Welcome to 2025… a quarter of the way through the 21st century! From all of us at AAAA, we hope you all had a fantastic Holiday season with your family and loved ones.
By the time you read this, the AAAA National Executive Group, along with our Executive Director Bill Harris, will have attended the Aviation Senior Leaders Forum at Fort Novosel. We are always so grateful to our Branch Chiefs, now MG Clair Gill, for including the Aviation ‘Graybeards’ in this incredibly comprehensive and inciteful conference for the senior leaders and command teams of the Total Army Aviation Force. It provides our Association with an understanding and appreciation for the priorities and challenges of our Branch across the entirety of the Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel and Facilities spectrum. Additionally, we are honored each year to be part of the annual Ellis D. Parker and AAAA National functional awards dinner, including the presentation of the Trainer of the Year, Air-Sea Rescue, multiple Air Traffic Control Awards, and Flight Medic of the Year awards.
I’d like to reiterate that I’ve had the great privilege and honor of presenting the Gold Order of St. Michael to one of our foremost Aviation Leaders as she retired in November, GEN Laura Richardson. She joins GEN Doug Brown, GEN Dick Cody, and recently retired GEN Dan Hokanson as powerful voices indeed for our Army Aviation Branch, and we look forward to being able to leverage and engage this ‘Star Power’ to strengthen our Association in support of our Aviation soldiers and families.
Also, as you read this, our new Administration and Congress will be seated in Washington D.C. As I mentioned last month, we expect the Army Aviation Caucus to be organized and functioning in the first quarter (thank you Mr. Bill Harris and Mr. Josh Baker for your efforts at energizing this outcome!). There is certainly a lot to educate the Caucus on, and we look forward to significant engagements over this year on your behalf.
I’d also like to report that both the Luther G. Jones Army Aviation Depot Forum February 11-12 in Corpus Christi, TX and especially the Annual Summit May 14-16 in Nashville, TN are shaping up nicely. The Summit is just about sold out of exhibit space and is on track for our most robust attendance ever. We are literally running at over twice the pre-registrations we had at the same time out from the last time we were in Nashville in 2023. Notably, Craig Morgan will be our entertainment at the closing Soldier Appreciation Dinner Concert this year. A Soldier himself, Craig does a fantastic show. Check out the AAAA website for the latest details. With our U.S. Army Chief of Staff, GEN Randy George keynoting the Summit, we really look forward to a very dynamic event and robust discussions about what our great Aviation Force contributes to the Army and Joint Force.
Above the Best!
MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org
