FRAtoday November 2022
comMunicaTIons
FROM THE BRIDGE	3
SHIPMATE FORUM	4
On & Off captol hill	6
FEATURE  STORies	
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS18
SHIPMATE NEWS19
TAPS20
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA21
FINANCE MATTERS22

COMMUNICATIONS

Happy Birthday Marine Corps
On Nov. 10, 2022, U.S. Marines across the globe will recognize 247 years of service to their country, the sacrifices made to defend democracy, and the Marine Corps’ enduring legacy as America’s premier fighting force.
The Marine Corps’ tradition celebrates the establishment of the organization on Nov. 10, 1775, by the Second Continental Congress. Following their role in the American Revolution, the Marines were abolished following the Treaty of Paris in April 1783. Then, on July 11, 1798, Congress ordered the creation of the Marine Corps and directed that it be available for service under the Secretary of the Navy.
The birthday, also known as Marine Corps Day, was originally celebrated on July 11 from 1799 until 1921 when Major General Lejeune issued an order to formalize the tradition and establish the day to honor the birthday of the Marine Corps. The ceremony includes a guest of honor, a reading of Lejeune’s birthday message and the current Commandant’s message, recognition of the oldest and youngest Marine present and a cake cutting.
The first cake ceremony is unknown, but the first on record took place at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., in 1937. Major General Thomas Holcomb, the Commandant, presided at an open house for Marine Corps officers, including the cutting of a cake in the shape of Tun Tavern, the birthplace of the Corps.
In the 2021 annual message, Commandant of the Marine Corps General David H. Berger and then Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy Black paid tribute to the men and women who joined following Sept. 11, 2001. These Marines were called to service as an elite counter-insurgency force and made great contributions in the deserts of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Northern Africa. “As we mark the 20th anniversary of those who fought the war on terror and are now retiring, we want them to know that we appreciate their courage, sacrifice, and the valor they showed during this conflict.” 
“The next generation of Marines may operate differently and in different places than the Marines who wear the eagle, globe, and anchor today. Yet they will join a long and proud heritage of Marine fighters who have never turned from a threat or an enemy. We will always remain most ready when our Nation is least ready, because we must protect our shores and our citizens. And as the next evolution of warfighting becomes our reality, it will still be the Marines who defend this nation,” said Berger.

In Loyalty, Protection and Service, 
William D. Stevenson, Editor-in-Chief

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FROM THE fANTAIL

Thank You All, for a Busy and Exciting Year
It has been my honor and privilege to serve as your national president. I have had many special moments throughout this year. It has been my pleasure working with the Auxiliary National President Pat Suckow and her national board. I am very proud of my national board of directors. Throughout the year, they continued nonstop work as board members and the leaders of their respective regions, for that I say thank you for all the support. Secondly, none of this success could have happened without the help and support of the national headquarters staff. To my Parliamentarian PNP Bob Beese, National Chaplain Sam Lymon, job well done.
   As I mentioned earlier, my special moments this year were: Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in Phoenix, Arizona, the Pilgrimage to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, being the presenter at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, several visits to the United States Capitol and more. The list was long and I will always be grateful for this opportunity. I would like to say thank you to all the branches and regions that I visited, for their warm and heartfelt welcomes.
   In closing, I would like to say a special thank you to all the Shipmates who continue to work on getting the FRA name out to the active duty, reservists, veterans and retired members of the Sea Services. It is all about letting them know who we are, what we are about and what we can do for them. 
Shipmates, I ask one more thing of all of you, please look out for our aging Shipmates — stop by and visit with them or call to check on how they are doing.
Yours in,
Loyalty, Protection and Service,
Jim Campbell, 
National President 2021-2022

Jim is the national president of the Fleet Reserve Association and may be reached at: FRANP@FRA.org.

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sHIPMATE FORUM

President Biden’s 9/1/22 Inflammatory Speech
I just want to express my shock and disappointment at the president’s use of Marines as a prop for his inflammatory political speech derived on 9/1/22. As a 22-year veteran I am deeply offended at his use of these men for his political gain.  America’s military has always been, and should always be, apolitical, no matter what party our Commander in Chief is.  I would hope the leadership @ FRA is as offended as I and considers making a formal statement from the organization regarding this matter.  Let’s not let this president politicize our military or use them to intimidate the American people.
Thank You!
Dan Peterson

Who Reads the Ads?
I offer a differing thought (regarding) advertisement in our FRAtoday. In the September 2022 issue there were two letters published abolishing the publication of accepting a specific ad.
First, the letter writers did not reference the issue(s) that contained the ad. I had to scan my back issues to find the ad.

After finding and briefly scanning the questionable(?) ad, I thought who in our community would put any credibility to it. Besides, most people know a publication does not condone nor advocate the substance in any advertisements. We simply accept their payment to help defray the cost of the publication.
I asked two of my local shipmates and both said, “Who reads the ads?”
Respectfully Submitted,
AVCM Arvid Nelson, USN (Ret.)

Extremist Advertisements/Operation Deep Freeze
I disagree with my Shipmates concerning the supposed salacious ads for news organizations and product manufacturers. I believe that FRAtoday is like any other fraternal organization as it raises funds for its operating obligations, and how it raises those funds is the organizations business. While those ads may be construed in many different facets by its members, it still remains the organizations business and each member has to decide whether to support or not. In point of fact, those members offended by ads should simply not read them, as I am sure there are an equal number of members who do support those organizations and may indeed watch channels like NEWSMAX and believe in the amendments to the U.S. Constitution. For an organization that publishes a newsletter or magazine to stifle free speech in its choice of advertising or articles is at its base discriminating and not a proponent of the very amendments that every member of this particular organization took an oath to support and defend, to wit the Constitution of the United States. 

On a lighter note, I enjoyed the article “Operation Deep Freeze” immensely. It was a sad time in the late 1990’s when the Navy’s part in Deep Freeze was discontinued and the Naval Support Force Antarctica (NSFA) Detachment was decommissioned. I was proud and honored to have been a member of that detachment while serving the Summer season at Byrd Surface Camp in 1988-89 and again as the Winter Over Senior Independent Duty Corpsman and SEA at McMurdo Station in 1995-96. Your story brought back many memories and fond recollections of my 18 months on the Ice.

