FRA Today – February 2016
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM THE FANTAIL
SHIPMATE FORUM
ON & OFF CAPITOL HILL
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
FEATURE
TAPS
Welcome Aboard
REUNIONS
NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES
NEWS FROM THE AUXILIARY OF THE FRA

COMMUNICATIONS 

Fulfilling Our Purpose
As I’ve often said in this column, I’m fortunate that my job allows me to interview interesting folks and share their stories. This month, you’ll read about the innovative ways Shawn Deehan, president of Global Dynamic Security (GDS), is training dogs to track those who intend us harm. He makes the point that his working dogs are “tools, not pets” and he’s justifiably proud of these canines’ purposeful existence. 
I had the privilege of visiting the GDS training facility and watched these dogs demonstrate their impressive capabilities. I’m a reasonably intelligent person and fully understand that it’s not appropriate to pet service animals, particularly while they’re working, but … well … I’m a dog person. It took a lot of restraint not to stroke Bojar, Max and the other GDS dogs while they were fulfilling their innate and cultivated purpose. When I returned home that day, I was happy to pet and coddle my own canine friend, Dolce. She’s not nearly as well-trained or obedient at her GDS relatives, but she does serve a valuable, though very different, purpose: She’s a loyal friend and faithful companion. 
I think we all like to believe that our existence on this planet has made a difference in one way or another. Understanding and fulfilling one’s purpose can make a difference in so many ways and I can’t help but draw a parallel to FRA’s important and purposeful work. FRA’s mission to protect and preserve the quality of life for enlisted Sea Service personnel has remained constant for more than 90 years and our focus has never wavered. Every service member (including those who serve in the Army and Air Force) has benefited in some way from FRA’s legislative advocacy, as have their spouses, children and survivors. All shipmates can be proud of the difference their involvement in the Association has made over the years. Thank you for helping FRA to fulfill its purpose. 
Correction
In a caption on page 16 of the January issue of FRA Today, the Maryland Mayhem was incorrectly referenced as a “wheelchair volleyball team.” The Mayhem plays wheelchair rugby.

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

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VETERANS’ SERVICE 

FRA Doing More for Veterans
By Chris Slawinski, FRA National Service Director
History
The most frequent questions I am asked are: “Is FRA a VSO?” and “What does FRA do for veterans?”
The answers are simple. FRA is absolutely a Veterans Service Organization (VSO), and it’s also a Military Service Organization (MSO), too. For more than 90 years, FRA has been the leading voice for the enlisted sea service community, advocating on Capitol Hill to preserve and enhance both military and veterans’ compensation and benefits. Just take a look at the FRA Action Center (http://action.fra.org/action-center) to see the legislation FRA is fighting for to improve the quality of life for those who currently serve or have served in the past as enlisted members of the U. S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. FRA works to ensure the voice of current and former enlisted personnel is heard on Capitol Hill!
What FRA does for Veterans
Since 1927, FRA has been recognized by the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as a “congressionally chartered VSO recognized by the Secretary for the purposes of preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs…” This means that FRA-accredited representatives help claimants — veterans, their dependents, or surviving family members — throughout the process of making claims for VA compensation. Additionally, Congress also recognized FRA in 1996 as a congressionally chartered VSO when it passed Public Law 104-201. 
Our legislative team works with Congress to ensure veterans receive and retain the benefits they earned through their military service. FRA annually presents our veteran priorities in testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees. FRA is a charter member of “The Military Coalition” (TMC) and works with TMC’s Veterans Committee and other Coalition committees to share shipmates’ concerns. The Association also endorses the annual “Independent Budget,” a VSO-led group that offers VA policy recommendations for Congress and the Administration. 
Working with the VA, FRA is an active Member of the National Veterans Day Committee and the VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) Program, including the National Advisory Committee. FRA shipmates volunteered in 58 VA medical facilities during 2015, donating nearly 15,000 hours and thousands of dollars to help improve the quality of life for our ill and injured heroes. As FRA’s National Service Director, I also meet regularly with VA leadership and attend meetings with all agencies within the department.
Moving Forward
At FRA’s 78th National Convention in Reno, Nevada, the delegates voted to open FRA membership to sea service veterans. To provide additional services to our members, delegates at the 82nd National Convention approved the establishment of a formalized VSO policy that has increased interest among shipmates to become appropriately trained as accredited service officers for FRA.
Also, this past October, at the 88th National Convention, shipmates unanimously approved the establishment of an FRA standing committee for Veterans Service. Regional representatives were selected based on their commitment to veterans and by being either a VA-accredited service officer for FRA, or a local representative or deputy representative for FRA in the VAVS Program at a VA medical facility.
The committee will be busy working to provide guidance and focus for this segment of our membership for the entire association. The committee will assist in continual outreach, education and appropriate reporting to the shipmates on all veteran-related programs. Committee members will assist in the development of training programs, media and tools that will allow shipmates and branches to better connect with veterans in their communities. The committee will also report on activities and practices that are effective in their regions, so your input is vital to ensure this committee is successful.
To find out how you or your branch can be involved, contact your regional committee member or me at FRA National Headquarters.
FRA Standing Committee Members for Veterans Service
Chairman:	PRPEC Chris Slawinski, Branch 181
EC:	Kathryn Hare, Branch 181
NE/NEng:	RPNEng Paul Loveless, Branch 156 
NC:	Rosemary Posekany, Branch 298
NW:	PRPNW Tom Flanik, Branch 382
SC:	PRPSC Russ Miller, Branch 201
SE:	
Faye Wilder, Branch 194
SW:	
PRPSW James Katzenberger, Branch 163
WC:	
PRPWC Shane Dunstan, Branch 137
Advisors:	PRPEC W.G. “Jerry” Butler, Branch 141
	PRPNW C.T. “Bud” Bessey, Branch 328 

Chris Slawinski is FRA’s National Service Director. PRPEC Slawinski is a member of Branch 181 (Arlington, Va.) and can be reached at vafra@fra.org

