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THE BULLETIN BOARD | |
D-Day, June 6th |
 Our- speaker last month was Brigadier General Howard Prince, USA
Retired. He provided great insight into military dissension with
civilian bosses. His historical review to include the current brouhaha kept everyone's attention. You may not have agreed with everything he
said, but it was great food for thought.We have five members of the board who are stepping down this year. They have provided yeoman support to our chapter. Jim Brotherton has guided us throughout the year as our president. He accepted the responsibility and kept us all on track. Thank you. Set Graham, for the excellent programs that you provided throughout the year. Ben Meharg was our second vice president and called on all the military reps to check birthdays and to ensure people renewed their membership. He sent out many letters to potential members. Rylen Rudy coordinated our reservations set up and food with the dining hall. Bill Del Vecchio was the Army rep, and I'll miss the two years we spent together taking names at the sign- in tables. Thanks to all who serve. Events for June We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics. Bill Vaughan [1915-1977], Journalist. From Bits and Pieces, May. 2006. | MEET OUR SPEAKER
Michael T. Brown is the director of strategic planning for Sensor Systems, BAE SYSTEMS, and works from the Sensor Integration business unit located in Austin, Texas. The Sensor Systems portfolio includes Advanced Technologies applied in space, munitions, sensors, cameras, remote piloted aircraft and software algorithms, providing DOD, domestic federal agencies and international military customers integrated capabilities for Situational Awareness, Force Protection and Precision Strike. Mike has been a military analyst on MSNBC Television, providing coverage during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction. He is a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm, and retired from active duty after serving for nearly 27 years in the Army Chemical Corps. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland and was commissioned in the Army Chemical Corps in 1976. He subsequently earned a Masters Degree in Administrative Management Science from the John Hopkins University in 19B3. Mike's military professional development included graduation from resident attendance at the Armed Forces Staff School and the Army War College. Mike Brown has held a wide variety of high level command and staff positions while on active duty in the Army, culminating his career as the Chief of Force Protection, as well as the Deputy Director for Force Development on the Army Staff. He served his Joint Duty Assignment on the Joint Staff as Chief, Joint War fighting Capabilities Assessment [JWCA] team for Counter proliferation against Weapons of Mass Destruction, supporting requirements of the worldwide Combatant Commands. He was selected to lead the Joint Staff implementation of the DOD- wide anthrax vaccination program in 1997. Mike commanded the U.S. Army Chemical Activity for the Pacific region on Johnson Atoll from 1999-2000, responsible for the safe destruction of over 30,000 toxic chemical munitions stored on the island. He also commanded the 2nd Chemical Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas from 1994-1996, one of only three Active Duty chemical battalions in the Army responsible for battlefield decontamination, special weapons reconnaissance and multi-spectral obscurance. Michael Brown's military award and decorations include two awards of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal, as well as Staff Identification Badges for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Army Staff. |
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USS New York With a year to go before it even touches the water, the Navy's amphibious assault ship USS New York has already made history. It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. USS New York is about 45 percent complete and should be ready for launch in mid 2007. Katrina disrupted construction when it pounded the Gulf Coast last summer, but the 684 foot vessel escaped serious damage, and workers were back at the yard near New Orleans two weeks after the storm. It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft- "It would be fitting if the first mission this ship would go on is to make sure that bin Laden is taken out, his terrorist organization is taken out," said Glenn Clement, a paint foreman. "He came in through the back door and knocked our towers down and (the New York) is coming right through the front door and we want them to know that." Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, La., to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there." Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back." FLAG DAY-JUNE 14 More than 100 years ago, Flag Day was born in a schoolhouse in a small town in Wisconsin. On June 14, 1885 Bernard J. Cigrand began a campaign for the Continental Congress to officially set aside a day to honor our flag. Flag Day celebrations spread like wildfire across the United States. In 1916, Pres. Woodrow Wilson declared June 14 as National Flag Day. It was signed into law as an Act of Congress by Pres. Harry S. Truman on August 3, 1949. At that time, the President and Congress proclaimed that the flag would be displayed on all government buildings, where they still fly today. Let us all remember to fly our flags proudly on this day, but also at other times, honoring both the flag and our country. ATTENTION! You no doubt have seen the news of SSN's stolen from the home of a VA employee. I contacted Experian (888-397-3742) and instructed them to flag my file with a fraud alert. They will also contact Equifax [888-766-0008] and Transunion (800-680-7289) and have them do the same. I initially contacted the Soc. Sec. Administration who advised that the Fed. Trade Commission was assuming responsibility for this action. Their message is to contact one of the Credit Bureau Companies. - Col. William Del Vecchio | Austin Military History
