2008 ROTC/JROTC
A Rewarding Experience!
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| Every year at this time, the U.S. Army ROTC Monarch Battalion at Old
Dominion University, holds their annual President’s Review and Awards Ceremony.
Again, they were blest with a beautiful spring day on this 24th of April.
The Hampton Roads Chapter Military Officers Association of America was
honored to be one of the many award presenters at the ceremony. Shown
above is COL James Smith, USA (Ret). presenting the MOAA Leadership
Award to Cadet Shawn P. Proctor. The award consist of a Certificate
and Medal with Ribbon for outstanding Academic and Military Achievement
and showing a high potential for military leadership. Shawn is a
Junior at ODU and is majoring in Accounting. He is 21 and lives in Virginia
Beach. |
| Shown below is CDR John Vermillion, USN (Ret)., presenting
the MOAA Leadership Award to OC John Lamerd, attached to the NROTC
Consortium Hampton Roads, and a student at ODU, Norfolk. The ceremony
was held on the 19th of April. The Midshipmen, Officer Candidates,
and MECEPs from ODU, Hampton U. and NSU, are integrated into a single command
structure. The Commanding Officer, CAPT Kelly Baragar, USN is Headquartered
at ODU. |
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| LtCol James Dellaripa, USAF (Ret). is shown below presenting
the MOAA Leadership Awards to, left to right; NJROTC Cadets James Robbins,
Booker T. Washington; Danielle Iseley, Granby; Brian Armstrong,
Lake Taylor; Cherlynne Franklin, Maury; and Marcel Jefferson,
Norview. After the awards ceremonies, the Norfolk Public High School
Cadets passed in review. The ceremonies were held at the Marine Corp
parade grounds on the Norfolk Naval Base. |
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Veterans Memorial Park Dedication
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| The Veterans Memorial Park, located just behind the Tidewater Veterans
Memorial, was dedicated to Billy Myers, a native of Virginia Beach
and a USAF veteran. Billy served in World War II and Korea.
He was a member of the Mayor’s Veterans Committee and a founding member
of the Tidewater Veterans Memorial Committee where he worked to bring the
memorial park to fruition. |
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President’s Message
The April social was a great success. Captain Emily Christman
(NOAA) gave a detailed overview of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to the fifty attendees.
Your officers were busy presenting awards and medals to local high school
JNROTC and college AROTC and NROTC cadets. Captain William Lehr,
USCG (Ret) was the person in charge of the program. He also made presentations
at five Virginia Beach high schools and to the AROTC at NSU.
This year HRCMOAA became involved in the MOAA Gold Bar program. This
program was started last year. Newly commissioned ensigns and second lieutenants
received their gold insignia provided by the HRCMOAA. Captain James
Jones, USN (Ret) presented gold bars and free one year MOAA memberships
to thirty-two newly commissioned officers. The program was unique because
all of the gold bars were dipped in waters from the seven seas.
I am happy to report that thirty-four new members were given membership
in MOAA as a result of the Gold Bar and Give Me Ten programs. First time
membership is given for one year to officers who have not been members
of MOAA.
Captain James Jones, USN (Ret), Colonel James Smith, USA (Ret)
and Lt Colonel James Dellaripa, USAF (Ret) laid a wreath on Memorial
Day at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial in Virginia Beach as a tribute to
all veterans. CDR John Vermillion, USN (Ret) took photos of the
event.
As you will note, officers of HRCMOAA are proud of our veterans and
the military.
As Always,
God Bless
America.
Jim Dellaripa
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HRCMOAA Directory
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Officers
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Directors
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Committees
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President: 640-0947
LtCol James M. Dellaripa Sr,
USAF-Ret.
hrmoaa@cox.net
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1st Vice President: 363-1094
MAJ Norman Crews,
USA-Ret.
ncrews1@cox.net
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2nd Vice President: 496-9248
CAPT Paul Hollandsworth, USN Ret hollynav@aol.com
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Recording Secretary:
- Open -
Volunteer Needed
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Treasurer: 518-0265
LCDR Walter Wesolowski, USN-Ret.
waltwes1@cox.net
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Program: 363-1094
MAJ Norm Crews,
USA Ret.
ncrews1@cox.net
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VCOC Representative:
382-9843
CDR John E. Vermillion,
USN-Ret.
vermillj@cox.net
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Legislative Affairs:
490-8383
Col Jack W. Hilgers,
USMC-Ret.
jackhilgers@earthlink.net
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Personal Affairs:
363-1094
MAJ Norm Crews,
USA-Ret.
