I hope that you all had a blessed Thanksgiving and experienced why there is so much to be thankful for in this great country.  In a few short weeks, Christmas will be here.  The vast majority of us will have the opportunity to be with families and loved ones and to experience what Christmas is all about.  I don’t have to remind you that we have many brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers and sons and daughters who will be away from us this eighteenth Christmas season since 9/11.  Please pray that this will be the last time we have troops in harm’s way at Christmas.

I want to thank all of you who have contacted me about sending care packages to some of our troops in Afghanistan.  If you sent something special to another service member as a result of my last column, thank you.  I was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq for Christmas 2005 and I can assure you that being in a combat zone is a humbling experience.  I have a grandson serving in the United States Army right now and his wife, also a soldier, will be spending this Christmas separated from him in Eastern Europe.  Separation is a way of life in the military, so this year, I ask all of you to do what you can to ease that loneliness just a little bit.  You will feel better and I can assure you that our troops will appreciate it.  Some chapters have sent cards and others care packages.  All can pray for their safety.  You can also do something special for the families back home to show them how much we support their service man or woman.

A college professor once stated “There is no such thing as a free lunch!  Someone somewhere is paying for it.”  I have never forgotten that statement and I think that we all need to spend some time reflecting on what it means.  There are some in this country that have been so brainwashed with the entitlement mantra that they think that by being able to breath air, they are entitled to free stuff.  There is a big difference between free and free to you!

My generation and most of the ones that came before me understood that only through hard work and effort were things earned.  The benefits earned by our service in the military are earned by your years of service, but they aren’t free.  Taxpayers cover the cost and yes that means even those who serve are investing in the very benefits that we receive.  That GI-Bill education or that VA disability payment is not free.  The difference between the benefits earned by years of service in the military and many of the things being talked about by politician’s todays is a matter of investment and effort.  Each of us has invested years of our lives, holidays away from our loved ones and numerous other inconveniences because we chose to serve to protect our freedoms.  Be proud of that!

Now I know there are some of you that were drafted into service and that was not a choice that you would have made at the time, but in the end you served rather than run away and hide in Canada.  You earned those benefits because you did serve.  If you wore the uniform of any branch of the military, I salute you.  Do not diminish that service because you were drafted rather than volunteering.  You served and therefore earned every benefit those groups like NCOA and a host of other organizations fought hard to win for you.

As we approach the end of a turbulent year and look forward to a new and hopefully better year, remember this!  Life is a matter of choices.  Each of us can choose to be part of the solution or we can relegate ourselves to be a part of the problem.  NCOA will align itself to be part of the solution.  Will you help?  If you have thoughts, I want to hear them.  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

November 10^th is the 243^rd birthday for the United States Marine Corps, so a very happy and respectful birthday wish goes out to all Marines, past and present and for those who will serve, the bar has been set high.

Many of you served in combat and can truly understand the significance of service over the holidays.  Being away from family and loved ones is hard no matter what day it is, but there is something a bit more emotional when we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home.  There are Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen serving all over the world this upcoming holiday season and when I use the word “man”, I also want to call out that there are a lot of women serving proudly right alongside.

There is a base in Afghanistan that my chapter has been supporting for some time.  There are Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen at Camp Shorab.  NCOA’s mission is to look after the quality of life for our enlisted men and women as well as their families.  This holiday season, I am going to ask a favor of all of you.  This base doesn’t have a PX and many of the outposts do not even have a chow hall.  They are asking for simple hygiene items as well as snacks and canned food to supplement their diet.  I received thank you letters from several enlisted Marines thanking NCOA for our support.  I am asking all of you to consider sending some care packages and or any service man or women Christmas cards to this base to let them know that NCOA truly does support them.  While I have one isolated base to support, you may know of others.  In either case, please support our troops on the front lines in harm’s way.  What a way to plant a seed that NCOA cares for them and will step up and take care of them.  Email me for the address if interested in this specific base or if you have any questions about what to send or how to send it and I will be happy to guide you.

