In this Issue...
  SPECIAL NOTICE
    - Memorial Day Message
  ROA NEWS (Association News)
    - ROA Welcomes Healthy Happenings as its Newest Affinity Partner
    - ROA Member Appointed National Chairman of ESGR
    - 2007 NATIONAL CONVENTION CANDIDATE LIST
  ROA 2007 NATIONAL CONVENTION
    - Sign Up Today for JOLDTS!
    - Get Your History in San Francisco!
    - Special Hertz Number To Receive Discounted Rates
    - Convention Travel Will Be Unaffected By Freeway Collapse
  LEGISLATIVE UPDATE (Legislative Activities)
    - ROA, MSOs Participate in Roundtable With Key House Leaders
    - ROA and REA Discuss Reserve Travel Reimbursement
  ON THE HILL (Activity on Capitol Hill)
    - ROA-Supported Legislative Correction to Medicare Law Passes House
    - ROA, Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Launch Operation Hero Miles Memorial Day Event
  NEWS FROM THE UNIFORMED SERVICES
    - Reserve Call-Up Update
    - Flag/General Officers Announcements and Assignments
    - Army Responds to Reports of Faulty Body Armor
    - Navy To Permit 2-year Break without Penalty
    - Early Promotions for June First Lieutenants Announced
  OTHER NEWS
    - Think Tank Recommends Establishing Citizen Corps
    - Veterans Claims Court Straining Under Increased Caseloads
    - Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson's Ten Myths of the War in Iraq
    - Putting Remembrance Back into Memorial Day
    - Upcoming Events
    - Help a Fellow Reservist by Forwarding this E-mail
    - Focus Again on Guard, Reserve Readiness
    - ROA Helps Launch GI Film Festival
    - ROA Offers Insight on Ways Reservists Deal with Changing Military
  VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
    - Regional Member Services Director/Army Services Director Wanted

SPECIAL NOTICE

Memorial Day Message

On this Memorial Day the nation will pause to remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf and their families who carry with them each their spirit and love of country. We will not forget the fallen warriors who gave the "last full measure of devotion" in defense of our freedoms and liberties. We will step back in honor of the lives lost on the fields of battle and the futures never realized on the homefront.

For those who serve the nation, each day is an occasion to remember and reflect. The sacrifices of the fallen and the struggles of the wounded are an ever-present reality for many of you. I wish you and your families well as you join with your community to honor and remember.

Read Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace salute to the nation's service members.

"Last Monday In May" Memorial Day Poem

Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Duty, Honor, Country address

White House Commission on Remembrance

Send an e-card

"Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the day we have set aside to honor by remembering all the Americans who have died fighting for the thing we like the most about our America: the freedom we have to live as we please. No official day to remember is adequate for something like that. It's too formal. It gets to be just another day on the calendar. No one would know from Memorial Day that Richie M., who was shot through the forehead coming onto Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, wore different color socks on each foot because he thought it brought him good luck. Read more of Andy Rooney's Memorial Day Column

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ROA NEWS (Association News)

ROA Welcomes Healthy Happenings as its Newest Affinity Partner

ROA is excited to introduce Healthy Happenings as one of its new Affinity Partners.

Maintain your health with one of the top rated nutritional supplements in the nation, and help with ROA fund-raising at the same time! Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?

USANA Health Sciences produces our Nation’s finest nutritional supplements and optimizers, which promote good health beginning at the cellular level in our bodies.

Let Health Sciences enroll you as a preferred customer to receive your discount. ROA makes money with every product you buy. It’s a win-win solution for everyone! Contact us, Bill & Shirley Shepard USANA Independent Associates.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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ROA Member Appointed National Chairman of ESGR

Secretary of Defense Robert H. Gates enhanced the quality of representation of members of the Reserve Component with the appointment of Col. James G. Rebholz, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as National Chairman of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

Mr. Rebholz, a former National President of the Reserve Officers Association, has served as United States Secretary General to the International Confederation of Reserve Officers and brings a wealth of experience and diversity of skills to this position.

In 1998, Mr. Rebholz retired from the United States Air Force Reserve after 31 years in service to the nation and has excelled in his civilian capacity as an independent insurance agent for more than 40 years. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Rebholz served as Chair of the Wisconsin Committee of ESGR and chaired ESGR’s national strategic planning subcommittee.

