AAAA begins this new year in great shape with membership near record levels of over 20,000 members and our strongest ever financial balance sheet. The future also looks bright as we prepare for the rapidly approaching Army Aviation Warfighting Summit April 15-17, 2026 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

By the time you read this I will have returned from visiting our Badger Chapter in Wisconsin for their annual ball and will have also attended the Aviation Senior Leaders Conference at Fort Rucker, AL.

In many respects these two very different events show the breadth and depth of AAAA’s mission statement of Supporting the Aviation Soldier and Family. From the grass roots level, in this case at a largely Reserve Component-based chapter, to the Branch policy and vision level with our senior Army and Branch leaders at Fort Rucker, AAAA is present, providing assistance through presence and resources.

In a just a few weeks, AAAA is sponsoring the inaugural annual Army Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, AL, February 17-19, 2026. We have had a tremendous response from the most senior levels of the Pentagon, all the way down to our individual units. The three-part competition will take place in the mornings on the 2,300 acre University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) Drone Range, while the working groups will meet every afternoon at the Huntsville Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center, a few minutes away.

This is an Army Soldier event coordinated by the Aviation and Maneuver Centers, but we will have a few industry partner exhibits, both at the hotel and the UAH range. Special thanks to Neros Technologies for sponsoring, supplying and supporting the standardized drones for the individual warfighter competition at the UAH Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) site at the range.

In the second phase of the competition, the tactical Hunter-Killer event teams will bring their own unmanned aircraft systems, as will the Innovation Competitors who will present their unit-built systems. Exhibits sold out almost immediately and we are going to have to expand the event for next year to accommodate the demand for everything from moving targets to counter-drone operations.

As mentioned earlier, the Annual Summit is just around the corner and we are putting the final touches on that agenda now. We will have an outstanding roster of speakers and opportunities for interaction and networking that span the breadth of the Army Aviation Enterprise from sustainment to acquisition. We’ll also showcase many of the emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), drone warfare, launched effects (LE) and of course, the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) MV-75. We’ll also continue to offer opportunities for professional career development and post-Army employment. Continuous Transformation is the name of the game as we prepare to face our peer competitors and support the Army Aviation Branch to remain agile, adaptive and lethal on the modern battlefield.

At the end of the day, everything we do from sponsoring the Army Aviation Congressional Caucus, to the millions of dollars that AAAA has provided in support of scholarships over the decades, AAAA has one goal in mind. Since AAAA’s inception in 1957, almost 70 years ago now, we have had no higher calling than to support you, your family, and your career by remaining relevant to you, the Branch, and the Army. Let us know how we can do even better.

Above the Best!

MG Wally Golden, U.S. Army Retired
37th President, AAAA
walter.golden@quad-a.org

I am honored and humbled to have been elected as your new AAAA National President a few weeks ago at our annual Mission Solutions Summit in Nashville. I know many of you from my long Army career and even more during the past six years as the AAAA Secretary, Treasurer and Senior VP.  I look forward to meeting many more of you among our military, industry, and civilian members over the next few years.

I would like to thank our outgoing President, and my friend, MG (Ret.) Walt Davis, who led AAAA during the last two years and established such a cohesive team of your National Executive Group (NEG), including BG (Ret.) Tim Edens, now our Senior VP, and MG Todd Royar, our new Treasurer. It has been an honor to serve with and for Walt. I pledge to build on his many successes and work every day to represent you all, as we work through these times of change and challenge.

If my years in uniform taught me anything, it is that change is inevitable, and that Army Aviation and our Nation always come out better, stronger and more capable in the process. All of us at AAAA are flexing to better serve you in all of our four pillars of Networking, Recognition, Voice and Support as we embrace unmanned systems, autonomy, counter drone and all the realities of the emerging battlefield as we prepare for future conflict.

Congratulations also go out to our new NEG Secretary, BG (Ret.) Ray Davis, along with our new VP Chapters, COL (Ret.) John Broam and new VP Membership, COL (Ret.) Liz Martin. As I write this, our new NEG is meeting at the AAAA HQ in Connecticut to chart our path forward. More to follow on specific committee assignments, board appointments, etc., but I wanted to let you know that your NEG is assembled and moving out smartly.

