FRA Today – March 2016
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM THE FANTAIL
SHIPMATE FORUM
ON & OFF CAPITOL HILL
2016 Mid-Year Regional Meetings
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
FEATURE
TAPS
Reunions
LOOKING FOR
Resolutions Deadline is June 14
NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES
NEWS FROM THE AUXILIARY OF THE FRA

COMMUNICATIONS 

Synergy
Synergy results when the creation of a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This month’s feature story is about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, an organization that awards quilts to service members and veterans as a way to show our nation’s appreciation for their military service and sacrifice. This is a phenomenal example of synergy at its best. 
In the most literal terms, the “parts” are simple scraps of fabric and the “whole” is a beautiful work of textile art. But the “results” are so much “greater” than a blanket to keep a person warm. These Quilts of Valor are tangible symbols of gratitude, and they provide calming comfort to those who receive them. These creations are made with love and respect by a team of individuals all working toward a common goal. The quilts are awarded with reverence and, in many cases, are the first and only public acknowledgement the recipient has ever received for his/her military contributions. The result is so much more than a “sum” of leftover yard goods. 
FRA’s good work is also the result of tremendous synergy. Our individual shipmates (the parts) are scattered around the world and, when working together in concert with one another, create a powerful voice for our members. Our “whole” is making a difference for the entire military and veterans’ community. While our membership is restricted to current and former enlisted members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, FRA’s legislative victories pay dividends for every service member — past, present and future — regardless of branch of service. Like QOVF, FRA honors all who serve by preserving and enhancing pay, earned benefits and quality-of-life programs. We are stronger as a whole because of the sum of our parts. 
FRA members have the opportunity to leverage this synergy in a variety of ways to benefit their individual lives, their communities and the association as a whole. Building positive relationships is the foundation of success in just about every human endeavor; I’m a firm believer that positive relationships are virtually guaranteed when one person extends him/herself to be supportive of someone or something else. Shipmates do this every day and are the very best “parts” that create the greater “whole” of the FRA. 

Lauren Armstrong is FRA’s Director of Communications and serves as the Managing Editor of FRA Today. Please contact her at lauren@fra.org.

Return to Table of Contents

FROM THE FANTAIL 

Today’s Veterans Need Us
Today’s veterans have more information available at their fingertips than ever before. Technology has broken down the barriers and flung open the gates, and just about any knowledge they need is only an Internet search away. All of the data may be there, but it is arranged with no rhyme, reason, or most importantly, guidance. This is where FRA comes in: We are able to help them fill that crucial gap between knowing facts and discerning truth. Today’s vets are looking for a valued and reliable resource they can contact to help them navigate the possibilities and move forward successfully as they transition to civilian life.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Any investment today must be made carefully, using all available support and assurance. It’s sometimes said that it’s not how smart you are, but what areas you’re smart in; that is where FRA comes in, to fill the gaps in a veteran’s experience and becomes a resource of confidence. Young veterans are typically not joiners, but they do value credentials that match their needs and those of their families. When an organization like FRA can demonstrate tangible benefits to potential members, those prospects are likely to identify with the organization and join its cause.
FRA has recently become involved with Operation College Promise (OCP), an organization that serves veterans on college campuses, and we are working with organizers to develop a partnership that will not only help these deserving students, but will also facilitate a connection between them and the FRA. 
Operation College Promise (www.operationcollegepromise.com) is a national policy, research and educational program that supports the transition and postsecondary advancement of our nation’s veterans. Originally a comprehensive web-based resource to centralize transition information for servicemembers, OCP was one of only 20 applicants awarded an ACE/Walmart Foundation Success for Veterans grant in 2009. Today, the project has partner institutions across the nation and has established a National Advisory Council (NAC) to support its rapidly broadening national mission to support veterans and servicemembers as they transition into higher education, and to assist higher educators in developing appropriate on-campus mechanisms to optimize success for this segment of their student population. 
Educating veterans and those who serve them is a top priority of OCP. Major projects include the development of the nation’s first resource manual for veterans’ service providers, as well as the signature Certificate for Veterans’ Service Providers (CVSP) program. The CVSP training has been offered at four different locations, with more on the way. FRA and OCP are currently exploring ways in which our shipmates and FRA as a whole can support the OCP mission. 
Campus leaders are often asked for help by veterans, but sometimes they are not prepared to provide the individual support required. FRA can be that connection and provide direct and valued information. In addition to disseminating OCP information to veterans and service members, OCP can direct student veterans to our Education Foundation Scholarship program, as well as our network of veteran service officers (VSOs) who can help them navigate the often-confusing process of applying for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education, medical and disability benefits. As FRA’s new Veteran Service Committee is established and strengthened, we will be even more prepared to be a reliable resource for these student veterans. 
This new FRA standing committee will be working to develop programs to train branch and regional VSOs to help ease the transition for veterans into the academic world, as well as answer questions and provide information about the Post-9-11 GI Bill, FRA’s Education Foundation and other resources aimed at helping them succeed. 
Not all of these student veterans are seeking degrees, and not all of their challenges are related to their pursuit of higher education. FRA can be there, either in person or a phone call away, to assist. Offering this type of assistance is part of our mission and also an opportunity to share the important work that FRA does outside the academic arena on behalf of service members and veterans. Vet-2-Vet discussions are the way to demonstrate Loyalty, offer Protection and provide Service to all veterans, many of whom could potentially become FRA shipmates. 
As this initiative moves forward, branches and VSOs will be provided a list of their area college campuses and some resources for offering assistance to them. Let’s make this a GO, and make some waves. PRESS ON! Remember: “One 4 One” in membership. Make that difference for your fellow veteran and the FRA.

Tom Snee is FRA’s National Executive Director and can be reached at NEDFRA@fra.org.

Return to Table of Contents

SHIPMATE FORUM 

NDAA Survivor Benefit Plan
In the January 2016 issue of FRA Today, you have an article about the president signing the NDAA. Within the article it shows that it “provides for survivor benefit plan (SBP) benefits to be paid to second spouse when the first divorced spouse is deceased.”
I divorced my first spouse after 18 years (not deceased) in 1977 and remarried my second spouse in 2000. I stopped paying into the plan in 1979 because I was no longer married. I had forgotten that I had SBP when I remarried, and didn’t resume paying premiums into the plan until 2010. 
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Retiree Account Statement shows that my second wife is the beneficiary on record and that the payments would go to her upon my passing. If NDAA shows payments to second spouse only if the first spouse is deceased, why am I still paying into the SBP?
Claire G. Veech
FRA Response: Thanks, Shipmate. You aren’t the only one who was confused by our explanation and we apologize for further muddying the waters. 
So let’s start with the basics: SBP is essentially an insurance program. A military retiree pays premiums and upon his* death, half of his covered retired pay will continue to be paid to his surviving spouse. 
 The circumstances get a bit more confusing if the retiree wishes to remarry after he and the designated beneficiary (i.e. wife) divorce and/or if she predeceases him. Here are a couple scenarios:
1.	If a retiree’s current spouse dies before him, he can stop paying SBP premiums, but is not entitled to any sort of refund of the premiums he’s already paid. If he chooses to remarry, he can resume paying premiums after his subsequent marriage has lasted a year or more, and can name his second (or subsequent) spouse as the beneficiary of his SBP benefit.
2.	If the couple divorces, the SBP benefits are considered a marital asset and can be included as part of the divorce settlement. But that’s not always the case. 
a.	If the terms of the divorce declare that the ex-spouse remains the SBP beneficiary, the retiree cannot name a subsequent spouse to receive the benefit. There can be only one declared beneficiary at any given time. 
b.	If the benefits are not retained by the ex-spouse as part of the divorce decree, the retiree can designate a subsequent spouse as his SBP beneficiary, but only after the subsequent marriage has lasted one year or more.
The recent NDAA language (reference in previous issues of FRA Today) specifically addresses the situation (2a, above) that arises if the ex-spouse is the named beneficiary and dies before the retiree. If that ex-spouse died without relinquishing claim to the benefit, DOD was contending that the benefit simply expired with the ex-spouse, and was not transferrable to the retiree’s subsequent spouse. FRA felt this was unfair and successfully fought to eliminate this policy. As a result, a subsequent beneficiary can be named if the previous beneficiary is no longer living to claim the benefit. 
*We fully understand that all retirees are not male, but felt it was easier to explain all the possibilities without making multiple gender distinctions. 

