Forum to promote work with wounded soldiers

Dear Sgt. Shaft: The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the United States Naval Institute (USNI) are partnering to sponsor a major defense forum about wounded warriors and their families on Sept. 17 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

The daylong forum, “Measuring Success: Keeping Faith with Wounded Warriors and Their Families,” will feature panel members and key guest speakers such as Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake; Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England; and Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Registration is free for active-duty, $20 for MOAA and USNI members and $35 for all others. A lunch is included with registration. Register by calling 1-800/233-8764 or online at www.defenseforumwashington.com.

I hope that your readers and you will join us for what promises to be an exceptional event.

Sincerely,

Norb Ryan Jr., USN-retired

President, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

Dear Admiral:

I am looking forward to joining you and many of my readers at this important symposium. The future needs of our wounded warriors and their families must be the highest priority of our country. Merely saying thanks for your service is not enough.

Congratulations to the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), which is sponsoring an online survey to identify the challenges associated with finding and maintaining employment for military spouses. The survey is available on the Association’s OnWatch newsletter page: www.fra.org/onwatch.

A transient lifestyle, frequent deployments and other facets of military life often make it difficult for military spouses to find suitable work. This survey is focused on spouses of active duty and reserve personnel, and will also help determine spouses’ awareness and use of the employment resources available to assist in meeting those challenges.

“FRA believes spouse employment is an important component of the quality of life for military families and has a direct impact on military readiness and retention,” said Joe Barnes, FRA’s national executive director.

The association will use the survey results to shape its legislative advocacy efforts. FRA will also discuss the survey results with the senior enlisted leaders of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and feature their comments on spouse employment in the next edition of OnWatch.

The OnWatch home page also features a link to a discussion forum about spouse employment and offers the E-10’s views, a feature story and the results of our previous survey on military education benefits.

Shaft notes

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