Members and guests are highly encouraged to attend. Location TBD.

2026 West Point Founders Day was held at Serga Stadium, 460 Hay Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301. The guest speaker was Brigade Tactical Officer (BTO) Colonel Michael F. Kloepper, West Point Class '97. ROA North Carolina Department was a sponsor of the event. Five Department members participated in West Point Founders Day. Of particular significance was that 3 of the Department members shown in the photo are West Point alumni.

LTC Adams-Class of '68

COL Riedler-Class of '81

According to Mike Karaman, 166 adults and 42 children registered for the event. For further information about West Point Founders Day, please contact Mike , Class of '79, atevents@wpsbragg.com or call him at (910) 797-4678.

On behalf of Department member COL John Gobrick and the Fayetteville Our Community Salutes (OCS) Team, Department Secretary LTC Mike Moose want to express our Heartfelt THANKS for helping us, in many ways, to truly recognize the many Patriotic Local High School Graduates who enlisted in America's Military. The 2026 ENLISTEE (OCS) Ceremony will be on 6 May 2026 in Huff Hall at Methodist University. This year, the Fayetteville Event is totally self-funded, locally. All Department members, family, and guests, are welcome to attend this event. (Free Admission).

Donations can NOW be made directly to the Fayetteville event, through the secure, local OCS website below, or with checks to COL John Gobrick or LTC Mike Moose.

Please check the website to make sure it is for the Fayetteville event and not a different location. OCS-Fayetteville is now certified as a 501(c)(3) charity.

The Federal EIN is 33-3419817, for personal and business, tax deductible donations.

Please make checks to "OCS - FAYETTEVILLE".

Please feel free to contact LTC Mike Moose, if you have any questions. If you plan to Volunteer on 6 May, we ask that you register to attend, at on the OCS website above and contact LTC Mike Moose. If you plan to donate or be a sponsor, visit the OCS website and call LTC Moose.

With SINCERE THANKS .......

Respectfully Yours,

MIKE MOOSE

OCS - Volunteer & Sponsor (on behalf of ROA, North Carolina)

910-322-3917, wuvamoose@hotmail.com

"THE VOICE OF AMERICA's RESERVE FORCES SINCE 1922"

OFFICIAL MINUTES - NORTH CAROLINA ROA - DEPARTMENT CONVENTION

11 July 2026 - - American Legion Post #1 (ALP1) - 1120 Sawmill Road, RALEIGH, NC 27615

(Summarized remarks, as follows)

NOTE : LTC (USA, retired) JOSE R. HERNANDEZ was our Outstanding Host for this Convention. He provided an Excellent Venue at ALP1, for our convention, Coffee, Lunch and Social !!!! 👍

CALL to ORDER:

The 2026 Department Convention was Called to Order at 1030 hours, by President, COL Iggi Husar.

OPENING PRAYER: CDR John Leonard

OUR PLEDGE of ALLEGIANCE - ALL

ROLL CALL, Acknowledgements and Self-Introductions:

Secretary, LTC Mike Moose called the Roll of Attendees, with Self-Introductions, as follows:

Department President - COL Iggi Husar*

Secretary - LTC Mike Moose*

Treasurer - LTC Tom Froneberger*

LTC Jose Hernandez - American Legion Post 1Commander. (ROA Life Member)

ROA -National President - MG Peggy Wilmoth

Past ROA National President - RADM Paul Kayye

Nancy Moose

COL Kevin Riedler

BG John Aarsen (Via ZOOM, Video-Link, from the 82nd Airborne Museum)

CAPT Joe Pica (NOAA) (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

CDR John Leonard - USCGR

LTC Joe Rasmus

SFC Karl Whitby

LTC Paul Woolverton

FINANCIAL REPORT - LTC Tom Froneberger

He mentioned that our current assets total $86,770. He also described the process he followed to transfer our investment accounts from Vanguard to First Citizens Bank. Tom announced that our CD is a good investment of our assets.

COLLEGE ROTC SCHOLARSHIP DISCUSSION .......

LTC Froneberger provided an overview of this proposal for ROA-NC to

consider a new policy of offering ROTC Scholarship(s) in the near future. He stated that approx. $933 has been donated so far, to begin our Scholarship Program. He mentioned that in a perfect-world, a donation of between $10.95 to $20 from EACH Department member would provide an excellent funding-flow, to sustain future scholarships. Tom mentioned that a Scholarship Committee would be formed to "fine-tune" the process for selecting a deserving College ROTC Recipient. Mike Moose discussed that applicants should be at the start of their JUNIOR Year. (official ROTC Commission contract).

