Sound the Alarm fromthepresident
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When a fire breaks out, volunteer fire departments sound the alarm to gather their volunteers to help. When a tornado is imminent, cities and counties sound the alarm so folks can evacuate out of harm’s way. And when political leaders threaten our nation’s defense and com- mitments to its military personnel, MOAA relies on postcards and email to sound the alarm and muster our members to action. You always have delivered when we’ve called on you to mail postcards and tear-out letters and contact your elected offi cials, but with the coming challenges to the na- tion and a changing world, we will need a larger and more immediate response. During his fi nal weeks in offi ce, outgo-
ing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has made it clear: Tough choices will need to be made. The Pentagon has initiated a comprehensive review of defense spend- ing that will include military compensa- tion and benefi ts programs as well as the current retirement system. Now, more than ever, the voices of MOAA members, their spouses, and concerned civilians are needed to make a diff erence. Postcards off er tremendous bang for the buck, and when you add your spouse’s name to your member record, MOAA can bind an extra set of postcards into your magazine — a real force multiplier. However, we have names of only about 80,000 spouses. When we need to respond as quickly as
possible, email is a fast and cost-eff ective alternative. However, even though surveys
12 MILITARY OFFICER JULY 2011
When our nation’s defense and commitments to our military personnel are under attack, updating your email address and spouse information enables MOAA to issue calls to action.
say more than 75 percent of our 370,000- plus members use email, currently we have valid email addresses for only about 150,000 of you — and only 13,000 of your spouses. That also means more than half our members miss the weekly Legislative Up- date and biweekly News Exchange — two of our best electronic warning systems, with information not only about MOAA’s advocacy eff orts but also about changes to TRICARE and other benefi ts. By providing your email address, as
well as the name and email address of your spouse, you help MOAA strengthen our one powerful voice and you enable us to share in a more timely way the personal services and news you have come to value — and when you subscribe to MOAA’s e-news- letters, you will be entered in a drawing to win an iPod Touch (see page 65). MOAA is your information provider
and your advocate. Help us reach you faster by submitting your current email address. Email
msc@moaa.org, or call our Member Service Center at (800) 234- 6622. Don’t forget we need your spouse’s name and email address, too. And if you have a neighbor or friend who believes in MOAA’s mission, make sure they know about Voices for America’s Troops (www
.voicesfortroops.org).
— Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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