Austin, Texas Chapter

 The Association for all Military Officers            Companion Bulletin-April 2017

Words from the Commander: Greetings, Companions! Happy Spring 2017! For me, it is shocking to realize that it is already April and our 2016-2017 meeting session is almost over. Our last meeting had to be one of the highlights of this session. Not only did we have wonderful attendance and a spectacular Valentine theme program featuring the Wandering Minstrels of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin, we were honored to have two distinguished out-of-town companions join us for the evening. We were delighted to have Vice CINC Charles Chamberlin and Region VIII Commander Robert Williams in attendance. It was also very special to have Companions Williams and Chamberlin participate in the Perpetual Member Induction Ceremony for Companion George Harley. Once again, welcome George and Althea! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Companion Bullard for arranging and hosting the very entertaining and fun program. Thank you, Stanley! As mentioned at our February meeting, we received the invocation collection of our late Companion Cochran from his daughter for our archives. Of the many inspirational comments from our two guests during our last meeting, I remind you of one in particular. Remember, we can recruit family members as Hereditary Members! I feel that this suggestion is well worth our serious consideration. I will have applications available at our next meeting or you may obtain a copy online at www.moww.org. The Region VIII Convention is scheduled for 5-6 May at the Omni Park West Hotel/Dallas, 1590 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX (Phone 972-869-4300). Companion Bush has agreed to represent us; however, I encourage others to also consider attending. It is a wonderful experience to interact with companions and family members from our sister regional chapters.

If you plan to attend and wish additional information, please let me know. The deadline for registration is 22 April.  This month our lunch meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Crossroads Private Dining area. We will be honored to have the Fort Hood Chapter Commander George Shott join us to make a very special presentation to our chapter. This meeting will be a “pay-as-you-go” lunch beginning at 1130 hours. We are looking forward to seeing you and your guests at the Crowne Plaza on April 13th at 1130 hours.   Leon Holland, COL (R), USA Next Meeting: April 13 Location: Crowne Plaza Address: 6121 North IH 35 Phone 512 323 5466 Start 1130    VA Health Care Access   ►   NC & VA Widespread Inaccuracies A review of a dozen Veterans Affairs medical facilities in North Carolina and Virginia identified widespread inaccuracies that vastly understated veteran wait times for appointments last year, leading the VA inspector general to conclude that VA scheduling data is still unreliable and a “high-risk” area for the agency The inspector general looked at primary and mental health care appointments for new patients and referrals for specialists and found that overall, 36% had to wait longer than a month for an appointment, but the VA scheduling system said only 10% had waited that long. [Source:  USA TODAY | Donovan Slack | March 3, 2017 ++]

 

MOWW SCRIPTURE AND COMMENTARY Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise the Lord, all peoples! God's love for us is strong And God's faithfulness is eternal. Praise the Lord! Psalm 117 This is strong faith language. We are not hearing words here coming from some minor piece of advice or some incidental impulse. No, this admonition strikes at the very heart of who we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to do. It is clear that the plight of the human condition is born in false worship and misguided praise. When we bow to the lesser gods, we receive unsatisfactory, even destructive, results. For too long, humans, especially Americans, have catered to issues of darkness, all the while giving little attention to the God of Light. We should not be surprised, then that there is someone, or a lot of someone's, ready to lead us astray. There is not a strong attempt at civility, humility, responsibility, and love on the part of business, education, political or church leaders. God is a God of giving and we find ourselves corralled by a group of folks who are "takers." Join me in prayer for a world that reveres God and holds to the teachings of God. As scripture tells us: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it, love your neighbor as you love yourself. The whole law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37-40 When all people busy themselves in actions of love directed toward God and one another, then we will live the quality of life God created at the very beginning, before humans became enamored with themselves more than they desired to please God. *    Venison for dinner again?   Oh deer! *    How does Moses make tea?   Hebrews it. *    England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool. *    I tried to catch some fog, but I mist

