Military Officer - March 2006 - (Page 40)

chapteractivities Work Time C ongress hit military retirees with a double whammy last year: no relief from the inequities of the Survivor Beneﬁt Plan (SBP) law — we still have to keep paying premiums way beyond the supposed 30-year cutoff period — and widows’ SBP payments still are offset by what they get in Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments. What’s more, DoD is strongly considering instituting an enrollment fee and doubling the deductibles for TRICARE Standard and almost tripling the enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime. (Now, that’s what I call supporting the troops!) What are we going to do about it? This is an election year, and this month our council presidents are coming to town for MOAA’s annual Storming the Hill campaign. We’ll remind our “stormers” that it’s time to get to work. We’re going to present our senators and representatives with the facts, as we always do, about how military widows are having their SBP annuity reduced by what they receive 40 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2006 M Chapter President Brig. Gen. Norm Hoffman, ARNG-Ret., swore in the enlistees, who will be serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Chapter member Capt. Brian Peterson with the U.S. from the VA in DIC payments — just Army Recruiting Command coorthe opposite of how it should be. dinated the swearing-in ceremony Stormers will explain that unless Congress does something to roll back with area recruiters; Lt. Col. Leonard Chase, AUS-Ret., the paid-up SBP preserved as chief planmium date to 2006, ner; and Lt. Col. John there might not be any Congress Zollinger, USA-Ret., need to do so in the fuwill hear served as the master ture, because most of from us of ceremonies. Former those retirees who have Eugene Mayor Jim been paying premiums that it is in SBP for more than time to get Torrey and local radio personality Richard 30 years will be gone! to work. Sturms spoke at the Finally, we have event, which received health care concerns both newspaper and to discuss, mentioned television coverage. above. Some hard“I think it went very well,” said fought victories are in jeopardy. Yes, Col. Harry Hance, USAF-Ret., a chapCongress will hear from us that it is ter member and chair of the Defense time to get to work, but please don’t Education Committee, which was forget that they also need to hear it founded in 1984 to encourage adfrom you. — Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret. equate spending on national defense. Director, Council and Chapter Affairs “We made the enlistees feel welcome by taking time to speak with them. At the end of the evening, the enlistees formed a reception line, and we shook their hands and offered our thanks and congratulations.” Emerald Empire (Ore.) Emerald Empire Chapter’s 184 Ceremony Unites Vets members are involved in a variety and New Recruits of activities that pay tribute to military members and veterans. They embers of the Emerald support and plan Memorial Day cerEmpire Chapter in Eugene, emonies in Eugene and Springﬁeld, Ore., joined with members of the Defense Education Committee Ore.; participate in a “Salute to Veterans” program at a local school; honor to host a unique program for Pearl outstanding local ROTC students at Harbor Remembrance Day. More an annual dinner ceremony; and colthan 100 people attended the Dec. 7 lect and transport donated clothing event, which brought together Pearl to a local VA hospital. Harbor survivors and other World In 2005, chapter members helped War II veterans, former POWs, and draft a mayoral proclamation to rec30 new military enlistees. Field Reports PHOTO: RHODA BAER

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - March 2006

Military Officer - March 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Call For Board Nominations Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum MOAA Member Services Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Live It Up! Top Picks On the Road Again Destination: Arizona By the Numbers Cover Story: One Clean Shot From Combat to Congress Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - March 2006

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.