ncrews1@cox.net
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Membership: 496-9524
CAPT John G. Colgan,
USN-Ret
john.colgan@verizon.net
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Publicity: 382-9843
CDR John E. Vermillion,
USN Ret.
vermillj@cox.net
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Community Affairs:
426-5392
CAPT Bill Lehr,
USCG-Ret.
bblehr@cox.net
CAPT Pat McFadden,
USN-Ret.
senchova@aol.com
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Information Systems:
490-5792
Maj Clifton G. Furedy,
USAF-Ret.
thrcmoaa@cox.net
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Webmaster: 490-5792
Maj Clifton G. Furedy,
USAF-Ret.
thrcmoaa@cox.net
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Editor: 382-9843
CDR John E. Vermillion,
USN-Ret.
Vermillj@cox.net
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Urgent, Your Help is Needed!
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| Our Chapter is in need of a Secretary. This is not a difficult
job and it will keep your mind active while doing a job that will help
your fellow members. |
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MOAA Scholarship Fund
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| Memorial contributions may be made to the MOAA Scholarship Fund, for
deceased members of our Chapter, at Dept 889, Alexandria, VA 22334-0889.
Contributions may also be made at www.moaa.org.
Or you may call 800-234-6622. |
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| MOAA Legislative Update |
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| Congress Passes Veterans Tax Relief |
| This week, the House and Senate passed
H.R. 6081, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act of
2008. The bill would authorize a number of tax breaks for veterans and
active duty personnel. Among these, the bill would:
Let disabled veterans file up to
5 years of amended tax returns to recoup taxes when VA processing delays
result in retroactive benefits;
Allow members of the armed forces
who have non-citizen spouses to qualify for the economic stimulus rebate;
Make permanent the ability to include
combat pay as earned income for purposes of the Earned Income Tax Credit;
Make permanent the provision that
permits active duty reservists to make penalty-free withdrawals from retirement
plans;
Allow survivors to roll over military
death gratuity payments into tax-advantaged savings accounts;
Permit reserve component members
to withdraw money from flexible spending accounts without penalty;
A tax cut for small businesses when
they continue paying some salary to members of the National Guard and Reserve
who are called to active duty.
Both the House and Senate passed multiple
versions of this legislation last year, but got hung up negotiating minor
differences. We're pleased that Congress finally got past the haggling
and acted on this measure to end tax inequities now imposed on the military
community. |
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| Congress May Lose Race With July 1
Medicare Cut |
| The bad news is that Medicare payments
to doctors will be cut by 10.6% as of July 1 unless Congress acts in the
next three weeks to keep that from happening.
The worse news is that Congress isn't very
good at getting anything done in three weeks... even something that could
hurt millions of America's seniors and TRICARE beneficiaries (since TRICARE
payments are tied to Medicare's).
Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus
(D-MT) has a plan that would substitute a 1.1-percent payment increase
for doctors, and would pay for it through cuts to Medicare Advantage HMO
plans. Medicare now pays those plans about 17% more than it pays doctors
through the regular fee-for-service option. President Bush has said he'd
veto any cuts to Medicare Advantage plans. MOAA hopes the Administration
would feel at least equally strongly about cuts to regular Medicare and
TRICARE doctors who already are paid far less that those working in HMOs.
The Senate intends to introduce an alternative
version of the bill that would be paid for some other way. But other ways
have been hard to find in the past, since they inevitably gore some other
group's funding ox.
In the end, Congress will come to some
kind of agreement, because nobody on the Hill wants a double-digit payment
cut that will almost certainly cause more doctors to stop seeing Medicare
and TRICARE patients -- especially in an election year.
But it's looking more and more doubtful
that the negotiating will be finished by July 1.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the first
time that the deadline didn't get met and Medicare had to make rate cuts.
In 2006, Congress missed a Jan. 1 deadline, and Medicare implemented a
4.4% cut. A fix was finally enacted in February, and Medicare then made
retroactive payment increases to doctors for all service rendered since
Jan. 1.
It's a distinct possibility the same thing
could happen on July 1.
The good news is that TRICARE usually
takes a month or so longer than Medicare to implement rate changes.
In 2006, when Congress missed the action
deadline by a month, TRICARE’s administrative lag meant that TRICARE providers
never actually had to take the cut. But it's a sad situation
when we have to depend on either Congress' last-minute speed or TRICARE's
administrative delays to keep millions of beneficiaries from having their
health care access put at risk. |
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| Social Security Numbers Off ID Cards |
| The Department of Defense announced recently that it plans to remove
Social Security Account Numbers (SSAN) from all military identification
cards by the end of 2010. Instead, the cards will display only the last
four digits of the SSAN.
