FRA Today – August 2017
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM THE FANTAIL
sHIPMATE FORUM
ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL
calendar of events
10 Things to Know Before Reintegrating into Civilian Life
LIFE MEMBER
membership matters
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA NEWS
SHIPMATE NEWS
TAPS
Reunions/Looking For…
FINANCE MATTERS

COMMUNICATIONS

Happy Birthday Coast Guard!

T
he Coast Guard celebrates its 227th birthday this month. They are one of America’s five armed forces and the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security. The USCG traces its beginnings to August 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the building of 10 vessels. It was created by President George Washington to enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling, and protect the collection of federal revenue. Its responsibility has grown throughout the years to included humanitarian duties such as aiding mariners in distress.
The service received its present name in 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service to form a single maritime service dedicated to the safety of life at sea as well as enforcing the nation’s maritime laws.

Its mission is to protect the public, the environment and U.S. economic interests in the nation’s waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime region as required to support national security. As the nation’s premier maritime law enforcement community, Coast Guard personnel serve to save lives, protect the environment and defend the homeland.

The Coast Guard’s motto is “Semper Paratus” – always ready – to protect our nation and carry out the DHS mission. Here are some facts you may not have known:

•	The Coast Guard has two official flags: The Coast Guard standard and the Coast Guard ensign.
•	Members of the Coast Guard have served in 17 wars and conflicts throughout U.S. history.
•	In 1791, the Coast Guard launched its first cutter Vigilant.
•	The first permanent Coast Guard Air Station was in Cape May, New Jersey, in 1926.
•	241,093 Coast Guard members served during World War II.
•	The Coast Guard refers to a vessel as a “cutter” if it’s more than 65-feet long.
•	Until the Navy was re-established in 1797, the Coast Guard was the only naval service in the country.
•	In 1918, sisters Genevieve and Lucille Baker were the first uniformed women to serve in the Coast Guard. 
•	The oldest Coast Guard boat station is in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
•	In 1967, the icebreaker USCG EASTWIND became the first cutter to ever sail around Antarctica. 

In Loyalty, Protection and Service,

Bill Stevenson 
Communications Director 
Williams@FRA.org

Bill Stevenson is FRA’s Director of Communications and serves as the Managing Editor of FRA Today. Please contact him at williams@fra.org.

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FROM THE FANTAIL

 Planning Your Transition

S
hipmates, this month’s FRAtoday addresses transitioning from military, active duty or reserve to civilian life. For some, it was never a question since your advance planning and settling down in a geographic location was your “first priority.”  For others, relocation, setting up your home, and getting used to your new location, and then transitioning can be trying. 
One can only anticipate what is involved with a “complete readiness of change” through a personal assessment of their needs and desires.  Any preparation for your “next duty station” has to be done in stride, with a careful review and establishing a measurable result. It can be overwhelming getting used to a new job market while your family adjusts to its new surroundings.  The following can be used as a check-off list for your “next assignment.”

•	If separating or retiring, attend a local TAPs class. They provide some of the best transition information. 
•	As soon as you separate/retire, go to a Veteran Affairs (VA) Office and see what opportunities are available. Take a copy of your separation/ exit physical and take advantage of any disability ratings you deserve.  The VA has entry points in most VA Centers.
•	Know where you will be settling.  While some are just “locating down the street” from where they were stationed, most will move.  Make time to research housing, job markets, schools, churches, banks and other necessities before moving.
•	Contact your Personal Property Office for help with your move.  Remember, you are entitled to only one move within a separation year. Make it count!
•	If your spouse has a specialty certification such as teaching, nursing, medical, etc., make sure they transfer to where you are moving.  
•A new school is challenging for all children. Ensure their IEP Records (Individualized Education Program, also called the IEP, developed for public school children who need special education) are in hand.
•	Medical records, special needs for family members and immunization records are all important. Schools will need them before admitting your children. Carry them with you, don’t pack them away.  Know about TRICARE coverage and medical services before leaving active duty. You and your family may be entitled.
•	A job fair can be a great place to find a job. Be sure to take several copies of your resume along with any proof of certification or special licensing.  Find a good “head-hunter” who can help you find a good career.
•	Local and state employment offices are a great resource for finding work.
•	Network, network, network. In addition to veteran groups, seek out others such as small business associations, 

Rotary and other community based meetings. You need to build your network—in person.
This is not the “end all, to all” list, but it could help your “transition” go smoothly. Be sure to become part of the community—having acceptance is key.  You and your family deserve the best opportunity to transition into a community that has that “WOW” factor.  Smooth Sailing Shipmates! FRA

Thomas J. Snee is the FRA's National Executive Director and can be reached at NEDFRA@fra.org

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sHIPMATE FORUM

Congress and the Wall
Congress men and women probably make more money per hour than hard working individuals who earn every penny given to them. How many workers get as many “recesses” as congress earns? Our military keeps the United States of America FREE and VIBRANT. Without them, this country would perish from this Earth. By the way, if President Trump wants to build the Mexican Wall without all this hullabaloo, bring our Navy Seabees home instead of being scattered all over the world. They with the Army Corps of Engineers will get it built in no time. Don’t forget, “Seabees Can Do!”

Yours in loyalty, protection and service,
BMCM Alphonse J. Vacca, USN (Ret.), Branch 109

From The Fantail
I just wanted to say, what a great article in the June FRAtoday, “From the Fantail.” I read it today heading to the Memphis VA Center. So true from Tom Snee's article, that I hope one day I will be able to truly “laugh hard again.” Thanks to him, he is more like a brother rather than a mentor or Master Chief from my past!

Thanks, LCDR/LDO, Special Forces (Ret.)

My Submission on PTSD
It was with dread and apprehension that I read your article “PTSD in the Modern Military” in the June 2017 issue. Having suffered PTSD personally, I agree with everything in the article and would like to share my own experience.
Mine began in childhood during the 1950s in Louisiana with a verbally abusive biological family, five teen years in foster care with more verbal abuse, sexual molestation, and physical abuse, later being raped and giving up a baby for adoption, joining the Navy and learning to live among strangers.
As a veteran, I finally asked for help with depression and received psychiatric help and was on Prozac for a while. But I stumbled across a much better therapy when I started writing my first book in 2009. 
Writing is a great therapy for me and might be a great therapy for others as well. I like the idea of telling my story, especially if it helps somebody else, veteran or not.
One of my foster sisters, whom I contact periodically, said that many people overcome [PTSD] and go on to live a productive life. Because she was never in the military, I overlooked that comment; depression, PTSD and other mental diseases are not something you just get over like a cold or the flu.
That article is powerful and provides six resources for veterans and their loved ones to get help. Thank you so much for printing it. I am glad there are several forms of therapy such as dog and horse therapy and I’m glad for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Wishing you Fair Winds and following seas!
Sincerely, Denise Boulet, IT1 USN (Ret.) FRA

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ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL

FRA Action Center Gives Voice to Member Concerns

Heightened security measures dramatically increases the time it takes for a first-class letter to reach a congressional office. Citizens are using emails and faxes to communicate their concerns more now than ever. Elected officials’ offices prefer electronic communication from their constituents.  
The FRA Action Center was created to allow members to do just that. It is the primary grassroots tool for FRA’s legislative efforts on Capitol Hill. The Action Center gives a voice to each member regarding pay, health care, survivor benefits, education, housing, child care and other quality-of-life programs. The Action Center is located on the FRA website (www.fra.org) and Shipmates can access it by clicking the red “FRA Action Center” in the center of the home page. The top of the page lists pending legislation. Members can click the title of the specific legislation for “current action alerts” and a brief explanation of the pending legislation or pending legislative amendment will pop up.
The next step for a first-time user is to enter your zip code and click the “Go!” button, and that will provide a pre-written email message you can send to legislators (President and other top government officials) expressing your support or opposition to the legislation. 
Shipmates can edit the pre-written message or just click “Send Message” at the bottom of the page and the email message is sent to your elected official. The Action Center also includes a “Tell-a-friend” option that allows you to send any specific action alert to other Shipmates, family members or friends.   
Your grassroots advocacy has a direct influence on FRA’s success with influencing Congress and other federal agencies. Please take the time to send a message to your elected officials.
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NED Meets with VA Secretary

National Executive Director (NED) Thomas Snee and Veterans’ Services Officer (VSO) Chris Slawinski met with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin to discuss FRA’s legislative agenda. Snee thanked Dr. Shulkin for passage of the recent VA accountability legislation as well as the progress he is making with the electronic health records issue. NED and the secretary discussed the Agent Orange Blue Water Navy issue. Snee urged the secretary to help these veterans by implementing a regulation to provide a presumption for disability claims filed at the VA, related to exposure to the Agent Orange herbicide. 