If you have any ideas on how AAAA can serve you better, please contact me at walter.golden@quad-a.org

Above the Best!

Wally
Walter M. Golden Jr.
Major General, U.S. Army Retired
37th President, AAAA

As I scribe my last message as your AAAA National President, all indications are that we will have an exceptional Summit, just given the level of attendee registration and the record exhibit commitments from industry and our other partners; and the strong support from our Army and Aviation Branch leadership to develop and deliver a comprehensive and meaningful agenda and program of activities which showcase the strength of the entire Army Aviation community and family. In addition, we will also induct our newest Army Aviation Hall of Fame members, recognize our many outstanding individual and organizational Aviation awardees, and importantly, simply spend time together socially and professionally as a committed community.

This is what the AAAA Missional Solutions Summit is all about, the sole Army Aviation event that brings together our entire community to engage on how best to support our Army, our Branch, and most importantly, our Army Aviation soldiers and families. “Army Aviation: Ready to meet Tomorrow’s Challenges Today” is a most appropriate theme and I want to thank our Branch Chief, MG Clair Gill, for all his support and guidance, along with all the other members of the Aviation General Officers Steering Committee, in the lead up to this years Summit.

I also would like to thank the Branch Chief and the other Aviation GOSC leaders for joining MG (Ret.) Todd Royar, Mr. Bill Harris, and myself at the April 9 ‘re-boot of the Congressional Army Aviation Caucus on Capitol Hill. Well over 125 folks attended the networking reception in the Rayburn Building, to hear from our Caucus Co-Chairs, Ranking Member on Appropriations, Hon. Rosa DeLauro, (D-CT-3), and Hon. Dale Strong, (R-AL-5) along with MG Gill who laid out the Branch priorities, along with remarks from each of the Aviation GOSC leaders.

Well, as I alluded to above, “commanders come and go, and it doesn’t hurt the organization any!” Hard to believe that my term as your AAAA President is ending… time goes by in the blink of an eye. What a privilege it has been! I want to thank the National Executive Group (NEG) team; we could not have a more dedicated, engaged, and supportive group of committed, ‘Soldiers for Life.’ MG (Ret.)Wally Golden, our Senior VP (about to become your AAAA President), thank you for everything and especially for stepping in for me at last year’s event in Denver. BG (Ret.) Tim Edens our Treasurer, and MG Todd Royar our National Secretary, thank you also for all your efforts in keeping this great organization focused, successful and relevant. CW4 (Ret.) Becky Chambers our VP for Membership has done a record-setting job driving us to over 20,000 members and LTC (Ret.) Jan Drabczuk, our VP for Chapters, has managed his own record by growing our AAAA chapters to an all-time high of 83. Amazing results from an amazing team. Again, thank you all… and that goes to the entire AAAA National Executive Board which includes our many Committee Chairs … your committed service to the Association is remarkable!

And finally, my personal thanks to Mr. Bill Harris, our Executive Director, Janis Arena, CW4 (Ret.) Joe Pisano and the entire AAAA professional staff. You all are the Association’s center of gravity and heartbeat… the reason that ‘we are who we are’…completely committed and dedicated to the mission of our great Association and making things happen! Thank you!

As a soon to be a Past AAAA President at the conclusion of this Summit, I will remain engaged as Chairman of the Nominating Committee and look forward to contributing however I can to this great organization whose sole focus is “Supporting the U.S. Army Aviation Soldier and Family”

Above the Best!

MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org

As we enter the final days of preparation for the AAAA Annual Summit in Nashville May 14-16, 2025, we recognize the importance of your Association to serve as THE catalyst and enabler for the gathering of our entire Army Aviation Community. So grateful to be able to report that we are looking at our largest annual gathering ever in terms of attendee registration and Industry commitment and sponsorship. The Gaylord Opryland is sold out (with over 800 folks on the waiting list), exhibits are sold out, and we are opening a second exhibit area to accommodate the incredible support and commitment from our Aviation Community. Our Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN Randy George, is working around his Congressional testimony to make every effort to attend and deliver the Keynote address. And with the current world situation dramatically increasing foreign Defense budgets, International interest in meeting our exhibitors is the highest it has ever been.