Defense officials said this change is an effort to thwart identity theft
-- an acknowledgement that a lost ID card puts the cardholder and the military
sponsor at risk for such theft.
The changes will be phased in for different beneficiary groups, with
military family members being the first in line for updated cards this
year. Within three years, all Defense-Department-issued ID cards will show
only the last four digits of the SSAN.
MOAA is extremely pleased at this announcement.
Two years ago, at MOAA's urging, the House Armed Services Committee
tasked the Defense Department for a report and recommendations for an alternative
to printing the SSAN on the ID card in order to protect service members
and their family members from identity theft.
We acknowledge that this is not an easy change for the Department to
implement, and applaud Defense leaders' efforts to make this important
measure a priority. |
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| From the Newsletter Editor |
| MOAA Scholarship Fund |
| Our Chapter does not have a Scholarship Fund, so for those who are
debating whether or not to contribute to the MOAA National Fund, please
consider the following list of High School Students from our area who received
scholarship funds for the 2007-2008 year.
Emily R Miller, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest Loan,
5000
Michael W Trapp, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Danielle M Quigley, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Kailey C Waring, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Megan K Quigley, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Christina M Atkinson, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Heather E Fairbee, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Ashley M Ladyman, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Jonathan M Atkinson, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Megan C Bittner, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Zachary P Martin, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Mary F FitzPatrick, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Aubrey Arnold, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest Loan
and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Meghan M Kerr, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest Loan,
5000
Ryan D Cronk, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest Loan,
5000
Christopher J Lenertz, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Marissa I Wood, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Jacqueline M Kopacz, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Jessie K Dawe, Chesapeake, VA, Special Senior
Grant, 5000
Kellie A Parks, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Fareine G Suarez, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
William C Wright, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Emmanuel A Suarez, Chesapeake, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Simone N Woody, Suffolk, VA, Zero-Interest Loan
and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Jessica J Wiedemann, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Erin M Simms, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Meagan I Simms, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Leeza L DosSantos, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Thomas A Baumgardner, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Gregory C Benante, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Matthew G Catoire, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Imee G Bautista, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Amanda G Rodriguez, Virginia Beach, VA, Base Post
Grant, 1000
Elizabeth A Artrip, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Kelin M Swayne, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Nathan G Swayne, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Kerri L Wadzita, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Casey H Scherck, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Shannon A Owens, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Brent M Wadzita, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Brian M Stitt, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Gregory R Hicks, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Kristina M Levins, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Morgan P Greene, Virginia Beach, VA Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Brian T Gwiazdowski, Virginia Beach, VA,
Zero-Interest Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Hayley E Hicks, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Amanda P Schrader, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Samantha A Cawthon, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Ryan S Schrader, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Michael J Sitarski, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Lauren l Granger, Virginia Beach, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Emily I Whalen, Virginia Beach, VA, Ratay Grant,
4000
Elisabeth M Palmer, Virginia Beach, VA, Base Post
Grant, 1000
Emily P Barge, Norfolk, VA, Zero, Interest-
Loan, 5000
Chelsea K Blandford, Norfolk, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan, 5000
Rebecca J Beauchamp, Norfolk, VA, Zero-Interest
Loan and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
Thomas J Rozelle, Norfolk, VA, Zero-Interest Loan
and Designated Scholarship Grant, 5000
The list above contains 56 Students from our area that will benefit
from the MOAA Scholarship Fund. |
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Give Me Ten, Gold Bar Program
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| Chapter Board Member, CAPT Jim Jones, USN( Re)t., 3rd from the
right, is shown standing in the receiving line at the formal dinner dance
held at Webb Center at ODU campus on Thursday evening 24 April. The
NROTC of Hampton Roads students from ODU, NSU and Hampton U., during the
ceremony dipped their Gold Bars, which were provided by the Chapter, in
the Seven Seas. All were presented a letter from the Chapter President,
Jim Dellaripa along with a Certificate for a free 1 year membership in
MOAA. Jim Jones was the presenter. |
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Military ID Card Notification Program
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| This program is designed to help Chapter members and their dependent’s
to renew their ID cards in a timely fashion. Once you and your dependents
are enrolled, you will be notified of your impending ID card expiration
date in sufficient time for renewal prior to the expiration date.