I wish to thank you very much for all the fantastic articles and ads as your staff performs an invaluable service with FRAtoday for all its members.
HMCS (SW) Chuck Davidson, USN (Ret.) 

Change the Channel, or Turn the Page 
In the September 2022 FRAtoday I see where two of my shipmates are attempting to use their political lens to shape or censor what I might choose to read (or not) by suppressing advertising they do not like. I see the FRAtoday as simply selling the ad space — as do nearly all magazines — to help offset publishing costs. I submit that I and my adult brothers and sisters are able to discern what interests us by ourselves without their assistance.
To my shipmates who want to manage what I am exposed to — consider doing as most of us do when presented with an article, ad, or TV show we don’t like: simply ignore it. Change the channel, fast forward, or turn the page. There is no written test at the end. You do not need to study it. If it offends you, simply ignore it.  You will live longer. 

To the editors — please do not be influenced by your readers’ political views in managing the FRAtoday. This is a magazine for a military fraternal organization. If an ad offers something illegal, sure avoid it. Finally, I’d note that the ads in FRAtoday are similar to those found in other periodicals aimed at groups of mature adults.
FTCM(SS) Thomas E. Clark, USN (Ret.)
 FRA
Letters published in Shipmate Forum reflect the opinions and views of individual FRA members. They do not reflect the position of the FRA. The FRA is not responsible for the accuracy of letter content. To submit letters to FRAtoday for consideration, please send them to: 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314 or to fratoday@fra.org.

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ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL

Unfinished Business Awaits Congress after Election
As you receive this copy of FRAtoday, Congress will still be working to pass spending bills for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1, 2022. Failing once again to pass spending bills on time, Congress approved a Continuing Resolution to keep our government open until Dec. 16, 2022. 
Congress will also be working on passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-S.4543, H.R.7900). The House approved its version of the NDAA on July 14, 2022. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved its version of the NDAA (S.4543) on July 18, 2022 and sent it to the Senate floor for further consideration. The Senate intends to consider floor amendments before passing the bill in November. The FRA is supporting several of those amendments. Some of the FRA-supported floor amendments include an amendment sponsored by Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Michael Crapo (Idaho), which adds a provision to this “must-pass” bill to expand concurrent receipt. Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center to weigh in on this issue (www.fra.org).
Once the Senate approves the bill, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve the differences between the House and Senate bills. The FRA is asking Senators to support House provisions in the final bill to halt military medical billet cuts for three years. These cuts have the potential to create access challenges for military families, retirees and their families as well as those survivors who rely on the military health system. Members can weigh in on this issue through the FRA Action Center located on the website (www.fra.org). 
Shipmates are strongly encouraged to use the FRA Action Center to contact their elected officials on these and other important issues. Grass roots advocacy has a direct impact on the FRA’s ability to effectively represent your concerns before Congress and the other appropriate federal agencies. Please take time to send a message to your elected officials.  

Concurrent Receipt Update
The FRA signed onto a letter from The Military Coalition that urges House and Senate leadership to fast track the pending concurrent receipt legislation that is currently in the House (H.R.1282), and an amendment to the Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA S.4543). The FRA is a founding member of TMC, which is comprised of 35 organizations representing more than 5.5 million members of the uniformed services — active, reserve, retired, survivors, veterans — and their families.
The coalition letter notes that currently, combat-injured and often seriously disabled, veterans are subject to a cost-saving offset. This is when their retirement pay is reduced for every dollar of VA disability received. Retired pay is for completed years of service paid by the DOD, while disability compensation is for lifelong injury paid by the VA. These two benefits, established by Congress for entirely different reasons, are nonetheless subject to an unjust statutory offset. To reduce veteran retirement pay because of a combat disability is an injustice. 
Members can use the FRA Action Center located on the website (www.fra.org) to weigh in on this issue. 

Ask Senators to Stop Cuts to TRICARE Medical Staff  
Please ask your Senators to support Sections 780 and 1110 in H.R.7900, the House passed version of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act. 
House Sec.780 addresses concerns about battlefield medicine by halting medical billet cuts for three years and requiring an extensive DOD assessment of military medical manning related to operational requirements.
Medical billet cuts also have the potential to create access challenges for military families, retirees and their families, as well as those survivors who rely on the military health system. The civilian healthcare system is in a very different place today than it was in 2019, when the DOD announced plans to cut medical billets and transition beneficiary care to civilian providers. The three-year halt required by Sec.780 would also allow time to assess the changes in civilian medical system capacity and workforce projections.
House Sec.1110 includes eliminating the 180-day delay for retirees joining DOD as civilian employees if they are healthcare workers in the Military Health System. 
Members can go to the FRA Action Center to weigh in on these issues. 

Camp LeJeune Litigation
The FRA received numerous phone calls from Shipmates regarding the television commercials about toxic exposure lawsuits for those who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, MCB, North Carolina, between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987. These commercials are being paid for by law firms and are a result of Sec.804 of the recently enacted PACT Act that provides comprehensive toxic exposure benefits. This specific section of the law allows people to sue the government for damages for individuals exposed to toxic substances while residing at Camp Lejeune. These lawsuits often take several years to reach a settlement, the attorney representing the claimant receives a substantial portion of the settlement, and there is an offset of VA disability benefits with any settlement that may be received through a lawsuit. VA regulations on this are expected in the coming months. 

IG Report: VA Mishandled LeJeune Water Contamination Cases
A recent report from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General concludes that the VA mishandled more than one-third of all Camp Lejeune water contamination disability claims, possibly cheating as many as 21,000 veterans out of financial compensation. The IG report found that errors in claim effective dates and retroactive payments alone affected nearly 4,000 veterans and totaled about $14 million, but that accounts for only a small portion of the mistakes. Most of the errors impacting more than 17,000 veterans’ cases when VA staff prematurely denied claims without requesting additional evidence of injury. The IG review of more than 57,000 Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, cases handled by VA staff between March 2017 and March 2021. The VA inspector general found that many cases not related to the established presumptive conditions were summarily rejected, instead of requesting more information on their conditions. The presumptive conditions were created by FRA-supported legislation that was signed into law in 2012. 