Snee expressed his concern and the association’s opposition to provisions in the proposed budget that eliminates the Individual Unemployability benefit payments to retirement-age disabled veterans. Under current policies, the Individual Unemployability program allows the VA to award payouts at the 100-percent disabled rate to veterans who cannot find work due to service-connected injuries, even if they are not deemed 100-percent disabled. The administration has proposed stopping those payouts once veterans are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits.
NED and the Secretary also discussed the need for improving the appeals process for disability claims and expanding the VA Caregiver program to all catastrophically disabled veterans. Currently the program only applies to veterans disabled after September 11, 2001.
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VA Accountability Legislation Signed into Law

National Executive Director (NED) Thomas Snee participated in a press conference on Capitol Hill to celebrate the passage of the “Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act” (S.1094) to bring accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The legislation was signed into law by President Trump. The FRA-supported bill streamlines the process to remove, demote or suspend (for longer than 14 days) any VA employee for poor performance or misconduct. The bill also expanded protections for whistleblowers at the VA. Further, the new law authorizes the VA to reduce an employee’s federal pension if they are convicted of a felony that influenced their work. Legislators at the press conference included: House Speaker Paul Ryan (Wisconsin), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (California), Conference Chair Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Washington), Majority Whip Steve Scalise (Louisiana), HVAC Chairman Phil Roe, Rep.(Tenn.) Rep. Brian Mast (Fla.), Rep. Mike Bost (Illinois), Rep. Jodey Arrington (Texas), Rep. Bruce Poliquin (Maine), Rep. Scott Taylor (Virginia), Rep. Neal Dunn (Florida), Rep. Tim Murphy (Pennsylvania).

A special thanks to HVAC Chairman Roe (Tenn.) for acknowledging during the conference, FRA’s support in getting the bill passed. FRA’s quote from NED Snee that was referenced by Chair Roe stated, “Accountability in the VA, and within the department, should be an authentic, autonomous, and transparent continuum, of a prime-mover, for the defined core-values, care and benefits of our nation’s veterans and their families. This should be the mainstay, the anchor, and responsible course of action, now and forever.” 

The House also approved the “Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery Act” (H.R.1725) introduced by Rep. Tim Walz (Minn.). The bill requires (current law allows) the VA to accept, for purposes of establishing a claim for veterans disability benefits, a report of a medical examination administered by a private physician.  If the report is sufficiently complete, it no longer requires confirmation by a VA physician. The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration. Members can use the FRA Action Center to ask their Senators to support the bill. 
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VA to Use Same Electronic Health Care Record System as DoD

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David J. Shulkin recently announced the VA will dramatically reform his agency’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) system by replacing the antiquated system with the same system used by the Department of Defense. This change is a shift from the VA’s previous plan to develop its own digital records system. The system would bring the agencies closer to being able to share veterans’ health information. This would solve a problem that has plagued both departments for decades. “The health and safety of our veterans is one of our highest national priorities.” Shulkin said “Having a veteran’s complete and accurate health record in a single common EHR system is critical to that care, and to improving patient safety.” Secretary Shulkin claims the electronic records system has a high level of cyber-security. 
FRA has long sought to ensure adequate funding for DoD and VA health care resource sharing. It would deliver seamless, cost effective, quality services to personnel wounded in combat as well as veterans and their families. In Capitol Hill testimony, FRA has repeatedly called for increased oversight to motivate both agencies to make progress on this issue.
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Veterans Can Register for Online Military Exchange Shopping

Some veterans who register at VetVerify.org will be invited to be beta testers. They will have the ability to shop online earlier than the planned November 11, 2017 launch date. Officials said the sooner veterans register on the site, the better their chances of being chosen as a beta tester. Honorably discharged veterans interested in shopping online at military exchanges can begin their verification process immediately. Exchange officials said, some patrons may be able to shop online before the program’s full launch. The exchange websites offer tax-free shopping, and discounted pricing. Actual online pricing can be seen only by those who are authorized to shop at the following websites: www.shopmyexchange.com, shopcgx.com, mymcx.com and www.mynavyexchange.com. 

VetVerify.org uses information from the Defense Department’s Defense Manpower Data Center to verify a veterans’ status. Veterans will receive notification of their acceptance as online shoppers. If their records are incomplete, they will receive guidance on how to update their records. Doing this in advance of the deadline will allow veterans to start shopping on November 1, or earlier if they are chosen as “beta testers” of the system. 
This new benefit, which would increase the online shopping base by an estimated 13 million veterans, only applies to online military exchange shopping. This will not affect shopping at the physical military installations. Until now, online exchange shopping was only available to active-duty, reserve and Guard members, retirees, 100 percent disabled veterans and their dependent family members.
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FY2018 VA Spending Bill Moves Forward

The House Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee marked up and approved its FY2018 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which will be sent onto the full House Appropriations Committee. The still unnumbered legislation meets the goals outlined by the White House to rebuild the military, provide funding to house, train and equip military personnel, provide housing and services to military families and help maintain base infrastructure. The bill also funds the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

In total, the legislation provides $88.8 billion in discretionary funding – $6 billion more than the fiscal year 2017 level. This includes $638 million in Overseas Contingency Operations funding for European Reassurance Initiative projects. VA funding increased by $4 billion (5 percent) more than the fiscal year 2017 level, including funding to increase access to services for veterans, and to increase oversight and accountability within the agency. 

Military construction is increased by $2.1 billion (25 percent) more than the FY2017 level, to provide resources to rebuild the military, prepare our service members to face existing and emerging threats and care for military families.

FRA will monitor this legislation to ensure adequate funding for military construction (barracks, child care centers etc.) and the VA. There will be special attention given to VA health care to ensure access and care for all beneficiaries.

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FRA Hosts Coast Guard Caucus Event

FRA recently hosted its 19th annual Coast Guard Caucus breakfast. This event is designed to expand legislative awareness at the senior Coast Guard level and lead to dialogue between them and members of Congress. FRA National Executive Director Thomas Snee, who introduced the Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft noted, “Each meeting brings a new dimension towards success, and mission of accomplishments for the ‘5th’ branch of service that not only provides security in our inland water ways, environmental studies, reduces trafficking, but also strengthens our national security.” 

The Coast Guard’s 25th Commandant Admiral Zukunft was the keynote speaker at a recently held International Sea Power Symposium. Zukunft claimed that America was not only the world’s best coast guard but also the world’s best sea services (Navy and Marine Corps). He boasted that the U.S. Coast Guard has twice the retention rate when compared to other sea services. Zukunft also noted the Coast Guard has serious funding challenges with implementing the new Blended Retirement System (BRS), scheduled to take effect January 1, 2018.  