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SHIPMATE FORUM 

Guard and Reserve Retirees are Not Veterans
I just finished enjoying reading this month’s copy of FRA Today.
In your December statement (last paragraph) you said, “Not all veterans are military retirees, but all military retirees are veterans.” I just want to call to your attention and remind you that is not the case, and why you and your staff have been working the past few years to try to change the wording for ‘Gray Area Retirees.’ I served in the Navy for 28 years, did everything I could to be mobilized in the last few conflicts, and (after having retired in 2006) have continued to volunteer at military bases. Nonetheless, my country still doesn’t consider me a veteran. I’m just one of those darn gray retirees! I don’t know why Congress continues to drag their feet on this subject. The 113th Congress has passed four laws changing the names of things (such as bridges and tax codes), but they can’t see clearly enough to acknowledge the people who have spent the bulk of their lives in service to their county.
Pete Nowicki
In reference to your most recent article you stated “but all military retirees are veterans.” This is not correct. I was a Corporal in the USMCR for an eight-year tour and retired as a Commander in the USNR with 20 years of additional service. I am a retiree, but I am unfortunately not a Veteran. I have seen this misconception before in FRA today and would like to see it corrected. Thanks.
John Reino
FRA Response: You’re absolutely correct. Thank you for your service.
As was mentioned in the article, Congress is working on a way to acknowledge a career of service members like you, who were members of the military reserves and guard. This has also been a longtime goal of FRA and The Military Coalition (TMC). 
Two pieces of legislation related to this issue have passed both chambers of Congress. “The Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act” (H.R. 1384) passed the House and a similar bill “to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the furnishing of health care to veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs, to improve the processing by the Department of claims for disability compensation, and for other purposes” (S. 1203) passed the Senate. 
While both the House and Senate have agreed in principle on “veteran status” for retired reserve and guard members, work still has to be done on how they will proceed to reconcile the differences in the bills.
Tom Philpott wrote a recent article on the topic and 
explained what to expect next. Here is a link to his article: www.fra.org/MilUpdateGuardReserve.
Silent Service in the 2016 FRA Calendar
In the November FRA Today, Shipmate Forum, Shipmate Raymond Zujus states there is not a single photo of a major component of today’s Navy—the “Silent Service,” the Submarine Force in the 2016 FRA Calendar. While it may not be to what Shipmate Zujus is referring, I do believe I see the tower of a submarine on the October calendar page.
Amos Garnto
VGLI Rate Increase
My VGLI premium was $90/month until this year, when I turned 75. It jumped to $128/month with no change in the face amount. Do you have any idea why this is allowed?
Bruce Wierth 
FRA Response: Thank you for your question. According to the VA, Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) is a term life insurance policy totally funded by premiums paid by those insured. The premium rates increase proportionately based on insurance industry life expectancy tables. 
According to the current rate chart, there is a significant premium increase when the insured reaches the age of 75. To find out more about VA insurance programs, you can visit here: www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/

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.

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ON & OFF CAPITOL HILL

TRICARE: Amend It; Don’t End It!
As you read this issue of FRA Today, Congress will be crafting legislation to make drastic changes to TRICARE. For several years now, Defense Department (DoD) officials have claimed that military health care costs have been increasing at an unsustainable rate. These claims have been echoed by the media, congressional staff and legislators. A year ago, the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC) made 15 recommendations to improve and modernize military compensation and retirement benefits, including a recommendation (#6 in the list) that TRICARE be replaced with a plan similar to the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP). 
The MCRMC proposal would leave the pharmacy benefit unchanged and excludes TRICARE-for-Life (TFL) from any changes, but it suggests significant changes in coverage for military retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare.  The MCRMC recommends that “Non-Medicare eligible retirees should continue to have full access to the military health benefit program at cost contributions that gradually increase over many years,” and suggests these beneficiaries would eventually be required to pay 20 percent of all health care costs. Premiums would be increased annually to ensure that beneficiaries keep paying that percentage. Like FEHBP beneficiaries, this new program would allow beneficiaries to choose from an assortment of commercial insurance plans.
FRA believes that the cost of a military retiree’s health care has already been paid, at least in part, with 20 or more years of arduous military service. Further, the Association contends that the current TRICARE system is working quite well and does not need to be scrapped. Putting this new health care program under the administration of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) appears to be a significant move toward treating military beneficiaries like federal civilian employees and there is speculation that the eventual reform will involve putting military retirees in the same health care plan as federal civilians. FRA advocates that military beneficiaries incur distinctive and extraordinary physical and mental stresses that are completely different from the challenges faced by federal civilian employees, and their health benefits should be significantly better than civilian programs.
More than ever, shipmates need to be involved in the legislative process. The FRA Action Center (action.fra.org/action-center) has a direct influence on the association’s ability to effectively represent your concerns before Congress and appropriate federal agencies. Please take the time to use the Action Center to send a message to your elected officials. You are welcome to personalize one of the prewritten letters or compose your own. 
Last year was a record-setting year for shipmates using the Action Center, with nearly 70,000 messages going to Capitol Hill. Your involvement can make FRA’s impact on Capitol Hill even stronger in 2016!

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Final FY 2016 Spending Bill
House and Senate appropriators agreed on an FY 2016 omnibus spending bill and a tax extension bill in mid-December, but not before having to approve another temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating beyond the December 22 deadline mandated by the previous CR. After the spending bill passed both chambers, Congress adjourned for the remainder of calendar year 2015. The President signed the bill into law.
The legislation includes $129 billion to pay for a military force of 2.1 million troops, including 1.3 million active duty service members and 811,000 reservists. That amount is $1.2 billion more than fiscal 2015. As expected, the measure includes funding for a 1.3-percent military pay raise in 2016. The raise is slightly higher than the one-percent increase service members have received the past two years, but less than the 2.3-percent hike necessary to keep pace with private sector wage growth. The measure also includes a $2.1 billion increase in spending for Navy shipbuilding.

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Final Ruling Issued on Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune
After years of review, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a final ruling that certain diseases incurred by people with past service at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will be presumed to be related to their military duty there.
Specifically, the following diseases have been found to be linked to contaminated drinking water at Lejeune: kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, scleroderma, Parkinson’s disease and aplastic anemia. As a result, the VA will now presume that any of those conditions experienced by people who served there were caused by that service.
The ruling is based on a study of medical conditions that could have been related to drinking water at Lejeune. The VA concluded contaminated drinking water at the base directly affected health conditions of roughly one million people—service members, family members and civilians stationed there during specific dates from August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987.
The new announcement doesn’t mean all claims for the affected diseases will be approved immediately or that there will be any retroactive approvals. The VA first has to issue an updated regulation, after which the new rule will be applied to new disability claims. The VA will put any pending Lejeune-related claims on hold until the new regulation is issued.

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HASC-MP Holds Hearing on Military Widows Tax
The House Armed Services Committee’s Military Personnel Subcommittee (HASC-MP) held a hearing on the offset surviving spouses endure if they receive Survivor Benefit Program (SBP) annuities and are also eligible to receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) if their military spouse died from service-related causes. This offset is commonly known as the SBP/DIC offset or the “military widows’ tax,” because the law forces survivors to forfeit a dollar of the SBP benefit (an annuity paid for by their spouses) for every dollar of the DIC they receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 
FRA co-signed a Military Coalition (TMC) statement submitted for the hearing that urges Congress to repeal this unfair offset. The statement acknowledged the modest monthly Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) for those affected by the offset, but it also pointed out that the schedule of annual increases to the allowance will end in 2017. For FY 2017, the monthly SSIA will be $310/month and will restore about 25 percent of the offset. However, the SSIA benefit will expire October 1, 2017, and the payments will stop. At minimum, Congress needs to extend the SSIA payments or SBP/DIC survivors will forfeit the $310 monthly allowance.
The TMC statement included language in the SSIA ruling to strengthen the argument for eliminating the offset completely. The court decision that established the SSIA in 2009 required payment of both SBP and DIC to eligible survivors who remarried after age 57, stating, “After all, the service member paid for both benefits: SBP with premiums; DIC with his life.”
Additionally, there are contradictory aspects of the law that penalize survivors who remarry before age 55 for SBP, and before age 57 for DIC, by stopping their payments. The same law also penalizes widows (by continuing to subtract DIC from SBP) for not remarrying after age 57. FRA supports the complete elimination of the offset for all SBP/DIC-eligible survivors. 
FRA supports legislation in the House and Senate (H.R. 1594/S. 979) that repeals the SBP/DIC offset (i.e. the military widow’s tax) and urges members to use the FRA Action Center (action.fra.org/action-center) to ask their legislators to support these proposals.

