FRA Today – April 2018
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM THE BRIDGE
sHIPMATE FORUM
ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL
feature  story
FEATURE 2
CPO STANDARDS
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
SHIPMATE NEWS
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA
EDUCATION FOUNDATION
TAPS
REUNIONS/lOOKINGFOR…
FINANCE MATTERS
FRA PROFILE

COMMUNICATIONS

Happy Birthday and Ten things to know about a “Chief”
According to Navy Life, the official U.S. Navy blog

T
he earliest known use of the title “chief” dates back to 1776 when Jacob Wasbie, a cook’s mate, was pronounced “Chief Cook” aboard USS ALFRED. The title was largely informal and was used to denote him as the foremost cook aboard the ship.
Since 1797, only two ratings for chiefs that have remained in continuous use are boatswain’s mate and gunner’s mate.
On March 21, 1917, Loretta Walsh became the first woman Navy petty officer when sworn in as a chief yeoman.
The advent of a rocker device was the first distinction and was originally borrowed from the master-at-arms rating and became official in 1894. The foul anchor cap device was approved in 1905, and collar devices became official in 1959.
By 1941, all chief petty officers were authorized to wear khaki working uniforms. ALNAV 16 (Feb. 21, 1941) authorized khaki working uniforms for all chief petty officers and officers serving on all ships and shore stations.
There are approximately 30,000+ chief, senior chief and master chief petty officers in the Navy.
A chief petty officer is equivalent to a gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, sergeant first class in the U.S. Army, and a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.
U.S. Navy chief petty officers are afforded more responsibility than any other enlisted rank in the world.
More than 50 chief petty officers have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
On average, Sailors advance to chief petty officer in about 13 years of active duty.
The Navy Memorial recognized and celebrated the 124th Birthday of the Chief Petty Office on March 31, 2017. There was a ceremony on the Navy Memorial Plaza followed by a ceremonial cake cutting in the Naval Heritage Center. There was also a live drawing for a CPO Cutlass. FRA 

(Bill Stevenson is FRA’s Director of Communications and serves as the Managing Editor of FRAtoday. Please contacft him at Williams@fra.org)　

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FROM THE BRIDGE

Membership and Convention

T
he first part of my article will address FRA Membership, specifically losses verses gains and total current membership; and the second part will address Regional and National conventions. FRA membership, as of January 31, 2018, was 45,381 members in good standing. The following information was provided by the FRA membership Department. Membership from September 2017 through January 31, 2018 was as follows:
In 1994, annual dues were $20. According to the minutes from 1994 Convention, there were 164,076 members. In twenty-four years, we have lost 118,695 members, which equates to an average loss of 4,946 members per year. If we continue to lose members at the rate between 4200 and 4946 members each year, we will probably cease to exist as a viable Military Veterans Organization. Shipmates, I don't know the answer to increasing our membership back to the membership numbers we enjoyed in 1994, but we must come up with innovative ways we can increase our membership. Below I have listed some potential ways we could increase our membership:
1. Every member of the Association recruits at least two members per year;
2. Amend the bylaws to create online branches;
3. Open the membership to all members of the Sea Services; and
4. Reduce our annual dues to $20.00 per year.
If you think that you have a solution to increasing our membership, call Christina Hitchcock at (703) 683-1400, ex. 123 or e-mail her at christinaH@fra.org.
The Regional and the National Convention 
Regional Conventions - the dates and location of the regional conventions can be found on the FRA website (www.fra.org). Click on the drop-down menu titled “Events and Programs,” scroll to the link named “Events listing” and click on link to open. 
If you are going to attend your regional convention, obtain the current edition of your regional bylaws and get involved in your region. The two most important items that all members attending their regional convention need to do are: 1) adopt your regional budget and 2) elect your regional officers. Remember get involved and have an enjoyable time. This year we are going to have our National Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Information about the National Convention can be found on the FRA website by following the instructions listed above but clicking on the link named “National Convention.” I will continue with the FRA 91st National Convention is my next article of From the Bridge. FRA
 
(William E. Starkey is FRA’s National President and may be reached at: starkey39@msn.com)

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sHIPMATE FORUM

Kudos!
Thank you for the 50-year pin, [return address] labels and the 2018 FRA calendar. You folks are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.
Thank you,
Orville G. Long AE-1(AC) USN (Ret.)
FRAtoday: Shipmate Long, thank you for taking the time to hand write and mail us your wonderful letter. We do receive many comments and most are meant as constructive advice. We have taken most of the advice and implemented the changes within the magazine and the Shipmates were right, the advice improved the magazine. It is just nice to get a letter such as yours every now and then!
USS PUEBLO
The PUEBLO debacle was a low moment for the U.S. Navy. Adding insult is that the PUEBLO has been left to languish as a North Korean War Museum when the United States has the capability to destroy the ship. The actions of the U.S. government at that time, were just what could be expected of a worthless politician and person as President Lyndon B. Johnson who proudly wore his phony Silver Star.
CPO James Pitchford, USN (Ret.)
Thanks for the expo on the USS PUEBLO. I had retired just 30 days prior to this incident, was incensed then and am incensed today, that we have allowed that renegade country to get away with it. They [North Korea] can be thankful that I am not in the driver’s seat, for I would neutralize the issue—even if it started WW9. At least it would delay WW10! Just sayin'!!
CPO Daniel W. Gatlyn USN (Ret.) MAL
I read with interest, the article on the hijacking of the USS PUEBLO in 1968. I was stationed in Vietnam at that time, and was horrified that our nation did not respond to the actions of North Korea. I believe the United States should have considered North Korea’s actions a declaration of war and we should have attacked that nation with such power keeping them from becoming the threat they are today. I believe they continue to threaten world peace today and consider them to be our enemy. Their threat should be eliminated.
CMC Robert J. (Chuck) Riley USN (Ret.)
LSTs Still Sail
The following information is in response to Shipmate Louis G. Banks (Branch 166) December 2017, FRAtoday inquiry and for all Gator sailors about LSTs. LST 325 was returned to the United States on January 2000 by 29 WWII and Korean War sailors from Crete and Greece, then given to the USS LST SHIP MEMORIAL, a 501(c)3 Charity.
Home port was the Mobile, Ala. area and for five years the 325 traveled up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Evansville, Ind., which is its current home port. Each year, since arriving in Evansville, where LSTs were built during WWII, the 325 has cruised the inland rivers of the United States under her own power each August and September. She has conducted tours at many ports such as: St. Louis, Mo., Pittsburgh, Pa., Cincinnati, Ohio, Nashville, Tenn., Wheeling, W.Va., Alton, Ill., Hannibal, Mo. and more.
The 2018 cruising schedule has not been finalized but plans are sending her to the Upper Mississippi River. LST 325 information may be obtained at www.lstmemorial.org or by calling (812) 435-8678. FRA
Ron Bezouska MAL

Submit Shipmate Forum letters to FRAtoday, 125 N. West Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314. 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 individual 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. 

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ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL

FRA Ready to Storm the Hill

As you get this issue of FRAtoday, the FRA Legislative Team will be doing final preparation for the National Board of Directors (NBOD) to “Storm Capitol Hill” and award Rep. Mike Coffman (Colo.) FRA’s Pinnacle award on Thursday, April 12. The Hill visits are timely since Congress is under an increasing pressure to reduce the budget deficit and may start looking at military pay and benefits. Thankfully, the Administration’s budget request does not include any kind of TRICARE fee increase for FY 2019. Many FRA Members already got hit with pharmacy co-pays last year that took effect this year. FRA wants to thank the members who participated in FRA’s pay and benefits survey. These survey results have been shared with Capitol Hill staff, legislators and the House and Senate military personnel subcommittees. The results also help bolster FRA’s position on various issues. 

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FRA Staff Meets SASC-P Staff

DLP John Davis and other key Military Coalition (TMC) members met with Senate Armed Services, Personnel Subcommittee (SASC-P) staff for an off-the-record meeting. TMC policy committee co-chairmen were invited to discuss policy goals for their respective TMC policy committees. TMC Retiree Committee co-chair DLP John Davis told Hill staffers that comprehensive concurrent receipt reform is a top priority for FRA and TMC this year. There was extensive discussion regarding recently enacted TRICARE changes. Changes include fee increases, transition from TRICARE Standard and Extra to TRICARE Select, transition from three regions to two regions and various technical problems with the West region’s new contract. Subcommittee staff indicated that they do not foresee any roll back of recently enacted fee increases. This meeting was similar to a TMC co-chair meeting with the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee staff in January. 

