WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Oct. 6, a new group of leaders was sworn in during the Reserve Organization of America’s annual meeting at its Minute Man Memorial Headquarters building on Capitol Hill, including the association’s president-elect.

“I am honored and humbled to serve as the eighty-fourth national president of ROA, and more importantly, to advocate for those who have volunteered to serve in the reserve components of our uniformed services, their families, and their employers,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. Peggy Wilmoth, on her election to lead the 102-year-old organization.

“I look forward to partnering with ROA members and key stakeholders as we charge forward in ensuring ROA’s relevance in its second century of service to the nation.”

Wilmoth, a life member of ROA, will officially assume the presidency at the 2025 annual meeting, scheduled Oct. 17-19. She retired from the Army in May 2017 after a distinguished 35½-year career, culminating as deputy surgeon general of the Army Reserve. She holds a doctorate in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

She is a professor of nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she has served as executive vice dean and associate dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Nursing. She was also the 2023-2024 distinguished nurse scholar-in-residence at the National Academy of Medicine and is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Additionally, she is an alum of the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship and has published over 60 works in print and electronic media.

Wilmoth’s concurrent career in the U.S. Army Reserve included commanding various units and serving as the first nurse commanding general of a medical brigade responsible for wartime readiness of all USAR medical assets in the southeastern U.S., including Puerto Rico. Her follow-on assignment was in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, where she led efforts to transform the Military Health System’s research processes and promote changes in CENTCOM deployment policy.

As a major general, Wilmoth served in the Army’s Office of the Surgeon General as the deputy surgeon general for the USAR. She was the first nurse to hold this position in the Army Reserve’s 104-year history.

Appointed by the Secretary of the Army, she served two terms on the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee, which advises the Army on mobilization.

Wilmoth’s accolades include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Expert Field Medical Badge. She also holds the ‘9A’ Proficiency Designator in Medical-Surgical Nursing awarded by the U.S Army Surgeon General.

In her roles within ROA, president-elect Wilmoth served as vice president, Army Section, Department of Missouri; member of the Department of North Carolina’s executive committee; member of the Army National Executive Committee and the Family Support Committee; national health services officer; chair, Health Services Committee/Health Affairs Committee; chair, Organizational Structure and Policy Review Committee; chair, Army Junior Officer Selection Board; and member, Strategic Planning Committee.

Also elected to national office during the annual meeting were Col. Monti G. Zimmerman, USA (Ret.), Army Vice President; retired Master Sgt. Kevin C. Hollinger, ARNG, Army Executive Committeeman; retired Cmdr. John N. Leonard, USCGR, Naval Services Executive Committeeman; and Maj. Jonathan Sih, USAFR, Air Force Executive Committeeman.

“I am eager and excited to collaborate with General Wilmoth as we navigate the first decade of our second century,” said ROA’s current president, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Layne Wroblewski. “Her experience and vision will uphold our proud traditions of advocacy, education, and engagement. I congratulate her and the association’s newly elected leaders on their desire to serve ROA!”

DALLAS – The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is kicking off the holiday season with its Toy Book sweepstakes, giving away more than $3,700 in trending toys and games to military kids worldwide.

From Oct. 25 through Nov. 27, authorized shoppers 18 and older can enter to win one of 80 prizes:

