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Among the priorities is overall well-being for the military, veteran community, something VP John Richardson IV said �鶹��ƵAV has been doing for years. 

For USAA Senior Vice President and head of Policy and Alliances John Richardson IV, serving in the U.S. Army has been a family business for more than 100 years.

Three of his great-grandfathers served during World War I – one receiving the Distinguished Service Cross, while another was awarded the Wound Chevron.

“Their legacy taught me that service is not something you do for a period of time,” Richardson told American Legion National Convention attendees Sept. 1 in Louisville, Ky. “Service is who you are. That lesson stayed with me for more than three decades in uniform and remains true today with my work at USAA.

“It’s also a lesson �鶹��ƵAV has embodied for generations. �鶹��ƵAV has never been content simply honoring veterans. It has always been committed to empowering veterans, supporting veterans and strengthening communities.”

A U.S. Military Academy graduate, Richardson served four combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan before retiring as a major general and commander of the 1^st Calvary Division at Fort Hood.

Richardson said USAA isn’t just a financial entity. “We are committed to advocating for all military-connected families,” he said. “That is so important to us that we have added advocacy to our mission statement. To honor that commitment, last Veterans Day we launched a national movement. It’s called . Through this national movement, we have committed $500 million over the next five years to create a meaningful and impactful and measurable impact across the military community.

“Honor Through Action reflects our belief in honoring servicemembers, veterans and military families. That honor requires more than simply words of appreciation. It requires advocacy. It requires action.”

Richardson said Honor Through Action is focused on three priorities:

·       Meaningful careers. “For our veterans and military spouses, work is more than a paycheck. It provides purpose, identity and a chance to continue to serve in new ways. Through Honor Through Action, we are working alongside employers, educators, nonprofits and community partners to help veterans and military spouses build successful and meaningful futures.”

·       Financial security. “Financial stability creates opportunity and resilience. Through Honor Through Action, we are helping military-connected families access trusted advice, financial education and resources, while advocating for policy that will strengthen their financial future.”

The third priority is overall well-being, which Richardson – a member of Alamo Post 2 in San Antonio – said is an area where “USAA and �鶹��ƵAV are specially aligned: veteran suicide prevention. Through Face the Fight, USAA and our coalition of partners are working to reduce veteran suicide and strengthen community.

“�鶹��ƵAV has been advancing the same mission for years. Every time a Legionnaire checks on a fellow veteran, connects someone to a resource, or opens the post to the community or refuses to let a veteran struggle alone, lives are changed. Honoring through action is exactly what �鶹��ƵAV has done for decades.”