About Us and Our History

U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association

USAWOA ONLINE

About Us and Our History

United States Army Warrant Officers Association
462 Herndon Pkwy, Suite 207, Herndon, VA 20170-5235
703-742-7727, 1-800-587-2962, Fax 742-7728
| Directions to Home Office | National Officials |

Representing Warrant Officers and Their Families Since 1972
Active, Guard, Reserve, and Retired

| Background | Objectives | Organization | Philosophy | Worldwide Chapters | Legislative Efforts | USAWOA Media | Home Office |

| Other Historical Milestones | The Future | Become a Member |

Indicates a Portable Document File. Free reader available at

Background

The genesis of the current association for Army Warrant Officers was an idea generated in Indianapolis, Indiana in July 1972. Out of this group was formed the United States Army Warrant Officers Association. See the first flyer promoting USAWOA in 1972.

The European Warrant Officers Association, a separate organization of concerned warrant officers was also formed during the same period as the USAWOA. After personal contact and review of similar objectives, the European Warrant Officers Association merged with the USAWOA and became the European Region. The European Region was the stabilizing force for the Association as USAWOA sought to build membership in the United States.

USAWOA became incorporated as a not-for-profit association in Virginia on 7 November 1974.

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Objectives

The United States Army Warrant Officers Association was Incorporated as a "not-for-profit" Association in the Commonwealth of Virginia on 7 November 1974. As stated in the Articles of Incorporation, the USAWOA was established to:
Foster a spirit of patriotism and devotion to duty among members, commensurate with the high ideals of the Army and our position therein.
Recommend programs for the improvement of the Army.
Disseminate professional information among warrant officers.
Promote the technical and social welfare of our members
Promote a spirit of true comradeship among our members.
| Articles of Incorporation | Certificate of Incorporation |
| IRS Not-for-Profit Designation Letter |
| USAWOA Vision and Mission| USAWOA Goals and Objectives|

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Organization

USAWOA is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of a National President, Vice President, Secretary, five Region Directors, and one Region President elected by the membership, plus any appointed National Treasurer. An Executive Committee of the Board is responsible for overall operation of the Association. USAWOA By-Laws guide the operation of our Association. Operational manuals detail the operation of the Board of Directors, Financial and many other administrative operations of the Association. View the listing of USAWOA Officials, Directors, Committee Chairpersons, Home Office Staff, and Past National Presidents.

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Philosophy

USAWOA basic philosophy is to work within the system to present knowledgeable, professional concerns that affect policy. (USAWOA does not involve itself in personal matters of warrant officers for accessions, assignments, promotions or retirement.) Our current method for meeting our objectives involves a two-pronged approach. First, we acquire professional information for circulation to warrant officers from our official and unofficial contacts with Department of the Army, Department of Defense, Congress, The Military Coalition, and other associations.

Second, and just as important, our Association acts as a focal point to receive professional recommendations, suggestions, concerns and general comments from warrant officers in the field and, after analysis, review, study and approval, present these views to the appropriate offices with the support of the USAWOA.

One of the issues addressed in the early years was the formation of a centralized warrant officer management system to replace the fragmented branch management system. The Department of the Army's Warrant Officer Division was formed in 1975. Another major issue was the equalization of flight pay which was approved after a long struggle. Military and civilian educational goals including establishment of a Warrant Officer Senior Course and advance courses were advocated. Improvements have subsequently come to pass. Assignment of warrant officers to positions of responsibility on the Army Staff was continually recommended and today we have warrant officers in key positions throughout the Army. Modifications in the Officer Evaluation Report system for warrant officers were sought and approved. Appointment of warrant officers to promotion boards, field grade quarters for senior warrant officers, defined additional duties for senior warrant officers and other issues raised by our members were eventually approved.

In more recent years USAWOA provided valuable warrant officer research information to the Total Warrant Officer Study (TWOS) and served as a sounding board for many TWOS issues. The Association also lobbied Congress for passage of the Warrant Officer Management Act and succeeded in having the legislation introduced in the House of Representatives where it was subsequently included in other legislation and passed. USAWOA also actively participated and continues to participate in the Warrant Officer Leader Development Network (WOLDN).

In short our Association from its inception has tackled the issues that our members believed were necessary to improve the Corps. Our logo of "Professionalism, Representation and Recognition" served us well in the early days and continues to be a driving force behind our current actions.

