MOAA Announces 2016 Award Recipients for Supporting Military Community
Alexandria, Va. (PRWEB) March 09, 2016 -- The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) will present its highest annual awards to two members of Congress, a professional organization, a physician and a congressional staff member for their support of the military community. The ceremony will be held April 12 on Capitol Hill.
Reps. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), and Joe Heck (R-Nev.), chairman of the HASC Subcommittee on Military Personnel, each will receive the Col. Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award. The MOAA Distinguished Service Award will go to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Dr. Steven Scott, medical director of the Tampa Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center. Robert “Bob” Simmons, HASC majority staff director, will receive the Col. Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award.
MOAA is the nation’s largest and most influential association of active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired and former military officers and their families and survivors. The association annually recognizes individuals or organizations that strongly support servicemembers and their families.
The Col. Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award will be given to Thornberry and Heck for their strong leadership and advocacy to sustain fair compensation and benefits for the uniformed services community. Marix founded MOAA in 1929 and served as the association’s first president until 1944.
The IACP and Dr. Scott will receive MOAA’s Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals or organizations that are not members of Congress but have been consistent supporters of national defense and the uniformed services community.
The IACP is being recognized for outstanding efforts to reintegrate returning veterans into civilian law enforcement positions and Dr. Scott for his leadership role in improving the lives of America’s ill, injured and disabled veterans and their families.
Simmons will be recognized with MOAA’s Col. Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award for his initiative and advocacy to sustain fair compensation and benefits for the uniformed services community. This is Simmons second Meritorious Service Award. Arcari was MOAA’s director of Government Relations for 14 years, retiring in 2001.
“We welcome the opportunity to recognize the leadership and service of this year’s awardees,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, president and CEO of MOAA. “Each has shown a personal commitment to supporting this nation’s defense and an enduring loyalty to advocate for those who serve and their families.”
MOAA has awarded the Marix and Distinguished Service awards since 1997. The Meritorious Service Award began in 2000. For more information about MOAA, please visit http://www.moaa.org.
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About MOAA:
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation’s largest and most influential association of military officers. With more than 390,000 members — active duty, former, retired, and National Guard and Reserve officers from all seven uniformed services and their spouses and surviving spouses — it is a powerful force speaking for a strong national defense and represents the interests of military officers and their families at every stage of their careers. For those who are not eligible to join MOAA, Voices for America’s Troops is a nonprofit MOAA affiliate that supports a strong national defense. For more information, visit http://www.moaa.org.
MOAA Communications (Public Relations), Military Officers Association of America, +1 (703) 838-0545, [email protected]
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