| Close
Window |
|
 |
|
The Bi-Monthly Newsletter
of the
Hampton Roads Chapter
Military Officers Association
of America
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
VOL 36-NO 1
|
ONE POWERFUL VOICE
|
JANUARY 2012
|
|
|
|
|
The Tribute
In honor of those who have
sacrificed
to keep our country free.
|
|
|
Courtesy
of the Arlington National Cemetery Website Images
|
|
|
January
20th Luncheon
|
|
| The luncheon will be held at the Atlantic
Shores Community, Magnolia Room. The guest speaker will be Paul
Galanti, State of Virginia Commissioner of Veterans Affairs.
Paul Galanti was a prisoner of war for nearly seven years in North Vietnam's
infamous Hanoi Hilton complex. He not only maintained his sanity,
he has managed, since his return in February 1973, to excel in several
different fields. In 2010, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell appointed
Galanti as the Commissioner of Veterans Services for the Commonwealth of
Virginia. Governor McDonnell recently appointed him to the Board
of Visitors of the Virginia Military Institute. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
|
February 17th Luncheon
|
| On October 1, 2009, the Joint Expeditionary
Base Little Creek-Fort Story was established, the first Joint Base in Hampton
Roads. Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story is the country’s
premier installation for housing and training the nation’s Expeditionary
Forces. It is one command with two properties: Joint Expeditionary Base
East (Fort Story) and West (Little Creek). The Joint Expeditionary Base
is comprised of the former Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and the Army
Post, Fort Story. Fort Story witnessed the humble beginnings of our country
at the 1607 first landing site. Little Creek began as a dynamic training
ground for World War II amphibious forces. Luncheon will be at Fort Story,
with the Commander. |
|
|
|
President’s Message
Fellow Officers and Spouses:
First let me wish you and your family a
Merry Christmas and the very best in the New Year. Health and happiness
to all.
Yes it's Christmas time again.
I can tell by all the Chritsmas tree lots on corners and on church lots.
All the radio stations are playing Christmas songs, some 24/7, and the
Virginian pilot is full of toy ads. It never ceases to amaze me that
a baby, born over 2,000 years ago, can to this day, create such a world
wide phenomenon. No mater your belief or faith you must agree that
the birth of this babe changed the world for ever as no other being had
before or since. Thomas Cahill in his series of books, "The Hinges
Of History ," points out that, though the world is still far from
an ideal place, we have, as a human race, become more caring and considerate
of our fellowman since Jesus’s ministry on earth.
You, the officers of the US Military, are
proof of that improvement. You have put your life on the line for
your fellow country man and for people of other counties as well.
If you just think about what we have accomplished as leaders, in the military
in our life time, WWII, Korea, Integration, Vietnam, women accepted, and
more, we display that we believe in the freedom of all man kind, a concept
unknown to the world 2,000 years ago.
God bless,
Holly |
|
|
|
HRCMOAA Directory
|
Officers
|
Directors
|
Committees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NJROTC Appreciation Award
|
| HRCMOAA Honor Flight Certificate of Appreciation
was presented 15 November 2011 to Princess Anne HS for their Honor Flight
participation. Accepting the certificate for Princess Anne HS was
Cadet/CPO
Tevon Davis, the NJROTC Unit’s Operations Officer. |
|
| CDR Bert Ortiz, USN-Ret. presents
the Certificate for the Chapter. |
|
|
|
| MOAA Legislative Update
(Weekly Issue) |
|
| Super Committee Opts
to Whack Military People |
| Pundits and spin doctors are racing to
parse the potential impact of the so-called congressional “Super Committee’s”
abject failure to meet its task of coming up with a package of recommendations
to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.
The blame game is in full swing as each
party tries to deflect blame on the other for this miserable example of
how political partisanship stymies reasonable legislative action.
But there’s no spinning away from the reality that the Super Committee’s
absolute refusal to put America’s needs ahead of partisan dogma will impose
a double punch to the Defense budget. And that’s very bad news for
members of the military community. It means a sequester will
kick in imposing $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts, starting in January
2013 – with half of that total coming from the defense budget.
Added to the $450 billion in cuts already
imposed on the Pentagon, that’s a trillion-dollar cut that will devastate
weapons and people programs alike. It will mean massive and stupid
manpower cuts that Defense Secretary Panetta has acknowledged will hollow
the force and undermine national security. And while VA healthcare
and other programs are protected from sequestration, military health care
programs are not. Draw your own implications for what that likely means
for military beneficiaries of all ages.
