On April 25, 2002 a delegation consisting of COL Floyd Gilbert, CDR John Vermillion and I attended a luncheon in Washington, D.C. with our Virginia Congressional delegation. The dining room of the Capitol Hill Club was packed with chapter members from throughout Virginia as well as with the two Senators and eight Representatives from the Commonwealth.

     It was a pleasant and informative meeting with our own Rep. Ed Schrock, CAPT, USN (Ret), leading off the speakers. He stated that he keeps abreast of our concerns and efforts, and that he will support us in our endeavors. Senators Allen and Warner also expressed support for our goals. Senator Warner pointed out how the military establishment has deteriorated in the past decade with aging aircraft, ships, tanks, etc., and how that trend has changed after September 11, 2001. Congress and the present administration realize that the major deterrent to terrorism is to have a modern military force, adequately staffed, equipped, and paid. We concur wholeheartedly. Senator Allen, while admitting that he had never served in the military, stated that the primary function of the Federal Government is to provide security for its citizens; yet, at budget time, military requirements are among the last to be considered. He wants to change that priority. Good for him -- and us.

     As most of you are aware, the Board of Directors, TROA National, have embraced the name change suggested by a consulting firm from TROA to MOAA (Military Officers Association of America.) The compelling reasons they give are:
     1. To secure our future. The new name will improve our opportunity to recruit officers and strengthen our role as the leading association of Military Officers.
     2. To better reflect the work we already do on behalf of all military personnel, active and retired, on Capitol Hill as an information resource.
     3. To confirm our mission to serve all officers. Whether championing Tricare-for-Life or helping officers transition to second careers, TROA has a reputation for serving officers in every phase of their lives. The new name will not change this mission.

     It appears that the House and Senate Budget Committees have approved a resolution to phase out the disability compensation offset for those who have served 20 or more years and have a 60 percent or higher disability rating. Funding remains a problem for this resolution as well as that of eliminating the offset for all disability ratings.

     More and more work will have to be exerted on the issues of our primary concern. One of the most compelling is that of the inequity within the Survivor Benefit Program. Many of our retirees' survivors are economically hurt when Social Security payments begin and they learn that their survivor benefits are reduced by the Social Security payment amounts. We must keep our National elected officials working on this problem.

THRCOTROA will hold its annual picnic at the scenic Fort Story Club on Saturday, July 13, 2002. This function will be a joint venture with the Retired Officers Wives Society (ROWS) and we look forward to a great gathering. Details will be provided at a later date.

The Hampton Roads Chapter of TROA now has a new Website under construction. You may access this site at www.members.cox.net/thrcmoaa. The site is made up of 2 separate areas: one is for visitors, and the other is for chapter members. In the future, you will have the opportunity to receive the BULLETIN by e-mail only, should you choose to do so. The same will be true for the Directory, function notification, and reservations. The Directory will be accessible by members only and password-protected; the information will be the same as it is in the printed copy.

If any member does not want his/her individual directory information published in the password-protected, members only, area, you should Contact THRCOTROA by Email. If you do not have a computer or web access, please contact 1st Vice President John Vermillion at 382-9843. This will prevent you from taking advantage of the new opportunities listed above.

For your information, the Richmond Chapter has used these same procedures for over 3 years and has experienced no problems.

The temporary member password is published in the June chapter bulletin.  This password will be changed when the site is fully up and running and will be changed on a regular basis afterward for additional protection. Please take the opportunity to visit the website and, if you have any comments, contact us at either of the two links provided.

You've been hearing about a valuable new benefit for members of the Federal Family -- Long Term Care Insurance. The new Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Long term care insurance will soon be available to Federal and Postal employees and retirees, members and retired members of the uniformed services, and qualified family members. The educational program is underway. You should sign up now for a FREE subscription to get a new monthly bulletin, "Get Smart About Your Future." Each lively issue is filled with expert advice about your health, finances, lifestyle and more!

"Get Smart About Your Future" will help to answer your questions about long term care -- and give you the facts you need to make a decision about enrolling in the new Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.

You can contact LTC Partners on their website at www.LTCFEDS.com or call toll-free 1-800-LTC FEDS (1-800-582-3337). In addition to the LTC Partners website, you are encouraged to access OPM's website at www.opm.gov/insure/ltc for more information.

Selected items from the National TROA TROAGRAM are reprinted in THRCOTROA printed bulletin which is mailed to members.  Use the link, www.troa.org/Publications/TROAGRAM to visit the National TROA site for the most current information on a wide range of topics relavent to chapter members.  The TROAGRAM is published monthly whereas THRCOTROA bulletin is only published every other month.  Visit the national web site to get the news before it is set through the mail.