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The FRA Action Center
The FRA Action Center is the primary grassroots tool for FRA’s advocacy program on Capitol Hill and in the federal bureaucracy. FRA’s advocacy program is directly related to the association’s mission and gives voice to member concerns regarding pay, health care, survivor benefits, education, housing, child care and other quality-of-life programs.
The Action Center is located on the FRA website (action.fra.org/action-center). The top of the page lists pending legislation, and members can click the title of the specific bills for “current action alerts” that will provide a brief explanation of the pending legislation or legislative amendment.
The next step is to enter the member’s zip code and click the “Go!” button, which will provide a pre-written e-mail message for legislators, President and/or other top government officials to express support or opposition to the legislation.
Shipmates can edit the pre-written message or draft their own, and a simple click of the “Send Message” tab at the bottom of the page will launch the message electronically to the intended recipients. Shipmates also have the option of printing the message and sending it by regular mail. The Action Center also includes a “Tell-a-Friend” option that allows the users to send the specific action alert to other shipmates, family members or friends.
The Action Center “Bills of Interest” section includes a “Key Votes” section and a current and past legislation section. It also has the “Election Guide” that provides information on candidates, election results and how to register to vote in a specific state. The Election Guide provides voter registration assistance for military overseas voters. Additionally, the Action Center provides a congressional directory with contact information for all members of Congress, as well as a “Media Guide” that provides contact information for media in the shipmate’s geographic location.
Use of the Action Center by all Shipmates is important. It supports the advocacy efforts of the FRA Legislative Team and allows members to directly impact the legislative process in a timely and effective manner.

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Coast Guard Authorization Passes House Again
On May 18, 2015, the House passed the Coast Guard Authorization bill (H.R. 1987) for FY 2016 and FY 2017. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Duncan Hunter (California), and its Senate companion bill (S. 1611) are stalled on the Senate floor at press time. In an effort to move the Coast Guard authorization forward, the House recently passed another bill (H.R. 4188) with provisions from both the Senate and House bills, both of which authorize 43,000 personnel end strength and eliminate the Senior Enlisted Continuation Boards. 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 remains a high priority for FRA, and the association notes in testimony and in Capitol Hill correspondence the continuing challenges within the Coast Guard budget to adequately fund previously authorized active and reserve quality-of-life programs.

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DoD Announces Changes to Military Decorations and Awards
The Department of Defense recently concluded a year-long review of the military decorations and awards program to ensure continued appropriate recognition of the service, sacrifices, and actions of service members while maintaining the historical legacy of the awards program. DoD’s review focused on combat and valor recognition utilizing lessons learned over 14 years of combat operations. There were no changes to the criteria for the Medal of Honor (MOH) or the Purple Heart. The key changes include:
•	Implementation of new goals and processes to improve timeliness of Medal of Honor and other valor awards;
•	Standardization of the meaning and use of the “V” device as a valor-only device to ensure unambiguous and distinctive recognition for preeminent acts of combat valor;
•	Creation of a new combat device (e.g., “C” device) to distinctly recognize those service members performing meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions;
•	Adoption of a common definition of Meritorious Service Under Combat Conditions to determine eligibility for personal combat awards; and
•	Introduction of an “R” remote impacts device to recognize service members who use remote technology to directly impact combat operations.
Most of these changes will be implemented over the next 12 months.
The complete list of changes to the military decorations and awards program can be found at: http://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Military-Decorations-and-Awards-Review-Results.pdf.

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Stateside BAH Increased
On January 1, 2016, Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) was increased by an average of 3.4 percent. This increase is the second in a five-year, phased-in plan approved by Congress, which requires service members receiving BAH to pay an increasing share of off-base housing costs out of their own pockets. 
Despite this increase, the portion of housing costs borne by BAH recipients is increasing by one percentage point per year. This means that next year they will pay two percent of national average housing costs out of pocket, with their housing allowance covering the rest. By 2019, that cost-sharing formula will rise to a maximum of 5 percent. 
FRA opposes cuts to BAH payments and wants BAH to reflect actual housing costs, ensure adequate housing inventory and ensure that housing privatization programs are beneficial to service members and their families.

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Senate Confirms Navy Assistant Secretary
The Senate confirmed Franklin R. Parker as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. In this capacity, Parker will be responsible for the overall supervision of manpower and reserve affairs at the Department of Defense (DoD). He is currently Chief Counsel of the Maritime Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation, a position he has held since 2012. From 2009 to 2012, Parker served as Attorney Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel of the Navy. From 2005 to 2009, Parker worked as an associate at the law firm of Winston & Strawn, and prior to that he worked as a member of the policy and research staff for Obama for Illinois. Parker holds a B.A. from Yale University, a J.D. from Stanford Law School and an M.P.P. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

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SVAC Moves Veterans Bills Forward
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) has amended and voted out of committee two legislative proposals that impact the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Both bills will now be considered on the Senate floor. 
SVAC approved the “Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act” (S. 425), which seeks to allow certain nursing homes to accept eligible veterans when other VA health care plans are not an option, particularly when the veteran resides in a rural area. The bill, sponsored by Senator John Boozman (Arkansas) and supported by FRA testimony on Capitol Hill, was amended with a two-year sunset to provide the committee the opportunity reevaluate the program and determine its long-term viability. 
The SVAC also approved the “No Excuses Act” (S. 290), sponsored by Senator Jerry Moran (Kansas.), which seeks authority to reduce the pensions of VA executives convicted of a felony, limit the amount of paid administrative leave for VA senior executive service (SES) employees to only 14 days and reform the department’s management training program and performance appraisal system for senior executives. The bill was introduced as a result of VA Secretary Bob McDonald claiming he did not have authority to discipline VA employees in cases of misconduct.

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TRICARE Pharmacy Co-pays Change February 1, 2016
On February 1, 2016, most TRICARE beneficiaries will see a slight increase in copays for prescription drugs available through Home Delivery and retail network. Military pharmacies and TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery will remain the lowest-cost pharmacy option for TRICARE beneficiaries. 
The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires TRICARE to change its prescription copays. All drugs at military pharmacies, and generic drugs through Home Delivery, are still available at no cost to beneficiaries. Copays for brand name drugs through Home Delivery increase from $16 to $20 for up to a 90-day supply. At retail pharmacies, generic drug copays go from $8 to $10, and brand name drug copays go from $20 to $24 dollars, for up to a 30-day supply. Copays for non-formulary drugs and for drugs at non-network pharmacies will also increase.
Beneficiaries can save up to $208 in 2016 for each brand name prescription drug they switch from retail pharmacy to Home Delivery. Home Delivery offers safe and convenient delivery of prescription medications right to your mailbox. To learn more about the TRICARE Pharmacy benefit, or to move your prescription to Home Delivery, visit www.tricare.mil/pharmacy

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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.

