🎧︎ EP38 Self Reflection as an Effective Tool for Growth with Michael Meese ‘81, President of the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA)
This episode features a conversation with Michael Meese ‘81, President of the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA), a not-for-profit, member-owned financial services association that provides life insurance, military benefits counseling, Survivor Assistance Services, residential mortgages, financial planning, investment management and trust services to the American Armed Forces Community.
Michael retired from the US Army as a Brigadier General after serving for 32 years. At AAFMAA, Michael oversees all aspects of the Association to ensure the financial security and independence of the American Armed Forces Community through insurance and other benefits. In his career, he served in a variety of strategic political-military positions including deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia. Michael was also the Executive Director of the Secretary of the Army’s Transition Team in 2005. He is a leader in military and Veterans issues, including chairing the 2016-17 Transition Team for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In this episode of On Point, Michael talks about his time as a student, teacher, and head of the economics department at West Point. He explains the importance of empowering people, educating them, and then allowing them the ability to run with what they've learned. Michael also gives insight into being a part of the presidential transition team, and how AAFMAA is working to give needed support to veterans, survivors, and caregivers.
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“You get paid to work out, you get paid to study, they send you to school, you get paid to read and develop professionally. And all of those skills are not there just because the military likes to do it. It's because it makes it a better force. If you have a smart force that's reading, that’s studying, that's working out and it's doing all those things, it makes you more effective and it makes the force overall more effective.” - Michael Meese ‘81
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Episode Timestamps
(02:00) First segment: AAR
(04:00) The Service Academy Global Summit
(05:50) Michael’s West Point experience
(07:45) Teaching at West Point
(08:00) Cadet walking hours
(09:45) Mentorship
(13:15) Branching in Field Artillery
(17:30) Michael’s Army career
(23:45) Segment: Sit Rep
(26:45) Retiring from the military
(28:00) Working at AAFMAA
(34:00) Mentorship
(38:30) Segment: SOP
(40:45) Physical fitness and Routines
(41:30) Segment: Giving Back
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