fromthepresident Showing Thanks
America’s uniformed forces are under tremendous strain after nine years of war. We must support them and ensure our leaders and the public don’t take these selfless sacrifices for granted.
O
ur nation’s operational uniformed service forces — Guard, Reserve, and ac- tive duty — have demon- strated they are our greatest
national treasure as they conquer major challenges overseas and at home. In the past decade, America’s seven uniformed services have been called to almost super- human duty to ensure a strong national defense and caring humanitarian response in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, and New Orleans. These dedicated forces work together almost seamlessly, a tribute to the leadership and dedication of all who serve. The costs are high, both human and
financial. For example, members of the Guard and Reserve have been deployed in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom about 912,000 times since Sept. 11, 2001. Many have made multi- ple deployments; many have lost their lives. Reserve component forces have been used as never before. Fortunately, our leaders had the foresight to ensure active, Guard, and Reserve forces trained and operated together operationally for a common goal. It hasn’t been easy because of tradition, equip- ment, and missions, but the nation has ben- efited because of the “can-do” work ethic of the American fighting man and woman. We at MOAA work hard to ensure this
valuable total national resource is recog- nized and receives well-deserved, earned benefits. We work for all members of the uniformed services and their families. We’ve helped them receive additional pay,
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increased health care, an im- proved GI Bill, assistance for spouses, and improvements for wounded warriors. We also work to ensure their lives are good and they are appreci- ated after they serve, with an emphasis on jobs for veterans. MOAA is proud of our na-
tion’s uniformed servicemem- bers and vows to continue strong advocacy on their be- half. We are a powerful voice in Washington, but it will take a robust and growing member- ship to sustain that voice in the troubling budget times ahead. If you know an officer who is currently serving or has served and is not yet an MOAA member, please encourage him or her to sign up at
www.moaa.org/join. We believe young people committing
to officer service in wartime also deserve our thanks and advocacy. MOAA’s board of directors recommends allowing nonvoting memberships for third- and fourth-year ca- dets and midshipmen in military academies and ROTC. I urge voting members to sup- port this bylaw change (see cover ballot) to get them off to a good start in belonging to a strong organization that supports them through all stages of their careers.
— Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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