chapters in action
MOAA Advocates
Many chapter members or legislative chairs visit with their legislators as they return to their home offices for the summer. These in-person meetings put a face on MOAA and its issues.
As September arrives and we move into the fall season, some MOAA chapters will begin to meet again after their summer vacations. During this break, many chapter and council leaders were doing important work that could affect us all for months and possibly years to come. They were visiting their legislators and staff members during the August congressional recess to educate and advocate MOAA’s positions and to maintain a relationship with their legislators.
Who were these MOAA members who took time to schedule and visit legislators’ local district offices? Many were chapter members whose efforts were coordinated and led by a chapter legislative committee. This committee, usually led by a legislative chair, plays a vital role in MOAA’s successful advocacy efforts. A key function of the legislative committee is to monitor at the local, state, and federal levels legislative developments that might affect service retirees, active duty personnel, military families, and our national security. The committee members perform a critical service by keeping chapter members informed about the issues, focused, and engaged.
At the state level, a legislative committee follows matters related to veterans’ issues, state income tax on servicemembers’ retired pay, and support for military families. At the federal level, the committee will work with the state council of chapters and MOAA’s Government Relations team.
Many of our councils and chapters have worked to push through state-level legislation that has positive effects on currently serving troops and veterans and their families. A long-term by-product of working with our elected officials and their staffs is we educate them about the challenges of military service.
I often hear people discussing what is going on in Washington. Too often today, I’m also hearing about what is not going on in Washington. Many of the folks who are reading this column served in leadership positions and were responsible for those who served in their commands and organizations. Many of us developed lifelong bonds of friendship that reach across all ranks and services.
Do you want to sit on the sidelines and complain, or do you want to be engaged in the process? Our goal is to have a legislative committee in each council and chapter. Our chapters and councils remain politically nonpartisan and serve on behalf of MOAA and the military community for the long haul — and we are all better for it.
Your participation helps MOAA’s voice stay strong and powerful. I hope to see you soon at a chapter meeting.
— Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret)
Director, Council and Chapter Affairs
On the road:
This month, Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret), director of MOAA’s Council and Chapter Affairs Department, will visit chapter members in Indiana and Utah. See MOAA Calendar, page 114, for dates.
Charitable Chapters
Members make a difference in their communities.
The Green Valley (Ariz.) Chapter (
www.greenvalleymoaa.org) established in 2008 the Green Valley MOAA Scholarship and Military Assistance Fund Inc., which benefits its community.
Now the chapter is linking citizens and businesses with programs that support Junior ROTC (JROTC) cadets, needy Guard and Reserve families, and deployed servicemembers. In five years, the fund has provided $10,000 in scholarships to JROTC cadets, with area businesses donating $6,000 of that money. Chapter members and citizens also contributed $13,600 to the fund, which was used to support several local charities.
online: Find a MOAA chapter at
www.moaa.org/chapterlocator.
44 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2013
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