Austin, Texas Chapter
The Association for all Military Officers
Companion Bulletin
-March 2005
Many thanks to Companion Stanley Bullard for persuading Mr. J. Barto Arnold to speak on the recent archaeological research of the remains of the British blockade running paddle steamer Denbigh which sank near Galveston on 24 May 1865, at our February meeting. Mr. Arnold's animated PowerPoint presentation on history, almost in our backyard, was extremely entertaining and instructional. It was a distinct pleasure to induct three new members into the Austin Chapter at the February meeting. The Chapter should make a concerted effort to welcome our new Companions: MAJ (USAF) Norman Jefferson and his wife Dana; CAPT (USN) Edward Narsyla and his wife Judy; and LTC (USAF) Joseph Studak and his wife Frances. Again, our thanks to Companions Tom Anderson, R. B. Rudy and Chuck Szendrey, as our membership continues to grow. We are again fortunate that our succession of outstanding speakers continues.. Companion Don Bosserman has arranged for FBI Special Agent G. Charles Rasner, the Austin region's Senior Supervisory Resident Agent on the Joint Terrorism Task Force to discuss the purpose, scope and expectations of this very important home land security task force. Our 2005 junior and senior ROTC award program is well under way. It is our Chapter's next patriotic outreach venture and each of us should give consideration to its support. We will need 26 presenters and 21 additional award sponsors. Notice to all members: MOWW's Region VIII is having its annual conference at the Doubletree Guest Suites, 5353 Westheimer, Houston on 20-21 May, in conjunction with the Greater Houston Military Ball. We will have a great time, so mark your calendar. Did you know that it only costs $10.00 to sponsor each of our 26 ROTC recipients with medals, certificates and presentation folders? See Companion Mary Kelso for details. | Meeting, 10 MAR. 2005
Holiday Inn Northwest (Mopac & Hwy 183) The 1830-1900-Social
Menu
Speaker
Chaplain's Selection Chapter Officers
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Mr. J. Barto Arnold Edward Narsyla & R. B. Rudy
Joseph Studak and Chuck Szendrey
Norman Jefferson Tom Anderson
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LEGISLATION
* H.R. - 836-To require the Secretary of Defense to take such actions as
are necessary to change the reimbursement rates and cost sharing requirements
under the TRICARE program to be the same as, or as similar as possible to, the
reimbursement rates and cost sharing requirements under the Blue Cross/Blue
Shield Standard Plan provided under the Federal Employee Health Benefit
program. Latest Major Action: 2/16/2005 Referred to House committee. Status:
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. | In doing so, it
undermines recruitment and also reinforces the idea of bans on Reserve
Officers Training Corps (ROTC) on campus. ROTC students nationwide number
52,000. - Excerpts, VFW * The TRICARE Management Activity has updated its TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) Fact Sheet, which is available at: http://www.tricare.osd.mil/Factsheets/viewfactsh eet.cfm?id=320. The TDP is a voluntary dental insurance program that is available to eligible Active Duty family members. Select Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) members, and their eligible family members. The TDP provides 100 percent coverage for diagnostic, emergency, and preventive services, with the exception of sealants. - Excerpts, NMFA * Budget cuts for veterans' programs in the Bush administration's FY06 budget will drastically curtail access to VA. The budget proposal calls for doubling the co-pay for prescription drugs and requiring an enrollment fee for veterans desiring to use VA health-care facilities. It is clear that the funding of veterans' health care and other programs is not an administration priority and the administration is trying to balance the federal deficit on the backs of military veterans. * Excerpts, VFW |
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Point of View - The Growing Role of Mercenaries Blackwater, which operates from a 5,200-acre training ground in the Great Dismal Swamp of North Carolina, is a private military firm that provides an array of services once performed solely by military personnel. The company trains foreign soldiers and corporate security teams in counterterrorism and urban warfare. Business is booming at Blackwater, and the company is hardly alone. Private contractors are an invisible but growing part of how war is now fought. Some 10,000 of them are serving in Iraq. Well- known corporations like Halliburton supply some. But for the most part, the private military industry is dominated by smaller businesses with names that seem designed to tell as little as possible about what the company does. Nor is their presence limited to Iraq. In recent years, soldiers-for-profit have served in Liberia, Pakistan, Rwanda and Bosnia. They have been an essential part of the American war on drugs in Latin America. It is about $100 billion a year business worldwide. Part of the reason is practical: Since the end of the cold war, the U.S. military has been shrinking, from 2.1 million in 1989 to 1.4 million today. Supporters of privatization argue that there simply aren't enough soldiers to provide a robust presence around the world, and that by drafting private contractors to fix helicopters, train recruits and cook dinner, the government frees up bona fide soldiers to fight the enemy. Private contractors are supposed to be cheaper, too, but their cost effectiveness has not been proved. Low manpower and cost savings aren't the only reasons these companies appeal to the Pentagon. For one, substituting contractors for soldiers offers the government a way to avoid unpopular military forays. This points to the biggest problem with the outsourcing of war: |
There is far less accountability to the American public and to international law
than if real troops were performing the tasks. Had these men been
soldiers, they would have faced court- martial proceedings. As private workers,
they were simply put on the next plane back to America. Think about it: A private military firm might decide to pack its own bags for any number of reasons, leaving American soldiers and equipment vulnerable to enemy attack. If the military really can't fight wars without contractors, it must at least come up with ironclad policies on what to do if the private soldiers break local laws or leave American forces in the lurch. So far, the Pentagon has failed to prove it can take responsibility for either the actions or the safety of its private-sector soldiers. - Excerpts- Middle East Quarterly Quote To Ponder Timeless Truism Austin Chapter Website Staff Meeting |