• BMW 4-in-1 Red Push Car – (five prizes – $148.95 each)
• G.I. Joe Classified Series 60th Anniversary Deluxe Figure - Infantry – (five prizes – $34.95 each)
• G.I. Joe Classified Series 60th Anniversary Deluxe Figure – Sailor, Recon Diver – (five prizes – $34.95 each)
• Star Wars Lightsaber Forge Acolyte Masterworks Set – (five prizes –$49.95 each)
• Spider-Man Glow FX Feature Mask – (five prizes – $24.95 each)
• Beyblade X Battle Set – (five prizes – $49.95 each)
• Baby Alive Crawl N Play – (five prizes – $39.95 each)
• Nerf N-Series Infinite Blaster – (five prizes – $39.95 each)
• Nerf N-Series Gear-Up Pack – (five prizes – $24.95 each)
• Monopoly Go! – (five prizes – $19.95 each)
• Play-Doh Pizza Delivery Scooter – (five prizes – $94.95 each)
• Peppa Pig Muddle Puddles doll – (five prizes – $39.95 each)
• Spidey & Friends Dance and Crawl Spidey – (five prizes – $49.95 each)
• Spidey & Friends Dino Webs Playset – (five prizes – $49.95 each)
• Play-Doh Spiderman Battle Playset – (five prizes – $19.95 each)
• Play-Doh Rainbow Swirls Ice Cream Playset – (five prizes – $19.95 each)

Military shoppers can browse a sneak peek of the annual Toy Book for the season’s hottest toys at military-exclusive prices at weeklyad.shopmyexchange.com/view/98336278/. The full book will be available at ShopMyExchange.com/weekly-ads beginning Oct. 25. Prices are valid through Nov. 27.

“This special sweepstakes kicks of the holiday season for America’s youngest heroes,” said Chief Master Sgt. Rich Martinez, Exchange senior enlisted advisor. “The Exchange’s greatest gift is giving back to those who serve, and military kids serve too.”

Authorized shoppers can visit ShopMyExchange.com/sweepstakes to enter. Honorably discharged Veterans and Department of Defense civilians with shopping privileges can enter too. Veterans can visit https://aafes.media/paveterans to learn more. DoD civilians can visit https://aafes.media/cacbenefitspa. No purchase is necessary to win. The drawing will take place on or about Dec. 1.

AFRC: An F-35A Lightning II with 457th Fighter Squadron markings assigned to the 301st Fighter Wing flew for the first time Oct. 15, and is one of the first F-35s assigned to the Air Force Reserve. Previously, all F-35s were assigned to active-duty US Air Force and Air National Guard. The 301st Fighter Wing is also slated to become the first unit to operate the F-35A independently, without an active-duty association. The Wing is estimated to have a total fleet of 26 F-35As by 2026. 

AFSOC: AFSOC Airmen are testing headbands that can measure and report vital signs. The headbands could save the lives of High-Altitude, Low-Opening parachutists, who are at risk of hypothermia and hypoxia due to the thin atmosphere at high altitudes. The device looks just like a regular headband, since the sensors are integrated in a distributed way within the fabric. Tracy Frost, director of the Defense Department's Manufacturing Technology Program, called the headbands the product of "a beautiful marriage" between the DoD and the private sector. 

ANG: 

• Over 11,000 National Guard Airmen and Soldiers were conducting Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene relief missions in the Southeast Sunday, helping first responders and victims by air, land and water. Disaster relief operations were centered in the hardest-hit areas of Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. As of Oct. 13, over 7,600 Guardsmen from 19 states were mobilized in response to the severe damage caused by Hurricane Milton. They rescued hundreds of people threatened by flooding, cleared roads, distributed food, water and other vital supplies, provide security, directed traffic – even provided much-needed hugs to residents reeling from the damage caused by the storms.
  

U.S. Army Reserve Cols. John and Judi Davenport, retired, (above left) visited Normandy, France in June. "I was honored to be selected to represent all the women who served," said Judi. The wreath laying ceremony on Omaha Beach was part of the year-long calendar of events to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, beginning June 6, 2024 thru June 5, 2025.

Retired U.S. Army Reserve Col. Mauhee Edmondson, Department of Kentucky (pictured above), was also in attendance at Omaha Beach, along with 28 additional veterans, to honor those who gave their all for freedom and democracy. 

"Every veteran said that coming to this hallowed ground made them feel proud of their service," said Judi. "The whole visit to Normandy was solemn but memorable for what toll the price of freedom can be. Yes 22 days of service -- and hopefully service can be everyday!"

