Fleet Reserve Association

The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is a non-profit U.S. military and veterans organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, chartered by the United States Congress that represents the interests of all members of the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine veterans and active duty personnel in the United States.

FRA represents approximately; 277,428 active-duty members of the Navy, Navy Stats 163,346 active-duty of the Marine Corps USMC and 40,000 active-duty of the Coast Guard The FRA was named after the US Navy retirement procedure "PERS 836". The organization was founded in Philadelphia in October 1922, by Chief Yeoman George L. Carlin, and it was chartered on November 11, 1924, by the U.S. Congress. The association is composed of branches located in each State, U.S. territory, and several overseas locations.

The guiding principles of the FRA are Loyalty, Protection and Service. In addition to organizing events, members provide assistance at VA hospitals and clinics. It is active in issue-oriented U.S. politics. Its primary political activity is advocating on behalf of the Sea Service personnel, including support for benefits such as pay and pensions. The organization has also prompts "Americanism and Patriotism" through its essay contest.

History 1919: Chief Yeoman Robert W. White and Chief Gunner’s Mate Carl H. McDonald are the first enlisted personnel to testify before Congress. They present the enlisted perspective on military pay legislation.

1921: Chief Yeoman George Carlin conceives an association dedicated to monitoring all legislation that impacts enlisted personnel. Carlin is considered the father of the FRA.

1923: The Association’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee determined membership eligibility for the new organization. The document stated, “a shipmate is a shipmate, regardless of race, creed or color.”

Conceived as the U.S. Fleet Naval Reserve Association. The organization was chartered as Fleet Reserve Association under Title 36 of the United States Code. Officially chartered by the U.S. Congress.

1925: FRA adopts its cardinal principles of “Loyalty, Protection and Service” as its official motto.

1925: The Association holds its first national convention in the place of its birth — Philadelphia.

Founded as an association for enlisted career Navy, FRA expanded its membership to Marine enlisted personnel in January 1956. The cover of the Naval Affairs published by The Fleet Reserve Association "For Career Navy and Marine Corps Enlisted Personnel. (Volume 35, No. 1 January 1958) By March 1957 the cover statesmen read "The Magazine for Career Enlisted Men of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines Corps." (Naval Affairs, March 1957) The next significant change was in October 1970 when the cover statement was updates to The Magazine for Career Enlisted Personnel of the U.S Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The elimination of the word "Men" was significant as it opened FRA membership to enlisted women of the sea services.

The June 1971 issue of Naval Affairs announced the New National Emblem which included the initials USN USMC and USCG. The emblem was designed by Shipmate Willis H. Wolfe.

The Fleet Reserve Association Headquarters is located in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the primary office for the National President, and also is the Administrative Headquarters which houses the membership services and communications.

Notable Members

Notable members of The Fleet Reserve Association have included:

Publications The organization's official full color magazine was originally launched in 1921 and called U.S. Navy Magazine "Fleet Reserve Bulletin". In October 1931 it was renamed Naval Affairs.[Naval Affairs http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00052862/00001 Naval Affairs,] .OCLC Number: Master negative microfilm held by University Microfilms, now part of ProQuest. In November 2006 the magazine's name and volume numbering system changed again, this time to FRAtoday.FRAToday, . The publication is typically 48 pages of content and is published bimonthly.

Organization Structure

National The Fleet Reserve Association Headquarters is located in Alexandria, VA. It is the primary office for the National President and also houses the Membership Services and Communications.Fleet Reserve Association. The National structure includes seven regions: Northeast New England, East Coast, Southeast, Heartland, Southwest, West Coast, and Northwest. There are also 127 local branches throughout the United States, Japan and the Philippines. "Office Locations

