The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) advocates in support of these Focus Areas for the Total Army and our membership:
- Total Army: Regular, National Guard, Reserve, Army Civilians, families, survivors, caregivers,
and veterans. - AUSA Membership: Individual members, National and Community Partners, and Association
Partners. - AUSA supports efforts to strengthen the Total Army – which is integral to national security.
"Whether it is defending the country at home or overseas, our nation counts on the United States Army to be the first line of defense."
Secretary Christine E. Wormuth, 25th Secretary of the U.S. Army
On-time Appropriations and Authorizations: Key to National Security
- Enact the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bills, as well as all remaining appropriations bills, as soon as possible, and pass the FY25 appropriations and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by October 1, 2024.
- This is critical to national security, which requires a whole-of-government approach.
- Support Total Army unfunded priorities and provide 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.
Warfighting
- Enact timely, adequate, and predictable funding for the Total Army to improve lethality and enhance warfighting capability across the full spectrum of conflict.
- Support programs to build effective, cohesive teams and develop capable leaders.
- Provide resources necessary for the Total Army to continue to be the best trained and best led force in the world.
Delivering Ready Combat Formations
- Provide funding so the Army can field new capabilities smoothly and quickly throughout the total force.
- Improve Total Army infrastructure to strengthen readiness, quality of life, recruitment, and retention.
- Enhance strategic readiness and power projection capabilities of the joint force through replenishing and expanding Army prepositioned equipment, improving intra-theater maneuver, strategic sealift, and strategic airlift.
- Secure the defense supply chain and support a resilient and expandable defense industry and acquisition system.
Strengthening the Profession
- Enable Soldiers, leaders, and units to strengthen the profession through realistic training and leadership/education programs.
- Fully resource programs to prevent death by suicide, sexual assault, harassment, and provide support to survivors.
- Ensure compensation, benefits, and quality of life programs for Soldiers, families, and Army Civilians to support resilience and retention.
- Enhance support for Veterans/Soldiers-for-Life, survivors, and caregivers to reinforce recruiting and retention and ensure members of the Total Army receive the benefits earned.
Continuous Transformation
- Support initiatives to improve recruitment.
- Fully fund efforts to improve lethality, become more mobile, and enhance innovation.
- Provide additional resources and authorities to Army programs to increase momentum of transformation efforts at every echelon, leverage emerging technologies, improve near-term readiness, and ensure future dominance.
- Streamline Foreign Military Sales to improve capabilities and interoperability of allies and partners while supporting the defense industrial base and safeguarding sensitive technologies
"The Army is indispensable to preserving national security as a member of the joint force. We must provide the Total Army the resources and support it needs and deserves to achieve its mission."
General Robert B. Brown, U.S. Army, Retired, President & CEO