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS 
Student Veterans’ Organizations
FRA is working on a new initiative for membership. We are finding ways to partner with colleges and universities to raise awareness of our scholarship program (offered by FRA’s Education Foundation) and provide other resource services for veterans.
One of our branches in the Northeast/New England Region has taken the reins and established a partnership with Stockton University in Galloway Township, N.J. Branch 13 (Atlantic City, New Jersey) President Al Davenport and Vice President Bob Campbell presented a $1,000 scholarship to the university to be awarded to a student veteran who (preferably) served enlisted time in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. A Scholarship Selection Committee at the university will determine the recipient. 
Members of Branch 13 raised money through a coin drop project in their local community. The money donated by citizens in the area is used to grow Branch 13’s membership and has now been tagged to offer a scholarship to a deserving student veteran at Stockton University this year and next. 
In addition to helping deserving student veterans, this partnership also gives the students an opportunity to obtain information about FRA’s national scholarship program through our Education Foundation. Equally important, it raises awareness about the FRA and how our organization can educate veterans and the community about earned benefits and FRA’s legislative efforts to protect and improve those benefits.
Branch 13 plans to continue to be a resource to the university. Shipmates Davenport and Campbell were invited to join the veterans’ advisory board of Stockton University and will attend meetings to consider issues relevant to student veterans and offer recommendations with the assistance from the FRA local, regional and headquarters’ shipmates. On the membership front, there are plans to sponsor student veterans as members of the FRA; so far, 10 have joined Branch 13. With approximately 650 veterans at Stockton University from all services, the goal is to recruit as many as 50 additional sea service students. For the future, Shipmates Davenport and Campbell will contact other local veteran-friendly colleges and universities in the area and conduct outreach to raise awareness about the FRA and the availability of scholarships through FRA Education Foundation
All FRA shipmates are encouraged to consider exploring the possibilities of enhancing membership through partnerships with student veterans’ organizations at colleges and/or universities near them. To get started, find local schools with chapters of the Student Veterans of America or locate the Veteran Services Center on campus. You may also contact the Public Relations office on campus to find out if the college has a student veteran program. When you have made these contacts, request a time to visit with the student veteran groups to introduce yourself. You may also want to offer copies of the current issue of FRA Today, which is an excellent resource of information about veterans’ concerns and what FRA is doing to address them.
In the future, we plan to develop a brochure specifically for student veterans to include information on education and other benefits offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), FRA’s Education Foundation, membership in our organization, community outreach opportunities and family programs.
If you need further details and/or suggestions about how to approach student veteran organizations on local campuses, please contact Bob Washington, FRA’s outreach coordinator, at 800-FRA-1924 (ext. 125) or e-mail him at bobw@fra.org. You may also contact Shipmate Bob Campbell at 609-226-0639 or by e-mail at bcampbell@craigtest.com. They can both provide information and solid advice to assist with your college veterans outreach projects.

