fromthepresident Out in Front C
In eight months as your president, I’ve been struck by how MOAA members of all ages remain committed to a fundamental principle of offi cership: taking care of our troops and families.
Congress soon will return to Washing- ton following its August recess. Many of you took advantage of this time to engage lawmakers in your home districts regarding the defense authorization bill. A recent sur- vey solicited members’ No. 1 concern about this year’s bill. Notably, among retired mem- bers, two of the top three concerns — cuts to force levels and pay raises — aff ect our currently serving troops. Members’ ongoing engagement on these issues is a reminder of how MOAA fulfi lls its commitments to those who serve and have served. Others fulfi lling those commitments include members like Col. David Patrick, USAF (Ret), a Texas chapter transition co- ordinator who has conducted one-on-one mentoring with more than 400 members. In California, Lt. Cmdr. Bud Lichtenstern, USN (Ret), has built a network of more than 1,000 employers committed to veteran hir- ing and assists 10-12 veterans each month. And Life Member Lt. Cmdr. Mo Gauthier, USN (Ret), CEO of VSE Corp., an engineer- ing/transportation company in Virginia, demonstrates his commitment by allocating nearly half of VSE’s annual hiring to veter- ans, with 7,200 veterans hired since 2001. The Sarasota (Fla.) Chapter has initiated
an innovative civic program to teach stu- dents about fl ag protocol. MOAA leaders in North and South Carolina and other states are working with state legislators to make their states more veteran- and military retiree-friendly by shaping new tax codes on retiree pay. Florida’s Lee Coast chapter
established a collaborative program with Mission United to help veterans access needed community support. The Virginia and Arizona councils have worked closely with their state governments to implement statewide programs for veteran health care, employment, and quality of life. In support of MOAA’s nonprofi t subsid-
iaries, a member and his spouse (who both wish to remain anonymous) have estab- lished 22 separate designated scholarships, at $25,000 each, to fund grants and no-in- terest loans to 22 qualifying military family children each year. Another Life Member increased his membership in the MOAA Military Family Initiative (MMFI) Heritage Society from silver ($5,000) to platinum ($50,000) when he learned of the good work being done by MMFI-funded programs. These examples make me proud to lead an association comprised of leaders who view their offi cership responsibilities as a lifetime commitment. MOAA members are “paying it forward” because their offi cer mentors showed them what it means to be an offi cer who leads from the front and stands up for our troops, veterans, retirees, families, and survivors. That’s what’s hap- pening across the country among MOAA’s 390,000 member-leaders. And that’s what it truly means to never stop serving.
— Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret)
online: Find MOAA at
www.moaa.org,
www.moaa.org/facebook, and
www.moaa.org/twitter. 8 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2016
PHOTO: ROB CANNON
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