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The Bi-Monthly Newsletter
of the
Hampton Roads Chapter
Military Officers Association
of America
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A MOAA Five
Star Level of Excellence Chapter Since 2004
A Runner-Up Web
Site For 2010, a Runner Up, Printed Newsletter 2010, and Winner E Newsletter
2010.
Serving Chesapeake,
Norfolk, and Virginia Beach since 1959
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VOL 35-NO 4
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ONE POWERFUL VOICE
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JULY 2011
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The Tribute
In honor of those who have
sacrificed
to keep our country free.
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Courtesy
of the Arlington National Cemetery Website Images
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August
26th Luncheon
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| The luncheon will be held at the Aberdeen
Barn on North Hampton Blvd. Congressman Scott Rigell will
be the guest speaker. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District in November 2010. Congressman
Rigell serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Homeland
Security and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology in the 112th
Congress. |
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| Visit our website at www.hrcmoaa.org,
read the Electronic Newsletter, access MOAA national, Service Departments,
Health and Benefit locations, U. S. Senators and Representatives
and many others. If you do not have the Members Only “Password” please
contact any of our Officers. |
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September 23rd Luncheon
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| The luncheon will be held at the Atlantic
Shores Community in the Magnolia Room. Our guest speaker will be
VADM
Norb Ryan, USN-Ret., President of the Military Officer Association
of America. Vice Admiral Ryan became president of the Military Officers
Association of America, or MOAA, in September 2002. He is MOAA’s ninth
president in the organization’s 81 years. He was designated a naval
aviator in 1968, and his numerous operational and sea duty assignments
included command at the squadron and wing level culminating as commander,
Patrol Wings, U.S. Pacific Fleet/CTF-12. VADM Ryan has been
asked to discuss the proposed increase to TRICARE cost. |
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President’s Message
Fellow Officers and Spouses:
The members and officers of your local
chapter's Board of Directors are the most dedicated and hard working with
whom I have ever had the pleasure to work. All are volunteers, of
course, giving their time and their money to accomplish the numerous tasks
that the chapter has taken on. Our program committee, Jo Carter,
Bert
Ortiz, and Aaron Zielinski worked very diligently to obtain
entertaining as well as informative speakers for this year's social events.
They are currently involved in planning next years events.
Criteria for these events include an entertaining and relevant speaker
and a location that can cater to our group at a price that is reasonable.
Parking, ease to navigate to, menu, and accessibility are also important
in determining where to have our luncheons.
NAS Oceana O'Club and Atlantic Shores have
been our choices for the above reasons, plus a number of our members live
at Atlantic Shores. Oceana was closed from 5 December 2010 until
1 June 2011 requiring our committee to seek out other venues. Oceana, being
a buffet style service, is difficult for some of our members because of
their mobility problems. If you have a place to recommend that meets
the above criteria, please give our committee a call/e-mail. Also
if you have a speaker that you believe would be of interest let them know.
Jo's e-mail is jo.carter@navy.mil.
Thee has been much ado on the internet
and newspapers about cutting benefits to active duty and retirees.
(To my knowledge Tricare for Life has been left alone------ so far.) VAdm.
Norb Ryan, MOAA's President, has vigorously attacked these cuts in
the "USA Today" newspaper. He will be our guest speaker at
our 23 September luncheon. Also for our speaker on 26 August, we
have Congressman Scott Rigell. Here are two great opportunities
to hear first hand and ask questions about what is happening to military
benefits. Please make plans to attend and bring a friend who would
be interested in hearing this information.
Have a great summer and stay healthy.
We need you back in the fall.
God bless,
Holly |
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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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| MOAA Legislative Update
(Weekly Issue) |
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| What's Up with the Defense
Bill? |
| At this point in the year, it can be very
confusing to keep track of the progress of the various defense bills circulating
in the House and Senate. To add to the confusion, there are two separate
types of defense bills - authorization and appropriation bills. The
defense authorization bill (which is the responsibility of the House and
Senate Armed Services Committees) provides statutory authority for everything
from pay raises, health care fees, and weapons procurement. It's
the legislative vehicle for nearly all military personnel and compensation
changes in any given year.
The defense appropriations bill (prepared
by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees) provides the funding
to pay for the programs specified in the authorization bill. Congressional
rules normally bar putting authorizing provisions in an appropriations
bill, to make sure the legislators with the purse strings don't usurp all
the other committees' authority.
The House has already approved its version
of the FY2012 defense authorization bill (H.R. 1540), and the Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee approved its draft of the FY2012 defense appropriations bill
(as yet unnumbered). The latter bill is now awaiting action by the
full House Appropriations Committee. The Senate Armed Services Committee
and Appropriations Committee are expected to draft their respective versions
of the authorization and appropriations bills later this month.