PTSD ►   Arkansas VA Marijuana Treatment Policy   Arkansas joins nearly 30 states allowing medical marijuana. For many, that means a new treatment option they are eager to try. For veterans, it's still an uphill battle. Veteransf across the country have heard medical marijuana could help many conditions including PTSD, but even in states where medical marijuana is legal, vets are struggling to get their hands on it. It’s because of federal regulations. [Source:THV11 CBS KTHV |>March 1, 2017 ++] The Independent Budget FY 2018 ►    10% Boost Needed   Veterans Affairs officials needs a 10 percent boost in funding next year to meet the medical and program needs on the department, according to a coalition of outside advocates.  [Source:  MilitaryTimes | Leo Shane III | March 7, 2017 ++]      The VA crisis line for veterans with suicidal thoughts receives more than 200,000 calls a year and is hiring 60 more suicide intervention counselors to meet the need. The agency also has created several apps where veterans can get help at the touch of finger any time they need it. Gary Cunha, the Durham VA hospital's suicide prevention coordinator, said "a community partnership" is needed to convince troubled veterans there's hope and not to take their lives. [Source:  WRAL.com Investigates | March 6, 2017 ++] Mortgage Update 05  ►   Which is Best - 15 or 30 Year Term According to The Motley Fool ( https://www.fool.com/mortgages/2017/03/12/why-15-years-is-the-perfect-term-for-a-mortgage.aspx a 15-year mortgage is the “perfect term” for those in need of a home loan. As Dan Caplinger writes: By going beyond the typical 30-year mortgage and instead looking at the 15-year mortgage, you can put yourself in a much better financial position over time and keep more of your hard-earned money for yourself. Among other reasons, Caplinger argued that the 15-year loan is best because borrowers save substantially on interest and build equity quickly. In another recent story, Money Talks News reporter Marilyn Lewis ran some numbers and found that although the monthly payment on a 30-year, $200,000 loan was lower — $966, compared with $1,412 for a 15-year loan – overall interest payments were substantially higher on the longer loan term. In fact, a 30-year loan would cost you $147,901 in interest over 30 years. By contrast, the 15-year loan would cost you just $54,187 in interest.

 

Hair The Army has studied beards and gas masks more than once in recent years, but the test last fall for the religious accommodations working group came to the same conclusion as its predecessors. "Our findings were that the articles of faith degraded the negative pressure respirators," said Lamar Garrett, field element chief at the Army Research Laboratory. "When the mask is designed, it's designed to fit the individual without any obstruction." Back in October, ARL gathered up 90 men and women - mostly civilians, with a few airmen - and divided them into five groups for testing. One group wore personal protective gear with their hair in regs, while another did a wear test with a beard, with long hair tied up in an under-turban, with a hijab, and with hair that had more than two inches of bulk when measured from the scalp. The tests included wearing the standard issue M50 Joint Service General Purpose Mask and the Army Combat Helmet, as well as the top from the Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology kit. They also tested out the Level A protection equipment worn by chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives soldiers. In the end, no one with a beard could get a good seal, Garrett said.      "The baseline folks passed," he said. "Everyone else degraded in some form or another." But the religious accommodations group still pushed through with the Sikh beard exemption, with the caveat that soldiers will have to be clean shaven if they want to serve in a CBRNE unit. "If we really wanted to do some serious analysis, we could look at what was the degradation of an individual with a beard that's an inch-and-a-half, two inches, etc.," Garrett said. Now, that research has moved on to the Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center, where a team is testing beards and religious headgear as well. "We are investigating the feasibility of wearing the Advanced Combat Helmet with beards, along with hijabs, bulk hair, and turbans, in the context of religious accommodation," said Shalli Sherman, who manages Integrated Protection Test Methods at NSRDEC.  [Source:  ArmyTimes | Meghann Myers | March 13, 2017 ++] May there always be work for your hands to do; May your purse always hold a coin or two;  From Gas Buddy MAKE A PLAN Travel can be tricky this time of year. Don’t be caught off guard. Use the GasBuddy Trip Cost Calculator to map out the cheapest way to your final destination. You’ve just spent a ton of money on gifts, so save some on gas. Check traffic on Waze or Google Maps before you leave to be sure there are no accidents that could cause a major delay. Winter road conditions can get scary. Check the weather report along your route to avoid traveling into a storm or slick conditions. Gas up locally before you depart. Running out of gas is a gift you don’t want this year. Don’t forget to stock up on snacks and drinks (coffee, please!) at the convenience store while your gas is pumping