WHY JOIN MOAA AND MOCC?

   The shortest answer to why a retired officer of the uniformed services, or their survivors, should join MOAA and MOCC is that not joining ensures that MOAA and MOCC will shrivel and die.
   If MOAA/MOCC die, retired officers and their survivors will not have a place at the "table of power". Politicians are always looking for sources of money and, all else being equal, will take it from the politically weak or un-alert. In other words, if MOAA/MOCC are allowed to shrivel and die, there will be no organization at the table of power with the mission of preserving our earned benefits. To join MOAA, go to the MOAA Headquarters web site and fill out the paper work. After joining MOAA, contact MOCC here to join MOCC. In serving its members, MOAA/MOCC has two modes of operation -- political and social -- both of which are very important.

POLITICAL

   MOAA operates at the federal level to preserve our earned benefits. You are referred to the MOAA web site for more information. MOAA publishes a monthly magazine keeping the members informed of their operations; presenting information affecting our retired pay, health and survivor benefits; and presenting arguments that members may want to use in contacting Congress in the fight to preserve our benefits.
    At the State of Oregon level, our political mode is directed at looking after our interests as both retired federal employees -- which is how Oregon thinks of us -- and older Oregon residents that may be affected by actions state government may take. Examples of successful operations -- conducted in concert with organizations representing retired civilian federal employees -- are: 1) taking action to ensure that Oregon taxes federal retirement income in the same way it taxes Oregon and local government retirement income in accordance with a U.S. Supreme Court decision, and 2) keeping our members informed about a 2002 ballot measure that could have had a negative effect on our TRICARE and TRICARE for life benefits.

SOCIAL

   MOCC has monthly dinner meetings. Currently they are being held at the Corvallis Country Club. The meetings serve multiple purposes. One purpose is to socialize with people who, like you, believe service to our country is important. A second purpose is to keep members informed of political operations and things of interest. (We publish a newsletter to help keep members informed.) A third purpose of chapter meetings is simply to keep MOAA/MOCC going, because if we don't keep them going, they won't be there when we need them.