Technically, the authorization bill is
supposed to be finished first, and then the appropriations bills are supposed
to be finished and signed into law by the President by October 1 (the start
of the new fiscal year). But that has rarely happened in recent
years. And with less than four months left in the current fiscal
year, it's almost certain that action on both bills will drag well beyond
October 1. |
| Worry About the Flood,
Not the "Camel's Nose" |
| Some rail against the proposed $5 per
month TRICARE Prime enrollment fee increase as the "camel's nose under
the tent." They seem to think that by opposing any increase we can actually
"control the camels." In that context, there's a whole herd of camels
coming, whether we like it or not. But MOAA thinks that's the wrong
metaphor. The more relevant comparison is to the Mississippi flood.
It's not a matter of negotiating to stop the flood...or to stop the first
inch of the flood to prevent the rest from coming. It's a matter
of building a defense to try to limit the damage when the truly big water
comes.
Once the heavy rains hit the Midwest (i.e.,
now that we've built up such a horrendous national debt and the country
and the Congress are showing an ever-intensifying budget-cutting mood),
the flood is coming to the lower river valley and delta whether we like
it or not. You can rail against it all you want, but that's not going
to stop the rising river. What MOAA is trying hard to do is build
at least some kind of levee where none now exists, and recognize that we're
going to have to accept a little spillage in trying to provide the best
protection we can to the most people. From that perspective, there's
absolutely nothing in current law to provide any limiting guidelines at
all on adjusting TRICARE fees. That leaves us at the mercy of budget
pressures every year, and those pressures are building to levels that simply
will not be resistible without some additional lifeline. So we must
- must - get something in law we can point to as a reason to recognize
that military health care is a special case.
That's why we believe it's so important
to support the House Armed Services Committee's proposal to recognize -
in law – that career military people already pay very large, up-front premiums
for their health care in retirement through decades of arduous service
and sacrifice, and that this must be considered in assessing their cash
fees. Based on that premise, the Committee would impose a statutory
limit that TRICARE fees can't rise in any future year by a percentage that
exceeds the percentage growth in military retired pay. If we're successful
in getting those provisions in law, can that guarantee we won't get swamped
by further changes a few years downstream when the whole country is facing
draconian cuts across the board? No.
But it has a whole lot better chance of
having a positive effect than just hollering "we oppose any rise in the
water" or "we have to oppose the first inch in the rise or it will just
keep going up." To us, such a stance ignores the reality of the current
situation and fails to recognize how much worse the budget situation is
going to get; very soon.
MOAA is about taking constructive action
to build a levee against the coming flood, not just hollering against the
rising river. Doing nothing for another year only puts the military community
at ever-greater risk. |
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Joint Warfighting Conference
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| The Hampton Roads Chapter Supported MOAA
at the 2011 Joint Warfighting Conference in Virginia Beach, VA on 10 to
12 May. Manning the booth are left to right; CAPT Jack Colgan,
USN-Ret. and Chapter Membership Chairman, Ms. Amanda Bainton, MOAA
Rep., Ms. Emily Rand, MOAA Rep., and COL Jim Smith, USA-Ret.,
Chapter Board Member. This annual event gives us a chance to interface
with Active Duty Military and Retired Military attending, who may not be
current members of MOAA or the local MOAA Chapter. We explain the
many benefits of being a MOAA/Chapter member and encourage them to sign
up for a free year membership. |
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| May 27th Luncheon |
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| The luncheon was held at Atlantic Shores
Community. Our guest speaker was CAPT Steve Novack, USNR-Ret.
He discussed hurricane/disaster preparedness starting with the pre disaster
events, evacuation and the actual event, and follow-on rescue efforts,
and community support. Before the event, prepare a Go
Kit and a Stay Kit. For those who missed the luncheon, the lecture
was outstanding and informative. President, CAPT Holly Hollandsworth
is shown presenting the Jefferson Cup to CAPT Novack. |
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| In the photo above, COL Jim Edge,
USA-Ret. is shown talking with Meredith Kruse, the Virginian Pilot
Military News Editor, who was invited to attend the luncheon to see what
our Chapter was doing to help our retired community, our active duty members
and our veterans. Jim particularly highlighted our work for the Cell
Phones for Soldiers program, a national non-profit charity that recycles
old cell phones and in return, provides our fighting forces with 60 minutes
of free talk for each cell phone turned in. The NFCU is collecting,
packaging and shipping old cell phones. |
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| CDR Bert Ortiz briefs fellow members
on the Chapter programs which have been planned for the remainder of the
year. |
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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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Hampton Roads Chapter, Military Officers Association
of America in Memorial Day Ceremonies
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| Seven chapter members participated in
Memorial Day ceremonies at both Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. At
the Virginia Beach ceremony, four board members attended and a wreath was
presented by COL Jim Smith, USA-Ret. and CAPT Jim Jones,
USN-Ret. At the Chesapeake ceremony, four chapter members attended and
a wreath was presented by COL Dave Wade, USA-Ret., LCDR Matt
Krakower, USN-Ret. and CDR Bert Ortiz, USN-Ret. |
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NROTC Consortium Gold Bar
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| CAPT Jim Jones USN-Ret. Presents
the Gold Bars to Ensign Jacqueline Gulla, USN above and to Ensign
Stephen Smith, USN below. |
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| CAPT Jim Jones, USN-Ret., presenting
the Gold Bars and MOAA Certificate to 2LT Mitchell Brown, USMC.,
NROTC Consortium, Hampton Roads. 28 Cadets received their Gold Bars
during the ceremony. |
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U.S. Army ROTC Monarch Battalion
at Old Dominion University
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| This was the 36th Annual President’s Review
