Personal Affairs Committee

Personal Affairs

If a chapter aspires to the same motto as the national association’s “Service to country and our members,” it is largely up to the personal affairs committee to provide that service. While its proper role might not be as clear-cut as those of other standing committees, the personal affairs committee, under the board’s general direction, should, at a minimum, discharge the following responsibilities:

	Provide information to members and survivors on their entitlements.
	Help members and survivors submit inquires, applications, and claims to governmental agencies, for example, the Department of Veterans Affairs offices, military personnel offices and finance centers, and Social Security offices. Most of the fact sheets can be read and printed from the personal affairs section of MOAA’s Web site at www.moaa.org. Likewise, all publications and fact sheets can be ordered directly from the Web site.
	In case of serious illness or death, express sympathy to the next-of-kin and offer assistance if needed.
	Keep members informed, generally by means of the chapter newsletter, on facilities and services available in the area, such as commissaries, exchanges, hospitals and dispensaries, and officers’ clubs.

Unless the chapter is exceptionally large or covers an unusually large area, three to five members should suffice for the personal affairs committee.

It would be helpful if they have had some experience in a field related to personal affairs, such as personnel administration. Where possible, have all of the military services represented on the committee so that each case can be handled by a committee member of the appropriate service. A surviving spouse is more likely to be receptive to an offer of assistance by a retired officer of the deceased’s service.

A library of essential publications should be established to help the personal affairs committee do its job. The reference library should include all MOAA personal affairs-related material, as well as information available at local Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security offices. The committee should have available the telephone numbers and addresses of the following:

	Local military retirees’ activities offices or offices that have appointed survivor assistance officers.
	Finance centers of the seven uniformed services.
	Nearest Department of Veterans Affairs office,
	Nearest Social Security office.
	MOAA’s Personal Affairs Department: (800) 245-8672, ext. 116; e-mail: persaff@MOAA.org

- In providing information and counsel, the personal affairs committee should handle only simple questions and problems for which the answers and solutions can be determined readily. Remember: Giving inaccurate information or poor advice is worse than offering none at all. Difficult questions and problems should be referred to MOAA’s Personal Affairs Department.

If in the case of a member’s death, an active duty officer stationed nearby has been appointed as the survivor assistance officer (various services do this on an “as available” basis), the committee should not duplicate the officer’s functions. The committee can be most helpful by giving the survivor someone to talk to initially and someone to turn to later, if necessary, after the survivor assistance officer has completed his or her assignment.