Note: Over age 75 members, who are eligible uniform family members
and survivors of deceased personnel are now eligible for Permanent Identification
Cards. Apply within 90 days of expiration of current ID card. |
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| To enroll in this voluntary program, fill in the form at the link below
for each dependent and Send by Email or Print and Mail to: Military ID
Card Notification Program, HRCMOAA, P.O. Box 4612, Virginia Beach, VA 23454-0612. |
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Memorial Day “They Shall Not Be Forgotten”
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| The Hampton Roads Chapter MOAA participated in the Annual Memorial
Day wreath laying ceremony at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial in Virginia
Beach. The ceremony was held on 26 May starting at 1200 hours. The
Master of ceremonies was COL Floyd Gilbert, USA (Ret). and a member
of the HRCMOAA and the Mayor's Veterans Committee. Opening remarks
and Proclamation were given by the Honorable Meyera E. Oberndorf,
Mayor, City of Virginia Beach. The Keynote Address was given by The
Honorable Owen B. Pickett, former 2nd Congressional District Representative.
The HRCMOAA wreath was laid by, left to right above, COL James Smith,
USA (Ret). CAPT Jim Jones, USN (Ret). and LtCol Jim Dellaripa,
USAF (Ret).
The ceremony was presented by the Mayor’s Veterans Committee. |
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| The Tidewater Veterans Memorial is shown during the ceremony with flags
at half staff. |
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VCOC Schedule
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| The next VCOC Quarterly meeting will be held on Friday, 11 July in
Charlottesville, Virginia. The Central Virginia Chapter will host
at the Glenmore Country Club in Keswick, Virginia.
The legislative objectives for 2009 will be on the agenda and will include
issues left over from 2008 JLC list, such as Turbo Vet funding.
The forth quarterly meeting will be held on Friday, 17 October at Fort
Lee in the Quartermaster Museum. |
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VCOC Fund Raising Campaign for the Virginia War
Memorial Education Center
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| The Education Center of the Virginia War Memorial will require both
government and private funding. The Virginia War Memorial Education
Foundation (VWMEF) is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt foundation - gifts are tax deductible.
If there are enough people donating money (indicating "Virginia MOAA" on
the naming contribution form), then we could earn a chance to "name"
a room in the new education center for the Virginia Chapters of the Military
Officers Association of America. The Veterans Research Library requires
$50,000 of donations. A conference room requires $25,000. If
most MOAA members in Virginia give a little, we could easily reach one
of the naming opportunities. The VWMEF website is www.vawarmemorial.org.
Telephone number is (804)786-2060. In the designation block enter;
Hampton Roads Chapter, Virginia MOAA. The HRCMOAA contributed $1,000
to this effort. We encourage all members to consider donating
to this cause. A form is provided for your convenience. Complete
and send to Virginia War Memorial Educational Foundation, 621 S. Belvidere
St., Richmond, VA 23220-6504. |
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Virginia War Memorial Educational Center Contribution
Form
Yes, I wish to honor our heroes and help to educate the public on the
significant contributions made by Virginians to preserve and protect our
country’s freedoms.
$25____ $50____ $100____ $_________
Name:
Street:
City:
State:
Zip code:
Check payable to the VWMEF is enclosed. Or,
Charge my gift to:
Master card___ Visa___ AmExp___, Discover___
Card#_______________________________
Exp.Date_______ Signature___________________
Credit: Hampton Roads Chapter, Virginia MOAA. |
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25 April Luncheon, NAS Oceana Officers Club
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| Shown above is the HRCMOAA President, LtCol James Dellaripa
presenting a cup to CAPT Emily Christman, Commanding Officer of
NOAA, who was the guest speaker at the luncheon. She briefed the
members on the mission of NOAA world wide, such as; fishery research, fish
stock assessments, marine mammal surveys, biological and ecosystems.
CAPT Christman is responsible for oversight of the nine East Coast and
Gulf of Mexico based NOAA ships, their administrative, engineering, and
electronic support, and NOAA’s vessel homeport facilities in Norfolk, Woods
Hole, Charleston, and Pascagoula. She has over eight years of sea duty
with NOAA, evenly split between the East and West Coast. She was
Commanding Officer of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson from 2004-2006. |
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Chapter Schedule
For the most current and up-to-date schedule of chapter events, click
on Calendar of Events
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| Their will be no socials during the Summer Months of July and August.
The next socials will be in September, October and November. The
Chapter will also join with the ROWS in December. |
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Note to Movers
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If you move please let the Chapter know by
following the directions above.
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IN MEMORIUM
LT Melvin M. Johnson, USN Ret.
(Peggy)
In this issue let us also remember all of our troops
who have died in defending our freedoms.
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