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

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FEATURE

Sniffing Out Danger
Whether as mascots, companions, sentries or scouts, dogs have played a role in military culture since ancient times. Canines’ involvement in battle has been recorded in cave hieroglyphics, surviving documents from early civilizations and archeologic finds of canine armor. Training dogs for specific military purposes began during World War I, with the Germans and British using canines (K-9s) for sentry and messenger duties, as well as searching battlefields for wounded soldiers. The U.S. military joined the effort during World War II, training some 11,000 dogs for that conflict. The military’s K-9 programs have evolved to support law enforcement, drug interdiction and counter-terrorism efforts, to name a few. 
The process of training these working dogs has also evolved and the next innovation in K-9 training comes from Global Dynamic Security (GDS), a security firm located near Fredericksburg, Virginia. GDS president and founder Shawn Deehan has developed a new behavioral science model and method for training detection dogs that he believes will revolutionize the way military forces employ tactical K-9 assets.
A Revolutionary Approach
“GDS has made a study of odor and how it disperses, settles and reacts to air currents. We’ve studied smoke, vapor and dust to visually and scientifically study the dispersal patterns of odors and have applied that understanding to develop a revolutionary approach to K-9 detection models,” explains Deehan. “It’s a new animal behavioral model that includes obedience, tracking and other trained behaviors, and can be employed to detect drugs, explosives, gun powder, and other substances.” 
Deehan has more than 25 years of experience with working dogs and his expertise includes training large, aggressive breeds. He founded GDS in 2010 and, since then, has turned his focus to developing highly-trained, tactical K-9s for use by military special operations forces. And Deehan is passionate about his work. 
“It’s new technology that can save lives,” says Deehan. “I sincerely believe it could have huge impact on force and fleet security.” 
Deehan hit upon this innovative approach when he attended bomb-detection school in November of 2011. “There was a photo of a military dog handler on the wall and I asked about him,” he recalls. “I was told he stepped on a mine and lost both legs. I thought that was just horrible and unacceptable and I knew there had to be a better way. My study of how odors behave and the evolutionary behavior of dogs led to GDS’s unique behavioral science model for K-9 training.” 
The Nature of the Nose
Dogs are born sniffers and their advanced olfactory capability has been fine-tuned by millions of years of evolution. A dog’s nose is his interface with the world and his sense of smell is off the charts compared to a human’s … and with good reason. Both dogs and humans have curled plates in their noses, called turbinates, which are covered with a layer of ridged tissue. This tissue contains most of the scent-detecting cells and the nerves that transmit olfactory data to the brain. Humans have about one square inch of this surface. By comparison, if you could unfold these ridges in a dog, it could be as large as 60 square inches. Humans have about five million scent receptors in their noses, but dogs can have up to 300 million, depending on the size of the dog and the length of his nose. 
Dogs’ brains are also specialized for processing scent information and it’s estimated that 35 percent of a dog’s brain is dedicated to smell. This sector of the canine brain is about 40 times larger than a human’s and some experts believe dogs can identify odors anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans! 
K-9 trainers and handlers have capitalized on this inherent ability for centuries and Deehan’s training methods are no exception. “GDS training focuses on the compulsion of dogs to track odors, with no regard for the objects in which they’re contained,” explains Deehan. “The target scent is the commonality. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a vest, in a car, on a ship, in a backpack. Our dogs are totally focused on the odor and solely use their noses to find it. They often bump into the handlers’ legs, because they’re not looking.” 
The Science of Scent
So what makes the GDS model different from traditional K-9 training methods? Deehan believes the GDS model is an improvement because it incorporates both the dog’s inherent desire to track and understanding the science of scent. 
“It’s all about the scent,” says Deehan, who dismisses the concept of a “scent cone” commonly referred to by traditional dog trainers. “We’ve spent a great deal of time studying odors and how they diffuse. The physical nature of all odors is similar with regard to the way they disperse and the life of the scent, regardless of what the odor or scent is. Air currents can confuse the location of the odor’s source, causing the scent to morph and swirl and change direction,” he says. “Traditional K-9 detection methods start the search downwind, but that’s like turning a firehose of odor on the dog’s sensitive nose. Scents don’t disperse in a conical shape … or any shape, really … and our dogs work irrespective of air currents. They track the scent to its source, regardless of the way the odor may have shifted and swirled.” 
Innovation for Improved Results
Deehan has great respect for the traditional ways and is, in fact, a product of them, but firmly believes the traditional training and tracking methods can be improved. He uses the example of dog handlers pointing to suitcases during airport searches. “In some cases, the dogs learn to find suitcases, not contraband. Our dogs are odor driven, not object driven. The odor is constant and it’s all about the scent,” he repeats. “Dog handlers who use traditional methods are sometimes threatened by this model and mindset, but it’s not a competition. It’s about force protection and saving lives.” 
One of the most noticeable differences between GDS dogs and those trained in a more traditional fashion is that GDS dogs work without a leash. “Our dogs work off lead and make what may appear to be erratic patterns as they search. But they’re obviously working the scent. Their noses are pressed to the ground and they barely look up. Our dogs will go where the odor takes them. They smell the scent in the air and where it’s settled on the ground and collected on objects,” explains Deehan. “They’re also trained to indicate in varying ways. For example, if a dog goes to a door and is sniffing intensely, that gives the handler an indication that the target scent in inside that door. The dogs won’t give a final indication until they find the source.” 
To illustrate, Deehan demonstrates the abilities of Bojar, a Czech Shepherd, to find a tiny amount of cocaine scent buried in a large field. When “cast” by Deehan’s hand gesture, Bojar’s nose immediately presses to the ground and he begins to track the odor, making sweeps from side to side – a behavior Deehan calls “bracketing.” As Bojar zeroes in on the buried odor, his brackets become more narrowly defined and he eventually lies down calmly near the target, with his nose purposefully and intently placed on the canister containing the scent. Deehan only approaches the dog when he’s convinced the target has been identified, at which point he drops a small rubber ball. The ball is the dog’s only reward and the only acceptable cue that he can remove his nose from the target scent. 
To further demonstrate Bojar’s proficiency, we retreat approximately 50 feet from the target in the opposite direction, and Deehan again casts the dog. Instead of going directly back to the target, as one might expect, the dog begins a new search pattern, nose to the ground, repeating his rigorous tracking until he again finds the target. 
Another GDS dog, Max, a Malinois, demonstrated similar skill in tracking ammunition stashed in a two-story building. Holden Boyd, Deehan’s associate, hid three AK-47 rounds in the top drawer of a filing cabinet on the upper floor, where the open room also held an array of furniture, stacked boxes, a mattress and other obstacles. Starting 80 to 90 yards from the target odor, Max immediately tracked the scent to the building and then to the top floor, narrowing his sweeps as he got closer to the building entrance, much as Bojar had done in the field. But once on the top level, he seemed off the mark when he focused his attention on the side of the room furthest from the filing cabinet. But Deehan was patient. Max eventually worked his way to the cabinet, but he then seemed to focus his attention on a lower drawer — not the top one where the bullets were hidden. A few moments later, Max “hit” on the proper drawer, just as Deehan had predicted. 
When asked why Max was so close to the target but didn’t immediately indicate it, Deehan explained that air currents are unpredictable and scents travel in erratic ways. He and Boyd then provided a visual demonstration of how the odor was released from the cabinet, which explained Max’s temporary interest in the lower drawer. “No matter how the scent moves, it and its source are always constant.” 
Leash-Free Concerns
“A lot of traditional dog handlers aren’t comfortable with the dogs being off lead,” says Deehan. “They think the dogs are goofing off when they make wide and what appear to be erratic sweeps. But you can see the dog is obviously working. He is absolutely following his nose to the scent source.” 
Letting the dogs run free raises questions, but none that Deehan hasn’t heard before. For example, if the dog runs without a leash, won’t they detonate bombs or improvised explosive devices [IEDs]? 
“It’s possible that a dog could hit a tripwire or something like that, but most bombs today are detonated by remote control,” explains Deehan. “Those that are detonated with a pressure switch require about 80 pounds of pressure to detonate. If it were any more sensitive than that, the bombers would set it off before they could place it. Our dogs weigh about 60 to 80 pounds and, if you divide their weight by four paws, they’d be putting less than 25 pounds of pressure on a device. And by working the dogs off lead, they can work in advance of their human handlers. Letting the dog take the lead allows troops to be further from the bomb, which provides an essential element of force protection.”
Deehan emphasizes the need to use the dogs in conjunction with intelligence information gathered by humans. “We obviously can’t have dogs wandering the streets looking for bad guys and bad stuff. Counter terrorism and counter insurgency efforts would be employed when intelligence information pointed to a potential threat. Human assets would be coordinated with K-9 assets. I firmly believe we could have stopped the attacks on Paris [in November of 2015]. They found explosives a mile from the attack sites and dogs can absolutely hit up to a mile away.” 
How can the dogs distinguish the difference between a bad guy with weapons or explosives and a good guy carrying similar scents, such as personnel in a military unit? Why don’t the dogs hit on their handlers or other troops who are carrying weapons or have worked with explosives? 
“Dogs learn to associate with their handlers,” explains Deehan. “If a stranger walked in here carrying a weapon or explosives, the dog would give an indication of some kind, and would then key off our reaction.” 
Tools, Not Pets
Like all working K-9s, GDS dogs are important assets to the humans who handle them in the field. And Deehan is quick to point out that these dogs are not pampered or coddled. They don’t play fetch and they don’t live in the house with their handlers. 
“GDS dogs are tools, not pets. They are well-fed and well cared for, but we don’t ‘play’ with them,” he explains. “When they are successful in finding a target odor, they are rewarded with a ball; no treats, no praise or pats on the head. This is consistent with their evolved nature. We provide a safe and healthy environment and work with their primal nature.” 
It’s apparent Deehan respects the animals with which he works. “Most humans project human-like behavior onto dogs. They dress their dogs up and make human assumptions about what they like or don’t like, but they aren’t human. It’s simply not accurate to believe the animal is thinking and making cognitive, reasoning decisions or that it’s going through a reasoning process. They don’t think, ‘I’m mad, so I’m going to ignore your commands.’ Dogs’ brains are binary. It’s either yes or no for them; a go or a stop.” 
The Business of Training Detection Dogs
GDS offers a variety of security services to the company’s customers, who include anyone who experiences high level threats, including the U.S. and foreign governments. GDS introduced its tactical K-9 program in July of 2015, and while Deehan expects his training methodology will remain proprietary for five years or so, he is willing to share some fundamentals in his training philosophy. 
Dog selection is critical. GDS chooses only breeds that demonstrate high intensity and most are secured from the Netherlands, where Deehan believes the best breeders are located. Most GDS dogs are also KNPV-certified, which means they are certified by the Dutch government to be suitable for use by the Dutch police force. (The KNPV is a K-9 sport popular in Europe and is also known as the Royal Dutch Police Dog Sport.) 
GDS secures most of its dogs when they are young adults — anywhere from eight or nine months to two years old. An intensive training regime lasts from two to four months, during which the dog are trained with synthetic odors. 
“These ScentLogix odor kits offer complete odor signatures and don’t deteriorate over time,” explains Boyd. “Besides being dangerous to have around, real drugs and explosives vary by the mediums and other components with which they’re mixed. These ScentLogix synthetic odors provide a pure odor essence and create a complete odor memory for the dogs, regardless of the mixture that might contain that odor in some part or another.” 
Once a dog is trained in detection methods, an additional six weeks of training is needed to teach the handler and a spotter the GDS behavioral science model and obedience methods. This is necessary to ensure the dogs can be effectively maintained and employed as part of a tactical team. 
“The dogs are a high-tech tool, not unlike some sophisticated electronic device. Handlers need to learn how to use this tool properly and with consistency to get consistent results. Consistency is key,” Deehan adds. “The concept of ‘practice makes perfect’ isn’t accurate. Practice makes habits. Perfect practice makes perfect performance.”
Once the dog and handlers are trained, the dog’s skills need to be maintained — a process that can be accomplished in a mere six to 10 minutes per week, according to Deehan. More traditional training methods require dogs be put through their paces up to four hours per week, but Deehan contends this is overworking the animals and pushing their limitations. He believes they perform better, and can search more intensely, more efficiently and more effectively if they are well-rested. 
This training and expertise doesn’t come cheap. GDS charges more than conventional vendors for a trained dog, the training sessions for the handler, odor kits and other accoutrements needed to maintain the dog’s skills. “We monitor the dog for a year and offer feedback to the handler on how he or she is working with the dog. We want to ensure no bad habits are formed,” says Deehan. 
Saving Lives 
Deehan believes this new K-9 technology can be a force multiplier and is working to promote it to the U.S. government for use in military units. Although the technology is available today, he understands it will take years to implement it at scale and is eager to start its use as soon as possible. 
“The current terrorism threat is a great motivator to advance this work. These dogs are unbeatable, offensive counter-terrorism assets,” says Deehan, with conviction. “These dogs are trained to find bombs so people don’t get blown up. They’re trained to find drugs before they’re available on the streets of our cities. These dogs can save lives.”
GDS dogs have been featured in several national print outlets and television segments. To learn more, visit the following links:
Fox News/Fox and Friends:
(November 1, 2015) 
www.fra.org/GDSonFox
Military.com:
(November 11, 2015) 
www.fra.org/GDSMilitaryCom