A major activity in recent years has been the hosting of professional development seminars in which members of the Army staff, including the reserve components, brief warrant officers on the myriad of changes affecting warrant officers today and in the future. This information is presented by those who are instrumental in developing policies which will shape the future of the Corps.

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Worldwide Chapters & Regions

USAWOA is not a select few at the national level. The Association is comprised of Army Warrant Officers from around the world. To provide social and professional opportunities for its members the Association encourages the organization of local chapters where ever warrant officers can be found. The primary purpose of the chapters is to act as a focal point for warrant officers at the local level to disseminate and pass on to USAWOA officials the professional concerns of their members. Another function of the chapters is to provide social outlets to their members and families as the local situation dictates. View listing of world-wide Chapters and Regions. A Non-Affiliated category of membership also exists for many members who are not in close proximity to a chapter or who do not desire to be affiliated with a chapter. To facilitate these chapters, geographic regions with an elected Region Director have also been established - see below map for more on USAWOA Regions.

USAWOA Regions

USAWOA is organized into six Regions: European, and five based in the continental US; Mid-North, Mid-South, Northeast, Southeast, and Western. With the exception of European Region, each region has an elected Director who serves on the USAWOA Board of Directors. Region Directors also represent the Chapters and Members-at-Large within their geographic area of responsibility. European Region elects its own Region Officers who are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The European Region President performs the Director functions and executes the European vote on the USAWOA Board of Directors.

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Legislative Efforts

USAWOA legislative activities are conducted primarily through The Military Coalition (TMC), which we joined as a Charter Member when it formed in 1985. The Military Coalition is comprised of 35 organizations representing more than 5.5 million members of the uniformed services--active, reserve, retired, survivors, veterans -- and their families. In the early years USAWOA undertook many legislative actions to include, but not limited to the following:
Retired Pay Computation - Recommended that retired pay for warrant officers be aligned to be computed on the same basis as commissioned and enlisted personnel. (Approved by DA and recommended to Congress)
Warrant Officer Flight Training - Recommend legislation which required 6 years of active duty commitment be amended to add "or selective reserve service" to permit Reserve Component personnel to receive fixed/rotary wing training. (Approved)
Flight Pay - Recommended the equalization of flight pay between warrant officers and commissioned officers. (Approved)
Drill Pay - Recommended that Guard and Reserve members be allowed to deduct expenses of travel, meals and lodging incurred when performing military duty away from home. (Passed but the tax deduction has expired and a new exemption is once again being pursued)
Disability Pay - Recommended concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA Disability compensation. (Ongoing)
Forgotten Widows - Recommended legislation to modify the Survivor Benefit Plan to provide an SBP benefit for forgotten widows.
Cola - Opposed the reduction or elimination of the cost of living allowance (COLA) for military retirees. (a major effort mounted each year to preclude the inequitable treatment of retirees as the Congress struggles with reducing the Federal Budget) (Successful to date but requires continual monitoring)
See also Legislative Fact Sheet.
The Warrant Officer Management Act (WOMA) proposal was delivered by then USAWOA Executive Vice President CW4 (Ret) Don Hess of on behalf of the Army to Congressman Charles Bennett of Florida. Upon review, the Senate Armed Services Committee Report on the FY 1990/1991 Defense Authorization Bill referred the package to the Department of Defense (DoD) to evaluate the proposal for consideration in the 1991 bill. The Army was requested by the Defense Department to chair a special ad hoc committee to research and prepare the requested report for the Congress. The committee initiated deliberations on September 22, 1989. Committee participants included representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Force Management) and from the personnel departments of each of the military services, the Reserve components, and the Coast Guard. Then USAWOA National President Dave Welsh served on the committee as the Army's Reserve Component representative. The Committee's report was issued on November 30, 1989. The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management & Personnel) forwarded the Defense Report to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees on March 9, 1990. See the Executive Summary. Congressman Charles Bennett then submitted House Resolution 36, The Warrant Officer Management Act of 1991, to the House of Representative on January 3, 1991. The Bill was referred to the House Armed Services Committee and later became a part of the National Defense Authorizations Act for Fiscal Year 1992. WOMA provisions became effective 90 days after enactment of NDAA FY92, thus WOMA and the establishment of the grade of CW5 were effective in February 1992.

