Our Mission
The A-7 Corsair II Association’s mission is to commemorate the historic contributions of the A-7 airplane
and those who flew and maintained it in Naval, Air Force, and Air National Guard units, and create a
strong foundation of selfless dedication to service for future generations. As a non-profit corporation,
the Association’s focus is to (1) provide funding and expertise to encourage the education of America’s youth
in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and critical thinking, (2) support select philanthropic
organizations that align with our mission, (3) assist aircraft carrier and land museums regarding the display
and history of the A-7 aircraft, and (4) facilitate contact among former members of the A-7 community.
The A-7 Corsair II Association’s mission is to commemorate the historic contributions of the A-7 airplane
and those who flew and maintained it in Naval, Air Force, and Air National Guard units, and create a
strong foundation of selfless dedication to service for future generations. As a non-profit corporation,
the Association’s focus is to (1) provide funding and expertise to encourage the education of America’s youth
in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and critical thinking, (2) support select philanthropic
organizations that align with our mission, (3) assist aircraft carrier and land museums regarding the display
and history of the A-7 aircraft, and (4) facilitate contact among former members of the A-7 community.
The A-7 Corsair II Association - Types of Membership
MEMBER: Open to all former officer and enlisted personnel who, at any time served a tour of duty in a Navy, Air Force or Air National Guard squadron while that unit flew the A-7 Corsair II; a person who provided support to a squadron (e.g., civilian contractor services to an A-7 squadron at their home base or while deployed); any aviator who flew an A-7 Corsair II as pilot-in-command; any direct descendants of those previously cited.
ASSOCIATE MEMBER: Granted to corporations or otherwise ineligible persons who are sponsored by a Member and are accepted by the Board of Directors. Associate Members enjoys all membership benefits except for voting privileges.
Click here to be taken to the Membership Application page.
- THE GOUGE -
99 CORSAIRS - YOUR ACTION NEEDED NOW!
Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH)
MACH is an effort to get the VA and DoD to formally study the causes of increased cancer occurences in military fixed wing aircraft operations. Many of you who attended Hook were able to hear Vince "Aztec" Alcazar's briefings on the issue...and the need for us to act NOW. Aztec sends the following:
Good Morning in your time zone. I'm often asked: "Does any of this (advocacy) make a difference? Does it amount to anything? That's an important question. My answer is Yes, it does. I know from firsthand experience that the VA and Congress both respond to written appeals and advocacy; however, the real question is: does advocacy work? Compared to what? Because we know that silence will get Us and all Veteran Flyers net/net, zero. Nothing be improved. Nothing will be gained unless we learn how to organize our voices and commit to effective advocacy.
So, please find two attachments:
1) VA Studies Committee Announcement.pdf and,
2) 30 OCT24 NRAC Comment DRAFT.docx.
Here's the deal: on 1 OCT, the VA HQ here in DC published an announcement in the Fed Register that opened a public (all of you are the "public") comment window pertaining to a 30 OCT 24 public meeting of the National Research Advisory Council (NRAC) here in DC. From the first attachment, I have highlighted key elements of the short 2 page .pdf. Paraphrasing, the NRAC is the daddy rabbit for what research the VA organizes and conducts. The implication is that if RRVA (Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association - aka The River Rats) succeeds at getting the VA & NRAC to organize a *new* subcommittee or rescope
an existing subcommittee to lead Veteran aviator cancer research, we effectively create a push (Congress) and pull (VA) political + scientific arrangement that helps us get the research we need to move the Av Cancer ball down the field in increments that exceed two yards then a dust cloud.
What to do? Here's the ask...the second attachment is MS Word DRAFT. The content is fully developed, as such it's not in need of editing. The reason is the power that comes when we ALL speak with a consistent, unified voice. I am asking you to download the MS Word DRAFT and add your personal signature block. I know many of you remain professionally active, so please do not include a job title if doing so is concerning to you. This advocacy should be done
strictly in your role as a member of the public. That written, I'm asking you to do one more thing: email your completed letter as a .pdf to the VA POC named in the 1 OCT 24 announcement at: rashelle.robinson@va.gov
Bottomline: The VA absolutely honors mass public comment. In fact, they measure an issue's importance by the number of comments they receive. If they get 5 emails from RRVA, they will note the comments but be unmoved. Consequently, I'm asking the entire AMIC + RRVA Top 2 to send your personalized version of the attached DRAFT letter to convince the VA NRAC to embrace the proposal in the DRAFT.
Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH)
Regarding this specific effort, contact me with any questions. IMPORTANT: the VA will not accept any comment after 1600ET on Fri., 18 OCT... ~ 54 hours from now. This makes this particular advocacy effort time sensitive.
I have heard from a handful of you; thank you. If you have not written to Rashelle at the VA using the attached template letter, PLEASE DO SO AS TIME IS VERY LIMITED. Writing one letter to the VA is not necessarily the WIN we are seeking in the ACES ACt. But writing tothe VA is how we can eventually align the VA to our priorities. And that IS A WIN.
This is Us, helping Us. No one can tell Our story better than Us.
Aztec (MACH lead)
Good Morning in your time zone. I'm often asked: "Does any of this (advocacy) make a difference? Does it amount to anything? That's an important question. My answer is Yes, it does. I know from firsthand experience that the VA and Congress both respond to written appeals and advocacy; however, the real question is: does advocacy work? Compared to what? Because we know that silence will get Us and all Veteran Flyers net/net, zero. Nothing be improved. Nothing will be gained unless we learn how to organize our voices and commit to effective advocacy.
So, please find two attachments:
1) VA Studies Committee Announcement.pdf and,
2) 30 OCT24 NRAC Comment DRAFT.docx.
Here's the deal: on 1 OCT, the VA HQ here in DC published an announcement in the Fed Register that opened a public (all of you are the "public") comment window pertaining to a 30 OCT 24 public meeting of the National Research Advisory Council (NRAC) here in DC. From the first attachment, I have highlighted key elements of the short 2 page .pdf. Paraphrasing, the NRAC is the daddy rabbit for what research the VA organizes and conducts. The implication is that if RRVA (Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association - aka The River Rats) succeeds at getting the VA & NRAC to organize a *new* subcommittee or rescope
an existing subcommittee to lead Veteran aviator cancer research, we effectively create a push (Congress) and pull (VA) political + scientific arrangement that helps us get the research we need to move the Av Cancer ball down the field in increments that exceed two yards then a dust cloud.
What to do? Here's the ask...the second attachment is MS Word DRAFT. The content is fully developed, as such it's not in need of editing. The reason is the power that comes when we ALL speak with a consistent, unified voice. I am asking you to download the MS Word DRAFT and add your personal signature block. I know many of you remain professionally active, so please do not include a job title if doing so is concerning to you. This advocacy should be done
strictly in your role as a member of the public. That written, I'm asking you to do one more thing: email your completed letter as a .pdf to the VA POC named in the 1 OCT 24 announcement at: rashelle.robinson@va.gov
Bottomline: The VA absolutely honors mass public comment. In fact, they measure an issue's importance by the number of comments they receive. If they get 5 emails from RRVA, they will note the comments but be unmoved. Consequently, I'm asking the entire AMIC + RRVA Top 2 to send your personalized version of the attached DRAFT letter to convince the VA NRAC to embrace the proposal in the DRAFT.
Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH)
Regarding this specific effort, contact me with any questions. IMPORTANT: the VA will not accept any comment after 1600ET on Fri., 18 OCT... ~ 54 hours from now. This makes this particular advocacy effort time sensitive.
I have heard from a handful of you; thank you. If you have not written to Rashelle at the VA using the attached template letter, PLEASE DO SO AS TIME IS VERY LIMITED. Writing one letter to the VA is not necessarily the WIN we are seeking in the ACES ACt. But writing tothe VA is how we can eventually align the VA to our priorities. And that IS A WIN.
This is Us, helping Us. No one can tell Our story better than Us.
Aztec (MACH lead)
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
Please copy and paste this email form as a template for your email...
Department of Veteran Affairs
National Research Advisory Council
Washington, D.C. 20420
Sir / Madam:
In accordance with the 1 OCT 24 VA announcement, I submit written comment to the VA National Research Advisory Council (NRAC) record for its 30 OCT 24 meeting. While there is an Air Force Health Study (AFHS) subcommittee, we respectfully advocate for:
1) an expansion of AFHS charter to rescope its work to include all Veterans of military aviation regardless of service history, or
2) the creation outright of a new NRAC subcommittee whose analytic scope is Veteran aviator cancer research.