Helping Active Duty During Recruitment Crisis
During the House Armed Services, Military Personnel Subcommittee markup of the FY2023 National Defense (NDAA-H.R.7900), Ranking Member Mike Gallagher (Wis.) said, “We are on the cusp of a military recruiting crisis.” Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concern that this year could be the worst recruiting environment since the end of the Vietnam War. According to Politico, the Army has reached 66% of its goal for the fiscal year ending in September, and the Navy is at 89%, according to data compiled from October 2021 to May 2022. Even with rates of 100% for the Air Force, Space Force, and the Marine Corps (Marines reduced their end strength by 1,500). These figures show the department with a total rate of just 85%.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III recently announced actions to strengthen economic security of service members and their families. Recognizing the extraordinary pressures that military families face, Secretary Austin directed the following actions:
•Review the prospective 2023 Basic Allowance for Housing tables. 
•Increasing BAH in areas that have suffered more than 20% spike in rental housing costs. 
•Fully fund commissaries to cut prices to achieve at least a 25% savings on grocery bills compared to the local marketplace.
•Permanently increase standard TLE maximum coverage from 10 to 14 days for CONUS moves and allow up to 60 days of TLE if a Service member is in an area with a housing shortage.
•Increase the Dislocation Allowance for E-1 to E-6 Service members, and DLA payments will be paid automatically one month prior to their move date. 
•Invest in Child Development Program facilities to expand capacity and quality of care. 
•Expanding the in-home childcare fee-assistance pilot program to additional states. 
•Accelerate the development of seven additional occupational licensure interstate compacts for spouses who must transfer professional licenses or credentials with each move. 
•Increase DOD hiring of military spouses to help military spouses build portable careers. 
•Launching a career-accelerator pilot plan to match spouses with paid private-sector fellowships.
The FRA supports the memorandum entitled “Taking Care of Our Service Members and Families.” The association has noted in testimony that news reports on privatized military housing condition paints a picture of horrific inexcusable living situations confronting military families.
A top priority of the FRA is to secure annual active-duty pay increases that are at least equal to the Employment Cost Index to keep pace with the private sector pay. This year’s online benefit survey of active-duty members indicated that more than 78% see the threat of cuts to future pay increases as “Very important,” which is the highest rating. 
The FRA wants to restore BAH to 100% of housing costs from the current 95%. Further, the association wants to reform enlisted housing standards by allowing E-7s and above to reside in separate homes, track BAH to ensure it is commensurate with actual housing costs, ensure adequate housing inventory, and that housing privatization programs are beneficial to service members and their families.
The Association also wants to ensure adequate funding of the Transition and Relocation Assistance Programs, and authorization of increased PCS mileage rates and higher household goods weight limits for senior enlisted personnel. Lastly, Congress should provide compensation for shipment of a second POV for accompanied overseas assignments.

Coast Guard Authorization Update
The FRA and other organizations signed on to a letter to Chair Sen. Maria Cantwell (Wash.) and Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. This letter urges them to approve the Coast Guard Authorization bill (H.R.6865, S.4802) The bill passed in the House (378-46). The bill has a provision to ensure currently serving and retired Coast Guard members continue receiving their pay should the government shut down. This is a nonpartisan issue that is essential to securing America’s ports, protecting its shores and preserving lives. The FRA also supports other provisions dealing with affordable housing and expanding childcare. 

Six More States Exempt or Partially Exempt Retired Pay from Taxation
This year six states exempted, or partially exempted, military retirement pay from state their income tax.  According to Military.com state legislators in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia passed laws giving retirees in those states tax breaks based on their military service. These tax changes include:
• New Mexico: Beginning in 2022, up to $10,000 of military retirement is tax free. That amount increases to $20,000 in 2023, and to $30,000 until at least 2026. 
• In Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and South Carolina military retirement income is fully tax-free beginning in 2022.
• Vermont: Beginning in 2022, up to $10,000 in retirement income is tax free for those with a gross income less than $50,000 for single filers or $65,000 for joint filers.
• Virginia: In 2022, up to $10,000 in retirement pay is tax free for retirees ages 55 and older. That amount increases by $10,000 each year until 2025, when up to $40,000 is deductible.
This leaves only California and the District of Columbia fully taxing military retirement income.

New MCPON
As first reported in the May 2022 FRAtoday, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday selected Fleet Master Chief James Honea to become the 16th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON). Honea, a sailor for 35 years, previously served as the Fleet Master Chief for U.S. Pacific Fleet. He was sworn in on Sept. 8, 2022. Honea enlisted in the Navy in 1987 and advanced through the ranks as a boatswain’s mate. Honea will replace MCPON Russell Smith, who took on the job in August 2018.

Honea served as the Command Master Chief at Naval Support Activity South Potomac as well as Command Master Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Fifth Fleet. His personal awards include the Legion of Merit Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (four awards) as well as numerous unit, and campaign awards. He's a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Command Master Chief Course and Senior Enlisted JPME Keystone Course from the National Defense University.

VA Extends Caregiver Benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will extend caregiver benefits until Oct. 1, 2025. This extension will ensure that thousands of families will continue to receive stipends for the next three years.
The caregiver program provides health care and benefits, including a stipend, to individuals who devote their time providing oversight of veterans who need assistance and supervision and cannot live independently. The stipends vary based on location, but range from approximately $1,800 to $3,000 a month, depending on the level of care required. Approximately 33,000 veterans are currently enrolled in the program. Nearly 20,000 of those are Post-9/11 veterans who applied to the program before October 2020 (Legacy Families). Military Times reports that a VA internal review showed as many as 90% of the legacy families who are receiving VA caregiver benefits would have been kicked out of the program as a result from the earlier eligibility changes.
The FRA expressed concern that the VA family caregiver program’s expansion was not being properly implemented in its testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans affairs Committees in March. Despite objections from FRA and other VSO organizations, the VA’s revised regulation tightened the eligibility criteria substantially beyond what is required by law. As the VA’s regulation substantially changes the program’s eligibility criteria, the process to determine a veteran’s “need” for assistance, and the entire methodology and basis for the stipend paid to the caregiver. FRA is concerned that many caregivers will be unable to obtain assistance which was the intent of the 2018 Act.  