Access to Overseas Commissaries and Exchanges
I am a military retiree with over 20 years of service to my country. I currently reside with my wife of 50 years in Switzerland. We still pay our share of taxes to the U.S. and the Swiss IRS. We were thrilled to find out that there are U.S. commissaries and exchanges in Germany, however the German Finance Office and the U.S. Customs Department signed an agreement that only military retirees who live in Germany are allowed to shop at [these facilities]. The retirees must obtain a tax card (pink card) from the German customs office and pay sales tax on their purchases. We have no problem with that; in fact, we would be happy to pay this tax whenever we could buy our favorite peanut butter or barbeque sauce at the commissary. 
To change this outdated, unfair and unjust agreement would cost the taxpayer nothing and put additional monies in the German coffers. It would also ensure equal treatment for ALL military retirees, no matter where they reside. 
[As a comparison,] Italy does not have this residential restriction. However, as senior citizens, we do not like to drive in Europe, and to take the train to the commissary in Italy would require an overnight stay. We simply can’t afford that. 
We hope and pray our representatives in Congress can and will change this unnecessary and unfair agreement with Germany. 
George Caldwell

Submissions Send Shipmate Forum letters to Editor, FRA Today, 125 N. West St. Alexandria, VA 22314. E-mail submissions may be sent to fratoday@fra.org. Please include “Shipmate Forum” in the subject line. FRA reserves the right to select and edit letters for publication. Letters published in Shipmate Forum reflect the opinions and views of FRA members. They do not necessarily reflect the official position of FRA as a whole. FRA is not responsible for the accuracy of letter content.

Return to Table of Contents

ON & OFF CAPITOL HILL

Member Participation is Critical to FRA Success
As you read this issue of FRA Today, Hill staff, legislators and others are working on major changes to the TRICARE benefit program. Health care issues are of paramount concern to the association, since they impact all segments of our membership. FRA is concerned that in this difficult budget climate, tough fiscal choices must be made in the FY 2017 Defense budget — choices in which people programs are often the first to be sacrificed. An obvious cost-cutting target is the shift of more TRICARE health care costs to retirees in lieu of cutting other Pentagon spending programs.
All FRA members are urged to subscribe to NewsBytes, FRA’s weekly electronic newsletter that keeps members up-to-date on legislative issues that directly impact their benefits and pocketbooks (e-mail newsbytes@fra.org to subscribe). NewsBytes provides members with accurate and timely information on rapidly changing legislative developments on Capitol Hill. Members should also use the FRA Action Center (action.fra.org/action-center) to contact their elected officials on important issues. Usage of the FRA Action Center in 2015 increased by nearly 20 percent over 2014, and FRA congratulates and thanks shipmates who used this free service to send nearly 70,000 advocacy messages to their elected officials in Washington, D.C. 
The Action Center provides pre-written messages that shipmates can edit and send to their elected officials in Washington. It offers members the opportunity to instantly participate directly in the legislative process. Grassroots advocacy has a direct influence on the association’s efforts to effectively advance our legislative agenda and to represent the concerns of our members before Congress and appropriate federal agencies. Member participation in the legislative process is critical to our success and complements the efforts of the FRA Legislative Team as we advocate on behalf of the association membership.
Return to Table of Contents
Veterans Issues
House Subcommittee Reviews Consolidation of Non-VA Care
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health recently conducted an oversight hearing on the VA mandate to consolidate all of its existing non-VA care programs (currently seven separate programs) under a single Choice Program. Under the Choice consolidation plan VA submitted to Congress last October, veterans’ eligibility for non-VA hospital care and medical services (i.e., care in the community) will continue to be dictated by VA wait times, geographic access to care and availability of VA services. Eligibility for VA emergency care will be expanded, but will require patients to pay a share of the costs for emergency treatment and urgent care.
The hearing examined proposed eligibility guidelines for care under VA’s Choice consolidation plan to determine whether they are sufficient to increase health care access and improve services for veterans.
Return to Table of Contents

VA Secretary Wants to Reform Appeals Process
Bob McDonald, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), asked Congress for legislation to simplify the claims disability appeal process, which is failing veterans. Secretary McDonald said in a statement to the press that “decades worth of law and policy layered upon each other have become cumbersome and clunky. Most importantly, it is now so antiquated that it no longer serves veterans well, as many find it confusing and are frustrated by the endless process and the associated length of time it can take to get an answer.” McDonald stated that the VA should work to make an appeal process that, on average, takes less than one year to adjudicate an appeal. Currently the appeals process takes an average of three years to reach a final decision.
Over the last three years, the number of cases pending for 125 days or more (the definition of a backlogged claim) has dropped from more than 612,000 to fewer than 80,000. Nevertheless, officials missed their publicly stated goal of reaching zero by the end of 2015.
At the same time, the number of appeals — cases where veterans believe claims processors have misunderstood the severity of their injuries and shortchanged their benefit payouts — has risen by more than 30 percent, to 440,000 cases. FRA believes that average appeal times of more than three years is unacceptable, and that the cost of defending the nation should include timely and adequate treatment and compensation for our wounded warriors.
Return to Table of Contents

HVAC Ranking Member Marks Eighth Anniversary of Wounded Warrior Act
Rep. Corrine Brown (Florida), Ranking Member of the HVAC, recently issued a statement marking the eighth anniversary of the signing of the Wounded Warrior Provisions contained in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of FY 2008, saying, “I salute the Wounded Warriors Act on its eighth anniversary and our returning heroes who benefit.”
In February 2007, a series of Washington Post articles about conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center highlighted the challenges our veterans face, and this law was designed to address and fix these issues. Specifically, the provisions in the 2008 NDAA expanded the Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) benefit for Chapter 61 retirees and authorized the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation for individual unemployable (IU) veterans who are rated at less than 100 percent (retroactively to January 1, 2005). Other major provisions improved diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) and created a joint Department of Defense (DoD)/VA committee to work on creating a seamless transition. In retrospect, the Wounded Warrior Provisions made major improvements, but many provisions still remain a work in progress. In Rep. Brown’s statement, she pledges to continue to work with DoD and VA to make sure our wounded heroes get the best medical care available.
Return to Table of Contents

HVAC Reviews Cost and Benefit of VBMS and Claims Backlog
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) held an oversight hearing to review the VA’s efforts to eliminate its backlog of disability benefits compensation claims as well the cost overruns of the VA’s implementation of the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), a digital claims processing system for claims adjudication. Total costs for the new “paperless” system used to process veterans’ disability claims, which VA officials assert has been key to reducing the claims backlog, are nearly double the initial estimates. The VA, has continued to make improvements to the system’s software, but it still doesn’t know how much the system will end up costing.
The VA has spent more than $1 billion developing and maintaining VBMS since 2009. The agency has requested an additional $290 million this year for continued changes to the system, which was initially projected to cost $579 million.
For years, VA leaders have promised to eliminate the department’s backlog of disability compensation claims that are pending for more than 125 days. They quietly announced late last year, however, that this goal will never be achieved. The VA now argues that some claims are so complex that they will never be adjudicated in 125 days. Further, the VA has changed the definition of a backlogged claim to exclude a claim that is being appealed.
The longstanding backlog of disability claims at the agency is down from a high of more than 600,000 in 2013 to about 80,000 currently, the lowest in VA’s history. FRA applauds this reduction, but remains skeptical about the accuracy of VA data and views the remaining backlog as a violation of the nation’s solemn commitment to properly care for disabled veterans. The committee’s justifiable concerns about cost overruns are legitimate, but the VA must find a way to provide timely treatment and compensation to those who’ve honorably served and sacrificed. 
Return to Table of Contents