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Lower TRICARE Co-pays for Maintenance Drugs
 
TRICARE beneficiaries taking certain maintenance drugs for diabetes or high cholesterol are now paying lower or no copayments as part of a pilot program. The Medication Adherence Pilot Program, started February 1, 2018, affects prescriptions purchased at in-network retail pharmacies and through the TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery.
“Patients who take their medications as prescribed enjoy improved health outcomes compared to those who don't,” said U.S. Air Force LTCol. Ann McManis, Pharmacy Operation Division at the Defense Health Agency (DHA). “We're excited to offer this program to beneficiaries who are living with these common, chronic conditions.”
DHA chose two high-value medications for the pilot program: Lantus® Pens, insulin shot to manage diabetes, and Rosuvastatin, the generic version of Crestor®, to manage high cholesterol. Lantus Pens will be offered at reduced cost. Rosuvastatin will be offered at no cost at a retail network pharmacy and through home delivery.

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New Retention Policy Announced at DoD
DoD recently announced policy changes pertaining to retention of non-deployable active duty personnel. The new policy, based on recommendations of the Military Personnel Working Group, requires military members who have been non-deployable for 12 continuous months be processed for separation through administrative procedures or referred into the Disability Evaluation System (DES). The policy objective is to reduce the number of non-deployable active duty personnel, thereby improving military readiness. DoD reported there are 286,000 service members who are medically non-deployable at any one time. Each of the services has until October 1, 2018, to start implementing the policy. 

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CR Includes DoD FY2018 Budget 

The House passed another Continuing Resolution (CR-H.R.1892) (240-186) that provides the complete FY2018 Defense spending appropriations and keeps the rest of government open until March 23, 2018. The bill also extends the federal debt ceiling until March 1, 2019. As this CR passed the House, Republican and Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate were finalizing negotiations on lifting sequestration spending caps on Defense for two years. The agreement on Defense spending caps increase the sequestration by $80 billion in FY2018 and by $85 billion for FY2019. This provision was added to the CR as a Senate floor amendment. The House approved the Senate amendment and it was signed into law by President Trump. 

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State of the Coast Guard

NED Tom Snee attended Commandant (Admiral) Paul Zukunft’s final State of the Coast Guard address at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Zukunft’s tenure as 25th Commandant of the Coast Guard ends June 1, 2018. He thanked Congress, this Administration and quoted our Commander in Chief, President Trump, “No brand has gone up like the Coast Guard brand… incredible people that have done an incredible job.” 
He discussed the Coast Guard efforts when the Nation experienced one of the most catastrophic hurricane seasons on record. Stating that the Coast Guard efforts saved the lives of more than 12,000 Americans. He said “The American public trusted us to respond. And respond we did.” The Commandant also praised Coast Guard efforts to stem the tide of transnational criminal organizations, and “netted $7.2 billion worth of cocaine – before it could reach our shores - our streets – our friends and families.” He also discussed Coast Guard activities in the Arctic and “the need to recapitalize our polar icebreakers.” He explained that very soon we will release a request, to acquire the first heavy icebreaker in 40 years. This is the first installment that will recapitalize our Nation’s fleet of icebreakers. 
The next Commandant is expected to be announced in the near future. The appointment requires Senate confirmation.

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Judge Rules Burn Pit Smoke Causes Lung Disorder

A judge in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office for Workers’ Compensation Programs ruled vapors from open-air burn pits are connected to lung disease. The ruling could allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits for the tens of thousands of service members who signed onto the VA’s Burn Pit Registry over the course of the conflicts in the Middle East. These burn pits—where trash, abandoned hardware, and other waste was burned—occurred throughout U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those downwind from the pits believe they were exposed to chemicals released during the burning of toxic items.

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VA Secretary Calls for VA Caregiver Expansion

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin recently testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) urging the Committee to expand the VA Caregiver program to include catastrophically disabled veterans who were injured before September 11, 2001. Currently, the program only provides benefits to veterans disabled on or after September 11, 2001. FRA’s 2018 Legislative Agenda calls for extending the VA Caregivers Act to full-time caregivers of catastrophically disabled veterans from conflicts before September 11, 2001. 
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) passed the “Caring for Our Veterans Act” (S.2193) that will reform the VA health care system by providing veterans easier access to meet with private-sector doctors and will expand the VA's care givers assistance program. The bill, unlike its House companion bill (H.R.4242), includes expansion of the VA Caregiver program. 
 Members are strongly urged to use the FRA Action Center to ask their Senators to support S.2193 and the “Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act” introduced in the House and Senate (H.R.1472 and S.591 respectively). They are standalone bills that expand the VA Caregivers program to include veterans catastrophically disabled before September 11, 2001.

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FRA Staff Meet with VA Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security and Preparedness

FRA National Executive Director Tom Snee and National Service Director (Veterans) Chris Slawinski met with Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security and Preparedness Donald P. Loren, RADM, USN (Retired) at his VA Central Office in Washington, DC. NED Snee and NSD Slawinski discussed legislative priorities with the Assistant Secretary, and Loren provided a brief on VA’s force protection and mission assurance efforts within the department. RADM Loren previously served in the Department of Defense as Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security Integration.

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Subcommittee Reviews Coast Guard EHR Program

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation recently held an oversight hearing on the Coast Guard’s failed implementation of Integrated Health Information System (IHiS). The hearing was triggered by a release. 
Government Accountability Office audit that found financial, technical, schedule and personnel risks led to the Coast Guard's decision to cancel IHiS and that the service allowed program managers to handle the project without sufficient oversight by acquisition professionals. Following a failed Electronic Health Record (EHR) implementation, the U.S. Coast Guard is currently conducting an acquisition process that is considering both government and commercial EHRs as possible solutions. 
“After wasting more than $66 million over a five-year period, the Coast Guard cancelled its electronic health records effort, referred to as the Integrated Health Information System project,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-California), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, during the hearing. “The service has nothing to show for the time and money expended and finds itself in a worse position than before it awarded the first contract almost eight years ago.”
In her testimony before the subcommittee, Director of Health, Safety and Work-life for the Coast Guard Rear Admiral Erica Schwartz, said, “The service ‘sincerely’ regrets the botched development of IHiS by several contractors, which she described as a “simple” EHR that “increased in scope and expanded into a much larger concept.”
FRA wants to ensure Coast Guard parity with DoD on EHR resource sharing in delivering seamless, cost effective, quality services to personnel injured in the line of duty or wounded in combat.

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DoE Secretary Wants School Choice for Active Duty Children

Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently announced support for a proposal to allow military families to use $1.3 billion in public funds to send their children to private schools or pay for other education services. The plan is in line with the Trump administration’s focus on promoting charter and private school programs as well as other alternatives to traditional public schools. 
DeVos said “Many active duty military families living in bases were dissatisfied with their neighborhood schools and that they deserved to have options.” FRA’s online survey of active duty service members (January/February 2018) backs up the Secretary’s claim by indicating that 75 percent believe quality of schools for dependent children to be “Very Important” (the highest rating). Quality of Schools for dependent children tied for second out of 17 issues. Only Retirement benefits (100 percent Very Important) beat out this issue on importance. 
Under the proposal, the government would set up education savings accounts for these parents and send them the money earmarked for them in the public school system. The money can then be used to pay for private school, private instruction, therapy for special needs students, textbooks and other services. Currently, there about 400,000 students in various private school choice programs nationwide. Rep. Jim Banks, (Indiana) is expected to introduce a bill in the near future.

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Veteran Cards Now Available Again

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently started accepting applications again for the VA issued Veterans Identification Card (VIC). The ID card, authorized by Congress in 2015, is free of charge and will provide proof of military service in lieu of a having to carry a DD-214. The process originally commenced this past November but had to be stopped due to the overwhelming number of applications that caused the website to crash. The VA halted the application process in order to rectify the issues on the website. The system is available once again, and veterans who wish to apply for a VIC go to: www.vets.gov/?next=%2Fveteran-id-card%2F
Veterans who apply for a card should receive it within 60 days. Veterans can check the status of their cards by going to: www.vets.gov/

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DoD Implements Plan to Refund Combat-Injured Veterans Pay

The Defense Department (DoD) will begin notifying more than 133,000 combat-injured veterans who may qualify for a federal tax refund based on their disability severance. DoD will begin the process of refunding thousands of veterans who have been improperly taxed on this pay since 1991, thanks to efforts by Senators John Boozman (Arkansas), Mark Warner (Va.), and Congressman David Rouser (North Carolina).
Under federal law, veterans who suffer combat-related injuries and are separated from the military are not supposed to be taxed on the one-time, lump sum DoD disability severance payment. Unfortunately, taxes on these payments have been withheld from qualifying veterans for a number of years due to the limitations of the DoD’s automated payment system. More than 133,000 veterans may qualify for a refund.
The FRA supported “Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act” (sponsored by the legislators listed above) that was enacted into law (H.R.5015, P.L. 114-292) in 2016. The law requires the DoD determine how much the veterans are owed and notify them so they can recover the withheld amounts.

