Reserve Officers Association
Encyclopedia
The Reserve Officers Association is a professional association of officers, former officers, and spouses of all the uniformed services of the United States
, primarily the Reserve
and National Guard. Chartered
by Congress and in existence since 1922, ROA advises and educates the Congress, the President, and the American people on national security. ROA advocates for adequate funding of equipment and training requirements, recruiting and retention incentives, and employment rights for all members of the Reserve.
at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., to formally establish a new organization.
In the period between the World Wars, the right of the Reservist to appear before Congress in support of appropriations and matters affecting the national defense was established. Also during this time, Reserve programs, which were to prove invaluable in the mobilization period of 1941 and 1942, became established on the foundations laid by the citizen-soldiers who had served in World War I.
During World War II, the Association became inactive "for the duration" as its members went off to war. ROA was reactivated in 1946, and in 1948, Reserve Officers of the Naval Services (RONS) merged with ROA. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard entered at about the same time. When law created a separate Department of the Air Force, for the first time the nation had, in ROA, a Reserve association embracing all the Services.
Public Law 595 of the 81st Congress, second session, was "An Act to Incorporate the Reserve Officers Association of the United States." This act established the objective of ROA: "...support and promote the development and execution of a military policy for the United States that will provide adequate National Security." President Harry S. Truman, one of the early members of ROA, signed the charter on June 30, 1950.
(friend of the court) briefs on behalf of ROA in USERRA and SCRA cases that have national significance.
ROA's leadership consists of elected national officers, and ROA's business activities are conducted by a national staff located in Washington, DC.
Following are the Minutemen of the Year since 1990:
Following are the Minuteman Hall of Fame inductees since 1998:
Uniformed services of the United States
The United States has seven federal uniformed services that commission officers as defined by Title 10, and subsequently structured and organized by Title 10, Title 14, Title 33 and Title 42 of the United States Code.-Uniformed services:...
, primarily the Reserve
Reserve components of the United States armed forces
The reserve components of the United States armed forces are military organizations whose members, generally perform a minimum of 39 days of military duty per year and who augment the active duty military when necessary. The reserve components are also referred to collectively as the Guard and...
and National Guard. Chartered
Congressional charter
A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code....
by Congress and in existence since 1922, ROA advises and educates the Congress, the President, and the American people on national security. ROA advocates for adequate funding of equipment and training requirements, recruiting and retention incentives, and employment rights for all members of the Reserve.
Formation
The Reserve Officers Association of the United States (ROA) was founded on October 2, 1922, when several hundred officers, many of them combat veterans of World War I, first gathered with General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" PershingJohn J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., to formally establish a new organization.
In the period between the World Wars, the right of the Reservist to appear before Congress in support of appropriations and matters affecting the national defense was established. Also during this time, Reserve programs, which were to prove invaluable in the mobilization period of 1941 and 1942, became established on the foundations laid by the citizen-soldiers who had served in World War I.
During World War II, the Association became inactive "for the duration" as its members went off to war. ROA was reactivated in 1946, and in 1948, Reserve Officers of the Naval Services (RONS) merged with ROA. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard entered at about the same time. When law created a separate Department of the Air Force, for the first time the nation had, in ROA, a Reserve association embracing all the Services.
Public Law 595 of the 81st Congress, second session, was "An Act to Incorporate the Reserve Officers Association of the United States." This act established the objective of ROA: "...support and promote the development and execution of a military policy for the United States that will provide adequate National Security." President Harry S. Truman, one of the early members of ROA, signed the charter on June 30, 1950.
Basic facts
- ROA membership is open to all federally commissioned officers and warrant officers, and their spouses, from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps, plus the U.S. Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- ROA holds a congressional charterCongressional charterA congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code....
, and is established in public law as a corporation to support and promote military policies that will provide adequate national security. - ROA members are major participants in the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR), Interallied Confederation of Reserve Medal Officers (CIOMR), and Pan American Union of Reserve Officers of the Armed Forces (UPORFA), international organizations that hold annual events in Europe and South America. All national Reserve officer organizations of NATO have joined CIOR since its founding in 1948.
Advocacy and legislative priorities
ROA's legislative priorities, largely shaped by the requirements of the War on Terrorism, are:- Reset the whole force to include fully funding equipment and training for the National Guard and Reserves.
- Provide adequate resources and authorities to support the current recruiting and retention requirements of the Reserves and National Guard.
- Support warriors, families, and survivors.
- Assure that the Reserve and National Guard continue in a key national defense role, both at home and abroad.
The Officer Journal
ROA produces a bimonthly journal, The Officer, which focuses largely on national security and defense policy. Each issue has a column covering each branch of the armed forces, a Law Review detailing Reservists' civil rights, the National Security Report, a scholarly paper on some aspect of national security, and the annual year-end issue features contributions from all of the Reserve Components' top commanders. The magazine goes to ROA members, plus all flag and general officers in the Department of Defense and every member of Congress.Defense Education Forum
ROA's Defense Education Forum (DEF) produces a series of programs featuring experts speaking to topics including homeland security, civil affairs, terrorism, continuum of service, USERRA, and civilian-military relations. Through its professional development seminars, DEF also provides for serving Reserve officers of all the branches professional networking opportunities, on-site mentoring, briefings by senior Department of Defense officials, access to government and military service leaders, personal career information, and training opportunities.Service Members Law Center
ROA's Service Members Law Center specializes in educating employers and part-time warriors about the Uniformed Servicemembers Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), and military voting rights. The Service Members Law Center coordinates the activities of lawyers and legal service providers who seek to help servicemembers in these areas of the law nationwide, and files amicus curiaeAmicus curiae
An amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it...
(friend of the court) briefs on behalf of ROA in USERRA and SCRA cases that have national significance.