Senators Urge VA Secretary to Help Agent Orange Blue Water Veterans
FRA is disappointed, but not surprised, in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) recent ruling on its definition of inland waterways for the purposes of determining presumed exposure to Agent Orange (AO) for Vietnam veterans. The statement was released in response to a federal court order for the VA to reevaluate its policy of denying Agent Orange-related benefits to Navy sailors who served on ships off the coast of Vietnam during the conflict. 
FRA asserts that the VA policy limiting presumption to those with “boots on the ground” is too restrictive — a position supported by other veterans’ service organizations and echoed in a recent letter from 14 senators to VA Secretary Bob McDonald, asking him to use his statutory authority to provide service-connected presumption of AO exposure for these so-called “Blue Water” veterans. 
Despite these efforts, the VA’s recent ruling still denies benefits to those who served offshore. Many of these veterans are experiencing health problems related to AO exposure, but continue to be unjustly denied disability compensation for their illnesses. 
The announcement has been received with frustration and an overall loss of confidence in the VA’s commitment to veterans. FRA National Executive Director Thomas Snee said, “To state with such confidence that the toxin, Agent Orange, could not cross from inland waterways and harbors into the open seas is a rejection of the laws of nature; as if some imaginary line drawn across the mouth of a river or bay had the ability to stop ocean currents from flowing.” The ruling also dismisses scientific studies that have determined the distillation process used aboard these off-shore vessels to generate potable water from sea water actually amplified the negative effect of AO by a factor of 10. 
FRA remains committed to securing benefits for this segment of the veteran community and will continue its efforts to seek a legislative reversal to the current policy that discriminates against Blue Water veterans who have health problems commonly associated with herbicide exposure. Shipmates are strongly urged to use the FRA Action Center (action.fra.org/action-center) to ask their legislators to support “Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act” (H.R. 969/S. 681).

Return to Table of Contents

Retiree Issues
TRICARE OTC Program Becomes Permanent
TRICARE’s over-the-counter (OTC) drug coverage is here to stay. Formerly a demonstration program, the OTC benefit became a permanent part of the TRICARE pharmacy benefit on February 1, 2016. Under the program, OTC drug coverage still requires a prescription from a doctor and beneficiaries must pay the usual generic copays for covered OTC drugs. 
February 1 bought changes to the drugs available under the OTC benefit. The allergy medications Cetirizine and Loratadine were previously covered, but now the versions containing pseudoephedrine will also be covered. However, Prilosec OTC is no longer covered; the generic version, Omeprazole, is still covered, as is the prescription version of Prilosec. Female beneficiaries can still get Levonorgestrel (also known as Plan B), an emergency contraceptive used to prevent pregnancy, without a copay or prescription at a network or military pharmacy; there are no age restrictions or costs for the contraceptive.
If you have questions about whether or not one of your drugs is covered, you can call the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, Express Scripts, at 1-877-363-1303.
Return to Table of Contents

TRICARE Standard Newsletter Available
A 12-page newsletter for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries is available online. The newsletter includes articles on submitting claims, costs, limited out-of-pocket costs under the Autism Care Demonstration, updating DEERS during a life change, a change to your pharmacy benefit, filling compound drug prescriptions, shingles and pneumococcal vaccines, clinical preventive services and vaccines, TRICARE Young Adult program premiums for 2016, the Nurse Advice Line, understanding emergency vs. urgent care, provider choice under TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra, prior authorizations, the Notice of Privacy Practices, reporting other health insurance, the Military/Veterans Crisis Line, and TRICARE benefit updates.
To read this newsletter, go to: http://go.usa.gov/cPMkJ.
Return to Table of Contents

DoD Authorizes SBP Funds for Special Needs Trusts
The FY 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) gives military members and retirees the option to direct Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments to a special needs trust (SNT) for permanently disabled children. An SNT is a legal instrument designed to manage money that was set aside for assisting a disabled person. Once created, an SNT is irrevocable. On December 31, 2015, the DoD finally issued guidance to the Department of Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) on how to implement SBP payments to a legally established SNT.
Affected military members and retirees will need a lawyer to create an SNT and to verify that the SNT is in compliance with state and federal law. Prior to this change, DFAS required payments to go only to a “representative payee” to accept payments on behalf of the adult child. Allowing SBP annuities to be deposited into an SNT allows permanently disabled military children to still qualify for certain state and federal assistance programs that require means testing. Before enactment of the recent law, military children suffered financial penalties not imposed on similarly disabled non-military children who could have assets placed in a trust for them. If a retiree has already died, his surviving spouse or the child’s guardian can also elect to make the change. FRA supported this provision as it went through the legislative process.
Return to Table of Contents

Your Taxes and the Affordable Care Act
It’s tax season and certain requirements of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) must be met. In January 2016, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) and the Pay and Personnel Center (PPC) began providing IRS Forms 1095 (C and/or B, depending on your status as a military member, military retiree, or annuitant). Like other tax and pay statements, the new forms will be available in your myPay account. For those who did not opt in for electronic delivery, and for those who fall under the Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center, these forms will be in the mail. The information will be necessary when you prepare to file your 2015 federal income tax return. Important information includes:
•	TRICARE and other federally-provided healthcare plans meet the minimum essential coverage requirement of the Affordable Care Act.
•	Military members: In September, the Defense Manpower Data Center DMDC sent a notification letter to members if their SSN or a family member’s SSN needed to be updated in DEERS. It is important to follow the instructions in the letter to ensure information is correctly reported to the IRS.
•	You will receive an IRS Form 1095-B or 1095-C for all healthcare plans in which you are enrolled.
•	The IRS 1095 series forms include information already provided to the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you have any questions or haven’t received your 1095 form, please contact your respective points of contact:
Defense Finance and Accounting Service; Toll Free: 1-888-332-7411.
U. S. Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center; Toll Free: 1-800-772-8724.

Return to Table of Contents

Active Duty/Reserve Issues
Another Small Pay Increase for Military in FY 2017 Budget
The Administration’s FY 2017 budget request includes an annual active duty pay increase of only 1.6 percent. This will be the fourth year in a row that the military pay increase has been set at 0.5 percent below the Employment Cost Index (ECI). The ECI increase for FY 2017 is 2.1 percent. 
Pay and allowances have remained the top retention consideration for active duty military personnel since the beginning of the All-Volunteer Force, and FRA strongly supports a pay increase that is at least equal to the ECI. In 1999, it was determined that there was a 13.5-percent gap between military and private sector pay, and Congress made a commitment at that time to gradually close that gap. FRA believes that Congress should hold fast to that commitment. The gap was reduced to 2.4 percent, but it is now widening again. Adequate pay increases are needed to, at least in part, offset the extraordinary demands and sacrifices expected in a military career.
According to Politico, the FY 2017 Defense budget will shrink to 2.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). FRA advocates for a Defense budget that is at least five percent of the GDP to ensure adequate funding for both personnel and weapons programs.
Coast Guard Authorization Passes House and Senate
The House recently passed the Coast Guard Authorization Bill (H.R. 4188) for FY 2016 and FY 2017. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Duncan Hunter (California), now goes to the White House to be signed into law. It includes:
•	Authorizing 43,000 personnel end strength;
•	Eliminating the Senior Enlisted Continuation Boards;
•	Requiring the president to submit a Coast Guard manpower requirement plan to Congress;
•	Authorizing a Coast Guard annual capital investment plan;
•	Limiting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary’s authority to close Coast Guard facilities;
•	Establishing a master’s degree in maritime operations offered by the Coast Guard;
•	Requiring the Coast Guard to offer a training course for flag officers and other employees on the workings of Congress at least once per year; and
•	Mandating that maternity leave will be similar to Navy regulations.
FRA supports annual authorization legislation for the Coast Guard to enable Congress to provide adequate oversight over the 11 Coast Guard statutory missions. Coast Guard parity with DoD personnel programs also remains a high priority for the association.
Return to Table of Contents

CBO Report: Bigger Deficits
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a spending baseline report indicating that if current laws generally remain unchanged, the federal deficits for FY 2016 – FY 2026 are expected to increase. CBO is the principal source of independent analysis of spending, taxation and budgeting for legislators, and it estimates that the FY 2016 deficit will be $544 billion, which is $105 billion more than the FY 2015 deficit. The annual deficit has been falling since topping at a staggering $1.4 trillion during the financial crisis in 2009, and it was down to $439 billion in fiscal 2015.
A larger deficit makes it more difficult to expand concurrent receipt, repeal the SBP/DIC offset, provide a larger-than-requested active duty pay increase, oppose a TRICARE fee increase and implement other improvements for which FRA advocates.
Return to Table of Contents