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DoD and the VA Partner with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) announced a milestone partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The three organizations have been working on service member and veteran suicide prevention for many years, but this announcement marks the first time they are joining together to reduce suicide. 
Due to the fact that on average, 20 veterans commit suicide each day, suicide prevention is a priority issue for FRA. If you or someone you know is in crisis, support is available 24/7. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available to anyone. Service members and their families in crisis should seek help immediately by contacting the 24/7 Military Crisis Line by phone at 800-273-8255 (press 1 for military), online chat (www.veteranscrisiline.net/ActiveDuty.aspx) or by text at (838255). The DOD Be There Peer Support Call and Outreach Center offers non-crisis peer support and is available at 844-357-PEER (7337), or text (480) 360-6188 or online (www.betherepeersupport.org).

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Proposed DoD/VA Budgets

President Trump proposed a $4.4 trillion FY2019 budget to Congress. The President requested a $74 billion increase in the Department of Defense (DoD) spending to rebuild the military. The Navy would get $151.4 billion, along with $13.7 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations. This is a sharp increase above the 2018 $7.17 billion level for war funding. The request is a 7 percent increase or $12.6 billion more than fiscal 2018. The request also provides a 2.6 percent pay increase for active duty, which equals the Employment Cost Index (ECI). The proposed budget increases active duty end strength by 24,100 and 1,800 Reserve Component end strength. The active-duty Navy would increase by 7,500 to 335,400 sailors. The Marine Corps would increase by 100 personnel to a total of 186,100.
The proposed budget requests investing $10.5 billion in facilities for fiscal 2019, a 7 percent increase from President Trump's fiscal 2018 request. The increase would be used to improve operational and training facilities like airfields, training ranges, schools, barracks and medical facilities. The Pentagon is not asking for any TRICARE fee increases or for any Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). The military has asked Congress to create BRAC in the past several budget requests, which has faced serious opposition.
NVSO Chris Slawinski and ADVP Brian Condon attended a FY 2019 budget briefing at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The overall VA budget increases $12.1 billion, a more than 6 percent increase compared to FY2018. The budget proposal also calls for rounding down cost-of-living adjustments to the next lowest dollar to fund Post 9/11 GI Bill flight school training.
FRA will oppose this cut to VA benefits. Members are encouraged to use the FRA Action Center (www.fra.org) to ask their legislators to oppose the benefit cut for veterans.

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Staff Accused of Expensing VA Secretary's Wife's Travel

According to a recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General’s (IG) report, the Chief of Staff for VA Secretary David Shulkin altered language to pay expenses for Shulkin’s spouse. The altered information was found in an email and made false statements to create a pretext for taxpayers to pay for a 10-day trip to Europe in the summer of 2017. The VA Secretary Chief of Staff Vivieca Wright Simpson is the third most senior official at the VA. The report also claims that VA employee’s time was misused planning tourist activities for Shulkin and his entourage. Additionally, Shulkin improperly accepted tickets to a Wimbledon tennis match as a gift. 
Secretary Shulkin at first called the depiction of the trip “entirely inaccurate” and said, “It reeks of an agenda. There are people within my organization who are not happy with the progress we’re making and the direction of the organization, who are deliberately undermining me.” The Secretary has demanded more accountability from VA employees. Last year more than 1,300 VA staffers were removed and 500 were suspended for misconduct.
Later Secretary Shulkin said “I’ve already written a check to the Treasury. We’re going to go ahead with everything they recommended.” The IG recommendations include possible disciplinary action against senior VA officials, particularly his Chief of Staff, Simpson. The Secretary’s Chief of Staff resigned the next week.

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.

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feature  story

San Antonio: Welcome to the 91st FRA & 86th LA FRA National Convention

By: By W. D. Stevenson

FRA has had a National Convention each year since 1925, with the exception of 1942 and 1943. The National Convention is something that every Shipmate should experience at least once, just to see and learn what the association is all about. The convention is not just for branch or regional officers. There is no trade show or exhibit hall selling stuff, but there are Shipmates from all across the country. There will be some FRA affinity partners onsite, but only to provide general information. There are official business sessions each day that any Shipmate can attend. There are also workshops, evening events such as the Welcome Aboard Party and the Annual Banquet, a hospitality room and more.
Did you know San Antonio is Spanish for Saint Anthony?  The southern city was named after Saint Anthony of Padua by a 1691 Spanish expedition. The city contains five 18th-century Spanish missions, including The Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which were both designated as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 2015.
The City of San Antonio is the seventh most populated city in the United States and the second city in Texas. The location was initially a colonial outpost in 1718 that also served as a mission. The city was chartered as a civil settlement in Texas in 1731, which makes it the state’s oldest municipality. The local history is somewhat in contrast to its current fast-paced growth. San Antonio, known as the “Texas Triangle” because of its geographic location, was the fastest-growing top ten cities in the United States between 2000 and 2010. 
This city is also referred to as Greater San Antonio. The metropolitan area has a population of 2,454,061 (based on 2017 US Census) making it the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. The ability to still grow along the I- 35 and I- 10 corridors to the north, west and east will probably see the city keep on pace.
Some attractions worth exploring are the River Walk, the Tower of the Americas, SeaWorld, the Alamo Bowl and Marriage Island. Additional entertainment includes Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Morgan’s Wonderland amusement parks. According to the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city is visited by nearly 32 million tourists each year. The city is also home to the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. The city also hosts one of the largest show and rodeo events in the country—the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.
There are several military facilities all around San Antonio. The one that is within the city limits is Fort Sam Houston Lackland Air Force Base; Randolph Air Force Base, Lackland AFB/Kelly Field Annex, Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley are located outside the city limits. Kelly Air Force Base operated out of San Antonio until 2001, when the airfield was transferred to Lackland AFB. The rest of the base was developed as Port San Antonio, an industrial/business park and aerospace complex. 
San Antonio is home to six Fortune 500 companies and the South Texas Medical Center, the only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region.
The 4 Diamond Hotel
The convention hotel this year is the OMNI San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade, 9821 Colonnade Boulevard, San Antonio, Texas 78230. It is located in the northwest of San Antonio at I-10 and Wurzbach Road in the Colonnade Complex. The hotel is three minutes or one mile from the Medical Center, 15 minutes or eight miles from the San Antonio International Airport, 15 minutes or 12 miles to the Riverwalk Area and is convenient to I-10 and Loop 410. Your reservations can be made by calling 1-800-THE-OMNI (1-800-843-6664) or you can go online to the customized FRA group page (www.omnihotels.com/hotels/san-antonio/meetings/fleet-reserve-assoc-national-convention).  If you make your reservation by telephone be sure to mention “Fleet Reserve Association.”
The room rate is $105.00 plus 16.75% tax. The convention rates are not only valid from September 23 to 30 but also apply for up to three days prior and three days following the convention. The cut-off date for the special rate is Monday, September 3, 2018.  Any reservation made after 5 p.m. on the cut-off date will only be at the special group rate based upon room availability.
Free Airport Shuttle
If you are flying to San Antonio, the hotel does offer a complimentary shuttle to and from the San Antonio International Airport as well as within a 5-mile radius of the hotel. The hotel shuttle runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., based on availability. At the top of each hour the shuttle goes to the airport and at the bottom of the hour it travels within a 5-mile radius. If you need shuttle transportation, be sure to check with the hotel bell stand or front desk to reserve a spot at 210-691-8888. The sooner you reserve space the better since it is all based upon availability. There is on-site complimentary self-parking and on-site valet parking for $10.00 per day.  
Ability Scooters 
This year’s convention scooter company is Ability Scooters, located at 10844 Gulfdale Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78216, and can be reached at 210-315-8242.  They are able to provide between 15 and 20 scooters. Due to the numbers of scooters, they request two weeks’ notice in order to have them available. The minimum time for reserving your scooter is one week. The cost is $40 for 1 day, $30 per day if your rent for two or more days (and the seventh day is free). There is a $35 delivery fee for each scooter. A discount will be given on the delivery fee if scooters get ordered in groups. Delivery is usually made in the morning.
Each renter will need to provide weight and height to ensure scooter provided offers the best fit. Ability Scooters will also need an ID along with billing information when you place your order. The method of payment accepted is cash or credit/debit card.
Since the OMNI Hotel is a tower, there are 20 rooms on each floor arranged in a circle around the elevators. There is a bank of 4 elevators serving each floor. There are no long hallways, which results in limited space, therefore it is not advisable to use Electric Scooters in those areas.   
Medical Needs and Personnel
A courtesy room will be assigned to a Texas Board Certified Medical Personnel, who will stay on location at the convention site for the entire week. 
Tuxedo Rental
Al’s Formal Wear is located in the strip mall next to the OMNI Hotel. Information about tuxedos for the banquet on Saturday will be provided.  Al’s Formal Wear will be changing their prices and services this June, so we will provide the information as soon as it is available. They will come to the hotel for measurements, deliver and pick up. Be sure to check out the convention website and newsletters for the most recent information. If you go to the FRA home page (www.fra.org), click on the San Antonio picture or go to the right side and in the blue band there are choices. Roll your mouse over the “Events and Programs” tab to get the pop-down menu and click on “National Convention.”
Convention Lapel Pin
Be sure to get your own convention lapel pin! They will be available during the convention and sold for $5.00 each. There are only 150 pins left, so be sure to get yours before they are all gone.  Several lapel pins were sold during the 2017 National Convention in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
Convention Shirts
The 2018 National Convention Shirts are available online.  There was an account set up with a shirt manufacturing company called Custom Ink. You can follow this link: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/ and enter “Fleet Reserve Association” into the search window. Our page should appear with pricing and sizes. The 2018 National Convention will receive a portion of revenue from all shirts ordered from Custom Ink.  The polo color is Slate Gray, with a blank back, and the front has an outline of the convention logo positioned over the left breast. 
Welcome Aboard Party
The “Welcome Aboard Party” will be held Wednesday, September 26, at 1930 in the Grand Ballroom DEFG. The theme of this year’s event is “Fiesta Time.”  Members of the Entertainment Committee are putting together a show that promises to both amuse and entertain you.  However, we need your help to ensure you will all have a pleasant and entertaining evening. Admission to the “Welcome Aboard Party” is free, but you need to register in advance for the event when you make your reservations for meals and tours. 
Banquet and Grand Ball
Banquet and Grand Ball Banquet will be held on Saturday, September 29, at 1930 in the Grand Ballroom ABCDE. FRA