50 Years Beyond: The Vietnam Veteran Experience 
On September 27 and 28, The Fleet Reserve Association Headquarters located in Alexandria, Virginia, hosted a select group of Virginia-based Vietnam conflict veterans who were selected to be part the Virginia War Memorial’s exhibit entitled, “50 Years Beyond: The Vietnam Veteran Experience.” 
While at FRA HQ, each veteran had a professional photo session taken and was recorded while being interviewed about their experiences associated with the Vietnam conflict. Eventually, both components will become part of the exhibit, which opens on Jan. 27, 2023, at the Virginia War memorial located in Richmond, Virginia. 
The Virginia War Memorial is collaborating with award-winning photographer and U.S. Navy veteran Laura Hatcher to take the contemporary photos of the Vietnam veterans selected. Videographer extraordinaire, Pamela Hart Vines, will then interview and capture the veterans’ stories on video. The FRA HQ is one of four sites throughout Virginia being used to photograph, video and collect the veterans’ stories. 

FRA Endorses Suicide Prevention Effort
The FRA and 45 other veteran service organizations signed onto a letter urging Congress to approve a resolution recognizing Nov. 13, 2022, as “National Warrior Call Day.” The letter notes that leaders in the U.S. Senate are set to introduce a resolution imminently — timed in conjunction with suicide prevention month and the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The National Warrior Call Day is a national suicide prevention effort aimed at reaching veterans and service members who may be dangerously disconnected from others. The campaign stresses daily connection through calls and unites behind a single day — the Sunday after Veterans Day — to create a groundswell of action from all Americans to “make a call, take a call and be honest.” Congressional backing increases visibility for the initiative and serves to extend the message to the local level.
Lawmakers introduced a similar resolution in 2021 and added it to the National Defense Authorization Act, but it failed to move forward. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) spearheaded the effort and will do so again this year on a bipartisan basis. Both members serve on the Senate Armed Service Committee and are consistent leaders in supporting the nation’s troops and veterans.

House Passes Five Veteran’s Bills
The House recently passed five veterans bills intended to improve the Veterans Benefit Administration and to ensure that disabled veterans, student veterans and their families and survivors get their earned benefits quickly. This includes the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, which will help families who are grappling with skyrocketing inflation. 
The “VA Home Loan Benefit Act” that also passed the House will ease the homebuying process for veterans by letting them use the same modern purchasing tools that non-veteran homebuyers already use. This will help them get into their new homes faster. 
The following bills were passed out of the House:
• H.R.7735: Improving Access to the VA Home Loan Benefit Act, (Rep. Bost).
• H.R.7939: The Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act, (Rep. Levin).
• H.R.7846: Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2022 (Reps. Luria and Nehls).
• H.R.5916: Wounded Warrior Access Act, as amended (Rep. Aguilar).
• H.R.8260: Faster Payments to Veterans Survivors’ Act (Rep. Pappas). 
These bills now go to the Senate for further consideration.

Medical Journal: Post-9/11 Veterans have Higher than Expected Death Rates
The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a report that found Post-9/11 veterans are dying at a higher rate than non-veterans. The study attributed almost 34% of Post 9/11 veteran’s deaths to complications from traumatic brain injury. 
The JAMA study found that among Post 9/11 veterans, 17.5% had mild TBI and 3% had a moderate to severe TBI. There were 43,190 veteran deaths with TBI and that 3,858 more veterans dies compared to the general population after adjusting for veteran population and non-veteran population. Deaths of veterans were predominately by suicide according to the report.

FEATURE  STORY

Devil Dogs in the Sand
Marine Corps Might in Desert Storm

By Jessica Brodkin Webb

A Map to Nowhere
It can be strange to think Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations happened more than 30 years ago and stranger still to think how much has changed since then. As the modern world entered the final decade of the 20th century, a hundred years that began with travel on horseback, included “a Model T for everyone so long as it was black” and ended with an environmentally-driven push for public transportation, people still kept maps in the glovebox of the family car. There were no smartphones in 1991, no pocket-sized electronic devices with downloaded online applications to map a route to grandma’s house or cut across town for an alternate route in rush hour traffic. When Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, however, he knew exactly where he was headed: for oil-rich lands to replenish his coffers.

For decades, Iraq had been embroiled in a very expensive war with Iran and both countries sustained hundreds of thousands of losses. In an ongoing conflict dating back to the late 1970s and the Iranian revolution, Iraq had consistently been involved in territorial disputes complicated by both religious and political disagreements. By 1988, Iraq was somewhat at a loss to overpower Iran in their ongoing fight for control of land and oil. With thousands of human losses sustained throughout the entire region, the country finally agreed to stand down but not before they had acquired an arsenal of weaponry that gave the world pause, even with a tentative peace declared. When defiant Iraqi leaders allegedly began to develop weapons of mass destruction and started to invade neighboring countries such as Kuwait, the United Nations began to impose financial sanctions and established a joint military presence. Among the troops called upon to protect the world? The United States Marine Corps.
Efforts to take down Saddam Hussein and suppress the Iraqi invasion were two fold; operations began with establishing military presence under Operation Desert Shield then progressed to military engagement under Operation Desert Storm. Desert Shield was essentially preparatory work completed by well-trained troops from a coalition of 37 different countries. U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf led Central Command for operations from a watery distance off the northern coast of Kuwait. Among coalition troops were 45,000 amphibious U.S. Marines who appeared completely prepared to move in from the Persian Gulf.

