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Financial Literacy:  Military Support Programs-Part 2

by Captain Bob Houle, USCG (retired)

Why should MOAA or our MOAA chapter care about financial literacy even if we accept that financial illiteracy has a serious adverse impact on military mission performance?  What can we do?  What should we be doing?

MOAA national cares!  Throughout our MOAA.org website are embedded major sections dealing with financial programs, pay and benefits, career transition, family issues and other resources related to our memberships’ financial and emotional wellbeing. 

Our MOAA Cape Canaveral Chapter cares too!  Our Financial Literacy Program began over four years ago and has expanded its scope over the progressive leadership of our last five presidents and chapter boards.  Our chapter’s financial literacy program complements two other programs sponsored by our chapter to assist our membership.  Unlike Financial Literacy, which is a life-long process, the other two are provided to help our membership during stressful periods in their life:  Survivor Assistance and Transition & Career Support. 

Why should we do anything?  As commissioned officers our leadership culture demands that we take care of those under our command, including their family.  “Force Protection” is not a readiness status but a leadership imperative.  Never Stop Serving means never stop caring, even when we are not actively serving.

Why?  Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve.  We as MOAA members have a vested interest in the military family.

What can we do?  Our program primarily consists of educating our membership to be aware of their need to be financially literate and providing informational and motivational resources to expand and share this knowledge with others.  We do this primarily through articles such as this one and through member training workshops/webinars on related topics.  We have credible but limited volunteer member resources to provide coaching and mentoring in select areas such as investing through our chapter’s partnership with the North Florida Chapter of BetterInvesting. 

What should we be doing?  That is the leadership issue and challenge we face as a chapter.  Your participation in the leadership, operation and future direction of our chapter is essential if we are to meet our chapter’s mission challenge.  An emerging focus area is expanding our advocacy with local commands to encourage their full implementation of their services’ mandated programs to support their personnel.  Other areas to support military families and those other organizations that support these families remain to be explored. 

How can you help others?  Our MOAA chapter provides a broad spectrum  of services for our membership and the military members of the local commands in our chapter area.  There are many opportunities to contribute to the mission.  Paying forward is our mantra.

It is time for all of us to act and help others become financially secure and independent.  Never Stop Serving!