NCOA members & fellow veterans:
It was one of the most significant moments in my life when I was selected to fill the position of Chairman of your International Board of Directors. I can pledge to all of you that NCOA is looking to move into the next century for you. All service organizations are struggling for membership and purpose. Many are chained to their past and reluctant if not fearful of the road ahead. The past is our legacy and cannot be forgotten, but without a future, our legacy will fade away when we do. Failure is not an option and I commit to each of you that I and your Board will work tirelessly to ensure that we have a future.
How are we going to do that? The most important thing we need to do is listen! Look at programs, benefits, ideas that help us provide support for our troops. We are not going to forget how we got to where we are but we will make a serious commitment to the needs of our Active Duty and Reserve/National Guard forces as they are facing societal changes that most of us couldn’t even imagine when we served. We all need to ask and not assume that we know what makes todays forces tick. We need to think about things that include family rather than just focus on the troops. Many of today’s force have families and with the numerous deployments that have occurred, asking our troops to go to a meeting that takes them away from their families that they have been away from is not likely to be successful. Family events like BBQ’s, picnics, pizza parties etc. can bring the whole family together.
The recent conference in Washington DC was recorded live and has been posted on NCOA’s Facebook page. Check it out and hear what the SEAC and the rest of the E-10’s had to say about our forces and the significant role NCOA can play in supporting our troops. When your chapters have a function, do a live feed on your phone and post it to Facebook. Send stories about what your chapter or group is doing and send them to NCOA to put on our website.
I am accessible and want to hear from you. I am your chairman and your Board is here for you. We need to hear your ideas and thoughts. I can assure you that they will not fall on deaf ears. Send your ideas about groups and projects that NCOA can work with to make us more in tuned with today’s military. We need to rekindle the excitement within our membership. You joined for a reason. Remember what it was and go and recruit someone else so that they can experience that same feeling. Our membership director, SGM Joe Terry is the right person at the right time to grow this association, but he needs your help. I need your help! I pledge to you that I will do everything possible to meet “your” needs. Start thinking outside the box. It can really become an exciting experience.
Chapters need to become more visible. Knights need to start leading. I can tell you that your Board of Directors is engaged. How about you? We are looking all over the country for locations to hold our 2019 annual conference. We are looking to hold costs down and have activities for families. Start looking forward to July 2019. Every single chapter should send a minimum of one member. We are not going back to Las Vegas and are looking towards the center of the country to cut down on travel.
Strength in Unity and Leadership By Example,
Terry M. Haines
MCPO USNR (Ret)
Chairman, Board of Directors
Non Commissioned Officers Association
Cell 541-601-8467
“NCOA is the Vanguard of all Veterans… Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!”