>> ROA Press Release Announcing Appointment

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2007 NATIONAL CONVENTION CANDIDATE LIST

Please see attached document for current list of the 2007 National Convention Candidate List.

>> 2007 National Convention Candidate List

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ROA 2007 NATIONAL CONVENTION

Sign Up Today for JOLDTS!

To date, we have more than 100 attendees participating in the 2007 Joint Officer Leadership Development and Training Seminar (JOLDTS) for all Reserve and National Guard officers in grades 01-04 and WO1-CW4 being held June 26-30, 2007, in conjunction with the Reserve Officers Association Annual Convention, "San Francisco: The Future is Now" in San Francisco, Calif. This will be the ninth year for this joint officer professional development and group leadership skills seminar. Online Pre-registration, which closes June 21, 2007, secures a space in the seminar.

Sign up TODAY, don't wait, to participate in this exciting seminar!

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Get Your History in San Francisco!

Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park

Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, located in the wartime boomtown of Richmond, California, preserves and interprets the stories and places of our nation's home front response to World War II.

Rosie the Riveter Memorial honors the American women's Labor during the World War II, the first in the nation to honor and interpret this important chapter of American history.

An estimated 18 million women worked in WWII defense industries and support services including steel mills, foundries, lumber mills, aircraft factories, offices, hospitals and daycare centers. Visit the Web site to find out how you can be a part of this unforgettable memorial.

Fort Miley Military Reservation

The Fort Miley Military Reservation on Point Lobos, one of the outer headlands on the southern side of the Golden Gate, was acquired by the U.S. Army in 1893, and used as part of the seacoast defense of San Francisco Harbor during the early phases of America's involvement in World War II. The reservation was renamed Fort Miley in 1900 after Lieutenant Colonel John D. Miley.

Battery 243 (Construction Number) at Fort Miley was completed in 1944, designed for two 6-inch rapid-fire guns protected by steel shields rather than the traditional concrete-and-earth parapets. This type of coastal gun was considered to be of value at that late date in the war because of its function to cover the submarine minefields outside the Golden Gate, making mine-sweeping by the enemy difficult if not impossible. Indeed, its guns were not mounted until 1948, after most other types of coastal guns had been scrapped. This battery is historically significant because it represents one of the last phases of the traditional concept of coastal defense.

Fort Miley Military Reservation, partially administered by the National Park Service's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is located on Point Lobos bordered by Clement Street and Lincoln Park between 40^th to 48^th avenues in San Francisco. For further information, visit the park's Web site or call (415) 561-4700.

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Special Hertz Number To Receive Discounted Rates

Special Hertz Number for Members Attending National Convention Hertz, ROA’s exclusive car rental partner, will be the official car rental company of the ROA convention in San Francisco, Calif. Hertz will provide discounted rates at the San Francisco area airports as well as at the location inside the Marriott San Francisco Hotel. To make reservations, visit Hertz Web site or call (800) 654-3131. In order to receive ROA discounted rates, be sure to give the ROA convention code #022R1985.

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Convention Travel Will Be Unaffected By Freeway Collapse

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced that the repairs to the MacArthur Maze would be completed shortly - well in advance of the ROA 2007 National Convention.

At 3:42 a.m. on Sunday, April 29, a gasoline tanker traveling on westbound 80 to southbound 880 toward San Jose overturned and caught fire. The intense heat caused the steel frame of the freeway to soften, and the eastbound 580 connector above collapsed onto the 880 connector, closing two major arterials in the interchange.

"I am tremendously proud of CalTrans Director Will Kempton and the whole CalTrans team. They proved that in an emergency, this agency can get the job done. I also want to thank the people of West Oakland for their patience and support during this difficult process," said Gov. Schwarzenegger.

These particular routes had little effect on the plans of delegates attending the ROA National Convention in San Francisco. However, they were a source of concern to visitors and many roads around the "Maze" were crowded with drivers using detours.

The ROA San Francisco Host Committee continues to advise visiting members to use public transportation while attending the convention. Of course, when the convention is over, you may want to drive around the Golden State.

