As we approach the 2026 AAAA Warfighter Summit next month and the halfway point of my tenure as your President, I am reflecting on three amazing organizations that protect our legacy and invest in our future. I know that at times I have taken them for granted.
Two of the three you know very well. They are the US Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, AL, and the AAAA Scholarship Foundation.
Founded in 1956, the Museum preserves our legacy through education and displays and hosts over 100,000 visitors each year. The AAAA Scholarship Foundation Inc. was founded in 1963 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt entity and provides financial assistance to our AAAA members and families for college-level degrees. The SFI has awarded over $11 million to nearly 7,000 applicants over the years.
The newest member of our team, the Trade School, Licensing, and Certification Foundation (TLC) was established just five short years ago. TLC is also a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity. The difference is that the TLC financially supports our AAAA members and their families who are not attending college but are pursuing careers in the trades, licensing, and certification fields.
AAAA TLC has provided financial assistance through free grants to dozens of our members and family members. When I looked at some of the recipients, I was amazed at the breath of these grants. Some examples are recipients like Luke Vesci (Master Pipe Fitter/Welder), Lucas Robinson (Welder), and both Paige Bradford, and Tanner Judd who needed Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to pursue their future business aspirations. Not surprisingly, we have also had several individuals who needed an Airframe and Powerplant License, including Nickolas Gutowsky, Ashadu Katende, and Austin Hostetter as well.
Cadet Tanner Judd applied for and received a TLC Foundation Grant, which provided him with the means to obtain his Commercial Driver’s License, an essential step toward fulfilling his financial obligations while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
There were also a number of others that caught my attention. How about Cornelius Allen becoming a Professional Brass Instrument Repair Technician, Alexis Girvin realizing her dream of becoming a Licensed Esthetician, or Kaden Douglas earning a Scuba Certification to become a Diving Medical Technician? I have only mentioned a few of the awardees of these financial grants here, but you get the idea of the breadth and depth of this program.
On the other side of the coin, we need our business partners that have skilled workforces to step up and collaborate with us by posting job opportunities on the AAAA Jobs Board. It costs no more than being an AAAA Corporate Member and only takes a moment. Whenever possible, we aim to connect grant awardees with companies that need their skills, possibly even hiring them as apprentices during their certification process. Clearly, we also need your corporate donations to the TLC so we can provide more opportunities for more of our members and their families.
The biggest ask we have is for more applicants. I was surprised when the current President of the AAAA TLC Foundation Inc. expressed his frustration about trying to give more free money away to support the future goals of so many of our AAAA members who could use the financial assistance.
AAAA Chapter Presidents take note: we have over 80 chapters but only 11 (13%) have taken advantage of this outstanding member benefit so far. We can do better than that. Make sure to get the word out to your chapter members and get those applications in! The leading chapter is the Keystone Chapter with four grant recipients, closely followed by the Tennessee Valley Chapter with three grant recipients. Well done.
Let’s all engage on this latest member benefit and support the AAAA TLC Foundation, Inc. See page 39 for an additional article by Dan Curry on how TLC can help you and your family reach your goals.
Next subject is the United States Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition. AAAA could not be more proud than to have sponsored this high-energy, three-day event. Held last month in Huntsville, AL, more than 200 elite small, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operators from the Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard components competed before a crowd of more than 800 attendees demonstrating how rapidly drone technology is reshaping the modern battlefield.
I think MG Clair Gill said it best when he noted that our drone operators are not only the best of the best, but that their demonstrated tactics, techniques, and procedures provide best practices we can adopt and proliferate across our warfighting skills. The excellent work accomplished by the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and the United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence was nothing short of phenomenal. Their leadership and execution allowed our drone operators to showcase to the world that the Army’s UAS professionals are among the most skilled anywhere, while highlighting the growing importance of unmanned systems across the force. See page 28 for a complete wrap up with photos of this groundbreaking competition.
Events like this underscore why AAAA remains a critical part of Army Aviation’s future. By connecting Soldiers, leaders, industry partners, and innovators, the AAAA helps ensure that emerging technologies move rapidly from concept to capability. Our association provides a forum where ideas are shared, partnerships are formed, and modernization is accelerated. As Army Aviation continues its technological leap forward, AAAA will remain committed to supporting readiness, fostering innovation, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the Army as it shapes the next generation of all our warfighters in the third dimension of ground combat.
Let me close with this, if you haven’t already, please finalize your plans now to attend the Army Aviation Association of America 2026 Army Aviation Warfighting Summit, April 15–17, 2026, in Nashville, TN. This premier gathering is the only event where the entire Army Aviation community—leaders, Soldiers, industry partners, families, and veterans—comes together with a singular focus on the future of Army Aviation. Manned Aviation, AI, Unmanned Systems, Cyber and much more are all part of the solution. Whether you serve in uniform, support from industry, or stand alongside our Soldiers as family members, the Summit is your chance to connect, contribute, and help shape the next chapter of Army Aviation. See you there.
MG Wally Golden, U.S. Army Retired
37th President, AAAA
walter.golden@quad-a.org
