The Military Officers Association of America is a professional association of

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

military officers. It is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that advocates for a strong national defense, but is politically nonpartisan. The association supports government policies that benefit military members and their families. Its membership is made up of active duty, retired, and former

commissioned officers An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

and

warrant officers Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the most ...

from the

uniformed services Uniformed services is an abstract term that are generally bodies of people in employment of a state who wear a distinct uniform that differentiates them from the public and private sector. Their purpose is to maintain the peace, security, safety, ...

of the United States.

History

Originally called the ''Retired Officers Association'', the organization that is now the Military Officers Association of America was founded in 1929. The association's first headquarters in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. The association's goal was to provide advice and assistance to fellow military officers throughout United States. The organization also promoted fraternal relations among America's uniformed services.''36 United States Code Chapter 1404: Military Officers Association of America''
Office of the Law Revision Counsel, United States House of Representatives, Washington, District of Columbia, 6 November 2009."Mission and History"
, ''www.moaa.org'', Military Officer Association of America, Alexandria, Virginia, 23 July 2014. The association moved its headquarters into the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

area in 1944. At that time, the organization had approximately 2,600 members. In 2002, the association changed its name to the ''Military Officers Association of America''. The change took effect on 1 January 2003. Today, the Military Officers Association of America has over 380,000 members. It is the largest military officers' organization in the United States. In addition to supporting a strong national defense program, the association provides military benefits counseling, career transition assistance, and educational assistance for children of military families (including families of enlisted personnel)."MOAAMilitary Officers Association of America"
''TEXVET'', Texas A&M University Health Science Center and Texas Department of Health and Human Services, Round Rock, Texas.

Organization

Membership in the association is open to active duty, retired, and former commissioned officers and warrant officers from the uniformed services of the United States including the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

and Reserve components. The eight uniformed services are the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

, the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

, the

United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...

, the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

, the

United States Public Health Service The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant S ...

, and the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

. Surviving spouses of deceased officers are eligible for auxiliary membership. The association is governed by a board of directors. The board is composed of 36 members from all eight uniformed services. Board members also represent six geographic regions. The board elects its chairman and three vice chairmen. It also elects the association's

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

chief financial officer The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...

, and

secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

. The president oversees the association's day-to-day operations. The association's headquarters is located in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Advocacy

The association promotes military professionals and encourages government policies that support military members and their families. The association staff identifies important national defense issues and provides association members with regular updates on key issues and pending legislation. The association advocates for a strong national defense, but does not get involved in military strategy debates or support specific weapons systems.Hendrix, Jerry A. and Darrell C. Hayes
"Keep Medicare’s Promise: Stop Medicare Cuts to Doctors"
''Public Relations Cases'', Wadworth Cengage Learning, Boston, Massachusetts, 2010.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Military Officers Association Of America 501(c)(19) nonprofit organizations 1929 establishments in California Advocacy groups in the United States American veterans' organizations Charities based in Indiana Lobbying organizations in the United States Magazine publishing companies of the United States Nonpartisan organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Alexandria, Virginia Organizations established in 1929 Patriotic and national organizations chartered by the United States Congress Title 36 of the United States Code United States military support organizations