The American Retirees Association (ARA) is a non profit organization, chartered expressly to deal with the impact of the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) (10 U.S.C. 1408 et seq.) on uniformed service personnel. The ARA was founded by Vic Wintress and Dennis Egge is the current President. Michael P. Smith is Executive Director and Jim Noone is Legal Counsel. Our active Directors are Bob Balick, Michael Blain, Irv McWherter, John Davis, Terry Rubio, Michael Del Silva, Tom Anderson and Don Holland. Several others serve our BOD as valuable advisors and can be counted on to respond to our President’s call to duty, when asked.  You can contact our founder, officers and directors at:

contactara@rocketmail.com

We are approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501©19 non profit organization, meaning that your dues and contributions are tax-deductible. Our members serve in active and "indefinite" (aka retired/retained) duty, reserve and National Guard components of the uniformed services. ARA officers and directors are all unpaid volunteers.

The ARA headquarters is located in Redlands, California, where our administrative, financial, newsletter and literature publication and product sales, etc., matters are managed by our office staff. We address policy and legislative issues at our new Washington DC action line (202-609-9948) – there is no voice greeting associated with this line but we are notified and will respond to calls; our traditional 703-527-3065 action line focuses on your military divorce action related comments, questions, concerns and sentiments.

Current ARA Efforts Have Four Main Thrusts

· The first of these is in the legislative arena: This includes maintaining necessary government relations and legal expertise to persuade those elected to represent our interests in Congress and correct harmful USFSPA inequities. These efforts are focused primarily on Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee members of both bodies of Congress, independently and through the National Military Veterans Alliance.
· The second effort is directed at enjoining the Pentagon to brief its service personnel regarding the existence and potential tragic impact of USFSPA' inequities, and encouraging them take the lead in proposing thoughtful remedies to Congress.

· Third, the ARA coordinates its efforts with our national community of veterans support organizations; the overwhelming majority of these organizations do support reform or repeal of the USFSPA in principle and recognize ARA as a leader of this effort.

· Finally, the ARA cooperates with and support individuals and groups that challenge the USFSPA in the courts.

All of these activities have, in the first place, the objective of relief for those uniformed service veterans already injured by this unfair law. Concomitantly, our intent is to reduce or remove the future threat to service personnel. ARA understands the polarized nature of USFSPA issues and emotional extremes engendered by divorce. We contend, however, that uniformed service veterans are entitled to the equal justice under law mandated by the Constitution, and that fair and equitable treatment of both parties to a divorce action is both politically sensible and morally sound.

The key to success is strength in numbers. We urge you to join the fight to cure the inequities of a shameful, unfair and discriminatory law.

The ARA publishes a book, "Divorce and the Military II" which is an excellent, authentic source of information for divorcing uniformed service personnel, spouses and their attorneys. Copies may be obtained at our website or by calling our Redlands, California business office. ARA members receive a cover price discount.

Support the veterans organization committed exclusively to defending the rights of members of the uniformed services in divorce court. Join the ARA today and help spread the word that help is on the way for USFSPA casualties.

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Last updated June 2012
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