While U.S. Marines were visibly positioning themselves as Schwarzkopf’s powerful right hand in the Persian Gulf, the silent left hand of the coalition was quietly shifting troops into a western position far from visible activity on the east coast. While the right hand played a distraction, the left hand lined up forces for a fast and deliberate attack waiting to happen at a single command. Hussein and his cohorts did not realize the full extent of what coalition forces were laying into place or how the Marines would ultimately be utilized in combat. The manipulative plan was to distract Iraqi leaders into preparing for war in the east until an unforeseen attack came from the western skies with no time to prepare an effective defense. In a historical aside, the plan was not entirely unlike the landing at Normandy four decades earlier, which was also orchestrated around distraction and relied upon leading the enemy to believe an attack was planned for 200 miles in a different direction. This time, 46 years after the longest day in Europe, Marines who were visibly placed off the coast of Kuwait were instrumental to success and Saddam Hussein was defeated in just 43 days.

Send In the Marines
All signs pointed to Schwarzkopf having fooled Iraqi leaders into believing major attacks would come from the landlocked south and the northern coast. As fall stretched into winter of 1990, Marines off the coast visibly increased their activity, making their presence known while preparing for an amphibious assault. They conducted training exercises in full view from the Persian Gulf, publicly welcoming Schwarzkopf to the coast with visible fanfare and a bevy of journalists free to tell the world what was happening at sea. When air strikes began, the USS MISSOURI fired to the east of Kuwait City and the ruse was further substantiated with what appeared to be ineffective air attacks. Marine Corps presence off the coast, coupled with those few initial attacks from out at sea served to convince Hussein and his military leaders they were correct in planning for an amphibious attack from the Marines along with a potential invasion from the south.

The coalition not only let Hussein and his leaders believe they were going to be invaded from the wrong direction, they also propped up that suggestion with propaganda and garish workups in which Marines boldly flexed their might in visible naval operations. According to the United States Marine Corps Museum, Marines broadcast messages against Hussein and dropped hundreds of flyers encouraging Iraqi troops to defect from their army. Marines visibly substantiated what appeared to be the coalition plan for an imminent invasion from the coast while army forces were secretly moving into the more western position.

In the days between preparatory operations under Desert Shield and combat operations of Desert Storm, Iraqi soldiers attacked the Marines stationed in Saudi Arabia. On Jan. 21, 1991, the Marines boldly responded with a Howitzer attack on an Iraqi military convoy, the first of several ugly artillery raids and an official start to the short-lived war. As the war rapidly progressed, U.S. Marines developed a system of fast micro attacks. The tactically strong Marines would turn up at a select point with the Howitzers ready to be used from afar. They’d quietly slide in and rapidly destroy a target, then make their exit before Iraqi troops could figure out where the threat was coming from or take any opportunity to defend themselves against the long-range attacks.

The quick-hit artillery raids of those first days in Desert Storm were brilliantly effective at breaking up Iraqi encampments but they were also another distraction from what coalition forces were really doing. Each time Marines located isolated Iraqi targets, they kept the opposition so busy, Iraqi leaders had no time to consider whether they were being set up for a completely different attack and had little time to deploy counterbattery. By the time major air strikes took effect in the west, Marine infantry units had already taken out some Iraqi forces from the ground on the eastern flank, ruining Iraq’s ill-conceived plans for defense. Operation Desert Storm was a rapid success.

Debrief From a Few Decades Later
Throughout the course of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Marines took out more than; 1,000 Iraqi tanks, 600 armored personnel carriers and 400 artillery pieces. They killed about 1,500 enemy troops and took more than 23,000 prisoners. However, combat operations, even with critical planning and a technological advantage, still left some Marines in harm’s way with minefields to navigate, unforeseen armed Iraqis and a new M1 Abrams tank to master while under attack. Unfortunately, 24 Marines were killed in action or died from wounds acquired in combat, including 14 from friendly fire. An additional 92 Marines were wounded.

Although the Marines’ artillery raids were an unquestionable success, there is something to be said for the use of technology in those attacks. Before each raid, aircraft were sent out to jam Iraqi radar systems in the area, helping conceal the Marines from detection as they moved in and out of position surrounding raids. During the raids, Marines also sent remotely piloted vehicles on reconnaissance missions and manned aircraft provided air support by taking out additional Iraqi troops from above.

Most people would not be able to effectively navigate miles of undefined desert terrain as the Marines did without a little bit of technology we now take for granted: the global positioning system network or GPS. Then-emerging technology, which is now embedded in hundreds of online applications with popup windows asking if we’d like to “share our location” to find the closest grocery store or shopping center was put to the test in Southwest Asia by troops attempting to win a war drawn across invisible lines in an unforgiving desert. The GPS and remote capabilities of early SLGR systems or “sluggers” developed by the Air Force was heavily utilized by the U.S. Army and coalition forces. Historically, the war could be considered the first war in space as maneuvered satellites are paramount to effectively utilize GPS.

More importantly, there is also something to be said for human nature. While technology was integral to the war, it might not have been over in less than two months without deception and distraction. The established strategy of surprise reworked alongside modern technology would not have been possible without the Marine Corps.    

