Result Summary for Survey:The Flag & General Officers Network Survey

September 2008 Survey Results HOME

1. Our membership has been restricted to flag and general officers of the five military services [Army, Navy, USAF, USMC, and USCG]. Should we expand eligibility? Please select any of the options suggested below. [Mark all that apply]
		Response Percent
Expand to include flag & general officers from NOAA and the Public Health Service.		25.1%
Expand to include flag and general officers of foreign nations who wish to attend.		15.0%
Expand to include DOD Senior Executive Service.		13.4%
Expand to include DHS/DOS and related Senior Executive Service.		3.2%
Expand to include all in the Senior Executive Service.		2.7%
Keep it as it is.		59.9%

2. If membership remains limited to the five military services, would you favor: [Mark all that apply]
		Response Percent
Permitting non-military flag and general officers to be invited as guests at one event each year.		50.3%
Permitting SESers to be invited as guests at one event each year.		55.3%
Permitting Foreign Military flag and general officers to be invited as guests at one event each year.		71.1%

3. Our current policy regarding including spouses at our events has been “no policy”. And while most do not bring their spouses, some do, particularly when they have another function to attend afterward and their spouse is accompanying them to that event. With that in mind, should we:
		Response Percent
Keep it the same		56.9%
Invite spouses to attend each time		17.0%
Have one annual event that includes spouses and for the rest, keep the current “non-policy”.		26.1%

4. Two years ago, we had no speakers. Last year, we had one----- Mr. Jack Metzler, the Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery, to speak about “the last real estate we’d ever occupy”. We do not plan to have speakers for the rest of 2008 and possibly 2009. Should we:
		Response Percent
Keep it as is.		39.9%
Have one carefully-selected speaker a year that is service-generic and whose topic pertains to each of us.		46.3%
Have a speaker twice a year.		13.8%

5. Since we’re located in the nation’s capitol, we are often made aware of prestigious or high level social events that would have appeal to flag and general officers. While most are aware of those with military linkages, there are others where the military links are less obvious or less pronounced, such as the National Debutante Cotillion in Washington, DC which has significant official delegations from West Point, USNA, the USAF Academy, the USCG Academy, The Citadel, VMI, etc., as well as Members of Congress and the Diplomatic Corps and Foreign Embassies. However many who have spent careers stationed all around the world are unaware of these events. Should we:
		Response Percent
Circulate information on such events.		63.1%
Not forward anything involving social events outside of our F&GO Network events.		36.9%

6. We currently circulate resumes of flag and general officers that are leaving active duty and preparing for their 2nd career, as well as for those already in their 2nd career but seeking greener pastures. We have had truly outstanding success in getting our TFGON members exposed to employment situations and opportunities they would otherwise not have known about. However others have said they have no interest in this effort. Should we:
		Response Percent
Keep circulating member resumes		95.8%
Not circulate member resumes		4.2%

7. There’s a possibility that our current location at the Tivoli Restaurant may be interrupted next year for some building renovations. We chose the Tivoli because of several advantages; it is right above the Rosslyn Metro Stop so no one has to go outside to get there, and it has free parking after 5 p.m. They’ve also been good to work with and provide the room to us for free [and we suspect pay for it with their drink prices, which are in our opinion steep]. IF the Tivoli building does undergo renovations, should we:
		Response Percent
Look for another location with focus on the same parking/metro advantages?		87.5%
Seek out other locations which focus on better prices whether parking/metro is convenient or not?		12.5%

8. We currently gather on a Monday evening as most Members of Congress travel Thursday through Monday so that those of us whose schedules are determined to some degree by Congressional schedules can attend. We have been approached by a private club on Capitol Hill that has great metro accessibility and good prices, but Capitol Hill parking [a.k.a. lousy], but we’d have to shift from a Monday evening to Friday evening. Given these parameters for such a shift, and if the Tivoli has to shut down for a time for renovations, should we give this Capitol Hill [House side] location a try?
		Response Percent
Yes		65.3%
No		34.7%

9. At present, TFGON has approximately $5000 in the bank gathering interest left over from when we used to charge dues. We don’t need this money as ALL our events are fully self-financing, and it makes little sense to have the money sitting in the bank not doing any good. There is a new program to provide Congressional Internships for wounded military veterans [Full Disclosure: the program is run without compensation by our own TFGON National Co-Chairman, Rear Admiral [Ret.] Jim Carey] that could use these funds to bring a “Wounded Warrior” to Washington, DC for a 10 week intensive internship on Congressional Staff. This would hopefully provide him/her with the credentials, experience, and qualifications to successfully compete for employment on Congressional Staff and a meaningful and satisfying career path otherwise unavailable to them. The internship would be named “The Flag & General Officers Network Chair for the study of Congressional Responsibility for National Defense and Homeland Security”. Would you favor this use of this money?
		Response Percent
Yes		86.1%
No		13.9%

10. There is a new official House of Representatives organization in Congress known as the Congressional Veterans Organization (www.CongressionalVets.org) that has asked if we would like to have an informal gathering of both organizations’ members, possibly on the balcony outside of the House Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing Room on Capitol Hill? Since they would be hosting, we would be subject to their parameters regarding time of day, day of the week, etc. This very unique opportunity would be in addition to our four scheduled networking events each year. Given these parameters, is this something you would attend if it fit your schedule?
		Response Percent
Yes		83.2%
No		16.8%