FRAtoday September 2022
comMunicaTIons
FROM THE BRIDGE	3
SHIPMATE FORUM	4
On & Off captol hill	6
FEATURE  STORies	
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS17
SHIPMATE NEWS18
TAPS19
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA20
FINANCE MATTERS21

COMMUNICATIONS

Americanism Essay Contest Has New Prize Amount

Shipmate Letter
Shipmate NED,
I was just looking for some clarification about the award amounts for the 2022-2023 Essay contest. In the FRAtoday posting, July issue, on the contest lists the grand prize at $5,000, but the latest posting on national mailing list has the grand prize at $1,500.  When and how did the change come about? Which is correct?
In Loyalty, Protection, and Service
RVPNW Rex Faubion
Mt. Rainier Branch 104 Secretary/Treasurer

FRA Reply
Good afternoon, Shipmate RVPNW Rex,
Thank you for your question. During the June 14th NBOD Zoom meeting, a discussion, and a unanimous vote by the board (NBR 27-22) was made to change the amount of the awards for the annual Americanism-Patriotism Essay contest.  This is the first change in these awards in more than 10 years.
The publication of the July issue of the FRAtoday was completed prior to the action of the NBOD.  The poster published in July has been corrected in the August issue. Also, the recently updated information on the FRA website for student participants provides the correct award amounts. 
The rationale for the change, was the FRA’s dwindling financial resources. The students winning these awards are also receiving monies at the branch, and regional levels. The previous essay awards were greater than what the FRA is able to provide to Shipmates who are in distress through our Disaster and Welfare Relief programs. Additionally, 12th graders can also apply to the FRA Education Foundation for one of their many scholarships to help further their education. 
These revised award amounts also align the FRA with the prize amounts given to students by other VSO’s, such as the American Legion and the VFW, which both have larger endowments than the FRA.

Thank you again for your question.        
In Loyalty, Protection and Service, 
Chris Slawinski    

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FROM THE bridge

Regional and National Conventions Season
I hope that all you Shipmates are doing well and had an enjoyable 4th of July celebration. I have had the pleasure of attending the East Coast Regional Convention that was recently held in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. My next visit will be to National Headquarters to attend the Budget & Finance meeting in Alexandria, Virginia. Toward the later part of summer, I will be attending the North Central, Southeast as well as the North East/New England regional conventions in August and September.
I am really looking forward to the national convention being held in Birmingham, Alabama from October 16 through October 22. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the 93rd FRA and 88th LA FRA National Convention that was held in Spokane, Washington due to a positive COVID test. RVPSE Jerry Anger and his convention committee are doing an outstanding job getting everything ready for the national convention. I have visited the convention site and I know that everyone will have a wonderful time.
If your branch is not able to have a branch member attend the convention in Birmingham and you have a proxy, I would ask that you send your proxy instructed. In addition, I would urge each branch to read over the resolutions (see pages 31-36) with your branch so that your branch has input into the future of the FRA.
Congratulations to RPEC Chris Murray and RPNW Michelle Davis on their success with setting up two new branches. Del Herman Branch 299 Wilmington, North Carolina and Branch 50 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Thank you both for your hard work and dedication.
In closing, I hope that I will see all of you at the national convention in Birmingham, Alabama. Stay safe and keep your Shipmates in your thoughts and prayers. Please check in on our aging Shipmates with a visit or a telephone call.      
I remain always in Loyalty, Protection & Service.
Jim Campbell

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

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sHIPMATE FORUM

Advertisements
Here we go again, on page 17 a highly political ad for a book on the second amendment. You say that you review all advertisements, if this is true, I would suggest you check the qualifications of the individual doing the checking. On a more positive note. The letters section had a suggestion for a future article. I note that you did not take long to take advantage of this information. The article on Mike Marino was very interesting.   
HMCM Don Callaway, USN (Ret.)

Extremist Ads
The latest issue of FRAtoday included an AD on page 17 by the extremist organization NEWSMAX. The views on these Ads it one of the main drivers of mass shootings.
This AD makes you and me partners in the shootings of innocent people and school shootings. These views are the main drivers of gun violence.
If you further contribute to spreading this vile messages. I will need to sue for my membership fees back. 
ENC(SW) William Heilig, USN (Ret.)

