Forgetting Is Not An Option: Susan Lukas' 9/11 Story

ROA member and our former Director of Legislation and Military Policy, Susan Lukas, recently shared her memories of the attack on the Pentagon and the events that forever changed our nation - and Susan's life - with USA TODAY. Read her story and find out more about ROA's fight to help Susan and others suffering from lifelong health issues due to toxic exposure at the Pentagon after 9/11.

9/11 Reflections: The Long Shadow of September 11

Twenty-five years after 9/11, the repercussions of the Pentagon attack continue for the service members who returned to work at the Pentagon even before the smoke cleared. In a powerful personal reflection, ROA’s CEO shares his wife’s experience at the Pentagon that day—and why ROA is fighting for legislation to ensure Pentagon 9/11 veterans receive the health benefits they deserve. 

Read the Hashems' Story>>>

Inside the Pentagon on 9/11: 25 Years Later

Col. Thomas Hueg, USAF (Ret.), was serving as an Air Force Reservist on the Joint Staff when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Twenty-five years later, he shares his firsthand account of that day, stories of the Reservists and Guardsmen who answered the call, how 9/11 shaped his family and a generation of Reserve Component members, and why he believes these stories must continue to be told.

Read Col. Hueg's Story>>>

Talk RC Pay & Travel Benefits With Us TONIGHT!

Reserve pay and benefits are complicated, but ROA will help arm you with what you need to know—and give you an opportunity to tell us what needs to be fixed—in our RC Forums webinar TONIGHT at 7pm ET. Join us to talk about RC pay and travel benefits—what you’re entitled to, where common problems arise, and what solutions may be on the horizon. 

Register Now>>>

Get More Information>>>

Join Us in October to Celebrate Reserve Excellence!

Please join ROA on October 16th at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir for our inaugural Reserve Excellence Celebration to honor outstanding Reserve Component service members who exemplify excellence in service to our nation. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available.

Register or Sponsor Now>>>

What are YOU Doing for the 22 Days of Service? 

ROA’s premier service event, the 22 Days of Service, kicks off October 1st. This year, we have four ways to serve: supporting veterans through Veterans Last Patrol, spreading the word on hiring Guard and Reserve members through VetJobs, gathering RC veteran stories through the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), and ROA Department and Chapter-specific projects. If your Chapter or Department is interested in helping others tell their stories via the VHP, please contact Steve Minyard (sminyard@roa.org) for more details and instructions.

Get Involved>>>

SAVE THE DATE for Our 2026 & 2027 Annual Meetings

Mark your calendars! ROA's 2026 Annual Meeting will be held virtually on October 17, 2026, from 1:30-3pm ET via Zoom. Details about the October meeting were emailed to ROA Department leaders on September 2nd; you can also find more information on our website Calendar. Our 2027 Annual Meeting will be held in person at ROA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on March 11-14, 2027. Questions? Please contact Diane Markham at dmarkham@roa.org.

View Our Calendar>>>

YOU May Be Owed Health Expense Reimbursements

Served on orders for more than 30 days since April 14, 2020? You may be eligible for reimbursement of health insurance premiums, dental costs, and other medical expenses. Following a Supreme Court ruling, thousands more Guard and Reserve members may now qualify for 180 days of post-activation health care through TAMP. Visit ROA’s TAMP resource webpage to check your eligibility, request reimbursement, and watch our TAMP webinar. Don’t wait—find out what benefits you may be owed!

TAMP Website>>>

RC Forums>>>

ROA Applauds Military Spouse Commission

ROA applauds the establishment of the Military Spouse Commission and its focus on strengthening support for military spouses and families. Reserve and Guard families face unique challenges, and their voices must be part of the conversation. ROA looks forward to helping ensure that the needs of Reserve Component families are represented.

Learn More>>>  

Congratulations to Our COO for 40 Years With ROA!

ROA’s Chief Operating Officer, Diane Markham, celebrated a major milestone last week—her 40th anniversary with ROA! After starting out at ROA as an Office Clerk, her hard work, tenacity, and dedication helped her climb the ladder and earn promotion after promotion, leading to the COO position that she holds today. Diane is truly the heart and soul of ROA. We thank and congratulate her for her 40 incredible years serving our reserve community and ROA. She is a “Shero” to all of us at ROA!

Thank You to Our AWESOME Summer Interns!

We had three amazing interns at ROA this summer who graced us for too short of a time with their skills, talents, energy, and enthusiasm. We wish them all well and hope to see them back in D.C. some time soon! All three talked about their experiences at ROA on our social media platforms last week, and two of them went into more detail in their reflections below. Thank you to Ian, Hayley, and Pea for spending your summer with us!

Hayley's Reflections>>>

Pea's Reflections>>>

ROA Leaders: Help Us Connect You to Your Members!

We’ve got a new page on our website that lists all of our local ROA Departments and Chapters, and we need YOUR help to make it complete! We want to link every ROA Department and Chapter to their website, social media page, or email to make it easier for your members to reach you. Please check the page to see if your Department or Chapter has a link. If it doesn’t, please email your Department or Chapter’s website, social media page, or email address information to webmaster@roa.org so that we can get it added!

Department & Chapter Page>>>

Writers Needed for Our Reserve Service Law Center

ROA’s Reserve Service Law Center features articles on dozens of topics, from voting to re-employment rights and summaries of important Supreme Court cases championed to victory by ROA. Join our cadre of writers and help inform legal professionals and service members around the world on Guard and Reserve rights, benefits, and the laws that help or hinder America’s Reserve force. We’ll provide the template and are open to any legal topic relevant to general Reserve service and national security. Email sminyard@roa.org to volunteer to write an article or co-host a Law Center-specific webinar.

ROA’s ReserveFamilies Page is Live!

Our Guard and Reserve forces include nearly one million family members, but too often, resources for families are clustered on military installations and out of reach for our RC families. ROA’s ReserveFamilies platform connects RC families with resources they need to get the most out of their service and beyond, including support for school-age children, military spouse employment and paid fellowships, summer camps, small-business owners, and more—all from ROA and our network of trusted partners.

Find Your Resources>>>

ReserveHealth Update: The InTransition Program

Access to mental health resources can be a dizzying maze of bureaucracy for RC members and veterans. The Defense Health Agency’s InTransition program hopes to change that. All RC members and veterans have access to a free, confidential program that offers specialized coaching and assistance and access to mental health care for RC members who are relocating to another assignment, returning from deployment, transitioning to or from active duty, or preparing to leave military service. Current and former RC members can immediately talk to an InTransition coach at 800-424-7877 (CONUS) and 800-748-81111 (OCONUS).

Learn More>>>