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE (Legislative Activities)

ROA, MSOs Participate in Roundtable With Key House Leaders

ROA's President, CAPT Mike Smith, USNR (Ret), attended a roundtable discussion with Veteran and Military Service Organizations hosted by Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Over twenty Democratic members of Congress attended. CAPT Smith thanked the assembly for the for the $13.6 billion for the Army and $8.4 billion for the Marine Corps to replace equipment shortfalls. He also mentioned his appreciation for changes in the Montgomery GI Bill that will lead to enhancements for the Selected Reservist. ROA concerns were mentioned over a rising trend of demobilized Reservists who are having problems with their employers upon their return, and the need to stregthen the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) laws. While the House did not include an earlier retirement provision in the National Defense Bill due to budget constraints, CAPT Smith reminded the assembly that Guard and Reserve members are now part time warriors, and deserve changes to their retirement that were first put in place at the beginning of the Cold War.

In addition to Speaker Pelosi, the meeting was joined by House Majority Leader, Sten Hoyer (MD); House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (SC); and Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Rahm Emanuel (IL). Various committee chairman also attended Reps. Chet Edwards (Tex.), Veteran's Administrations Appropriations; Bob Filner (Calif.), Veterans' Affairs; David Obey (Wisc.), Appropriations; Ike Skelton (Mo.), Armed Services; John Spratt (S.C.), Budget; Henry Waxman (Calif), [Oversight and Government Reform]. Other Representatives in attendance included Robert Brady (Penn.); Nancy Boyda (Kans.); Henry Cuellar (Tex); Susan Davis (Calif.); John Hall (NY): Mike McINtyre (N.C.); Ciro Rodriguez (Tex.); and Tim Walz (Minn.), Rep Walz is a retired Command Master Sergeant.

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ROA and REA Discuss Reserve Travel Reimbursement

CAPT Marshall Hanson, USNR (Ret.), ROA's legislative director, and Seth Benge, REA's legislative director, held a followup meeting with the staff of Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) to discuss funding a travel reimbursement for Reservists who commute excessive distances to weekend training sites. ROA and REA suggested changes to language that included giving authority to determine eligibility to Reserve Chiefs, measuring commute distances from primary residence vice training stations, and authorizing services to provide housing, meals and travel vouchers if reimbursed travel expenses were higher than $300.

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ON THE HILL (Activity on Capitol Hill)

ROA-Supported Legislative Correction to Medicare Law Passes House

On May 24, the House passed H.R. 2429, which would provide an exception to the 60-day limit on Medicare reciprocal billing arrangements between two physicians if one of the doctors is ordered to active duty as a member of Reserve Components. The quick action taken by the House followed a May 19 article in the San Francisco Chronicle documenting the story of Dr. Brad Clair, an Army Reserve cardiologist.

The measure is limited to a year, however the bill's sponsors are seeking a more permanent fix when the House takes up Medicare legislation.

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ROA, Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Launch Operation Hero Miles Memorial Day Event

At a special kick-off event in honor of Memorial Day, the Reserve Officers Association joined with a bipartisan congressional delegation to encourage all Americans to donate their unused frequent flyer miles to wounded service members and their families through "Operation Hero Miles." ROA Legislative Director Marshall Hanson welcomed to the event Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), who first developed the program, and Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and Patrick Murphy (D-PA), both members of the House Armed Services Committee.

"Operation Hero Miles" was authorized by Congress in October 2003 to provide troops stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan with free plane tickets to fly home on leave and has been expanded to include provides family members so they may to travel to visit their loved ones recovering at military hospitals across the country.

This Memorial Day weekend, participating airlines have agreed to match mile for mile any unused frequent flier mileage donated over the Memorial Day Weekend from 6 a.m. Friday, May 25, 2007, to 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 28, 2007. Miles can be donated at Operation Hero Miles or at Fisher House.

Donations are currently being accepted from the following ten airlines: Airtran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, United Air Lines and US Airways.

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NEWS FROM THE UNIFORMED SERVICES

Reserve Call-Up Update

National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized as of May 23, 2007

This week, the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps announced an increase, while the Navy and Coast Guard had a decrease. The net collective result is 1,985 more Reservists mobilized than last week.

Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 66,169; Navy Reserve, 5,646; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 6,025; Marine Corps Reserve, 5,414; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 364. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 83,618, including units and individual augmentees.

A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel can be found here.

