On-time and adequate funding for the U.S. Army remains a top advocacy effort for the Association of the U.S. Army.

As part of AUSA’s 2024 Focus Areas, the association aims 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, released this month, stress the importance of having timely and sufficient budgets, providing programs and policies to support people, maintaining readiness and momentum for the Army’s transformation efforts, and supporting a healthy and resilient defense industrial base.

On-time appropriations and authorizations are “critical to national security,” the association says. Additionally, AUSA is advocating for support for “Total Army unfunded priorities” and “necessary and timely funding to support Army requirements—no less than 3–5 percent real growth.”

“This would improve readiness, increase lethality, enhance deterrence, mitigate inflation and improve warfighting capability in an increasingly dangerous world,” AUSA says in its 2024 Focus Areas.

Additionally, AUSA’s Focus Areas align with the Army’s four efforts—warfighting, delivering ready combat formations, strengthening the profession and continuous transformation.

Timely, adequate and predictable funding allows the Army to improve lethality and enhance its warfighting capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict. It also allows the Army to field new capabilities smoothly and quickly throughout the total force while improving programs and infrastructure to strengthen readiness, quality of life, recruiting and retention.

AUSA is advocating for funding to enhance strategic readiness and power projection capabilities by replenishing and expanding Army pre-positioned equipment and securing the defense supply chain.

AUSA also is focused on advocating for realistic training and leadership and education programs for soldiers, as well as resources for programs to prevent suicide, sexual assault and harassment and other related resources.

Finally, AUSA supports efforts to enhance innovation and increase the momentum of transformation efforts across the force.

Read AUSA’s 2024 Focus Areas here.