The rationale for this proposed structural change in relevant VA NRAC subcommittee structure and analytic charter is the sweep and magnitude of recent military / Veteran aircrew cancer incidence and mortality studies. Specifically, since 2021, there are three major studies that demonstrate that military / Veteran aviators have significantly elevated rates of melanoma, prostate, testis, brain & CNS, thyroid, and female breast cancers. The 2021 Air Force Aviator Cancer study with a “n” of 34,000+”, the 2023 DOD Aviator Cancer Phase 1a Study with a “n” of 156,000, and the 2024 DOD Aviator Cancer Phase 1b Study with a “n” of 138,000+ share overlapping findings of significantly elevated cancer (the six, above) prevalence among Veteran flyers.
The totality of these three landmark studies—the first of their kind in the U.S. and the largest of any studies of their kind anywhere in the world put Veteran flyers among the most intensely studied cancer cohort at scale within the VA. However, at the present time there appears to be no NRAC entity with a writ to focus on research for the totality of Veteran flyers. We are asking both the VA Chief of Staff and NRAC leaders to support the urgent creation of a new subcommittee whose analytic focus is research in Veteran aircrew cancers.
Most Respectfully,
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
(Your signature block)
Department of Veteran Affairs
National Research Advisory Council
Washington, D.C. 20420
Sir / Madam:
In accordance with the 1 OCT 24 VA announcement, I submit written comment to the VA National Research Advisory Council (NRAC) record for its 30 OCT 24 meeting. While there is an Air Force Health Study (AFHS) subcommittee, we respectfully advocate for:
1) an expansion of AFHS charter to rescope its work to include all Veterans of military aviation regardless of service history, or
2) the creation outright of a new NRAC subcommittee whose analytic scope is Veteran aviator cancer research.
The rationale for this proposed structural change in relevant VA NRAC subcommittee structure and analytic charter is the sweep and magnitude of recent military / Veteran aircrew cancer incidence and mortality studies. Specifically, since 2021, there are three major studies that demonstrate that military / Veteran aviators have significantly elevated rates of melanoma, prostate, testis, brain & CNS, thyroid, and female breast cancers. The 2021 Air Force Aviator Cancer study with a “n” of 34,000+”, the 2023 DOD Aviator Cancer Phase 1a Study with a “n” of 156,000, and the 2024 DOD Aviator Cancer Phase 1b Study with a “n” of 138,000+ share overlapping findings of significantly elevated cancer (the six, above) prevalence among Veteran flyers.
The totality of these three landmark studies—the first of their kind in the U.S. and the largest of any studies of their kind anywhere in the world put Veteran flyers among the most intensely studied cancer cohort at scale within the VA. However, at the present time there appears to be no NRAC entity with a writ to focus on research for the totality of Veteran flyers. We are asking both the VA Chief of Staff and NRAC leaders to support the urgent creation of a new subcommittee whose analytic focus is research in Veteran aircrew cancers.
Most Respectfully,
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
(Your signature block)
NEXT VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 24TH
Please join us for the next installment of our Virtual Happy Hour. Always a popular gathering, these Happy Hours allow us to share informative updates on Association happenings, and enjoy some time together, sharing TINS tales. Given that we'll be meeting close to Halloween, the topic for this Happy Hour will be "Scary A-7 Moments".
As with prior Happy Hours, this event will be hosted on Zoom. Here is the logon info:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83421058454?pwd=bbUyVD8bhtTSJly697TBPx8tVuAmkn.1
Meeting ID: 834 2105 8454
Passcode: 221798
As with prior Happy Hours, this event will be hosted on Zoom. Here is the logon info:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83421058454?pwd=bbUyVD8bhtTSJly697TBPx8tVuAmkn.1
Meeting ID: 834 2105 8454
Passcode: 221798
HOOK '24: A GREAT TIME HAD BY ALL!
For those interested in reviewing/downloading a PDF of our Business Meeting presentation, please go to the "2024 A7C2A Business Meeting Presentation". This section of our website is for members only, and password-protected.
99 Corsairs...
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR
FOURTH ANNUAL A7C2A VIRTUAL 5K!