Two Coast Guard Caucus co-chair Reps. Duncan Hunter (California) and John Garamendi (California) are the chairman and ranking members of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee [respectively], expressed their support for adding a Coast Guard Ice Breaker. They also noted funding issues with the BRS.   

Zukunft thanked FRA for its long-standing commitment and support of the Coast Guard personnel and their families. FRA works to ensure Coast Guard pay and benefits remain on par with those enjoyed by Department of Defense personnel and that adequate funding is available to support these programs. FRA is committed to educating members of Congress, their staff and the public about the Coast Guard’s critical missions as a part of the Department of Homeland Security.
Coast Guard Caucus Co-Chairman Rep. Joe Courtney (Connecticut), assistant MCPO Leilani Cale-Jones and FRA National President Donald Larson, were also in attendance.
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House Passes Financial Choice Act

The House passed the “Financial CHOICE Act” (H.R.10), which seeks to dramatically reshape the regulation of banking and other financial activities. This legislation includes a number of provisions weakening the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and its Office of Service Members Affairs. Specifically, FRA is concerned with Section 725 of the bill that would make the current mandatory Office of Service Member Affairs a discretionary office. A future director could eliminate this important office. Further, Section 733 would remove CFPB’s ability to regulate small-dollar loans, such as payday loans, despite evidence of pervasive predatory practices often focused on service members.

The association wants to ensure that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is enforced by regulatory agencies including the CFPB, Office of Service Members Affairs. FRA will work to ensure active duty personnel are protected from predatory lenders. 

The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration. Members can use the FRA Action Center 
(action.fra.org/action-center/ to ask their Senators to oppose this legislation.

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DHS Secretary Says USCG Budget Is Not Big Enough

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General John Kelly testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. He discussed the DHS budget and his agency’s efforts to keep Americans safe from terrorist attacks and other external threats. During the hearing Committee Chairman Senator Ron Johnson (Wis.) asked about the U.S. Coast Guard budget. The DHS Secretary said the Coast Guard is an amazing organization and its budget is not big enough. The agency needs to re-capitalize and some of their equipment is so old that “it just limps along.”

The Trump Administration’s FY2018 budget request substantially increases the Armed Services (Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force) spending. The U.S. Coast Guard does not get a corresponding increase in their budget request.

Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center to ask their legislators to provide U.S. Coast Guard funding parity with the Department of Defense (DoD).

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Arlington National Cemetery Plans to expand

The Army Times reported in the June 15, 2017 issue that Arlington National Cemetery will move forward with plans to expand the cemetery by more than 50,000 spaces. This will extend the life of the cemetery to until 2050. The additional burial site expansion comes from land the original Navy Annex complex was on and other areas adjacent to the cemetery. 

National Executive Director (NED) Thomas Snee participated in a VSO round table discussion about the future of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) organized by the Arlington Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee was established October 2010, and is tasked with providing advice for extending the availability at ANC. One option to extend the cemetery for future generations is altering or restricting eligibility criteria for burial. At the current rate of burials and internments, ANC will reach capacity in 2041. The committee would like to ensure maximum interment and inurnment capacity of the cemetery is not reached until well into the future, 100 to 200 years from now.

The committee suggested a national survey to learn what citizens think about the expansion and burial restrictions. NED Snee told the Committee that FRA surveyed members on their thoughts and concerns regarding eligibility to be buried at ANC. A very large majority (92 percent) believes that ANC should pursue all possible options for acquiring additional land before making any restrictions on the current eligibility. More than 67 percent want to reserve a set amount of space for Medal of Honor recipients and/or active duty deaths. More than 61 percent of respondents disagree with the statement, “The need to keep ANC operational for 100 years or more by significantly restricting eligibility is a more important consideration than requiring older veterans and military retirees currently planning on burial at Arlington to change their plans.”
ANC is managed by the Department of the Army and does not fall under any of the rules and regulations of veteran’s cemeteries administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. FRA understands this is an important 
issue for Shipmates and will continue to monitor and report on developments as they occur.  For more information on this matter and survey results, refer back to the FRAtoday July 2017 issue.

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The FRA Legislative Team is National Executive Director Thomas J. Snee, Director of Legislative Programs John Davis, Assistant Director of Veterans Programs Brian Condon and National Veterans Service Officer Chris Slawinski.

calendar of events

August 4 - 5, 2017
Southwest Regional Convention
Riverside Resort, Laughlin, Nevada
FRA Hotel code: C/Fleet Reserve Association
800-227-3849  

August 17 - 20, 2017
South Central Regional Convention
Wyndham Garden Hotel, 1419 East 70th Street, Shreveport, Louisiana
Contact RPSC Bruce Talbot	
808-781-6542 or 281-489-9322	

August 18 - 19, 2017
West Coast Regional Convention
Carson City, Nevada
Contact PRPWC Patrick LeClaire
email: patplus@phonewave.net

August 18 - 20, 2017
Northeast/New England Regional Convention
Holiday Inn-Lehigh Valley, 7736 Adrienne Drive, Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. 610-391-1000
Contact RP NE/NE Dave Sharp  610-691-7998	

August 24 - 27, 2017
Southeast Regional Convention
Doubletree Hilton Hotel, 7401 Northwoods 
Boulevard, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29406
843-518-6200

August 25, 2017
Northwest Regional Convention
Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino, 
5700 Pacific Hwy E., Fife, Washington 98424
253-922-2000

September 19-24, 2017
FRA & LA FRA Annual Conventions
Delta Hotels Baltimore Hunt Valley, Marriott
245 Shawan Road, Hunt Valley, Maryland  21031
410-785-7000 or 888-236-2427
Contact Art Caliguiran 202-577-6490
email: artcaliguiran@comcast.net
or
Cristina Dixon 817-239-6556 
email: cristina.dixon@live.com

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A Career Devoted to Service and Education:

Coast Guard Commission Set Course for University President

By: Dottie Barnes, Grand Valley State University Communications

T
homas J. Haas recently marked 10 years as president of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. He became the university’s fourth president in 2006 and has successfully steered Grand Valley through a decade of growth and success. In 2016, Grand Valley experienced record-breaking enrollment with 25,460 students. 

Grand Valley has been recognized for the past several years by Michigan’s governor and legislature for its leading performance. The university is in the top three in graduation rates of all public universities in the state and in the top four in retention. Haas said the most rewarding part of his journey has been developing a culture of strategic planning at the university that sets the proper course for its future.

Haas has built a lifetime career by setting a proper course. He is a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain, having served more than 23 years of commissioned service. He graduated from the Coast Guard Academy with honors in 1973. “That was a very special time for me,” Haas remembered. “I was the first generation in my family to graduate from college. While my parents didn’t graduate from high school, they believed in the power of education. So, my graduation from the academy was a special time for the whole family.”
 
Coast Guard Service
During his time in the USCG, Haas trained and served on several cutters, including the USCGC MACKINAW in Traverse City, Michigan, the USCG DUANE in the northern Atlantic, and the USCGC EAGLE in Connecticut.

He met his wife, Marcia, in Traverse City while the MACKINAW was docked in town for a week. It would turn out to be one of his favorite assignments. “The cadets were assigned to be escorts at the National Cherry Festival for the Queen’s Court,” Haas explained. “I hit the jackpot when I was paired with Marcia for the entire week.”
In his first assignment after graduation, Haas was an ensign on the Coast Guard Cutter ACACIA stationed in Port Huron, Michigan. The ACACIA was a buoy tender that traveled from Detroit to Alpena, servicing aids to navigation, including lighthouses. The cutter had a reinforced bow so it was also used in winter months to break the ice on the Great Lakes.