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Flag/General Officers Announcements and Assignments

General Officer Assignments on May 23

General Officer Announcement on May 21

Flag Officer Announcement on May 21

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Army Responds to Reports of Faulty Body Armor

Army officials issued a reponse to press reports detailing test failures of Dragon Skin body armor and to Members of Congress who have requested an official explanation.

In a roundtable discussion with bloggers, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Brown, said May 21 that he plans to meet with lawmakers and staff this week after NBC News broadcast an investigative report Sunday claiming Dragon Skin outperformed armor currently issued by the Army.

General Brown said the Army normally will not "talk about our vulnerabilities and our counters to those vulnerabilities in public because we believe that informs a very media-savvy and Internet-savvy al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc.," however he added that "we think the NBC reporting tipped the balance in favor of 'we had to go public in order to support the soldiers’ confidence in their equipment.'"

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Navy To Permit 2-year Break without Penalty

Officials are planning a pilot program that could give sailors up to two years away from the Navy without hurting their careers. If successful, the program could eventually go Navy-wide.

"We are actively working this very hard, and it’s very important to the Navy’s future," Vice Adm. John C. Harvey, the Navy’s chief of personnel, told the Navy Times on May 8 in Arlington, Va.

Admiral Harvey’s concept would allow qualified sailors to leave the Navy to take care of newborn or newly adopted children, care for a sick family member, or even finish a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

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Early Promotions for June First Lieutenants Announced

When Army Human Resources Command announced the May junior officer promotions, officials decided to include on the list June promotions for first lieutenant.

According to the Army Times, 194 second lieutenants also fall in this category.

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OTHER NEWS

Think Tank Recommends Establishing Citizen Corps

In a recently released report, "Caught off Guard: The Link Between our National Security and Our National Guard", the Washington, D.C.-based Center for American Progress, has recommended boosting Homeland Security spending by $1 billion to establish a corps of doctors, firefighters, city planners, and other emergency officials in each state.

Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the Pentagon's personnel chief during the Reagan administration, says the additional funding would help set up civilian teams in participating states and also would contribute needed money to train volunteers.

According to news reports, the civilian teams differs from the "Civilian Reserve Corps" that President Bush proposed in his State of the Union address in January.

In addition, the report recommends increasing active Army and Marine Corps end-strength levels by 100,000 troops, which is 8,000 higher than the Bush administration’s request. The report also suggests making the military’s TRICARE health care system available to Guard troops once they join.

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Veterans Claims Court Straining Under Increased Caseloads

On May 22, Judge William P. Greene Jr., the presiding judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, expressed concerns about a strained court that has had to recall five retired judges in recent months to cope with increasing complaints about levels of disability benefits assigned by the Veterans Affairs Department.

Presently, the seven-judge court averages 300 appeals per month, excluding Iraq and Afghanistan-related cases that have not reached the appeals court level. Last year, total denials reached 18,107, according to the court.

Read more.

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Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson's Ten Myths of the War in Iraq

"Ten Myths of the War in Iraq", by Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson, U.S. Army, can be accessed on the U.S. Army's online Outreach Network Web site.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this briefing, presented at the James Madison University on April 27, 2007, are purely those of General Anderson, Deputy Chief of Staff Resources and Sustainment Multi-National Force-Iraq, and should not be misconstrued as official Army/DoD positions.

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Putting Remembrance Back into Memorial Day

The sentiments in Jim Garamone's May 24, 2001 article in the American Forces Press Service remains appropriate six years later.

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Upcoming Events

May 30: Pacific Northwest National Security Forum's "Changing Faces of War" Symmetric Force on Force to Asymmetric Insurgency at the Sheraton Tacoma Hotel in Tacoma, Wash., from noon to 10 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Vice Admiral David C. Nichols, Jr., USN, Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command. Click here for details on the forum.

May 31-June 4: 33^rd and Final Annual BB-46 Reunion. Contact R.W. "Dick" Beaman at (831) 722-4966.

June 9: 60^th Anniversary Celebration of the 193D Special Operations Wing in Harrisburg, Pa. Contact Maj. Susan Stuck at (717) 948-2202.

June 12-14: TENTATIVE, Worldwide Civil Affairs Conference in conjunction with GMU and Civil Affairs Association in Arlington, Va. Contact Linda Cooper at (202) 646-7720.

