The Non Commissioned Officers Association was founded in 1960 in San Antonio, Texas by a group of retired non-commissioned and petty officers seeking to create a patriotic, fraternal, and benevolent Association. Through the years of its existence, there have been a number of changes and improvements in the Association that should be of interest to prospective members. NCOA’s membership includes and is open to all Current, Separated, or Retired Enlisted personnel who have served honorably in an Active, Reserve, or National Guard capacity in the U.S. Armed Forces. The NCOA offers its members a wide range of benefits and services designed especially for enlisted service members and their families.
The Roguette Auxiliary falls under the International Auxiliary membership division and is compromised of spouses/former spouses, widows/widowers, and family members over the age of 18 who are related to enlisted service members, whether active duty, separated, veteran, Reserve of National Guard in grades E1 through E9. In addition to the Auxiliary membership counting towards the Associations total membership, Auxiliary members support the Non Commissioned Officers Association and its’ aims, goals and ideals in a multitude of ways.
From the Desk of the Chairman
April starts with April Fool’s Day on the 1st, which is also the Jewish Passover celebration. With Good Friday on the 3rd and Easter on the 5th, there is a lot of focus on the death and resurrection of our Lord to mark the start of this month. Tax Day splits the month in half, so don’t wait until the last minute to file your taxes. The Air Force Reserve and the Army Reserve were born on the 14th and 23rd, respectively. April 30, 1975, marked the end of the Vietnam War.
With a strong push for participation in the Medallion program, your chapter has been working hard to promote it. To date, we have awarded over 1,916 Medallions. We have a good supply of all Medallions, but I anticipate several presentations in April and May that could significantly impact our supply. Don’t forget the senior retirement homes, as that’s likely where many of our older veterans will be residing. These Medallions have proven to be one of the best recruiting tools we have. Please print off the application that accompanies this newsletter and have it with you when you do a medallion presentation.
March Member of the Month was Navy veteran Ken Wilson. He has been an active member of the Board of Directors for Honor Flight and the Vietnam Wall, which should be completed by the time you read this. Ken has also worked on identifying veterans eligible for Medallions and on recruiting new members. Who will be the Member of the Month in April? Maybe it will be you!
Successful teams require all the members to be moving towards the same goal. The organization’s leadership discusses items to pursue. They weigh the positives and negatives and then decide. Each one of you reading this has a voice. I have made my email available, and my phone number is available on the email that the newsletter is attached to. The bottom line is that we are all growing older, and our stamina isn’t what it used to be. I have made a critical error by trying to do too much on my own.
Over the last few months, several of you have complimented me, and it is always good to know that the effort is appreciated. However, without linemen, receivers, and running backs, the quarterback will have a really hard time accomplishing anything. It takes a team, and your chapter has been operating at full capacity for a very long time. Some of us are getting a little long in the tooth and can use some help. If you like belonging to a winning team and want this run to last, consider stepping up and learning what it takes to be the best. It won’t be easy, but we have people willing to help sustain a winning team!
I would love to hear from all of you with your thoughts and suggestions. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please contact me at retiredveteran89@outlook.com, and I can assure you that your input will be taken into account.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines, USNR Retired
Chairman, Rogue Chapter #1260
Please help us by contacting anyone you know that has prior service and sign them up. Send their name and email address to me and once a week I send a list to national.
My email address is:
info@ncoarogue.org
Desk of the Chairman April 2026