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

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TAPS
Allen, Melvin N, MS1, USN	145
Arndt, Fred J, EN1, USN	147
Asuncion, Benjamin R, MSC, USN	084

Batts, Adner, MSGT, USMC	MAL
Berberabe, Emilio C, SD3, USN	111
Bowers, Glenn C, EN	MAL
Boyer, Smith F, AOC, USN	018
Boyle, Edward J, BMC, USN	310
Brown, Clarence E, DTC, USN	101
Brown, John W., MM2, USN	145
Bynum, James A, LT, USN	024

Christman, Vance D, CM1, USN	MAL
Crouch, Alan A, MM1, USN	042
Crump, Charles R, PNC, USN	014
Cuevas, Rolando A., SH1	127
Cusey, Larry E, MAC, USN	MAL

Dertien, P.H.Survivor, Donald, USN	186
Dewitt, Charles R, ABEC, USN	290
Dobrochowski, Michael, CWO4, USN	MAL

Fegan, Frank E, FTG1, USN	106

Garcia, Donald P, MMCM, USN	MAL
Gaul, Ray H, CAPT, USMC	172
Gray, Ronald C, AG2, USN	327
Griffith, William E, CEC, USN	MAL

Hampy, Arthur, P.H. Survivor, USMC	186
Hedrich, Emil R, AMCS, USN	MAL
Helvig, Thomas H, CTRCM, USN	MAL
Hill, John D, POCS, USN	MAL
Hodges, Joseph H, USN	MAL
Hood, Dewey M, ABFC, USN	251
Hopkins, Harry C, MSGT, USMC	292
Houck, Wesley J, ICC, USN	163
Howerton, Walter R, CS2, USN	269
Huetsch, John O, WO1, USMC	161

Jaques, Mike J, FTCM, USN	MAL
Jenkins, Evester, CPO, USN	136
Jones, Frederick, MM3, USN	185
Jones, Robert W, FTCG, USN	MAL
Jordan, James A, GMG1, USN	MAL
Justice, Robert W, GMG1, USN	MAL

Kirkpatrick, Gerald E, LT, USN	101

Latimer, George Wayne, USN	094

Marasco, Harry J, HTC, USN	018
McCoy, Charles D. A., SKC(SS), USN	068
McLeary, Wilfred L, UCCM, USN	024
McNally, Joseph F, CTMCS, USN	MAL
Melter, Bernard R., GYSGT, USMC	136
Meyers, Robert M, AO2, USN	147
Milne, Arthur A, ADRC, USN	086
Milton, Edward L, PO1, USN	MAL

Nobrega, William, PO1, USN	132
Norton, Charles W, YNCS, USN	089
Noyes, Vernon E, ATC, USN	289

Olsen, John H., SN, USN	229

Paschen, Ralph E, BM1, USN	010
Paszke, Paul D, CPO, USN	118
Peterson, Richard W, CTM, USN	136
Pritchard, Charles E, RDC, USN	070
Pueliu, Paulo, HT1, USN	084

Rasche, Bruce, CWO4, USNR	038
Rau, Raymond C, MSGT, USMC	136
Richards, Stephen M, HTCS, USN	269
Robison, Robert L, MR1, USN	020
Rosenfeld, Daniel Marshall, ENC(SS), USN	117
Roth, Robert L, AMHC, USN	147

Saylor, Felton C, EM2, USN	339
Shaeffer, Vernon L, DCC, USN	MAL
Sheeran, John M, ADCR, USN	276
Simpson, Robert D, EOC, USN	217
Sisson, Edward S, ACCS, USN	342
Smith, Clyde N, ENC, USCG	MAL
Smith, Malvin W, HMCM, USN	053
Spiro, Michael E, PVT/COL, USMC	024
Stephenson, Charles L, OSCM, USN	MAL
Strack, Roy L, HM1, USN	MAL

Tafalla, Nicholas D., USN	004
Tenekedes, Nicholas, BTCS, USN	117
Tollefson, Arthur O, USN	328
Tomlinson, James A, CPO(ADC), USN	MAL
Turgeon, Zane F, AFCM, USN	261
Turner, George E, CTM1, USN	285

Wallace, Richard H, 1STSGT, USMC	072
Williams, Thomas E, SKC, USN	MAL
Wilson, Robert A, LCDR, USN	316
Wirfs, Lewis L, AMSC, USN	307
Witherow, John B, GMCS, USN	MAL
Woodruff, Richard W, ENCS, USN	MAL
Woods, Norbert G, QMC, USN	175
Wright, Daniel L, BMC, USN	MAL
Wroblewski, Richard, CMCS, USN	192