Building on our ‘Four Pillars’ of actualizing our mission statement to Support the Army Aviation Soldier and Family, the Summit provides our greatest annual opportunity for realizing those Pillars – Networking, Recognition, Voice, and Support. From interacting with our Industry Partners, to attending the Aviation Hall of Fame inductions and awards ceremonies honoring our legacy and current Aviation patriots, to our closing Soldier Appreciation Concert featuring the great Craig Morgan, a committed Army Veteran, the Summit is truly the premier Army Aviation Family gathering.

Having just gathered in Huntsville, AL for AUSA Global, I again thank GEN (Ret.) J. D. Thurman and the other members of our Senior Executive Associates for their support and enduring leadership. What an impactful discussion with our Aviation General Officer Steering Committee leadership about the critical Aviation Branch priorities and challenges to determine how best to support our Army and Branch. Additionally, as I write this, we are looking forward to our Congressional Aviation Caucus event on 9 April that will help ensure key Congressional decision makers understand the posture of our Army Aviation force… and I will have had the honor to be among the AAAA Morning Calm Chapter in Korea for their annual Formal, and to be part of the GOLD Order of St. Michael presentation to one of our incredible Army and Aviation leaders, MG Hank Taylor.

There is a lot going on in our Army and especially in our Army Aviation Branch. We could not have a more dedicated, invested, and capable Army Aviation Leadership Team and we truly look forward to working with them and you together at the Summit and beyond, to ensure we know how best to support our U.S. Army Aviation Soldier and Family. Hope you all have a productive and FUN Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit! Know for sure your AAAA Team will always be there for you and our entire Army Aviation Family!

Above the Best!

MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org

We are certainly entering our prime season with the recently executed Luther Jones Depot Maintenance Forum in Corpus Christi, TX, now in the rear-view mirror, and on the horizon… our AAAA Annual Summit in Nashville, 14-16 May. You can see the full Luther Jones wrap up on page 36. We very much appreciated the tremendous coordination and integration with the Corpus Christi Army Depot Commander COL Kevin Considine and his team to plan, develop, and support the Forum. We had a solid two days of dynamic and impactful presentations and discussions on topics ranging from Supply Chain challenges in Large-Scale Combat Operations to Contested Logistics.

Especially effective were the panels that included our key Industry partners; there was a lot of spirited engagement with the audience in the Q&A sessions that were imbedded in those panel discussions. MG Lori Robinson, Aviation and Missile Command Commanding General, as always, did a terrific job of highlighting vital issues like Artificial Intelligence, block-chain potential, and the overall “data strategy”. Bottom line, if you missed our Luther Jones Depot Maintenance Forum this year, you missed a LOT!

At the completion of Luther Jones, we (Janis, Bill, Art, and I) diverted to Fort Campbell, KY to attend CW5 Adam Jarvis’ retirement ceremony conducted at the GEN Brian “Doug” Brown compound. Adam was the ‘Air Boss’ for years at the AAAA Annual Summit, is a bonified legend in the Special Operations MH-60 Direct Action Penetrator community, and an associate editor of Army Aviation Magazine.

It was a singular honor for me to represent our Association and induct Adam into the Gold Order of St. Michael in recognition of his incredible 35½ years of selfless and committed service to our Nation, the Army and Army Aviation, and the Night Stalkers.

The latest Army Aviation Caucus news is that we will be holding a kickoff Reception on the evening
of April 9, 2025 on Capitol Hill.
This is the first event of the re-organized Army Aviation Caucus for the 119th Congress that AAAA supports through sponsorship of their events throughout the year.

We look forward to sponsoring the subsequent ‘formal’ meetings between the Caucus and our Army Aviation leadership that enable visibility and understanding of Army Aviation priorities, challenges, and opportunities.

