By Michael Meese 
President, AAFMAA 

As we anticipate the 23rd anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, all of us will likely reflect on where we were that fateful day and how the attacks have changed our lives and our Nation. For me, those events led to several deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and influenced my son and my son-in-law, who were in elementary school on 9/11, to join the Army. I am proud of their service and of the millions of men and women whose service has contributed to protecting our Nation and advancing American values since then.  

The past 20 years have also been significant for AAFMAA. We saw our greatest growth in Membership in the decade immediately following 9/11 and we continue to serve nearly 100,000 members of the American Armed Forces community with exceptional life insurance and other benefits — now including wealth management, financial planning, and residential mortgages. Everything we do is focused on helping ensure the financial independence and security of our Members. None of our insurance policies have any war restrictions — many servicemembers obtain their policies as they deploy to combat, which is exactly why AAFMAA exists. In my case, AAFMAA approved my second AAFMAA life insurance policy just days before I deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. 

We pride ourselves on being here for the families of our Members in their most challenging times. Over the past two decades, AAFMAA has paid more than $1 billion in death benefits to the families of our Members who have died, and we have helped secure millions more in government entitlements for them as well. These results reflect our history as a mutual aid association — founded so that military members could take care of each other’s families, especially when one passes away.  

The challenges are different today than they were after 9/11, but the world remains an uncertain place fraught with conflicts and tension. The legacy of that day lives on in the service and sacrifice of our military members and their families. At AAFMAA, we stand firm in our 145-year-old promise: to honor that sacrifice, to support our military community, and to ensure that the financial security of those who defend our freedom is never left to chance. Together, we remember. Together, we serve. And together, we build a stronger future for all who wear the uniform and those they hold dear. 

This article was originally published September 14, 2021.