Military Officers Association of America chapter receives 4th national excellence award

More than two dozen retired military officers and spouses served as volunteers in the September standdown for homeless and disadvantaged veterans. “That was terrific,” says Greg Youngman, president of the Grand Strand Chapter of MOAA, the Military Officers Association of America.

For the second annual standdown, sponsored by a variety of veterans organizations, the MOAA chapter donated 200 blankets and gave those not distributed at the standdown to Help 4 Kids in Myrtle Beach and Helping Hands in Georgetown. Speaking to the 27 chapter members and spouses who volunteered, Youngman says “I think our officers really want to continue to serve.”

The chapter has again, for the fourth consecutive year, received the 5-star Level of Excellence at the national MOAA meeting in Orlando, Fla., this past weekend. Also at the meeting, the chapter’s auxiliary liaison, Joan Perry of Conway, was presented the “first ever national Surviving Spouse Award.” Perry and her daughter attended the convention. Perry has served as the chapter auxiliary liaison following the passing of her husband, a retired Navy captain.

The Grand Strand Chapter continues to grow, having added 24 members in the past 12 months to a total of 155. Most local MOAA members are retired or former military officers in the Army, Air Force, Marines or Navy. MOAA also is open to active duty, National Guard, Reserve commissioned and warrant officers of the Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Public Health Service.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Military Officers Association of America chapter receives 4th national excellence award."