Austin, Texas Chapter
The Association for all
Military Officers
Companion Bulletin -
October 2004
Companions, our guest speaker program is a vital part of our Chapter and its success is the responsibility of us all. In October we will be honored to have Colonel Neil S. Fox II, US Marine Corps (Ret) as our speaker. Colonel Fox will brief us on the operation of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, a subject that most US citizens know very little about and yet have a keen interest. Companion Stanley Bullard has recommended a novel guest speaker for November who will discuss the myriad details involved in the physical recovery of an 1860's blockade runner. Our December meeting will be at the Austin Club on our regular second Thursday of the month schedule, so block your calendar now. We have been fortunate to have such a wonderful array of guest speakers appear before our Chapter since I have been a member. For us to continue that level of quality, your Chapter Officers need your assistance. Each of us and our families know of interesting people who have information and/or experiences that many in the Chapter would very much like to hear about. Call or E-mail me with your suggestions at 512-261-6272 or redleg6@juno.com. I will be responsible for the necessary coordination. COL Andrew McVeigh |
Meeting, 14 October 2004 Holiday Inn Northwest (Mopac & Hwy 183) The cost for the evening is $18.00. If you are not called by 10 Oct., contact COL Szendrey (388- 1005).
Schedule: Menu Speaker |
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Chaplain's Selection
"The things that are impossible with men are possible with God." - Luke 18:27 Chapter Officers
Directory The distribution of the chapter directory is tentatively scheduled to be done at the November meeting. | Mark Your Calendar
We have negotiated a contract with the Austin Club for the 9 December meeting that will reduce the cost ($25.00 per person) provided we guarantee 30 attendees. The room and bar fee will not be prorated to the members. To one and all. .make sure that you Vote Legislation * The House approved a bill that would increase the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for disabled veterans and surviving spouses and dependents receiving VA compensation. H.R. 4175, the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2004, would ensure that the amount of the increases would be the same as the percentage increase of Social Security payments. It would become effective December 1, 2004. * A House committee in July proposed shifting billions earmarked for space, science and environmental programs to VA's health care budget. The VA-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, H.R. 2861, provides $30.3 billion, or $1.94 billion more than last year, for VA's Health Administration in fiscal year 2005 |
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Items of Interest
* Health Care beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime can now choose to have premiums taken from their retired pay as an allotment. This option went into effect in August for the West region, September for the North and is set for October for the South with the first pay deductions starting the following month. * One in six combat veterans of the Iraq War shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Interviews with those most at risk revealed that only 23% to 40% sought professional help, most typically because they feared it would hurt their military careers. PTSD was significantly higher after duty in Iraq (15.6% to 17.1%) than after duty in Afghanistan (11.2%) or before deployment to Iraq (9.3%). The rate of PTSD in Vietnam vets, by comparison, is about 15%. Analysis: Israeli, Iran and the Nuclear Boom Heading off Iran's attempt to attain nuclear capability is one of the Mossad's main missions, and the foreign media is one of the most important instruments utilized in this effort.. Sometimes, the foreign media are used to deliver deterrence-oriented messages about Israel's capabilities and intentions. | Sources say his superiors recently commended one Mossad official after a leading U.S. newspaper released a report about progress notched in Iran's nuclear weapons procurement program. A number of reports surfaced in the foreign media about nuclear matters relating to Israel and Iran. The Los Angeles Times reported that Israel has outfitted its submarines with modified Harpoon missiles that have nuclear warheads. Two American sources (along with an Israeli official) cited in this report said they wanted to caution and deter Israel's enemies, and also highlight their concerns about Iran's hostile intentions. Also, the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel reported that the Mossad has drawn up a plan whereby Israel would attack six nuclear program facilities in Iran. This current round of reports was preceded by a Washington Post disclosure in June 2002, which claimed that Israeli submarines are outfitted with nuclear cruise missiles. The Washington Post report claimed that Israel has conducted tests of its submarine missiles. The level of reliability of the Los Angeles Times report remains uncertain. Israel, sources indicate, asked to carry out certain improvements on the U.S.-supplied Harpoon missiles - the Israeli request came in response to the sale of such advanced missiles to Egypt last year. |
It is possible that sources for the Los Angeles Times report relied on information they received about this Israeli missile modification program; the sources might have assumed that the "improvements" in question involved Israeli attempts to fit nuclear warheads onto the Harpoon missiles. The information conveyed by the Der Spiegel report was also not new. Reports about an alleged Israeli plan to strike Iranian nuclear facilities have circulated in media outlets in the United States and France. Officials in Tehran have responded threateningly to such reports. Israel views Iran's nuclear weapons program as the primary threat to its survival. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said in a lecture delivered to top Israel Defense Forces commanders that Iran's nuclear efforts constitute "the gravest danger to Israel's existence in the future. This is because Iran calls for Israel's annihilation. We must do our utmost, under U.S. guidance, to delay or eliminate the prospect of the extremist regime [in Tehran] securing weapons of this sort." - Excerpts, Middle East Forum |
Quote to Ponder "Democracy: The substitution of election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few." - George Bernard Shaw Austin Chapter Website Do not forget to visit the chapter website (http://www.main.org/mowwaustin). If you have items to put on the website contact LTC Howard (255-2206). Newsletter Staff Meeting The next staff meeting will be at the call of the Commander. |