Military Officer - May 2006 - (Page 42)

chapteractivities The 453-member Southern Maine Chapter supports six Junior ROTC and two ROTC units in the area and runs its own ofﬁcer placement program to help transitioning ofﬁcers ﬁnd employment opportunities in the area. In addition, members from both MOAA chapters in Maine — Southern Maine and Pine Tree — have been waging a ﬁve-year battle to get military retired pay exempted from state income tax. Southern Maine Chapter member Rear Adm. Richard Rybacki, USCG-Ret., who also sits on national MOAA’s board of directors, chairs the Maine Military Coalition. Comprising veterans’ groups from across the state, the coalition has made signiﬁcant progress this year in the state legislature. MOAA members hope the legislature’s appropriations committee will pass the exemption this year, as they are conﬁdent that the tax exemption will help Maine attract more skilled labor by giving military retirees an incentive to retire to the state. Give Me 10! Campaign Now On National MOAA has challenged its 415 chapters to recruit 10 new members each during the 2006 Give Me 10! campaign, which ends Dec. 31, 2006. Participating chapters will earn $10 for every new member they recruit and a $100 bonus after they recruit 10 members. Chapters will continue to receive $10 for each member they recruit — even after they’ve signed up the first 10. In addition, chapters will receive $20 for every member who signs up for a life membership. A $1,000 prize will be given to the top chapter in each size category. More than $25,000 in prize money was awarded to chapters that participated in the 2005 Give Me 10! campaign, with the 10 winning chapters earning almost $14,000! All chapters are strongly encouraged to join the 2006 Give Me 10! campaign. To sign up, call the MOAA Member Service Center toll-free at (800) 234-6622. Mendocino (Calif.) Helps Army Recruiting M endocino County Satellite members are working to help Army recruiters meet their goals. Lt. Col. Ben Booth, USARet., commander of the 30-member satellite (one of four afﬁliates that fall under the auspices of California’s Redwood Empire Chapter), brought recruiting to members’ attention two years ago after reading an article ON THE WEB ■ See “Caring for Our Own,” page 56, to learn how MOAA chapters are supporting our troops. Then link to www.moaa.org/ community to find out how you can tap in. about the Army’s difﬁculties meetthem contact key “centers of inﬂuing its quota for new recruits. Soon, ence” in their communities. he and fellow member CWO4 Stan Booth, now in a second career as a Mckaig, USA-Ret., decided to visit realtor, has introduced Army recruitthe nearest Army recruiting ofﬁce. ers to key business leaders, educa“We … took the retors, and local ofﬁcials cruiters to lunch and in Mendocino County. asked them what we Mendocino He converted his 1926 could do to help,” says Model T Ford into a members Booth. “We also began mobile billboard, decoare proud inviting Army recruitrating it with the U.S. to support ﬂag, several Army ﬂags, ers to speak … at our bimonthly luncheon and Army recruiting Army meetings.” recruiting. posters of Uncle Sam. As it turns out, Mendocino satellite the satellite’s efforts members ride in the were in step with Model T during area national MOAA’s. In March 2005, parades, and Booth uses the vehicle Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., to drive Army recruiters to meetings. national MOAA president, signed Members of the Mendocino Couna memorandum of understanding ty Satellite say they’re proud to supwith Maj. Gen. Michael D. Rochelle, port Army recruiting, and Booth says then-commanding general of the Army recruiters in their area are U.S. Army Recruiting Command meeting their numbers now. MO (USAREC). Under the agreement, — Contributors are Col. Chris Giaimo, MOAA members were asked to help USAF-Ret., director; Col. Jim Pauls, USAREC meet its goal of reconnect- USAF-Ret., deputy director, Council and ing with American communities and Chapter Affairs; and Kris Ann Hegle. For submission information, see page 16. assist Army recruiters by helping ILLUSTRATION: IMAGES.COM/CORBIS 42 MILITARY OFFICER M AY 2 0 0 6 http://www.moaa.org/community http://www.moaa.org/community http://IMAGES.COM/CORBIS

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

Military Officer - May 2006 Contents From the Editor President's Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Raising Iraq Dogfight Fun Caring For Our Own Pages of History Information Exchange MOAA Scholarship Donors Member Books Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - May 2006

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