ADAA President's Letter

Hello Air Defenders!  As your new Association President, I’m very excited to be able to communicate with the members of the Air Defense Artillery Association (ADAA). 

I want to personally thank LTG (Ret) Stan Green for his stalwart leadership and unwavering support for well over a decade as our President.  LTG (Ret) Green guided and led the ADAA thru the transition from Ft. Bliss to Ft. Sill.  He and the previous board member have positioned the ADAA to operate well into the 21st Century and we owe them a debt of gratitude.  Good news, LTG Green will continue to be involved and will serve as President Emeritus.

As we start to close out the activities of 2021, I’m proud to report on the significant progress the association has made during the pandemic towards its goals.  Hardworking volunteers and the steady leadership of our active board members moved the ADAA into our new building this year and made it operational.  This was a herculean effort and major milestone to be proud of.  Special thanks to COL (Ret) Vinnie Tedesco and the National Duster Quads and Search Light Association (NDQSA) for their generous support and contribution to make occupying the new location a reality.  The collective team has truly created an incredible atmosphere and gift shop for our members to meet and socialize that is located just across the street from the ADA Training Support Facility (TSF) or better known as the new “ADA Museum”.  Please stop by and enjoy a cup of coffee, have a nice conversation and check out the Branch Pride merchandise too!  

Also, I want to thank CWOB (Ret) Nate Jones for his relentless work the past several years during his tenure as the Executive Director.  Nate Jones performed yeoman duties and his many contributions has contributed significantly in building our future.  Nate is stepping down as the Executive Director, but remains fully committed and he will continue serving as a valuable board member.  Inasmuch, I have asked Nate to lead our committee on expanding Chapter Memberships across the Association. 

Great news is that we have identified a fantastic Executive Director and I’m excited to announce that I intend to nominate Mrs. Melita Simley to serve as the next Executive Director.  No volunteer is as dedicated to the success of this association as Melita Simley.  She volunteers countless hours, routinely coordinates the team of volunteers and continues to pursue new ideas and opportunities that will set this association up for success and will serve our members well and the ADA community will benefit from her outstanding leadership.  

In closing, we intend to use this new format to communicate more regularly by creating a place with the most relevant information we can share with our members.  Please look for our next message where we intend to expand on the ADAA Vision and the Goals that we are setting for 2022.  At that time we will formally introduce the ADAA Board members.  Stand by for the big reveal on establishing the esteemed Ancient Order of Molly Pitcher – an award for our most deserving and distinguished spouses.   Thanks for opportunity to continuing to serve, I’m proud to be the your ADAA President and look forward to serving with this great team of professionals.  

First to Fire!   BG (Ret) Randy McIntire #41