Marching Forward
MOAA has a strong record of action in service to association members. Your chairman, president, directors, and staff look forward to the challenges and successes 2006 is sure to bring. By Gen. John W. Hendrix, USA-Ret.

Serving MOAA members is a great privilege, and I treasure being able to work with my colleagues on the board of directors and with MOAA’s extremely able president and staff directors in pursuit of members’ best interests.

One reason this service is so rewarding is that MOAA is an action-oriented association. Whether we’re working on compensation, health care or other benefits, or survivors’ issues, we’re organized to be agile and quick in responding to challenges and ready to take advantage of opportunities. Standing as we do on the shoulders of our predecessors, we have the credibility, the clout, and the reputation for integrity and fair dealing that allow us to get things done for our members.

We’ve learned over the years what MOAA members want us to do for them, but we never assume we know all there is to know about a given issue. We’re always listening, gathering member feedback, and adapting to changing circumstances on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. This adaptability also allows us to react quickly to the unexpected, such as the hurricanes that disrupted the lives of thousands of MOAA members.

If you think MOAA needs to adjust its level of effort in one or more areas, don’t hesitate to let us know. The surveys we undertake are helpful, but your postcards, e-mails, letters, and phone calls are more important. And I’m referring to more than just our lobbying: If there are products and services you think we should offer, tell us. After all, we’re a membership organization, and we take great pride in trying hard to offer you what you want and need. MOAA’s overall goal is to be your association, the one you keep close at hand through each stage of your life and career.

MOAA, along with the other military and veterans’ organizations we work with, has an enviable track record of success in protecting our members’ quality of life and hard-earned benefits — TRICARE For Life, TRICARE Senior Pharmacy, pay and other health care improvements, elimination of dual-compensation restrictions, the end of concurrent receipt and the Survivor Benefit Plan offset, and many others. We didn’t win these victories by ourselves, but we certainly led each charge.

To be sure, there remain many legislative and other challenges in 2006, but if we continue to face them together, we should be able to enjoy even more success. Thanks to its members, MOAA is a world-class organization, and we are all proud to uphold its 76-year tradition.