By Denise Sansosti
“Never stop serving” isn’t just a motto for the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA); it’s a way of life for the veterans who continue serving their communities after retirement. The newly appointed Sun City Center chapter president, retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Daniel Melton, lives by that motto.
MOAA is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to protecting the rights and benefits of America’s uniformed service members and their families. Independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan, MOAA represents more than 350,000 active-duty, retired, former, National Guard and Reserve officers from every branch of the military, as well as officers from the Public Health Service and NOAA and surviving spouses.
At the national level, MOAA works directly with Congress, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to safeguard earned benefits and improve quality of life for those who serve and have served. The organization is the ears and voice for veterans and military families. With more than 96,000 veterans living in Hillsborough County, Melton believes staying connected and communicating with elected officials is essential to protecting benefits for all military families. Learn more about top legislative priorities and how you can support MOAA’s work at https://moaa.quorum.us/.
Closer to home, the Sun City Center chapter brings that mission to life through fellowship, guest speakers and opportunities for members to stay informed and involved.
“We’ve got a good team. We need to concentrate on increasing membership, gain new volunteers and I am looking for faith-based organizations to be involved as well,” Melton said.
He is also pursuing a doctorate in ministry leadership to better serve veterans and their families.
“There’s a spiritual aspect to recovery and healing that shouldn’t be overlooked,” he said.
Melton proudly served the Marines for 31 years and retired five years ago. He knows firsthand the importance of being involved in military organizations.
“If it wasn’t for the DAV, I wouldn’t have known the process when I was preparing to retire,” Melton said. “They helped guide me and answer questions I didn’t know to ask.”
“Nobody succeeds alone,” he said. “It’s always a team effort.”
The Sun City Center MOAA chapter meets the first Wednesday of each month (excluding July and August) at 11:15 a.m. at the Atrium Building’s Florida Room, located at 945 N. Course Lane in Sun City Center. Learn more at https://scc.flmoaa.org/ or by emailing president@scc.moaa.org.
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