In July 1995, USAWOA submitted Two Technical Amendments to Title 10 of the U.S. Code 1) to allow Reserve Component (RC) Commissioned Chief Warrant Officer to serve until Age 62 and 2) to allow Active Guard-Reserve soldiers to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School and Warrant Officer Basic Course. Title 10 was amended in 1985 to allow for the commissioning of Army Chief Warrant Officers. Effective with commissioning the Office of the Judge Advocate General OTJAG) opined that the mandatory removal date for commissioned CWO in the RC remained at age 62 not withstanding that the mandatory removal of Regular Army CWO. Further, OTJAG opined that the current laws pertaining to the AGR program did not permit AGR soldiers to attend entry level training. Senator Inhofe, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was successful in insertion of these technical amendments in the Conference Committee report on the National Defense Authorizations Act for Fiscal Year 1996. Upon NDAA FY96 passage this became another victory for USAWOA.

In summary, USAWOA affiliation with The Military Coalition has broadened our understanding of the big picture while still maintaining the Association's focus on Army warrant officers. Through our proactive participation we have contributed to a unified voice on legislative issues pertaining to the entire military community while simultaneously drawing support for warrant officer issues from other associations.

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USAWOA Media

The NEWSLINER is the official publication of the Association. It has been published since April 1976. It is published monthly and provides professional information to our members. In addition to our members, it is circulated to officials in key positions in Congress, the Department Defense, and the Department of the Army. This publication reflects not only professional information about the Corps but also what our chapters, regions and USAWOA officials are doing to carry our the dictates of our members. Articles, letters, and comments are solicited. To submit an article mail it to: USAWOA, 462 Herndon Parkway, Suite 207, Herndon, VA 20170-5235. Articles may also be faxed to 703-742-7728 or .

In March 1992 USAWOA instituted a Warrant Officer Conference courtesy of the Pentagon Personal Computer Users Group electronic bulletin board. The initial items available for download included USAWOA Manuals, USAWOA Briefing slides, plus Warrant Officer and USAWOA insignia & logos. This conference group remained in operation until the September 1996 launch of USAWOA Online. September 1996.

U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association
USAWOA Online
Representing Army Warrant Officers & Their Families Since 1972

In September 1996, USAWOA Online was launched at "www.penfed.org/usawoa" courtesy of Pentagon Federal Credit Union. That address continued to be the home of USAWOA Online until January 2004 at which time the credit union launched their new web server. At that time USAWOA Online moved to it's new web address at www.usawoa.org thanks to the efforts and sponsorship by Pentagon Federal Credit Union. Take a moment out to visit the Pentagon Federal Credit Union site and see the many services they offer to our members and their families.

Articles appearing in the NEWSLINER or on USAWOA Online do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USAWOA Board of Directors or the Editor, nor are they necessarily to be interpreted as official policy of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army. Articles for the NEWSLINER should be sent to the Editor and material for USAWOA Online should be sent to the webmaster by .

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USAWOA Home Office

The USAWOA dream of a National Office began in January 1985 with the establishment of a Building Fund. In April 1988 the Board established a Building Committee to examine the options available to reach the goal of a permanent location for our National Office. Up until this time the National Office had been in the basement of CW4 (Ret) Don Hess' residence in Reston, VA. In October 1998 the Board of Directors approved a recommendation by the Building Committee to purchase an office suite in the Springwood Office complex which was then under construction. USAWOA committed to purchase Suite 207 at 462 Herndon Parkway, Herndon, VA.

In April 1989 the "Dream Came True" as USAWOA took possession of the Suite and moved in. Due to donations by Chapters and members together with solid fiscal responsibility on the part of USAWOA the association was able to raise $130,000 toward payment for the Suite, leaving us a mortgage of only $20,000.

In April 1990, just 13 months after purchase, the "mortgage was burned" thanks to the continued support of Chapters and members. To this day the USAWOA Home Office remains at 462 Herndon Parkway, Suite 207, Herndon, VA - 703-742-7727, Fax 703-742-7728, Toll free 1-800-5-USAWOA (800-587-2962), , see directions to Home Office.

