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How we evolved into the Association of Military Recruiters and Counselors (AMRAC)
The Not Good Old Boys Association was informally created in 1983 as a result of the Army's decision to assign many senior recruiters to the Army retention program. The retention community fostered much resentment about the Army's decision to do this and many of the former recruiters were regularly given the cold shoulder by their retention counterparts. As a result, former recruiters assigned to Korea created an informal group called the not good old boys, also known as NGOBs. The NGOB alliance had no agenda except to treat all people fairly, to reward competence and hard work and not to accept cronyism as a standard for positions and rewards. The initial NGOB founders were (then) SFCs Jerry Pionk, Walter Melton, Bill Ramonas, and Dexter Smith. Don Wong and Greg (Jake) Spencer were added to the picture a little later. Korean co-founders were Shin Chong Ho and Lee Dong Sung.
The NGOBs was strictly a Korea endeavor. The normal procedures were for all Army counselors in Korea to be roasted quarterly and then presented with a certificate and later a medallion commemorating their NGOB status. The organization had no agenda outside promoting comradeship and fairplay among its members. The parties were quite lively however and the initial custom of toasting with so-ju, a local Korean drink, was soon replaced by tequila. Non-drinkers were and are always permitted to toast with water. One point to be remembered about the NGOB organization is that it was never intended to be exclusionary. Anyone can be inducted, simply by showing up for a meeting, or asking another NGOB, or by filling out an application and mailing it in.
The NGOBs went through a metamorphosis in 1992 with the assignment of SGM Pionk to Washington DC. Many people from outside Korea mistakenly believed that an organization existed (it didn't since it was informal) and unless one was a member their assignments and promotions would be affected. This was the biggest bunch of bunk in creation, but the false rumors were permeated further by misinformed people in the retention field, culminating in a formal investigation into the matter (brought on by an anonymous letter). Although the investigation uncovered nothing, it was determined to go to the next step---full legal existence as a bona-fide veteran's association.
The NGOB association articles of incorporation and by-laws were written and submitted to the Internal Revenue Service in early 1996. On August 19, 1996, the organization was approved by the IRS as a tax exempt veteran's association under section 501c (19) of the IRS code (case number 526151065). Since we were organized as a wartime veteran's group similar to the VFW or American Legion, our members must be 90 percent wartime veterans. On February 10, 1997 we were formally incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In 2007, the Association received official IRS recogntion inder section 501(c) 3 as a tax exempt charity under the Association of Military Recruiters and Counselors name. As such, the former NGOB association exists as The Association of Military Recruiters and Counselors, or AMRAC. Membership is open to any veteran of any active or reserve component and to any civilian who wishes to join AMRAC's charitable causes. Our goals are to spread the word of democracy and fairplay in which veterans give back to America, not take from it. We also award grants to young Americans on an annual basis and recognize patriotism through our Veteran of the Year recognition program. AMRAC chapters exist in every region of the country and overseas. We still encourage comradeship and friendship through frequent meetings and through recognition of veterans and community involvement. Further information on AMRAC is available by writing to AMRAC, 12241 Tilney Court, Woodbridge, VA 22192. AMRAC has been approved for participation in the Combined Federal Campaign for the Washington DC area (CFC number 12936).
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