The formation of the U.S. Army in 1775 by the Continental Congress also established the U.S. Military Officer Corps. The leader of the newly created Continental Army, George Washington, had little time and resources to formally train the troops and Officers. He had to rely on broad guidance issued in the form of General Orders. In these orders, Washington emphasized the expectation for the professional conduct of his Officers: “When Officers set good Examples, it may be expected that the Men will with zeal and alacrity follow them.”
George Washington’s guidance of leadership by example endures 250 years later in the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), a veteran’s organization with 350,000 nation-wide members including active duty and retired U.S. Military Officers and their spouses. For over 95 years MOAA has taken the vanguard in resolving issues that adversely impact active and reserve military members, veterans, and their families – of all ranks.
On April 9, 2025, the Genesee Valley Chapter (GVC) of MOAA participated in MOAA’s annual Advocacy in Action campaign in Washington, D.C. In a single day, over 150 MOAA advocates from across the nation canvassed the 330 offices of U.S. Representatives and Senators on Capitol Hill to provide direct constituent feedback on proposed bills before Congress that would benefit our troops and veterans.
The GVC MOAA members that canvassed the New York Representatives and Senators included Colonel Tim Vaughan (U.S. Air Force, Retired), a former 107th Attack Wing Mission Support Group Commander at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and current President of the GVC MOAA. Colonel Vaughan noted that sacrifices of serving in the military are borne by more people than just the military member. “Although family members don’t take an oath like their loved-one serving in the military, they still suffer the unique hardships incurred by military service.”
As an example, Colonel Vaughan cited the ongoing issues with long-term care of aging veterans. About half of the approximate 16 million U.S. Veterans are over the age of 65. The Veterans Administration (VA) does provide a modest stipend to family members who provide long-term care for their Veteran.
The problem is that long-term care often requires months to years of support for complex wounds, illnesses, and injuries. Veteran family care providers in such situations are often forced to sacrifice careers, income, and future retirement benefits to provide full-time support for their Veteran at a much lower cost to the government than traditional long-term care facilities. In seeking equity for these family care providers, MOAA challenged U.S. Representatives and Senators to pass the bipartisan Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act to ensure caregivers receive the recognition, support, and financial security they have earned through their service to Veterans.
Other topics addressed during this year’s MOAA Advocacy in Action visit to Capitol Hill included incentivized military spouse hiring, increased funding and accountability of funding for aging military housing, improved access to health care for military families, and ending the wait for toxic exposed veterans.
In addition to legislative advocacy, MOAA provides resources that help military Enlisted and Officer families alike, including interest-free educational loans and grants, surviving spouse support, and financial planning. More information on these and other MOAA resources can be found at http://www.MOAA.org or the Genesee Valley Chapter’s website at http://www.gvcmoaa.org.
In today’s U.S. military, the lawful authority to lead troops in life and death situations is called an “Officer’s Commission” and can only be issued by the President based on “reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities” of the appointed Officer. An Officer’s Commission is a lifetime appointment and, as such, inspires the MOAA tagline for its members to “Never Stop Serving!”
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