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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 First Runner
Up Web Site For 2012, a Winner Printed Newsletter 2012, and Winner
E Newsletter 2012.
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VOL 38-NO 1
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ONE POWERFUL VOICE
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JANUARY 2014
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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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Next
Luncheon
Friday, 24 January 2014
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| CAPT John F. Meier, USN, Commanding
Officer PCU USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) will be our guest speaker.
The luncheon will be held at the Atlantic Shores Community, Magnolia Room.
Starting with a cocktail hour at 1100 hours. Meier graduated from
the United States Naval Academy in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree
in General Engineering. He completed flight training in Beeville, Texas
and was "winged" as a naval aviator in August 1988. The Gerald R.
Ford (CVN 78) was christened on November 9, 2013 at Newport News Shipbuilding. |
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| Visit our website at www.hrcmoaa.org,
read the Electronic Newsletter, access Virginia Council of Chapters, 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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15 November Luncheon
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| The Chapter hosted three guests from the
NROTC Consortium in the Hampton Roads area and two guests from the AROTC
units located at NSU and ODU. Chapter members shown R-L are COL
Dave Wade, USA-Ret, and CAPT Mike Barea, USN-Ret, (Community
Affairs Officers) and CDR Bert Ortiz, USN-Ret, 1st VP. |
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President’s Message
Fellow Officers and Spouses:
Evelyn and I hope all enjoyed a wonderful
and blessed Christmas and we wish all a Happy and prosperous New Year.
2013 was a successful year for our Chapter as we continue to support various
worthwhile charities, our college and high school Army and Navy ROTC Programs,
our scholarship program and present an enjoyable and interesting luncheon
program. As I complete the first year as your president, I
want to thank your Chapter Officers, Board of Directors and all of the
members who step forward to assist in making it all work. A special
note of gratitude to James M. Dellaripa, Sr., LtCol, USAF (Ret).
After serving for 14+ years, “Rip”, a dedicated Patriot, has decided to
take it a little easy. He isn’t going anywhere though and has agreed
to continue giving me guidance and council. Most of all, thank you
– the membership – for supporting your Chapter with dues, participation
in our activities and your thoughts and ideas for a better, more efficient
organization. As a result of everyone’s hard work, Evelyn and I were
at the MOAA National Awards Dinner in November and we were presented the
Chapter
5 Star Award Banner for 2013 – it will be placed on our flag staff
at the January luncheon.
Welcome aboard to our newly elected Director
William
E. Lehr, Jr., CAPT, USCG (Ret). Bill served as a Board member
previously and we appreciate him giving of his time to serve again.
As mentioned previously, we need help in the following areas - Personal
Affairs, ID Card Notification, Relief for our Secretary (he is handling
3+ areas), back-up for our Tribute Editor, and Publicity. Our Chapter
will only succeed through the dedicated efforts of you so, please give
serious consideration to taking on a function. Remember, our Auxiliary
members are eligible to serve in these capacities also. If interested,
please call me or any of your Officers and Directors. Let’s get the
year started by joining together at the January Luncheon. It is on
24 January 2014 at the Atlantic Shores. Our guest speaker is CAPT
John F. Meir, USN, Commanding Officer PCU USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).
What a way to kick-off the New Year – 2014.
The Chapter is looking for volunteers
to fill the following positions; Secretary, Personal Affairs, and Active
Duty Military Liaison, your help in filling these positions is appreciated.
Call me.
Thank you,
Jim Edge
Thank you,
Jim Edge |
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| Legislative Update; Joint
Leadership Council |
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| Medicare/Tricare Fix
The House Ways and Means and Senate Finance
Committees are working together on bipartisan legislation that aims to
finally repeal and replace the flawed Medicare/TRICARE physician reimbursement
rate.
Current law calls for a 24 percent cut
in Medicare/TRICARE reimbursement rates to doctors on January 1.
Allowing such a large cut to take place would devastate access to care
for beneficiaries.
For years Congress has passed patchwork
legislation to block these cuts, kicking the can from one year to the next
year. The annual cycle of uncertainty wreaks havoc on physicians
participating in Medicare and TRICARE, and threatens access to care for
millions of beneficiaries.
The proposed permanent fix would repeal
the Sustainable Growth Rate that drives the annual cuts. It would
replace it with a ten year freeze of physician reimbursement rates at current
levels. It would also seek to boost efficiency in the health care
system by incentivizing physicians to use alternative payment models that
focus more on value than volume.