Zaldivar, Joel D, BTC, USN	024

Names in red indicate 50 year continuous members. Names in bold indicate Past National Officers.
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FRA New Life Members 
FRA congratulates the following shipmates who have become Life Members during the fourth quarter of 2015.  The listing also includes their branch number or their designation as a Member-at-Large (MAL).  Call 1-800-FRA-1924 to learn how you can become a Life Member of FRA. 
October
James F. Baker	MAL
Leonard J Weikum	094
Sam Davis, Jr.	046
Bobby Broderick	046
Herbert M Bridge	018
Clyde H. E. Flotten, Jr.	261
David P Heckman	MAL
Arthur G Morgan	MAL
George W Laclear	MAL
Thomas L Gordon	261
John O Peterson	070
Bernard J Glaser	048
William W Kanady	MAL
Carl E Dotson	MAL
Kenneth E Ellsworth	093
Richard Linder	MAL
Bonnie L Bond	MAL
Michael Glenn	MAL
Lyle M Hapgood	070
Robert Graves	061
Ronald D Dionne	MAL
Jeffrey Muniz	269
Walter Nezwisky	MAL
Linda L Sherry	136
Charles H Perry	130
James W Liles	MAL
Ronald R Rash	070
Richard G Johnson	182
Milford T Nickell	049
Visitacion Q Bergado	MAL
Bruce Putinas	020
Albert W Klingele	226
Russell Meyer	MAL
Malcolm E Macleod	020
William M Griffith, Sr.	099
Donald J Zawojski	MAL
Qube G Watford	MAL
Niles F Alger	MAL
November
Larry S Cannon	093
Larry W Wallace	MAL
Thomas G Johnson	MAL
Alexander J. Bodo	269
Mark Obrien	047
Russell L Marcoux	MAL
Mark Sterling	268
Richard Hall	281
Richard L Naujoks	166
Byrdene L Martin	MAL
Robert N Steele	008
Philip J. Dorweiler, Jr.	MAL
Earl H Goodell	269
Dave S Besteda	MAL
Henry H. Marshall	070
Ernest H Eggink	046
James F Taylor, Jr.	MAL
Charles A Pytko	MAL
Melvin O Drummond	097
Roosevelt Bradwell	MAL
Anthony Wayne Hesser	210
William Michael Schofield	MAL
Karl Carter	020
Spencer L Nichols	MAL
Sergio M Frost	289
Abel Loomis	MAL
Jaime E Howe	024
Norman W. Jones, Jr.	024
Richard G Enderby	MAL
Norman Calhoun	MAL
Arnold Franke	MAL
Terry Back	MAL
Eligio J Reyes	302
Robert S Taylor	183
Donald H Pulsifer	103
Robert Nesbitt	MAL
James E Morley, Jr.	024
John P Halloran	161
James Matthew Van Natta	MAL
Bud D Smith	022
Wesley E Crider, Jr.	MAL
Fred H Weidenhammer	MAL
Joshua Taylor	MAL
Robert J Martin	192
George W Kassing	227
Larry R Martin	022
Gerald E. Baker	MAL
James N Jackson	MAL
William E West	MAL
Thomas H Wilkison	024
Michael Luppino	029
Carl R Tew	386
Martin Spateholts, Jr.	060
William M Carman	292
Ferdinand R. Flores	154
Harold R. Newhard	115
James H Park	126
George R. Bonk	094
Anthony O Gaston	067
Eugene B Enlund	223
Hank I Parks	289
Thomas V Martin	061
Hilbert W Laidlaw	089
Leland F. Plummer	MAL
Gabriel L. Ruliva	154
Leon R Shivers	339
Raymond D Everett	MAL
Jimmy Vaughan	MAL
Paul A Wells	346
George R Plouffe	MAL
Lee Gould	MAL
Marion E Drivas	066
Carl Cheesman, Jr.	MAL
Allen H Storms	MAL
Homer J Cullifer	147
Lyman R. Brenner	309
Prentuth Lacy	MAL
Frederick D Buck	289
Frank E Wilimzig	022
Frank E Cox	367
Henry N Monsale	064
Larkin D. Cockrill	281
John P Topolski	MAL
Joseph W Childers	MAL
Gregory W Crompton	008
Edward E Swatzell	097
Kenneth H Burkhart	MAL
David M. Brown	103

December 
Thomas H Wilkison	024
Michael Luppino	029
Carl R Tew	386
Martin Spateholts, Jr.	060
William M Carman	292
Ferdinand R. Flores	154
Harold R. Newhard	115
James H Park	126
George R. Bonk	094
Anthony O Gaston	067
Eugene B Enlund	223
Hank I Parks	289
Thomas V Martin	061
Hilbert W Laidlaw	089
Leland F. Plummer	MAL
Gabriel L. Ruliva	154
Leon R Shivers	339
Raymond D Everett	MAL
Jimmy Vaughan	MAL
Paul A Wells	346
George R Plouffe	MAL
Lee Gould	MAL
Marion E Drivas	066
Carl Cheesman, Jr.	MAL
Allen H Storms	MAL
Homer J Cullifer	147
Lyman R. Brenner	309
Prentuth Lacy	MAL
Frederick D Buck	289
Frank E Wilimzig	022
Frank E Cox	367
Henry N Monsale	064
Larkin D. Cockrill	281
John P Topolski	MAL
Joseph W Childers	MAL
Gregory W Crompton	008
Edward E Swatzell	097
Kenneth H Burkhart	MAL
David M. Brown				103
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REUNIONS

Naval Air Station Atlanta
May 13–14, 2016, Dilliard, Georgia. Contact Al Nordin, Kennesaw, GA, 678-581-9594, anordin912@aol.com 
Navy Postal Clerks
May 1–5, 2016, Nashville, Tennessee. Contact Patrick Huston, 455 Wimpole Ln., SW Palm Bay, FL 32908, 321-984-2293, phuston001@cfl.rr.com
NCHB/NCHF STAFF
October 13–16, 2017, Williamsburg, Virginia. Contact Mike Gorton, Glendale, NY, 718-386-8017, mgorton@msn.com
NMCB 62 Seabees
April 28–May 2, 2016, Gulfport, Mississipi. Contact Norm Hahn, 1805 Oaklawn Dr., Eau Claire, WI 54703, 715-379-8482, normhahnjr@yahoo.com
USS Bluefish (SSN-675 & SS-222)
April 28-30, 2016, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Contact John Wittenstrom at 910-235-0191 or jwittenstrom@nc.rr.com
USS Caiman (SS-323)
April 18 –21, 2016, Tucson, Arizona. Contact Douglas Smith at 360-377-4763 or dbfrider@comcast.net
USS Forrest B. Royal (DD- 872)
June 23–26, 2016, Portland, Maine. Contact Ron Larsen, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, 715-423-8905, mosbyusn@wctc.net
USS Halibut (SSN/SSGN-587)
September 18 –21, 2016. Contact John Long, Bremerton, Washington, 360-710-5707, jonhanddebbielong@comcast.net
USS Manatee (AO-58)
May 24–26, 2016, Reno, Nevada. Contact Joe Kraus, PO Box 55328, Stockton, CA 95205, 209-473-0570, celebritygalleries@sbcglobal.net 
USS L. Mendal Rivers (SSN-686)
October 27–30, 2016, Charleston, South Carolina. Contact Rusty Pickett, Shellback Cruises, 2131 Westrivers Road, Charleston, SC, 1-888-497-2227, scruises@wowway.com
USS Raton (SS/SSR/AGSS-270)
September 14 –18, 2016, Branson, M). Contact Larry D. Kramer, 6326 N.E. Barrett Dr. , Poulsbo, WA 98370, 360-697-2842, LDKRAMER43@hotmail.com 
USS Savannah (AOR-4)
September 11–16, 2016, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Contact Ray Heinrich at 252-715-3132 or aor4ray@yahoo.com
USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN/
SSN-610)
May 17–22, 2016, St. Louis, Missouri. Contact Doug Farnham, 12601 E Heritage Dr., Mt. Vernon, IL 62864, 618-316-4780, jjaaxster@gmail.com
VA-46 / VA-72
July 21–24, 2016, Jacksonville, Florida. Contact Joseph Heidenblut, 541 George Watson Street, Orange Park, FL 32073, 904-449-6738, hdbluto@aol.com

Members can post reunions online at www.fra.org, submit to reunions@fra.org or mail to: FRA Reunions, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, Virginia, 22314.