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Other USAWOA Historical Milestones

In February 1988 USAWOA and Pentagon Federal Credit Union entered into an agreement for a "no fee" low interest rate USAWOA/PFCU VISA Affinity classic credit card. An additional feature of this card is the ability to authorize automatic renewal in USAWOA by charge of annual dues to the card. This feature remains today and a USAWOA/PFCU Gold Card has been added in addition to the classic one - see more.

In June 1994 USAWOA instituted a toll free number for the Association at 1-800-5-USAWOA (800-587-2962) to provide additional and free service for USAWOA members and families.

In November 1994 USAWOA was designated by the Department of Defense as a World War II Commemorative Community. Several events we dedicated to the memory of WW II veterans over the next several years such as a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery during the 1997 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting of the Members.

In 1995, USAWOA commissioned the painting of "The Quiet Professional" by noted military artist Don Stivers (pictured left). The print commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the Army Warrant Officer Corps. The setting is historic Fort Myer, Virginia and features early period uniforms and the Caisson Platoon horses and equipment of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, "The Old Guard". This limited edition print is now sold out. See the origin of the title "The Quiet Professional."

In 1996, a U.S. Army Warrant Officers History Book (pictured right) was undertaken to tell the story of the Corps. This History Book is now totally sold-out.

(Note: In September 2003, a follow-on Stivers print call "Let Go!" was unveiled and made available to the USAWOA membership - see below).

In July 1997, CW4 (Ret) Don Hess, USAWOA first National President and USAWOA Executive Vice President retired as USAWOA full-time representative for over 25 years. See his article "USAWOA - The First 25 Years."

In October 1997, CW5 Ray Bell retired from active duty and resigned as USAWOA National President to accept the position as USAWOA Executive Director.
From October 22 -24, 2002, the 30th Annual Meeting of the Members was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico. National election results were announced and CW5 Franklin D. Meeks was installed as President. For details about the elections, reports, Focus Groups, awards, WOPD, pictures, and more see AMM 2002.

In November 2002, USAWOA Executive Director Ray Bell was elected to a one-year term as President of The Military Coalition, of which USAWOA is a Charter member. (see more about TMC)

On March 28, 2003, the USAWOA Scholarship Foundation was founded by USAWOA and Incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia. A Federal Employer Identification Number issued April 3, 2003. The Foundation was Granted Non-Profit status by the Internal Revenue Service. For more on this foundation visit www.usawoa.org/WOASF/.

In July 2003, the Warrant Officer Heritage Foundation was founded by USAWOA. The foundations was Incorporated on July 8, 2003 in the Commonwealth of Virginia. An Employer Identification Number issued September 12, 2003. Bylaws were adopted and officers elected on October 23, 2003. Application for Non-Profit status has been granted by the IRS. For more on this foundation visit www.usawoa.org/WOHERITAGE.

In September 2003, a Don Stivers’ Warrant Officer Print “LET GO!” was completed and made available to USAWOA Members - The leadership of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association announced the availability of unique Warrant Officer art by contemporary military artist Don Stivers. USAWOA commissioned one thousand prints. Each print will show the USAWOA logo, a serial number, and the signature of the artist. The artwork commemorates the birth of the Army Warrant Officer Corps: that being the July 1918 act of Congress founding the Army Mine Planter Service as part of the Coast Artillery Corps. The act designated warrant officers to serve as masters, mates, chief engineers and assistant engineers of mine-planting vessels - see more information with link to the order form. Let Go! is a follow-on to the original USAWOA commissioned Stivers print The Quiet Professional. (see above)

From October 19 - 23, 2003, the 31st USAWOA Annual Meeting of the Members was held at the Holiday Inn - Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA. One of the highlights was the outstanding "Staff Ride" and tour of the Gettysburg National Battlefield hosted by the U. S. Army War College. For details about the elections, reports, Focus Groups, awards, WOPD, pictures, and more see AMM 2003.

In February 2004, USAWOA launched a Corporate Membership Program - see more.

In March 2004, CW5 (Ret) Dan Logan came aboard to replace retiring CW5 (Ret) Ray Bell as USAWOA Executive Director. Unfortunately compelling circumstances forced Dan to depart the position on May 20, 2004.

