fromthepresident Advocacy Plus W

When people say, “Norb, all MOAA does is lobby for veterans’ pay and benefits,” I like to remind them while MOAA is very proud of our advocacy re- cord, we do much more. MOAA embodies servant leadership, standing shoulder-to- shoulder with members at every stage of their careers. We are committed to deliv- ering high-impact programs on behalf of those who are currently serving or have served this nation, as well as their families. One of the many ways we do this is

through our Scholarship Fund. Since 1948, we have provided more than 13,500 students with nearly $130 million in inter- est-free loans and grants, resulting in a top- level gold rating by GuideStar Exchange. The new MOAA Military Family Initia-

tive (MMFI) foundation funds 14 programs touching more than 50,000 uniformed ser- vice members of all ranks and their families and survivors annually. Some examples: Our ninth annual Warrior-Family Sym- posium in September examines the nation’s collective responsibility and commitment to improve the mental wellness of service- members and veterans and their families. Our military spouse programs inform and empower family members. A partici- pant at a recent spouse symposium thanked MOAA “for paying special attention to the issue of military spouse employment.” Our online guide for caregivers (www

.moaa.org/caregiver) focuses on the legal and fi nancial aspects of military caregiving, connecting caregivers with pro bono legal

With purpose and commitment — and thanks to your fi nancial support — MOAA delivers high-impact programs for the military community that go well beyond our important advocacy mission.

assistance through the resources of the Public Counsel Law Center. The American Society of Association Executives recog- nized the program with its prestigious Power of A Summit award for community impact (MOAA’s second Summit Award in three years). MOAA also is collaborating with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and USAA to develop a fi nancial education pro- gram for military caregivers. Our pilot veterans service organization

program, which provides expert assistance with disability and health care claims, has fi led more than 160 claims to date and recovered more than $1.78 million in cur- rent-year and retroactive benefi ts. We also provide servicemembers, veter-

ans, and military spouses with an annual se- ries of live and virtual career fairs. In 2014, MOAA connected 4,000 job seekers with more than 150 veteran-friendly employers. This comment, from a recently hired veter- an who used our transition services, is typi- cal: “[I] wanted to circle back and let you know that I just started a DoD senior execu- tive services position. … Thanks again for MOAA’s support during my transition. All helpful. Now it’s on me to pay it forward.” It is an honor and a privilege for MOAA

to never stop serving the military commu- nity and our more than 380,000 members.

— Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN (Ret)

online: Visit www.moaa.org/scholarshipfund or www.moaa.org/foundation to contribute. 12 MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2015

PHOTO: SEAN SHANAHAN