WWII VET
I was reading the letters in the June edition of the FRA magazine. In it a Chief Delmonico said his friend Mike Marino whom is a WWII VET AND IS 99 years old had stories to tell of his time during the war.  That Chief would like you to contact his friend to give you stories about his past. While this would be great for FRA readers this Chief is missing out on giving that vet the chance to keep his exploits for generations to come. What that Chief really needs to do, and I hope you will tell him, is to get in touch with people from the WWII Museum in New Orleans. They have specialists that have been doing the very same thing for years now. What he tells them will be used so that others that aren’t with the FRA can learn of his experiences and others who were in the war as well. This museum used to be one bldg. years ago when I went but now has half a dozen buildings located in a single block that tells the whole story of the war.
 PO1 Roy Hutchens, USN (Ret.)
Chula Vista Branch 61

Yet Another Federal Holiday
The June 2022 issue of FRAtoday noted the introduction by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and others of S.3735, the Gold Star Families Day Act, which would designate yet another federal holiday. The article further invited members to weigh in on this “issue” via the FRA Action Center. With great respect and gratitude to Gold Star families, I question whether this country can afford to keep designating ever more federal holidays — days for which multitudes of federal employees (including those at DOD and VA) are paid but no government work is accomplished. As well, the FRA needs to concentrate its valued efforts and credibility on particular issues of importance; not in tilting at political windmills. 
Ted Mudge, USN (Ret.) MAL

March FRA “Hot Talk; Cold Science” Ad
In the opinion authored by Dan Davey, in the “Shipmate Forum,” June 2022. “Climate Change” alluded in the author’s opinion as propaganda should be a topic for First Amendment discussion since we agreed to defend against “foreign or domestic” intrusion on our respective careers and since the Navy now has an Undersecretary for Climate Change, Ms. Meredith Berger.
The FRA is negligent to publish personal ridicule and defamation by innuendo as Mr. Davey does to Ph.D S. Fred Singer.  
According to Plato, Socrates was the “gadfly” of ancient Athens.  Dr. S. Fred Singer, Physicist and Princeton author, right or wrong, was among the first and most-prominent scientist speaking out against global warming alarmism.   Dr. Singer has been an effective gadfly for the scientific establishment in our generation.
Fortunately, Dr. singer objects to new climate ‘sacred dogma’ based on ‘models’ which lack proofs based on standard “Scientific Method” requirements we all learned in 8th grade science classes. 
Temperature change rates in the atmosphere are altitude sensitive, a particularly awkward area for climate models.  Climate models, some 122 in IPCC and/or East Anglica University possession, are inconsistent producers of climate prediction since they are models, not direct scientific observation.
31,000 scientists, signature verified, authored “The Oregon Petition” against climate alarmism.  
Perhaps the FRA should also investigate prior to publication rather than buy into denigrating words hiding behind political talking points.
R/SKCM(SS) Gary W. Smith, USN (Ret.)
   
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

Put Concurrent Receipt Reform in Senate NDAA
As you receive this issue of FRAtoday, Congress will have just returned from their August recess to face an approaching deadline, the start of the new fiscal year, (Sept. 30) to finish the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-H.R.7900, S.4543). The House has approved its version of the NDAA and Senate Armed Services Committees has approved it’s version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-S.4543). The Senate bill will go to the Sen-ate floor for approval. Senators Jon Tester (Mont.) and Michael Crapo (Idaho) have filed a Sen-ate floor amendment to add a provision to this “must-pass” bill to expand concurrent receipt. Members can use the FRA Action Center to weigh in on this issue (www.fra.org). 

Congress will also be working on spending bills to fund the day-to-day operation of government. The current fiscal year appropriations package (FY2022) was signed into law March 15. FY2022 started on Oct. 1, 2021. This nearly 6-month delay resulted in flat-line funding for many current government programs. Too frequently Congress fails to pass spending bills on time. The federal government has partially closed 18 times since 1976 because one or more appropriations bills were not signed into law on time. In 2018-19, the shutdown lasted 35 days. Members can urge their legislators to get their work done on time by going to the FRA Action Center on the website (www.fra.org).  The FRA Legislative Team is working to ensure military benefits are not sacrificed as part of any last-minute budget deal. 

FRA Meets with The Speaker
Director of Legislative Programs John Davis participated in a VSO/MSO roundtable with Speak-er of the House Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Rep. Mark Takano (Calif.), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Other legislators that attended the off-the-record meeting include Reps Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), Raul Ruiz (Calif.), Chris Pappas (N.H.), Matt Cartwright (Pa.), Mike Levin (Calif.), Julia Brownley (Calif.) Ed Case (Hawaii) Frank Mrvan (Ind.) and Collin Allred (Texas). 

The meeting focused on the pending veteran’s toxic exposure bill (H.R.3373). The bill would al-low for the first time all veterans who were at risk of toxic exposure, including 3.5 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, to obtain immediate and lifelong access to health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs — one of the largest expansions of health care eligibility in the VA’s history. (See following story).
DLP Davis told the Speaker about the need for concurrent receipt reform. The FRA supports comprehensive concurrent receipt legislation (H.R.333) and the Major Richard Star Act (H.R.1282, S.344). The FRA argues that retired pay is for years of arduous military service paid by the Department of Defense while disability pay is for lifelong injury paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs. To reduce retirement pay because of a disability is an injustice.  