San Antonio Restaurant Guide

By: Victoria Duran

When exploring San Antonio you are bound to find plenty of versions of South Texas cuisine. Inevitably, there will be plenty of options for a Tex-Mex style or authentic Mexican eatery, taqueria (specializing in tacos), food stand or truck. So pack your Fitbit and add on to those 10k steps as we explore just a few of the options available to you.

1718 Steakhouse 
210-377-1718
www.1718steakhouse.com
I have often heard that the best steak comes from Texas. As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, arguably taste is as well—in this case, the beholder’s taste buds. Well, one thing that I do know (because the internet claimed it so) is that 1718 Steakhouse is “The only Prime Steak House in San Antonio with the Best View of The Alamo.” What to pair this Alamo view with?  Perhaps one of their cocktail options. Along with Blackened Salmon (marinated Alaskan salmon filet pan seared with blacken seasoning and served with an orzo pasta and cilantro pesto), or possibly that Cowboy 22oz? Decisions, decisions… 

Bella on the River
210-404-2355
www.bellaontheriver.com
Located just off the famous River Walk, often referred to as a “Spanish Bistro or Italian grotto.”  You will find high quality and creative Southern European delica-cies. It features an intimate dining room and wine bar, along with vegetarian and a gluten-free menu.
Botika
210-670-7684
www.botikapearl.com
Botika is a distinctive find that features 
a mix of unique and delectable servings. Dishes featured are “Chifa” (Chinese-Peruvian) and “Nikkei” (Japanese-Peruvian) described as consisting of “exotic flavors that defy national borders.” Furthermore, you will find a sushi-ceviche bar, chaufa (fried rice) and asado beef. A cocktail lounge with indoor and outdoor seating area is also available. Who knew you could explore a casual-chic South Asian and South American restaurant in Texas! 
Boudros: Texas Bistro on the River Walk 
210-224-8484
www.boudros.com
Boudro’s is considered “one of the most treasured and popular attractions on the San Antonio River Walk.” Known for its hospitality and tableside guacamole presentation and a unity of South Texas with the “finesse of the world’s finest res-taurants.” You can relish your food either inside the restaurant or at a table along the river or on a barge while floating on the river itself. So, take a pick from their extensive wine cellar collection, sit back and cheers!  
Green Vegetarian Cuisine
210-320-5865
www.eatatgreen.com
To the delight of vegetarians there are more options available than ever before. Adapting a healthier lifestyle may just be the new norm. They strive to provide delicious and affordable options. From a Vegan Breakfast Bowl (whole wheat tortilla in a bowl with scrambled tofu and grilled vegetables, refried beans, breakfast tots and fresh salsa), Cauliflower Hot Wings (crispy friend cauliflower in spicy buffalo sauce with poblano ranch and celery sticks) to Vegan Cupcakes, the options are endless. 
La Hacienda de los Barrios
210-497-8000
www.lahaciendabarrios.com
La Hacienda is a “landmark of Tex-Mex cuisine in north San Antonio” with a diverse menu for all to enjoy. They believe the use of the absolute “freshest ingredients and mouth-watering dishes” is what makes customers return time and time again. For a night filled with live music (weather permitting) and plenty of food options, this is the place to go!    
Mi Tierra Café and Panaderia
210-225-1262
www.mitierracafe.com
Did anyone say Mariachis? If you are look-ing for a fun filled evening look no further then Mi Tierra Café and Panaderia. In ad-dition to the unique and distinctive colorful décor this place offers plenty of options. You will find Mexican breakfast (available all day), soups, café con pan dulce (coffee and Mexican pastries), enchiladas de pollo en Mole (enchiladas topped with Mole sauce, Spanish-style riceAn and refried beans), and of course tequila!  
Rosario’s 
210-223-1806
www.rosariossa.com/homepage.php
Apparently, Rosario’s is synonymous for authentic. It has consistently been “Best Mexican Restaurant” in San Antonio. Some of the more popular south-of-the-border dishes are shrimp nachos, parilla (BBQ), chile rellenos (stuffed poblano peppers) and tacos. 

