ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT Table of Contents Letter from the President and CEO ...................................................................................3 Education ..............................................................................................................................4 Professional Development ..............................................................................................4 Publications .......................................................................................................................8 Digital & Social Media ...................................................................................................10 Financials............................................................................................................................11 Advocacy & Outreach .......................................................................................................12 Government Affairs ........................................................................................................12 Family Readiness ............................................................................................................14 NCO & Soldier Programs ...............................................................................................15 Membership & Chapters ..................................................................................................16 Awards & Grants ...............................................................................................................18 Sustaining Members .........................................................................................................20 Voice for the Army — Support for the Soldier 2 Association of the United States Army | 2015 Annual Report Letter from the President and CEO lobal events and domestic politics continued to challenge the Army in 2015, heightening the need for the Association of the U.S. Army to show its strong support for the combined Active, Army National Guard and Army Reserve. While a slight lifting of budgetary caps and a two-year reprieve from the threat of Gsequestration ended the year with some temporary stability in the Army’s budget, resources remain limited and the force structure continues to shrink. While this is happening, ongoing operations and national security threats continue to place heavy demands on the GEN Gordon R. Sullivan Army and its leaders. This is not, unfortunately, a new problem, and it will continue into 2016. Since 2011, the beginning of the Army drawdown after what was thought to be an end to a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, we’ve seen those two nations are not yet secure, nor is the rest of the world. Russian aggression in Ukraine, the constant threats from North Korea, and the spread of the Islamic State militancy, has made the world an ever-more dangerous place, filled with turmoil and uncertainty. In terms of size, the Army finished 2015 with just over 1 million soldiers in the Total Force but expected to lose 27,000 Soldiers in 2016. It is not just soldiers who are being cut, as the Army has also detailed plans for the elimination of 13,000 federal civilian jobs over the next three years. Details of how these cuts will be dispersed across the globe sent shivers through Army communities that have been strong partners for our military. In terms of readiness, the Army remains constrained. Only about one-third of brigade combat teams are fully ready. Army Chief of Staff General Mark A. Milley has made clear that readiness is his top priority, but even with the highest level of support, the Army doesn’t expect to meet the minimum requirement of having 70 percent of teams ready to fight before 2020 because of a combination of budget and infrastructure limitations and the continued press of ongoing deployments. On its own, the Army cannot create more money nor drop a cloak of peace over the globe but it can do what Soldiers always do best: be innovative. New tactics and strategy, training adaptive leaders, and encouraging leap-forward technology are methods adopted by the Army to expand the reach of its capabilities, whether responding to natural disasters, aggressive foes or ensuring peace. AUSA is here to help. As the professional association of the U.S. Army, we are committed to supporting the Army, its Soldiers and our nation. We believe the Army must be strong and fully resourced to keep our national security risks at acceptable levels. We believe in the All-Volunteer Force and in the Total Force, knowing this requires as strong a commitment from our nation as the commitment to selfless service that comes from our active, Guard and Reserve Soldiers and their families. We believe in supporting our defense industry partners, whose ideas and skill are needed to make certain a smaller Army doesn’t mean a less-capable Army. Above all, we believe in the Army’s leaders. Professional development of soldiers, from their first day in combat boots, is one of our highest priorities. As this annual report will show, your AUSA was very busy in 2015 working on behalf of the Army and Soldiers. I’m proud Voice for the Army — Support for the Soldier of what we’ve done. I hope you are too. Sincerely, GORDON R. SULLIVAN General, USA Retired Association of the United States Army | 2015 Annual Report 3 EDUCATION Professional Development verall, AUSA events went very well this year, meeting or exceeding expectations in most cases. The sponsorship program has been expanded to meet customer demand and increasing revenues for this market. Exhibit space at the AUSA Global Force Symposium nearly sold out, a clear sign this continues to be a viable event. The AUSA OLANPAC Symposium turned a corner this year, exceeding all expectations as atten- dance nearly doubled. We expect this event will continue to grow in the coming years. The 2015 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition was a huge success once again, bringing AUSA Annual Meeting Exhibit Floor the U.S. Army and defense industry together. More than 26,000 people from around the world attended our event, not far off our total from 2014. Interest in exhibiting also remained strong, and we were able to fill most of the five exhibit halls at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. In addition, AUSA offered a variety of new and returning programs to enhance this event. AUSA continued its partnership with the American Freedom Foundation to offer a veterans hiring event in Hall A. In addition to having the opportunity to network with potential employers, veterans had a chance to take part in workshops that focused on a variety of important topics relevant to reentering the workforce. Support for veterans at this year’s Annual Meeting was also bolstered through a new Veterans Affairs Pavilion, which included seven organizations representing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The pavilion provided an opportunity for U.S. military veterans to speak with representatives regarding Homeland Security Pavilion at their VA benefits package. the Annual Meeting AUSA again organized a Homeland Security Pavilion that included a number of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) organizations. The Pavilion provided an important opportunity for AUSA member and non-member organizations supporting the DHS mission to display their products and services. Small businesses, as defined by the Small Business Administration, were again given the opportunity to book space in the Small Business Pavilion without the requirement of having to initially join our Sustaining Membership Program. This continues to be a successful initiative. More than 65 companies signed to exhibit in the Small Business Pavilion. This overwhelming interest resulted in expanding the Pavilion several times to accommodate companies in Halls A and C. Secretary of the Army This was the second year we offered the Innovators Corner, an initiative providing productive John M. McHugh addresses the interaction between the military and the developers of new concepts, technologies, and materi- Congressional Staffers Breakfast als. Innovator’s presentations on the exhibit floor are opening doors for collaboration and partnerships which will benefit the Army. This opens dialog between people and organizations to more rapidly develop and vet innovations for the military. Interest is robust for this venue and we believe that it can become another strong generator of value for all participants. This year’s Congressional Staff Breakfast was one of the best attended congressional events in the Association’s history, with General Sullivan hosting 700 attendees. More than 250 key congressional staff members were among the guests. The breakfast gives AUSA an opportu- nity to thank the congressional staff for their work in support of the Army’s portion of the 4 Association of the United States Army | 2015 Annual Report EDUCATION president’s budget, their support to Soldiers and families, and also allows us to broaden advocacy in Congress by further educating staff on current Army programs and initiatives. After the breakfast, many of the staff members toured the exhibit hall and met with key defense industry leaders and viewed the latest technology. The Military Family Forums showcased a series of topics pertinent to current issues impacting Army families. One highlight of the Family Forums was getting to know the new Army leadership and their spouses. A town hall meeting with senior Army leaders featured Secretary of the Army John McHugh; Chief of