AUSA calling for more community partners

The Fort Rucker-Wiregrass Chapter of AUSA kicked off a 90-day drive to increase its community partners in the Wiregrass during a conference at the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday, April 1.

Community partners, according to AUSA’s website, “are local businesses, large corporations, civic groups, veteran’s organizations societies and local community groups.”

Chapter President Col. (ret.) Mark Jones, who previously served as the vice president of memberships, said the chapter has previously led a successful call for more community partners in the local communities.

“We’ve lost some of those (recruited community members) since, and I think the reason we’ve lost some is because although they do know they love Fort Rucker, they don’t necessarily know why they love Fort Rucker,” Jones said. “My job is to get out and explain to them why they need to love Fort Rucker.”

He told event-goers that there were over 120 chapters located around the world, and more members of those chapters meant “capability” for AUSA.

“Membership equals capability,” he said. “In order to be able touch members of Congress, who do hold the nation’s purse, the larger the association or the organization in its advocacy, the greater the opportunity and the possibility and the capability to get the funding that is needed to keep the United States Army relevant, ready and strong.”

Jones said the Army needs “sustainable” and expected funding, which the organization’s national leadership advocates for.

His statements about the effects of having more community partners were echoed by current Vice President of Membership Mike Schmitz.

“This is a tangible way that we… can take care of the soldiers and anyone at Fort Rucker,” he said.

He said the chapter’s goal is to become “one of the largest chapters in the United States,” and the chapter needs to add about 125 more community partners.

“We can do it,” he said. “In fact, our goal in the next 90 days is to double our membership and, in fact, do a little bit more, and we can become the largest chapter for community partners in Alabama.”

The Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Alabama South Jeff Coleman also encouraged those in attendance to support AUSA and the Army, including with military recruitment efforts.

“I cannot speak highly enough of what the Association of the United States Army means to (Fort Rucker) and to, really, the active duty, reserve and all components of the United States Army as we tie all components together,” he said. “It’s very, very important as business leaders and community leaders that we come together and support the AUSA.

“It’s a representative task of what goes on across our nation. It makes a strong statement, as Mark (Jones) said, to Washington D.C. to see a community that rallies around their active duty fort, and as we know the greatness of Fort Rucker and what it means to our community, it is truly an engine.”

Coleman then encouraged those who support AUSA and the Army to speak with those interested in joining the military and encourage them to consider, stating that one of his mandates as the CASA is focusing on recruitment.

“We are in the business right now of growing the United States Army,” he said. “Less than 1

percent of our nation has now served in the United States armed forces.”

He said the goal is to reach an 80,000 recruitment number for the armed forces, and greater recruitment numbers means a strong and ready military.

“We come together; we work together as a community, and we make Fort Rucker strong,” he said.