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Commander's Comments
Companions, we have had a great year. Each of you that contributed to our Reserve Officers Training Corps awards program, our Memorial
Day ceremony, our Youth Leadership Program, our guest speaker programs and our monthly meetings by your time, talents and/or funds are
the reason for our success, and it is to you that we owe a debt of gratitude. Many thanks! This next year will be a challenging one,
as we need new or fresh leadership and our new members are not assuming leadership positions commensurate with their capabilities.
I ask each of you to determine what office in this Chapter that you are willing to assume and men step forward and help out The
positions of 2d Vice, 1st Vice and Commander are now being performed by former Commanders who will continue until June,
with the help of the | | Adjutant, Treasurer and Chaplain, to provide entertaining programs, good
meals, a robust ROTC awards program and a selection of super students to the various Youth Leadership Conferences in Texas.
Past Commanders are ideal volunteers for these positions, due to previous experience. As many of you know, I was the
Course Director for the Y.L.C. held at Texas A&M University last July. The Region VIII Patriotic Education Committee's
board of directors has asked me to assume those same duties in 2004. This YLC win be again
sponsored at Texas A&M by the Commandant of the Corps of Cadets. We can look forward to hearing the best combination of guest speakers
available in Texas, holding the seminars in Duncan Dining Hall and sleeping in the Corps dormitories, all while working with the best and
brightest sophomores and juniors in our State. This is a great opportunity for us all. May 2004 reward each of us with good health and great
spirit. |
Meeting. 15 January 2004
Holiday Inn Northwest (Mopac & Hwy 183) The cost for the evening is $ 18.00. If you are not called by 11 January, contact COL Szendrey
(388-1005). Note: ln January only the meeting will be the third Thursday.
Schedule: | 1830-1900- | Social | | 1900-1905 - | Invocation & Salutes | |
1905-1945- | Dinner | | 1945-2000- | Break | | 2000-2015 - | Awards & Festivities | |
2015-2045- | Speaker | | 2045-2100- | Adjourn |
Menu
Sautéed Breast of Chicken w/Mushroom Demi Glace, Garlic Whipped Potatoes & Chefs Fresh Vegetables
Speaker
General Armond F. Stone | |
Chaplain's Selection
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." -Aesop
Chapter Officers | Commander - | COL McVeigh | | Senior Vice Cmdr. - | COL Hefford | |
Junior Vice Cmdr. - | CAPT Burrill | | Adjutant - | COL Szendrey | | Treasurer - | LTC Kelso | |
Chaplain - | CDR Cochran | | Surgeon - | MG Bernstein | | Judge Advocate - | COL Philips | |
Public Information - | Ervalyn McVeigh | | Membership - | Vacant | | Historian - | Vacant |
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Legislation
Public Law 108-173 - This legislation makes several much-needed improvements to Medicare and TRICARE. These include:
-Raising Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors by 1.5% as of January 2004, instead of the 4.5% payment cut
previously scheduled;
Removing the $1,590 annual caps on Medicare payments for occupational therapy
and physical or speech therapies, as of January 2004; and
-Authorizing an open enrollment period in 2004 to let TRICARE-For-Life
beneficiaries sign up for Medicare Part B without incurring any late-enrollment
penalties, and ending current penalties for TFL beneficiaries who signed up for
Part B since January 1, 2001.
But the new law also includes some provisions of concerns for the longer
term. One would phase in Part B premium increases for higher-income | |
beneficiaries, starting in 2007. Another would authorize a test of having Medicare managed care plans and traditional
fee-for-service Medicare compete for participation, beginning in 2010, which has the potential for increasing Medicare
premiums for those who remain in the fee-for-service plan. - MOAA
Items of Interest
Congress began an effort two years ago to preserve the stories and memories of America's War Veterans and continues today to look for
letters, memoirs, audio interviews and photographs. This project serves to ensure the first hand memories of war experiences,
camaraderie, and loyalty live on. Currently the collection is missing letter and stories from veterans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Along
with collecting and preserving the stories, the goal of this project is to honor the service and educate future generations about what it is
like to serve. Access to the Veterans History Project is available at www.loc.gov/folklife/vets.
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Saudi Arabia - Nuclear Power
For many years rumors have circulated to the effect that Saudi Arabia has been interested in acquiring a nuclear military option. Recent
information about a secret agreement on nuclear cooperation enhances the possibility that the focus of the Saudi search is Pakistan. A Saudi
defector apparently corroborated the rumors that Saudi Arabia has been deeply involved in Pakistan's nuclear program in(since) 1994.
Pakistan has been long suspected of providing know-how and technologies to other countries seeking nuclear weapons. The two
remaining members of the "Axis of Evil" - Iran and North Korea - are presumed recipients of such assistance.
Indeed, concerns about the supply of centrifuge technologies to Iran have been heightened by the evidence uncovered, coupled
with Iran's admission that the technology was externally supplied. Nevertheless, both Iran and Pakistan are denying that
Pakistan is the source of this assistance. In September 2003, it was reported that Saudi Arabia was considering a strategy
paper on its nuclear options. Three options were mentioned: the acquisition of a nuclear capability
as a deterrent; maintaining or entering into an alliance with an existing nuclear power that
would offer protection; or trying to reach an agreement on a nuclear-free Middle East.
The only viable option appears to be the second one. Just a month after the report on the strategy
options paper, the nuclear cooperation agreement | |
with Pakistan came to light. Why does Saudi Arabia need this? Why at this time? There can be
no doubt that its threat perception is heightened
by the information concerning Iran's progress towards a military nuclear capability, notwithstanding Iran's apparent acceptance of
the Additional Protocol. Saudi Arabia probably does not place much faith either in Iran or in the power of the UN to curb
Iran's nuclear ambitions. Another little-noticed fact is that Saudi Arabia, while a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty,
has never concluded the obligatory safeguards agreement IAEA. No inspections can take place in Saudi Arabia, even according to the
(not very effective) "full-scope" safeguards regime. What does the Saudi-Pakistani agreement mean? It may mean that Pakistani
nuclear forces will be deployed in Saudi Arabia, upon request, at times of tension. Alternatively, they could be deployed
there permanently. This agreement confronts the world with two major problems. The first is the possibility that Saudi Arabia will,
in fact, become a nuclear weapons state. The second is the growing role of Pakistan as a global nuclear proliferator. A quick
solution to the second problem should also solve the first one. But if the first is not solved, there is a further danger that
nuclear weapons on Saudi territory could fall into the hands of terrorists or be inherited by a successor regime in case the
current regime is overthrown. - Excerpts, Jaffee Center for Strategic
Studies. |
Quote to Ponder
The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. - Joseph Heller,
Catch 22 | |
Staff Meeting
The next staff meeting will be 22 January at 1330 at Camp Maybry Museum
for all primary staff and past Commanders are invited to attend.
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