From July 13 to 15, 2004, a Senior Warrant Officer Conference was hosted by the Warrant Officer Career Center - USAWOA National President CW5 Frank Meeks and Warrant Officer Heritage Foundation President CW5 (Ret) Dave Welsh both attended the three-days of events.
In a ceremony on July 14th, the main Warrant Officer Career Center Building was dedicated in Honor of CW5 Sharon T. Swartworth. Building 5302, home of the Army Warrant Officer Career Center at Fort Rucker, AL was dedicated as "Swartworth Hall." The memorial is in memory of CW5 Swartworth who was killed in action in Iraq on November 7, 2003. She was performing duties as the Judge Advocate General's Regimental Warrant Officer in a support mission to visit soldiers of the Judge Advocate General's Corps who were stationed in Iraq, when the UH-60 Black Hawk that she was aboard was shot down near Tikrit. During the course of the dedication ceremony, USAWOA President CW5 Frank Meeks presented a painting of Sharon for display in Swartworth Hall.

Pictured top left - Building 5302 dedication plaque.
Pictured top right - COL Enderle, Commandant & CW5 Meeks, USAWOA National President unveil the portrait.
(pictures by CW5 (Ret) Dave Welsh)

Another of the many events included the 86th Anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps Ball on July 14th. Gen. Richard A. Cody, Army Vice Chief of Staff, was the guest speaker.

Pictured left are USAWOA National President CW5 Frank Meeks and
Gen. Richard A. Cody, Vice Chief of Staff, Army.

Pictured right are CW5 Meeks and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient CW4 (Ret) Michael Novosel.

(Pictures courtesy CW5 Daniel R. Curry)

In the Summer of 2004 CW5 (Ret) Bell, a Past USAWOA National President and later Executive Director accepted appointment as USAWOA Legislative Advisor. In that capacity, Ray ably represented USAWOA at the meetings of The Military Coalition. Without this, USAWOA may have lost its seat at that very important table of military organizations that gets things done on Capitol Hill. Ray served in that capacity until January 2007 when a Director of Legislative Affairs and Business Development was hired.

From October 11 - 16, 2004, the 32nd Annual Meeting of Members took place at the Holiday Inn - Carradoc Hall, Leesburg, VA with the Theme - "Warrant Officer Corps in Transformation;" National elections took place and saw CW4 (Ret) Roy Valiant installed as National President for a two-year term. For details about the elections, reports, Focus Groups, awards, WOPD, pictures, and more see AMM 2004.

From October 24 - 28, 2005, the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Members took place at the Double Tree Hotel at Reid Park in Tucson, AZ. For details, reports, Focus Groups, awards, WOPD, pictures, and more see AMM 2005.

From October 16 - 20, 2006, USAWOA held it's 34th Annual Meeting of the Members in the Hilton St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, FL. National President CW4 (Ret) Roy Valiant and Vice President CW5 Gary Nisker were reelected and installed for a second two-year term. See AMM 2006 for more information.

In October 2006 at the 34th USAWOA Annual Meeting of the Members in St. Petersburg, FL, the individual attendees donated a total of $1,660 to the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation projects including the construction of a Memorial to Fallen Warrant Officer Heroes and a Warrant Officer Historical Exhibit commemorating the 100th Birthday of the Warrant Officer Corps.

Director of Legislative Affairs and Business Development Hired - At February 2007 USAWOA Board of Directors Executive Committee Meeting (EXCOM) CW5 Poyas Haynes was sworn in as the Director of Legislative Affairs and Business Development. CW5 Haynes, a member since 2004, was eager to get started and to commit to the position and USAWOA by making the investment in a Life Membership - see story, biography, and picture .

On 15 March 2007 - The Adjutant General of California issued a letter, Subject: Support for Professional Organizations - the letter lists USAWOA among and other Military Professional Associations - see more .

In April 2007 the Association Presidents of the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) and United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA) signed an agreement to attract an extremely under represented population into both organizations, the Army Aviation Warrant Officer. In an effort to attract this severely under represented population the two organizations decided to offer a dual or simultaneous membership in both associations. For one low price individuals can join both of these organizations and try both out. The program runs for three years from 1 June 2007 to 31 May 2010 at which time both associations will evaluate the effectiveness and validity of the program - see briefing slides - also, links to application forms with dues rates and options.