Starting in 2024 doctors participating
in fee for service plans would see a negative 1 percent annual adjustment,
and those using more efficient alternative payment methods would see a
2 percent increase.
The plan would also offer payments for
care coordination, value-based reporting systems and meaningful use of
electronic health records. Under the proposal doctors would be held
to accountability standards for quality and resource utilization.
Physician stakeholder groups have until
November 12th to respond to the draft proposal.
The total cost of the legislation is roughly
$139 billion. Although it’s far less expensive than previous proposals,
the challenge for Congress is coming up with the offsets to pay for it
and convincing physicians to agree to a ten year pay freeze. |
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| Defense Bill Back Up In The Works
The chances of a conference to work out
differences between the House and Senate versions of the defense bill are
dimming with only a week left before the House adjourns for the remainder
of the year.
However, both House and Senate Armed Services
leaders met earlier this week to chart agreement on remaining contentious
provisions and discuss a possible back-up plan if the Senate does not complete
its version of the legislation. The full House and Senate Armed Services
Committee completed work on their versions of the defense bill in June
yet the full Senate failed to advance the bill before Thanksgiving.
House Armed Services Committee minority
leader Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) outlined the possibility of
a stripped-down version on the Senate bill, one that omits several contentious
provisions, if the Senate bill continues to stall. That places several
provisions in limbo: the 1.8% pay raise, full concurrent receipt, and elimination
of the survivor benefit plan/dependency indemnity compensation offset. |
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21 February Luncheon
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| The luncheon will be held at the Virginia
Beach Resort Hotel and Conference Center. The guest speaker will
be a representative for Patriot PAWS. The mission of Patriot
PAWS is to train and provide service dogs of the highest quality
at no cost to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities
in order to help restore their physical and emotional independence.
Service dogs are initially selected from breeders, local animal shelters,
rescue groups, and service dog puppy raisers. They are carefully evaluated
prior to selection and only the best of the best become candidates, graduate
and are certified. Please note that Patriot PAWS’ selection process
is extensive. |
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Veterans Day in Chesapeake
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| Chesapeake City’s Veterans Day ceremony
was held at City Hall on 11 November. A chapter member, CDR Matt
Krakower, USN-Ret had the pleasure of enlisting 13 fine young men and
women into the service as part of the events. Virginia Commissioner
of Veteran Affairs, CDR Paul Gallanti, USN (Ret) was the guest speaker.
Our 1st VP, CDR Bert Ortiz, USN-Ret was also in attendance, and
helped lay the wreath. |
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HRCMOAA ROTC Scholarship
Fund
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| HRCMOAA is committed to funding
the MOAA scholarship fund at $25,000 in 5 years. That translates into $5,000
per year.
Please consider contributing before
the end of this year!
Members may submit to the chapter treasurer,
LT
Stephen Hackney, USN-Ret at 1736 Rally Dr. Virginia Bch, VA 23454-1233
or in person at our luncheons. The checks are consolidated
and submitted to MOAA who sends receipts to the donors.
Members who already donate to the national
MOAA Scholarship may continue to do so. You just need to note on the check
that it is for the Hampton Roads Chapter ROTC Scholarship Fund. MOAA
will continue to send receipts to the donors. |
Hampton Roads Chapter ROTC
Scholarship Fund
Goal for 2016: $25,000.00
Collected to date; $10,425.00
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2013
Contributions
PLATINUM $500
and above
Ms. Shirley Clapp, $1000.00 to the scholarship fund in honor of
her late husband,
COL Archie J. Clapp, USMC (RET).
Ms Ruth Dodson, AUX
GOLD $250 to $499
CDR John Vermillion, USN-Ret.
SILVER $100 to
$249
COL Jack Hilgers, USMC-Ret.
LtCol Jim Dellaripa, USAF-Ret.
CAPT Jim Jones, USN-Ret.
CAPT Bill Lehr, USCG-Ret.
Bronze Under $100
CAPT Jim Hanson, USN-Ret.
LT Steve Hackney, USN-Ret.
CAPT Holly Hollandsworth, USN-Ret.
CAPT Mike Nickolsburg, USN-Ret.
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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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21 November 2013
- 5 Star Awards
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| HRCMOAA President, COL Jim Edge
USA-Ret. is shown receiving the Levels of Excellence (LOE) Award from General
John Tilelli, Jr.USA-Ret), MOAA’s chairman of the board. At the
end of the Annual Meeting of the Membership, VADM Ryan promised
a video of his presentation would be made available for use at chapter
meetings.
