With a theme of “Be All You Can Be,” the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition will highlight how the Army is innovating and adapting to operate in an evolving and complex world.

From recruiting, retention and talent management, to training and equipping the force for a multidomain fight, the Army is focused on transforming for 2030 and beyond.

During the annual meeting, Oct. 9–11 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., the Army’s vision for the future will be discussed during keynote addresses by senior leaders, a range of contemporary military forums and Warriors Corner and Innovators Corner presentations.

There also will be more than 650 exhibits spread over five halls and several award presentations, including the winners of the Best Squad Competition, the NCO and Soldier of the Year and the Marshall Medal, AUSA’s highest award for selfless service to the country.

The 2023 Marshall Medal recipient is retired Gen. Eric Shinseki, a former Army chief of staff and Department of Veterans Affairs secretary. A combat veteran who was wounded in Vietnam, Shinseki was the first Asian American to achieve the rank of four-star general.

Attendance at the annual meeting is free, but registration is required. Some seated events require separate reservations and may have a fee.

For more information or to register, click here.

The annual meeting will open with a keynote address from Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, who has been nominated to be the next Army chief of staff, is expected to provide the keynote during the Eisenhower luncheon, and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, who became the Army’s senior enlisted soldier on Aug. 4, will host a forum and speak at various events.

This year’s contemporary military forums will feature topics such as attracting talent for the 21st century, land power in the Indo-Pacific, strengthening the Army profession, the role of land forces in deterrence and defense in Europe, modernizing for the future fight, and taking care of soldiers and families.

The Army is in the middle of its biggest transformation in 40 years, with ambitious programs that aim to prepare the force for 2030 and beyond. It also is working to maintain its present-day readiness, with soldiers in high demand at home and overseas.

The service also continues to struggle with recruiting, facing one of the worst recruiting environments since the creation of the all-volunteer force 50 years ago. It’s one of the Army’s top challenges, leaders have said, and the service has implemented several initiatives to turn things around, including reviving the iconic “Be All You Can Be” slogan from the 1980s.

“The Army does an incredible amount of work all around the world to defend this nation,” Wormuth said. “We are as busy today, almost, as we were during the years of the global war on terror. We can’t afford to get too small.”