I uninstalled and reinstalled the software. I added a new subdirectory of the original installation path and called it OA just to separate another step from my original arma2 installation. I had noticed that the original icon created was called "combined operations" and thought that might be the source of my issue. So, now it works after the install.
The only issue I have now is that the software is looking for my DVD every time I start. Is this typical or should I try to reinstall to avoid this issue?
If it is typical I think I would rather create a virtual drive or copy the DVD to a separate directory and install it from there to avoid the hassle of having the DVD around every time I want to plat the game.