Vietnamese-American Uniformed Services Association

The Vietnamese-American Uniformed Services Association, originally established as the Vietnamese American Armed Forces Association and commonly associated with the abbreviation VAAFA, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional military association in the United States. It was created for Vietnamese American personnel serving in, or formerly serving in, the country's uniformed services. Its membership base includes active-duty, reserve, National Guard, and veteran personnel, as well as enlisted members and commissioned officers. The organization initially focused on the five military branches: the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Following a 2014 renaming, its scope was broadened to include the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Public Health Service; the U.S. Space Force was added to the covered services in 2019. The association grew out of a personal connection between U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps officer Christopher V. Phan and U.S. Army officer Tho V. Nguyen. The two met in 2007 while deployed in or transiting through Iraq and later discussed the isolation that Vietnamese American service members could experience while serving overseas and being separated from their families. Together with Thao Bui, Triet Bui, and Hien Vu, they began preparing the association's governing documents at a meeting on August 23, 2008. The State of California formally recognized the organization on September 15, 2008, and its installation banquet took place on May 31, 2009. Its activities combine professional networking, mentorship, community engagement, remembrance, and practical assistance. The association describes its mission as strengthening professional development and camaraderie among Vietnamese American uniformed-service personnel while creating connections across branches and career stages. Fundraising and donation activities have supported care packages for deployed personnel and financial assistance for families who need to travel to the location of a service member wounded in the line of duty. The organization also seeks to communicate the contributions and sacrifices of Vietnamese Americans in U.S. service to the wider Vietnamese American community. It expressly presents itself as nonpolitical and does not endorse political groups or activities. A significant memorial and educational initiative is the Fallen Heroes Scholarship, established in 2010 in memory of Vietnamese American service members who died while defending the United States. The scholarship was intended for eligible Vietnamese American students who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents, including college students and high-school seniors. The association has also organized memorial observances, conferences, donation drives, visits to care facilities, holiday activities, and scholarship fundraising events, particularly in California. Its documented work therefore combines an affinity organization for uniformed personnel with a community-facing charitable and commemorative role. Publicly available reference material provides substantial information about its formation, mission, renaming, and early activities, but does not establish current officers, a current headquarters, a current website, financial figures, or the full extent of its present-day programs.

The association's origins lie in the experience of Vietnamese American officers serving far from home. In 2007, Christopher V. Phan, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, encountered Tho V. Nguyen, a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, while both were connected with travel arrangements during a deployment period involving Iraq. They remained in contact after their service-related encounter and discussed the particular loneliness and family separation that can accompany overseas military service. Their conversations led to the idea of creating a professional and mutual-support organization for Vietnamese American service members and their families. On August 23, 2008, Phan and Nguyen met with Thao Bui, a U.S. Army sergeant, Triet Bui, a U.S. Army captain, and Hien Vu, a U.S. Air Force captain, at Bui's home. The group began drafting bylaws and articles of association for the Vietnamese American Armed Forces Association, abbreviated VAAFA. California officially recognized the organization on September 15, 2008. The association then marked its formal installation with a banquet on May 31, 2009. Its early public program combined military fellowship with Vietnamese American community service. Activities reported for 2009 included participation connected with the Vietnamese American Memorial in Orange County, a first biannual conference in Coronado, California, a care-package donation drive, the A Gift From The Heart donation drive, a Thanksgiving visit to Alta Gardens Care Center, and a December toy distribution. In 2010, the association organized a Tet visit to Alta Gardens Care Center and a fundraising banquet for its scholarship program. These activities illustrated an approach that linked remembrance, charitable giving, family and elder outreach, and public recognition of Vietnamese American military service. The organization's mission has centered on professional development, mentorship, networking, and camaraderie for Vietnamese American personnel and veterans. It has also described practical assistance for deployed service members through care packages and support for families needing to travel when a member is wounded in the line of duty. A further objective is to raise awareness within the Vietnamese American community of the service and sacrifice of its members. The association states that it is nonpartisan and does not endorse political groups or political activities. In 2010, it established the Fallen Heroes Scholarship in memory of Vietnamese American service members who died defending the United States. The program was described as serving Vietnamese American students who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents, including students already enrolled in college and high-school seniors. The initiative gave the association an educational and commemorative role in addition to its professional-association function. On October 1, 2014, the organization adopted the name Vietnamese-American Uniformed Services Association and launched a new website at that time, according to the reference material. The name change reflected an expansion beyond the traditional armed forces: the association added the NOAA Commissioned Corps and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to its stated constituency. The U.S. Space Force was subsequently included in 2019. As a result, the organization is best understood as a Vietnamese American association spanning the U.S. military and the broader federal uniformed services. Public reference material does not provide reliable current information on its officers, headquarters, finances, or recent operating scale.