In effect, by declining other options,
Super Committee members are saying they’d rather hit the military community
that already has borne 100% of the Nation’s wartime sacrifice with a new
round of unfair and disproportional sacrifices through force cuts, more
family separations, pay and benefit cuts and more. It’s an appalling
and disgusting abdication of their collective responsibilities for rational
governance. |
| Vet Jobs Bill Becomes
Law |
| Surrounded by veterans, service organizations
and principal Senate and House sponsors, President Obama signed into law
the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 at a White House ceremony Monday. The
First Lady, Michelle Obama, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden also
attended the signing. The legislation includes employer tax credits for
hiring unemployed veterans, job training benefits for older veterans, and
upgraded transition services for men and women leaving active duty, among
other initiatives
“MOAA is particularly pleased to see employer
tax credits included in the VOW to Hire Heroes Act,” said MOAA President
VADM Norb Ryan (USN-Ret), who attended the White House ceremony. “MOAA
has long championed employer tax credits for hiring our National Guard
and Reserve service women and men. The VOW To Hire Heroes Act broadens
this concept by extending these credits to all unemployed veterans with
higher tax credits for hiring unemployed disabled veterans.” Earlier, Senator
Patty Murray (D-WA), who chairs the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee,
cited MOAA’s efforts to help push the legislation through Congress. |
|
|
|
|
| From The Editor |
 |
|
| One of the most heart warming and exciting
events that a child will remember all of their life, is when a parent arrives
unannounced from an overseas deployment and greets them at school!
The picture below shows Commander Raul Gandara, upon his unexpected
return from a pre-deployment site survey to Afghanistan, greeting his son
Jonathan,
at Star of the Sea Catholic Elementary School, where he is a sixth grader. |
Photo by Kathleen
Edge |
|
|
|
|
MOAA New Member Program
|
| MOAA has selected Texas and Virginia Chapters
to participate in a new pilot program to aid the chapters in adding new
members. This six month program will directly assign new MOAA members
to chapters in both states based on zipcode.
If the program is successful, it will be
implemented nation wide. This will provide all MOAA chapters a less
labor intensive way to grow their membership. It also will cut the
cost of annual new member recruiting drives. |
|
|
|
|
Veterans Day
|
|
| The HRCMOAA was busy on the 11th of November,
Veterans Day, attending the Chesapeake and Virginia Beach celebrations.
Shown above is, from the left, CDR Bert Ortiz, CAPT Frank Driscoll,
and CDR Matt Krakower as they prepare to place the wreath at the
Chesapeake Memorial. The ceremony was well attended with Chesapeake
leadership (Mayor and City Council representatives), patriotic citizens
and a host of Veterans organizations including our local Chapters of the
Disabled American Veterans, Military Officers Association of America, Veterans
of Foreign Wars, and the United States Marine Corps League among them.
Below are the HRCMOAA Representatives as they march to place the wreath
at the Chesapeake Veterans Memorial. |
|
|
|
|
|
Military ID Card Notification Program
|
| 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. |
| |
| 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. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organization
Luncheon
|
| The Hampton Roads Council of Veterans
Organization Luncheon was held at the Double Tree Hotel. Parade
Participants are shown below. |
|
| L to R: Ltcol Jim Dellaripa,
USAF-Ret., COL Jack Hilgers, USMC-Ret., ST3 James Crumbly,
USN WWII Vet. |
|
| CAPT Jim Jones, USN-Ret. (Tin Can
Sailors). |
|
| COL Floyd Gilbert, USA-Ret. and
Mr. Lee Hedberg, Virginia Beach Budget Office. |
|
| Also CDR John Vermillion, USN-Ret.,
Photographer. |
|
|
|
|
HRCMOAA Honor Flight Certificates of Appreciation
|
|
| Certificates were presented to Landstown
HS for their Honor Flight participation. Individual certificate presentation
were made to Cadets Jordan Tanap, Trai Corte and Cadet
Brandon Yonkovich. Accepting the certificate for Landstown HS
was Cadet LCDR Robert Frantz, NJROTC Unit’s Commanding Officer.
Chapter’s CDR Bert Ortiz, presenting. |
|
|
|
|
17 October, VCOC Biannual Dinner
|
|
| The picture above by National MOAA shows
the Virginia Council of Chapters members as they show off their Five Star
award banners. Ten chapters received the Five Star award while two
chapters received their Four Star awards. Our representative, CAPT
Jim Jones, USN-Ret. is shown in the second row, second from the right.
