Desk of the Chairman
April 2020 Update
April is upon us and this April will be unlike any other April in the recent past if ever. Tax Day, April 15th has been pushed back to July 15th. Easter is on the calendar but with Public gatherings being limited to no more than 10, there won’t be any Easter Egg hunts and Easter Church services will be live streamed instead of in a building. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life in this country in ways that most of us could not have imagined.
The government has asked all Americans to change how we behave on a daily basis. Social Distancing has become the new catch phrase that could redefine how we behave going forward. Washing our hands is a good thing that we should all do more often. However, getting together with friends and family is a difficult thing to get used to and the longer this threat remains high, this social isolation can have some long lasting impacts.
We in this country have become more socially isolated because of technology where we don’t talk to each other, we text. We spend too much time on Facebook rather than with our families. With so many people having been laid off and routines disrupted, we have a unique opportunity for a do-over. Reach out to your neighbors and find out if you can help, if they need it, with grocery shopping. Call friends and check in to ensure that they are OK.
In the military, we had a saying. Leave no man (or woman) behind. Perhaps we can adjust that phrase under the current situation to do another phrase those who have served are familiar with. Buddy checks could be done for elderly neighbors or those with limited mobility. Getting out of your home to help others in a controlled way can reduce a sense of isolation and help us all maintain a healthy mental attitude.
Isolation can contribute to depression, especially if we glue ourselves to watching a constant barrage of negative news. I have mentioned before how concerned I am with an abnormally high rate of veteran suicides. Anything that we can do during this COVID-19 crisis to maintain a healthy attitude and to help others around us to feel a bit of hope is a good thing. All who ever achieved the rank of Noncommissioned Officer or Petty Officer know and understand the responsibility of taking care of our people. Let’s use that knowledge and sense of responsibility to help those around us get through these difficult times.
Finally, I want to emphasize that your International Board of Directors has been meeting via teleconference to deal with concerns about the upcoming plans for our annual conference in July. We are closely monitoring other organizations that are currently scheduled throughout the summer. The DOD has limited In-Conus travel until May 11 and we are scheduled to meet again on May 12th to make a decision whether we stay the course or reschedule for later in the year. You will all be notified no later than May 15th as to our decision.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact headquarters or contact me at chairman@ncoausa.org and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines
Chairman, International Board of Directors
March 2020 Update
March is Women’s History Month. I want to acknowledge and promote the fact that women have served honorably and side by side without complaints for decades and it is important to acknowledge their service and sacrifice. Thank you for your service!
I heard a radio spot the other day and the message has been bouncing around my head ever since. The message was “If not me, then who?” The context of the radio message was about volunteering to make things better in your community. Most people have a tendency to believe that someone else will be the who thus relieving them of the responsibility to do anything.
Newly elected trustees being sworn in by Chairman Haines. They are L-R Ron Kohl, Dan Reno & Stephen Bobian.
Every single person reading this message either joined the Non Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA) voluntarily or if coerced into joining made a conscious decision later to keep their membership by renewing or converting to life so you didn’t have to deal with those pesky renewal notices again.
There are a variety of reasons why anyone joins any organization. Maybe it is for the socialization of hanging around with friends. Maybe it is because you believe in what the organization stands for and is doing. Perhaps it is because you want to make a difference in your community and the organization gives you a vehicle with which to do that. Maybe everyone else was joining and you wanted to fit in. The bottom line is that you joined!
Chairman Haines presenting Certificate of Recognition to Trustee Dan Reno for his work on getting the Chapter Newsletter out to our membership
Let’s get back to that phrase, if not me then who. Most of you are living your life, perhaps raising a family or trying to impact the community that you live in. Some may have withdrawn from the traditional way of life either out of frustration or rebellion. In almost all cases if you had an opportunity to make a mark that improved the quality of life for your family, organization, community, state or nation, you would probably at least take a look at what was being asked of you and how much time, finances or effort would be required. If the end result or benefit exceeded your investment, most of you would probably consider doing something.
As NCOA moves forward, we are looking at programs and organizations to partner with that provide opportunities to make a difference. Less than 20% of our membership is attached to a chapter and the types of programs that we are looking at are ones that an individual nowhere close to a chapter could participate in and impact the community where you live. Come to the conference in San Antonio from July 14-17 to find out more about opportunities available.
How do you want to be remembered when your life comes to an end? Do you want to be remembered as someone who saw a need and did something about it or as someone who spent their life waiting for someone else to take care of the problem? If not me, then who?
If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact headquarters or contact me at chairman@ncoausa.org and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines
Chairman, International Board of Directors
February 2020 Update
Vets at Grants Pass breakfast 2-6-20
February is here and we celebrate President’s Day which consolidates Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th and Washington’s Birthday which is February 22nd into one national Holiday so that most of us get a three day weekend. Additionally, February is Black History Month and we must celebrate the many contributions made to our nation by our African American brothers and sisters as well as other descendants from non-African cultures. It is still cold not the kind of weather to get too excited about unless you are a snow skier or ice skater.
