Arizona Chapter

On 8 July, the chapter again partnered with three veteran supporting area non-profit organizations – Youth for Troops, US Vets-Phoenix, and Veterans First, Ltd. For their annual MOAA Foundation Outreach Grant Program.

Seven chapter members along with members of the aforementioned organizations gathered at the Youth for Troops facility in Anthem to prepare this year’s donations packages—all together generating:

  • 25 backpacks with school supplies and personal notes for the named recipients
  • 50 food packages for troops deployed overseas
  • 25 hygiene packs for troops deployed overseas
  • 15 “move-in packs” for homeless veterans transitioning to independent living
  • 115 veteran families directly impacted

The April membership meeting featured the presentation of $2500 scholarships to three ROTC cadets/midshipmen enrolled in their respective service programs at ASU. The 2025 scholarship recipients were: Navy – MIDN Andrew Varadin, Army – CDT Ashlyn Shea Williams, Air Force – CDT Leila Balsiger. Command representatives attending from their respective ROTC units were CPT Justin Briggs, USA; CAPT Kati Hill, USN; and Lt Col D. Shane Richardson, USAF.

The chapter’s scholarship program is intended to help ROTC students with the cost of their education so that they can be commissioned into the U.S. Armed Forces. The Scholarship Luncheon gives chapter members a chance to see where the money they donated to the Scholarship Fund is going and to hear from the recipients about their plans for military service.

Catalina Mountains Chapter

The Oct chapter luncheon’s speaker was COL Tim Tarris USAF (Ret). Tim talked about his 2024 “Centennial Flight” commemorating the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Army Air Service’s first world circumnavigation (accomplished over the course of six months back in 1924). Tim and a younger aviator companion tried to duplicate the event (but in a more current aircraft and 100 years later, of course).

Their extensive planning worked well until they got to Peru where they met a bureaucratic roadblock. The pair did have State Department approval and official consent from all countries enroute, but officials in Peru “changed their mind” after the flight started. As Tim said, “The situation was very frustrating and very expensive”. Tim and his copilot were sadly unable to complete the circumnavigation but despite the adventure’s ending, those in attendance were totally captivated by this firsthand account of the excitement and frustration of their trip.

At the April 2025 Luncheon, the guest speaker was Paula Pedene, one of the primary Phoenix VA Scandal whistleblowers. In 2014, Paula became front-page news when she helped a doctor at the hospital expose the deceptive bookkeeping practices that were used to cover up how long veterans were waiting to receive medical care. She is also the co-author, with novelist Doug Williams, of the 2022 book on this scandal called A Sacred Duty.

At the luncheon, they learned “the rest of the story” that started as early as 2010. According to Congressman Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee (Oversight and Investigations), “Paula Pedene is the invisible hero whose whistleblowing pioneered exposure of a national medical care breakdown for our nation’s veterans.

Coronado Chapter

As a part of the chapter’s efforts to recognize outstanding young men and women in the community, we recently had the honor of presenting the MOAA JROTC Award to Cadet 1LT Kyla Gross of the Tombstone JROTC detachment for her outstanding citizenship, personal responsibility, and service to the community as a member of the detachment. Congratulations, Kyla!

A sad reality of our time is that among those in our local community in greatest need, are veterans and their families. To specifically target those needs, the chapter established a partnership with the VFW, Vietnam Vets, WACS and several other local veteran support organizations, to maintain a “Veteran’s Support Fund” to allow the chapter to aid and assist deserving veterans wherever and however we can. We can’t do everything, but we can certainly do something, and sometimes the smallest investment can reap the largest dividend.

This quarter the chapter awarded 12 scholarships to graduating seniors from Douglas, Bisbee, Buena and Tombstone high schools. The awards were based on performance in the classroom, achievements on the athletic field, and involvement in charitable and volunteer organizations in the community. Their stelar achievements and contributions clearly shows they are the local area’s best and brightest.

