fromthepresident Dollars & Sense S
Defense must do its share to get the budget in shape — but we draw a line in the sand where the military is called on to disproportionately make up for an ineffi cient system.
Since the all-volunteer force came into existence there has been a lot of change. But some things never change. Mid-grade NCOs and offi cers are still the backbone of our military system, and it’s a mistake to take the service and sacrifi ce of our troops for granted. It’s also an expensive mistake for the nation. We learned that after the Vietnam War, after REDUX. MOAA is doing all we can to keep the nation from making that mistake again. But something has changed in our
country, and some things will never be the same in certain ways. In the past, military people always have been able to count on Congress to do what is right and maintain respect for the fi nest fi ghting force in the world. We can’t count on that now. We also
can’t count on the American public to understand why maintaining a stable mili- tary system is a key pillar of our national security. With only 1 percent of the popu- lation serving, the link to what it means to be in the military has become weak. Pundits and think tanks arguing that some military personnel are more deserv- ing of earned compensation than others lack understanding of what it means to write a blank check with your life to your country, as all servicemembers do. Fami- lies also serve, as only military families truly understand. Though the trend has turned in the Pen- tagon and Congress, I am still optimistic
that MOAA members and our friends and followers can make a huge diff erence and help bridge the military-civilian divide. We can make a diff erence by caring,
staying informed, and taking action in ways best-suited to our individual natures and skills. I am very heartened by the mo- tivated actions of MOAA’s chapters and the many newcomers who recently have learned about our association through so- cial* and mainstream media. MOAA’s recent email campaigns have
attracted thousands of members and new friends who see the value of membership in an organization like MOAA as they never have before. We also ask members to continue
showing leadership in your communities. We ask every chapter to get involved with local media, and we ask our chapters in the Southeast to send a legislative liaison to the regional Chapter Leaders’ Sympo- sium in Jacksonville, Fla. When Pentagon leaders say they can’t
aff ord to pay our troops what they de- serve, we’ll emphasize they can’t aff ord not to. Implicit in military service is a system of institutional supports diff erent from those in the private sector. We know that. Now we need to make sure every American knows it.
— Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN (Ret)
*online: Follow Vice Admiral Ryan on Twitter @MOAAPrez. 14 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2014
PHOTO: SEAN SHANAHAN
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