Structure
ROA is organized into 55 departments, one in each of the 50 states, plus departments in Latin America, the District of Columbia, Europe, the Far East and Puerto Rico. Each department is further divided into regional chapters. There are more than 300 chapters worldwide.ROA's leadership consists of elected national officers, and ROA's business activities are conducted by a national staff located in Washington, DC.
Minuteman of the Year
Since 1958, ROA has honored each year “The citizen who has contributed most to National Security during these times.”Following are the Minutemen of the Year since 1990:
- 2011 Tom Latham, US RepresentativeTom LathamThomas "Tom" Latham is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
- 2010 Blanche Lincoln, US SenatorBlanche LincolnBlanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
- 2009 Robert M. Gates, Secretary of DefenseRobert GatesDr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
- 2008 Joseph I. Lieberman, US SenatorJoe LiebermanJoseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
- 2007 Gene Taylor, US Representative
- 2006 Mary Landrieu, US SenatorMary LandrieuMary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
- 2005 Saxby Chambliss, US SenatorSaxby ChamblissClarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
- 2004 Lindsey Graham, US SenatorLindsey GrahamLindsey Olin Graham is the senior U.S. Senator from South Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously he served as the U.S. Representative for .-Early life, education and career:...
- 2003 Mike Dewine, US SenatorMike DeWineRichard Michael "Mike" DeWine is the Attorney General for the state of Ohio. He has held numerous offices on the state and federal level, including Ohio State Senator, four terms as a U.S. Congressman, Ohio Lt. Governor, and was a two-term U.S. Senator, serving from 1995 to 2007.- Biography :Born...
- 2002 George W. Bush, PresidentGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
; C.W. Bill Young, US RepresentativeBill YoungCharles William "Bill" Young is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1971. He is a member of the Republican Party, and is currently the longest-serving Republican member of Congress... - 2001 John McCain, US SenatorJohn McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
- 2000 Jeff Sessions, US SenatorJeff SessionsJefferson Beauregard "Jeff" Sessions III is the junior United States Senator from Alabama. First elected in 1996, Sessions is a member of the Republican Party...
- 2000 Max Cleland, US SenatorMax ClelandJoseph Maxwell Cleland is an American politician from Georgia. Cleland, a Democrat, is a disabled US Army veteran of the Vietnam War, a recipient of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous action in combat, and a former U.S. Senator...
- 1999 Bob Livingston, US RepresentativeBob LivingstonRobert Linlithgow "Bob" Livingston Jr. is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist and a former Republican U.S. Representative from Louisiana...
- 1998 Paul McHale, US Representative; Steve Buyer, US RepresentativeSteve BuyerStephen Earle Buyer is the former U.S. Representative for , and previously the , serving from 1993 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. Buyer holds the rank of Colonel in the United States Army Reserve....
- 1997 William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense
- 1996 Floyd Spence, US RepresentativeFloyd SpenceFloyd Davidson Spence was a Republican politician from South Carolina.-Early life and education:Spence was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1928, but spent most of his life in nearby Lexington County. Shortly after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring as...
- 1995 Ike Skelton, US RepresentativeIke SkeltonIsaac Newton "Ike" Skelton IV is the former U.S. Representative for . During his tenure, he has served as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a member for the Democratic Party...
- 1994 Gregory H. Laughlin, US Representative
- 1993 Daniel K. Inouye, US SenatorDaniel InouyeDaniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
- 1992 John P. Murtha, US RepresentativeJohn MurthaJohn Patrick "Jack" Murtha, Jr. was an American politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010....
- 1991 George H.W. Bush, PresidentGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
- 1990 Robert C. Byrd, US SenatorRobert ByrdRobert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
Minuteman Hall of Fame
Since 1959, ROA has also honored each year a citizen or soldier “who has conspicuously contributed to the advancement of ROA programs and objectives.”Following are the Minuteman Hall of Fame inductees since 1998:
- 2011 Daniel R. May, Rear Admiral, USCG
- 2010 Jack C. Stultz, Lieutenant General, USAR
- 2007 Peter Pace, General, USMCPeter PacePeter Pace is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States' highest-ranking military office. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on...
- 2007 John A. Bradley, Lieutenant General, USAF
- 2006 Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense
- 2005 Robert J. Papp Jr., Rear Admiral, USCGRobert J. Papp, Jr.Robert J. Papp. Jr. is a United States Coast Guard admiral and the 24th and current Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. He leads the largest component of the United States Department of Homeland Security, with 42,000 active duty, 8,200 Reserve, 8,000 civilian, and 31,000...
- 2004 Bob Hope, PatriotBob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
- 2004 Dennis M. McCarthy, Lieutenant General, USMC
- 2004 Richard B. Myers, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
- 2003 John B. Totushek, Vice Admiral, USNR
- 2003 James E. Sherrard III, Lieutenant General, USAF
- 2002 Russell C. Davis, Lieutenant General, USAFRussell C. DavisLieutenant General Russell C. Davis was Chief, National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Virginia.Davis began his military career in the U.S. Air Force in 1958 as an aviation cadet. Following pilot training, he was assigned at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska. He was released from active duty in April...
- 2002 James M. Loy, Admiral, USCGJames LoyAdmiral James Milton Loy served as Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security in 2005 and United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from December 4, 2003, to March 1, 2005...
- 2002 Thomas J. Plewes, Lieutenant General, USA
- 2001 Robert A. McIntosh, Major General, USAF
- 2000 Charles L. Cragin, Assistant Secretary of Defense
- 1999 Terrence M. O'Connell, Chairman, Reserve Forces Policy Board
- 1998 Robert E. Kramek, Admiral, USCGRobert E. KramekRobert Edward Kramek is a retired United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 20th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1994 to 1998...