AROUND THE FORCE

National POW/MIA Recognition Day (Sept 20)

• On National Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Recognition Day, we remember the debt we owe to our POWs and MIAs and to their families. We pay tribute an convey eternal gratitude to our former prisoners of war and recommit to the difficult but essential task of seeking out answers for the families of those still missing.
• We will always remember and honor our Nation's prisoners of war and those still missing in action and keep faith with our promise as a nation to bring all our heroes home. Since 1973, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has accounted for approximately 2,450 service members from World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. In the last fiscal year, 158 service members have been accounted for.
• The United States is committed to recovering and identifying the nearly 82,000 Americans missing from prior conflicts. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff outlined this year that trust is the foundation of the profession of arms, and that service members, their families, and the American public trusts that the Department of Defense will do everything in its power to recover missing service members and prisoners of war.

• Theme #1: Great Power Competition (GPC) is the context for the future of airpower and space power. We must reoptimize for GPC now through significant changes in the way we develop people, generate readiness, project power, and develop capabilities. The 24 decisions we announced last February are being implemented aggressively and will continue.
• Theme #2: Investment in key Department of the Air Force capabilities is critical to national security. Senior DAF officials will provide updates on select Operational Imperatives and Cross-Cutting Operational Enablers that protect the United States’ ability to deter conflict and project power.
• Theme #3: To deliver combat-effective, agile, and adaptive airpower at scale, the Air Force is:
  • Focusing on readiness based on overall mission effectiveness
  • Aligning itself to be “One Air Force” to best compete, deter, and if required, win in today’s volatile strategic landscape
  • Developing Mission Ready Airmen, who have the full set of skills needed for GPC and who are instrumental to achieving success and overcoming challenges as we evolve to sustaining a robust, mission-ready Air Force.

• Theme #4: To reoptimize for the high-end fight and enable the strategic advantages the nation and Joint Force rely on, the Space Force accelerating its transformation into a warfighting service, purpose-built service for space superiority, assured space access, and global mission operations in a GPC era.
• Theme #5: Year-to-year budget instability and funding gaps continue to have devastating impacts on the Air Force and Space Force. We need Congress to pass timely appropriations to adequately equip Airmen and Guardians, ensure military readiness, execute new investment programs, and reduce uncertainty with our industry and international partners.

Air Force wants to expand enlisted international exchange program

CMSAF David Flosi announced the Air Force’s desire to expand the international exchange program for enlisted Airmen, starting with Five Eyes alliance nations. The expansion is part of the service’s focus shift from the Middle East to the Pacific theater. “In that environment [the Middle East], we could roll in deep. That environment does not exist in the Indo-Pacific theater. All of those capabilities are contested.” Flosi said referring to the availability of runways, assured supply chains, robust communications networks and complete air superiority.

ANG

• The Air National Guard members will soon host training for Poland’s future F-35 pilots as part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. “[...] the mission of the 85th Fighter Group is to train foreign military sales customers of the F-35 and bring them up to speed the way the U.S. employs the F-35, training them to US standards [...]most of our allies in Europe are getting on board here is the deterrence factor. I mean it is 5th gen, it is the latest and greatest, it is the best flying platform that there is out in the world today. If there’s 500 or 600 of these in Europe, that’s a huge deterrent...” said Col Nicholas Ihde (85 FG/CC). Ebbing Air National Guard Base was chosen due to the lack of heavy air traffic in the area.
• The Proptoberfest joint exercise bringing together the Illinois Air National Guard’s 182nd  Airlift Wing and members of the German Air Force began this week. The exercise builds on the collaboration during Air Defender ‘23 and strengthens the two nations ability to work and operate together, and emphasizing the strategic importance of partnerships in maintaining global security. “Just like Air Defender, it’s getting together to do all the tactics, techniques and procedures that NATO allies do together,” said Col. Rusty Ballard (182 AW/CC). “So a lot of mission planning, studying tentative threats, formation flying from point A to point B, supplemental fuel operations, air drops and various other tactics,” he added. This is the first year the German Air Force’s A400M Atlas aircraft has participated in the exercise.