Lawton-Fort Sill AUSA

WELCOME to the Home of the Lawton-Fort Sill Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA)—Superpower for Soldiers/Families in Southwest Oklahoma.

Letter from the President:
AUSA Chapter's Grass Roots Initiatives for SW Oklahoma

The Lawton-Fort Sill AUSA Chapter installed its 2011 - 2013 officers at a corporate member luncheon held 28 June at the Best Western Hotel. New officers from left to right: Carl Welsh, Treasurer; Anthony Yeatts, Secretary; and Nate Slate, President. In the foreground, Hess Cara is installing the officers as he has been a member of the local AUSA chapter the longest--56 years.

 

          After more than 10 years of conflict, yellow ribbons, patriotic flag waving, and unprecedented growth in troop welfare programs, the pendulum is prepared to swing backwards. The ongoing political war over the national debt appears ready to subsume the global war on terrorism. Now, with Bin Laden dead and departure timelines approaching, we seem to be hurrying to the exit. We no longer discuss the conditions that were set for troop withdrawals. We have moved on. The focus now is on the “peace dividend.” We even have a bogey—the Department of Defense’s target of $400 billion.
          Some congressmen, such as Al West, the junior delegate from Florida, are arguing for military sustainment. But, they are in the minority. Al West is a former Soldier, and there aren’t many in Congress. His case is not making the news. The mood is changing rapidly, and the troops are not even home yet.
          While still in office, former Secretary of Defense Gates, normally a staunch supporter of the troops, softened as well. Initially, he insisted on a drawdown strategy that was “focused upon strategy and risks and not simply a math and accounting exercise.” But as he left as Secretary, he said military pay and benefits were “on the table.” Leon Panetta, the new Secretary of Defense, has a reputation for being an aggressive cost cutter.

New President Nate Slate (left) congratulates Mike Brown, outgoing President, for his outstanding service to the Lawton-Fort Sill AUSA Chapter and presents him with a statue of Saint Barbara.

 

          Some believe his appointment was predicated upon this virtue. His approach to cost cutting likely will be much more aggressive than Gates. Pay and benefits will not be sacrosanct to him.
          A recent article in USA Today attacked TRICARE and ridiculed the benefits afforded our military, implying they were lavish. The postings on the blogs indicate that many Americans agree with this assessment. What does this foretell?
          There certainly will be challenging times ahead for the care providers of our military and their families. When all the troops come home and there is time to tend to the physical and emotional wounds of the long irregular war, there likely will be a huge increase in the number of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases.
          The effects of this war will not go away quickly. Look at the Vietnam War. War wounds have affected Soldiers and their families for generations. Pay and benefit reductions will do more than reduce much-needed support on the home front, they will affect morale. What is the message to our veterans? What is the message to our wounded warriors?
          At the strategic level, reductions in the number of Soldiers will be a significant issue. Troop cuts amount to fast savings. Our Army, the largest of the services, will be a prime target. Service politics will be a huge player in how this works out. At stake is our country’s future readiness. Troop reductions also will drive the next round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiatives.
          What does all this mean to the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), a private, nonprofit organization that acts primarily as an advocate for the US Army? We need to brace ourselves for “the fight” ahead. For the Lawton-Fort Sill Chapter of AUSA, this means “going back to our grass roots.” It means focusing upon relevancy at the point of need.
          Our AUSA Soldier/Family Council already rolls up its sleeves and works with the local care providers—Armed Services YMCA, Operation Homefront Oklahoma, Marie Detty, Christian Family Counseling Center, the local veterans groups, the Veterans Administration, The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and Army Community Services (ACS), to list a few. Coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing our efforts and resources for maximum synergy will never be more important.
          We have had success in the past with this organization; but as we go forward, the continuity we have established will not be enough. We will need to increase our outreach to our troops and their families and utilize the AUSA system to get action—to get answers.
          If we are to be successful in what will be a very competitive environment, we must work closely with related organizations, organizations that share common views and common ground. Coordinated responses to the myriad of challenging issues that await us will require working much more closely with military affairs and legislative affairs committees from our local chamber of commerce. We must work more closely with our governmental representatives as well.
          We need to conduct a grass roots communication campaign and share relevant themes with the broader community. We are blessed with a great community to inform and engage in that campaign, a community of heartfelt concern for our troops and their families. Engagement will be our strategic center of gravity. Additionally, we must maximize AUSA’s national framework. We can leverage our state, regional, and national AUSA representatives and use the annual AUSA convention in Washington, DC, in October to champion issues for our troops. We must endeavor to always be relevant—to be relevant, we always must be prepared.
          The next few years will be pivotal for our Army, our Oklahoma and national veterans, and our Nation. Cooperation between and among like-minded organizations will be increasingly important, if we are to be successful. AUSA, alongside our veterans groups, care providers, and men and women in uniform, has a great opportunity for service. We must not let it pass. We must work together to protect our grass roots.

Nate Slate
LFS Chapter, President