Non Commissioned Officers Association — NCOA
NCOA was created in 1960 for one constituency: the enlisted — the noncommissioned officers and junior enlisted who are most of the force and most of its veterans. One thing to know at the door: NCOA is an advocacy and member-benefit association, not a claims service — it does not file VA claims. What it offers a family is a voice in Washington and benevolent funds that belong to its members.
- Founded: 1960; congressionally chartered
- Status: Federally chartered nonprofit organization
- Headquarters: Selma, Texas
- Size: “over 70,000 Service Members, Veterans, and families” (NCOA’s own figure — note that its wording counts families in)
- Website: ncoausa.org
Who it serves
NCOA’s join page sets out its divisions plainly:
- Active Duty, Reserves, National Guard Division — anyone currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, in any branch, holding the grade of E-1 through E-9.
- Veteran and Retiree Division — anyone who served in any branch and separated with a rank/grade of E-1 through E-9.
- Family Member Division — individuals whose family member served in any branch and separated with a rank/grade of E-1 through E-9.
- NCOAdvocate Division — individuals who support NCOA’s aims and goals but are not eligible for the other divisions.
The family’s second door is the Auxiliary (the International Auxiliary in NCOA’s bylaws): any spouse or former spouse, widow or widower, and family member 18 or older of an enlisted member — active duty, separated, veteran, Reserve, or National Guard — in the pay grades E-1 through E-9.
What it does
- Legislative advocacy — NCOA’s Washington work, in its own words, ensures “that the concerns of Enlisted personnel are heard”; it sits in The Military Coalition alongside 35-plus military and veterans organizations.
- Scholarship Fund — exclusively for NCOA members, providing scholarships to the dependents of members; NCOA says it has granted scholarships to children and spouses of members since 1975.
- Bettsy Ross Educational Fund — educational-assistance grants to Auxiliary members.
- Disaster Relief Fund — for members in need (NCOA’s FAQ describes disaster relief and its scholarships and grants as member benefits).
- Hardship assistance, the War Medallion Program honoring veterans and families, an annual conference, and member career development and discounts.
How a family uses it
- Start at ncoausa.org — national office: (210) 653-6161.
- For a VA claim, go to a service-officer organization instead — DAV, the VFW, or a county or state service officer (The Government Doors). NCOA does not do claims.
- If your veteran wore stripes — E-1 through E-9, any branch, serving now or long separated — he is NCOA’s member; you are its Family Member Division or its Auxiliary.
Facts on this page are drawn from NCOA's own published materials (ncoausa.org, including its join page, FAQ, and bylaws), checked October 2026. Membership and program rules change; the organization's own site governs. Corrections: care@bowmanwebservices.com.