IMPERIAL BEACH (KGTV) — Active duty service members in the Navy, Marine Corp, and Coast Guard once went to places like the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) after work to unwind and find camaraderie with one another.
That's not the reality today, and a generational shift is threatening the future of veteran networks like FRA Branch 289 in Imperial Beach.
Across San Diego, there are more local FRA branches, including:
- Branch 84 (San Diego)
- Branch 70 (Poway)
- Branch 61 (Chula Vista)
- Branch 47 (El Cajon)
The IB branch just celebrated its 63rd anniversary and is known to be one of the largest branches. However, the milestone is also a reminder of how much has changed. However, they're determined to change the narrative and revive their membership.
Mick Fulton, secretary of FRA Branch 289, has been with the branch since 1991. In the past, he served as National President from 2020-2021. Fulton said Branch 289's membership has fallen dramatically over the decades.
"When I joined, this branch was in the vicinity of 2000 members.
Currently, we're sitting at 409 members," Fulton said. "I don't think it'll ever get back to the days when I first joined."
To give a national perspective, the Fleet Reserve Association said that in June 2013 membership was at 63,134. Then in June 2016 membership was at 61,937. As of June 2026, membership is at 23,001.
The new reality for Fulton is tough. Fulton said years of declining membership, driven by attrition (Veterans passing away) and fewer younger service members joining, have put the FRA in a tough spot.
Additionally, Fulton said the Navy's shift away from a drinking culture has discouraged newer active service members from even considering joining the FRA, leaving the FRA to battle reinforced misconceptions about their establishment just being a 'bar'.
Fulton doesn't deny that the FRA has low prices to offer for drinks compared to the average bar in IB. He said they're able to keep their prices low because they're not-for-profit.
However, Fulton does correct the misconception about the FRA only being about drinking. Fulton said the FRA is about camaraderie, advocacy, and providing financial support to service members and their families.
The Fleet Reserve Association is a congressionally chartered, non-profit organization designed to help Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard members with various types of financial assistance. It relies on membership fees to provide those resources; everything from housing to food assistance, scholarships are more.
According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, there's more than 100 Years of Recognized Service by the FRA. Founded in 1924, the VA and Congress officially recognized the FRA as one of the oldest and largest continuous advocacy groups specifically serving enlisted Sea Services personnel (Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard).
However, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stated that membership in legacy associations like the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is shrinking because the overall U.S. veteran population is projected to fall from nearly 20 million to roughly 12 million. This overall decline is driven by aging veterans passing away and a smaller active-duty military.
In response to this trend, Fulton said the branch has tried marketing, social media, working with public information officers within the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, community outreach, and pursuing royalties and corporate sponsorships, but those efforts have not been enough to reverse the trend.
Fulton is passionate about saving the FRA not just in Imperial Beach, but nationally. He points to the organization's advocacy work as proof of its lasting impact — including its role in establishing Tricare, the health care plan for military retirees.
"FRA was the driving force behind Tricare," Fulton said. "FRA convinced Congress that there needed to be a health plan for military retirees, and that is basically how Tricare came about."
Without organizations like the FRA, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, or the American Legion, Fulton said there will be no one to go to Congress on behalf of service members. Fulton added that more and more, there are fewer members of Congress who served and would empathize with veterans' needs.
"This is a family-oriented organization," Fulton said. "We're all about the cardinal principles of the FRA: we're loyal to each other, we protect each other, and we provide a service to each other."
Mark Carrick, a volunteer morning cook and FRA member, said the organization is worth saving — even if younger service members are skeptical about joining.
"I felt that very same way [when I was younger]. I'm not gonna connect with these 70 and 65-year-olds," Carrick said.
But Carrick said the FRA branch is the best place for gaining wisdom and finding support.
"We've been there, and we can say — don't quit, don't give up, stick it out," Carrick said.
The FRA continues to conduct regular outreaches in the community and on base, welcoming all service members.
Family members, known as auxiliary members, are also welcome to join — even if their service member is no longer living.
Annual membership starts at $40. New members can get a special two-year membership for $64.
Auxiliary members start at $25 a year. Up to two generations can join, and if the member is deceased, they'll need to present a DD214 to prove that their family member served.
