AUSA North Texas – Audie Murphy Chapter won 13 awards and placed second among 122 worldwide chapters recognized last month at the national 2021 AUSA Meeting & Exposition.
The educational-and-professional organization advocates for active, reserve and National Guard soldiers and Army families, creates soldier-for-life opportunities and engages community partners, according to an AUSA news release. The chapter received praise for its efforts in 2020. The awards bestowed include:
- Chapter of Excellence
- Support to Recruiting Command
- Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)/JuniorReserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)/Officer Candidate School (OCS)/US Military Academy (USMA) Support
- Superior Chapter
- Merit Chapter
- Star Chapter
- Vietnam Commemorative Partnership Program
- Army Birthday
- Best General Membership Meeting
- Reserve Component Support
- Community Partner Support
- Take the Hill
- Education & Programs
- Army History
- Professional Development
- Soldier for Life
- Volunteer Development
- Young Professionals
- Department of the Army Civilian Support
- Best General Membership Meeting – Honorable Mention
It was named Best Overall Chapter from National Headquarters in 2015. The chapter, a nonprofit, is based in Highland Village and has more than 850 individual members and more than 40 Community Partners. It serves more than 1,000 people currently.
“The chapter’s work in the areas of supporting wounded warriors, Army and Department of Defense veterans, future soldiers’ programs, Army soldiers and their families, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the country’s largest military and veteran nonprofits,” said Dr. Patti G. McCoy, president of AUSA North Texas – Audie Murphy Chapter. “Our chapter has served more than 1 million veterans, soldiers and their families from Dallas-Fort Worth to Wichita Falls by providing everything from support for wounded warrior programs to developing the leadership skills of future soldiers since 1990.”
Among its many activities, the chapter hosts the AUSA Wounded Warrior Golf Classic. Three-quarters of the proceeds go to nonprofits serving veterans and future soldiers, as well as nonprofits supporting military families.
The chapter also received recognition for its work honoring and recognizing outstanding future soldiers enrolled in Junior ROTC and ROTC programs at Dallas Independent School District, Fort Worth Independent School District and Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. The award spotlights chapters sponsoring cadet professional development events, participation at university/college ROTC award ceremonies, presentations of AUSA medals and history awards to outstanding cadets, support for local ROTC programs, creation and support to AUSA ROTC companies at local institutions and participation in JROTC award ceremonies and programs.
Four TCU ROTC cadets received Roman Gladius swords in recognition of their scholastic achievements and leadership. Two JROTC cadets who recently graduated from Plano Senior High School earned recognition for their outstanding grades and leadership skills.
In addition, following the tradition of celebrating the Army’s birthday, the chapter honored future soldiers by hosting an enlistment ceremony. Chapter members also evaluated candidates’ applications for Army scholarships.
“As a chapter with board members the geographic area of Mineral Wells in the west, The Red River in the north, Texarkana in the east and Waco to the south, we’re able to understand and be a part of our members’ communities in a way that other chapters cannot,” McCoy said. “We were selected as a top-performing chapter because we are flexible, nimble and able to pivot quickly to capitalize on opportunities to be the voice of the Army and develop programs that support the active duty and retired soldiers and their families.”
For more information, visit https://www.ausanorthtexas.org/.
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