Officer Candidate Schools Alumni Association, the U.S. Field Artillery Association, the U.S. Army Ranger Association and the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association.

Information on these groups can be found at: ausa.org/association-members.

These organizations account for 53% of overall AUSA membership, but there has been modest growth in other areas.

AUSA began October with 41,508 individual members and 15,028 life members. This represents a 5.3% increase in individual members and 6.6% increase in life members over the last two years.

Membership traditionally has an additional bounce during the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition, which this year begins Oct. 14.

There are also 10,192 National Partner members and 6.397 Community Partner members. National Partner members have slightly increased over the last two years, while Community Partner members have slightly decreased.

“In extending memberships to other associations, we went back to 1950 and the origins of our association,” said retired Lt. Gen. Patricia McQuistion, AUSA vice president for membership and meetings. “Our AUSA team has done an incredible job of outreach, training and improving all of the benefits of membership, from education and professional development to huge savings programs. We are the Army’s only professional association that is open to all. We really only have two requirements to join—you have to love the U.S. Army and agree to abide by our bylaws. Every member counts.”