“We would travel from Lake Superior through the locks to Chicago, and also through lakes Erie and Huron, breaking the ice to ensure the shipment of cargos on the 1,000-foot freighters,” said Haas. “It was very rewarding work.”

After two years on the ACACIA, Haas said a visit from Commander Fred Halverson would set the course for his future. Halverson told Haas someone was needed at headquarters with a chemistry background to work in the area of hazardous materials transportation. Someone who could help ensure the safety of people and the environment. 
Haas was requested to earn two master’s degrees; he studied at the University of Michigan and earned a master’s degree in chemistry and another in environmental health sciences. “I have always maintained that point in time was of critical importance in shaping my future and purpose. I continue today to have a passion for our environment,” he said.

Haas was then stationed in Washington, District of Columbia, in the hazardous materials area and traveled to Switzerland to work with the United Nations to establish protocols for the safe shipment of cargos in and out of U.S. and international ports. Haas became an internationally recognized expert in hazardous material transportation. 
In 1981, Haas was appointed to teach and coach at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut where he rose in ranks to lieutenant and then captain. He was a chemistry professor and coached the baseball and softball teams. “Even as a cadet, I knew I wanted to return to my alma mater to coach students and contribute to the development of the cadets and their potential as future leaders,” he said. Haas also continued his education, earning another master’s degree in human resources management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Connecticut.

Haas’ expertise in chemistry and hazmat cleanup would be utilized in one of the biggest environmental disasters of the 20th century. In 1989, Haas was part of the Coast Guard team that responded to the Exxon Valdez oil spill that dumped 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska. “Assisting with that effort was a highlight in my career. I was able to take what I learned from the Coast Guard and give back,” he said. Haas’ duties included coordinating the efforts, measuring the progress of the cleanup and creating a database to be used in future spill cleanups. “That [event] was very important and has provided me the experience that has followed me through my career,” he said. “An important part of leadership is being adaptable and doing things the right way for the right reasons.”

Haas said they tried to move all of the oil into one spot and move it to the bottom of the seabed. At that time, there was not a lot of knowledge about the toxicity of oil and the long-term effect it had on fish. 

Haas retired from the Coast Guard in 1996, but later returned as a civilian for a five-year appointment as the chief academic officer. He said his longtime service in the Coast Guard shaped his character and leadership abilities and drove his desire to continue to learn.

Grand Valley Celebrates Veterans 
Under Haas’ leadership, Grand Valley has received national recognition for its commitment to veterans. Most recently, the university was selected as a top school in the 2017 Military Education and Transition Magazine’s “Guide to College and Universities”. 

For the second year, the university received gold status — the highest status — from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency for its dedication to helping student veterans and their dependents navigate the G.I. Bill and other education benefits. Haas said he is especially proud of the Folds of Honor Scholarship, which provides scholarships to the children and spouses of those killed or disabled while in service.

Grand Valley also established a Veterans Network, which provides support for veterans, active service members and dependents who are transitioning out of the service to successfully complete their degree and find post-military careers.     

The university is a member of the Consortium of Michigan Veteran Educators, a statewide network of institutions that works to support military members and veterans. Grand Valley also participates in the “8 Keys to Veterans’ Success” initiative through the U.S. Departments of Education and Veterans Affairs and Michigan Veteran Education Initiative.

Transforming Education in Michigan
In 2016, Governor Rick Snyder appointed Haas as chair of Michigan’s 21st Century Education Commission. The team is composed of 25 educators, business leaders, labor representatives and nonprofit professionals. Members were charged with analyzing top-performing states to determine how their systems of education led to successful post-secondary education and then recommending changes to Michigan’s system.

The group took a prenatal through grade 20 approach by looking at funding, accountability and governance across the entire continuum and listening to experts from all around the world. “Students are falling behind,” Haas said. “We established the fact that we need to move away from seat time to competency-based education. Some schools are already exploring that.” 

The commission established nine principles and 32 recommendations, including free preschool and community college for Michigan residents. They recommended a new model for teacher preparation that would place a seasoned teacher with an incoming teacher for one year, similar to an internship 
model. Haas called another recommendation—to do away with the elected State Board of Education—provocative, as it would require an amendment to the Michigan State Constitution. 

Haas said the Constitution highlights that education and the maintenance of education is a public good. “That means citizens will have to invest in this public good. It’s developing human capital. It’s all about talent development and as citizens, we have an obligation to our children to make it happen,” said Haas.
The commission’s full report is available online at www.mieducationcommission.com. FRA

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10 Things to Know Before Reintegrating into Civilian Life

By Jeanette Gilles, Deputy Director Community Integration, America’s Warrior Partnership

W
hether you have spent four years or 30 as an enlisted soldier, the decision to transition back into civilian life is a major change not to be taken lightly. Many factors play into your transition: the major shift in daily routines, the impact on relationships as well as changes in employment and housing, just to name a few. After having served your country honorably, you should take advantage of the experience of those who made this transition before you. They, as well as professionals who work with veterans, can share their experiences and wisdom about the adjustments that need to be made by a soldier, their family and friends. 

While any change can be challenging, there are ways to prepare and plan ahead, after making your decision but before you begin the process. Based upon my experience with family members and my work with veterans at America’s Warrior Partnership, I created a list of 10 things you need to know to reintegrate into civilian life. 

1. Plan in Advance
Start planning your reintegration 12-18 months before the official discharge date. If you wait until the last minute to begin planning and thinking through everything, you will experience immense frustration and headaches. Once you make your decision to leave the military, start planning right away. 

2. Pay Attention During the Discharge Briefings!
Many folks who experienced a bad transition say military discharge briefings can be overwhelming. All the information provided in a short period can be difficult to absorb. I remind people to pay attention and take notes! The briefings address topics that you need to be aware of—while it can be tempting to zone out or tell yourself, “Eh, I can figure this out, when’s lunch?” …don’t be this person. Pay attention and ask the questions you want and need to ask. 

3. Don’t Skip Your Pre-Separation Physicals
These physicals are incredibly important, especially for people who incurred any form of physical, mental or other injury during service. Mental health issues, such as PTSD or other physical ailments, are often detected during these examinations. Even if your disability rating is zero percent, an injury could potentially cause problems in the future. If you’re going to get any type of post-discharge assistance (financial or otherwise) for injuries incurred during your service, you’ll need these exams to reflect and document this. Otherwise, you’ll be walking uphill—rather “up mountain” to coin a new term—to receive assistance after you are discharged. 

4. Ensure Medical and Other Records are 100% Before Leaving
Once you’re out, you’re out—there’s no going back. That applies to your military records as well. Ensure yours are 100-percent accurate before discharge. If they are not, follow proper protocol to fix them. An important note: Your DD Form 214 confirms your veteran and discharge status, and you MUST have this document with you to receive any post-military assistance of any kind. Keep your DD214 safe and secure, DO NOT lose it. Think of this document as important as your driver’s license or birth certificate. You never want to be without it when you need it most. 

5. Where is “Home” Going to Be? 
Plan where you’re going to live post-military. Don’t wait until the day after discharge to start making living arrangements. Are you going to move back home or live somewhere new? Think through what’s going to bring you the most happiness AND where you’re going to find the best post-military opportunities. It may seem like an easy decision but it does have major implications. Keep in mind the military will pay for your last move back to your home of record. Having a plan helps you take advantage of this benefit.

