Austin, Texas Chapter
The Association for all Military Officers
Companion Bulletin -January 2005
Companions, for those of you that were unable to attend our December meeting at the Austin Club, you missed a good one! To begin with we had a full compliment of Companions and guests and were treated to an instrumental trio headed by bandmaster Corky Robinson. It seems that Mr. Robinson knew Past Commander Tom Anderson in high school and couldn't resist playing for us. Many thanks to Mrs. Peggy Holland for filling in for our Treasurer, Companion Mary Kelso and coordinating the meal arrangements. The meals were exceptionally well prepared and were relatively inexpensive due to the efforts of our Adjutant, Companion Chuck Szendrey. We formally inducted our newest member. Colonel Wesley Lokken, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret), which doubled the number of Marines in the Chapter. Companion Rudy is now not the only one that relates to Semper Fi. Companion Bun-ill advised the Chapter of the criteria for the Bronze Patrick Henry  Award and finding such a person of high caliber in our midst we proceeded to invest James Bowie High School senior Kelly M. Cordova with the award. Miss Cordova was a counselor at the Texas A&M Youth Leadership Conference this past July and performed above and beyond the call of duty. She had been one of our outstanding students at the TAMU YLC in 2003 and gave us a brief analysis of the responsibilities of being a successful counselor. | Our guest speaker in January will be Mr. Tony Moore,
the Veteran Service Officer at the Montopolis VA Clinic who will tell us
of the future plans for Austin's Veterans Administration Clinic. This is a
great time for those questions you have always wanted to ask. Happy New Year! COL Andrew McVeigh Meeting, 13 Jan. 2005 Holiday Inn Northwest (Mopac & Hwy 183) The cost for the evening is $ 18.00. If you are not called by 9 Jan., contact COL Szendrey (388- 1005). Schedule: We regret to inform you that our past Chapter Commander Harry L. Smith died on Wednesday, 15 December 2004. Companion Smith was the past President of the Austin Chapters of the National Sojourners, Inc. and of the Military Officers Association of America. He was also the President of the Board that manages the Scottish Rite Dormitory for women on the University of Texas campus. |
Chapter Officers
Legislation H. R. 709-To amend title 38, United States Code, to require Department of Veterans Affairs pharmacies to dispense medications to veterans for prescriptions written by private practitioners, and for other purposes. (IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 11,2003) S. 392- To amend title 10, United States Code, to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both military retired pay by reason of their years of military service and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability. (IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 13,2003) | Item of Interest
The Crimean War, when British, French and Turkish troops united to invade the Crimea in 1854 and take the naval base at Sevastopol from the Russians, was in many ways the first modem war. The telegraph and railroad both played vital roles, Florence Nightingale introduced efficient field nursing, and for the first time newspaper reporters and photographers covered the conflict. It was the first "armchair war," which a distant public could experience as a kind of spectacle. Shift From Traditional War Seen at Pentagon The plan's working assumption is that the United States faces almost no serious conventional threats from traditional, state-based militaries. Thus, it says, the United States should accept more risk in that area to pay more attention to other threats: terrorism, the type of low-tech guerrilla fighting confronting troops in Iraq, and the possibility of dramatic technological advances by adversaries. Some of those priorities depend more heavily on troop strength than high-tech weaponry and could increase the pressure on the Pentagon to build the size of the Army and the Marine Corps. |
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The documents said Pentagon planning should emphasize preparing for "catastrophic" challenges such as use of weapons of mass destruction "against high-profile targets by terrorists or rogue states." It also cited the need to prepare for "irregular challenges" from other countries or groups, including terrorism, insurgency and civil war. One example of the new thinking urged in the plan was what it called the "stretch goal" of being able to invade a country, keep 200,000 troops there for five years, and be able to organize, train and equip a local military force of 100,000 troops in just six months. By itself, the document's assessment of threats confronting the military is not controversial. The recent report of the Sept. 11 commission stated the issue clearly: "National security used to be considered by studying foreign frontiers, weighing opposing groups of states, and measuring industrial might. To be dangerous, an enemy had to muster large armies." While there is emerging consensus on new threats, military analysts said it is not automatic that broad changes in weaponry or strategy will result. For one thing, placing more emphasis on manpower and intelligence could antagonize parts of the defense industry that produce weaponry. Indeed, a Pentagon official's explanatory notes attached to the PowerPoint presentation said the Pentagon's goal should simply be "maintenance of conventional capabilities." | Outside experts on military change and strategy were skeptical about
whether Rumsfeld would be able to secure sweeping change in philosophy. He has
been trying for three years now to refocus the services on the new challenges
confronting us. So far these efforts have met with little success. How much
more likely is Rumsfeld to succeed this time around when the military has a
major war on its hands?" - Excerpts, Washington Post
Quote to Ponder "Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so." - Bertrand Russell Timeless Truism "Can a government which robs Peter to pay Paul always depend on the support of Paul?"- George Bernard Shaw Austin Chapter Website Staff Meeting The next staff meeting will be at the call of the Commander. |