On-time and adequate funding, as well as programs focused on people, modernization and readiness, remain top advocacy efforts for the Association of the U.S. Army.

AUSA’s 2023 Focus Areas, released this month, aim to support soldiers from the Regular Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve, Department of the Army civilians, families, veterans and retirees. The focus areas stress the importance of having timely and sufficient budgets, providing programs and policies to support people, maintaining readiness and momentum for the Army’s modernization efforts, and supporting a healthy and resilient defense industrial base.

AUSA is advocating for on-time passage of the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act as well as the defense, military construction and veterans appropriations. AUSA also is urging support for the Army’s unfunded priorities and additional funding over the rate of inflation.

The association also will support the Army People Strategy and the service’s programs to prevent suicide and sexual assault and harassment.

Initiatives to improve recruiting, competitive compensation for soldiers and Army civilians and top quality-of-life programs for soldiers and their families, including health care, child care, housing, spouse employment and permanent change-of-station moves, are also priorities.

AUSA also supports Army programs to ensure dignity and respect for all, build effective and cohesive teams and improve talent management.

On readiness, AUSA is calling for on-time and appropriate funding to continue improving readiness throughout the total force.

AUSA supports increasing momentum on the Army’s modernization efforts and enhancing strategic readiness and power projection capabilities by improving Army pre-positioned stocks and strategic sealift and airlift.

In terms of the defense industrial base and Army infrastructure, AUSA supports modernizing the DoD support base and securing the defense supply chain to enhance readiness. This includes depots and maintenance facilities, training ranges and deployment centers.

AUSA also supports ensuring access to materials critical to national security, including medications, raw materials and other resources, and a healthy, resilient and expandable defense industry and defense acquisition system.

AUSA developed its 2023 advocacy focus areas after discussions with national staff, senior fellows, region presidents and a region working group, and with feedback from the Army.

You can see the full list of focus areas here.