Remarks were made by all in attendance concerning the need for specific requirements for the scholarship application and selection process. Final Guidelines will ensure a meaningful method, to verify all application DATA (quantifiable) in order to determine the Scholarship Awardee. Joe Pica and Joe Rasmus shared ideas on how to process applications. They discussed using a spreadsheet format to enter submitted data, for ease of comparison. A motion was made & seconded to select $1,500 as the Scholarship amount for the coming year. Mike Moose announced that in North Carolina, there are currently ten Army ROTC Programs, seven Air Force Programs and three Naval ROTC Colleges. MG Wilmoth stated that our initial award could focus on the three Naval Programs. That motion was passed & seconded to offer our first Scholarship to the 3 Naval Colleges. Discussion then followed concerning the requirements to be an ROA Associate, Annual or Life Member, as well as academic performance, ROTC Leadership, financial need(?) and not being

a current recipient of any other significant scholarship award (ROTC Scholarship,

Post 911 G.I. Bill, Green to Gold, etc.). A formal statement from the ROTC Commandant / PMS and a letter from all applicants will also be a vital part of all applications. It was then agreed upon, that our Scholarship Committee will soon convene, to "fine-tune" our Scholarship Program & process, prior to any official announcements to the colleges. (Mike Moose stated that he has the mailing addresses of all 3 Naval College Commandants.)

LUNCH was then delivered, by the Local MISSION BBQ Restaurant.

Thanks to John Leonard for coordinating an excellent box-Lunch for all !!!

ELECTION OF DEPARTMENT OFFICERS - Nominations were opened by COL Husar.

Brigadier General (retired) JOHN AARSEN was nominated for the position of Department President. He accepted the nomination and briefly described his Army Service (active & USAR) and civilian career in military museum management. He has been an ROA member for many years, prior to moving to North Carolina. He has held numerous Senior Staff and Command positions in his long Army Reserve career. John is currently the Director of the 82nd Airborne Division Historical Museum at Fort Bragg. John was then unanimously elected as our next Department President. Iggi Husar agreed to continue as our Department webmaster and membership chairman.

Tom Froneberger announced that he would continue as our Treasurer.

Mike Moose stated that he would be honored to continue as Deptartment Secretary.

The current Vice President, LTC Kevin Leitch, was unable to attend this convention. (The V.P. position for 2026 to 2027 will be determined soon.) John Aarsen will soon announce his VP nomination the next Department BOD ZOOM Meeting.)

2027 NATIONAL CONVENTION

MG Wilmoth announced that the National Meeting will be held in March 2027. A one-day National ZOOM Session will be scheduled in October 2026.

DEPARTMENT RESOLUTIONS

CDR John Leonard announced that ROA Resolutions will be considered in March 2027.

CAPT Joe Pica provided a brief update on his work with NOAA.

REMARKS by GUEST SPEAKER - MAJOR GENERAL MARGARET WILMOTH (ROA-National President). MG Wilmoth presented an update on the current status and strategies of ROA. She also identified the current full-time, ROA-HQ Staff members. As part of her Power-Point presentation, MG Wilmoth identified ROA's Strategic Imperatives, the Reserve Component Bill-of-Rights and ROA's Law Center (Sam Wright). She discussed the America-250 Challenge (Run), and some initiatives by other ROA Departments (Michigan, New York, Illinois, etc.). MG Wilmoth identified that the state of North Carolina is improving health care for Veterans. She also described ROA's Legislative Priorities which are presented to members of Congress and the Senate. Matt Schwartzman actively engages those elected officials and is constantly involved with

The Military Consortium (TMC) of military-related organizations. MG Wilmoth reminded us that the National Meeting will be held in March 2027, in Washington, DC, so that our members will have more opportunities to meet with their Elected Officials.

OPEN DISCUSSION

Mike Moose thanked Iggi for his important work, during the past 3 years, to improve Department membership data. Iggi identified and contacted out-of-state members, so THEY could decide if they want to transfer to the Department where they are currently residing. Iggi's efforts have significantly improved e-mail communications to our North Carolina members !!

Major General Wilmoth then presented COL Husar with an ROA coin in appreciation of his outstanding service as Department President, since August 2023 !!

ADJOURNMENT

The Dept. Convention was adjourned at 3:30PM.

Following the Meeting a Social was held at the ALP1 - Social Room.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED (15 July 2026)

MIKE MOOSE

Secretary, North Carolina ROA

LTC, USAR (Retired)

910-322-3917

wuvamoose@hotmail.com

This year's Christmas Lunch was held at Doherty's Irish Pub in Pittsboro, NC, 1300-1500 hours.

Sequence of Events

Opening Prayer-LTC Moose

Pledge of Allegiance-All

Welcome-COL Husar/LTC Froneberger

ExCom Members-Identified by COL Husar

Year in Review-LTC Moose

State Convention 2026-CDR John Leonard

Wreaths Across America-13 Dec 25 nationwide

Christmas Plans-Shared by each attendee

Seymour Johnson AFB Recruiting-6 Dec 25 by member SFC Karl Whitby

On 12 December 2026, the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony will be conducted at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake, NC. To date, the Department has received a rebate in the amount of $45.00 from Wreaths Across America (WAA), www.wreathsacrossamerica.org .