Stateside Commissary Benefit Reviewed by HASC-MP
FRA staff recently attended a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel (HASC-MP) hearing on the value of the stateside commissary benefit and efforts to reform it. FRA signed on to a statement from The Military Coalition (TMC) that cited the stateside commissary benefit as an important benefit for active duty personnel and retirees.
DoD is consistently looking for ways to trim its budge; reduction and/or elimination of the stateside commissary benefit has been a prime target in the past. Some proposals being considered include increasing prices and cutting store hours. FRA advocates that active duty and retiree families who regularly shop at the commissary save as much as 30 percent over civilian grocery stores. However, the Armed Forces Marketing Council claimed that a five-percent increase in prices could cause a 20-percent reduction in commissary traffic. Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Joe Heck (Nevada) stated that the commissary program is a valued part of the benefit package for active duty personnel and retirees, and it contributes to their overall quality of life. The subcommittee is committed to maintaining the benefit while seeking to reduce its dependence on appropriations. FRA wants to ensure adequate funding for the Defense Commissary Agency and opposes consolidation with or closure of military exchanges.

Return to Table of Contents

The FRA Legislative Team is National Executive Director Tom Snee, Director of Legislative Programs John Davis, Assistant Director of Legislative Programs Stephen Tassin and National Veterans Service Officer Chris Slawinski.

2016 Mid-Year Regional Meetings 

East Coast Regional Mid-Year Meeting
February 19–20, 2016 
Holiday Inn I-64 Westend/Crossroads
2000 Staples Mill Rd., Richmond, Virginia
Contact: 	PRPEC Chris Slawinski
Phone: (703) 683-1400 x115

Southeast Regional Mid-Year Meeting
February 26–27, 2016 
Ramada
3130 Hartley Road, Jacksonville, Florida
Contact: 	James J. Thomas
Phone: (904) 291-1575
e-mail: aquaspaceventure@aol.com

West Coast Mid-Year Meeting
March 11–12, 2016 
Vallejo Veterans Memorial Building/Ramada Inn of Vallejo, California
Contact: 	PNP Gary Blackburn
Phone: 707-373-1810
e-mail: npfra@earthlink.net

North Central Mid-Year Meeting
April 1–2, 2016
Best Western Ashland House & Conference Center
201 E Ashland St., Morton, Illinois
Contact: 	Marty Posekany
Phone: 616-225-9264
e-mail: posekany@chartermi.net

South Central Mid-Year Meeting
April 7–9, 2016 
Downtown Holiday Inn
Shreveport, Louisiana
Contact: 	PRPSC Bob Holcomb
Home Phone: 512-295-3691
Cell: 512-656-3226
e-mail: bholcomb7@austin.rr.com

Northeast/New England Mid-Year Meeting
April 29–30, 2016 
Clarion Inn Toms River
815 Route 37 West, Toms River, New Jersey
Contact: 	Sharon A. Munday, Branch 124 Secretary
Phone: 732-350-6403

The East Coast Region held its Mid-Year Meeting in February. The Southwest and Northwest Regions 
do not hold Mid-Year Meetings. 

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS 
Partnering for Successful Youth Activities
FRA’s youth activity programs remain a viable way of attracting current and former sea service members to the association and raising awareness of what FRA is all about. Supporting events for youth participation is also a good way to mentor future members and leaders. Many of our branches provide support to Girl Sout and Boy Scout troops, Sea Cadets, Young Marines, NJROTC units, Soap Box Derby entrants and other sporting programs. A good example of such a program is the Delaware Military Academy (DMA) located in Wilmington, Delaware, which was founded by FRA shipmates.
The Delaware Military Academy (DMA) was founded by retired Army Colonel Jack Wintermantel and Navy Command Master Chief Charles Baldwin, a 14-year member of FRA. It opened to the first class of cadets in September 2003. The Academy now serves more than 560 cadets in grades nine through 12. The Academy believes learning is a lifelong process of growth and development, and it stresses physical and mental activities that impact all facets of a person’s character and personality. The Academy’s education programs include a series of planned activities that are designed to cause specific learning outcomes.
The goals of the Academy are best reflected in its mission statement, which is to prepare young men and women for the next level of education and to provide them with a foundation that leads to good citizenship. In addition, the Academy furnishes cadets with a healthy mental and physical environment with military training as a requisite for a better understanding of the obligations of citizenship and self-discipline, and it affords opportunities for proper social activities, as well as exposure to moral ideals.
DMA is considered to be the “flagship of the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Program (NJROTC)” in the nation. It was one of the first public all-Navy charter high schools in the country. The Academy is inspected by the Department of the Navy on an annual basis and has earned the designation of Distinguished NJROTC Unit with Academic Honors every year. With this designation, DMA has been authorized to nominate a total of nine eligible NJROTC cadets for admission to the U.S. Navy, U. S. Military and U. S. Air Force Academies (three to each). DMA is open to enrollment for residents of the state of Delaware and there is a waiting list of applicants every school year. Any student who desires this type of education, including those with physical and/or educational challenges, may apply to the Academy.
There is no military obligation to join any service upon completion of the NJROTC program at DMA. There may be a benefit to cadets who decide to join the military, as those cadets who complete two or more years of NJROTC may qualify for advancement up to two pay grades depending on the service and circumstances if they do join.
Branch 309 holds its monthly meetings at the Academy and is very supportive of its mission to prepare young men and women to be good citizens. DMA founder Shipmate Baldwin spent 25 years in the Navy, holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Wilmington University, is a former high school principal and Commandant of DMA and is proud that more than 30 of his former students have attended the U.S. Naval Academy.
Shipmate Baldwin is currently working on a project that would allow FRA members and/or branches to make donations to the school, which has a 501(c)3 tax status. The Academy is required to pay for all of its own capital funding (e.g., buildings and maintenance). More information about donations, as well as further details about the Academy, can be found at its website: www.demilacad.org. You may also contact Shipmate Chuck Baldwin at cbcbaldwin18@gmail.com.	
Supporting youth activities is a great way of engaging future leaders of America. All branches and shipmates are encouraged to develop a program that will be beneficial to youth, branch, shipmates and parents. The possibilities are endless.

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.

