Future Views
What does the future hold? Is our nation’s glass half-full or half-empty? Join us this month as we take a look into the year ahead — both as an association and as a country.
By Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret.

In each January issue of Military Officer, we like to bring you features with a view into the future. What’s on the horizon for MOAA? Our military? The nation as a whole? This January 2006 issue is no exception to the rule. I think you’ll find a good mix of articles that plot the association’s future path and — taking the cosmic point of view — project one possible future state of the nation.

We begin with the question more easily answered: Where is your association headed in 2006? MOAA Chairman of the Board Gen. John W. Hendrix, USA-Ret., in his column, “Marching Forward,” tackles this question (page 10). He notes MOAA has had a string of recent victories, but the coming year will bring more challenges.

MOAA has been successful in the past because of the many fine leaders on its board of directors. And here’s where you, the voting member, play a vital role in our future. Every even–numbered year, members of the association nominate officers to be board directors and vote for their election. Members also propose resolutions to guide the association’s activities. You can help keep MOAA strong in coming years by taking part in this year’s nomination and resolution process. The chairman explains the system in his notes on page 12.

Now let’s move on to the cosmic issue. Prepare to stretch your mind! The feature “Our Brilliant, Bloody Future” is another installment in our military professionalism series. The intent of this series is to present thoughts about military operations and strategy — and to give you the opportunity to comment.

The essay looks to the nation’s future. Is America a society in decline? Or are we at the beginning of a great age for the United States? Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, USA-Ret., explores these and other questions in his article on page 66. Peters is the author of 20 books and hundreds of essays and articles about military issues. He is a frequent contributor to professional journals and other national media.

The opinions expressed in this story are those of the author, not necessarily MOAA’s. But we’d be interested in hearing your thoughts. Do you agree with Peters, or not? As always, we welcome your letters and e-mails, or you may log on to MOAA’s Web Base and take part in a discussion forum regarding this topic. Go to www.moaa.org/discussion and scroll down to “Our Brilliant, Bloody Future.” Share your thoughts and opinions on our nation’s future.

Happy New Year!