I recently attended two annual state-level meetings of MOAA’s Affiliated Councils and Chapters, where I spent time with some of the council and chapter members who are the backbone of MOAA’s mission. I discussed how our Government Relations team chooses its legislative priorities and builds a strategy around them, and I came away with an even greater appreciation for how much our members put into this work.

I also was honored to recognize two standout members for their ongoing advocacy work:

• Col. Timothy G. Vaughn, USAF (Ret), president of the Genesee Valley Chapter and first vice president of the New York State Council of Chapters
• CW4 Jay E. Garbus, USA (Ret), immediate past president of the North Carolina Council of Chapters

At both meetings, I walked members through how our legislative priorities take shape: how we weigh the issues that matter most to servicemembers, veterans, and their families; how we read the political landscape on Capitol Hill; and how we build a strategy that turns priorities into results.

Members were appreciative, and the questions and discussion that followed were really worthwhile. More than one person told me they had never heard this process explained before.

Maj. Gen. April Vogel, USAF (Ret), left, and Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), present CW4 Jay E. Garbus, USA (Ret), immediate past president of the North Carolina Council of Chapters, with a MOAA Leadership Award for his years of service to the North Carolina Chapter and its affiliates. (Courtesy photo) 

MOAA’s councils and chapters are the voice of our organization in their communities and in the local offices of their congressional delegation. When they understand not just what we are advocating for, but why and how we determine it, they become even more effective partners. Sharing our approach keeps all of us working from the same page, and it makes our advocacy stronger at every level.

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The Work Behind Our Advocacy

We work with our affiliates every day, and seeing them at these annual meetings was a good reminder of everything they bring to MOAA’s work. The organization and effort they put into their advocacy is impressive. They track legislation, build relationships with their elected officials, coordinate across their state, and show up, again and again, for the issues that matter.

Equally impressive is their commitment to one another and to the servicemembers and families they serve. They look out for each other, and they carry the mission forward long after their own time in uniform has passed.

[RELATED: State Advocacy Resources From MOAA]

Voices Beyond Washington

Having served in the Air Force for 33 years, I know firsthand what the issues we advocate for mean to servicemembers and their families. Today, that advocacy plays out in the fast-paced and often unpredictable world of Washington, D.C. and Congress.

Amid all of that, our council and chapter members are a breath of fresh air, and their impact is greater than they may realize.  

Our mission depends on voices well beyond Washington, and when our members carry our priorities to their communities and their elected officials, they put a local face on our issues and give our message real credibility with lawmakers.