Since 1950 the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) has been the Voice for the Army and Support for the Soldier. However, somewhere along the way a very gross misconception of who could belong developed. The false impression is that AUSA was just for Active Component Army and only Officers. This is not so, AUSA is for both Components; Active and Reserve. Also, all Ranks are eligible for membership.
Not too long ago at an AUSA Annual Meeting a now former Chief of Army Reserve stated that another way to think of the A’s in AUSA is that one A stands for ALL Components and the other for ALL Ranks.
Therefore, let it be said the AUSA has the Army Reserve Soldiers (and their Families) “6”. The following are the ways that AUSA is protecting and supporting you.
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Resolutions AUSA Resolutions are member driven. The vast majority of Resolutions come from AUSA’s worldwide Chapters. It can be said that all AUSA Resolutions affect the total Army. However, almost every year, more than 20 % addressed specific needs of the Reserve Component. AUSA Resolutions go directly to Congress.
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Chapter events/support There are 121 worldwide AUSA Chapters. The vast majority are very active in giving support to Soldiers and their Families. As many of the Chapters are not near large Army installations, the members make a concerted effort to reach out to members of the Army Reserve.
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Partnership with ESGR As the Nation is in a war on terrorism and the Army Reserve is an Operational Force, AUSA is very concerned that the Employers of Army Reserve Soldiers remain steadfast in their support. Therefore, AUSA remains dedicated in making sure that there are Resolutions which support the Employer of Army Reserve Soldiers. Also, many of the State representatives for ESGR are AUSA members.
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MSO/VSO Meetings The Army Reserve Communication branch meets with various Military Service Organizations (MSO) like AUSA, ROA, MOAA and SARCA and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) like VFW, DAV, American Legion on a quarterly basis. At these meetings, AUSA learns about those specific issues that need Congressional attention. Many times these meetings produce AUSA Resolutions specifically for the Army Reserve.
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Symposia According to an Army Manual, the American profession of arms has three dimensions: physical, intellectual, and moral. AUSA actively supports all three dimensions. However, the various Symposia AUSA hosts during the year emphasize the intellectual dimension. As an example, the AUSA October Annual Meeting and Exposition is a professional development meeting that has many Forums to discuss those issues of interest to every person in the Army; both Military and Civilian. Other advantages of AUSA Symposia are they offer a great way to network and meet old Army friends.
AUSA is your Association. Besides bringing before Congress issues that affect Officers, NCOs, Enlisted and Family members for both Active and Reserve Components, AUSA focuses on just Army issues. If you are not an AUSA member, I highly encourage and invite you to join.
Current News
NEW MYPAY ACCOUNTS FOR GRAY AREA RETIREES
Gray Area Retirees are service members who served in the Guard or Reserve, qualified for retired pay, have retired from their service (stopped drilling), but are not yet at the age where they can start receiving retired pay.
In the new basic myPay account, Gray Area Retirees can confirm or update their email and mailing addresses to stay informed about news related to their upcoming retired pay. Additionally, when they have a current email address in their account and DFAS receives their completed retired pay application from their Service, DFAS will email them notifications about the status of their application.
Here is a link for more information: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/408428/dfas-launches-new-kind-mypay-account-military-gray-area-retirees
Army Reserve WEBSITE
Go to http://www.usar.army.mil/ to find out what the future holds for the Army Reserve.
LTG Jody Daniels, Chief of Army Reserve, has said "My vision for the Army Reserve is to foster a mindset of teamwork, continuous learning and growth, so that our Soldiers desire to continue to serve and lead." LTG(R) Jack C. Stultz, former Chief of Army Reserve and Chairman of the AUSA Guard and Reserve Committee, has said: "While today's Citizen-Soldiers of the Army Reserve are performing magnificently in every environment and geographic region, we must also devote attention to tomorrow's threats and opportunities. The coming decade requires our continued engagement around the globe, as an operation force in support of our National Security Strategy. The Army Reserve is an integral component of our expeditionary force. The strategic decisions and direction chosen at this juncture set the frame work for the next decade, and the future of the Army Reserve."
FOR THE RECORD
The Army Reserve is Ready Now! Shaping Tomorrow. Today's Army Reserve is made up of over 200,000 Soldiers and Civilian employees who live and work inThousands of communities across the country. It is a commumity-based federal force, unlike the National Guard which is under the control of the Governors.
ARMY RESERVE MISSION: To provide combat ready units and Soldiers to the Army and the Joint Force across the full spectrum of conflict.
ARMY RESERVE VISION: The Army Reserve of 2028 provides trained and equipped units and personnel at the scale and speed required to support the Total Force in the joint, multi-domain operational environment. The Army Reserve accomplishes this through continuous improvements and prudent investments in readiness and modernization priorities while balancing the training requirements and quality of life needs of our Soldiers, Civilians, and Families.
ROLE WITHIN THE ARMY
Combat Support Combat Service Support Civil Affairs/Psych Ops
Chemical 40% Medical 50% Civil Affairs 82%
Engineers 35% Quartermaster 65% Mil Info Support Opns 83%
Military Police 25% Transportation 56%
Military Intel 29% Chaplain 81%
Military History 77%
Information Opns 40%
Legal 30%
Public Affairs 38%
AUSA's Industry Guide
AUSA's National Partner Program is made up of over 500 organizations from around the world that support the U.S. Army with vital products and services. Most of these organizations are listed in a search engine developed by AUSA as a tool for researching and compiling important information.
Through projects with private sector partners, Army Reserve units and Soldiers gain access to unique training opportunities and have the ability to apply their expertise and leadership skills to real world projects that correlate with their military experience.