After much thought and research, NCOA will be having our annual conference next year in San Antonio from July 16-18.  We need you to seriously consider attending as many significant changes in our organization will be formulated and voted on and you should all be involved in the decision process.  There is plenty of time until we meet in San Antonio to budget and come.  I hope to see all of you there.

Finally, NCOA has all of the programs that all of the other service organizations have, but we have a leadership team that truly cares about each and every one of you.  I have the privilege of working alongside Vince Patton, our National President.  Our current Board is made up of active duty and retirees from across the military spectrum.  We are working hard behind the scenes to turn NCOA from just another veteran service organization into the premier organization that focuses on “all” of our enlisted forces.  Hop onto the crest of this wave and be a part of this process.  If you have any ideas or suggestions, I want to hear from you.  Email me at chairman@ncoausa.org.  Remember, failure is not an option!

Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example

Terry M. Haines

Chairman, International Board of Directors

This month I want to try something different.  NCOA in its current form has been doing things a certain way since 1960 when we were first created as a Veteran’s Service Organization.  Our mission calls for us to fight for quality of life for all enlisted personnel and their families from all five branches of the military.

We have received a number of thought provoking ideas about where we are weak as an association and I must agree that we have a lot of room for improvement, but I have said it before and I will reiterate it again, failure is not an option.   It is a foregone conclusion that we need an injection of youth into our organization in order to keep up with the times.  The flow of new recruits into all branches of the military is healthy enough that we still are an all-volunteer military.  Considering that we as a nation have been at war for almost 17 years, it is amazing that our force still maintains its status as the best fighting force in the world.  How can that be?  Many in the older generation think that the younger generation does nothing but play video games and text on their phones.  While that perception may be partially true for some of the younger generation, how can it be absolutely true with all of those who are serving today?  They can’t maintain our fighting force at such an elite level by keeping their nose buried in a cell phone or playing video games 24/7.

Maybe those who are serving have some the same stuff that we had when we joined decades ago.  They must be patriotic or why would they sign up knowing there is a good chance they will be deployed to a combat theater?  They must have some level of discipline.  They must have some sense of loyalty.

I have talked to many younger sailors and soldiers and they have some level of desire to improve their community.  I propose that this younger generation has many of the same qualities that we had, but it just manifests itself differently than we are used to seeing.

We have spent years complaining about what is wrong with everything in our lives.  There isn’t much wrong with this world and NCOA that hasn’t already been identified and analyzed.  I am asking you today to shift gears.  What do we do well?  Come at this exercise as if the glass is half full rather than half empty.  Talk to young people and listen?  Stop assuming that you know what they think or you will never hear what they are saying.  Brainstorm with the younger generation.  What do they want?  How do they want to accomplish it?  How can NCOA help?  What do they need that they can’t get from the military?

It is time we all started looking for solutions rather than dwelling on problems!  If you have any suggestions as to how we should operate as an organization, I want to hear about it.  My email is chairman@ncoausa.org.  I can assure you that your thoughts, ideas and suggestions will not be ignored.  I pass every email that I get onto the entire leadership team.  We want to turn NCOA into a leading veterans service organization that makes a difference for you and your family no matter whether you are in your 20’s or your 60’s.  I say again, “Failure is not an option!”

Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example

Terry M. Haines

Chairman, International Board of Directors

My fellow NCOA members and those nonmembers who have served this nation with pride, past and present, you are appreciated.  A life of service in uniform made most if not all of us grow up a bit and instilled many qualities that the world around us only wish they had, like discipline, leadership, integrity and many more qualities too numerous to mention.

Life in this country over the last several years has been a challenge, particularly if you no longer have the structure of being in the military as a safety blanket to fall back onto.  Every day we are challenged by circumstances seemingly out of our control that stretch that safety blanket to a point where on some level or another it begins to rip.  We are constantly being pressured to compromise our values, our standards and in some cases even our friendships.

When I became a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy, I took on additional personal and professional challenges to take care of my people, no matter what, and that is a challenge that I have kept even after I retired.  I assume that there is a similar standard that all noncommissioned officers in all branches of the military take on from the time that they find themselves in charge of men and women in uniform.