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FEATURE 2

USS Lexington: New Life for the Veteran “Blue Ghost” of the Pacific

By: Ann Norvell Gray

About two hours south of San Antonio, Texas, the USS LEXINGTON rests in sheltered Corpus Christi Bay. This Essex class carrier is the oldest remaining aircraft carrier in the world. She was commissioned in 1943 and spent 21 months in combat, participating in nearly every major operation in the Pacific Theater. Four times the Japanese believed her to have been sunk. Tokyo Rose dubbed her “The Blue Ghost” for what seemed to be her repeated resurrections, and because her deep blue camouflage rendered her a spectral presence on the seas. After the war, she operated primarily out of San Diego until 1962, when she began service in Pensacola as the Navy’s training carrier.
In 1990, the USS FORRESTAL replaced her in Pensacola, and she was decommissioned in the following year. The Corpus Christi community won the honor of presenting the venerable ship as a museum by mounting an enthusiastic campaign and a vigorous fund-raising effort. At her new berth in the bay across from downtown Corpus Christi in the shelter of Mustang Island, she began her new public life, fully supported by operations, donations and grants.
On July 21, 2003, the National Park Service issued a press release announcing the designation of the USS LEXINGTON as a National Historic Landmark, adding her to the list of national treasures considered culturally significant and worthy of protection and preservation. The Park Service website describes the benefits of this designation, which include the possibility of protections from development and eligibility for tax advantages and preservation grants.
Here are a few facts about the ship. Since her opening as a museum in 1992, more than 5,500,000 people have come for a visit. She has crossed the equator fourteen times and the International Date Line six times and has logged enough miles at sea to make eight trips around the globe. Her flight deck could accommodate three football games simultaneously, although a flying tackle on that surface might be pretty unforgiving.
“Lady Lex” has also been a television and movie star and host to numerous special events. A significant part of the opening episode of CBS’s J*A*G: Judge Advocate General was shot on board. She was a featured performer in Pearl Harbor, the 2001 film starring Ben Affleck. In 2005, retired NBC television journalist Tom Brokaw, author of The Greatest Generation, participated in a fund-raiser for the carrier and spoke on board about the lessons of “unity, humility, and sacrifice” that are sorely needed in today’s fragmented world. 
The most popular of the five self-guided tours available on board is the Flight Deck experience. At this writing, there are 20 aircraft representing nearly 85 years of combat in the air arranged around the deck. Most of them are on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola. Two generations of Blue Angels are also represented. An A-4 Skyhawk from 1946 and a 1980 F/A-18 Hornet, both wearing the colors and insignia of the Angels, showcase the design and technological advances over those 34 years.
Also situated on the flight deck is an AH-1S Cobra. This helicopter, originally known as the Huey Cobra, was developed from the UH-1 Huey troop carrier, an icon of the war in Vietnam. It was donated to the museum to symbolize the cooperation between the museum, the city and the Corpus Christi Army Depot. In the Foc’sle Tour, the massive anchoring equipment required for a ship of this size is showcased. Shipmates don’t need to be told that “foc’sle” is the vernacular for “forecastle,” and that the complex maneuvers of raising and lowering anchors was the responsibility of the bosun’s mates. An immersive multi-media Pearl Harbor exhibit is also part of this tour. Follow that with the Gallery Deck tour, which includes the Combat Information Center (CIC) and the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center (CATCC) next door.
Then head for the Lower Decks Tour to see the four turbines of the power plant, and the living quarters for the thousands of crewmembers. Their accommodations include the crew’s galley, a chapel and a dental clinic. On this deck you can also examine more than 440 scale models of warbirds and warships, made by meticulous craftsmen from 16 U.S. states and 5 countries. The collection makes this the largest model gallery in Texas.
Continue to the Hangar Deck, which during wartime stored, refueled and maintained up to 60 planes. There you can see a Douglas SBD Dauntless, the single-engine dive bomber instrumental in sinking Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in 1942. This one crashed into Lake Michigan during training in 1943, was salvaged in pieces, and put back together by volunteers. The 3-D Mega Theatre with its three-story screens and digital sound system is forward on this deck. Your admission ticket entitles you to a film that runs every hour. There’s a trailer on the museum’s website for what’s showing, which is interesting by itself. Experience the three Virtual Battle Stations, which are great for youngsters, who can show you a thing or two about video game skills. For a small additional fee you can try your hand (and eye, and reflexes, and nerves) in the flight simulator.
The Hangar Deck and Flight Deck are wheelchair-accessible. Yellow-shirted volunteers, many of whom saw service on the LEXINGTON, populate the ship and support most of the functions of the museum. They are the tour guides and the cart drivers who provide transportation up and down the pier and all of them are trained to answer your questions. At the aft end of the hangar deck, the Mess Deck Café serves snacks, lunch and beverages from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. every day.
The USS LEXINGTON is open every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (6 p.m. in the summer months), except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Admission for seniors and service members is $12.95 and $14.95 for other adults, so bring your ID. The entry fee includes a movie in the 3-D Mega Theater on the Hangar Deck. The museum’s website includes an interactive link that can produce driving directions and a map guiding you to the ship’s berth from wherever you are. 
The USS LEXINGTON is in the North Beach area of Corpus Christi, which is also home to the popular Texas State Aquarium, offering a wide variety of aquatic exhibits and experiences. Other popular nearby attractions include the Padre Island National Seashore and the Corpus Christi Watergarden, which were designed by an internationally recognized cityscape architect and are a serene spot for rest or contemplation. 
Restaurants abound in this coastal community. There are numerous hotel options in the vicinity, including the Emerald Beach, an Omni and two Best Westerns along the Bay, all very close to the ship. To make the most of your time in Corpus Christi, visit them online (www.visitcorpuschristitx.org). There you can scroll down to view a clear graphic laying out the map of the city, find details on accommodations and dining; and read stories of the area’s recovery from its violent experience of Hurricane Harvey.
To learn more of what the museum has to offer, you can peruse through their website (https://usslexington.com/) which has a wealth of information, not only about the ship’s history, but also about current activities and exhibits. Even if you don’t have plans to visit, it’s a fascinating portal into the life of the ship and the purpose of the museum. Additionally, you can visit their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LEXCV16/ ) which is a lively window on the latest on board events. FRA

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CPO STANDARDS

Recollections of a Whitehat
By Mike McCaffery, Admiral USN (Ret.)

One thing we weren’t aware of at the time, but became evident as life wore on, was that we learned true leadership from the finest examples any lad was ever given: Chief Petty Officers. They were crusty old bastards who had done it all and had been forged into men who had been time tested over more years than a lot of us had time on the planet. The ones I remember wore hydraulic oil stained hats with scratched and dinged-up insignia, faded shirts, some with a Bull Durham tag dangling out of their right-hand pocket or a pipe and tobacco reloads in a worn leather pouch in their hip pockets, and a Zippo that had been everywhere. Some of them came with tattoos on their forearms that would force them to keep their cuffs buttoned at a Methodist picnic. 
Most of them were as tough as a boarding house steak. A quality required to survive the life they lived. They were, and always will be, a breed apart from all other residents of Mother Earth. They took eighteen year old idiots and hammered the stupid bastards into sailors. 
You knew instinctively it had to be hell on earth to have been born a Chief’s kid. God should have given all sons born to Chiefs a return option. 
A Chief didn’t have to command respect. He got it because there was nothing else you could give them. They were God’s designated hitters on earth. 
We had Chiefs with fully loaded Submarine Combat Patrol Pins, and combat air crew wings in my day...hard-core bastards who remembered lost mates, and still cursed the cause of their loss...and they were expert at choosing descriptive adjectives and nouns, none of which their mothers would have endorsed. 
At the rare times you saw a Chief topside in dress canvas, you saw rows of hard-earned, worn and faded ribbons over his pocket. “Hey Chief, what’s that one and that one?” “Oh hell kid, I can’t remember. There was a war on. They gave them to us to keep track of the campaigns.” “We didn’t get a lot of news out where we were. To be honest, we just took their word for it. Hell son, you couldn’t pronounce most of the names of the places we went. They’re all depth charge survival geedunk.” “Listen kid, ribbons don’t make you a Sailor.” We knew who the heroes were, and in the final analysis that’s all that matters. 
Many nights, we sat in the after mess deck wrapping ourselves around cups of coffee and listening to their stories. They were light-hearted stories about warm beer shared with their running mates in corrugated metal sheds at resupply depots where the only furniture was a few packing crates and a couple of Coleman lamps. Standing in line at a Honolulu cathouse or spending three hours soaking in a tub in Freemantle, smoking cigars, and getting loaded. It was our history. And we dreamed of being just like them because they were our heroes. When they accepted you as their Shipmate, it was the highest honor you would ever receive in your life. At least it was clearly that for me. They were not men given to the prerogatives of their position. 
You would find them with their sleeves rolled up, shoulder-to-shoulder with you in a stores loading party. “Hey Chief, no need for you to be out here tossin’ crates in the rain, we can get all this crap aboard.” 
“Son, the term ‘All hands’ means all hands.” 
“Yeah Chief, but you’re no damn kid anymore, you old coot.” 
“Horsefly, when I’m eighty-five parked in the stove up old bastards’ home, I’ll still be able to kick your worthless butt from here to fifty feet past the screw guards along with six of your closest friends.” And he probably wasn’t bullshitting. 
They trained us. Not only us, but hundreds more just like us. If it wasn’t for Chief Petty Officers, there wouldn’t be any U.S. Navy. There wasn’t any fairy godmother who lived in a hollow tree in the enchanted forest who could wave her magic wand and create a Chief Petty Officer. 
They were born as hot-sacking seamen, and matured like good whiskey in steel hulls over many years. Nothing a nineteen year-old jay-bird could cook up was original to these old saltwater owls. They had seen E-3 jerks come and go for so many years; they could read you like a book. “Son, I know what you are thinking. Just one word of advice. DON’T. It won’t be worth it.” 
“Aye, Chief.” 
Chiefs aren’t the kind of guys you thank. Monkeys at the zoo don’t spend a lot of time thanking the guy who makes them do tricks for peanuts. 
Appreciation of what they did, and who they were, comes with long distance retrospect. No young lad takes time to recognize the worth of his leadership. That comes later when you have experienced poor leadership or let’s say, when you have the maturity to recognize what leaders should be, you find that Chiefs are the standard by which you measure all others. 
They had no Academy rings to get scratched up. They butchered the King’s English. They had become educated at the other end of an anchor chain from Copenhagen to Singapore. They had given their entire lives to the U.S. Navy. In the progression of the nobility of employment, Chief Petty Officer heads the list. So, when we ultimately get our final duty station assignments and we get to wherever the big Chief of Naval Operations in the sky assigns us, if we are lucky, Marines will be guarding the streets, and there will be an old Chief in an oil-stained hat and a cigar stub clenched in his teeth standing at the brow to assign us our bunks and tell us where to stow our gear... and we will all be young again, and the damn coffee will float a rock. 
Life fixes it so that by the time a stupid kid grows old enough and smart enough to recognize who he should have thanked along the way, he no longer can. If I could, I would thank my old Chiefs. If you only knew what you succeeded in pounding in this thick skull, you would be amazed. So, thanks you old casehardened unsalvageable son-of-a-bitches. Save me a rack in the berthing compartment.
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. FRA