2025 Scholarship Awardees

  • Bisbee High School: Naveah Serrano
  • Buena High School: Lena Armstrong, Addison Gulick, Andres Bonilla, Autumn Young, Malia Tom, Leonidas Johnson, and Christina Gross Buena
  • Douglas High School: Carolina Badilla, Jason Hurtado
  • Tombstone High School: McKenzie Mazzanti, and Kyla Gross

Grand Canyon Chapter

The chapter enjoyed a full and meaningful Veterans Day week filled with community outreach and well-deserved honors.

The week began with co-sponsoring the Veterans Day Tailgate with the Northern Arizona University (NAU) Veteran and Military Service Center. More than 50 veterans enjoyed a free meal and tickets to the 8 Nov Military Appreciation Game. NAU President Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera and former Navajo Nation Jonathan Nez also attended, adding to the special atmosphere. The tailgate was awarded “Tailgate of Game”!

On Monday, 10 Nov, the chapter partnered with the Flagstaff American Legion to host a Red Cross Veterans Day Blood Drive. Chapter members volunteered throughout the event, staffed a MOAA information table, and donated critical blood supplies.

That evening, chapter President Col Tom Waddell, USAF (Ret) served as a featured speaker at the NAU Veterans Day Flag Tribute. The ceremony included Native American dancers, NAU choir performances, guest speakers, and a moving outdoor Taps ceremony, streamed live on NAU TV and YouTube.

Veterans Day week highlighted the chapter’s dedication to honoring service and supporting Northern Arizona’s veteran community—living out MOAA’s proud motto: “Never Stop Serving!”

The chapter’s Veterans Community Outreach Program had a highly productive spring, supporting three Northern Arizona Veteran Stand Down events. Under the leadership of Chapter Volunteer Coordinator Col Rebecca Seeger, USAF (Ret), GCC members prepared and distributed food bags to homeless and at-risk veterans. Additionally, they handed out hygiene kits provided by the Disabled Veterans National Foundation to all attending veterans. The chapter also staffed an information table to share details about MOAA membership and connect veterans with other local organizations.

The first-ever Page Regional Stand Down, hosted by the Page Elks Lodge on April 23, was a great success and laid the groundwork for future events in the area. The chapter was also pleased to welcome two new members recruited during the event!

The 4th annual Verde Valley Stand Down took place on March 26 at a new venue, the Cliff Castle Casino, and drew a strong turnout from the community.

The 13th annual High Country Stand Down was held on 15 May at the recently opened Arizona State Veterans Home in Flagstaff. This year’s event set a new attendance record, highlighting the growing impact of this important initiative.

Green Valley Chapter

The chapter worked together with the Tucson Veteran’s Administration Hospital’s PTSD Program to design, develop, and produce 150 Challenge Coins to support this unique and very valuable VA Hospital program. A large donation from Lisa Larkin, Esq, one of the Green Valley Chapter’s Corporate Sponsors, made it possible for the Chapter to develop, finance, and donate these coins for the program’s use. Program Administrator, Dr. Daniel Moritz, was highly appreciative and stated these coins would greatly enhance the success of their program. The Challenge Coins will be presented to those Veterans who successfully complete the program requirements specifically designed to help PTSD victims.

During this past program year, the chapter continued its efforts in supporting military families at Davis Monthan AFB, local community families in the Green Valley area, homeless veterans in Tucson, JROTC students at the four area high schools, and selected University of Arizona Veteran Students through support to the Veteran Education and Transition Office at the university.

They presented sixty $50 gift cards to 3 different reserve and National Guard units for Turkeys for Troops at DMAFB to enable the troops to shop at the commissary for items needed for a festive Thanksgiving dinner. They collected gifts for low-income teens at Christmas time and turned them over to the Sanat Rita Fire Department for distribution within the Green Valley/Sahuarita community. The chapter also held a food drive for homeless vets and delivered the goods collected along with clothing to the VA Hospital in Tucson. At their annual Scholarship Awards Dinner, they provided four $2500 Scholarships to deserving JROTC graduating seniors from our four area high schools and three $1,000 Educational Grants to veteran students at the University of Arizona.

Luke Chapter

The chapter partnered with the Pebble Creek Men’s Nine Hole Golf Association to provide much needed food relief to junior Airmen and their families at Luke Air Force Base.

