January/February
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• New FRA National President Profile
o At the FRA’s centennial convention, a new national president will be elected. Members can get to know the new NP through this profile, which will cover their military career, past FRA involvement and plans for the future of the association.
• USMC Recon Legend Jim Capers
o Branch 299 member Jim Capers completed over 50 secret missions during his career and is “one of the most decorated Marines in Force Reconnaissance history” according to the Marine Corps.
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Space: 11/18/2024
Materials:11/29/2024
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March/April
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• The New Legend-class National Security Cutter
o The Coast Guard’s new Legend-class national security cutters are built for mission versatility. The 418-foot cutters can hit 28 knots, remain at sea for up to 90 days, launch and recover small boats, and utilize their hangars and flight decks for helicopter and drone operations. With 10 in operation and an 11th on the way, these ships are already proving their value at sea.
• The Jessica Buchanan Rescue
o Three months after being kidnapped by Somali pirates, Jessica Buchanan and a colleague waited in increasingly poor health as ransom negotiations for their release stalled. Little did they know that SEAL Team 6 was on its way to rescue them, with the support of thousands of Navy sailors in the air and below the waves.
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Space: 1/17/2025
Materials:1/31/2025
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May/June
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• On the Ground of the Sea Services Recruiting Crisis
o The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have all struggled to meet their recruiting goals over the past few years. What are recruiters hearing about why young people do or don't want to join? What strategies are helping at the recruiting office level, the service branch level, and the national level?
• Jonny Kim Profile
o Lt. Cmdr. Jonny Kim began his Navy career as an enlisted SEAL in 2002 and completed more than 100 combat operations before becoming an officer. He went on to complete a medical degree and flight school, qualifying simultaneously as a naval aviator and naval flight surgeon. He currently serves as an astronaut with NASA.
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Space: 3/21/2025
Materials: 3/28/2025
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July/August
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• Navy Humanitarian Missions
o This feature highlights the Navy’s humanitarian missions past and present, particularly a 2017 mission into the Brazilian Amazon to provide health care to the riverine population along the Amazon River.
• FRA Branch 166’s Legislative Efforts
o Working alongside other military service organizations in the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, Branch 166 has successfully lobbied the Virginia General Assembly to pass several laws benefiting service members, veterans and their families living in the state. This feature will explore how the branch got involved in these legislative efforts, the strategies that led to their success, and what legislation the branch hopes to pass in the future.
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Space: 5/23/2025
Materials:5/30/2025
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September/October
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• Future of the V-22 Osprey
o After several high-profile crashes, Congress and others are questioning whether the Marine Corps and others should continue to use their fleets of tiltrotor aircraft, which are complex to fly and difficult to maintain. Do the Osprey’s benefits outweigh its risks? What is being done to improve safety for pilots and air crews?
• Recruiting Strategies That Work
o As many fraternal organizations grapple with decreasing membership, some branches of the FRA are growing. What lessons can be learned from these branches?
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Space: 7/25/2025
Materials: 8/1/2025
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November/December
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• Unmanned Systems in the Coast Guard
o What role do unmanned systems and artificial intelligence play in the Coast Guard today, and what role does the service envision them playing in the future?
• Finding the “Unsinkable Battleship” NEVADA
o The USS NEVADA, dubbed the “unsinkable battleship,” served in two world wars and was found in 2020 nearly 3 miles below the water’s surface about 65 nautical miles southwest of Pearl Harbor. This feature explores the ship’s importance in multiple wars, its eventual decommissioning and the modern-day efforts to find the wreckage.
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Space: 9/19/2025
Materials: 9/26/2025
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