Return to Table of Contents

FEATURE

Peace by Piece
There’s no doubt that military service can be challenging. The high incidence of post-traumatic stress and the staggering number of veteran suicides only proves the point. But one woman’s idea of supporting service members and veterans has grown to a nationwide effort to “cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor®.” 
The Quilts of Valor Foundation (QOVF), a non-profit organization based in Winterset, Iowa, literally began with a dream. According to the QOVF website, founder Catherine Roberts had a vivid dream that became the inspiration for this all-volunteer initiative. 
While her son Nathanial was deployed to Iraq in 2003, she dreamed of “a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and wellbeing. The quilt had made this dramatic change.”
As a quilter herself, the message was clear to her: Quilts could help heal invisible wounds by offering gratitude and comfort. She envisioned these “Quilts of Valor” as tangible reminders of our nation’s appreciation and gratitude, and a way of connecting the homefront with our warriors and veterans.
Roberts began developing the model for this non-profit organization that would involve teams of volunteers who would donate their time and materials to create a quilt that would be presented to one of these heroes. And though the concept was simple, implementing it would require coordination and participation with a large grassroots network of quilters and others.
The Process
Roberts hit on the idea of linking a “quilt-topper,” a person who pieces the top of the quilt from various fabrics, with a “longarmer, a quilter who uses a longarm quilting machine (designed to stitch large textile projects) to mesh the quilt top, the fluffy batting in the middle and the backing fabric into a unique work of textile art. The objective is that Quilts of Valor (QOV) will be stitched with love, prayers and healing thoughts, and that they will be seen as tangible tokens of appreciation that unequivocally say, “Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor.” 
Roberts’ vision was that a Quilt of Valor would be a quality quilt, “not a charity quilt.” It would be the civilian equivalent of a Purple Heart and would be quilted, not tied. They would be “awarded, not passed out like magazines or videos.” 
Standards of Excellence
To meet this requirement, the QOVF has established standards of excellence (available at www.qovf.org) that must be met before a quilt can be presented as a Quilt of Valor. The quilts must be a “generous lap-sized quilt” with minimum finished dimensions of 55 x 65 inches. The fabrics used must be of high quality cotton and be hand- or machine-quilted with care. And although there are no prescribed patterns that quilt-toppers must use, there is a preferred color palette.
“We prefer the quilts be done in patriotic colors,” explains Ann Rehbein, executive director for the QOVF, “but quilters can use any pattern they like. If a quilt is being made for an individual, other colors might be acceptable, but we’ve found that most veterans prefer their QOV be centered on a red, white and blue theme rather than their personal favorite colors. And while we prefer patriotic colors, we do not want quilts that replicate the U.S. flag.” 
Once the top is pieced together, it and the backing fabric (which must be eight inches longer and wider than the top) are sent to a longarmer for assembly into a finished quilt. The longarmers provide the low-loft batting that goes between the top and the backing, and stitch the three layers together in a pattern that is appropriate to the quilt top. Longarmers are asked to finish the quilt within 30 days, using balanced thread tension and uniform stitches of between eight and 12 stitches per inch. 
Rehbein says almost all QOVs are machine-pieced and machine-quilted. “If an individual is making a QOV for someone they know personally, they may elect to hand-quilt it, but those are quite rare. Regardless of the recipient, the key ingredient is  love.” 
Volunteers Make it Work
Coordinating this process with thousands of volunteers scattered across the country is no small feat. The QOVF has a dedicated network of state coordinators who orchestrate the efforts of quilting clubs and individual quilters in their geographic area. According to Rehbein, these state coordinators ask folks to make the quilt tops when requests for QOVs come in. (A list of state coordinators is available at www.qovf.org) 
QOVF also has a longarm coordinator who matches quilt-toppers with longarm volunteers. When a top is complete, the quilttopper can go to the QOVF website and request a longarmer. Once a longarmer has been designated, the quilt top and backing are sent for the final assembly. 
“One important facet of a Quilt of Valor,” explains Rehbein, “is the label that’s on the back of each one. The label can include the name of everyone who was involved in the quilt’s creation – the topper, longarmer, a quilting club – and also the recipient’s name, service date or other pertinent information. “ 
It’s not clear exactly how many volunteers are supporting the QOV movement, but there’s no doubt it’s catching on. QOVF officially became a non-profit organization in 2005. By 2012, the group was presenting more than 6,000 Quilts of Valor per year. “In 2015, we presented 18,772! We’ve tripled the number of quilts we’ve given in just three years,” says Rehbein proudly. “We’ve recently started a membership initiative to get a better idea of exactly how many volunteers we have, but we know our numbers aren’t complete. We currently have more than 5,000 registered members, but we believe we have a lot more volunteers who are not registered.”
Requesting a Quilt of Valor 
If you know someone who meets the qualifications to receive a QOV, you can nominate him/her using an online form (www.qovf.org). You can nominate an individual, a group or even yourself. The form includes a field where nominators can share particular circumstances about the recipient, such as he/she is currently deployed, in hospice care or if the presentation is intended to be a surprise. Once a request is received, the process begins of creating the quilt and a QOVF volunteer will contact the nominator to set up a time and place for presenting the quilt.
“We’re able to manage virtually all requests for quilts, but there’s sometimes a bit of a waiting period,” explains Rehbein. “It can take up to six months for a recipient to receive their QOV.” 
Rehbein wants to be sure that FRA members understand they are likely eligible for a QOV, particularly those who served during the past and current conflicts. “If they haven’t already received a QOV, virtually all FRA shipmates are eligible to receive one. Our mission statement says that recipients are those who’ve been ‘touched by war.’ There is a difference of opinions about what that means exactly, but in my opinion, it’s hard to imagine anyone raising their hands to serve in the military who hasn’t been touched by war.” 
Awarding the Quilts
Once a completed quilt has been quilted, bound, washed, labeled and wrapped in a presentation case, it is ready to be awarded. Quilts of Valor are presented with a certificate and can be awarded in a variety of ways. They may go to military hospitals, where chaplains award them to recovering service members. Sometimes entire units are recognized as they return from deployments or they may be awarded individually. FRA branch meetings have also been the stage for presentations, including those awarded at Branch 63 (Lewiston, Idaho) and Branch 294 (Crossville, Tennessee) (see photos below). 
But no matter how a Quilt of Valor is awarded, the impact it delivers is unequivocal. There are numerous quotes on the foundation’s website from grateful QOV honorees. One recipient said, “My quilt isn’t another military medal to be placed in a box and sit on my shelf. I was moved to tears.” 
Another spoke of his severe injuries in Iraq and how the QOV made by a fifth grade class in Colorado lifted his spirits. “After the shell shock, trauma and intense pain, as well as numerous surgeries, your quilt was just the thing I needed … I can feel the love from each one of you. “
Dorsey Winfree, from Quincy, Wash., describes his difficult transition to civilian life and the “deep, dark depression” he endured after returning to the U.S. after serving and being wounded during the Vietnam conflict. Even after nearly 40 years, he says he thinks of his Vietnam experience every day. He was both moved and surprised to receive a Quilt of Valor. In a video interview (at www.qovf.org), he thanks his family for being supportive and respectful of his service, but says the public has never acknowledged it. His QOV is “by far, the best event anyone’s done for me … ever … as a veteran. It means everything to me.”
Involvement Takes Many Forms
Ann Rehbein had an interest in quilting, but not a lot of experience, when she first heard about the Quilts of Valor program. “I was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and was looking for a state project that everyone could be involved in. I chose QOV because it could involve lots of folks. Even if you aren’t an experienced quilter, you can cut pieces, press seams, make sandwiches, run errands or even make a donation to the cause. There are so many ways to be involved.”
That decision led her to meet quilting celebrity and QOVF board member Marianne Fons.  “Marianne hosts a quilting show on PBS and only lives about 30 miles from here. I invited her to come to one of our meetings and talk about quilting and we became friends. She references QOV on her show and, about once a year, she does a whole episode on a QOV story. There is also a magazine, Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting, associated with the show and they publish a pattern that’s suitable for a QOV in each issue.” And that friendship led Rehbein to become more involved with the QOV effort and eventually to her appointment as QOVF executive director.
“It’s a labor of love,” adds Rehbein. “I’m honored to serve as the director of QOVF and proud of our all-volunteer force. The only paid employee of the foundation is our bookkeeper, who we only recently hired. All the rest of our work is done solely by volunteers, donating their time and resources to honor our troops and veterans.” 