6. Plan Financially as Early as Possible
What income will you have? When will that income arrive? How will you be paying your rent or mortgage? I’m telling you right now, if you are set to receive disability funds, they will not arrive the first day after your discharge. There will be a period of not receiving any income right after you’re discharged. Plan for this. The sooner you start saving for this “down time,” the better. Don’t wait until your terminal leave ends before thinking about how you’ll pay your bills. Plan for your discharge day and how you’re going to cover your needs in the first 100 days. Important note: The military has out-processing representatives who can advise you about any retirement or disability pay as well as provide estimates about payment amounts and starting dates. Take advantage of this!  

7. Think About Health and Other Insurance
As a veteran, there are many health insurance coverage options. Take the time, do your research and find the best one for you. Will you be eligible for Veterans Administration (VA) benefits? Is Tricare an option for you? Health and other insurance programs can be complicated so ask experts questions. Plus, there are some health and life insurance policies that can be carried over into civilian life, such as CHCBP (Continued Health Care Benefit Program), the military equivalent of COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act). Do your homework, determine your eligibility, and find the best policies for your post-military lifestyle. Unless you have a job lined up that includes benefits, you may not have insurance from when you are discharged to when you start your new career.  

8. Plan Your Next Career Move
While this is definitely on the minds of folks before they are discharged, the sooner you can plan the better. You should know that your MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) isn’t the “end-all, be-all’ to getting a new career. Career counseling can be very helpful with your next career move. Keep in mind that your military skills can certainly translate into civilian work but you must describe them appropriately on your resume using civilian language. Very few, if any, civilian hiring managers understand ‘military speak.’ Make sure your resume can be understood by the civilian population. Otherwise it’s an uphill battle. 

9. Remember Certifications!
Many jobs that military personnel were trained to do can apply to the civilian world, but the certifications and trainings don’t always translate apples-to-apples. Research the civilian equivalent of any certifications you have received, especially if you’re planning to leverage that experience in your new career. There are programs available to help you get the necessary certifications. Seek them out, ask the right questions and pursue what makes the most sense for you. You can visit the military’s Credentialing Opportunities Online “COOL” websites for additional information at: http://www.cool.navy.mil/  

10. Higher Education Considerations
The GI Bill is a wonderful thing but only if you maximize it! What school will you attend? Is it a two- or four-year institution? Will you need to move there? Are you required to live on-campus? What do you want to study? Are you eligible for specific schools? Did you register and pay the fee? Have you taken the appropriate entry exams? You need to know the answers to all these questions if you are considering the GI Bill, which I do recommend for higher education. College takes serious planning. Most colleges require students to apply between January and March to attend a semester that starts in September, which requires a six to nine-month lead time. If you want to pursue higher education, identify your target “start date” and work backwards to your application date, financing and housing timeline. You might be surprised how much lead time is required. 
This list does not include everything about transitioning out of the military but hopefully it is meant as a starting point. While transitioning may seem like a daunting process, it doesn’t have to be. Approach this like you would any other military task, plan, plan, plan and execute with precision. Remember, there are resources available, even after you “land” in your post-military life. Seek them out and be open to all opportunities. 

Important note: Keep your military contacts after you transition. America’s Warrior Partnership has community integration partnerships with all sorts of affiliates throughout the country. Every year we conduct a survey of the veterans who use these services. This year, connections and relationships were the top “need” listed by veterans. Many veterans desire opportunities to build relationships with other veterans in their post-military lives. 
Overall, the America’s Warrior Partnership is about the holistic well-being of our nation’s warriors and protectors. We care about and want to help our great country’s veterans succeed after transitioning. We empower communities to empower veterans. As a veteran service organization, we are here to help you and your family. You gave your life and career for our country, and it is now our turn to give back to you.  FRA

Jeanette Gilles, LCSW, is Deputy Director Community Integration at America’s Warrior Partnership, an organization committed to empowering communities to empower veterans that has collectively impacted more than 33,000 veterans since it was founded in 2014. America’s Warrior Partnership fills the gaps that exist between current veteran service organizations by helping nonprofits connect with the veterans, military members and families in need: bolstering their efficacy, improving their results and empowering their initiatives. In her role, Jeanette assists the program director with development, maintenance, and planning of program services and the development of training modules for community agencies. Jeanette was previously the Director of Collaborative Services with the Augusta Warrior Project, the model community of America’s Warrior Partnership. Her father is a Vietnam-era Army veteran and her brother is on active duty with the Air Force, while many other family members have also proudly and honorably served. 

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LIFE MEMBER

FRA CONGRATULATES THE FOLLOWING Shipmates who have become Life Members during the second quarter of 2017. The listing, which is arranged by Join Date, also includes their branch number or designation as a Member-At-Large (MAL). Call 1-800-FRA-1924 to learn how you can become a Life Member of the FRA.

Name	Branch
APRIL
Melvin H McCreary	MAL
Richard Portillo Jr.	94
Robert A Wright	MAL
Charles E Burns	MAL
Peter P Tegel Jr.	61
Allen Hale	346
Donald Alan Cook	MAL
James L Carroll	MAL
Joseph N Fabio	1
Bobby R Clifton	MAL
Algirdas A Usalis	42
Andres A Zabala	64
Thomas J Murchison	MAL
Jack Ochodnicky	MAL
Raymond P Putt	24
Terry K Reed	89
Joshua Paul Glasscock	11
Kenneth H McGee	44
John S Popa	254
Raymond M Gluck	99
Robert Allen	MAL
Robert L Williamson	MAL
Manolo P Garcia	MAL
Donald G McWhorter	301
Robert L Scantlin	162
Karl M Schmid	MAL
John D Stevens	221
Camilo A Santiago	247
James R Pratt	185
Bruce E Keyser Sr.	MAL
Tommy G Stephens	290
Kenneth W Miller	60
Justin G. Rehms	24
Robert R. Krauth	367
Daniel D Gillespie	93
Bobby G Winfield	91
Douglas S Smith	MAL
CWO3 Richard Holland	MAL
Thomas H Hamby	146
James F Kell	61
Scott D Duenas	73
Robin Joseph Dahlgren	273
James A Martin	MAL
Roger L Barlow	91
Joel C Matthias	147
Lynn H Gurchik	20
Alan J Dellapenna	298
Scott Senay	93
Edward W Fretschel III	269
Carl E Carney	60
Weldon A Yannayon	93
Glenn Shaw	46
Stephen P Oakley	24
Mark Heck	24
Charles S Wood	269
Richard Harper Brewer	24
Earl J Wofford	11
Robert G Anderson	166
Donald Burkhardt	MAL
James O'neill	24
Donald Darden	MAL
George Degener	23
Terry W Bennett	47
Pedro Jimenez	MAL
Dan G Gemenez	247
James L Barcigalupia	162
Gerald B Hickman	342
Robert I Reed	46
Wes Burns	163
	