Cut this out and put it in your glove compartment for a driving tour of military sites in Austin: 1. University of Texas Arno Nowotny Building at southwest corner of 1 -35 and Martin Luther King Street. Location of 1865 headquarters of Major General George Armstrong Custer. 2. Texas State Cemetery at 909 Navasota Street. Location of the graves of General Albert Sidney Johnston, other military notables, and Medal of Honor Monument of Texans. 3. Paramount Theater at 713 Congress Avenue. Plaque showing location of 1839 log cabin of Albert Sidney Johnston, Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas. 4. Hickory Street Bar & Grill at 800 Congress Avenue. Location of the 1851 home of Major Albert Sidney Johnston when he was US Army paymaster for all forts in Texas. 5. The "Castle" at 1111 West 11th Street. Home of the Texas Military Institute from 1870 to 1879 when staff and faculty moved to open Texas A&M. 6. Austin High School at 1715 West Cesar -Chavez Street. Location of Camp Sanders, the 1865 camp of the 6th U.S. Calvary Regiment. 7. Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry, 3100 West 35th Street. 8. Mount Bonnell at 3900 Mount Bonnell Road. High ground picked by Albert Sidney Johnston for defense of Austin while it was being built in 1839. Four companies of Republic of Texas Army were on mountain. In 1865, Custer and wife had picnics atop Mount Bonnell accompanied by the 6th Cavalry band. ROTC/JROTC The Austin Military Officers Association of American [AMOAA] extends its appreciation to those member officers who participated in the ROTC/JROTC Program this year in representing AMOAA by presenting the MOAA medal and certificate to outstanding CADETS throughout Central Texas. Col. William Del Vecchio, ROTC |
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DINNER MEETING - Wednesday,
21 June, 2006 Note: Reservations may be made with your assigned caller or with your service representative by calling before 2100 hours on the Sunday before the Wednesday dinner. Cancellations should also be made by the aforementioned time. Individuals who do not honor reservations will be billed. |
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-COME AND JOIN YOUR FELLOW MEMBERS |
| PROGRAM As long as we have been meeting at our present location, I'm sure most of us have never stopped to think who or what is BAE systems. We probably all knew Tracor, because that was particularly local, but BAF? This is your chance to find out and meet the unusual individual who is at its head. Not only to increase our own knowledge, but in courtesy to the organization that has treated us so very well, editor suggests a wonderful turnout! Come and be counted. Don't forget- If you are not being called about the dinner meeting on the third Wednesday of the month, check with your service representative and ask to be added to someone's list. Your Service Rep is listed elsewhere in the bulletin. If you have not been called and wish to attend, and cannot reach your own Service Rep., call one of the others. They will be glad to take your reservation. Just. please do make a reservation if you plan to be there. Permanent name tags-contact Wes Lokken at the meeting or Call 228-4857. (lokken@earthlink.net) Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever. Philip Adams from Bits & Pieces, May 2006. | ORDER OF THE EVENING SEATING CHARTS WILL BE PLACED ON TABLES AT 1830 HOURS
Tropical Fruit Salad BBQ Brisket Potato Salad Cole Slaw Dinner Rolls and Butter Mousse Tuxedo Truffle Cake Coffee-Tea-Iced Tea ATTENTION-SINGLES We try to sit together at MOAA dinners. Look for the sign SINGLES-and sign your name if you want to sit with us. -You do not have to sit there. ----- |
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CHAPTER OFFICERS 2005-2006
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Appointed Board Members | |||||
| Chaplain | LtC. Ernest S. Dean | USAF | 477-5390 | Duties | |
| Assistant Chaplain | Col. Leon Holland | USA | 335-1224 | Duties | |
| Personal Affairs Officer | Capt. William K. Brown | USN | 345-5420 | Duties | |
| Austin Military Coalition Representative | Col. Bruce Conover | USAF | 282-1844 | Duties | |
| Legislative Affairs Officer | LtC. Carlos W. Higgins | USAF | 258-3564 | Duties | |
| ROTC Awards Coordinator | Col. Bill Del Vecchio | USA | 244-3248 | Duties | |
| Newsletter Editor | LtC. Mary Kelso | USA | 345-7140 | Duties | |
| Webmaster | LtC. J. R. Howard | USAF | 255-2206 | Duties | |