• 2019

  Space Force included

  [1]Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The U.S. Space Force was added to the uniformed services represented by the association.

• 2014

  Renamed Vietnamese-American Uniformed Services Association

  [1]Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The organization broadened its identity and service coverage to include NOAA and U.S. Public Health Service commissioned personnel.

• 2010

  Fallen Heroes Scholarship established

  [1]Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association created a scholarship honoring Vietnamese American service members who died in U.S. military service.

• 2009

  Installation banquet and first documented community programs

  [1]Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association held its installation banquet and conducted conferences, memorial participation, donation drives, care-facility outreach, and a toy distribution.

• 2008

  Founding documents drafted

  [1]Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Five prospective founders met on August 23 and began preparing bylaws and articles of association.

• 2008

  California recognition

  [1]Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The State of California officially recognized the association on September 15.

• 2007

  Founders identify a need for a Vietnamese American service association

  [1]Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Christopher V. Phan and Tho V. Nguyen met during a deployment-related episode involving Iraq and began discussing the isolation and family separation faced by Vietnamese American service members.

A nonpartisan Vietnamese American military and uniformed-services association focused on professional development, fellowship, family support, remembrance, and community education.

• Scholarship program · 2010

  Fallen Heroes Scholarship

  An educational scholarship established in 2010 to honor Vietnamese American uniformed-service members who died while defending the United States. The program was described as serving Vietnamese American U.S. citizens or permanent residents, including currently enrolled college students and high-school seniors.

• Member and family support

  Care Package and Family Assistance Programs

  Fundraising and donation activities intended to provide care packages to deployed service members and financial assistance to families needing to travel when a member is wounded in the line of duty.

• Professional association services

  Professional Development and Mentorship

  Networking, mentorship, professional development, and camaraderie activities for active, reserve, National Guard, and veteran members of the U.S. military and other covered uniformed services.

• 2010Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fundraiser Banquet

  Orange County, California · United States

  A fundraising banquet supporting the scholarship established to remember fallen Vietnamese American service members.

  Outcome. The event is documented, but no financial result is reported.

  Source
• 2009First Annual Care Package Donation Drive

  California · United States

  A donation effort supporting care packages for deployed service members.

  Outcome. The source confirms that the drive took place but does not report fundraising totals or other quantified results.

  Source
• 2009A Gift From The Heart Donation Drive

  California · United States

  A community donation activity organized during the association's early operating period.

  Outcome. No quantified outcome is provided in the reference material.

  Source

• 2019

  Add the U.S. Space ForceStrategy

  Background

  The association had already expanded its scope to federal uniformed services beyond the traditional armed forces.

  Action taken

  The U.S. Space Force was added to the services represented by the organization.

  Aftermath

  The stated constituency covered seven uniformed services and the Space Force as described in the reference material.

  Source

• 2014

  Expand from armed forces to uniformed servicesStrategy

  Background

  The original organization was centered on Vietnamese American members of the U.S. armed forces.

  Action taken

  On October 1, the association changed its name to Vietnamese-American Uniformed Services Association and incorporated the NOAA and U.S. Public Health Service commissioned corps into its stated scope.

  Aftermath

  The organization became broader than a five-branch military association; the U.S. Space Force was later added in 2019.

  Source

1. 1Vietnamese American Armed Forces Associationen.wikipedia.org