Finally, please make sure you are all registered for the events and housing at the 2025 AAAA Annual Summit, May 14-16, at the Gaylord Opryland. We have strong support setting new ‘bests’ again this year for registered attendance to date and Industry exhibit commitment, as we embrace the event’s theme, “Army Aviation: Ready to Meet Tomorrow’s Challenges Today!”

We look forward to what will be a fantastic Summit….see you there!

MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org

Your AAAA National Executive Group, plus Executive Director, Mr. Bill Harris, have just returned from the annual Aviation Leaders Conference at Fort Novosel, AL.

Many thanks to our great Branch Chief, MG Clair Gill, for including the Aviation ‘Gray Beard’ cohort in this really impactful gathering of our Army Aviation leadership teams from all components and organizations. It truly is an invaluable opportunity to engage with our Army and Aviation leaders to understand the current state of the Branch, and importantly the vision for the future. AAAA exists to support the Army Aviation Soldier and family, and the broader Army Aviation community, and it is vital to understand the Branch’s activities, initiatives, and challenges so we can best shape your Association’s efforts, events, and advocacy on behalf of Army Aviation.

Another important feature of the Leaders Conference is the Annual Awards Dinner conducted at the Army Aviation Museum… a timely opportunity to present AAAA “Functional” awards to our outstanding and deserving Aviation Soldiers in the areas of Air Traffic Control, Medicine, Air Sea Rescue and Training, done in conjunction with the LTG Ellis D. Parker ‘Organizational’ awards presented by the Branch Chief. We featured the AAAA Functional award winners in the January issue and will feature the Parker awards in the March issue. It is always such an honor and pleasure to meet and visit with the awardees and their families the evening before the Annual Awards Dinner, at a private awardee dinner we host each year at AAAA Past President BG Rod Wolfe’s country club in Enterprise. There is no doubt that the strength of our Army and Army Aviation is embodied in those soldiers and their families!

Of note, the week prior to the Aviation Conference, our Executive Director and Deputy Director, Bill Harris and Art Agnew, hosted a joint dinner meeting for the boards of the Central Florida Chapter of Orlando (and thanks to our AAAA Vice President for Chapter Activities, Jan Drabczuk) and the Embry Riddle Chapter of Daytona Beach, FL. Bill and Art report out that it was a dynamic discussion ranging from the ROTC Cadets view of recruiting challenges among their peers to emphasis on the “Sacred Trust” between the Aviation Branch and the Troops on the ground. The meeting featured a diverse breadth of experience and perspectives – from combat veterans to ROTC Cadets, civilian industry executives representing aviation simulation and AI capabilities and even a couple of Marines thrown in for good measure. Many actions fell out of the meeting, and we look forward to using these two Chapters (that represent differing demographics) as a sounding board for AAAA initiatives going forward.

Finally, hopefully by now you have made your plans to join us at the AAAA Annual Summit May 14 -16, 2025 at the Gaylord Opryland, Nashville TN. Currently, registrations, exhibit sales, and all other metrics are at really strong levels. The agenda and program(s) are being finalized with our Aviation Branch leadership, and it is certainly shaping up to be another world-class Summit. See you there!

MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org

From all of us at the AAAA Global Headquarters, we hope you all have had a wonderful Holiday Season… time with family and loved ones. And especially during this time, our thoughts and prayers are with our men and women in uniform who are deployed and engaged around the globe in support of our Nation’s vital mission.

I’m pleased to report that we had a very successful Cribbins Readiness Conferrence in Huntsville, AL beginning on Veterans Day in November. The professional programs and sessions were incisive and impactful, and we thank the entire Aviation General Officer Steering Committee (GOSC) for their presence, participation and support for the forum’s entirety.

