El Paso Chapter
Military Officers Association of America

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - April 2019

             On 23 February 2019 the Military Officer’s Association of America celebrated its 90^thbirthday.  Almost a century ago Col Arthur Marix, USMC (Ret), and 62 other officers gathered on 23 February 1929 to start The Retired Officer’s Association, (TROA).  While TROA later changed its name to MOAA in 2003, it was the same core MOAA principles in effect in 1938 when TROA/MOAA hired its first lobbyist to start representing the interests of veterans and their pay and benefits.  As you know MOAA has been named among the Top 50 of all lobbyist organizations in Washington DC, and MOAA still remains the only Veterans’ Service Organization on that list.   Each year your El Paso MOAA Chapter sponsors two $25,000 scholarships, but did you know MOAA has been supporting children of service members by sponsoring scholarships since as far back as 1948?  Your El Paso Chapter Border Bulletin magazine has been recognized nationally for the better part of a decade.  But did you know MOAA/TROA national magazine has been serving service members since 1969? Each April, MOAA leads members to Washington to “Storm the Hill” on your behalf, an effort to inform and to lobby congressional lawmakers to protect your pay and benefits.  Did you also know that MOAA has been “Storming the Hill” since 1997?  Today we are fighting to protect TRICARE fees and compensation for service members.  But it was MOAA in 2001 who initiated TRICARE for Life, and then successfully defeated DoD efforts to double TRICARE pharmacy co-payments.  It was also MOAA who won lawsuits on your behalf in 2003 authorizing Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) for qualified veterans.
 
  MOAA has spent the past 90 years lobbying Congressional Lawmakers on your behalf and has authored, or represented landmark legislation on your behalf time and time again.  Veterans have a duty to understand exactly how MOAA has served our best interests, and we owe it to the 1% serving, and every veteran who has served to get involved. We can do more.  You can do more.

 Read More