Committee Updates
MEMBERSHIP
Submitted by Ed Baisden
January 2020
COL (Ret) Ed Baisden
Our Virtual Chapter remains healthy and growing. As of 31 December 2019 we have 224 members in 43 states (and Puerto Rico) representing 126 congressional districts. We are looking for members to join from AR-DE-MS-ND-SD-VT-WV. I would like to set a goal for recruiting in 2020…how cool would it be to find members from those last seven states? You now have a targeted audience from which to recruit! We continue to try to recruit new members and encourage every current member to act as a recruiter.
If you think our advocacy efforts are worthwhile, help us expand that influence by suggesting that your friends, who have served as a Uniformed Service Nurse, join us. All they need to do to start the process is to email me at musnavc@gmail.com with the subject line of “I Want to Join the VC”. This is particularly easy with your friends on Facebook. We have had good results in recruiting FB referrals, but there many members of our FB Group who have not yet joined the VC. It is NOT necessary for an applicant to already be a member of MOAA; I can make that happen very easily as part of the application process. When I have an email address and expression of interest I’ll follow up from there on.
We have also created an OUTREACH LETTER with information about the chapter, along with an application form, which includes an easy way to join MOAA for those who are not yet members. I’d like to suggest that you print off a few of these, put them in envelopes and be ready to pass them along to eligible folks you might run into at your Nurse Organization meetings and conferences or at promotion/retirement ceremonies. It’s both easy and cheap and these gatherings probably present “target-rich environments”.
Thanks very much for your continued support and willingness to “Never Stop Serving”. Cheers…
LEGISLATION
Submitted by webmaster
January 2020
COL (Ret) Lorna Griess
Final NDAA Would Halt Military Medical Billet Reductions
Plans for cutting approximately 18,000 medical billets were first revealed last March in the Department of Defense FY2020 Budget proposal. MOAA spent the next several months raising concerns about medical readiness and beneficiary care with senior officials in the Defense Health Agency (DHA), the Services’ medical departments and on Capitol Hill, where we met with professional staff from the House and Senate Armed Services Committees as well as dozens of member offices. MOAA members also massively mobilized and sent more than 23,000 letters sending a clear message of concern and the need for legislative action. Read the article and find further resources HERE
SURVIVING SPOUSE LIAISON
Submitted by webmaster
Visit MOAA Surviving Spouse Website for more information and resources HERE
LTC (Ret) Susan McKennon
January 2020
'We Did It': Military Widows, Supporters Celebrate After Senate NDAA Vote
Just hours after the Senate approved the FY 20 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Dec. 17, military widows gathered in Washington, D.C., to mark the expected repeal of the "widows tax" with federal lawmakers and representatives of veterans service organizations. Read full article and more HERE
TRANSITION and PERSONAL AFFAIRS
Submitted by webmaster
Visit our Transition and Job Search page HERE
COL Tonya Dickerson
January 2020
MOAA offers a range of resources for servicemembers seeking to take the next step in their professional life. Whether you plan to enter the workforce or maximize your GI Bill benefits, don't skip this must-read guidance.
Get the details from the MOAA 2020 Transition Guide HERE
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