Our Industry partner support and participation, as always, was incredibly strong and invaluable to the realization of our Networking and Voice pillars. Please take a look at page 74 for a complete wrap up and especially the coverage of our incredible AAAA awardees. A real highlight was the AAAA Murder Mystery Dinner hosted by our AAAA Scholarship Foundation… what a tremendous evening (the Roaring Twenties Speakeasy theme was taken seriously by your AAAA National Executive Group… you determine whether you believe your Association has adequate leadership after viewing the group picture!) where over $95,000 was donated in support of our signature Recognition and Support program. And in that spirit, I want to highlight Chapter President, COL (Ret.) Ron Lukow’s AAAA Washington Potomac Chapter Annual Scholarship Fund Raising Formal held in late November. What an incredible evening; one that truly showcases the programs and activities of our chapters, which are the backbone, and indicative of the strength, of our great Association. I was privileged to attend, and witness first-hand the impact that our incredible scholarship program has on the lives and future success of the recipients.

Not to be left out, our Voice pillar was firmly addressed over the last month. Our very own AAAA Executive Director, Mr. Bill Harris (the epitome of persistence), was able to meet with our Army Aviation Caucus Co-Chair, the Honorable Rosa DeLauro (D CT-3) in her office in Washington, D. C. on Thursday November 14, 2024. During the meeting with her staff the course was set for the next year with the selection of the Honorable Dale Strong, (R AL-5) as her Republican co-chair, and the next meeting projected to take place in the first quarter of CY 25. There is still some work to do to get additional members of Congress to join the Caucus in the new Congress next year. If you have a Congressman in your district that may be interested due to a connection to Army Aviation through personal experience, having an installation in their area, or related industry please send your suggestions in to Bill at bill@quad-a.org who will forward to the co-chairs for action.

Finally, on behalf of the Association, I’d like to welcome back LTC (Ret.) Kevin Cochie who will transition back to serve as the Chairman, Legislative Affairs Committee and the Association’s Legislative Liaison. We can’t thank LTC (Ret.) Josh Baker enough for all of the work he has done in that role for the past several years… very much appreciate his passion and edication in support of our Association.

As we look forward to 2025, we hope to see you at one of our events – the Luther Jones Depot Symposium has shifted to February 11-12 and of course our AAAA Annual Summit on May 14-16. Thanks to all our members for a really great 2024!!!

Above the Best!

MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org

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

It is great to continue the rhythm of events and activities that showcase Army Aviation’s essential capabilities, and your Association’s contribution to enabling the pillars of Networking, Voice, Recognition and Support for our Army Aviation soldiers and families.

On November 7, I had the privilege and honor to represent the Association at the U.S. Southern Command Change of Command and retirement ceremony for GEN Laura Richardson and induct her into the Gold Order of Saint Michael in recognition of her incredible accomplishments, service, and support to our Army, Joint Force, and the Army Aviation Community.

The event served as a reminder of how fortunate we are to now have five retired Aviation four- star generals (GEN Doug Brown, GEN Dick Cody, GEN Dan Hokanson, and GEN Jim McConville) that have been incredibly impactful and supportive of our Army Aviation family and Association. Additionally, I was honored to attend the retirement ceremony of CW5 Wade Ziegler, the 6th Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Special Operations Aviation Command and present him with the Gold Order of Saint Michael in recognition of his more than 32 years of dedicated service and accomplishments in support of our Army, Army Aviation, and the Army Special Operations community. What an incredible Army Aviation force we have!

Let me transition and speak about our AAAA Senior Executive Associates. Conceived over two decades ago by GEN Crosby E. ‘Butch’ Saint and Brig. Gen. Harry Bendorf, USAF (who at that time headed our AAAA Strategic Planning Committee), this is the group of our retired, non-Aviation Flag Officers, who volunteer their time to help generate understanding of Army Aviation capabilities, priorities, and challenges outside of the Army Aviation community.

The Associates come together twice annually to meet with the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Army Aviation General Officer Steering Committee led by our Branch Chief, MG Clair Gill… with our most recent meeting occurring on the heels of the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition in mid-October. Our Senior Executive Associates perspective from the ‘Big Army’ point of view, as former Division, Corp, and Army Commanders, is simply invaluable. Under the leadership of the Chairman, GEN J.D. Thurman, Generals Dan Allyn, J.C. Campbell, Dave Perkins, Gus Perna, and Steve Townsend, along with Lieutenant Generals Dave Halverson, Mike Oates, Jim Pasquarette, Roger Schultz and Frank Wiercinski, work very effectively to ensure Army Aviation’s value is understood. We can’t thank them enough for their volunteer efforts in support of the Army Aviation Community and our Army Aviation soldiers and families.