June 13-16: The Flying Midshipmen Association Reunion (1949-1950) in Lexington Park, Md. Contact Dave Seeman at (301) 475-2242.

June 14: The National Anthem Project's Grand Finale.

June 27-30: ROA Annual National Convention "San Francisco: The Future Is Now", San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco, Calif.

July 31-August 4: CIOR/CIOMR Summer Congress, Riga, Latvia. Those that wish to attend the CIOR-CIOMR Congress should register through the ROA Web site before June 15 in order to receive the early registration price. Contact ROA headquarters at (202) 646-7714 for assistance.

October 19-21: 6^th ROA-U.S. FreedomWalk Festival^® in Arlington, Va.

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Help a Fellow Reservist by Forwarding this E-mail

If you enjoy reading the ROA Weekly e-Newsletter, maybe a friend or colleague would, too! Please feel free to forward this e-Newsletter to others.

Not a member? Visit our Web site or call us toll-free at (800) 809-9448 to find out about the benefits of becoming an ROA member.

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Focus Again on Guard, Reserve Readiness

In May, the Indiana National Guardded conducted a nuclear test drill to determine the level of readiness of government entities to respond to a nuclear attack.

Pentagon and Guard officials, even those who acknowledge the Army and Air Guard components are lacking assets, say they can meet domestic emergency demands even while fulfilling their wartime missions.

Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of U.S. Northern Command, said that no state could adequately respond to a nuclear event even if it had 100 percent of its Army and Air National Guard equipment.

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ROA Helps Launch GI Film Festival

ROA President CAPT Mike joined with service dignitaries, Members of Congress, and entertainers to help launch the G.I. Film Festival.

The GI Film Festival is the first film festival in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the American military through the medium of film. The three-day festival will be held in Washington over the Memorial Day Weekend. The festival presents films from new and established international and domestic filmmakers that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty. Some of the films screened will be fan favorites. Others will be screened for the first time. All will in some way express the courage and selflessness of our fighting men and women and the value of their work.

On May 24, ROA co-hosted a reception at the Minute Man Building in honor of those members of Congress who have served or are serving their nation in uniform. Brigadier General Gregory Schumacher, Commander Military Intelligence Command, and former reservist and actor James McEachin, jointed CAPT Smith in addressing the audience, which included Wounded Warriors.

On May 25, CAPT Smith participated in a press conference with South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, singer/songwriter Pat Boone and members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America to announce that all proceeds from Boone's CD/DVD, "For My Country, Ballad of the National Guard" will be donated to wounded service members.

More details can be found at: For My Country

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ROA Offers Insight on Ways Reservists Deal with Changing Military

Culpepper Times article, "When duty calls: Reservists deal with changing military."

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VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Regional Member Services Director/Army Services Director Wanted

Member Services Regional Director Wanted
This is a salary plus incentive part-time position. As a consultant you would:

•Develop and implement a membership recruiting and retention strategy for your assigned geographic area;

•Personally recruit and renew ROA members within your geographic area and achieve established performance objectives;

•Establish, continually update and maintain a database of events and units from which to recruit and retain members.

The successful candidate will be a member of Reserve Officers Association with significant knowledge about the Reserve Officers Association, the Reserve Component to include the National Guard and Air National Guard. Experience as a Chapter, Department or National officer is a plus. Specific experience with ROA membership responsibilities at the national, department or chapter level will be a further plus. Position reports to the Director, Member Services through the Deputy Director, Member Services.

E-mail resumes to Deputy Director of Member Services, Col. Stanley G. Remer, AUS (Ret.), at (800) 809-9448, extension 729, or cell (202) 674-8398.

Army Services Director Needed

Full-time position supports activities related to public laws, policy and procedures affecting the Army, especially the Reserve Components of the Army, the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. The successful candidate will include being an advocate, mentor and educator about the above mentioned Reserve Components and the Active Component on issues related to them. Experience with either House or a Senate staff is a significant plus. State level experience will be considered. A further plus is experience within the ROA organization. Prefer a candidate who is an eligible or current member of an Army Reserve Component. Position reports to the ROA Legislative and Military Affairs Director, CAPT Marshall Hanson, USNR (Ret.), who can be reached at (202) 646-7713.

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Washington, DC 20002-5655

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