Consulting firm McAleese & Associates has issued a report outlining key takeaways from speeches delivered by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting that kicked off Monday.
Jim McAleese, founder of McAleese & Associates and a three-time Wash100 winner, reported that Wormuth told event attendees that the Army must “ruthlessly prioritize” force structure, infrastructure and modernization in the 2023-2027 Program Objective Memorandum cycle.
Her address also touched on soldier-centered design as the heart of the Army’s “31 + 4” modernization programs and the need for the military branch to pivot to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to deter China.
McConville said Tuesday that people remain the Army’s top priority followed by readiness and modernization.
“Putting people first means taking care of our people so our people can remain ready and transform for the future because the United States Army must be ready to fight and win as a member of the joint force in order to protect the nation,” he said at the three-day AUSA event.
He noted that the Army plans to deploy long-range hypersonic weapon, precision strike missiles and the Next-Generation Squad Weapon and test prototypes of its next-generation assault and attack aircraft and Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, among other programs, by fiscal year 2023.
“All told, we’ll have 24 of our 31 plus 4 signature systems in the hands of soldiers by FY23,” McConville said of the service’s priority modernization programs.