There have been some questions about the creation of the sixth branch of the military that I want to address. I have seen a logo for Space Force and the new commander was recently sworn in, but it has been estimated that the full roll out could take up to 18 months. It appears that manning for this new branch will come out of the Department of the Air Force and installations will transfer from current Air Force properties to Space Force. Doctrine, Policies and Procedures, Regulations and other administrative and regulatory processes will take time to create and implement. I can assure you all that your Board of Directors and National office are aware and thoughtfully proceeding forward with a plan to make whatever changes are necessary in a comprehensive process.
Terry presenting NCOA to Grants Pass Veteran’s breakfast
We continue to look at potential partners to join forces with that add purpose and meaningful opportunities for our members to step up and make a difference in your communities and for our nation. We are also looking for the right fit for benefits that truly meet the need of our members and their families. Our goal is not to be like all of the other organizations out there, but to be unique. We are now an organization that represents all enlisted forces from all active, reserve and separated armed forces. Up to this point in history, no war was fought exclusively by one and only one branch of the military. It took the teamwork of all five up to this point and now going forward six branches of the military. A vibrant, educated and well trained enlisted force makes the United States military the best and most formidable fighting force ever compiled. Be proud of that!
The Non Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA) holds a unique place amongst military service organizations. We need you to help us remain in this unique position. If each one of you brought one family member or current or former member of the military into our roles, we would explode up the ranks of organizations. Can you, will you help?
If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact headquarters or contact me at chairman@ncoausa.org and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines
Chairman, International Board of Directors
January 2020 Update
January is upon us and we look forward and hope that this next decade starts off in a memorable way. The Christmas and New Year holidays usually mean family, time off and an up-lift for our outlook. Many of you will do the traditional New Year’s resolutions and only hope that they survive long enough to have made a difference in your lives.
The swamp in DC murkied the waters to end last year and we can only hope that 2020 takes an upswing. I pray for good health for all of you. I pray for patriotism to gain momentum and that all that have and are currently serving will experience peace and unity this coming year.
NCOA Christmas Social
Our National Commander, Vince Patton, shared a thought recently that gave me something to think about. 20/20 vision is what we all hope for, as with it, we can see clearly and avoid the many pitfalls that find their way into our lives. We are now in the year 2020 and it seems appropriate to equate 20/20 vision to what NCOA’s vision will be going forward. I know what I and the Board of Directors would like to see, but in order for you, our valued members to buy into whatever vision we settle on, it is best to ask you for your opinions. So I am asking each of you to spend a little time pondering what you would like to see for NCOA. We are trying to formulate some ideas on how we can work together with the other veteran and military service organizations to strengthen our unified voice as well as to cut costs. We are searching for projects and missions to engage our members to support our troops and their families.
I and your leadership do value each and every one of you. Ideas that provoke thought, even if we disagree on the pretext, can ultimately help us change course to something even better than where we were headed. Every input received, whether I agree with it or not, gets sent to all of the leadership. Change is not a bad thing but stagnation can truly harm any organization. So put on your thinking caps and send me an email. Your ideas might just turn out to be the best thing we have going.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact headquarters or contact me at chairman@ncoausa.org and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines
Chairman, International Board of Directors
December 2019 Update
December is upon us once again. We start off remembering Pearl Harbor Day. December 7th, the Day that will live in infamy and transition to Christmas to end the month with a big family day that usually means that most of us mortgage the year trying to keep up with the Jones’ and give our kids more than we should.
Things are nice, but they soon break or are stuffed in a drawer because we lose interest in them when the next “big thing” hits the market. The one thing that I have learned as I grow older is that things come and go, but memories are forever.
Many of you have served in some type of combat and probably have some memories that you would rather forget. Try as you may, it is difficult to purge those memories that haunt you and as long as you chose to recycle those memories, they will haunt you for the rest of your life. Here is an idea. During this Christmas season that truly represents the birth of our Savior, try paying it forward. Help someone in need and perhaps make a difference for that person. On the battlefield, we live by the premise that we leave no one behind, yet there are veterans out there in almost every community that are struggling because they feel left behind by a society that doesn’t understand what we have been through. We have gotten to a point where people will say “Thank you for your service” out of habit when they see a hat, but they don’t really understand what that means. They can’t because they have never been there, but you have!
This year, help a brother or sister in need and you might just make their day and give them a memory that is fresh and perhaps will replace the nightmare of their daily existence. Who knows, you may even save a life by befriending someone who is close to giving up.
There are people out there that during this family time don’t have a family close by. They are lonely, frustrated and perhaps even depressed. Look out for them as they may even be someone you served with. Give a person you don’t know the most precious gift that you have, your time and attention!
If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact headquarters or contact me at chairman@ncoausa.org and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines
Chairman, International Board of Directors