As of February 8, 2016, the QOVF has presented 133,131 quilts. Rehbein estimates that an average quilt takes about 20 hours to create and includes approximately $250 in materials. It doesn’t take a genius to do the math. In its 11 years of existence, 2,662,620 man-hours and more than $33.2 million in materials have been contributed to creating and presenting Quilts of Valor. 
Not For Women Only
Sewing and quilting have traditionally been female pursuits, but Rehbein makes it clear the QOV program isn’t just for women. “Our quilttoppers and longarmers are predominantly women, but we do have a few males who work on constructing and longarming quilts. But you don’t have to be a quilter or even run a sewing machine to support the QOVF mission,” she reiterates. “Anyone can cut fabric, press seams, organize presentation events, provide refreshments, write press releases, share the QOVF message with others in your community, serve on the QOVF staff and a thousand other activities that go into making and awarding a QOV. If someone wants to support the QOVF, financial donations also advance our work. Donors can contribute online at www.qovf.org or they can send a check to us at QOVF, PO Box 191, Winterset, IA 50273.”
Group involvement is also encouraged. Sharon Ledbetter, a QOV group leader in Idaho, works closely with veterans groups in her area, including FRA Branch 63 (Lewiston, Idaho). A QOV volunteer since 2005, when the organization was known as Quilts for Soldiers, Ledbetter has held various positions within the organization and enjoys coordinating group participation in the QOV movement. 
“I learned about QOV when I attended a ladies’ sew day, where a friend was making a patriotic quilt,” explains Ledbetter. “I liked the concept and in 2009 I formed the Lewis Clark QOV group, which drew 36 quilters on our opening day. Quilters came from Grangeville to Pomeroy and we generated 110 Quilts of Valor. My personal involvement has expanded from there and I served a two-year term as the assistant executive director (2013–2015).”
Her involvement with area veterans’ groups began in 2010, when her QOV group awarded 16 Quilts of Valor to a group of Vietnam veterans. Marine Corps veteran Ron Gray was among the recipients and “he’s been instrumental in helping me locate recipients and ‘bringing me into the fold’ with all our area veterans. We continue to keep in close contact with all our local veterans’ groups, including FRA. We don’t keep track of names and total numbers, but I estimate our group has provided about 2,000 QOVs since we formed in 2009. Without the support of our local veterans’ community, we would not be in a position to provide the number of quilts that we have. We look forward to working with groups like FRA in the future.
“The bulk of these groups’ support is financial,” she continues. “If the many QOV groups nationwide are to continue our mission, financial support is critical. The donations may be used to purchase fabric to build quilt kits, batting and backing for the quilts and to pay postage. The costs to ship our tops and backs to a longarmer, and then the costs for the longarmer to return the completed, quilt add up quickly. We are not authorized to use the donations for any other purpose than quilt-making and postage, unless specifically requested by the donor.”
As an example of the partnership the Lewis Clark QOV group has forged with local veterans groups, they are co-hosting a traveling memorial to 22 Marines and one Navy corpsman who were killed in action in Iraq in 2005. The Lima Company Memorial “Eyes of Freedom” display (www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N36lmf3LWk) will be presented in Lewiston during Veterans Week of 2016. 
The Lewis Clark QOV will be partnering with one of the local veterans groups to host the event, where portraits of the lost Lima Company members are displayed. “The partnership makes sense,” adds Ledbetter. “The goal of the Eyes of Freedom memorial is designed to comfort the families of the fallen and ensure those lost service members are not forgotten. The QOVF mission is to comfort and honor those touched by war with healing Quilts of Valor. We will complement the EOF, as will they complement us. We will have QOVs on display during the event and at the end … Veterans Day … those quilts will come down and be awarded.” 
Making a Difference
National service begins at home and the Quilts of Valor Foundation’s efforts truly bring the homefront to those who serve. QOVF founder Catherine Roberts invites everyone to use their talents and resources to honor and comfort those touched by war. 
“The most common response we hear from our QOV recipients is, ‘I didn’t know anyone cared.’ I invite you to show these brave young men and women how much we appreciate their sacrifice and service with something very American and very tangible: a Quilt of Valor. If you want to do more than talk about supporting our troops, I invite you to [support the Quilts of Valor mission], which DOES make a difference in the road to recovery for our servicemembers.” 
History of the Quilts of Valor Foundation
The First Quilt of Valor 
The first QOV was awarded in November 2003 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) to a young soldier from Minnesota who had lost his leg in Iraq. QOVF founder Catherine Roberts recalls: 
Chaplain John Kallerson opened the door for us at Walter Reed primarily because his wife Connie Kallerson happened to be a quilter. She impressed upon him how comforting quilts can be. John also saw the value of awarding quilts to his wounded because of the message they carried that someone cares. 
Our Mission Statement 
The organization’s original mission statement said its purpose was “to cover all those service members and veterans wounded physically or psychologically with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.” Catherine Roberts recalls: 
No one really liked the word “psychologically.” Brilliantly, Chaplain Kallerson suggested using the phrase “touched by war” as a replacement. The group’s mission statement was revised to read: “The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover all combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.” Later, the words “all” and “combat” were removed, further reflecting our understanding of the true meaning “touched by war.” 
The Light of Inclusion 
In the early days of the organization, the primary focus was on awarding quilts to service members wounded in the Iraq (OIF) and Afghanistan (OEF) conflicts. Catherine Roberts remembers: 
I affectionately referred to these young men as “babies” to distinguish them from veterans of other conflicts. Among us civilians, there were no complaints, as we were in the throes of an ongoing war. However, there were faint rumblings from those who worked at Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMCs). They politely pointed out it wasn’t fair to award a QOV to one group of wounded and exclude others. The light of inclusiveness began to glimmer. 
At an awards ceremony at a VAMC in White River Junction, Vt., in 2006, we saw wounded veterans from all conflicts being awarded quilts, not our policy at the time. My husband Chris “got it” right away, but it took several years for me to really understand. That happened in 2009 in Bellingham, Wash. A group of us got together for a quilting retreat. One of our activities for the weekend was to award quilts at an event called “American Veterans Tribute and Traveling Wall Exhibit” in Bellingham. I could not find a group of OIF/OEF veterans for the QOVs we brought that day. A group of Vietnam veterans were there to perform a “Patriot Guard” ride past the Vietnam traveling memorial wall on their motorcycles. This event changed my whole outlook on who should receive a Quilt of Valor. As we were awarding quilts, the Vietnam vets said over and over again, “Ma’am, this is the first time in 40 years anyone has ever thanked me for my service.” All of us were thunderstruck. From then on, any warrior who had been touched by war, no matter when his or her service, could receive a Quilt of Valor. No questions asked. 
Civilian Awardees 
The philosophy of inclusion widened when Catherine became aware of the work that goes on at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations (AFMAO), located at Dover Air Force Base, Del. She recalls: 
I read an essay by Marine Lt. Col. Michael Strobl called “Taking Chance Home.” In the essay, Strobl recounts how he escorted the body of Marine Private Chance Phillips to his home in Wyoming for burial. Strobl took the reader through AFMAO, describing who the staff was and what they did to prepare the remains of the fallen for burial. I realized that workers at Dover, though they were stateside, were as touched by war as anyone downrange or “in theater.” 
We established a relationship with the AFMAO and set a date for an awards ceremony. The day of the ceremony I received a call from the chaplain saying we had a big problem — some of the staff at Dover were civilians. As they all worked as a team, awarding Quilts of Valor only to military service members would not work. The decision was made to award quilts to all working at the Port Mortuary, and this policy has continued ever since. 
The Evolution of the Foundation’s Name 
The first name of the organization was Quilts for Soldiers. Catherine Roberts explains: 
Because my son was in the Army, I thought all military service members were “soldiers.” I didn’t understand that different branches have different names for their members. Fortunately, a Marine straightened me out, and Quilts for Soldiers became Quilts of Valor. 
The Foundation’s Early Days 
Catherine Roberts reminisces: 
In the beginning, it was like the “wild, wild West.” A few of us handled everything. After we became a national non-profit in 2005, we created a volunteer board of directors to govern, determining policies and direction. Over the years, a structure of volunteer leadership has evolved. 
Without the selflessness of the individuals who have volunteered over the years and who work tirelessly for the foundation now, we would not be the viable group we are today. It’s difficult for me to convey to those who may be reading this history the debt I owe these individuals. They have devoted their time, their hearts and their financial resources to the Foundation to keep it afloat, growing and thriving. I know that, many times, many volunteers have felt it was a thankless job, but they have given their service, their sacrifice and sometimes their valor in service to our mission. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you, we would not be here today.
Source: www.qovf.org

