An upcoming Association of the U.S. Army webinar will feature Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville in one of his last presentations as the service’s top general officer.

McConville, who is scheduled to retire in August, will speak July 18 as part of AUSA’s Noon Report series. He will provide an update on the state of the Army and reflections from his tenure as the 40th Army chief of staff. 

The event begins at noon Eastern. It is free, but registration is required here.

A 1981 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, McConville is a senior Army aviator who is qualified in several aircraft, including the AH-64 Apache and the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters. Before serving as chief of staff, McConville commanded the 101st Airborne Division and served several combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also was the 36th Army vice chief of staff and the deputy Army chief of staff for personnel, G-1.

Gen. Randy George, who has served as the vice chief of staff since August, has been nominated to succeed McConville.

During his tenure, McConville has focused on putting people first—from taking care of soldiers and family members, veterans and Army civilians, to better managing their talents and skills. “We are in a war for talent,” McConville said earlier this year, particularly as the Army struggles to meet its recruiting goals. “It is a war that we have to win. We need everybody’s help.”

He also has pushed the Army to transform for the future, overseeing one of the most pivotal modernization efforts the service has seen in 40 years, while ensuring the Army is ready to respond to today’s emergencies, from the COVID-19 pandemic to bolstering NATO partners after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“When it comes to readiness, we’re not going to send any soldiers into a combat situation where they’re not trained and ready to go,” McConville said last fall, adding that while he’s proud of what soldiers have accomplished, he’s also concerned about the demands placed on them.

“This has been a rough couple of years,” he said. “This Army, and this military, has faced adversity around the world. It’s done everything it’s been asked to do and, quite frankly, I think they’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do extremely well. I’m very proud of them, proud to be the chief of staff of this Army.”