The Membership meeting was held in Colorado
Springs, Colorado. The HRCMOAA has been a 5 Star Chapter since 2004. |
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November 11th Veterans
Day Parade
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| Our chapter participated in the Hampton
Roads Council of Veterans Organizations parade and luncheon held
in Virginia Beach. The chapter had one car in the parade. The
Grand Marshal this year was CAPT Manuel A. Hipol, MC USNR-Ret.
Below are a number of pictures from the parade route. |
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| Getting started. With school being
out, the number of children helped increase the crowds, also the sunny
weather helped. |
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| The flags are waving. |
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| Cute young lady, all dressed for a parade
and the flag waving. |
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| All dressed up for the Navy, braces and
all. |
| Following the parade, the Mayor of Virginia
Beach, the Honorable William D. Sessoms, Jr. made his Veterans Day remarks.
After that, the laying of wreaths was conducted at the Veterans Memorial
Park. |
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Veterans Day Luncheon
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| The Hampton Roads Council of Veterans
Organization sponsors the luncheon. Our Chapter had two tables at
the luncheon. Twenty seats were paid for by chapter attendees and
other officers and board members, Thank You. Invitees included Marines
from our Camp Allen here in Norfolk and a surviving member of the Pearl
Harbor Survivors group along with some members of his family. Shown
below are L-R, Jo Muehleib, Carrie De Leon, William “Bill”
Muehleib, retired Army Air Corp/USAF and COL Jack Hilgers, USMC-Ret
a chapter member. |
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| Shown below are five of the Camp
Allen Marines, “not identified” sitting with chapter member, CAPT Jim
Jones, USN-Ret. Not shown are; Ryan Roberts, Jo Carter,
Joann
Harkins, LCol Jim Dellaripa, USAF-Ret, and CDR John Vermillion,
USN-Ret. |
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Virginia Wounded Warrior Program
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| The Virginia Veterans Services Foundation
is taking contributions to support the Program.
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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24 January Luncheon
will be held at the Atlantic Shores Community
with CAPT John F. Meier, USN, Commanding Officer PCU USS Gerald
R. Ford (CVN-78) as our guest speaker. |
21 February Luncheon
will be held at the Va Beach Resort Hotel
and Conference Center, guest speaker will be a Representative (to be named)
for Patriot PAWS. |
21 March Luncheon
will be held at the Atlantic Shores, CAPT
Jim Carman, National MOAA Director of Transition Center is our guest
speaker |
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VCOC Schedule
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| The next meeting for the VCOC is scheduled
for12 January 2014. Storming of the Hill will follow on 13 January. |
| Contact our VCOC representative CAPT
Jim Jones, USN-Ret. at 777-5972 or 427-0395 for transportation and
other details.
A chance to visit your local Delegate.
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15
November 2013 Luncheon
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| Our 1st Vice President, CDR Bert Ortiz,
USN-Ret is shown presenting the guest speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin
Zachary Woodworth, USMC with the Jefferson Cup. Ben is the site
Commander MAG 49 Detachment D HMM-774 Wild Goose Squadron. He provided
an excellent history of the Toys for Tots program. The program got
it’s start in California before 1952 and became official in that year.
16.7 million toys were distributed nation wide in 2012. |
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Our Toys for Tots team from MAG
49 Detachment D HMM-774 Wild Goose Squadron are L-R, Sgt Maj Gilliam,
USMC, LCOL Woodworth, USMC, Bert Ortiz, and LCPL Luna.
They collected over $300.00 and over 250 toys for the event drive.
ROWS brought in their collection from their meeting the day before to donate
as part of our effort so that was very gracious of them and elevated our
overall donation.
Team Work. |
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| Our Chapters MOAA Scholarship award
winner, Cadet Emily Bessler, a senior at the College of William
and Mary, will graduate in May 2014 with a major in Government. Her
first choice is Army field artillery. She is ranked in the top 10
percent of ROTC cadets nationwide. Shown above is CDR Bert Ortiz
congratulating Emily on her award.
Below is L-R our new Board Members;
CAPT
Mike Barea, USN-Ret., Mrs. Jo Carter, AUX Liaison, and
CAPT
Bill Lehr, USCG-Ret with CDR Bert Ortiz. |
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IN MEMORIAM
None this period.
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