MAY
Sanford Flesher	MAL
George W Hiza	285
John E Jarvis	MAL
Walter W Schaffer	24
James E Lyons	MAL
Michael M Welman	24
Robert A Mistishen	295
Roberta C Blue	217
Lenard G McCoy	MAL
John M Martin	369
Eddie Gordon	MAL
Donald B Christopher	22
Judith L Smith	263
Olin E Thomas	269
James D Magoon	MAL
David Flagg	24
Susan Frederici	268
Stephen E Sattler	MAL
Robert L Grant	24
Sam D Harris	MAL
Ronald A Henderson	269
Paul M Christenson	136
Carl W Scholl	MAL
Frederick V Inboden	29
Reynaldo Narvaez	MAL
William H Henry	MAL
Paul J Striffler	24
Larry Bransford	20
Charles Merkle	24
Charles W Morris	MAL
Edward A L'Heureux	91
John W Gray Jr.	MAL
Samuel A Thomas	264
Calvin D Brown	99
Peter Walters	MAL
Ramon M Schley	289
Leonard D Humes	289
Mitchell A Kauffman	181
Willard Herbrand	49
William H Harl	365
Joseph T Thompson	MAL
Tom Hess	97
Stanley Sielewicki	24
Donald F Groesbeck	285
Denise Robinette	99
Steve N Dye	MAL
Mary Sue Warren	46
Eugene Bruce Calmon	24
James M Griffin	99
Conrado F Verzosa	MAL
Colleen A Scott	92
Michael L Witt	238
Clifford Maxwell	MAL
James T Peeks	307
George P Brines	365
Paul Wesley Mostoller Jr.	MAL
Patrick F McCulley	281
Warren B Brann	20
Stephen Bohn	238
Charles R McDonald	MAL
Darrell D Payne	MAL
John A Warth	77
Daniel W Cupp	MAL
Tommy C Stewart	182
James R Broyles	MAL
James D Williams	269
Ted F Rambo	89
Jeffrey Overcash	24
Kenneth L Speight	91
Jose C Acuzar	74
Gary Crawford	276
Pacifico Quevedo	MAL
John P Chitwood	334
Eugene F Crabtree	99
Charles R Hefner	MAL
Robert P Young	91
	
JUNE
Terrence Stein	14
Alvin Fugh	24
Richard A Catlin III	274
James T Guthridge	MAL
Harvey D Moore	24
Stephen Ellis	MAL
John P Hendry	71
Timothy Olney	91
Charles E Laberge Jr.	46
Phillip N Walk	103
Carol Kline	290
Billy J Laseter	184
Peter D Vuchetich	276
David E Jensen	238
Thomas D Jenkins	MAL
Roland W Dodd	248
Kathy Higingbotham	29
Gary R Lange	MAL
Robert H Lockhart	230
Benigno T Gabriel	302
Louis P Albrecht	212
Jay Tews	103
Jack L Lane	289
Cesario D Doma Jr.	302
James E Lafferty	49
Lester E Onken	216
John Robert Peverly	170
Larry G Carlson	24
Kenneth W Hutchens	20
Melvin S Hubbard Jr.	MAL
Roy Seay	MAL
Steven C Cantrill	46
Gerald Ross	MAL
Ray A Stacks	14
Terry R Graves	MAL
Abe Zino	207
John E Erdmann	136
Robert C Glassbrook	MAL
Walt Modler	382
Harmon E Thompson	268
Braulio Camarena	MAL
Virgil Sinning	276
William O Deloach	93
Jose Luis Vasquez	24
William A Saltzgiver	MAL
Russel L Seibert	106
Le Roy A Wilmot	MAL
Kevin J Owens	68
Loren C Riker	163
William J Hammett	24
William M Foster	147
Brian H Bialas	99
Ronald P Trothier	263
Gerald W Watkins	263
William R Casey	263
Mitzie Robinson	67
John C Coleman	MAL
Francis X Chambers Jr.	24
P A Bowdoin	MAL

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membership matters

Women in the Military

T
his is the second in a series of profiles of Women in the FRA. Two nominees for Regional Presidents—Shipmates Rosemary Posekany, North Central and Maria A. Behm, West Coast— were profiled in June. These Shipmates are part of an exciting force of leaders who have and will continue to impact the association.

Martha Klinikowski, TD3, USN (Vet.), Southeast Region, Jacksonville, Florida
During high school, Shipmate Martha planned to join the Navy as a data processor. During boot camp, she was offered a chance to become a Tradesman and receive training in electronics and link simulators in A School. After A School, Shipmate Klinikowski spent four years at the Naval War College playing war games. She learned to use a teletype machine, writing backwards on status boards during war games and maintaining the equipment. Klinikowski was married at the War College and transferred to the Naval Submarine School Groton, Connecticut Her husband became a member of FRA while he was stationed in Iceland. Klinikowski was a member of the Auxiliary when FRA changed our by-laws to allow veterans to join. Following her husband’s passing, Shipmate Klinikowski joined the FRA and continued his legacy. A member since 2013, Klinikowski is currently the Secretary for Branch 126 located in Jacksonville, Fla. She supports the Wounded Warriors Project, K-9s for Warriors, and disabled veterans through personal donations. 

Dana L. Wallace, HMCS (SW), 
USN (Ret.), FRA Past National Chaplain (PNC), East Coast Region, Waldorf, Maryland
PNC Dana L. Wallace is a native of San Bernardino, California and began her Navy career in 1988. After attending Dental Technician A School, Shipmate Wallace served at several commands at sea and ashore to include the USS Frank Cable, Naval Dental Center, San Diego, Califorfinia and Puerto Rico, USN Recruit Training Command (RTC), Great Lakes, Illinois, and Naval Branch Health Clinic at Joint Base Andrews, Washington, District of Columbia. While at USN-RTC, Senior Chief Wallace was selected to become one of the elite RDC C-School Instructors. PNC Wallace achieved an historic accomplishment at the Navy Ceremonial Guard in Washington, District of Columbia where she served as the First Female Commander of Troops for the prestigious US Navy Drill Team. With her skills as an instructor at the Naval Recruit Training Command, Wallace taught Naval Science under the NJROTC Program at both Westlake and Suitland High Schools in Maryland. She is President and Founder of Sisters of Esteem, Inc., a non-profit organization for women to promote the spirit of community service. Wallace was ordained as a licensed minister in 2000 and is a member of the Calvary Gospel Church in Waldorf, Maryland. She served as the FRA National Chaplain for two terms, 2013 to 2014 and 2015 to 2016. Wallace and her husband, Richard, have been FRA members since 2010 and are affiliated with Branch 24 in Annapolis, Md. FRA

Penny Collins is FRA’s Director of Membership Development and a member of FRA Branch 24 in Annapolis, Md. She can be reached at 
penny@fra.org

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AUXILIARY OF THE FRA NEWS

LA FRA Southeast

I
 am grateful for the opportunity to serve the members of the Southeast Region. During my travels I learned where some great cooks live. The Southeast Unit members seem to have found diverse ways to assist Sea Service personnel and their families, as well as supporting agencies in their communities.

Some of the Unit’s activities included donating money to the Woodyard Fund—a fuel fund for the needy in South Carolina.  As well as donations to food banks, collection of clothing, books, toiletries, coupons (for overseas families), Bingo items, cellular telephones for service members, plastic bags for a local organization to knit/crochet into sleeping mats for homeless, and lastly, supporting local schools with “box tops/soup can labels” and school supplies.

While helping at nursing or retirement homes, try to celebrate the holidays by decorating or hallway caroling. You can coordinate with the Good Samaritans organization and “foster” a family for the holidays, or sponsor holiday dinners for singles or families. How about providing holiday baskets during holidays other than Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter? One Unit joined with the Elks Club to sponsor a Law Enforcement Dinner for the area’s Sheriffs and City police.  Several Units read, present cheer, birthday, Christmas, and get-well cards to nursing home residents, hospital staff and patients at VA facilities. Many Unit members volunteer at Navy, VA clinics and hospitals while others promote the FRA & LA FRA with newspaper articles and talking to people at the Veterans Day parade.

All of this while remembering their own Unit members with birthday and get-well cards, some are using the “old-fashioned” telephone tree that worked as well when accompanying their spouse to so many duty stations.  In April, I had the pleasure of presenting a birthday card to Myrtle Nesset, a Unit 126 life member, to mark her 103rd birthday.  Thanks to all who signed the card during our recent Pilgrimage.

It is “Southern Hospitality” when we collect, make and donate almost everything that will help make someone else’s life a little better.  Although we may think our contributions are small, for the recipient it may be a blessing.  No effort is too small if the end result is positive.