Reunions are a Great Recruiting Opportunity!
If you’re hosting or attending a reunion, please consider how many prospective FRA members will also be there! FRA has published a prospective member brochure with an information request form and a “thank you for your service” reference card included. You can easily talk through benefits of membership with the prospect using this card and offer NewsBytes or one of the FRA guides, provided by filling out the information card. For their convenience, they can keep the list of benefits on one side and a handy list of information sources on the other. 
These work great for one-to-one conversations with someone you know is eligible for membership (at least one day of enlisted service in the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard). You can request these brochures or other items for your reunion from FRA Member Services, at 1-800-372-1924, or mmserfra@fra.org. Reunions are great places to recruit — if you’d like additional information or ideas for your reunion, please contact us!

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LOOKING FOR

RMC Bob Russell (Ret.)
I was stationed with him in Barbados in 1964 and Iceland in 1968. He also operated Carib West and Calypso Airlines out of Barbados. Contact OTCM Werner Miller, USN (Ret.) at wmiller22@cox.net or 757-705-7403.
All who served in the Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB or NCHF) or on the staff
Please contact BMCM Mike Gorton, USN (Ret.), at mgorton@msn.com or 718-386-8017.
MMC Tom Fisher (Ret.)
I served with Tom on the USS Bausell (DD-845) from 1971–1974. He was a First Class Petty Officer who made Chief while I was on the ship. Please e-mail me at cdhorton@aol.com or call my office at 541-772-4180 if you have any leads to finding Chief Fisher.
National Assault Craft Veterans Association 
If you served on such a vessel as an LCM, Mike 6 or 8, LCVP, LCP, or LCI during war or peace, we invite you to join us. Contact Robert Garcia at 304-986-3620 or gunner1615@aol.com OR contact Don Brown at 662-893-4648 or db1451@gmail.com
OSCS Jimmy Wheeler
We were stationed together at Keokuk, Iowa, as Navy Recruiters approximately 1973–1976. Contact NC1 Jim Kinlaw (Ret.) at 701-237-5366 or jikinlaw75@gmail.com, or write me at 3307 Adams St South, Fargo, North Dakota 58104.
Looking for a Boot Camp book for U.S. Navy Company 350, from late 1977. 
I’d like to give it to a friend. Please contact ETC (SS) Dan Burger, USN (Ret.), at 464 Quiggley Cir., Harrisburg, PA 17112 or 717-566-9282.

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.

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NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES

BRANCH 201 Austin, Texas
Shipmate Dewey Scarborough receives his 40-year continuous membership pin from Branch President and PRPSC Bob Holcomb.
BRANCH 268 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
FRA Shipmates gathered at the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) Memorial at the Oklahoma State Capitol on December 7 to commemorate the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. Pictured (l to r) are branch members Jessie Whitney, Susan Frederici, Warren Jones, Bob Delaney, Benton Wilkison, Troy Lollis, Don Forman, Les Arnold, Sheridan Marquardt, Jim Perinovic and Lloyd Sietz.
BRANCH 22 Pensacola, Florida
Branch President Jim Richmond (2nd from left) presented a 50-year continuous membership pin   and certificate to Shipmate Jim Jackson (left), 30-year continuous membership pin and certificate to Shipmate Carl Sanderson (2nd from right), and 35-year continuous membership pin and certificate to Shipmate Mike Vincent (right) at a recent branch meeting.
BRANCH 276 Omaha, Nebraska
Past Branch President James Black (left) and Branch Secretary Don Watkins present Shipmate Thayne Louden his 40-year FRA Certificate and membership pin.
BRANCH 99 Virginia Beach, Virginia 
Newly-installed member HMC Nicole Jackson shakes hands with Branch Vice President Art Bailey after taking the oath. Shipmate HN Jacoby Jackson (not shown) was also initiated at this branch meeting.
BRANCH 186 Hernando, Florida
Three Pearl Harbor survivors attended the branch’s Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Luncheon. Pictured (l to r) are William Leiner (USN, stationed at Ford Island), Albert DeMarco (USA, stationed at Schofield Barracks), and Donald Bloomfield (USAAF, stationed at Hickham Field). We started our luncheons 21 years ago with 21 survivors, and it has been our extreme pleasure to have hosted them.
BRANCH 166 Virginia Beach, Virginia
Branch President Martin presents MAC Kyle Merrill with three gift cards to be utilized by the Naval Air Station’s Holiday Assistance Program.
BRANCH 226 Staten Island, New York
Master Chief Eric Heimburge, Captain Michael Day and FRA Branch President Jim Brown present YN2 Janet Petrak with a plaque to commemorate her selection as Enlisted Person of the Quarter (3Q15) at USCG Sector, New York.
BRANCH 146 Johnsonville, Pennsylvania
Branch President Dave Carver is shown placing flags for Veterans Day 2015 in the Memorial Garden at the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum located on the grounds of the former NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
BRANCH 127 Bicol Nabua, Philippines
Bicol Region and branch and unit recognize and congratulate Shipmate Ray G. Darag, age 89, on his 40 years of continuous FRA membership!  Pictured (l to r) are Past Branch President William T. Solevin, Branch Secretary Ely P. Barachina, Shipmate Ray G. Darag, Mrs. Darag, and Branch President Herminio L. Ballester.

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NEWS FROM THE AUXILIARY OF THE FRA

Message from Regional President West Coast 
Spokane, Washington, was the site of the 2015 National Conventions. The city and hosting branch and unit not only extended their hospitality, but gave those attending beautiful, unusually nice weather. For those who might have been able to do some exploring, there was a gorgeous display of Chinese lanterns.
Convention also provided some important recognition for some West Coast Region units. Reports submitted by Units are divided into groups determined by the number of members on March 31 of that year. Of the reports that were submitted to the national committee from the West Coast Region, two were first place winners: Unit 137 (Sierra-Tahoe) in Group 3 and Unit 59 (ColoWyo Border) in Group 5. Unit 137 also received an award for recruiting the largest number of new members during the year. 
Our units continue to do great work in the new year. In an attempt to obtain new and younger members, a meeting was arranged between several veteran organizations in the Sierra/Tahoe area and a reporter from the Record-Courier newspaper. (Visit www.fra.org/RecordCourier to read the story.) The reporter wrote a front page article that appeared around Veterans Day that told about what these veterans organizations do to help not only veterans, but the community as a whole. The president of Branch 296 and I were interviewed for a radio program that aired on Sunday, November 22, and we’re hopeful that some recruiting success will come of these efforts.
Unit 137 (Carson City, Nevada) arranges to deliver cookies once a month to single Marines at Pickle Mountain, which is located on CA State Hwy 108. This is a caring program that has been successful.
During the holidays, the West Coast units give financial support to many worthwhile organizations. Most units have a Christmas party for members of the branch/unit. Some request toys that will be given to organizations that distribute them, and also non-perishable food items for the local food closets. One unit made, decorated and then delivered Christmas stockings to a local women’s shelter.
Fisher House Foundation, the nonprofit organization that provides a network of comfort homes for the families of recovering veterans, is accepting contributions of airline miles and hotel points. Those wishing to check into this can go to the Fisher House Web site at www.fisherhouse.org 
To those who may be ill or have an ill family member, I send special prayers for a speedy recovery; for anyone who has lost a loved one, I extend my sympathy and prayers.
The holiday season is over, but it’s important to remember how blessed we are to have the freedom to celebrate these holidays — each person in his own way. Here’s wishing everyone a happy 2016!

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