Date: 11 January 2026
Happy New Year and welcome to 2026!
I hope everyone had a joyous holiday season with a little downtime to relax with friends and family. As we move forward into 2026, I am excited about the future of our great association, and I am equally looking forward to all that—collectively—our members, chapters, regions, and national-level teams will accomplish.
For this President’s message, I want to highlight several key things the United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA) is doing in 2026. By sharing these early in the year, I hope to increase awareness and participation across the membership. While this overview is not all-inclusive, it provides insight into routine USAWOA activities—such as monthly Executive Committee (EXCOM) meetings and Newsliner deadlines—as well as important 2026-specific events.
EXCOM meetings are held monthly, typically on the third Saturday, to conduct routine USAWOA business. Meetings take place in person at USAWOA headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, with Microsoft Teams available for members to dial in and participate remotely. Separate from EXCOM, the USAWOA Board of Directors (BOD) meets twice each year—once during the Annual Meeting of the Members (AMM) in October and again in April. These meetings focus primarily on Region Director updates regarding chapter activities and on providing guidance to EXCOM. We also plan to begin publishing EXCOM meeting minutes within the member portal so members can stay informed about ongoing efforts and issues being addressed.
We strive to publish the electronic Newsliner by the 5th of each month. This allows inclusion of the prior month’s Thrift Savings Plan Market Summary, which is always found at the bottom of page four. The suspense for submitting member or chapter photos and articles is the 25th of each month to allow time for editing and layout. We are always looking for content. Photos should be high quality to support printing, and articles should be approximately 800 words. If you have something you would like us to include, please email president@usawoa.org.
USAWOA national elections are held every two years, making 2026 an election year. The President, Vice President, Secretary, and all six Region Director positions will be elected by the membership and sworn in at the 54th Annual Meeting of the Members. Leaders completing two consecutive terms in the same position are ineligible to run again for that role, ensuring new leadership continues to move USAWOA forward. Later this spring, members interested in volunteering to help lead the association will be invited to complete nomination packets. Candidate resumes and ballots will be published in the Newsliner and made available on our website at www.usawoa.org.
Speaking of the AMM, the 54th Annual Meeting of the Members will be held in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from 4–7 October 2026. This year’s AMM will occur earlier in the month due to conference center and hotel availability, and events will begin with the President’s Reception on Sunday evening rather than Monday. One highlight of this year’s agenda will be a tour of Gettysburg National Military Park for all attendees. The fifteen chapters of the Northeast Region are actively planning and fundraising to host another outstanding event. Look for additional AMM information in upcoming Newsliners and on our social media platforms.
As discussed at last year’s AMM in Tacoma, Washington, USAWOA is developing a new organizational strategy—the first in many years. Vice President CW5 (Ret) Kevin Boughton is leading this effort with significant input from our members. Initial Lines of Effort include: (1) increasing membership and retention, (2) achieving financial solvency, (3) improving outreach and networking, and (4) expanding professional development and mentorship opportunities. Member input is critical to this process. If you would like to participate, please email vicepresident@usawoa.org.
January is also an excellent time for members to review and update their information in our membership management system. We frequently receive returned or undeliverable mail due to outdated addresses. Members are encouraged to log in to update personal information, download copies of the Newsliner, or search for other members. Please visit https://usawoa.site-ym.com/login.aspx and log in using your registered email address. If you do not recall your login information, email hq@usawoa.org for assistance.
CW5 Michael D. Dye
National President
“The Quiet Professionals®”