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MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

November 11, 2017, was my first day at the Fleet Reserve Association.  It was also the 12th time I had the honor of attending the National Veterans Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Before joining the FRA, I had spent 12 years working with and for a veteran service organization with a proud history and mission.  While I came to know that group and its members tremendously well, I knew before I started with FRA, that I was up for the challenge of learning a whole new culture, history and set of traditions.
I started with the three cornerstones of the FRA vision: Loyalty, Protection and Service. These words never happen by chance. Shipmates in the past chose those words to embody their mission and the legacy they wanted to create. They thought about their own service, their own sacrifice and the world they wanted to leave for their families. They were active both within FRA and in their broader communities, focusing on what they needed to do to ensure the next generation would pick up their banners and proudly carry them forward.
There is a remarkable document on the FRA website entitled, The Story of the FRA, which was put together in 2013 and is based largely on Brotherhood of the Sea, by Bob Nolan. It covers the organization’s history from its founding in 1919 through 1989. The first few pages present a graphical timeline of major FRA milestones and lay the ground for the story to be told. I wonder how many of our current members were involved in any of those milestones? How many of them did so without any expectation of being highlighted in a document, years or decades later, but instead focused on the selfless contribution of service? How many of them remain loyal members to this day?
Protection is a constructive goal and one that translates directly from active service to the fleet reserve. We serve to protect our country and way of life. Really, once we’ve transitioned, our goals are not so different. I was immediately struck by how passionately FRA members believe in the merits of the FRA cornerstones. I have already had the privilege to meet a number of Shipmates, either in person or on the telephone, and hear their own personal stories. Some feel their stories aren’t so remarkable while others feel they haven’t been heard. In all cases it’s clear they want to cement their legacies and see FRA carry their contributions into the future. I believe each and every one of those members has much in common with other loyal veterans I have known, even if they served in different corners of the world, on sea, on shore, in times of conflict or peace. 
Once again, it is the three cornerstones that tie those stories together. Loyalty does not exist in a vacuum. It cannot; one must be loyal to someone or something. With loyalty, comes the desire to protect, to sacrifice and to serve, so those who follow may have a safer or easier path. Shipmates acted without hesitation when they served and later when they joined our organization.
Now we must ask each and every one of you to think about preserving those values for the future. It is essential that membership is the active service each of us pursues, whether by contributing to our branches or by recruiting new members. Young or old, active duty or retired, we are stronger when our numbers grow. Our tools and resources swell when the goals of loyalty, protection and service are pursued in unison.  FRA

Christina Hitchcock is FRA’s Director of Membership. She can be reached at ChristinaH@fra.org or 703-683-1400 (Ext. 123)

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SHIPMATE NEWS

1. Branch 18, Seattle, Washington
Branch Secretary and PRPNW Pete Lazzaretti was honored to present, on behalf of the FRA’s National Executive Director Tom Snee, a letter of congratulations to Tacoma Boy Scout Troop 224’s newest Eagle Scout, Matthew Jeppson.

2. Branch 89, Atlanta, Georgia
Branch 89 partnered with the Wreaths Across America effort. Shipmates and friends participated in placing wreaths on gravesites at the National Cemetery in Canton, Ga. A total of 107 wreaths were sponsored this year. Not all FRA volunteers are pictured. 

3. Branch 146, Johnsville, Pennsylvania
Branch Vice President Charlie Glass awarded 15-year continuous membership pin and certificate to Shipmate John Esposito.

4. Branch 226, Staten Island, New jersey
Shipmates Al Klingele (L) and Jim Brown (R) congratulate Shipmate Joe Bilotti on his selection as Branch Treasurer.

5. Branch 346, Panama City Beach, Florida
An evening out with branch members. (L to R) Dennis Slocum, MaryAnn Slocum. Ramona and Frank Watson, Mary Blackburn, and the husband and wife (behind Ramona), who came down for the winter. Photo by Kenny Eastham.

6. Unit 137, Minden, Nevada
LA FRA Unit #137 meets and greets veterans the 4th Monday of each month at the local Veterans Clinic in Gardnerville, Nev. They provide healthy treats, coffee and great conversation as well as community information about available resources. Some veterans schedule their appointment for the same day, just to visit.

7. Branch 316, Springfield, Missouri
North Central Regional President Rosemary Posekany presented Shipmate Charles B. Ewy with his 40-year continuous membership pin and certificate on January 25.

8. Branch 221, Peoria, Illinois
St. Philomena School 7th grade Essay winners (L to R) Branch Vice President Tony Grow, 3rd place winner Byran Benway, 2nd place winners Kayla O’Donnell, Ranya Wright, 1st place winners Maddie McGregor, Edward Couri, Jack Grow and Branch President Harry Zillion.

9.Branch 307, Gulfport, Mississippi 
Old Naval Home Branch Secretary Bob Rutherford was presented with his 50-year continuous membership certificate by Branch President (R) “Pete” Petersen (also a 50+ year member) and was assisted by Branch Master-at-Arms (L) Diana Dopp.

10. Member At Large
Terry Halbardier, USS LIBERTY survivor (second photo from the right) was recently inducted into the Surface Navy Hall of Fame. Pictured are survivors (L to R) Terry McFarland, Moe Shafer and Larry Bowen. Terry’s family could not be there so his Shipmates were present on their behalf. Photo by MAL Ronald Kukal.

11. Branch 117, Orlando, FLorida
Branch President Jim Middlekauff presented the Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin to National Vice President Robert Washington during his visit to the recent branch meeting.

12. Branch 260, Golden Valley, Arizona
The 2017 Veterans Day parade winners of the float contest. (L) Mohave City Arizona Branch President Ed Halligan took second place and (R) VFW Post 10005 Commander and FRA branch Shipmate won first place.
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AUXILIARY OF THE FRA

LA FRA Regional President North Central

Greetings from the North Central Region!  It is truly an honor to serve the LA FRA as the 2017-2018 Regional President of the North Central Region for the fifth time.  Members of the North Central Region have been keeping busy with donating money and various goods to organizations in their communities.  Endless acts of kindness have also been performed, demonstrating the commitment to the principles of the LA FRA, Loyalty, Protection and Service.
Members contribute in different ways. We have one who accompanies the families of veterans during interment services at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.  Another member plays the piano at a few nursing homes in her area.  We also have a member who makes chemo caps and lap robes for cancer patients.  Hundreds of pairs of socks are collected and donated to veteran’s homes. Bingo games are hosted by members at veteran’s hospital/homes.
The Tiny Homes for Veterans Movement is given both monetary and household item donations.  Contributions are also made to St. Jude’s Hospital, HELP, VAVS, local hospices and charities.   Members volunteer at soup kitchens and homeless shelters.  A member bakes cookies for a local high school baking class.
At Christmas time toys are given to Toys for Tots, baskets are made for VFW sites, and parties are held at children’s homes complete with Christmas presents.  Members send Christmas cards and gifts to our military families in other parts of the world.  There is also participation in the Wreaths Across America movement.
Valentine’s Day/Thank You cards were made and distributed to veterans at a meet and greet for the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.
The number of members in the North Central Region may have lessened in this past year, but the donations and good will gestures have not decreased.  The love we have for our active and retired veterans, their families and our fellow citizens is forever strong.
The North Central Region Mid-Year Conference will be held at Stone Castle, Branson, Missouri from April 9-11, hosted by Branch and Unit 161.  The Regional Convention will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from August 9-12, hosted by Branch and Unit 298.  All members are welcome, and I hope to see many of you there.
May God bless us and keep us all safe!
In Loyalty, Protection and Service, Teresa A. Norton, RPNC FRA

Teresa A. Norton is the LA FRA North Central Regional President

 EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Scholarships Help Cover College Costs: April 15 Deadline!