FEATURE STORY

Called to Serve
The U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps

By Ann Norvell Gray

In the first years of the American Revolutionary War, George Washington knew in his heart of hearts that the presence of spiritual support was a critical necessity for the woefully under prepared and under-equipped Continental Army. In July of 1775, the Continental Congress granted his request, and the first Chaplain Corps was created, with one chaplain for each regiment holding the rank of captain. Four months later, the Rules for the Regulation of the Navy were issued, based on the regulations of the British Royal Navy. Thus, on November 28th of this year, the Navy Chaplain Corps will celebrate the 246th anniversary of its creation by Article 2 of those Rules, which says simply, “The Commanders of the ships of the Thirteen United Colonies are to take care that divine service be performed twice a day on board, and a sermon preached on Sundays, unless bad weather or other extraordinary accidents prevent it.”
Those years have been filled with growth in the knowledge, diversity, training, and preparation for this calling that draws faith leaders into this service. Navy chaplains are prepared for duty by the Naval Chaplaincy School and Center (NCSC), which was created in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1971. In 2005, the NCSC left Newport for Fort Jackson in South Carolina as part of that year’s Base Realignment and Closure Commission reorganizations. The idea was to combine the training of chaplains and religious program specialists (RPs), who provide needed support and protection to the non-combatant chaplains, into one operation. After fourteen years of growth and development at Fort Jackson, the NCSC returned to Naval Station Newport, and to its historic home in Brett Hall. The building is named for Lt. Robert Raymond Brett, a Navy chaplain killed in action in Vietnam after giving his place on an evacuating Huey to a fellow Marine. Of the return, NCSC instructor Lt. Cmdr. Justin Hayes said “By moving back here, we’re reconnecting with our roots as sailors. Those who leave here go to their commands ready to help strengthen the warfighter’s spirit. A lot of the different weights we carry on our shoulders can degrade mission readiness, and it’s the chaplain’s role to be someone who breathes fresh life into the fighting spirit of the warrior.” He and his fellow teachers encourage his students to uphold Brett’s example of presence, continued care, and selfless devotion to duty. 
One example of the NCSC’s continuing growth came in 2013, when Navy chaplains and RPs met with Chaplain Corps leadership at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling to fine-tune a new course of training in the special pastoral needs of victims of sexual assault. Reporting procedures for those kinds of assaults were already included in NCSC training, but the specific characteristics of guidance and support for recovery within the constraints of strict confidentiality had not been part of it.  In his opening remarks, then-Chief of Chaplains Rear Adm. Mark L. Tidd said, “As chaplains and religious program specialists, we are in the unique position of being first responders when these critical situations arise. The role we play in helping victims and the accused is crucial to the healing and recovery process for the individual service members, their units and their families.” Teresa Scalzo from the judge advocate general corps’ trial counsel assistance program was on hand to address how religious ministry teams can support victims as they navigate the legal process. “Very often we forget that there are two important goals in military justice: one is victim health and wholeness, and the other is offender accountability. We are far more likely to achieve both goals if we seek both goals.”
As most Shipmates certainly know, a warm, wise, committed chaplain can make the difference between being stymied by the challenges in their tours of duty, or coping with the pressure and pain they may be called on to face. The requirements for these officers are specific, and ensure that a commissioned chaplain is appropriately credentialed by a faith-based organization recognized by the Department of Defense. Chaplains who are formally recognized or ordained in the Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions still represent the majority, and the path toward recognition for many smaller groups has been long.  Still, many other ways of approaching spiritual health have been included over time, and the institutional intention is that no sailor, Marine, or Coastie should lack the sympathetic counsel of a trusted chaplain. A few more than 100 faiths appeared on the list until 2017, when the DOD added more than 100 even less well-known faiths to their list, and now many more service personnel have an alternative to “Other” in their records. Not every recognized group has a path to chaplaincy, but the officers of the Navy Chaplain Corps are bound by their commissions to offer unstinting support to any enlisted person needing their ministrations, to maintain strictest confidentiality, and whenever possible to find a like-minded chaplain or counselor to provide support for servicemen and women of a tradition different from their own.
In 1944, my father was an Army officer serving in Belgium. Like their father before them, his younger brother was an ordained Presbyterian minister, and was about to be commissioned as a Navy chaplain. My father wrote to him about his new role and said, “May I say just a few things as an older officer … and not as an older brother? You have a great calling in an appointment to the chaplaincy; treat it well. ... Remember that these are boys away from home against their will to do a job that for the most part is bewildering to them. They must do as a business what all their lives they have been taught is wrong. ...The job is one of killing and dying... Please do not remonstrate with them about the petty things ... They will swear, drink, gamble, fight and generally seem to be going to hell. Remember that it is the fear, the wish to forget the horror, the outward attempt to seem a man. Inside if you look deep enough ...they are beautiful in the courage they have every day ...If you can make them seem important to God, you will make God seem very important to them...”
Lt. Cmdr. Wilking Jean is a Navy chaplain who came to the U.S. from Haiti to escape its political turmoil, and has written a moving account of his joy in learning and living out his calling.  Knowing that he wanted to head for ministry, he enrolled in Oakwood University, a private, historically black Seventh-day Adventist university in Huntsville, Alabama, founded at the end of the American Civil War. He said, “One of my teachers Dr. Marvin Warren said, ‘I believe that God called all of you into ministry, but I don’t believe he called all of you to be a pulpit minister.’ … My dream and God’s plan came true in the form of a military chaplain.” 
About his posting to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Lt. Cmdr. Jean said, “To have an effective ministry of presence on Parris Island, you must be open to change. You must have the will, emotional tolerance, mental fortitude, spiritual guidance to not only face uncertainty but smack it in the face and press on … I work with young men and women often unmarked by a specific religious identity and do so on behalf of a secular institution. … I pray that I can be helpful to them… [and] God always gives wisdom to help them. …For me, it is the ultimate honor to serve God and country. May God bless these United States of America.”4 
In a recent exchange of correspondence with Lt. Cmdr. Hayes Perdue, the director of CREDO Mid Atlantic5 in Norfolk, VA, when asked several questions about the call, the life, and the role of a Navy chaplain, he said this:
“I was an Episcopal priest in Northern Virginia, and on 9/11 I knew with certainty that I would need to trade in my wing tips for combat boots. Initially, my wife Melody had some reservations. Then one day she came to my office at the church and said that while praying that morning, in her mind’s eye she saw hundreds of young service members going off to war. With tears in her eyes, she said, “I need you. But they need you more.” So at the age of 35, I left her and our three small children for Chaplain boot camp, knowing this was a call from God for our whole family. 
“After a tour in Iraq, then a tour in Afghanistan with infantry Marines, followed by time on the Bataan and the TR, I was hooked. I loved the fact that service members would use salty language in a conversation with me and have no idea that that is not how you talk to a clergyman. When they were scared, they knew they could tell me and I wouldn’t tell a soul. And if someone wants to speak with a chaplain of their own faith, we will move heaven and earth to support them. 
“Chaplains have line officers they report to, but they also have senior staff chaplains to guide them. I am so thankful for my senior chaplains who always made sure I was okay. After we lost a warrior to suicide, another chaplain helped me process a crushing burden of survivor’s guilt. As we talked, the weight lifted. So as a Chaplain, I want to remind people that our difficulties aren’t permanent. The world is constantly changing. We are changing. Seasons change. A creek today becomes a river. A town becomes a city. That is why we don’t want to make a permanent decision, like suicide, to solve a temporary problem.
“Through new programs we are implementing, the Chaplain Corps is making it safer than ever for people to tell someone if they need help. And we are also teaching sailors and Marines to check in and ask their shipmates if they are okay. We are better together. We are stronger as a Navy together. It is an honor to serve.”

