Navy Club USA Board of Directors unanimously voted to extend eligibility for membership to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. This momentous change in policy was adopted at the 87th Annual Navy Club USA Convention held in Lockport, NY, on June 20 and 21, 2025. Additionally, the change to membership requirements will open most Navy Club USA Officer positions to active club members regardless of their service affiliation.
Established in 1938 and formally recognized through Congressional Charter in 1940, Navy Club USA Veteran and Auxiliary members provide outreach to local schools, VA Hospitals, and other veterans organizations.
The decision to accept members from all branches of the military comes in response to the ongoing decline of U.S. veterans’ organizations and memberships as veterans from the days of the Selective Service Draft and Vietnam pass on. Lockport’s Ship 110 Commander and Navy veteran, Peter Rubens, noted, “Most members now are greyer than the ships they served on.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about one-third of all U.S. veterans passed away in the last 20 years alone. Of the remaining 16 million U.S. veterans today, about half are over the age of 65. In some ways, this reduction of veterans reflects the technological superiority of the U.S. Military. Technology advancements mean less people are needed to support obsolete military doctrines that called for “D-Day” levels of personnel to accomplish a mission. In turn, the reduced number of service members leads to less visibility and less representation for our veterans. For example, in 1973, about 80 percent of the U.S. Congress had served in the armed forces. Today, only about 18 percent of the U.S. Congress has previous military experience.
Bob Currier, Commander of Brockport New York’s Navy Club Ship 1812, and Navy Club USA Commandant from 2023 to 2025, believes expanding membership eligibility will give formerly served military members more options for veteran fellowship and community participation. “We [Navy Club Brockport] have constant inquiries from local veterans from other services who may not meet the requirements of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or simply want to participate in a service organization closer to their residence. Today’s military often operates as a Joint Force with all services contributing to the mission. We don’t see why that should be any different with veterans’ organizations.”
On the evening of Saturday, June 21, as the Navy Club USA was weighing anchor from this year’s convention, the story broke of U.S. B-2 Bombers striking Iranian uranium enrichment facilities. It was a sober reminder to those who have served just how much we rely upon and trust in those still serving to sustain our protection and freedom.
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