Military Officer - April 2007 - (Page 14) yourviews MILIT ARY F E B R U A RY 2 0 0 7 $4.50 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MOAA | ONE POWERFUL VOICE® W W W. M O A A . O R G OFFICER PRTs at Work Provincial reconstruction teams are building stability in remote regions of Afghanistan 48 GUARD YOUR WALLET FY 2008 budget to renew TRICARE fee battle 31 5 TAX STRATEGIES MOAA’s experts help you make the most of your return 60 “The leaders of MOAA have succumbed to the liberal … bashing of our president.” — Col. Charles E. Bopp, USAF-Ret. members who are not AfricanAmerican if you felt excluded. We welcome you because of the diversity and variety of experiences that you add to our programs. Since the ultimate goal of mentoring is to improve the quantity and quality of experiences of protégés, we are honored to do our part for the officers who serve in defense of our nation. Brig. Gen. C.L. Adams-Ender, USA-Ret. Forestville, Md. Ongoing Debate Morgan, USMC, cited the women in his unit as the “biggest force multiplier with the civilian population,” there was not one photo of a female PRT member included in the wellresearched and well-documented “Building Stability” article. 1/5/07 4:26:10 PM Feb_cover.indd 1 Building Success Congratulations to Gina DiNicolo on a superb article on … the [provincial reconstruction team (PRT)] initiative in Afghanistan [“Building Stability,” February 2007]. … I could not be prouder of the integration of forces, the Army Reserve’s 1st Battalion, 168th Regiment, 34th Infantry Division together with the Marines and allied forces in ensuring this mandated and necessary program works. To the men and women of the 1/168th, my congratulations on your dedication and resolve in accomplishing the ongoing mission. My sincerest condolences to the family of Spc. James Kearney. To Lt. Col. Steven Morgan, USMC, and the 28 members of the PRT, your diligence has not gone unnoticed. Lt. Col. Don Belsey, AUS-Ret. via e-mail Col. Frances C. Martin, USAF-Ret. Interlachen, Fla. Editor’s note: Our editors and designers always look for representative images. Unfortunately, we often have to rely on news services and official military photo sites. Mentoring for Everyone Thank you for publishing [“Reaching Out, Reaching Up,” February 2007]. It was informative, historical, and gave concrete examples of how officers are mentored with a purpose by these groups. I also wanted to inform you and your readers that these mentoring organizations are not exclusively for African-American officers. Our membership is open to all military officers. As chair of The ROCKS board, I apologize to those ROCKS I was disturbed to see the letter from Lt. Col. Francis Stone, USAF-Ret., which was highlighted [“Your Views,” February 2007]. To say that the war was “ill-advised, unjustified, ineptly planned, and woefully executed” is a slam against our military and all the soldiers who have participated in the direction and conduct of the warfare. I have had the privilege of speaking with many members of the military upon their return from the combat area and also heard from Gen. Tommy Franks, USA-Ret., after his return. No one, not one of these individuals, has had anything other than superlatives to say regarding any portion of the war. If the [letter] had not been highlighted I would have written it off. But, since you highlighted the letter, I can’t help but feel the leaders of MOAA have succumbed to the liberal and media bashing of our president and the military community. Col. Charles E. Bopp, USAF-Ret. via e-mail Editor’s note: We highlight passages we think will draw readers’ attention — as this one certainly did. This should not be construed as an endorsement. [CONTINUES ON PAGE 18] I found it interesting that although the PRT commander, Lt. Col. Steven 14 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2007 http://WWW.MOAA.ORG
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