Lauren Armstrong is the Contributing Editor and Member of the FRA Auxiliary. She can be reached at lauren@fra.org.

Return to Table of Contents

TAPS
Alcorn, David, CEC, USN	MAL
Allen, Glenn E, CPO, USN	MAL

Ballard, Joel H, MSCM, USN	386
Bassett, Gerald D, HMCS, USN	089
Bellavance, Henry R, EM1, USN	344
Bence, Ron, CDR, USN	040
Bender, Robert J, AMHC(AC), USN	156
Bermudez, Jesus S, SKC, USN	084
Bertelson, Norris L, ADRC, USN	005
Brashear, Carl H, ATCS, USN	261
Breen, John R, PRCS, USN	MAL
Brown, Joseph J, RMC, USN	004

Carl, Thomas A., CPL, USMC	162
Chaney, Clifford R, BM1, USN	089
Collier, John, HMCS, USN	117
Combs, Carrol H, HMCS, USN	018
Crane, Herman C, EMC, USN	172

Dallas, David F, YN3, USN	042
Damme, Richard W, CWO4, USN	024
Dean, Donald W, AECS, USN	001
Dittlinger, Yancey W, CWO1, USN	201
Durbin, Durwood R., CTCM, USN	024

Espanol, Alex J., MS1, USN	247

Franks, John E, HTC, USN	049

Gagnon, Albert M, OSC(SW), USN	046
Goodman, Cuthrel T, BTCS, USN	MAL
Hamman, George N, OSC, USN	216

Hansen, Donald R, DK1, USN	MAL
PRPNW, Hardin, Walter A, ATC, USN	310
Harper, James I, BMC, USN	117
Hartford, William T, BTCM, USN	046
Hennesy, Lawrence H, POC, USN	089
PRPNW, Hood, Frank R, FTCS(SS), 
USN	046
Hornshaw, Jim F, BMC, USN	005
Hylton, Robert M, LT, USN	070

Jacoby, Norman V, CSC, USN	212
Jiminez, Prodencio, USN	247

Kazarosian, John, ADCS, USN	066
Keenan, Donald J, MMC, USN	216
Kennedy, John P, ADC, USN	MAL

Lancaster, Harold S, SFC, USN	115
Langdon, Richard C, BUCS, USN	008
Lee, Terrance, PO2, USCG	115
Lipovsky, Lawrence G, YN1, USN	162
Livramento, Edwin L, YNC, USN	072
Lochmiller, Richard V, SH2, USN	097

McMullin, Eugene F, CWO, USN	192
McNicholas, Robert J, PNCS, USN	MAL
Mikita, Joseph V, ADC, USN	022
Miller, George A, EQCM, USN	109
Moreno, Dominic V, PO1, USN	127
Moyers, John S, BTC, USN	040
Mullins, Jack D, AD1, USN	091
Mullins, Larry L, GMG1, USN	MAL
Murray, Lynwood C, CAPT, USN	MAL

Nettles, Roger L, FTGC, USN	256
Noe, Clinton J, BMCM, USN	175

O’Malley, George N., OSC, USN	MAL
Ochoa, Jose Felipe, AKC, 046
Overton, John T., RM1, USN	MAL

Pace, Roy M, TMC, USN	MAL
Petterson, Richard M, 1STSGT, 
USMC	175
Pfeiffer, Helen P, CS1, USN	115
Pollard, James L, RDC, USN	055

Ramey, Montreal J, CBM, USN	070
Rice, Ford W, MEC, USN	085

Samples, Gary L, RMCM, USN	269
Seidel, Donald F, ADR1, USN	060
Sinclair, Gary, PO1, USN	MAL
Skelly, Romauld N, AQ1, USN	147
Stanek, Clyde, ADJC, USN	089
Stedham, Floyd L, SSGT, USMC	MAL
Swann, Jack T, LTJG, USN	MAL

Vavro, John G, SSGT, USMC	208
Vidacovich, William P, AC1, USN	162

White, Dale A, CTTCM, USN	024
White, William T, FCCM, USN	061

Yaniga, Martin, OSCS, USN	040

Names in red indicate 50 year continuous members. Names in bold indicate Past National Officers.
Return to Table of Contents

Reunions
National Association of Destroyer Veterans
Sept. 25–29, 2016, Branson, Missouri. Contact Terry Miller, Tin Can Sailors, P.O. Box 100, Somerset, MA 02726, 800-223-5535, nationalreunion@destroyers.org
Naval Air Station Sanford (All Units and Squadrons, 1942-1968)
June 23–26, 2016, Sanford, Florida. Contact Cdr. Ralph Feeback, USN, (Ret.) at  205 Poinsetta Drive, Sanford, FL 32773-7329, 407-302-2252, Dlfrsf@aol.com
Naval Training Center Bainbridge Assoc.
Sept. 29–Oct. 2, 2016, Aberdeen, Maryland. Contact Walter Alexander, P.O. Box 2444, Glen Allen, VA 23050-2444, 540-345-5826, alexanderaye@aol.com 
Navy Postal Clerk Association
May 1–5, 2016, Nashville, Tennessee.  Contact Alan Hass, 10 Timber LN., Mt Holly Springs, PA 17065, 717-226-1595, hassommno1@aol.com
USCG Port Security Unit 303(b)
May 13–15, 2016, New York, New York.  Contact Martin Maher,  917-337-4723, mardot237@aol.com
USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280)
Sept. 15–18, 2016, San Antonio, Thexas.  Contact Edward F. Clancy, 888 6th Street North, Jacksonville, FL 32250, 904-242-9070, clancyedward@
bellsouth.net
USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619)
Aug. 16–19, 2016, Reno, Nevada.  Contact Jack (Doc) McAllister, 963 Harbor Town Dr., Venice, FL 34292, 941-493-7488, patiopapa37@yahoo.com
USS Antietam (CV-36/CG-54)
Sept. 11–14, 2016, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Contact L. Ray Young, 411 Hill Drive, Galena, MO  65656, 316-680-0252, lyonel.young@cox.net
USS Bexar (APA-237)/USS Pickaway (APA-222)
Sept. 13–16, 2016, Reno, Nevada.  Contact Steve Malloy, 1542 10th St., Bremerton, WA 98337, 360-373-1093, 
ussbexar@comcast.net
USS Conserver (ARS-39)
April 6–9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas. Contact Dale Hower, 10407 Santana Street, Santee, CA 92071, 619-449-4499, dcwoodworking1@yahoo.com
USS Constant (MSO-427)
Sept. 29–Oct. 1, 2016, Charleston, South Carolina. Contact Ray Cornelius, 312 Anita Drive, Goose Creek, SC  29445, 843-697-3689, ray.Cornelius@ymail.com
USS George K. MacKenzie (DD-836)
Sept. 4–7, 2016, San Diego, California. Contact Terry Miller, PO Box 1544, North Wales, PA 19454, 215-855-5895, dd836@ymail.com
USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748)
Apr 27–May 1, 2016, San Diego, California. Contact Jim Kelly, 1225 N. Avenue 63, Los Angeles, CA 90042, 323-445-9200, jimkelly@earthlink.net
USS Hollister (DD- 788)
Sept. 21–25, 2016, Jacksonville, Florida. Contact Casey or Chris Orr, 3132 Carlisle Circle, Marion, IA 52302, 319-431-1581, cworr78@gmail.com
USS Hornet (CV-8, CV, CVA, CVS-12) 68th Reunion
Sept. 13–18, 2016, Portland, Oregon. Contact Sandy Burket, Secretary, PO Box 108, Roaring Spring, PA  16673-9817, 814-224-5063, hornetcva@aol.com
USS King (DLG-10/DDG-41)
June 16–19, 2016, Herndon, Virginia. Contact John Fitzsimons, 410 Premore Avenue, Lanoka Harbor, N.J. 08734, 609-971-5498, jfitzwithking@verizon.net
USS Kretchmer (DE/DER-329)
Sept. 14–18, 2016, Covington, Kentucky. Contact John Michael,  937-436-1245, i.michael@zoomtown.com
USS Macon (CA- 132)
May 23–27, 2016, Macon, Georgia. Contact Ted Parker, 302-947-1923, btparker1@msn.com 
USS Seawolf (SSN-575)
Oct. 9–12, 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada.  Contact Joe Jones, USS Seawolf 2016 Reunion, 11523 Fury Lane #111, El Cajon, CA 92019, 619-379-3100, 
janrow@pacbell.net
USS Takelma (ATF-113)
Sept. 15–18, 2016, Indianapolis, Indiana. Contact Mike Simmons, 6150 N 35 E, Howe, IN 46746, 260-499-0673, micsimmons@hotmail.com
USS Ticonderoga (CV/CVA/CVS-14, CG-47)
May 19–23, 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada.  Contact Lloyd Frank, 702-361-6660, papacva14@aol.com
VAH-21 Roadrunners
June 15–19, 2016, Dayton, Ohio. Contact Gerald Tripp, 951-926-6047, trippg748@verizon.net
VP-44 Reunion/2016 MPA Symposium
Apr. 12–15, 2016, Jacksonville, Florida.  Contact Gene Toffolo, 1016 Egret Way, Lake Park, GA 31636-2759, 229-559-7959, vp44paxmd@aol.com

All reunion notices must be submitted in writing. Members can post reunions online at www.fra.org, submitted via e-mail to VictoriaD@fra.org or in writing to FRA Reunions, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Please include your FRA member number and a daytime phone number. Questions regarding reunion submissions should be directed to 1-800-FRA-1924, ext. 108.
 