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MEMBERHSIP MATTERS

There was no Membership Matters editorial this month.

Christina is the director of membership development and may be reached at ChristinaH@FRA.org
Shipmate News

1. Branch 13, Atlantic City, N.J.
On June 15, Branch 13 made a $500 donation to the Homecoming 250 Navy & Marine Corps held at the Battleship New Jersey. (L to R) Branch President Kim Youder-Notaro, Chair and President of the Homecoming 250 George S. Leone, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Philip P. Rowan, Branch Secretary PRP Albert Davenport and Branch VP Bob Campbell.

2. Branch 251, Mt. Home, Ark
Third Place, grade 10 National Americanism Essay winner Bayleigh Guidry was presented her plaque by Branch Essay Chair Curtis Grant (L) and teacher/counselor Ms. Sandra Woody (R). Guidry attends the Lutie R-VI School in Theodosia, Missouri.

3. Branch 227, Springdale, Ark.  
Branch President Victor Walker and Secretary Bill Epperson present Emma Flagler of Rogers High School with her first-place certificates from the Americanism Essay Contest at the Ozark Branch and the South Central Region levels.

4. Branch 115, Lehigh Valley, Pa.
(L to R) Bill Seigfried, Andy Smerek and Tim Gilbert partnered with Honorary First Defenders and Naval Greater Lehigh Valley Reserve Association to provide a picnic for homeless men and homeless veterans at Victory House of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. (Not pictured) Jerry Lebeduik and Hans Keller.

5. Branch 90, Clark County Nev.
During the recent Summerlin 4th of July parade held in Summerlin, Nevada, Branch Secretary/Treasurer Jon Way drove Branch Committee Member Robert Porter through the parade.

6. Branch 162, New Orleans, La.
After the branch annual Two Bell Ceremony, Jerry DuPre (L) with PRPSC Dave Field (R) hold the Memorial Day wreath that was cast upon the water from the riverboat City of New Orleans. This is an annual branch event.

7. Branch 269, Goose Creek, S.C.
PNP Don Mucheck (R) presented Willie Thompson (Center) with his 60-Year Continuous Membership Pin.                  Photo by Branch Secretary John Tharp.

8. Branch 316, Springfield, Mo.
Ozark Empire Branch presented Lauren Matthews her first place and overall winner of the Americanism Essay Contest during the North Central Regional Convention. (L to R) National Essay Chair Norm Combs, NCR Essay Chair Jerry Lickteig, NED Christopher Slawinski, Chris Matthews (dad), Branch Essay Chair Norma Wright, Matthews, Logan Matthews (brother), Beckey (mom) and NP James Campbell.

9. Branch 201, Austin, Texas 
Capitol Branch President Ed Hudson (L) presented Shipmate Charley Randall his 30-Year Membership Pin and Certificate.

10. Branch 57, South Jersey, N.J.
A recruiting and fund raising event was held at a local home improvement center Aug. 6. Shipmates (L to R seated) Ralph Bagnato, Bob Baltozer and Branch President Mary Rauch. (L to R standing) Terry Williamson and Anthony McDonald. Not pictured are Ron Hoffman, Spence Link and Mike Filinuk.

11. Branch 15, Walhalla, S.C.
A Purple Heart Ceremony was held in Walhalla, South Carolina on Aug. 6. The members who attended (L to R) Branch President Clyde Albertson, Jimmy Hall, Branch Secretary/Treasurer Jim Jones, Branch VP Larry Jones and Joyce Jones.

12. Branch 299, Wilmington, N.C.
Del Herrmann Branch Treasurer Martha Villasenor (L) and Secretary Frank Roberts (R) provided NSCC Cadet Hailee Suzuki with her Certificate of Appreciation and a monetary award for college. Suzuki graduated high school and aged out of Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Torpedo Squadron 8 in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