List of Past National Presidents

William P. Green, 1922-1924 Francis A. Knaus, 1924-1925 Ed W. Wintering, 1925-1926 Charles J. Batchelor, 1926-1927 Robert A. Young, 1927-1928 Otto Grunewald, 1928-1929 Logan E. Ruggles, 1929-1930 Philip G. Cronan, 1930-1931 Cornelius E. Anderson, 1931-1932-1933 Jesse Acuff, 1933-1934 Abraham M. Rosenberg, 1934-1935 John J. Bayer, 1935-1936 Carl A. Viken, 1936-1937 Jesse F. Cordes, 1937-1938 Alexander Steele, 1938-1939 Thomas C. Ryan, 1939-1940 George C. Corbell, 1940-1941 Frank T. Walker, 1941-1942 John H. Burke, 1942-1943 Clarence Boeckman, 1943-1944 James H. Van Slycke, 1944-1945 Robert W. Allen, 1945-1946 Robert F. Bonomarte, 1946-1947 Fredrick E. Grammer 1947-1948 Christopher C. Sanders, 1948-1949 Leo A. La Belle, 1949-1950 James J. Ralph, 1950-1951 James W. Mullins, 1951-1952 Charles D. Hause, 1952-1953 Edward E. Keeley, 1953-1954 Michael F. Catania, 1954-1955 William F. Hickey, 1955-1956 Wilson H. Sandefer, 1956-1957 Edgar H. Cook, 1957-1958 Robert E. Doherty, 1958-1959 Harold W. Elke, 1959-1960 Charles A. Herget, 1960-1961 Joseph Keehan, 1961-1962 Robert A. Means, 1962-1963 Edward C. Duffy, 1963-1964 George C. Bernatz, 1964-1965 Eddie King, 1965-1966 Lawrence M. Bane 1966-1967 Bernard P. O'hara 1969-1968 Stanley S. Nahill 1968-1969 Walter C. Rowell, 1969-1970 Robert L. Bastian, 1970-1971 Francis E. McCulley, 1971-1972 William A. Holdforth, 1972-1973 Marvin Silverman, 1973-1974 Albert E. Wilson, 1974-1975 Joseph D. Morin, 1974-1976 Thomas A. Heaney, 1976-1977 Royce J. Hatfield, 1977-1978 Roderick D. Wiley, 1978-1979 Marvin F. Harris, 1979-1980 James W. Neal, 1980-1981 Lawerence J. Cummings, 1981-1982 Charles R. McIntyre, 1982-1983 Daniel Spalding, 1983-1984 Geworge E. Brown, 1984-1985 Townsand I King, 1985-1986 William G. McCarley 1986-1987 Peter R. Ross Jr.,1987-1988 John A. Putney, 1988-1989 Jack A. Coover, 1989-1990 William E. Combes, 1990-1991 Wallace E Baker, 1991-1992 Aloysius D. Caso, 1992-1993 W.J. "Jim New, 1993-1994 George P. Hyland, 1994-1995 J.C. "Jim" Eblen, 1995-1996 Robert E. Fudge, 1996-1997 Robert G. Beese, 1997-1998 Thomas l. Lisher, 1998-1999 Marvin W. Johnson, 1999-2000 Eugene Smith, 2000-2001 Richard M. Smith, 2001-2002 Ralph A. Schmidt, 2002-2003 Joseph L. Maez, 2003-2004 George R. Key, Virginia, 2004-2005 Edgar M. Zerr, 2005-2006 Jerry L. Sweeney, Virginia, 2006-2007 Lawrence J. Bourdreaux, California, 2007-2008 F. Donald Mucheck, South Carolina, 2008-2009 Gary C. Blackburn, California, 2009-2010 James W. Scarbro, Virginia, 2010-2011 Jeffrey A. Gilmartin, Virginia, 2011-2012 Mark A. Kilgore, Florida, 2012-2013 Virgil P. Courneya Nevada, 2013-2014, 2015-2016 John D. Ippert, Hawaii 2014-2015 Donald E. Larson, Texas2016-2017 William E.Starkey, New Jersey, 2017-2018 Robert Washington, Maryland, 2018-2019 Donna Jansky, Massachusetts, 2019-2020 Michael Fulton, California, 2020-2021 James Campbell, Virginia, 2021-2022 James E. Robbins Jr., Floridia, 2022-2023 John Handzuk, Florida, 2023-2024 Maria A. Behm, Missouri, 2024-2025 Richard Fetro, California, 2025-2026

Fleet Reserve Association

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