One Big Outfit
MOAA’s chapters help keep military camaraderie alive, while MOAA’s headquarters staff offers that same camaraderie as we work to get results for our members.
By Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.

It’s difficult to believe that almost a full year has elapsed since we dedicated the World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. I hope this year has provided many of you the opportunity to view the memorial, which is spectacular and is a most fitting tribute to the Greatest Generation.

The memorial also reminds me that those who served in the military—especially World War II veterans—remain a close-knit group. They enjoy attending reunions and visiting their wartime buddies and their families.

That military camaraderie—born of shared experiences—also is kept alive by MOAA’s 419 chapters. A chapter’s members probably weren’t in the same unit, but they nonetheless share certain core values, such as service, honesty, integrity, and dedication to accomplishing the mission, whatever it may be. Especially in today’s fast-paced and sometimes uncaring world, it’s refreshing to get to know other men and women who chose to spend some or all of their professional lives in service to their country—and our chapters do a great job of providing a forum for doing just that.

If you’re unable to participate in chapter activities, please remember that MOAA’s headquarters staff offers some of that same camaraderie. Get in touch with us—via telephone, e-mail, snail mail, or in person—and you’ll be in touch with people who share your experiences and your values. Many of our staff members have military backgrounds or family members with such backgrounds. But each of us, regardless of background, is dedicated to those who serve or have served.

We believe our members are all-important and we are focusing on how we might best continue to attract and retain members. You can help with that effort by reminding non-members that joining MOAA puts them into a special organization, one that not only achieves significant results for them, but also cares about them every day.

Joining MOAA is like joining a big military outfit, one that looks out for you, provides security, and offers that special camaraderie. We may not participate in specific unit reunions, but we’re just like the buddies you served with—and you can depend on us to be there when you need us. As Memorial Day nears, we at MOAA say thanks to all our members and their families for their dedicated service to our nation. And, as always, our thoughts and prayers are with those families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice so we all could remain free.