Fleet Reserve Association Education Foundation scholarships can significantly help cover the increasing costs for college students who receive them. There is only a short time remaining for this year’s submission deadline for applications to be issued for the 2018-19 academic year.
The deadline is April 15, 2018. Applications must be postmarked no later than this date. Current application forms are available on the Foundation web page: fra.org/foundation. Scroll down the page, then select one of the listed scholarships and print out the form, which provides detailed instructions–including eligibility and submission requirements.
The cost of higher education continues to rise. According to the College Board, (a NYC non-profit organization that’s committed to supporting and helping expand student access to higher education) “Average tuition and fees for full-time, in-state students at public four-year colleges and universities increased 3.1% to $9,970 in 2017-2018.” Assuming annual increases over four years of study, rising college freshmen will have an increase of more than 12% during their college years. This does not even include food, school fees, housing and textbook expenses each year.
Eligibility: As stated on the FRA Member and Non-Member Scholarship applications, applicants must be affiliated with the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard through their own service or that of a spouse, parent, grandparent or great grandparent.
FRA members in good standing qualify for more scholarships, and they, along with non-member applicants affiliated with the three Sea Services, their spouses, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are also eligible to apply for Foundation scholarships. All recipients must be U.S. citizens and full-time students at accredited U.S. colleges or universities. 
Some Foundation scholarships have broad eligibility criteria, while others – including legacy awards based on estate contributions and associated instructions from deceased Shipmates, are designated for specific groups such as the children of Navy Corpsmen (Benn Scholarships) and Navy personnel (Nunez Scholarships). Detailed information is on the application forms located as links at the bottom of the Foundation web page (fra.org/foundation).
It is important to include a reminder about the importance of students submitting complete application packages. You must include all required documents listed. Remember, incomplete application packages are not forwarded to the review committee. Scholarship applications must be accurate, legible and printed in black ink. Applicants must sign the application form and ensure it is also signed by the head of family. Of utmost importance is the submission of official or certified academic documents (i.e. high school and/or college transcripts, test scores), the essay, a school and community activities sheet and two recommendations.
Foundation’s Scholarship Coordinator Alicia Landis strongly encourages students to assemble every enclosure (recommendations and transcripts, which would need to be in sealed and signed envelopes). Everything must be included with your signed application forms. Alicia believes this will cut down on the number of incomplete packages received.
Awards range from $2,000 to $5,000. The number and amount of the scholarships depends upon contributions from individuals, branches and corporate organizations. Anyone can contribute via the Foundation page on FRA’s website. Active and retired service members can set up an allotment via MyPay on the DFAS website. Contributions of any amount are always welcome. 
As always, thanks for your continuing support! Please encourage eligible family members and others to check out – and apply for Foundation scholarship.  FRA 

By NEDE Joe Barnes
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TAPS

Name 					Rating		Branch
Aldridge, Jerry				MM1(SS), USN316
Auber, Vincent W. 			GYSGT, USMC299
Aulgur, John H. 			ACC, USN	161
Basnillo, Fortunato 			MS1, USN	302
Beckner, Maurice			PNC, USN	256
Biggs, Boyd E. 				AOC, USN	201
Blakeney, Eugene H. 			CSC, USN	70
Blau, John J. 				USCG		181
Boebert, Frank 				CDR, USN	MAL
Boire, Maurice W. 			SGTMAJ, USMCMAL
Bolden, Joseph 				CWO4, USN	MAL
Bourland, James A. 			IMCS, USN	117
Buchan, Kenneth R. 			ADRC, USN	MAL
Burke, Charles H. 			HMCS, USN	182
Butler, George C. 			HMC, USN	MAL
Caldwell, John R. 			CSCS, USN	94
Carrick, Larry A. 			QMC, USN	358
Collins, Michael F. 			CS1, USN	84
Cox, Donald E. 				GYSGT, USMC141
Crader, William J. 			EN1(SS), USN	18
David, Hudson 				MSGT, USMC	91
Davis, Thomas E. 			CDR, USN	269
Davis, Vernon 				ADRC, USN	261
Donnally, Alfred W. 			SKCS, USN	MAL
Dooley, Vernon 			BMC, USN	60
Dupont, Ferdinand J. 			ADRC, USN	MAL
Dusatko, Richard C. 			ICCS, USN	29
Ervin, Harry B. 				TMC(SS), USN	99
Evans, Richard 				EMFN, USN	18
Farhat, Philip W. 			1STSG, USMC	124
Fellom, Mark E. 			HMC, USN	MAL
Grim, Jack A. 				MCPO, USN	91
Hall, William R. 			CPO, USNR	MAL
Hill, Jackie L. 				GMG1, USN	316
Hunt, William C. 			ATC, USN	132
Jarvis, James E. 			CPO, USN	MAL
Jimenez, Amadeo C. 			MS1, USN	126
Johnson, Jerry T. 			1STSGT, USMC 186
Jones, William L. 			STM1(SS), USN 269
Karstensen, Howard A. 			YN2, USN	MAL
Khachatourian, Toros V. 		LT, USN	117
Krall, Leonard 				MSC, USN	61
Larkin, George M. 			LCDR, USN	24
Larsen, Donald M. 			MMC (SS), USN 269
Little, Sam 				PNCS, USN	163
Litton, William B. 			SMC, USN	MAL
Lockhart, Arthur L. 			SKC, USN	MAL
Lothes, Donald W. 			STCS, USN	MAL
Lundberg, Andrew 			ADCS, USN	358
May, Donald A. 			MSGT, USMC	MAL
McCauley, Donald 			EMCS (SS), USN MAL
McGirr, Richard			ET, USN	20
McNulty, James J. 			AEC, USN	126
Medico, Frank A. 			MSC, USN	293
Millay, Gerald E.			SGT	105
Mills, James D. 				POC/ETC, USN 163
Morse, Gerald B. 			ICC(SS), USN	MAL
Myers, Lawrence S. 			CDR, USN	24
Newton, Jesse M. 			STCS, USN	98
Padgett, Arthur F. 			ATC(AC)(TAR) 89
Perez, Domingo (Benny) M. 		CS1, USN	MAL
Perry, Wesley I. 			AG1, USN	263
Petersen, Robert C. 			EM2, USN	117
Phillips, Robert W. 			LCDR, USN	37
Phillips, Joe F. 				YNC, USN	89
Pierce, Lloyd G. 			PO1, USN	38
Pillow, Richard P. 			EMCM, USN	MAL
Pittard, William C. 			CPO, USN	MAL
Pulliam, James C. 			RMCM, USN	MAL
Rainville, Albert F. 			YN2, USNR	MAL
Resnick, Melvin H. 			CTOC, USN	18
Roach, Edward M. 			YNCM, USCG	285
Roach, Robert W. 			1STSGT, USMC 192
Robinson, William C. 			PN1, USN	57
Rosas, Roman F. 			RMC, USN	84
Sanford, Gregory A. 			MS1, USN	324
Schreiber, Henry L. 			PHC, USN	161
Schwarz, Charles H. 			CTRC, USN	MAL
Seader, Lamarr A. 			NCCM(SS), USN 24
Shahan, Robert 				RM1, USN	268
Shields, James M. 			PNC, USN	161
Smith, Joseph E. 			SKCS, USN	99
Sparks, Warren H. 			BMCS, USN	229
Summey, Morris L. 			LCDR, USN	70
Thomas, Alan S. 			HTC, USN	57
Thurber, Robert G. 			ABFC, USN	8
Tisue, Jerry Lee 			CWO3, USCG	192
Turner, Donald D. 			ADJ1(AC), USN 156
Vangeloff, George 			HMC, USN	MAL
Viterisi, Joseph 				YNCS, USN	223
Vrooman, Allen G. 			ADRC, USN	289
Washington, William O. 		ETCS(SS), USN 120
Webb, Leroy O. 			FTCS(SS), USN 20
White, Louis M. 			HMCS, USN	57
White, Leland D. 			ENC(SS), USN	101
Whitt, William H. 			RM2, USN	207
Wick, Thomas 				ABFC, USNR	23
Wilder, Faye 				IS2, USN	181
Wilson, William L. 			1st SGT, USMC 230
 Zirnhelt, Edward M. 			SHCS, USN	67
Zonkel, Joseph P. 			CWO3, USN	60

Any names in red indicate 50 year continuous members.
Any names 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/lOOKINGFOR…

Reunions

VP-68 and Affiliated Units
04/22/2018-04/22/2018, Patuxent River, Maryland
Contact: George (doc) Durity
108 Reeves Street 
Walterboro, South Carolina 29488
Telephone: 843-538-1122
Email: gdurity1492@yahoo.com

USS Archerfish (SSN-678)
08/30/2018-09/01/2018, Groton, Connecticut
Contact: John "Gumba" Carcioppolo, 
27 Washington Drive
Gales Ferry, Connecticut 06335
Telephone: 860-514-7064
Email: gumba700@comcast.net
www.facebook.com/groups/207386250983