On June 16, 2007, Warrant Officers were Remembered at Veterans Memorial - Neillsville, Wisconsin, a short sixty miles from Fort McCoy, WI, is the home of “The High Ground” Veterans Memorial <www.highground.org>.
On Saturday 16 June the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association Fort McCoy Chapter placed a memorial stone, honoring “All Warrant Officers, Past, Present, and Future” on the memorial walkway. The ceremony included a Honor Guard presentation of the colors and the reading of the names of every Wisconsin member of the armed forces who have lost their lives in the service of their country during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chapter Vice-President CW4 Ron Lafferty had the honor of reading the names. After each name a bell tolled. After the all the names were read and TAPS were played the stones were placed.

Pictured from left to right, Rhonda Lafferty and CW4 Ron Lafferty (Vice-President), Aiko Timm and CW4 (Ret) John Timm (Secretary and Treasurer) , WO1 Audra Bissen (Warrant Officer Recruiter and Chapter Member), CW2 (Ret) Dave Nelson (Chapter member), kneeling CW4 (Ret) Paul Kastner (President).

In the summer of 2007, The Rhein Neckar Silver Chapter teamed up with the Chaplain's Office at the Landstuhl Medical Center to take some Wounded Warriors on a tour of the Heidelberg Castle and one a boat ride - see the video.
(This is a large file, please be patient while it downloads. You may have to download Real Player in order to run this video.)

On Dec. 4, 2007, the Gold Rush Chapter (Sacramento, CA) unveiled their Wall of Heroes Memorial and officially donated it to the California National Guard. Nearly 500 attendees were present for the dedication ceremony, including 60 family members of California National Guard killed in Iraq. Also in attendance were representatives from various Veterans’ groups and distinguished guests, including California Governor Arnold Swarzenegger. Major General William H. Wade II, Adjutant General of California was the keynote speaker. Chapter President CW3 Mario Garcia, spoke about the USAWOA, the Chapter, and the Wall of Heroes project. The dedication ceremony also included a reading of the names, taps, and a helicopter flyover and was followed by a reception. CW5 Brian Peterson, the State’s Command Chief Warrant Officer and USAWOA Life Member, was the Master of Ceremonies for the event. The Chapter raised $25,000 for the project through corporate and individual sponsors.

On April 18, 2008, Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation Historian Emeritus CW4 (Ret) Don Hess presented a "WO Heritage Supporter" flag streamer which was accepted by CW4 (Ret) Roy Valiant, USAWOA National President on behalf of the Association. The streamer was awarded to USAWOA by the Foundation in recognition of the transfer of ownership of the Museum Fund and the support rendered to the Foundation over the last five years.

Pictured (l to r), Roy Valiant and Don Hess affix the "WO Heritage Supporter" Flag Streamer to the USAWOA National Flag during the USAWOA EXCOM Meeting on April 18th. (Picture by CW2 Natalia Veillard)

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The Future

Because of demonstrated professionalism by our Association, we are recognized by the military and civilian leaders and our sister associations as the advocate for Army Warrant Officers. We pledge to continue to speak out on issues of importance to the Army, USAWOA and its members to better utilize the tremendous potential of talent consolidated within the some 25,000 member Warrant Officer Corps within the Active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve.

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How to Become a Member
Regular membership is open to all warrant officers who hold or have held a warrant issued by the Secretary of the Army.

Associate members (not a Warrant Officer appointed by the Secretary of the Army) receive all rights of membership other than the privilege of voting or holding elected office. The current annual membership dues are retirees $30.00 and all others $45.00 annually. USAWOA also offers discounted 3 and 5 year dues for both new and renewing members.

Free first-year memberships for WO1s.

Life Memberships are also available.

AAAA-USAWOA Dual Membership combined dues reduced below the sum of individual memberships - see briefing slides - also, links to application forms with dues rates and options.

Dues for all memberships include receipt of monthly editions of the NEWSLINER and free access to the this website.

Applicants may contact USAWOA by calling toll free 1-800-587-2962 to request a membership application by mail, join "over the phone," or by fax at 703-742-7728 (credit card or debit cards using credit card companies payments only - we can not accept ATM cards). You may also download the USAWOA membership form and/or the AAAA-USAWOA Dual membership forms with which you may join, rejoin, renew, or submit changed data. You may download the writable PDF form and send it by email to the USAWOA Home Office just by clicking on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the form.. Of course, an applicant can ask any present member for assistance.

A Corporate Membership Program is also available - see more.