Presentation by the President of MOAA

Friday afternoon’s lone Plenary Session was conducted by Vice Admiral Norb Ryan of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). Admiral Ryan gave a convincing presentation regarding the importance of MOAA and the other members of the Military Coalition, including AUSA, in protecting benefits for military members and retirees. He pointed out the success the Coalition has enjoyed in garnering legislative support for issues affecting all branches of the service. He informed his audience that MOAA is an organization with hundreds of thousands of members, from the entire spectrum of the military community, and he provided his listeners with a specific example of how concerted action by those members enabled MOAA to affect legislation concerning Tricare. He pointed out, however, that the going was difficult these days for his organization and the others in the Coalition, with both the Pentagon and Congress citing the costs of the GWOT as reasons for cutting benefits programs. In view of this resistance, MOAA and the others were energetically pushing back on behalf of their constituents. VADM Ryan concluded his briefing by enjoining his audience to get involved at the local level to effect the kinds of changes desired by members of the military. (See slides.)