Optimism

February 2011 Navy

By Timothy Moon

The holidays are over and we are now into the New Year. Baseball players will report to spring training soon, the 112th Congress is now in session, and AUSN has a fully operational and engaged Board of Directors. And what do these very disparate groups all have in common. . . energy, commitment and an unquenchable desire to do their absolute best for their respective fans, constituencies and members. They are all very optimistic about the future.

In baseball, all thirty major league teams enter spring training thinking that this is their year to win the pennant and make it to the World Series. Only a handful of teams have a realistic chance to make it that far, but all of the teams and their fans are optimistic about their chances. This is the same optimism that we all experience as we face the many tasks, activities and challenges in our lives at home and at work.

The members of the 112th Congress were sworn in on the 5th of January 2011. Congratulations to all of the members of Congress, in both the House and the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, for seeking and accepting this awesome responsibility to represent the people of our great nation. They have a daunting task ahead to overcome partisanship and engage in healthy debate while making tough decisions regarding a long list of controversial issues that will help guide the future of the United States.

After being sworn in as Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner talked about hard work, tough decisions, openness and transparency. He reminded his fellow members of Congress that it is a privilege to serve and it is about the people, not about them. I feel the same can be said for our elected leadership and full-time staff at AUSN. We all, starting with AUSN’s Chairman of the Board Rear Admiral Steve Israel, Executive Director Rear Admiral Casey Coane, and myself, your National President, are committed to hard work, dialogue, openness and transparency as we conduct the business of this Association. It is a privilege for all of us to serve you, our members, and to represent your interests in a variety of forums.

Captain Ike Puzon has prepared an aggressive legislative agenda for AUSN in 2011. It includes a comprehensive list of initiatives that will guide our legislative efforts in 2011 with a goal of ensuring the entitlements and benefits that you have earned through years of dedicated service to our country. We are fortunate to have Captain Puzon at the helm guiding our legislative efforts. He is well respected on Capitol Hill and is a leader in the military coalition of veterans' organizations.

The Board of Directors had their first meeting in January. I am excited to report that everyone in attendance, all of our Directors, participated with energy, commitment and an unbridled passion to do the best for our members and to ensure the long-term health of AUSN. The discussions focused on membership and finance which are the keys to a successful future. You can be assured that they are only interested in doing what is best for you and your association.

We have a tremendous team leading AUSN into the future. We have a newly formed Board of Directors who, like our headquarters staff, are fully engaged and committed to supporting our membership and securing our future as individuals and as an association. They are moving forward on your behalf. Just like the tone established by Speaker Boehner and the 112th Congress, there is a fresh spirit and optimism in the air at AUSN.