USS Sam Houston (SSBN/SSN-609)
09/06/2018-09/08/2018, Long Beach, California
Contact: Howard Dobson, 28 Colony Boulevard
Wilmington, Delaware 19802
Telephone: 302-764-1197
Email: howardvaldobson@verizon.net
www.usssamhouston.org

USS Hugh Purvis (DD-709)
09/10/2018-09/13/2018, Savannah, Georgia
Contact: George Baker
Telephone: 803-396-5605
Email: Gbaker1@comporium.net
www.hughpurvis.com

USS Lake Champlain (CV-CVA-CVS-39)
09/10/2018-09/13/2018, Buffalo, New York 
Contact: Jim Brown
Telephone: 914-490-9662

USS Towers (DDG-9)
09/11/2018-09/16/2018, San Diego, California
Contact: Raymond Wong
Telephone: 415-601-6285
Email: usstowersddg9@pacbell.net
www.usstowersddg9.com

USS O'Hare (DDR/DD 889)
09/13/2018-09/16/2018, Buffalo, New York
Contact: David Oldani, 600 Hillview Drive
Lawrenceburg, Tennessee 38464 
Telephone: 931-300-2904 
Email: ussohare@gmail.com
www.destroyers.org

DE-59 Foss, DE-361 Walton, DE-634 Whitehurst, DE-534 Silverstein
09/14/2018-09/17/2018, Jacksonville, Florida
Contact: Mary Hudson
Telephone: 573-291-1922
Email: marjer67@centurylink.net

USS Hornet (CV-8/CV/CVA/CVS-12)
09/19/2018-09/23/2018, Mobile, Alabama
Contact: Sandy Burket, PO Box 108
Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania 16673-9817
Telephone: 814-224-5063
Email: hornetcva@aol.com
www.usshornetassn.com

VQ Association (VQ-1/VQ-2/VQ-5/VQ-6)
09/20/2018-09/23/2018, Tempe, Arizona
Contact: Paul Buemi, 5605 Medinah Court
Granbury, Texas 76049
Telephone: 513-205-9607 
Email: buemipaul@gmail.com
www.vqassociation.org

USS Randolph (CV/CVA/CVS-15)
09/23/2018-09/30/2018, Kissimmee, Florida
Contact: Henry Levy
Telephone: 352-542-7513
Email: hardtimeshp@gmail.com

Navy Nuclear Weapons Association 
09/24/2018-09/28/2018, St. Louis, Missouri
Contact: John E. Hawkins 
Telephone: 239-540-1830
Email: JHawkins0549@gmail.com

USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) 
09/25/2018-09/30/2018, San Antonio, Texas
Contact: Jim Kulp, 131 River Bend Park
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602
Telephone: 717-917-2184
Email: jimkulp71@gmail.com

USS Iwo Jima (LPH2/LHD7)
10/10/2018-10/13/2018, Jacksonville, Florida 
Contact: Robert Mcanally, 152 Frissell Street
Hampton, Virginia 23663
Telephone: 757-723-0317
Email: yujack46709@gmail.com
www.ussiwojimashipmates.cfns.net/

Iron Angels (VF-14, VF-141, VF-53)
10/15/2018-10/19/2018, Charleston, South Carolina 
Contact: Don Browning, 838 Bentwood Circle
Manning, SC 29102
Telephone: 817-296-0189
Email: 71whiskeytango@att.net
www.ihg.com (Group code ‘ANG’)

Mine Division 113 Vietnam
10/18/2018-10/21/2018, Charleston, South Carolina 
Contact: Don Hecke, 223 Ranchester Terrace
Hot Springs, Arizona 71913
Telephone: 501-620-0593
Email: don9329@hotmail.com
www.minedivision113vietnam.com

USS Independence 
(VAA62/CV62)
12/3/2018-12/7/2018, Biloxi, Mississippi
Contact: Denis Bagley, 65 Pioneer Ridge Road
Canton, North Carolina 28716
www.ussindependencecv-62.org

Looking For...
Looking for…Jake or Sonja Bustamante STA at HE HOLT NAVCOMSTA, Australia 72-73. Contact PO1 Alexander Smith USN (Ret.) at P.O. Box 361067, Los Angeles, California 90036 or at 323-243-3238.

All Reunions/LookingFor… must be submitted in writing to FRA Reunions/LookingFor…125 N. West Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314 or at victoriad@fra.org.  Please include your FRA member ID and a daytime phone 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

Personalize Your Social Security Payout Strategy 

Only you can decide if claiming Social Security at age 62 or waiting to claim later makes more sense. Lifestyle and philanthropic intentions, marital and employment status, and gender are all factors. 

When Do You Claim? 
If you are in a position to think through your Social Security claiming schedule, do it. It could mean thousands or tens of thousands to your annual retirement income. 
Here is your choice: You can start receiving monthly payouts at the qualifying age of 62 like many people. Or you can hold out for a bigger payout down the road. 
It is your call–and it could be a game-changer in retirement. Though an immediate need for funds will usually trump other considerations, delaying Social Security for just eight years–until age 70–could mean up to 30 percent more from Uncle Sam every month. 
Some key considerations will likely factor into your claiming strategy: 

What Does Age Have To Do With It? 
If 60 is the new 40, then 80 is the new 60. Longer life spans are only part of the story, though. The rest of it plays out every day in 21st century lifestyle and retirement expectations, not to mention philanthropic intentions or plans to help out the family or grandchildren. 
Along with modern realities, retirees’ multiple income sources and investments are changing traditional Social Security claiming patterns. It may make more sense to begin drawing funds from other income sources while delaying Social Security. Or, you may even decide to put off retirement for a few years to make it possible. 

What Is Your Claiming Combo? 
If you are married or in a relationship, you will want to look at where you both stand in relation to retirement. We are talking “still working” versus “already retired.” Depending on your personal circumstances, a number of scenarios could apply, including: 
•	Both spouses or partners wait until 70 to claim
•	One spouse or partner claims early while the other waits
•	A lower-earning spouse claims a spousal benefit at or after full retirement age while deferring his or her own retirement benefit (available only to anyone born on or before May 1, 1950, from full retirement age through age 70)
Your claiming strategy may be as unique as your financial circumstances and retirement outlook. 

What Is Your Gender? 
Longer life spans apply here, too. Women, on average, outlive men. Take gender into account in your claiming strategy. Look at your gene pool, retirement expectations, and whether or not you’ll receive dependent Social Security benefits should you lose your spouse. 
Give yourself the gift of planning ahead, especially as you approach Social Security eligibility, to help you get more from this valuable retirement income source.

Next  steps
•	Decide on a Social Security claiming strategy that works for you. 
•	Write it down, revisit it occasionally, and tweak it whenever necessary. FRA

Wells Fargo Advisors does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult with your tax and/or legal advisors before taking any action that may have tax and/or legal consequences.
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, VA 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.

Our firm does not provide legal or tax advice.
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, VA 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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FRA PROFILE

Brian Condon

In October 2015, Brian Condon started his journey in becoming an integral part of the FRA family. Having always had an avid interest in legislative matters since watching the 1992 Presidential election, taking part of the Legislative Team was a natural fit. Among other duties, he writes OnWatch (FRA’s quarterly newsletter), tracks proposed and current legislation and advocates on behalf of our members and FRA’s legislative goals. He hopes the Association can continue to find effective ways to communicate to potential members the pivotal role FRA partakes on Capitol Hill. He noted that when dealing with legislative affairs it is important to remember that the best results are obtained through lengthily debate and a commitment to ones principals. Nothing comes easily on Capitol Hill and that is the way it should be. 
Being part of a military family influenced his decision to join the United States Marine Corps (USMC). He left for Paris Island, South Carolina to begin boot camp at the age of 19.  What Brian enjoyed most during his time in the military was the quality of people with whom he worked with. This made whatever duty he had on hand more appealing. One of his most prominent memories from the Corps is the attack on World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Brian recalls being assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. and with a flak jacket, Kevlar and loaded M16 on hand he was patrolling the base that night. During the following months he was on security detail and continued his Marine Corps career until 2004. He would go on and spend a year in Okinawa, Japan with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172. His last duty station was Camp Lejeune 8th Engineer Support Battalion where he left as a sergeant. His decision to leave was mostly influenced by the desire to pursue college utilizing the Montgomery GI Bill. For anyone that is contemplating a future career with the USMC, Brian’s advice is “Know what you want out of life. If the USMC can help you achieve that then embrace it.”  FRA
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