MAJ (Ret.) Doug Denson is inducted into the Bronze Honorable Order of St. Michael by Badger Chapter President, COL Dan Allen, assisted by National AAAA President, MG (Ret.) Wally Golden during the Army Aviation Ball, Jan. 10, 2026.
Our annual Army Aviation Warfighting Summit is almost upon us! From April 15 to 17, 2026 the entire Army Aviation community will gather in Nashville, TN at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
The Summit is the one time each year when all elements of Army Aviation, from Sustainment to Acquisition; Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Retired, members of industry and even cadets and ROTC students gather with our Army Leadership. It is another example of AAAA executing its mission of taking care of Army Aviation Soldiers and Families through our four pillars of Networking, Recognition, Voice and Support.
AAAA and Army Aviation remain in a period of continuous transformation as we prepare for the future, while remaining ready to fight tonight. The MV-75 Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, (FLRAA), drones, counter-drone, artificial intelligence (AI), and cyber are integral to this year’s event. We will also ensure that the backbone of our maneuver capability; Black Hawks, Chinooks, Apaches and their crews are modernized and recognized as the best in the world! And we will continue to recognize our legacy with our aviation pioneering veterans from the Vietnam War, Cold War, Desert Storm and Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).
I know many of you are already tracking that our Branch Chief, MG Clair Gill, is now also the Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Maneuver Air. This restructuring of the acquisition process promises vastly accelerated fielding of our new systems. Recent press reports indicate that the MV-75 FLRAA will undergo an accelerated acquisition path in concert with the Chief of Staff Army (CSA) and Secretary of War’s intent to cut through bureaucracy and get equipment in the hands of our Soldiers as rapidly as possible.
I recently returned from a visit to the AAAA Badger Chapter at their annual ball held at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, WI on 10 January 2026. It was an exciting and inspirational event as the state’s Army National Guard Aviation Soldiers and Spouses gathered for an evening of recognition, entertainment and networking. I was honored to assist in the presentation of four Bronze Orders of St. Michael (OSM). I was also excited to see the recently selected Wisconsin Adjutant General (TAG), MG Matthew Straub and his wife Tina, at the ball. MG Straub is the first Army TAG in over 25 years in Wisconsin and was proudly wearing his AAAA Gold OSM. My sincere thanks to the chapter officers for their hospitality and the invitation to attend the Badger Ball – COL Dan Allen, President; LTC Nils Henderson, Sr. VP; CPT Patrick Peterson, Treasurer; CPT Meredith Porter, VP Awards; 1LT Austin Smith, Secretary; CW4 Craig Hatfield, VP Scholarship; and MAJ Joshua Felber, VP Industrial Affairs.
Finally, by the time you read this, we will have completed the Army’s very first Best Drone Warfighter Competition at the University of Alabama Huntsville Drone Range in Huntsville, AL. The amount of hard work, attention to detail and detailed coordination between the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE) at Ft. Benning, Georgia and the Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE), Ft. Rucker, Alabama has been remarkable. There will be a full report in the next issue, but I want you all to know that AAAA is fully engaged in Army Aviation’s Continuous Transformation, supporting the Branch and the Army in developing this emerging capability.
If you aren’t registered already, make sure you register now for our annual Summit in April. You won’t want to miss it!
Above the Best!
MG Wally Golden, U.S. Army Retired
37th President, AAAA
walter.golden@quad-a.org
