As the president of the Military Officers Association of America, I want to give special thanks to the servicemembers who have stood up to fight the spread of the coronavirus. They make us proud and our nation stronger.

As a membership organization, we’re committed to being there for you at any time, especially during challenging times such as this pandemic. Recently, a member stopped me to express his appreciation for our call center’s quick and attentive response to his concerns. A member of several other service organizations, this gentleman noted that MOAA stands out for our brand of personal interaction and dedication to our members.

[DONATE NOW: Please consider supporting The MOAA Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund]

Focusing on membership drives value and results. It means you’ll be there for us as we pursue our advocacy mission. Even though our annual Storming the Hill event was sidetracked this year with COVID-19, we continue to engage on the Hill. And you can, too. Take for example, Southern Maine Chapter and Life Member Col. Bill Hall, USAF (Ret). Bill had planned to storm with us in March in Washington, D.C. With the trip canceled, he quickly established a video chat with U.S. Rep. Jared Golden from Maine’s 2nd District to discuss our stance on medical restructuring and active duty pay.

Our national offices may still be closed, but MOAA isn’t. With contingency planning and an abundance of caution in March, we deployed our team members to work from home. Armed with the latest technology, they haven’t missed a beat. Advocacy remains in full force to slow the actions on military health reforms and benefit reductions, and likewise, each area of MOAA is fully operational.

Our commitment to never stop serving extends beyond legislation. We’ve ramped up our online career and financial offerings, including webinars, to assist anyone in the uniformed services community — including spouses — with finding employment, managing benefits, or navigating uncharted financial waters as the economy contracts from coronavirus. Already, hundreds have taken advantage of these resources. The MOAA Foundation has also launched a COVID-19 relief fund to help affected military families.

Be assured, MOAA’s commitment to serve you remains steadfast. I’d like to thank our 350,000 members for supporting our mission. If you’re not yet involved, consider joining our community. Membership is open to active duty, former, retired, and National Guard and Reserve commissioned and warrant officers of the uniformed services and their surviving spouses. With your help, we can profoundly impact the livelihoods of all servicemembers — past and present.

Thank you in advance for your support and commitment to “Never Stop Serving.” Stay safe and be well.