TAPS

Name	Rating	Branch
Aleguas, Alfred	DPC, USN	MAL
Allen, Kenneth W.	AE2, USN	201
Anderson, Roger L.	LCDR, USNR	145
Bailey, Donald R.	CPO, USN	137
Blake, David A.	LT, USN	259
Boone, Kenneth E.	EMCS, USN	41
Breault, George O.	ETC, USN	31
Briggs, Bryce	AVCM, USN	68
Chegash, Thomas	LCDR, USN	MAL
Choinski, Richard E.	SCGM, USN	MAL
Christy, Mac	ENC, USN	161
Clopton, Frederick	YNC, USN	181
Cohen, Robert A.	JOC, USN	MAL
Crago, John H.	TMCM(SS), USN	230
Cronkite, James E.	AMHC, USN	197
Cunningham, Marvin L. HMCS, USN	MAL
Curzon, David	YNMC, USN	MAL
Davis, Jess B.	ACCM, USN	93
De Botts, Frederico	GYSGT, USMC	302
Deblaker, Richard V.	USN	99
Deloach, William O.	MSGT, USMC	93
Dial, Robert E.	PNC, USN	11
Doering, Walter E.	AMSC, USN	MAL
Dunlavy, George A.	CSCS, USN	MAL
Dustmann, Walter H.	YN1\E6, USN	212
Elliott, Lawrence C.	SHCS, USN	MAL
Fairbanks, Richard N.	ADCS, USN	269
Fairchild, Frederick	CPO, USN	MAL
Fairman, Allyn R.	CPO, USN	MAL
Ferguson, Hubert R.	MUCM, USN	24
Fitzpatrick, Peter J.	GYSGT, USMC	55
Francisco, Jaime Q.	YNC, USN	08
Galante, Bernard A.	MMCS, USN	99
Garrison, Norris J.	EN2, USN	MAL
Garrison, Otis	SN, USN	MAL
Gast, Michael C.	MACM(SW), USN	259
Geiger, Peter C.	POCS, USN	201
Gentry, John D.	BTC, USN	MAL
Gillette, Eugene L.	HT1, USN	12
Gillfillan, Robert W.	YN1, USN	12
Gowenlock, Curtis W.	RMCM, USN	70
Graham, John H.	RMC, USN	62
Guevin, Richard F.	PN1, USN	40
Guiher, John H.	BUC, USN	MAL
Guthridge, James T.	BTCS, USN	MAL
Hale, Harry H.	MCPO, USN	MAL
Hall, Daniel G.	AEC, USN	126
Hendrix, Carl A.	RMCS, USN	112
Hess, Aubrie D.	LT, USN	126
Hill, Robert J.	RMC, USN	113
Hoover, William V.	ACC, USN	261
Horton, Ronnie R.	LCDR, USN	MAL
Howell, George H.	YNC, USN	62
Hudnell, James M.	MRC, USN	161
Immich, Stanley W.	AEC, USN	MAL
Karlson, James A.	LCPL, USMC	14
Kimmerling, Paul E.	SN, USN	186
Kinsella, Martin J.	ETCS, USN	MAL
Knepper, Ned S.	ADJC, USN	60
Krause, Reinold L.	PO1, USN	MAL
Lassiter, Jesse	MCPO, USN	210
Laxton, Gary J.	HMC, USN	MAL
Lee, Oliver E.	CWO4, USN	MAL
Lighty, V K.	AGC, USN	MAL
Lindeberg, Harold R.	MA1, USNR	MAL
Longo, Ignazio	PN1, USN	MAL
Lundstrom, Larry D.	MMCS, USN	227
Maitland, Barbara A.	HMCS, USN	MAL
Marsh, Paul H.	ADJC, USN	MAL
Meyer, Donald E.	AMEC, USN	166
Miller, Max D.	EOC, USN	298
Mosholder, Eleanor G.	AE2, USN	60
Nance, John C.	HMC, USN	MAL
Niergarth, Charles	USMC	289
Northcutt, Larry D.	YNC, USN	MAL
O’Brien, George F.	HT1, USN	31
O’Quin, James H.	ETCM, USN	268
Oswald, John D.	CMA2, USN	MAL
Patterson, Robert J.	GMG1, USN	MAL
Peck, Russell J.	PN1, USN	04
Remz, Harold, DTC	USN	102
Rice, James W.	MMCM, USN	MAL
Richardson, Billy	MGySgt, USMC	MAL
Rickman, Lawrence R.	ADCS, USN	MAL
Ringgenberg, Verl A.	OSCM, USN	MAL
Risinger, David	CWO3, USN	MAL
Ruliva, Gabriel L.	EMCS, USN	154
Ryan, Frank B.	SHCM, USN	MAL
Sampson, Cornelius F.	PO1, USN	117
Sampson, George E.	ADRC, USN	MAL
Schoch, Edward W.	CPO, USN	93
Schuller, Albert R.	ATCS, USN	159
Searfoss, Kenneth W.	CMC, USN	11
Shirley, Calvin R.	TMCS(SS), USN	112
Shows, Bobby R.	ATR3, USN	112
Smith, Thomas E.	ABEC, USN	MAL
Smith, Donald M.	MSGT, USMC	MAL
Smore, Ronald J.	EAC, USN	MAL
Spencer, William E.	HM1, USN	208
Theierl, Fredric	HMCS, USNR	MAL
Thomas, William L.	CDR, USN	93
Ussery, Richard L.	AMS1, USN	94
Ventolo, Anthony J.	MS1, USN	MAL
Whittaker, Susan	RM1, USN	61
Wilcott, Clarke J.	CSC, USA	238
Zinger, Gerard R.	AZCS, USN	MAL

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LA FRA Auxiliary

There was no story this month.

FINANCE MATTERS

Key Questions to Ask to Help You Plan to Pay for Retirement

Your retirement could last 20 years or more. Now could be the time to ask yourself, “What do I want to do when I retire?”
It’s an important question to ask sooner rather than later, as the answer could impact your retirement savings plans, so that you can align the retirement you want with the retirement you can afford. The first two steps in that process are: (1) decide what you want to do, and then (2) determine the potential costs.
The answers to these questions could help you take the first step toward creating the retirement lifestyle you hope to achieve.
What will I be doing during my retirement days?
•	Do I plan to continue working past age 65 or after I reach my full retirement age? Full time or part time?
•	Are there hobbies I want to pursue that will either cost money or make money?
•	Is there volunteer work that may also have costs associated?
•	Do I plan to travel?
•	Are there things I enjoy doing that have related costs?
•	What are the activities that make up my ideal retirement day?
Where will I be living in my retirement years?
•	Will I stay in my current home or downsize to a smaller home or a rental property?
•	Will I move to a retirement community or assisted living facility?
•	Will I sell my home and replace it with an RV or other alternative living option?
What situations might occur that could impact my retirement expenditures?
•	What health care coverage do I need for my specific health conditions?
•	Do I have an emergency fund for unexpected situations such as a health care crisis or loss of property due to a natural disaster?
•	What if I stop working sooner than expected?
•	What happens if I experience a significant loss of income?
What are the barriers keeping me from investing?
• I have nothing extra to invest.
•	I have education loans or other debt.
•	I don’t know how to start an investment plan.
•	I have time to start saving later.

Next Steps
Prepare rather than panic. Review the questions above and create an outline from your answers. That outline will give you the framework to calculate the income you may need to support your retirement lifestyle.
Make the decision to adjust your spending patterns today. Choose something that you really don’t need and redirect that amount to a savings or investment account. Take advantage of the growth potential over time. Pay yourself first instead of spending money on something that will not support your future retirement needs. Creating that nest egg now could lessen your stress about money.
Start or add to an emergency fund. Even if the amount seems very small, it is important to take the first step. As that amount grows and the saving behavior becomes a habit, you will likely gain confidence and momentum in your investment activities.
Meet with your financial advisor to review your answers and turn your outline into a plan that will help you work toward your goals. Your advisor has planning tools and other resources to help you identify your retirement income needs. 
Revisit your plan on a regular basis. Over time, your goals may change because of opportunities or unexpected events. Periodic reviews can help you assess your progress and fine-tune your strategy.   

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.
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