from the president

Taking Inventory

Independence Day is a good time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and how we can keep improving the lives of our servicemembers and their families and the strength of our nation.

I always feel especially grateful at this time of the year; for me, that means reflecting on what I might do in the coming year to better serve our nation. For starters, it’s a good feeling to see a group of military personnel and know MOAA did something to make the lives of our military families a little bit better. I get inspiration and ideas from meeting so many MOAA members who not only feel patriotic about their country but who also do so much about it.

One of the easiest, most effective ways to contribute to the well-being of our armed forces is to contact legislators through MOAA’s Capwiz* system. We were fortunate to win the COLA-cut fight because of your powerful voices, but we know military compensation and benefits are under attack, and we seek your help to send in many emails before the year ends. We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to use the system, and we know many members help each other send letters to Congress. Let us know whether we can make it easier.

We also thank the many people who donate to the MOAA Scholarship Fund. We hear many compliments about this program that helps so many young military dependents — who otherwise might be saddled with extraordinary debt upon graduation — get an education. Your donations are used over and over again as interest-free loans are issued and repaid. So far, we have shared more than $120 million in tuition assistance and helped more than 13,000 students attend college.

Many of you step up to lead your local chapters. We are tremendously proud of those who take on this challenge, as we are of those who start Community Blueprint sites to help veterans and their families transition. Several have been recognized for their good work and received four-star ratings from the Points of Light Foundation: Congratulations to the Dover (Del.) Chapter; the Washington State Council of Chapters; the Southern Tier (N.Y.) Chapter; and the South Georgia Chapter.

Others contribute by talking to students in their local schools about service and what it means to be a veteran or by being thought leaders in their communities, writing letters to the editor and opinion pieces that help set the record straight about military issues.

I must mention MOAA’s Auxiliary members, who bring so much heart to our advocacy process. We are so thankful for their leadership and dedication.

Whether you are active with advocacy or your contribution is more about helping others in your chapter or community, your ongoing service is part of the patriotic fabric of MOAA and is making a real difference! Thank you so much for your inspiring examples that make us all proud to be part of MOAA’s team and noble mission.
— Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN (Ret)

*online: Visit http://capwiz.com/moaa/home to email your legislators about military issues.