Continuing the upward momentum

I am honored to have been elected president of this great Association, and I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of those talented individuals who have served before me. In particular, I have big shoes to fill following Maj Gen Robert Nester's extraordinary year as our president. He led the way in making the Association relevant to all members of the Reserve Components. Every week in his newsletter and in his president's column in The Officer, he spoke to young and old alike, alerting all to the relevant issues in Congress and on the battlefields around the world. We must continue that momentum!

Coming off an outstanding national convention in New York--thanks to the Department of New York host committee, staff, and volunteers--I see how important ROA really is for Reservists, their families, and their employers. During the Convention we featured a live broadcast from Iraq where we spoke with fellow Reservists serving in harm's way. We also passed a resolution for a national president-elect position, ensuring better continuity of efforts from one presidential year to the next. We have reaffirmed that growing membership and efficient member services will always be a priority. Our stated legislative agenda will stay focused.

With our nation at war, ROA realizes more than ever that it must fulfill its charter, "To support and promote the development and execution of a military policy for the United States that will provide adequate national security." The outstanding leaders you have elected, teamed with the excellent national staff, will keep their sites on the nation's needs as well as the needs of the membership. We want mobilized service-members to see that ROA is proactively responding to the immediate issues surrounding their mobilization and demobilization. They also should be reassured that ROA is addressing the challenges their families and employers face.

My first tasks as president are to make committee appointments, schedule service chief and congressional visits, and respond to members' questions and concerns. I will be asking all those eligible for membership to join ROA. Past, present, and future members must be inspired, challenged, and recognized, in order to get them engaged at the chapter, department, and national levels.

The strength of any organization is a diverse membership that is focused on the vision of its leadership. Together, the triad of ROA, the Reserve Officers Association League (ROAL), and the national staff with our industry partners and congressional supporters will work to deliver the goals I have set for this year (see sidebar).

These goals are multi-dimension al and reaffirm that ROA must address many interdependent issues simultaneously. Your leadership team will be working these goals and reporting their progress throughout the year.

In closing, let me reiterate that I and your elected leadership team take the charges of our offices very seriously and will strive to continue the upward momentums in membership and increasing prestige of belonging to ROA, the professional military organization of choice.

Presidential Goals for 2005-2006

* Make significant strides in the continued education and implementation of ROA's purpose, mission, goals and strategic vision as described in the Strategic Planning Direction document.

* Continue to boldly address equity for the Reserve Components in regard to incentive programs, benefits, employment protections, and readiness postures.

* Continue the upward trend in net membership growth while continuing to improve the partnership between ROAL and ROA.

* Continue to implement innovative ways to increase ROA's operational revenue.

* Successfully launch the extensive building renovation project and implement the first year of the ROA Capital Campaign while steadfastly maintaining ROA member services during this challenging period.

* Strengthen junior officer and mid-grade mentorship initiatives.

* Advances the visibility and viabilty or ROA's Defense Education programs as well as the Reilly Scholarship Program.

* Continue effective support of prior initiatives for revamping ROA committees, passing the president-elect proposal and restructuring the departments and chapters.

* Sustain ROA's unique position in support of the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR/CIOMR) and Union Pan Americana de Oficiales de Reserva de Las Fuerzas Armadas (UPORFA).

* Maintain a diligent posture in the ongoing formulation of initiatives for Reserve Component roles and missions within homeland defense and homeland security.

* Enhance family support programs, especially for mobilezed servicemembers.

* Recognize the unsung contributions of the ROA staff.

MG Robert W. Smith III, USAR (Ret.)

ROA National President 2005-2006

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