In recent months, we have received many messages, telephone calls, and letters from people thanking troa for tricare For Life (tfl). Needless to say, we love to get compliments. Still, reading or hearing one of these always prompts reactions from me that you might not expect. Sure, I say thank you.

But I also point out that troa doesn't take sole credit for the victory (nor can any other person or group). In fact, some conditions that made tfl possible were completely beyond anybody's control: For example, 2000 was an election year, and both parties saw the retired military community as a potential ally in close elections. Also, it was accepted that the government had a huge surplus. (For contrast, imagine trying to sell tfl this year!) And we were aided immensely by the unprecedented support before Congress of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Shelton and the service chiefs. This helped give legislators the legitimacy they needed to justify action and expense.

There were other actors on the stage as well. Fellow organizations of The Military Coalition pushed hard. Outside the coalition, other groups were also heard in the chorus. For example, a loosely formed group of e-mail advocates, some of them troa members, some not, helped raise the level of sensitivity and the perception of a need for action on the Hill - as did Col. Bud Day's, usaf-Ret., lawsuit against the government (which is still being fought in the courts, incidentally).

Having said all that, I'm immensely proud of our role in this victory. With your help, we have been pouring water into the health care pond for many years, creating the pressure that eventually pried ever-wider cracks in the dam (as evidenced by tests of subvention, fehbp-65, and other programs for Medicare-eligibles). Big victories in legislation are not won overnight; they are to a great extent the result of constant education and growing pressure. Eventually, if you push hard and long enough, the dam breaks, as it did with tfl.

I'm also proud that we were among the first to recognize the tfl initiative for the extraordinarily good deal it was, even when many were lobbing grenades in its direction. (And let me boldly note that no nongovernment organization of any size or makeup has done as much to facilitate the smooth implementation of tfl as has troa. We all ought to be proud of that incontrovertible fact.)

But we're not over the goal line yet. There are still glitches, though not life-threatening, that need to be fixed, particularly in claims processing. Identifying these problems, helping our members with them, and straightening out the system are missions we will be pursuing for many months. And a number of health care subjects, including upgrades for non-Medicare-eligibles, cry for further action.

So, I offer a sincere thank-you to all who have let us know you are pleased about tfl. We're happy that you're happy.

Certainly, all troa members who lifted fingers, pens, and voices over the years contributed to the victory and should be proud of what happened, every bit as much as those of us on the front lines in Washington. It is a great example of American grassroots political action at its best, and you contributed in your way to the making of great history.