and Awards Ceremony. Opening remarks were made by President John
R. Broderick, ODU, after Trooping the Line.
Above, left COL Jim Edge,
USA-Ret., presents the MOAA Leadership Award to Cadet Kenneth L. Bowden,
ODU.
The Units Officer in Charge is LTCOL
Carl L. Michaud, Jr., he is shown below presenting the USAA Spirit
Award to Cadet Stephanie A. Corsaro, ODU Senior. |
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Transition Officer Placement System
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| The HRCMOAA (TOPS) Liaison is Captain
Loren V. Heckelman, U. S. Navy (Ret.). Loren can be reached at email
address; Loren.Heckelman@cox.net.
Check out our Networking and Jobs page on the chapter website at www.hrcmoaa.org.
Click on the “Networking and Jobs” link on the left hand side of the home
page. |
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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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Virginia Wounded Warrior Program
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How can I help?
The Virginia Veterans Services Foundation
is available to receive contributions to support the Program.
The program will assist Virginia’s veterans,
members of the Virginia National Guard, Virginia residents of the Armed
Forces Reserves not on active federal service, and their family members,
who are dealing with the effects of traumatic brain disorders, combat stress,
and post-traumatic stress disorders resulting from their combat service
and sacrifice in the U.S. Armed Forces.
I am enclosing/pledging my most generous
contribution in the amount of:
__ $1,000 __ $500
__ $250 __ $100 ? __$50 __ Other $_________
Please make checks payable to:
Virginia Veterans Services Foundation
For: VWWP
900 East Main Street, Ground Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Your contribution is tax exempt under Internal
Revenue Service Section 170 (c) and Code of Virginia Section 2.2.2719.
Please provide the following;
Name(s) ______________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________
Phone _______________________
Email_______________________________________
HRCMOAA Member
Yes ___ No ___
You may also donate on line by visiting
the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation at;
www.vvsf.org |
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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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| Board Meetings; normally held the
first Saturday of each month. |
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| June/July – BREAK (other
social event/activity) |
| August 26th - Luncheon at Aberdeen
Barn. Congressman Scott Rigell as Legislative guest. |
| September 23rd - Luncheon at Atlantic
Shores. National MOAA representative (ADM Ryan/Travel Benefits Advisor/or
available representative). |
| October 21st - Luncheon at Westin
Town Center. Financial Planning Panel with an attorney, CPA, and
two planners. Aaron Zielinski will moderate the panel. |
| November 18th – Luncheon at Seal
Heritage Center, Little Creek. Speaker - CAPT Tim Szymanski, USN.
Museum tours will also be available. Planning for ROTC participation/invite
to this event. Toys for Tots support also at this event. |
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| VCOC Schedule |
| 24 June – Congressional Luncheon,
to be held at the Capitol Hill Club, Washington D.C. |
| 7 July – Richmond, to be
held at the Virginia War Memorial. |
| 13 October – Biennial, to be held
at the Country Club of Petersburg. |
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| Contact Jim Jones, 777-5872 for
details and transportation. |
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“NOTICE”
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Any Chapter Member who flew the B-58,
B-47, or the B-36, please contact LCOL Edward “Buck” Cummings, USMC
Ret. His email is terriermac@cox.net.
Also info CDR John Vermillion,
USN Ret. at vermillj@cox.net. |
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29 April Luncheon
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| The speaker was David Wade, Chair,
Chapter Community Affairs. Dave discussed what Community Affairs
is all about. What does it do? Initiates, budgets and coordinates
those activities of the chapter which interface with local communities
either by participation in ceremonies, participation in a specific activity
or making donations.
Basic criteria: The activity has
a direct military connection in some fashion.
The activity supports the goals
of the Military Officers Association of America.
Standard is that any activity supported
contributes to the potential for more memberships. |
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| The Community Affairs Agenda included:
Honor the past:
Those activities honoring those who have
served.
Support of Current Activities:
Member participation and Chapter donation
Foster the future:
Activities recognizing those with the
potential to serve. |
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| Shown below with our president, CAPT
Paul Hollandsworth, USN-Ret. are new members LCDR William Sprauer,
USN-Ret., on the left and LCDR Eddie Seaton, USN-Ret., on the right.
They were welcomed at the 29 April Luncheon. |
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IN MEMORIUM
LCDR George H. Garbark, USN (Ret).
Auxiliary member Florence C. Knick, a Navy widow.
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