The best part of being a member of the Southeast Region is we really enjoy sharing our life with one another during caucuses, midyears and convention. It is fun to find out what the other units are doing while, in turn, sharing what wonderful things our Unit has done. FRA

Vera Thomas is the LA FRA Regional President, Southeast

SHIPMATE NEWS

1.Branch 70, Poway, CalifORNIA
PNP Dick Smith with Hatsune Marshall, the widow of Shipmate Henry “Hank” Marshall.

2. Branch 34, Tallahassee, FlORIDA
Southeast Regional winner in The Americanism-Patriotism Essay Contest.  (Left to Right) Shipmate Alex Topicz, parent Tom Bentley, Cassandra Bentley (Grade 12, Wakulla High School), parent Laura Bentley and Branch President Earnest Reed. 

3. Branch 222, Slidell, LOUISIANA
1st place, Branch 222 and 2nd place, South Central Region winner of The Americanism-Patriotism Essay Contest, Michelle Hasenkampf (Grade 12, Pope John Paul High School), President Larry Cole (Left) and Branch Secretary Mark Dernovsek (Right).

4. Branch 170, Everett, WashINGTON
Oscar Hoglund received his 30-year pin from NWRP Burke on May 10th, 2017 during the Branch meeting.

5. Branch 126, Jacksonville, FlORIDA
SE RVP/Branch President James J. Thomas presented a certificate, FRA medal, & ribbon to Cadet Brandon Lee during a ceremony at Orange Park high school, March 4, 2017.

6. Unit 126, Jacksonville, FlORIDA
LAFRA SE RP/Unit President Veralyn Thomas presented a certificate, FRA Medal & ribbon to Cadet Shannon Beechum at Fleming Island Florida High School, May 9, 2017.

7. Branch 156, Brunswick, Maine
Branch President Martin presented Shipmate Doy Utsler a Certificate of Appreciation on May 15, signed by the Governor of Virginia, for his involvement with Veterans.

8. Branch 269, Goose Creek, SOUTH CAROLINA
Robert Stancik was recognized for his 55 years of continuous service by Branch President Laurie Bailey.

9. Branch 146, Johnsville, PENNSYLVANIA
Branch 146 President Dave Carver presents NVP William Starkey with A Branch Cup at the monthly branch meeting, May 9th.

10. Branch 309, Newark, DelAWARE
Branch winner of The Americanism-Patriotism Essay Contest, Miracle Olantunji (Grade 11, Charter School of Wilmington) presented by Shipmate Chuck Baldwin.

11. Branch 232, Cape May, NEW JERSEY
Branch President Tom Dougherty presented Gretchen Whitman (Cape May Nature Center) a check for the Good Neighbor Fund, which provides scholarships for active duty dependents to attend the Nature Center’s summer camp.

12. Branch 93, Patuxent River, MARYLAND
RP East Coast Tom Vatter presented a Lifetime Membership Certificate to Weldon Yannayon, a long-time Branch member and resident of the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home

13. Branch 72, Fall River, MassACHUSSETTS
Eight of the eleven winners of the essay contest received special crafted pens and gift certificates during a Branch ceremony. (Front Left to Right) Gabriela Paiva, Lizzie Kosato, (partially hidden) Maine Fitzgerald, Sarah Yee, Abegail Linder. (Front Left to Right) Nicholas Lacerda, Eric Logan, Samuel Arruda. Shipmates (Front Left to Right) Alan Given, Branch President Ed Bailey, Jr. Larry Beirola.

To submit a photo for News from the Branches, please e-mail a photo as an attachment in jpeg format to FRAToday@fra.org or mail a high-quality photograph to FRA Today, 125 N. West Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Please include a brief description of the photograph and include the names of those pictured. Laser prints and scanned copies of photographs cannot be accepted. 

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TAPS

Name 					Rating		Branch
Allison, Franklin 					AMCS, USN 	162
Andruzzi, Paul R. 					LCPL, USMC 	91
Arbaugh, Johnny L. 			Master Chief, USN 	MAL
Baker, Robert M. 					LCDR, USN 	24
Barrow, Charles N. 				ATC, USN 	290
Beatty, Roland 					RMC, USCG 	MAL
Bennett, William R. 				TMC, USN 	117
Bennetts, Russell C. 				FTM1, USN 	281
Berryhill, H. H. 						USN 	278
Bilicki, Peter A. 					ADRC, USN 	70
Buckner, Lewis D. 			GYSGT, USMC 	MAL
Buenviaje, Gerardo S. 				SDC, USN 	84
Cloud, Osceola 					CWO3, USNR 	278
Dedios, Catalino C. 				EMC, USN 	84
Dial, Charles 					AOC, USN 	MAL
Dodds, Robert O. 					SMC, USN 	MAL
Dotson, Owen N. 					ADJC, USN 	18
Durbin, Jesse 						USN 	MAL
Gagnon, Roger G. 				ICC, USN 	156
George, Paul A. 					SCPO, USN 	MAL
Harris, General B. 				SKC, USN 	MAL
Hill, William M. 					BR1, USN 	120
Holz, James R. 					CS1, USN 	72
Hood, Riley 					ICC, USN 	53
Howell, Clement W. 				YN1, USN 	316
Jadlocki, Stephen A. 				PO1, USN 	MAL
Jeffery, Forrest 					BMC, USN 	174
Jiner, Joe V. 					EMC, USN 	60
Johnson, Leroy F. 					RD1, USN 	MAL
Kreiner, Edward T. 				LT, USN 	24
Kryling, William W. 				AXCS, USN 	MAL
Kutz, Laverne A. 					CTCA, USN 	316
Lacosse, Albert J. 					USMCR 	358
Lebel, Roger R. 					CWO3, USN 	269
Little, George H. 					AVCM, USN 	70
Machovsky, Roger G. 				MS1, USN 	MAL
Mallory, Roy E. 					BMC, USN 	MAL
McComas, Billie 					PO1, USN 	99
Meadows, Willie V. 				BMC, USN 	46
Miller, J B 					SW1, USN 	12
Miller, Pascual G. 						USN 	53
Mootz, Douglas E. 				PICM, USN 	273
Myers, Robert C. 					OSCS, USN 	259
Neupauer, Andrew J. 				DP3, USN 	115
Novida, Allen L. 					PO1, USN 	MAL
Oberlin, Kenneth R.		 		MSGT, USMC 	MAL
Odom, Sanders 					BTCS, USN 	307
Otero, Joseph M. 				GYSGT, USMC 	124
Pagano, Louis 					ETCM, USNR 	115
Parker, Homer R. 					PRC, USN 	147
Prokosch, John W. 				ATC, USN 	147
Radtke, Eugene E. 				WTC, USN 	99
Rhodes, William C. 				CS1, USN 	42
Rohr, Walter K. 					ABH1, USN 	201
Romanczyk, Raymond R. 				SWCS, USN 	40
Ross, Albert L. 				SGTMAJ, USMC 	161
Sandoval, Anthony J. 				RMC, USN 	113
Schwier, Allen E. 					HMC, USN  	87
Scott, John D. 					UT2, USN 	126
Shelby, Robert D. 					HMC, USN 	MAL
Smith, Robert L. 					HM3, USN 	278
Smith, Melburn E. 				BMC, USN 	316
Snyder, Jerry J. 					AZC, USN 	MAL
Stamos, Nicholas P. 			SKCM(RET), USN 	MAL
Stevenson, William 				PO1, USN 	MAL
Swan, Arthur W. 					SF3, USNR  	20
Tanner, Charles E. 				AMC, USN 	10
Todaro, Joseph E. 					SKC, USN 	147
Wells, John F. 					CDR, USN 	276
Wilson, Donald E. 				RMCS, USN 	250
Wirtz, Robert H. 					HTC, USN 	57
Yearby, William L. 			ADC, USN 	8

Names in red indicated 50 year continuous members.
Name in bold indicate past national officers.

