Retire—Part Deux
Military Officer launches a second retirement-focused edition to help guide your mission planning, and the spotlight shines on the U.S. Coast Guard’s role in homeland defense.
By Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret.

If you’ve followed this magazine over the years (and we certainly hope you have), you’ll know the September issue is one of MOAA’s most popular productions. That issue features the retirement community guide, which is in big demand yearlong. Readers continually call MOAA’s Member Service Center to request extra copies.

Unfortunately, the information printed probably has passed its shelf life well before the 12-month point. But now we have a solution, and it’s in your hands or on your computer screen.

This issue of Military Officer is MOAA’s first of two retirement-focused editions this year. Coming six months after last September’s issue, it gives us a chance to update the community guide. It also lets us answer a few of your questions about how to achieve a fulfilling retirement. And I think that’s a goal we all hope to reach sooner or later!

Whether you’re already retired or just gathering information for planning purposes, we think MOAA can provide you food for thought. In this edition we tackle a potpourri of retirement-related issues. Have you ever considered settling down outside the states? How about Mexico? What is the real cost of entering a retirement community? How can you make a wise choice among retirement options? And do you really understand the evolving social values of retirement? Check out the special section beginning on page 51 for some answers.
 
If you’re not ready to think about retirement, MOAA still has you covered in this edition. In fact, our cover feature tells a story that’s as far removed from retirement as you can get. It’s about a group of men and women whose missions and responsibilities have grown dramatically—the dedicated defenders of the American homeland: the U.S. Coast Guard.

In the wake of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, the Coast Guard made a dramatic mission shift toward homeland security. One of its key missions is protecting U.S. ports and waterside facilities. Besides the lives at stake, 95 percent of U.S. international commerce moves through ports that were designed to be among the most accessible in the world.

“It’s a wonderful time to be in the Coast Guard, because you feel [more] relevant,” says Vice Adm. Vivien S. Crea, commander of the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area. “What we do for the nation is for every citizen now, as opposed to the boater, the fisherman, the person in distress on the seas.”

Whatever new missions you tackle, MOAA hopes to help guide your way. Enjoy!