RETIRED OFFICERS WIVES CLUB Luncheon—Regular monthly luncheon has been discontinued for the summer. It will return to the usual 4th Friday in September. Caring and Sharing Widows Group—will continue meeting during the summer BRIDGE - continues meeting during the summer Bridge—Cafeteria in the Headquarters Building of CAMP MABRY
Contact—Shirley Bone (246-9829)
The Birthday Gift has been discontinued by the editorial staff because it did not appear to increase the attendance at the meetings. Half of the list was called in May before one person was found present at the May dinner. ATTENTION -As most of you have already seen, the new roster has been published. If you did not find your name on the membership roster, it is because you were late in paying your annual dues. You will remember that there was a cut-off date and adequate warning was given. An addendum will be published in the fall to include the names that were missed in the published roster. Old age is like climbing a mountain. You climb from ledge to ledge. The higher you get, the more tired and breathless you become—but your views become more extensive. Ingrid Bergman, Actor From Bits and Pieces, May 2006. |
| Web Sites Every Military Spouse Should Know
Excerpts from this article from the MOAA Website are written by Janet Parley who is author of Jobs and the Military Spouse (Impact Publications, 2004) and The Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide (Jist, 2004). She also writes a career advice column for the Stars and Stripes newspapers. As military spouses, we often find ourselves having to know a little something about practically everything at any given time. Or, at least, we have to know where to go to get that knowledge. In the old days, we either relied on the chain of command or on other spouses for any nuggets of wisdom to help make our lives easier. Thankfully, times have changed. Useful information is readily available online 24 hours a day. You will find the following eclectic list of military-spouse- friendly Web sites worthy of being added to your personal list of favorites: Military One Source. Provides you with around-the-clock, toll-free information and referral telephone service on an incredible variety of topics. | Military Spouse Resource Center. Want to find a new job? Continue your education? Learn about your next duty station? A powerful tool, Milspouse.org is living proof that DoD and the Dep. of Labor are striving to make your personal and profession lives easier despite the challenges you often face as a mobile military spouse. Tricare. Health care is an issue that you will deal with your entire life whether you are a military spouse, family member, or a retiree. This site provides you with so much useful information that you might find it easier to navigate if you go directly to the Site Map. DoD's Military Homefront Excellent site that specifically caters to both families and leadership of our Armed Forces. It is the official DoD Web site tasked with providing quality of life information and it succeeds admirably. It also provides users with easy access to service specific information. National Military Family Association (NMFA) A staunch supporter of military families since 1969, the NMFA Web site offers links to a number of subjects, including deployment, education, family life, benefits, health care, and finance. |
| Spouses to Teachers (STT) Findings from an in-depth RAND research study
(2004) tell us that the majority of academically credentialed officer spouses
are teachers by profession. It stands to reason that mobile teachers will need
to know about varying certification requirements from PCS move to PCS move.
STT provides eligible participants with a stipend of up to $600. The site is
user- friendly, and the program long overdue.
Military Money. Created as a result of DoD's Financial Readiness Campaign via a partnership between the NMFA and InCharge Institute of America, Inc., Military Money provides its Web site users with an interesting array of topics from which to choose. Whether you want to learn about common tax deductions or have a refresher course on military spouse employment preference, Military Money strives to fit the financial niche. |
CincHouse. This site bills itself as the nonprofit community of military wives and women. It is clearly more than that. Full of unbiased news, advice, and humor, it is a must-mark site for any military spouse. Message boards, chat rooms, book clubs, deployment tips, and inspiration advice that doubles as sanity depending on where your mouse sits. Military Officers Association of America. Of course, you already know how terrific this site is because you are reading this. Where else can you find a more loyal advocate of our military families than right here? Standardized Topic Exchange Service (SITES) Database. Any set of PCS orders would be lonely without a trip to the SITES Web site. Where else could you find out everything you've always wanted to know but were afraid to ask about your new assignment? |
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DUES FORM Please fill in the form below, detach it, and mail it with your check (payable to AMOAA) to:
Military Officers Association of America o New Member o Returning Member o Current Active Member Dues for 1 Jan thru 31 Dec are $ 17 for Officers and $ 12 for Widows and Widowers
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