For two years, the U.S. Army has been pitching new ways it could stay relevant and play a more prominent role in the Pentagon’s pivot to the Pacific, a region where the Navy and Air Force are expected to play a more prominent role. Now, after a turbulent year in which Russia invaded Ukraine over land and Army soldiers have deployed on high-profile missions to Iraq and Africa, there is a wider-spread recognition that the ground service will have a significant role to play after Afghanistan.
But despite this resurgence in missions, that doesn’t mean work will be easy to come by for defense companies. Defense firms descend on Washington this week for the Association of the United States Army, or AUSA, annual convention and arms exposition. This year’s gathering comes after the Army announced major changes to its makeup, including cutting tens of thousands of soldiers from its ranks. But it lands right when a leader like Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno has signaled he will revisit those plans to shrink the force – and the budget — thanks to ISISand Russia.
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