The first flight of the A-7 Corsair II took place 26 September 1965. The airframe would go on to serve in every major conflict from Vietnam to Desert Storm. Utilized by the US Navy, US Air Force, US Air National Guard, Portuguese Air Force, Thai Air Force, and Hellenic Air Force, the Corsair II was finally retired from service in 2014. To commemorate this aircraft's storied history and the sacrifice of those service members who flew and maintained the airframe throughout its 49 year history, the A-7 Corsair II Association is hosting its fourth annual virtual 5K run/walk. Funds raised from this event will be used to support the Association's goals including scholarships for America’s youth for various programs focusing on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, critical thinking, and of course, aviation.
A portion of the registration is tax deductible. If you have any questions, please contact the race director at A7C2RaceDirector@gmail.com. TO register, please go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/AnyTown/AnnualA7CorsairIIMemorial5KRunWalk
A portion of the registration is tax deductible. If you have any questions, please contact the race director at A7C2RaceDirector@gmail.com. TO register, please go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/AnyTown/AnnualA7CorsairIIMemorial5KRunWalk
A-7 ASSOCIATION CREATES A CHALLENGE COIN
TO HONOR FLIGHT DECK PERSONNEL
The A-7 Corsair II Association has created a beautiful challenge coin which honors the most-critical component of our Navy's carrier operations: the enlisted flight deck crew member. An aircraft carrier's enlisted flight deck crew is comprised of literally thousands of men and women, each responsible for a certain aspect of operations. It is through their Herculean efforts that make the aircraft carrier the potent strategic aspect that it is. And it was through their efforts that Navy A-7s were able to create such a rich and ensuring legacy.
This impressive challenge coin is 2" wide, and 3mm thick, cast in black-tone metal with great colors and texture. The front side features two brown shirts draped in tie-down chains in front of an aircraft carrier at sea. so as not to lose the beauty of the original proof, this side has been reproduced as a high-resolution image, and is affixed to the coin face, and then covered in a durable, clear plastic 'bubble'. The back side of this coin is emblazoned with seven flight deck cranials, each depicting the color of those found on the flight deck. These cranials surround the saying, "Flight Deck Personnel - Nothing Happens Without Us." At the bottom is a silhouette of an A-7 Corsair II, along with our website. This side of the coin is struck in metal in striking relief, and then painted. This coin would make a wonderful keepsake for anyone who served aboard an aircraft carrier, a beautiful coin to include in your own "I love me" room, or would make a great addition to any collection.
The coins are being offered at $15 each, and the price includes tax and shipping. They may be purchased using the secure link below. The coin(s) will be shipped in a padded mailer, via USPS First Class Mail to addresses within the continental U.S Overseas orders will be responsible for any additional shipping charges. Proceeds from the sale of these coins will go to the Association's legacy fund.
We are confident that demand for these coins will be high, so order yours now!
This impressive challenge coin is 2" wide, and 3mm thick, cast in black-tone metal with great colors and texture. The front side features two brown shirts draped in tie-down chains in front of an aircraft carrier at sea. so as not to lose the beauty of the original proof, this side has been reproduced as a high-resolution image, and is affixed to the coin face, and then covered in a durable, clear plastic 'bubble'. The back side of this coin is emblazoned with seven flight deck cranials, each depicting the color of those found on the flight deck. These cranials surround the saying, "Flight Deck Personnel - Nothing Happens Without Us." At the bottom is a silhouette of an A-7 Corsair II, along with our website. This side of the coin is struck in metal in striking relief, and then painted. This coin would make a wonderful keepsake for anyone who served aboard an aircraft carrier, a beautiful coin to include in your own "I love me" room, or would make a great addition to any collection.
The coins are being offered at $15 each, and the price includes tax and shipping. They may be purchased using the secure link below. The coin(s) will be shipped in a padded mailer, via USPS First Class Mail to addresses within the continental U.S Overseas orders will be responsible for any additional shipping charges. Proceeds from the sale of these coins will go to the Association's legacy fund.
We are confident that demand for these coins will be high, so order yours now!
What all the best-dressed A-7 bubbas are wearing...
ASSOCIATION BALLCAPS AVAILABLE!
Now available in the Geedunk...A-7 Corsair II Association ballcaps! These are Flex-Fit fitted caps, and are available in two sizes, S/M and L/XL. Cost for these are $28, and price includes both tax and USPS Priority Shipping. To order, used the secure payment button below!
LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS
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