From the President
Frank Harman
frank.l.harmaniii@gmail.com
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FY 2021-2022 OCS ALUMNI ANNUAL REPORT
STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS:
We had another very successful year at the US Army OCS Alumni Association. We continue to serve and honor the OCS program and its graduates; and further the ideals and promote the welfare of the Officer Candidate School, the Officer Corps and the US. Army. Let me outline the highlights:
• Supported 10 OCS classes with a briefing on the History of OCS, as well as providing $2,000 financial support and awards to each class.
• Supported all phases of the OCS Hall of Fame from nomination to selection to induction. It was a special year in that we inducted 23 Medal of Honor recipients, most from WWII (should have been inducted in 1959 or 1960) Our association bore all the induction costs. It was our privilege.
• Made updates to Wigle Hall and the Hall of Honor at the National Infantry Museum including changing out and adding pictures, updating kiosks and Hall of Fame placards. Wigle Hall is seen as “Smithsonian Quality”
• Supported the OCS exhibit at the Transportation Museum at Fort Eustice.
• Decorated the War Memorials on the National Mall on Memorial Day as well as a memorial in Florida.
• Continued to emplace bricks, pavers, plates, blocks and monuments at the OCS Memorial Walk, honoring Army units, OCS classes, distinguished graduates, outstanding alumni, members of the Hall of Fame, Fallen Heroes, OCS Cadre, with bricks & pavers; Also completed our 6th expansion in as many years adding another 2,880 square feet in paver beds and three 20-foot walkways.
• We emplaced two granite benches on the Memorial Walk in honor of General Fritz Kroesen, the first 4-start General from OCS and most decorated OCS graduate, and Senator Bob Dole, WWII platoon leader, Senate Majority Leader and candidate for President.
• We continue to improve our website, membership database and our communications with our USAOCSAA members.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:
Our annual financial cost was more this year, approximately $145K. This was driven by an increase to support the OCS battalion and Hall of Fame support, expansion of the Memorial Walk and granite benches, plus our website support and NIM update cost increases. Hundreds of volunteer hours and personal costs were absorbed by our members. Due to our dedicated volunteers and no overhead expenses, we are managing a $500K/year enterprise for $145K. We welcomed the Army/Air Force Mutual Aid Society (AAFMAA) as an affiliate. They have helped with our class sponsorships with about $40K so far. I also want to thank USAA, USAA, AUSA and MOAA for their continued sponsorships; also our Board, our donors, our affiliates, sponsors and members who have been critical to our success.
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ADMINISTRATION REPORT
Karla Langland
Vice-President - Administration
Our 2023 national reunion will begin on Saturday, April 29, 2023, and will conclude with the Hall of Fame induction and dinner on Monday, May 1. The Columbus Marriott will again be our host hotel. This is going to be a special time as we connect with each other after a four-year absence because of COVID.
2023 Reunion activities include our annual meeting with reports from our Board of Directors; the Hall of Fame induction and dinner; a Memorial Walk ceremony with the dedication of more bricks, pavers and class memorials; a tour of the OCS Heritage Center; and opportunities to connect with current OCS graduates.
Mini-class reunions or chapters are welcome to come together in conjunction with the national reunion. A lot of headaches, work and planning for your reunion will be taken care of automatically when you piggyback with us.
No matter when you graduated, where you graduated, or what component your graduated from (Federal, Guard or Reserve) we all share a common bond with our OCS Heritage. Come and celebrate that common bond with your OCS brothers and sisters.
More information about registrations will be forthcoming.
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OPERATIONS REPORT
David Taylor
Vice-President – Operations
Website Updates & Additions
We continue to update, add and delete information to keep it current for our members. Much work remains to correct errors and that is our primary focus. Updates & changes are a never-ending but important task.
Chapter Development
Climbing out of the “COVID Malise” had been longer than expected. There are a number of members who wish to start chapters in their geographical area but finding members who want to take the time to develop a chapter has been difficult. You only need 10 members to start a chapter and chapter meetings can be virtual or in person. I can supply you with the contact list of Alumni members who live in the area you are interested in. Contact me any time:
dave.taylor@zoominternet.net or 330-321-3370
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National Guard OCS Initiative
Nationwide the National Guard OCS programs graduated 735 2LT’s in FY 2021-22 and expect to commission around 630-645 this current FY 2022-23. Guard officers serve around the globe in deployments as well as serve in their home states. Their OCS training takes place in their state training areas as well as other states supervised by Regional Training Institute’s (RTI’s). Their training is arduous, I have seen them in action, and it takes a lot of dedication to complete a State OCS program.
The States have “Military Institutes” which database all OCS graduates from that state. It is the “home” for those commissioned from a particular state and their legacy goes back many years.
We are taking steps to have these State Military Institutes become chapters of the OCS Alumni Association. We believe this will happen in a big way in 2023.
If you are a National Guard OCS officer and would like more information about this initiative, please contact me.
Looking For Those Who Want To Get Involved
I am looking for volunteers to help in our efforts in Alumni Operations, in wherever your interests lie, in website review work, chapter development or join my team in our National Guard effort.
Wishing you a blessed holiday season and remember those in OCS who went before us. To them we owe a big debt of gratitude.
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To update your membership profile:
(1) Log onto your membership profile by going to https://ocsalumni.org and log in using the members Login Link at the top of the screen
(2) Log in by using your username and your password. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it by clicking the “Forgot Password” link and, following the reset link sent to your e-mail address
(3) Once you are logged in, go to the “Member Menu” and select “My Profile” and edit the profile to update your information.
(4) If you don’t see “My Profile” on the Member Menu, then your membership has expired. You can Renew Your Membership at the top of the Member Menu.