By the time you read this we will have completed our second largest gathering of the year. The AAAA Cribbins Readiness Conference is always a signature event as we gather in Huntsville, AL to present and discuss all things acquisition and sustainment, in the context of being able to fight tonight and prepare for future operations with all the new emerging technology before us. Exciting times for sure as we meet the challenge of gaining effectiveness and advantage in protection, lethality, and supportability through the integration of uncrewed aircraft systems, launched effects, the modular open systems approach, and the realization of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft.

Finally, if you haven’t already…please make sure to sign up and join us for the AAAA Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit, May 14-16, 2025, in Nashville.

From all of us at the AAAA Global Headquarters, we hope you and your families had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanks for all you do in support of Army Aviation!

Above the Best!

MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org

It is great to be back into the rhythm of the events that showcase Army Aviation’s essential capabilities, and your Association’s contribution to enabling the pillars of Networking, Voice, Recognition and Support.

First was the Association of the United States Army Hot Topic on Aviation, which occurred in early September at AUSA Headquarters in Arlington VA. Bill Harris, our Executive Director, and I were invited to participate in this important event; I was honored to chair the opening panel on “Army Aviation in the Air-Ground Littoral of 2040,” while Bill introduced all the day’s speakers and panels. Our Branch Chief MG Clair Gill, BG Cain Baker, our Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team director, BG David Phillips, Program Executive Officer Aviation, GEN JD Thurman, Ret. (our AAAA Senior Executive Associates Chair), and COL Tom Von Eschenbach, Ret., Senior Vice President for Air and Space Systems, Parry Labs, were exceptional in their articulation of the criticality of Army Aviation capabilities and their contributions to the future fight. Our Branch is simply in great hands with not only our incredible Aviation General Officer Steering Group leaders, but also with our exceptional Industry Partner leaders that are so committed to the Branch.

At the end of September, we hosted the AAAA Army Aviation Survivability Forum in Huntsville. It was a dynamic event with great questions being raised for the speakers and panel from the many Aviation Mission Survivability Officers (AMSO) in attendance. A huge thanks to COL Brock Zimmerman, Project Manager Aircraft Survivability Equipment, and our Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, BG Ed Barker, whose support ensured the attendance and participation of unit AMSOs from all components for both the classified and unclassified Forum sessions. Industry feedback was also critical and reinforced how your AAAA is a vital enabler and platform for lateral discussions among the entire Aviation community to explore solutions that have a real-world impact for our force.

As always, a key highlight of the Forum was the recognition of our outstanding awardees both on stage and at the Awardee Dinner the night before the presentations. We are so fortunate to have these great Soldiers in our formations. See page 44 for photos and a more detailed wrap up of the event.

Finally, we will have held our Senior Executive Associates Dinner which occurs after the conclusion of the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Conference, in mid-October. This is the group of our retired, non-Aviation Flag Officers, who volunteer their time to help generate understanding of Army Aviation capabilities, priorities, and challenges outside of the Army Aviation community. We were fortunate indeed to have had Army Chief of Staff, GEN Randy George and the Aviation General Officer Steering Committee (A-GOSC) join us again this year at that dinner.

In support of our AAAA Support pillar, remember that the Scholarship Foundation’s application process is now open. See the website for application process details quad-a.org/scholarship.  This incredible program grants over $600,000 each year to our Soldiers and Families for higher education. It is certainly one of our greatest AAAA membership benefits.

And remember, the Cribbins Readiness Conference is coming up in Huntsville, AL, in November and the Luther G. Jones Army Aviation Depot Forum in December in Corpus Christi, TX. We hope to see you there!

MG Walt Davis, U.S. Army Retired
36th President, AAAA
walt.davis@quad-a.org