WASHINGTON: As the Army grapples with new concepts such as Multi-Domain Battle, Congress continues to avoid its constitutional responsibilities to pass spending bills, and the world grows ever more complex, the leaders of the Army gather here for the annual tribal event known as the Association of the US Army’s annual conference.

Retired Gen. Carter Ham, in his first year leading AUSA, sat down with me on the second day of the annual show and chatted about how AUSA has changed to respond to the challenges faced by the Army. Ham, who began his career as an enlisted soldier, rose to become head of Africa Command. In retirement, he led the highly regarded Commission on the Future of the Army, created by Congress to resolve a civil war between the regular Army leadership — to which AUSA has long been linked — and the National Guard.