Our most recent membership numbers show that 62 percent of our nearly 1.3 million members nationally are 60 or older, while just 11 percent of our members are 39 or younger. However, we’re going to see a large influx of service members making the transition out of military service as the armed forces continue to face a reduction in active-duty numbers. We must stay vigilant and on guard to engage and communicate with these potential new members.

Membership is the lifeblood of DAV, and our community of heroes stands together to ensure our nation keeps its promises to the men and women who served. This steadfast dedication to our cause has made DAV what it is today—a premier organization made up of veterans serving veterans.

Our armed forces have changed along with our society, and DAV has evolved to embrace those changes through the years. This enables us to help ensure all veterans are able to lead high quality lives with respect and dignity.

Now, with more than 800,000 members over the age of 60, it is absolutely paramount we remain enthusiastically engaged with this large base of our membership. It is their knowledge and experience that will not only serve us well in leadership roles today, but will usher our organization into the years to come. They are key to mentoring, volunteering and welcoming our new members.

These members are truly our foundation, but like all organizations, we need to keep one eye on the future in order to continue to best serve our veterans.

As our military continues to make us proud in various conflicts around the world, we must be ready to engage these younger veterans upon their exit from military service. It is essential we educate them about what DAV can do for them and their families. This includes what DAV can do for them from their initial transition from service and throughout the rest of their lives.

We are in great health as an organization, but we also have a fantastic opportunity to grow our membership numbers among younger veterans.

Today, DAV continues to evolve on social media, and technology is being leveraged by DAV members to continue speaking out about the unique requirements of veterans and their loved ones. Another way DAV has evolved is the online membership application. Nearly everyone has a smartphone, so nearly everyone has a membership application on them now.

DAV has more than 3,200 members dedicated to recruiting new members so that our base remains strong and vibrant into the future. With 52 state-level Departments and 1,280 active Chapters nationwide, our nearly 1.3 million members are well-positioned to continue fighting for America’s disabled veterans and their families well into the 21st century.