Professional Military Organizations

As your Director of Reserve and Training, I frequently represent the Coast Guard Reserve at various social and business functions sponsored by national and international professional military associations (PMAs). I am continually impressed by the interest these organizations show in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard missions, and I am often asked about how to encourage more Coast Guard personnel to join their ranks. PMAs offer unique opportunities for Coast Guard Reservists. They foster comradeship, promote military professionalism, preserve our military heritage, and promote a strong national defense. Many of these organizations have a rich tradition of supporting the Coast Guard along with the other military services.

There are PMAs that represent specific segments of the military population. For instance, The Retired Officers Association (TROA) focuses on the issues and interests of the retired community. TROA works for improved retiree medical care, improvements to the survivor benefit plan, and monitoring annual cost of living adjustments (COLA). The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) draws its membership from the Naval services which include active and retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. Others organizations, such as the American Legion, open their membership to all services.

Several PMAs are particularly active in supporting and recognizing Coast Guard Reserve accomplishments. For instance, the Reserve Officers Association (ROA) sponsors the annual Reserve Outstanding Junior Officer Award, the RADM Russell Waesche Award, and RADM Bud Sparks Total Force Award. The Naval Enlisted Reserve Association (NERA) recognizes our Reserve Enlisted Person of the Year. The Navy League annually awards the Thomas E. Morris Coast Guard Reserve Trophy to the outstanding deployable unit and the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA) sponsors the annual Edward Williams Award for Excellence in Leadership.

Your benefits, rights, and privileges as members of the armed forces are of utmost concern to these organizations. Most PMAs regularly monitor legislative activity at both the state and federal level. National PMAs have active and effective programs that review and monitor congressional and local legislation that focuses on national security, the armed forces, and military personnel, such as pay and improved health care. PMA representatives frequently meet with national leaders to ensure that the interests and concerns of armed forces members are considered when policy or legislation is drafted. Most of the larger PMAs have joined together to exercise their collective political strength through membership in The Military Coalition (TMC). Representatives of the TMC meet each month and sometimes more frequently to develop a legislative strategy for issues that affect the uniformed services community they represent.

In addition, PMAs use their strength in membership numbers to provide special member benefits. Some of the benefits derived from membership in PMAs may include:

• Discount buying services;

• Opportunities to engage in professional development and educational seminars;

• Special discounts at hotels, car rental and other travel services;

• Benefits for family members such as supplemental health insurance including dental and eyeglasses, dependent scholarships and other educational assistance programs.

Many local PMA chapters operate their own club facilities with food and hospitality services. Click here to find a list of the names, phone numbers, and Web site addresses of the major PMAs who comprise the Military Coalition. While the Coast Guard cannot endorse or sanction individual PMAs under current ethics regulations, I encourage each and every one of you to consider membership in one or more of these valuable professional organizations.

– By RADM R. Dennis Sirois