ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The Association of the U.S. Army is urging key lawmakers to approve additional funding in the fiscal 2024 budget to support the Army’s transformation programs.

“We believe it is essential for the Army and the Department of Defense (DoD) to have the resources it needs to counter growing threats and to ensure the continued excellence of the all-volunteer force,” retired Gen. Bob Brown, AUSA president and CEO, writes in a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

The Army is “largely on track” with its transformation priorities, with some restructuring of the force required to be ready to fight and win future wars, Army leaders told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.

Continuing recruiting challenges make this a complicated and necessary adjustment, they said.

A 5.2% pay increase for soldiers and civilian employees, more than $5.3 billion in procurement programs and critical updates to ammunition production facilities could be at risk without a full-year budget for fiscal 2024, the Army’s top leaders warned.

Testifying April 19 before the House Armed Services Committee, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said a stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, would be a “significant problem” for the Army.

On top of its $185.5 billion budget request for fiscal 2024, the Army has prepared a supplemental list of $1.93 billion in unfunded priorities.

The so-called wish list of additional spending was provided to Congress under a long-standing request from lawmakers to show how additional funds might be spent.

The 2024 supplemental request is far smaller than last year’s $5.1 billion unfunded priorities list.

The 2024 Army budget doesn’t contain big across-the-board increases, but the $185.5 billion request is enough to take care of the service’s top priorities, Army budget officials said March 23 at an Association of the U.S. Army event.

“All in all, we are very excited about our request,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Bennett, the 32nd director of the Army budget. He described the proposed budget as a “strategy-informed” document that supports the National Defense Strategy with investments for people and transformation programs.

The Association of the U.S. Army, joined by four other military associations, is urging key lawmakers to approve a timely and adequate defense budget to avoid unnecessary disruptions in modernization and people programs.

Army budget experts will discuss the service’s fiscal 2024 budget request March 23 at a Coffee Series event hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army.

The in-person event at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, opens at 6:30 a.m. with registration, coffee and networking. The program is scheduled to begin at 7:15 a.m. It is free for military members, government employees and the media. All attendees are encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Masks are optional.

The fiscal 2024 defense budget unveiled March 13 includes a 5.2% across-the-board pay increase and an overall $26 billion hike in defense spending.

The Army’s $185.5 billion share, which is $5.6 billion less than the fiscal 2023 budget approved by Congress, covers the service’s priorities, briefers said as the budget was unveiled.

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.

The White House announced Jan. 31 that the 14th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation will take a closer look at the adequacy of pay and benefits for dual-income households. 

“The unique factors affecting military household incomes might require structural changes, to include the development of a new benchmark for military compensation,” says a memorandum from President Joe Biden establishing the review.