Greetings. I invite everyone to attend our December 19th function which will be held at the NAS Oceana Officers Club. The social hour will commence at 1800 hours followed by dinner at 1900 hours. Our social will be the annual Toys for Tots program. Everyone is encouraged to bring an unwrapped gift for a child. We have two Marines as our guests for the evening, who will accept the toys. I encourage every member of our local chapter to make every effort to attend and bring a gift.

     For the second year, Hampton Roads Chapter Volunteers manned a recruiting booth at the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) Eighth Annual Warfare Exposition and Symposium, 8-9 October 2003 at the Pavilion Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Chapter sent out over 1,000 invitations including USNI Symposium brochures to its members and selected guests to attend the free symposium whose theme was "Lessons from the Desert Wars." Several chapter members attended and heard speeches from Admiral Vern Clark, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; and Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, Commander, Fleet Forces Command and Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. They also attended several panel discussions on the Desert Wars. Many chapter members came to our booth and thanked us for sponsoring this event and inviting them to attend. They said to "do it again" because they appreciated being brought up to date on current military happenings. The chapter recruited 28 new members, including 2 Flag Officers, mostly active duty officers. Our thanks to the Retired Officers Wives Society for their help as they took their turn in the booth.

     The Chapter participated in the annual Veterans' Day Parade held at the Virginia Beach oceanfront, beginning on Atlantic Avenue and ending on 19th Street at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial. It was a great morning with lots of sunshine and a wonderful crowd of families who waved their flags, cheered and clapped as we went by. There were a total of 103 parade units this year.

     Effective Jan 1, 2004, the average Social Security retiree will receive $19 more per month due to a 2.1% cost of living adjustment that applies to military and federal retired pay, VA disability compensation and SBP annuities as well. Additionally, Medicare Part B premiums jump 13.5% to $66.60 per month, for a $7.90 per month increase which translates into increased Tricare for Life (TFL) participation costs for the military retiree and spouse required to participate in Medicare Part B for TFL eligibility.

     Officials at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service caution the two million military and civilian users of myPay (https://myPay.dfas.mil) to use only the official Web site when accessing pay account information. "Personal information is valuable and should be safeguarded," said Claudia L. Bogard, DFAS communications director. "Don't provide your personal information to any Web site unless you know it can be trusted." Look-alike sites have recently frustrated myPay customers who have been confused by accidentally finding their way to a commercial site that is in no way affiliated with DFAS or the Department of Defense. MyPay is a secure, DFAS-operated Web site that lets active duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, civilian employees, and military retirees and annuitants take charge of their pay accounts online. 

     Members can contribute to the MOAA Scholarship Fund through the 2003 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC); look for the Military Officers Association of America Scholarship Fund #2142. You may also contribute by mail or online; refer to your latest MOAA magazine.

     Any chapter member who wishes to attend the ROWS Christmas dinner and dance at the Princess Anne Country Club on Friday, December 5th may do so by calling Betty Black at 460-0258 and sending a check for $35.00 per person to her at 4628 Curtis Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455 to arrive by Tuesday, Dec. 2nd.

     Again we encourage any member, who is interested in becoming actively involved in MOAA operations, to attend our Board meetings, normally held on the 1st Saturday of each month at the NAB Little Creek Golf COurse clubhouse, beginning at 0830 hours.  The next Board meeting will be held on December 6th.

The following email addresses were rejected by their servers as invalid, suspended, or not found. Please send updates to <ravogel@exis.net> to be reinstated:
 

     Outlined below are the issues that the VCOC plans on pursuing during the 2004 Virginia General Assembly session. (not in order of priority.)

     Support for restoration of Department of Veterans Services funding. State funding will return to the FY 91 level in the coming budget; down to $2,232,607 from a high of $3,328,025 in FY 01. Using 3% per annum inflation, the FY 04 budget translates to a 40% reduction since FY 91. VCOC will support restoration of funding needed for identified requirements.

     Support Veterans at War drivers license extension. This legislation, reviewed and concurred in by DOD, extends the time for renewal to 30 days after return to US. This legislation has no budget impact.

     Support required funding for Operation of VA War Memorial Foundation. The Virginians At War Grant requires support of $20,000 from the State. Also, support for planning an Education Wing ($4.3 million) needs to commence.

     Support funding for 3rd and 4th Veterans Care Centers. Initiate action through the Board of Veterans Services to lay groundwork in the General Assembly for Bond authorization.

     Support retention of VA Income Tax Age Reduction. The Subcommittee on Personal Income Tax is considering changes that will make it more equitable and simplified. One proposal changes the tax rates to accommodate the poor and eliminates most deductions and exemptions. Included is the elimination of the age subtraction of $6,000 for those 62 and over and $12,000 for 65 and over. The basis for this subtraction was a suit on taxation of federal pensions while state pensions were not taxable. "Tax Reformers" are considering an alternate "means test" based on income level. The Subcommittee considering income tax revisions is chaired by Delegate Allen Louderback (1131 Old Farms Road, Luray, VA 22835). Its members are Delegate Thelma Drake (2306 Bay Oaks Place, Norfolk, VA 23518) and Senator Walter Stosch (4551 Cox Road, Ste 110, Glen Allen, VA 23060).

     The Hampton Roads Chapter MOAA encourages its members to write to the members of the Personal  Income and Retail Sales and Use Tax Subcommittee and voice their opposition to the elimination of this subtraction. An update will be provided in the next Chapter Newsletter.

Won't you please take a moment to renew, NOW? Use the form on the rear cover of the printed MOAA BULLETIN or Click here for an on-line form. Please include your MOAA ID Number from the upper left of your address label for the Military Officer magazine. If not a National MOAA member, please enter "none" in the ID Number block.