“I am confident we are on the right track,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Oct. 10 at the opening ceremony of the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2022 Annual Meeting and Exposition. 

Her second appearance as the keynote speaker at AUSA’s biggest event of the year was somber. “We are living in challenging times,” Wormuth said, noting that the Army faces “a wide and sobering range of national security threats.” 

“I have confidence that our Army can and will meet these challenges,” she said. “We will forge ahead building the Army of 2030 so that we are ready for the stark realities of the future battlefield, and we will look beyond 2030 to start preparing today for what lies ahead in 2040.” 

Wormuth ended on an upbeat note. “I am confident we will remain the world’s greatest land fighting force for many generations to come,” she said. The secretary said she’s inspired “about everything that is possible. … I am confident that the Army is on the right track to realize our vision.” 

The vision she’s referring to is the capabilities transformation for 2030 and changes in operational concepts focused on 2040. “We will need to take the long view to determine what foundational investments in technology are needed today, so that we are ready tomorrow as we make these generational investments to prepare for the future fight,” Wormuth said. She added that the Army must maintain readiness while “transforming at a pace informed by the resources that we have.” 

The Army is reshaping the force through transformation and reorganization, Wormuth said. The Army must be prepared for the potential of large-scale combat if deterrence fails, she said, but the force still faces hard choices balancing transformation, current readiness, future readiness and taking care of soldiers and their families. 

Wormuth’s remarks came after an opening ceremony featuring members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). “If that doesn’t make you proud, nothing will,” said retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA’s president and CEO, as he fist-bumped soldiers leaving the stage. 

— Rick Maze