VADM Norb Ryan Jr. was the guest speaker at the dinner. |
|
| Above is Jim Jones placing a rose
in the vase to celebrate the life of all HRCMOAA members who passed away
during the past two years. |
|
|
|
|
Five Star Award
|
|
| ADM Steve Abbot, USN- Ret., Chairman
of MOAA’s Board of Directors, is shown presenting the Five Star Award to
CDR Bert Ortiz, USN-Ret., Chapter 2nd VP. Bert
and his wife Suzanne attended the annual MOAA Banquet the evening
of 29 Oct. in San Antonio’s Riverwalk Marriott, representing the
HRCMOAA. Picture by National MOAA. This is the 8th Five Star
award for the chapter.
The picture following shows Bert and Suzanne
standing in front of the Alamo. |
|
|
|
|
|
Transition Officer Placement System
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
|
MOAA Scholarship Fund
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
|
Retiree Account Statement
|
| Your monthly electronic (eRAS) is now
available on myPay. To log in and access your eRAS, use https://mypay.dfas.mil
While you're logged in to your account,
please also take a few moments to verify that all of your contact information
is correct. DFAS will issue your 1099-R tax statement, annual RAS
and a Retiree Newsletter in December. Please make sure both your
mailing address and email address are up to date. |
|
|
|
|
November 18th Luncheon
|
|
| Above are new members LCDR Jack Branson,
USN-Ret., and his wife Donna. This was their first luncheon. |
|
|
|
|
Toys for Tots
|
|
| HRCMOAA representatives delivered the
Chapters donations to this year’s toys for tots, Marine Air Control Squadron
24 representatives; L to R Corporal Heater, Sergeant Burger,
Major Keane, USMC and Site Commander. CAPT Holly Hollandsworth,
USN- Ret. and CDR Bert Ortiz, USN-Ret. are the Santas. |
|
|
|
|
Virginia Wounded Warrior Program
|
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 |
|
|
|
|
Chapter Schedule
For the most current and up-to-date schedule
of chapter events,
click on Calendar
of Events
|
| |
| December 9, 2011 - ROWS annual
Dinner Dance Was held at the Princess Anne Country Club. Dinner and Dancing
was 7:00-10:00 p.m. |
| January 20th Luncheon - The luncheon
will be held at the Atlantic Shores Community, Magnolia Room. |
| February 17th Luncheon - The luncheon
will be held at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story |
| |
| Virginia Council of Chapters Schedule |
| Storming of the hill in Richmond;
Tentative date is 23 January 2012. |
| VCOC Meeting; 11 January
2012, at VA War Memorial. |
| Congressional Luncheon; Capitol
Club, D.C. |
|
| Contact Jim Jones, 777-5872 for
details and transportation. |
|
|
|
|
October 21 Luncheon
|
| The luncheon was held at the Ramada on
The Beach. The program was a Financial Speakers Panel, which covered;
what you should know about Social Security, the economy, your estate, and
choosing a Financial Advisor. The team consisted of Letha Squitta
McDowell, attorney with Oast and Hook P. C. , Traci Simmons
Fidelity Investments International Services; and Inez Lloyd, Social
Security Administration.
Shown below is Traci Simmons , Fidelity
Investments. |
|
|
| Shown above is Letha Squitta McDowell,
Attorney with Oast and Hook P.C. Aaron Zielinski managed the
speaker panel, which was well received by the members in attendance.
The meeting started with a taped presentation
to all members by one of our Senators from DC, Senator Mark Warner. |
|
|
|
|
November 18 Luncheon
|
|
| The luncheon was held at the Holiday Inn
Executive Center. Our speaker was CAPT Tim Szymanski, USN,
Commander Naval Special Warfare Group TWO. He discussed how the Navy
Seals deployed world wide to meet the requirements of the Theater Commanders.
He took a number of questions from the members which numbered over 70 in
attendance.
There were a number of guest in attendance;
CAPT Jackeline Johnson, USA, Assistant Professor of
Military Science for the Army ROTC at ODU and CDR Geoffrey Mones,
USN Assistant Professor of Military Science Navy ROTC at ODU.
A number of ROTC students were also in
attendance.
Shown above, from the left, is President,
CAPT Holly Hollandsworth, CDR Geoffrey Mones, USN, CAPT Jackeline
Johnson, USA, and CAPT Tim Szymanski.
Shown below with CAPT Szymanski are from
the left Michael Dilvecjo, Matthew Smith, Ethan Strauser,
and Gen Kobnyushi, ODU NROTC Cadets.
HRCMOAA received over 75 new, unwrapped
toys and over $200 in donations from our members during its November luncheon
in support of the annual U.S Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program
drive. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IN MEMORIUM
CAPT Richard H. Norton, USN-Ret.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
