said. “And the large numbers that are still out there — their family members come for the Family Forums.” The live feeds from soldiers in combat, the show floor crowd-
ed with the weapons they use every day, the programs for how their loved ones can manage in their absence — it lends AUSA a gravitas and an emotional heft that aren’t often associated with meetings and conventions. “Their No. 1 concern is to make sure those soldiers and those family members are treated with re- spect and that you take the time to say thank you,” Smith said, “and remember that whether you believe in the cause that they are out there fighting for or not, as a member of your guard for your country, they are doing the mission they were asked to do. That is kind of the underlying thing that also pushes you through the long hours.” At GES, people ask to work AUSA every year, Chagnon said, because “there’s a level of pride you take to do the Army show.” She added: “You’ll hear [AUSA] talk about being the voice of the Army and support for the soldiers, and we do our little part as a meeting contractor.” If they do it well, they partake in a tradition rooted deeply
in military notions of duty and perseverance: the awarding of challenge coins, which branches and units within the U.S. armed forces use to honor a job well done. Each year, AUSA awards a challenge coin to people who have worked on its meeting, provided they accomplish their mission. This year Thompson handed them out at the end of move-out day, about 45 minutes before his team left the building. GES’s 120 staffers got their coins, and so did Walter E. Washington’s hundreds of work- ers. “It’s very casual,” Smith said. “You’re standing outside of [Thompson’s] office here, and he gets you in kind of a little huddle, and from the bottom of his heart he thanks you first.
On_the_Web To watch the U.S. Army’s “Warrior’s Corner” presentations from Afghanistan and Iraq during AUSA 2011, visit http://bit.ly /warriors-corner.
And then on behalf of the soldiers, he talks about the folks that were in your building — this year the Medal of Honor recipi- ent was here — and your work over the past three days and the months leading into that, and you have no idea the hearts and lives you’ve touched just by doing your job and doing it well.” Chagnon said: “You don’t ever want to be the partner of [AUSA] that doesn’t get a coin on their show.” And in that sense, AUSA helps instill in its partners a connec-
tion to the people and the institution they’ve been serving. “You get this Army snapshot [during the show], if you will,” Thomp- son said. “But underlying all of that is, what is the Army? Who is it? What is the sacrifice? How dedicated are the young men and women that serve in our Army? What are the Army’s val- ues? … And so a part of this is that we highlight a continuing and a very valuable Army culture that has gone on in the Unit- ed States for over 200 years.” n
Christopher Durso is executive editor of Convene.