Return to Table of Contents

LOOKING FOR

RM1 Don King
I served with King aboard USS Gallup (PG-85) at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, in 1968. Please contact OSC Bob Stockton, USN (Ret), with any leads at drbob456x@gmail.com or toll free at 877-245-6420.

Great Lakes Boot Camp book or photo, U.S. Navy Company 577, from late 1965.
Mine were lost during hurricane Isabel in September 2003. Please contact ETCS(SS) Bill Brown, USN (Ret.), at billbrown45@embarqmail.com or 149 Red Banks Road, Hertford, NC, 27944.
San Diego Korean War Veterans 
Korean War veterans will be honored with “Ambassador for Peace Medals” on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, at the Hall of Nations at Balboa Park, from noon to 3 p.m. House of Korea is sponsoring a presentation by the Korean Consulate General Los Angeles. Please visit http://hokveteranevent.eventbrite.com for information about the event. For information on applying for the “Ambassador for Peace Medal,” contact MSC (SS) John L. Owens, USN (Ret.) at jowens002@san.rr.com
USS Tattnall (DDG-19) Shipmates
I am looking for all shipmates who served aboard the USS Tattnall (DDG-19) between April 1963 and January 1990. Contact Dick Harmon at 1440 E. Minnesota Ave, Orange City, FL 32763-3012, Dharmonlpga1@aol.com or 386-235-8723. 

All Looking For … notices must be submitted in writing. Members can submit requests via e-mail to Lauren@fra.org or in writing to FRA Looking For, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Questions regarding Looking For… submissions should be directed to 1-800-FRA-1924, ext. 126.

Return to Table of Contents

Resolutions Deadline is June 14
Got a great idea for changing FRA’s Constitution and By-Laws? Want to nominate a fellow shipmate to serve as a national officer*? Want to honor a member of your community with honorary FRA membership?
Shipmates will consider these and other kinds of proposals during FRA’s 2016 National Convention in October, but only if they are submitted in proper resolution format** before June 14, 2016. 
FRA branches, national committees and the national board of directors are invited to submit resolutions to FRA National Executive Director Tom Snee. Hard copies of the resolutions may be sent to NED Snee’s attention at FRA National Headquarters, 125 N. West Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Digital submissions should be sent to NEDFRA@fra.org, with a copy to Teresa Wiener, FRA’s director of Administration, at ADMINFRA@fra.org 
*	Nominations will be accepted for National Executive Director, National President and National Vice President
**	To ensure resolutions are submitted properly, please contact National Parliamentarian PNP Don Mucheck at dmucheck@aol.com or 843-225-9147

NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES

BRANCH 90 Clark County, NevADA
Shipmates (shown l to r, front) Gordon Hewson, Mark Melton, (middle) Betty Hewson, Joyce Elter, Gene Hall, Mike Mattingly, (back) Dannie Szyc, Richard Szyc and Steve Smith pose at the branch’s display at the Nellis AFB Retiree Day. 
BRANCH 20 Groton, ConnECTICUT
Branch and Unit members were on hand to present a check to PFC Sean Pesce, who will be the recipient of a custom-built home in the New Haven-West Haven, Conn. area through Home For Our Troops. These funds were raised through a haunted house charity event hosted by Branch 20 in late October. Shown (l to r) behind Sean are Branch President Billye Serabian; Mare Hassan (Sean’s girlfriend); Unit 20 member Lisa Holmes, the “architect” of the event; and Unit 20 Secretary Tamara Perry, who assisted Lisa in promoting the event.
BRANCH 226 Staten Island, NEW YORK
Shipmate Charlie Roberts poses with his grandson, Liam, and Branch President/PRPNE/NEng Jim Brown after being acknowledged for his 50 years of continuous service to the FRA.
BRANCH 136 Minneapolis, MinnESOTA
Shipmate Thomas Dooley (left) presents Shipmate Samuel Mongiat with a certificate and pin marking his 50 years of continuous FRA membership.
BRANCH 269 Goose Creek, SOUTH CAROLINA
Shipmate Stacy Power receives his 60-year membership pin from Southeast Regional President Dave Davis.
BRANCH 276 Omaha, NebRASKA
Branch President Carl Burnham had the pleasure of recognizing Shipmate Roger Brooks as he marked his 50 years of continuous FRA membership.
BRANCH 101 Santa Clara, CalifORNIA
101 for 101! Shipmate Rena Estes has been an FRA member since 1970 and has volunteered countless hours to help veterans. She turned 101 years old on February 24, 2016, and still attends meetings and often helps out at the weekly branch bingo for veterans. Please join us in wishing Rena a great 101st birthday and many more!
BRANCH 57 South Jersey, NEW JERSEY
Branch Vice President Chester Hoffman (left) receives his 50-year membership pin from Branch President Eugene Fusco.
BRANCH 5 Norfolk, VIRGINIA
Shipmate Art Bartlett (left) accepts his 50-year membership certificate, pin and membership card from Branch President Ed Klavenski.
BRANCH 226 Staten Island, NEW YORK
Congratulations to Dr. Hooker for being named one of the 2016 Distinguished Alumni & Early Career Award Honorees at Teachers College, Columbia University! Shipmate Hooker was one of the original USCG SPARS and also celebrated her 101st birthday in February.

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, VA 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. 

Return to Table of Contents

 
NEWS FROM THE AUXILIARY OF THE FRA

Aloha from the Northwest Region 
It’s hard to believe that our association year is nearing the half-way point! I hope that your units and branches are having a successful year. 
Here in the Northwest region, I have been fortunate to visit nearly all of my mainland units during the first two quarters alongside my husband, RPNW Julian “JJ” Wynn. We are so thankful for the hospitality afforded to us by our FRA family.
A common theme on our visits was succession planning. Many leaders expressed their concern about the pool of active members from which they can elect their successors. At the heart of the matter are two issues.
One is the number of members who are active in the organization. In some cases, units face the possibility of having to fold — not because they do not have enough members on the roster, but because not enough members attend meetings or participate in unit activities. The second is a lack of younger or new members being brought into the organization.
The solution is also twofold. First, we must make our organization relevant. We all like to be involved with missions that are meaningful to us. Selecting service projects that are important to those who are active duty or recently retired is key to garnering the involvement of their family members. Let’s not forget that for each shipmate who joins the branch, the auxiliary has the potential to recruit practically the whole family1 of that member. Often, we forget about the parents and grandparents of deployed sailors, Marines and Coast Guard personnel. I know quite a few and they are very proud and willing to do whatever they can to ensure that their sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters are well cared for and always feel appreciated. 
One idea is to host a “Calling All Parents” project to prepare care packages for the troops for key holidays. Having an open event will accomplish several things: 
1.	It helps you identify potential new members — both for the auxiliary and the branch;
2.	It gives you a relevant and meaningful mission for active duty families; and 
3.	It gives you visibility in the community. 
Remember, these families live all over the country — not just in active duty communities, so it works everywhere! Involve the branch in your efforts, work out a plan to enroll the service members and you now have the whole family!
Engaging members in a relevant mission makes it much more likely that they will participate in your meetings. It might mean making some adjustments to the day and time to allow those who are still working to attend, but in the long run this will benefit everyone — including those officers and directors who are ready to pass the baton to the next generation.
1 See the web site for a full list of eligible members at www.la-fra.org/about.html

Return to Table of Contents