The Retired Officers Association (TROA), the nation’s largest veterans group representing military officers and their families, will change its name to Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) on January 1, 2003.

The association was known as Retired Officers Association from its start in 1929, until 1979 when the association added “The” to the name and became TROA to eliminate confusion with the acronym of another veterans’ organization.

Twenty-four years later, this name change was recommended to it’s members after an extensive study, including talking with focus groups, members of the news media, Capitol Hill and Administration staff members, and surveying members and potential members.

“The recommendation to change our name was a huge decision,” according to VAdm. Norbert R. Ryan, Jr., USN-ret., TROA’s president. “However, we believe the change is in our members’ best interests for future organizational strength as we lobby for our members and a strong national defense.”

The TROA membership vote by mail and e-mail was the largest recorded in recent organization history. Almost 90 percent of the votes from more than 114,000 members favored the name change. TROA officials say that the new name better reflects the total membership composition and what the association does for all of them.

Although a majority of TROA’s 386,000 members are military retirees or survivors of retirees—six out of 10 retired officers belong to TROA—more than 30,000 members are now on active duty, including those in the Reserve and National Guard. In addition, the organization represents the uniformed officer corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The independent, nonprofit organization historically has pursued legislative and policy actions on a variety of active duty, Reserve, and National Guard issues, in addition to its heavy and effective focus on lobbying for military retiree programs.

However, TROA officials say that those active duty efforts have not always been understood because of the word “retired” in the organization’s name. They also say that this factor also has deterred membership among some active duty, Reserve, and National Guard personnel, plus recently retired officers embarking on second careers.

“TROA has long been known for its integrity and effectiveness in helping service men and women who serve and have served our nation,” Ryan continued. “Nothing about that will change, nor will our emphasis on military retiree issues. We will still be the same people who work hard for all of our members every day.”

TROA will begin the transition to its new name on January 1, but will use “formerly TROA” in the logo until October 1, 2003. TROA’s magazine will change its name on January 1, 2003, from The Retired Officer Magazine to Military Officer. The Web site will change to www.moaa.org on January 2, 2003

More about TROA

While TROA does advocate a strong national defense, it does not, as an association, become involved in matters pertaining to military strategy, force level, or individual weapons systems of the various services. It is the long-standing belief of the association’s board of directors that such decisions can be made only by those who have all of the facts available to them: today’s active duty military leadership.
The association plays an active role in military personnel matters and especially proposed legislation affecting the career force, the retired community, and veterans of the uniformed services.

History

TROA was founded in Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 1929. It was the view of the founders that retired officers, as well as their families and survivors, would benefit greatly by joining together in an association that would counsel and render assistance to all officers in matters related to their retired status.

Around the beginning of World War II, those managing the association realized that a reorganization and expansion was essential for TROA to become an efficient and effective force on behalf of its membership. Thus, on April 12, 1944, with a membership of 2,600, TROA was reorganized in Washington, D.C. Today, with approximately 390,000 members and reincorporated in Virginia, TROA is the country’s largest military officers’ association.

Through the years, as the membership and staff have grown, the association broadened its objectives to work on behalf of the entire uniformed services community—officer and enlisted, active duty and reserve—to the point that today it is a respected voice for all uniformed services on personnel matters.

TOPS Transition Services

TROA’s Officer Placement Service (TOPS) was established in 1953 to assist TROA members in their transition to civilian careers. It has a national reputation for providing expert transition assistance to thousands of officers and warrant officers. As a department within the TROA organization, TOPS provides help to several thousand officers leaving the uniformed services each year. Through more than 40 years of operation, TOPS has perfected a job referral system. There is no cost to employers who use or request this service.

TOPS has data on thousands of individuals who are exceptionally competent in administration, technical and operational fields. Practically all have college degrees; many have graduate degrees; and most have had additional post-baccalaureate training in specialized fields.

In addition, as a service to members, employers, and the general public, TOPS:

• Publishes and distributes “Marketing Yourself for a Second Career” booklet.
• Provides names of TROA members willing to network with other TROA members in job transition.
• Annually presents “Marketing Yourself for a Second Career” lectures at over 150 military installations worldwide.
• Publishes monthly “Career Transitions” articles in The Retired Officer Magazine.
• Critiques resumes and counsels TROA members.
• Publishes electronically through the TROA web page a daily Job Bulletin accessible only to TROA members.
• Networking is a key to a successful job hunt. TOPS has developed the TROAN Network-an international network of TROA members who help other members make the transition to the civilian workforce.

TROA Career Fair 2003

TROA’s annual Career Fair will be held on May 3, 2003 at the new Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Service men and women of all ranks (officer and enlisted), active duty, former and retired and their spouses are eligible to attend the Career Fair.

Last year, over 150 companies and organizations participated. They want to meet and potentially interview service men and women of all grades and their spouses. These employers are prepared to conduct on the spot interviews with the candidates who best have value to offer their organizations.

If you attend you will be asked to leave a copy of your resume at the registration table. That resume will become part of the final electronic resume book that will be used by many of the employers. In addition, you will have the opportunity to give your resume to the individual employers at their respective booths.

Seminars will also be offered throughout the daylong event. Topics will include franchise professions, federal job opportunities, financial management, dressing for success, and benefits under the Montgomery G.I. Bill.

For more information about TROA visit the Web site at www.troa.org or www.moaa.org (after January 2, 2003).