JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C –
As military members, we all had different reasons that led us to the doorsteps of a Military Recruiter's office.
After several discussions with the recruiter, some may have joined for the pay and allowances, educational benefits or opportunities for travel, while others joined for the health care or the chance to enter a new profession.
After our initial military obligation has been fulfilled, those same benefits also influence us to re-enlist and continue to serve this great nation. Unfortunately, in this day and age of budget cuts and a weakening economy, we often hear rumors of the erosion of these benefits that we have come to rely on.
Each year, Congress makes hundreds of decisions on issues that directly impact our benefits and quality of life. Organizations like the Air Force Sergeants Association, Association of United States Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association are part of a military coalition making sure our voices are heard on Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.
While we are busy ensuring the freedom of this nation, the lobbyists from these organizations continue to inform Congress and senior leaders on the sacrifices that we make on a daily basis and the issues that are most important to us.
During the past few years, the military coalition has been successful in increasing pay, allowances and benefits. The coalition has won a ban on TRICARE fee increases for the past three years, and was instrumental in providing equity in hazardous duty pay for military personnel. These are just a few successes accomplished by the coalition.
Although the names of these organizations are different, the common fiber in all of these is you - the active or retired military member. These organizations cannot be successful without members. By becoming a member, you strengthen the impact the coalition has to influence the daily decisions our government makes that affect active and retired personnel.
So, the next time you stop by the education center and take advantage of 100 percent tuition assistance, or when you notice that annual pay raise at the beginning of each calendar year, just remember that those benefits don't happen automatically. There is no way to "guarantee" the benefits we have will remain intact, but your involvement in a professional organization will help retain the quality of life we've come to enjoy and rely on.