To report the death of a Shipmate, please contact us via email at mserfra@fra.org or by telephone at 703- 683-1400 ext 1.

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Reunions/Looking For…

Aviation Boatswain's Mates Association (ABMA)
08/07/2017-08/11/2017, Chesapeake, Virginia
Contact: Doug Thornton, 
5765 Jade Moon Circle, 
Milton, Florida 32583
Telephone: 619-578-1523
Email: thunderdjt@gmail.com
www.abma-usn.org

USS South Carolina (CGN-37)
09/06/2017-09/10/2017, Virginia Beach, Virginia 
Contact: Brian Bigley
Email: Irish15202@hotmail.com
www.afr-reg.com/usssouthcarolina2017/

USS Simon Lake (AS-33)
09/17/2017-09/21/2017, New London, Connecticut
Contact: Danny Poole, 2129 Hinkleville Road
LaCenter, Kentucky 42056
Telephone: 270-876-7259
Email: djpoole@brtc.net
www.simonlakeassociation.org/home.html

USS Providence 
(CL-82 / CLG6)
09/17/2017-09/21/2017, Buffalo, New York
Contact: Jim Chryst, 
34 Snyder Hollow Road
New Providence, Pennsylvania 17560
Telephone: 717-284-6996
Email: jchryst@embarqmail.com
www.ussprovidence.org

National Association of Naval Photography
09/18/2017-09/22/2017
Las Vegas, Nevada
Contact: Bill Solt
Telephone: 757-714-9344
Email: sisbill@aol.com
www.navyphoto.net

USS Guadalupe (AO-32)
09/21/2017-09/24/2017, Bettendorf, Iowa
Contact: Denny Crowder, 8799 North City Road 650 West, 
Brazil, Indiana 47834
Telephone: 812-448-1241
Email: suzie4542@frontier.com

USS Saufley (DD-465)
9/24/2017-9/28/2017, Jacksonville, Florida
Contact: Chris Harding 
1470 Conger St. Galesburg, Illinois 61401 
Telephone: 309-368-3546 
Email: c.harding@comcast.net 
www.doubletree3.hilton.com

USS Hanson (DD-832)
09/25/2017-09/28/2017
Nashville, Tennessee
Contact: Roy Ridderbusch
Telephone: 425-742-6591
Email: roynav@live.com

Antartic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6)
09/25/2017-09/28/2017, Las Vegas, Nevada
Contact: Bob Mccauley, 9836 Kernville Drive
Las Vegas, Nevada 89134-7875
Telephone: 702-242-4240
Email: bobmccauley2@cox.net
www.puckeredpenguins.org

USS Navarro (APA-215)
10/22/2017-10/26/2017, Pensacola, Florida
Contact: John Majors, P.O. Box 209
Jarreau, Louisiana 70749
Telephone: 206-978-5502
Email: majors@qualitytransport.net

ASR/ARS Association
10/16/2017-10/21/2017, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Contact: Mary NealPhone 
Telephone: 502-477-0876 
Email: mbneal@twc.com 

USS Steinaker (DD/DDR-863)
04/26/2018, 04/29/2018, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Contact: Ken Kohnen, 2477 Royal Pointe Drive 
Green Cove Springs, Florida 32043-7251
Email: ken.kohnen@yahoo.com
www.usssteinaker.org/

Looking For...

Looking for...anybody still around from NMVO PAC San Diego July '64 to April '67. Please contact PNCM Charlie Fry at: 610-851-0140.

Looking for...two Shipmates: Donald W. Suggs YN2. Shipmate on the Elk River, IX-501, San Diego, California, from '74-'76.  Then he was on the USS Aylwin FF 1081 from '76-'79 out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Shipmate MSC Fredeluces, on the Elk River, IX-501.  If anyone knows the whereabouts of these two great people, please contact Dave Shapiro, SKC, USN, Ret. (1971-1997) at: chie105542@aol.com

All Reunions/LookingFor… must be submitted in writing to FRA Reunions/LookingFor… 125 N. West St. Alexandria, Virginia 22314 or at victoriad@fra.org.  Please include your FRA member ID and a daytime telephone number.  Reunions can also be submitted online at http://www.fra.org.  For questions regarding submissions, contact Victoria at 1-800-FRA-1924, ext. 124.

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FINANCE MATTERS

Is Your Portfolio as Efficient as It Could Be?

W
hen you look at a line chart of an investment’s historical performance, one feature to note is its volatility – how frequent and how extreme the ups and downs have been. This is significant because volatility is the most commonly used measurement of an investment’s risk. The greater the volatility, the riskier the investment is considered to be. 
If you viewed a chart comparing the stock market’s vs. the bond market’s performance, you’d see stocks have been significantly more volatile than bonds. Logically then, a 100% bond portfolio should be less risky than one including both bonds and stocks. Right? Not so fast.
In fact, according to a Morningstar study for the years 1970 through 2015, a portfolio comprising 67% bonds (measured by the 20-year U.S. government bond) and 33% stocks (using the Ibbotson Large Company Stock Index) offered less risk and better returns than a 100% bond portfolio. In other words, the former was more “efficient” than the latter, which leads to a concept investors should be aware of: the efficient frontier.

Start With the Basics
Having a grasp of the efficient frontier begins with understanding:
•	The relationship between risk and return
•	How diversification can help manage risk and return
In general, risk and return go hand-in-hand. As an investment’s risk increases, so should its return. If you buy a Treasury bond, the return will probably be low because the risk of default is minimal. If you buy a stock, however, the potential risk is significant – think back to what happened to stocks during the Great Recession – and you should expect a greater return potential as “compensation” from the market for accepting that additional risk. (A high risk/low return investment is probably not a good idea.)
Diversification is simply blending different investments in a portfolio in an effort to manage risk and return. The result is your *“asset allocation.” A very simple asset allocation might include stocks, which tend to be risky but offer growth potential, and bonds, which have been more stable and provide income (interest). You can help manage your risk and return by how much you allocate to each type of investment. For example, if you have a 75% stock/25% bond portfolio, it should offer a greater risk and return potential than one that’s 25% stocks/75% bonds.

Getting to an Efficient Frontier
Of course, there are lots of other investments for you to choose from, and there are an infinite number of portfolios you could construct from the stocks, bonds, and other assets available. Each of these blends has a unique overall risk and return level. If you plotted them all on a chart, you’d likely see what’s shown in the hypothetical graph below. The “pies” – representing different asset allocations – farthest to the left and highest up are the ones with the best expected risk/return tradeoffs. If you connected those “dots,” you would have it: the efficient frontier.
That’s what the efficient frontier is, but what does it mean for investors? 
It means that if your risk/return tradeoff doesn’t land along the frontier, your portfolio is not as efficient as it could be. You’re taking on too much risk for the level of return you’re getting, and you probably need to make adjustments to decrease risk, improve return, or both. 

Finding Help
Determining whether your portfolio is as efficient as it could be may require help from a professional Financial Advisor. He or she will likely ask about your goals (what you’re investing for), time horizon (how long until you need to tap into your investments), and risk tolerance (how comfortable you are with swings in your portfolio’s value). Based on your responses, your advisor can help build a portfolio designed to help reach your goals as efficiently as possible. FRA

*Asset allocation cannot eliminate the risk of fluctuating prices and uncertain returns.

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing Director-Investments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, Virginia at 800-247-8602.

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE
Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.
© 2017 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.
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