New Under the Sun
Nature's cycle brings familiarity as well as change.
By Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret.

Spring paints a new face on our nation's capital: White and pink cherry blossoms shade tidal basin paths, fresh green foundations cover the National Mall, and yellow daffodils accent roadways and national parks. Nature's rebirth repairs winter's ravages. The annual cycle spins anew.

Spring also touches the human spirit, helping heal wounds suffered last fall. Do we detect a lighter step among pedestrians strolling downtown sidewalks? Have tourists returned in force? Are we learning to live with restrictions that make air travel a travail and visiting a public office a feat of frustration?

No, we're not back to normal or business as usual. Airliners again track the Potomac River, but we sometimes find ourselves glancing upward with a touch of concern. Perhaps the "normal" we knew once will be no more. Still, we adjust, and nature's springtime blessings signal optimism for new beginnings.

The season also heralds familiar events in TROA's annual cycle. As we go to press, the association is about to kick off its most visible — and very effective — annual legislative event. "Storming the Hill" brings council and chapter leaders from around the country to Washington to fight for earned entitlements and to remind legislators of the price of freedom.

This year, TROA's efforts focus on persuading legislators to enact legislation that would authorize the concurrent receipt of uniformed services' retired pay and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is a fundamental issue of fairness to military members who sacrificed dearly for their nation and now find themselves denied the full compensation they've earned. We'll report on Storming the Hill activities in the June issue.

A final note: As TROA enters a familiar legislative season, we remind you there is something new under the sun. The board of directors' recommendation to change the organization's name is a key step toward securing your association's future. It is not in any way a change in mission or focus. The association will continue to do what it has done so well for some 73 years: benefit uniformed services officers, their families, and their survivors and advocate a strong national defense. See page 12 for more information, or log on to TROA's Web Base at www.troa.org/namechange.

We urge you to learn more about why the name change is a good idea. And when you receive your ballot in August, vote "yes." Help ensure that in the seasons ahead your association will renew its long-standing purpose, encourage new growth, and remain one powerful voice for uniformed services members and their families.