During these challenging times in our nation when we as men and women find ourselves under constant attempts by society, the media, politicians, and in some cases even our own families to forget where we came from and what we learned in the military, I ask you to take a deep breath and think about your core values.  Our NCOA President, Vince Patton, said it best when he called us all to live by the 9 core values that make up our 5 branches.  Loyalty, duty, respect, service, honor, integrity, courage, commitment and excellence are not just a list of words; they are standards that all who have served should live by.

Every single organization in this country has challenges.  That is because every organization is being run by human beings that are not perfect.  I can tell you that NCOA has an exceptional human being as our national commander.  When I took over the reins of the Board of Directors, I was humbled.  I love this association and I have confidence in our leadership.  We are actively looking for programs that will provide you with the kind of benefits that will truly impact your lives and the lives of those who are or will serve.  We are also looking for benefits that no other organization has so that we can stand out as a group looking out for you!

We need your help.  Do you have a spouse or family member that is not a member of NCOA?  Do you have a co-worker or a friend who served in the military that believes like you in the core values mentioned above?  Sign them up and give us a stronger voice so that we can do even more than what we have been able to accomplish to date.  You can go to our website at www.ncoausa.org and look at who we are and what we are doing.  Every day we are striving to improve because we believe in you.  If you have thoughts or concerns, contact me at chairman@ncoausa.org and I guarantee that your views will be taken seriously.  Failure is not an option and improvement is happening daily.

My last couple of articles has brought responses from several members ranging from Thailand to the west and Michigan and points in between.  All of your thoughts have been shared with staff and the entire board of directors and actions have been taken on every single response that you send to me. We want you to continue sharing your feedback.

 July starts with the annual celebration of our freedom and the birth of our nation.  July 4^th is when many of us participate in patriotic parades, family BBQ’s and fireworks displays.  I remember when I was deployed to Iraq in 2005, our base had a contest.  All units were provided a copy of the Declaration of Independence.  All units were to read it to the troops, sign a muster and turn it into the base chaplain.  What a way to help our citizens, or troops in this example, remember what the 4^th of July is all about. We stand a little taller when the flag goes by in a parade and puff out our chests a bit when a military formation of jets flies over our parade.

Our nation isn’t perfect, but it is what we make of it and for all that have served, our time in uniform should have or still does make us proud.  Service whether in uniform or out brings out a sense of pride that we will hopefully pass on to our next generation.  Have you sat down and spent any time reflecting on the feelings that we had when serving alongside of our brothers and sisters in uniform.  The comradeship we formed with those we served alongside will last a lifetime.  The same goes for service outside of uniform.  Contributing to the improvement of your community is one way that you can make a difference today.

We see so much disruption in our communities and yearn for order to our lives.  My question to you is what can or will you do about it?  In the military it was simple.  Our leadership developed a plan and within the organization we executed that plan.  Now you are no longer in that unit.  You ask yourself what can I do about it?  You were a noncommissioned or petty officer in the military and by definition were the ones who most often made things happen.  Take that training and experience use it to positively impact your community.  If conditions are disruptive enough that you spend time dwelling on the situation then why not do something to make it more palatable. We don’t need to and should not resort to any kind of physical confrontation, but there are ways to make a positive impression and change hearts.

Have you worked with youth groups and taken the time to explain why you have patriotic feelings?  Have you taken the time to explain why the flag means so much to you?  Have you explained to your friends and co-workers what it means to serve your country and that when you signed up, you committed to support and defend the constitution at a potential cost of up to and including your own life?  Many who have never served don’t know and understand that.  Perhaps veterans need to educate the public and just maybe we can turn things around in this country.

NCOA is an organization that was created to take care of quality of life for our enlisted forces.  Helping to maintain that same quality after we separate is just as important.  Start by getting involved in the solution today.  Sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing is part of the problem. I want to hear from you.  My email is chairman@ncoausa.org.  Failure is not an option!