Military Officer - March 2007 - (Page 51)

chapteractivities not stress enough how great it feels to know we are supported back home.” After the 3/67 was reassigned, members adopted yet another unit: the Army’s 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry. According to Brig. Gen. James Hes“The acronym HOT continues to generate some laughter, but it got members’ attention and got people enthusiastic,” says Shields. “The whole chapter is excited about this project.” The program was launched Christmas Eve 2005 after chapter members learned that servicemembers stationed in Afghanistan needed comfort care items. In January 2006, the chapter’s executive board approved HOT. Donations soon arrived from chapter members, and in March 2006 the chapter shipped six boxes to servicemembers in Afghanistan. Soon area businesses joined the effort. In July, the chapter began collecting Christmas cards to send to servicemembers, which they then could ﬁll out and mail back to their loved ones for the holidays. Members also enclosed cards that bore MOAA’s logo and contained messages of support. “The troops’ thank-you e-mails are shared at our monthly meetings and in our Ofﬁcers Call publication,” says chapter president Capt. Don Freese, USNR-Ret. “We see the troops’ faces and know how much HOT is appreciated.” Brice-O’Hara, right, joined Aloha (Hawaii) Chapter President Col. Les Ihara, left, and Lt. Col. Vernon Von, USAF-Ret., at a December gathering. “We’re investing in a better Hawaii so we can have a better America,” says Ono. The chapter’s scholarship fund provides grants for undergraduate students attending a university or college in Hawaii or pursuing a career as a teacher, nurse, or military ofﬁcer. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara attended the party as guest speaker. As commander of the 14th Coast Guard District and Paciﬁc Area deputy commander for East Asia-Paciﬁc Engagement, she credited and thanked chapter members for actively supporting legislation that helps Coast Guard members. In 2006, the Aloha Chapter received a Five-Star Levels of Excellence Award, recognizing it as one of MOAA’s top-notch chapters. Members engage in a number of activities, including supporting local ROTC and Junior ROTC units, participating in Memorial and Veterans’ Day ceremonies at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Paciﬁc, and cleaning Honolulu Memorial. The chapter also has golf and bridge ON THE WEB ■ MOAA’s annual Storming the Hill is just a month away. Familiarize yourself with the issues council presidents will bring to Congress: www.moaa.org/legislative. Iraqi children enjoy the fruits of the Sarasota (Fla.) Chapter’s ongoing efforts to support servicemembers — and locals — overseas. son, USA-Ret., chairman of Support Our Troops, the program continues to meet with great success. “Based on boxes ordered and distributed by members of our MOAA chapter, more than 2,000 boxes have been sent by our local community during the past 12 months,” says Hesson. “This does not include other local churches and organizations that opted to use our Web site procedures. [And] as people throughout the country found our Web site, they have sent boxes to our units.” The St. Petersburg Area Chapter’s Help Our Troops (HOT) program also is going strong, according to chair Carolyn Shields. Since March 2006, members have shipped 188 boxes to servicemembers in Afghanistan and collected approximately $5,000 in monetary donations, used to purchase items and cover the cost of shipping supplies and postage. Aloha (Hawaii) Chapter Meets Challenge A t the Aloha (Hawaii) Chapter’s annual Christmas party and scholarship fundraiser, members rose to a unique challenge. Scholarship Chair Lt. Gen. Allen Ono, USA-Ret., announced that an anonymous member had pledged to match fellow members’ donations to the scholarship fund dollar-fordollar. The response was generous, producing a record $7,700 in donations, including a $400 donation presented by Shirley Ihara on behalf of the chapter’s Bridge Club. MARCH 2007 MILITARY OFFICER 51 http://www.moaa.org/legislative

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From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Forward, March 10 Top Cities Tell Us About It Fly the Plan Cover Story: The War Poster One Percent Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Member Services Member Books Sounding Taps MOAA Calendar Encore

Military Officer - March 2007

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