Together they collected over 1000 non-perishable food items and cash to purchase 111 Commissary gift cards that were distributed to over 200 junior Airmen and their families on 20 Nov, just in time for Thanksgiving. These items will supplement the donated frozen turkeys collected by the annual Luke AFB First Sergeants Association’s “Turkeys for Troops” program, providing a full Thanksgiving menu to young, enlisted men and women in need.

“We have a variety of programs that benefit our Arizona military and veteran community, but ‘Turkeys for Troops’ is one of the most rewarding, knowing its immediate impact on families.” said Gene Wikle, Luke Chapter President. “We’re very proud of the positive impact that we make on the lives of real people right here in the West Valley.”

The Pebble Creek Men’s 9-Hole Golf Association donated $10,000 to Luke Chapter which will go to the chapter’s main initiatives: providing college scholarships to top graduating high school and continuing college students from military families; making emergency monetary grants to veterans needing housing assistance; and supporting West Valley JROTC programs at 13 local high schools.

Luke Chapter also furnished 21 college scholarships in 2025, totaling $30,000, and provided emergency grants totaling $40,000 to 19 veterans and families who needed help with rent, utilities, food, transportation and essential household needs.

At Thanksgiving, the chapter supported the Luke Air Force Base First Sergeants Association’s “Turkeys for Troops,” program which provides turkeys and gift cards to junior enlisted families in need.

Northern Arizona Chapter

In Sept, Chapter President, Clyde, Meade, along with chapter members Bob Wallace, Michael McShea, and Steve Woods participated in the veteran standdown at U.S. VETS in Prescott. Despite getting rained out halfway through the event, they provided a great deal of much needed assistance to many veterans prior to the storms.

Chapter members Clyde Meade, Bob Wallace and Alex Torrance attended the 250th Marine Corps Birthday Ball, at which Bob was part of the Birthday Cake cutting ceremony.

The chapter again had the honor of participating in this year’s Veterans Day Parade (eight years in a row). It’s always rewarding to be a part of a community event that honors military service with the added benefit of promoting name recognition for MOAA.

The chapter supported Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University AFROTC cadets’ participation in the Memorial Battan Death March (Pictured with the team are NACMOAA members Steve Woods, Bob Wallace, and Clyde Meade).

In March chapter members Bob Wallace and Clyde Meade were the guest speakers at the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System (NAVAHCS) Vietnam War Veteran Day Commemoration where they shared some of their experiences in Vietnam.

Most recently, in addition to awarding ROTC and JROTC cadets in the area with scholarship support, chapter members were honored to participate in the 2025 “Imprints of Honor” book signing.

Tucson Chapter

In April the chapter awarded $2000 scholarships to three ROTC students (Air Force, Army and Navy) at the University of Arizona. The chapter also presented three MOAA leadership awards to ROTC students. Chapter members worked with the Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC units to determine the cadets/midshipmen who could really benefit from a MOAA scholarship or leadership award.

Chapter members also participated in JROTC award ceremonies this year at Cienega, Cholla, Desert View and Flowing Wells high schools, awarding MOAA medals to four very deserving young men and women.

Yuma Chapter

The chapter participated in the Yuma Veterans Day Parade on 11 Nov with chapter member COL Rob Filbey, USA (Ret), driving his vintage Citroën 2CV as the chapter parade vehicle. After the parade, COL Filbey volunteered to serve as the Master of Ceremonies and administer the Oath of Enlistment to new recruits scheduled to go to boot camp (This was a last-minute change to the ceremony since the active-duty officers previously scheduled were prevented from attending due to the government shutdown.). Later that week, chapter members visited local nursing homes/rehabilitation centers where they presented lap quilts to their veteran residents.

In May, the Chapter presented their annual $1,000 scholarship award to the Graduating Senior Scholarship (GSS) winner, Faith Voorhies. Faith recently graduated from Gila Ridge High School. She also graduated—in parallel—from Arizona Western College with an Associate’s Degree. Faith plans to attend the University of Arizona in the Fall where she will begin her course work toward becoming a veterinarian. She enjoys working with horses and cows and hopes to help fill the growing void in that field in the future.