Edit Your Profile
Even if you think your profile information is complete, we kindly ask that you review your profile for any incomplete or inaccurate information, i.e.. “Class number and graduation dates” When entering your information, please use MM/DD/YYYY as the format. Check your address to make sure it’s up to date, and check your Rank, Duty Status and Branch. Your timely assistance in making sure we have a complete and accurate members database is sincerely appreciated.
If you have any questions on membership, please e-mail Tom Evans at ranger06tom@aol.com.
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OCS Alumni Association Board of Directors
OUR HISTORY:
THE US ARMY OCS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
(TUSAOCSAA)
The purpose of TUSAOCSAA requires it to endure as an adequately financed, non-profit, association. For these reasons, TUSAOCSAA’s history and purpose are included in this annual report.
25 August 1986: Our history begins with The State of Georgia’s Secretary of State, Max Cleland, officially deeming the name: “The United States Army Officer Candidate Alumni Association, Inc. which is not identical or confusingly similar to the name of any other existing domestic or foreign corporation registered in the records on file…”
(Note: at this point our official name is missing the word “Schools”)
22 October 1986: The Articles of Incorporation are signed listing four Board members: President: LTC Joseh A. Cercone; Vice-President: LTC (Ret) Charels J. Mendoza; Secretary – CPT David A. Rhodes; and Treasurer: (COL (Ret) Jess M. Walls.
The Purpose of the Organization Is To:
- Track The Achievements of OCS Graduates, both Militarily And On A National or State Level.
- To Provide A Locator Service For All Association Members
- To Contribute To The Renovation And Expansion Of The OCS Hall Of Fame, Located In Wigle Hall, And
- To Engage In Any Lawful Business Or Activity Related Thereto.
The Articles of Incorporation further stated that the corporation, “…shall not engage in works of a political nature, propaganda, attempts to influence legislation or participate in any political campaign of any candidate for public office or cause…”
12 November 1986: The association, as named above, was duly incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Georgia.
“…To Endure As An Adequately Financed, Non-Profit, Association”
24 September 2003: A Certificate of Name Change Amendment was signed by Cathy Cox, then Georgia’s Secretary of State. The name was amended to: “The United States Army Officer Candidate Schools Alumni Association, Inc.” (Note: the important addition of the word “Schools” added to our association name. This encompasses all schools for OCS: Federal, Reserve and National Guard programs).
25 August 2011: The United States Army Officer Candidate Schools Alumni Association, Inc. was administratively dissolved by the State of Georgia.
11 April 2015: The IRS deemed the Association exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501 (C) (19) of the Internal Revenue Code. This finding was retroactive to November, 2013.
6 June 2015: The State of Georgia reinstates the association, “…said entity is hereby reinstated…having met the requirements for reinstatement under Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The reinstatement shall relate back to and take effect as of the date of the administrative dissolution…” (signed by Brian P. Kemp, The Secretary of State, Georgia)
We Are Now In FY 2022-2023: Still Here and Going Strong!
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Portions of address sent by General George Catlett Marshall, for delivery to the first graduates of the first OCS School (September 27, 1941 – Washington, D.C.) “These words have held true for OCS Candidates for the past 81 years” (COL (Ret) John Ionoff, President Emeritus, TUSAOCSAA)
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You were selected as officer candidates because you give evidence of possessing these qualifications. Whether or not you develop into truly capable leaders depends almost entirely upon you personally.
Never for an instant can you divest yourselves of the fact you are officers. On the athletic field, at the club, in civilian clothes or even at home on leave, the fact you are a commissioned officer in the Army impose a constant obligation to higher standards that might ordinarily seem normal or necessary for your personal guidance, A small dereliction becomes conspicuous, at times notorious, purely by the reason of the fact that the individual concerned is a commissioned officer. |
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The efficiency of your leadership will depend only to a minor degree on your
tactical or technical ability. It will primarily be determined by your character, your reputation, not so much for your courage – which will be accepted as a matter of course – but by the previous reputation you have established for fairness, for that high-minded patriotic purpose, that quality of unswerving determination to carry through any military task assigned you.
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The feeling which those under your command must hold for you is not to be compared to the popularity of a football coach or a leader of civic activities.
Professional competence is essential to leadership and your knowledge of arms, equipment and tactical operations must be clearly superior to that possessed by your subordinates; at the same time, you must command their respect above and beyond those qualities. The quality of officers is tested to the limit during the long and trying periods of waiting or marching here and there without evident purpose, and during those weeks or months of service under conditions of extreme discomfort or of possible privations or isolations.
The true leader surmounts all of these difficulties, maintaining the discipline of his or her unit and further developing its training. Where there is a deficiency of such leadership, serious results inevitably follow, and too often the criticism is directed to the conditions under which they labored rather than toward the individual who failed in his/her duty because he/she was found wanting in inherent ability to accept his/her responsibilities.
Remember, we are a people prone to be critical of everything except that for which we are personally responsible.
Remember also, that to a soldier a certain amount of grousing appears to be necessary. However, there is a vast difference between these usually amusing reactions and the destructive and disloyal criticism of the undisciplined soldier.
Mental alertness, initiative, vision are qualities which you must cultivate. Passive inactivity because you have not been given specific instructions to do this or to do that is a serious deficiency. Always encourage initiative on the part of your men, but initiative must, of course, be accompanied by intelligence.
Good luck to you. We expect great things of you. Your class is the first of which I believe will be the finest group of troop leaders in the world.
OCS Alumni Members. Please consider giving a donation to support the activities and growth of your US Army OCS Alumni Association:
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