ONTARIO, Calif. – The CO-OP Network has landed the biggest fish in the pond. With the signing of the $17 billion Navy FCU, five of the six largest credit unions that serve U.S. military personnel, as well as 28 of the top 50 credit unions are now members of CO-OP Network's surcharge free ATM network, according to CO-OP Network. The military-based financial institution will become fully part of the Network in the second quarter of 2003, CO-OP said. "We're thrilled to welcome one of the most respected credit unions in the world to the CO-OP Network family," says CO-OP Network CEO Robert Rose. "While CO-OP Network serves credit unions of all sizes and types, an interesting trend has arisen in recent years – organizations with worldwide fields of membership, such as Navy Federal, are increasingly looking to CO-OP Network. We have more ATM locations than the largest bank in the U.S., and we can address the needs of organizations with members spread across the map." Rose said that the signing of Navy Federal had been in negotiations for almost two years and the addition of the big credit union's cardholders will hike the number of both ATM and debit cardholders served by the Network from just over 23 million to just over 24 million. The addition of Navy Federal will also increase the number of overseas ATMs that belong to the Network, Rose said. Navy Federal has 36 ATMs overseas and CO-OP Network members already have ATMs in Italy and Japan, Rose said. But both he and Navy Federal emphasized that the machines are located on U.S. military or government facilities and dispense dollars. This means they tend to be seen as U.S.-based machines, even if they are overseas, Rose said. Including the 36 overseas machines, Navy Federal said it has a total of 262 ATMs around the country, most of which are remote from its branches and which the credit union wanted to expand. "We see the addition of surcharge-free access for our members at ATMs all across the country as a tangible, added benefit," said Loren Moeller, spokeswoman for the $17 billion dollar institution based in Merrifield, Virginia. Currently the only network Navy Federal belonged to is the PLUS Network, which allows surcharges, Moeller said. The credit union already forgoes charging foreign users surcharges so there was no surcharge income to forego by joining the CO-OP Network, she explained. "CO-OP Network's recent growth makes it a good fit for our corporate strategy of providing expanded ATM access to our mobile membership around the world," said Brian McDonnell, President and CEO of Navy Federal. Rose said the addition of Navy Federal's ATMs and cardholders moves CO-OP Network one step closer to the ultimate goal of having a truly nationwide ATM Network "by credit unions and for credit unions."