During the meeting, concern was expressed about eligibility standards for the VA Caregiver Act, and that the VA needs more funding for mental health. There was some discussion about cost overruns with implementing the MISSION Act. There was some discussion about veteran suicide and the new 988 Crisis Line (see following story). The Speaker announced that the Veterans Women Taskforce will be extended another six months.  

Following the meeting, Davis provided the Speaker’s staff with point papers on concurrent receipt and the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (H.R.2214) and information on the military postal system ending privileges for overseas military retirees.

Members can weigh in on these and other issues through the FRA Action Center (www.fra.org).  

Veterans Comprehensive Toxic Exposure Bill Stalls
As FRAtoday goes to press, the veteran’s toxic exposure bill (S.3373) failed to muster the needed 60 votes on the Senate floor on a vote to limit debate and lead to a final vote to send the bill onto the president to be signed into law. The ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Commit-tee Jerry Moran (Kan.) went to the floor after the vote to pledge that the bill will eventually pass the Senate and be enacted into law.  

The bill would establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to the smoke from burn pits. The bill also provides new benefits for veterans who faced radiation exposure during deployments throughout the Cold War, adds hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy to the list of illnesses linked to exposure to Agent Orange while in the Vietnam War, expands the timeline for Gulf War medical claims and requires new medical exams for all veterans with toxic exposure claims. Veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Guam during the Vietnam War era would be covered under the same Agent Orange presumptive policies as those who served in Vietnam itself.

VA staff would be granted “The authority to determine that a veteran participated in a toxic exposure risk activity when an exposure tracking record system does not contain the appropriate data,” a stark distinction from the science-only system in use at the VA currently. The measure is estimated to cost $270 billion over 10 years and would potentially affect as many as one in five veterans living today. The bill would authorize the setup of 31 major medical clinics across America and hire thousands more claims processors and health care staff. 

House Passes NDAA
The House considered 650 of the 1230 floor amendments filed with the House version of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-H.R.7900). Two FRA-supported amendments that would expand concurrent receipt were not called for a vote. The measure would authorize $37 billion more than the amount requested by the administration. The House approve the bill. Other provisions in the bill include:

•	No TRICARE fee increases.
•	Prohibiting the DOD from realigning or reducing military medical end strength until additional analysis on the impact.
•	Providing a 4.6% annual pay increase for active duty and an inflation bonus of 2.4% for those troops making less than $45,000 a year.
•	Adding $750 million to military commissaries to reduce prices for food and other necessities. 
•	Mandating DOD to report on an improved calculation of BAH rates.
•	Extending DOD authority to provide a temporary increase in BAH until 2024.
•	Excluding the Reserve Component from paying premiums and co-pays for TRICARE dental coverage.
•	Allowing DOD to increase incentive payments to retain behavioral health providers.
•	Prohibiting Chinese products in commissaries and exchanges.

The Senate version of the FY2023 NDAA is pending on the Senate floor and is expected to be considered in September. Once the Senate approves its version of the NDAA, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve any differences between the two bills. That final bill will be submitted to the House and Senate for approval. If approved, the bill will be sent to the president to be signed into law or vetoed. 

House Passes Veterans Comprehensive Mental Health Bill
The House passed the Support the Resilience of Our Nation’s Great Veterans Act (H.R.6411), which is a comprehensive mental health bill that improves mental health programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The provisions of the bill include:

•	Strengthening VA’s mental health care workforce, expand care options, and support mental health research.
•	Improving the Veterans Crisis Line’s staff training, management, and response to veteran callers at risk of suicide.
•	Enhancing the Solid Start program, which was created by VA in 2019 to contact every veteran three times by phone in the first year after they leave active-duty service to check-in and help connect them to VA programs and benefits.
•	Directing the VA to designate one week per year as Buddy Check Week to organize outreach events and educate veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks.
•	Improving VA’s peer specialist support program, established through the MISSION Act, to all VA medical centers.
•	Expanding Vet Center eligibility for counseling and related mental health services to family members of servicemembers or veterans who died by suicide. 
•	Requiring the VA to report to Congress on its Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership program and assess the number of VA medical centers, institutions of higher learning, non-college degree programs, and student veterans supported by the program.   

The FRA strongly supports this legislation to combat veteran suicide by strengthening VA’s mental healthcare workforce, bolstering the Veterans Crisis Line, and expanding life-saving resources to those veterans who need it. Members can use the FRA Action Center (www.fra.org) to urge their Senators to support this important bill.  

New 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
The nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Line is now operational. This means that, theoretically, a person can be connected to local suicide prevention resources anywhere in the country by dialing only three digits, rather than the current 10-digit, toll-free hotlines in use. It has been referred to as the 911 emergency system for mental health help. The 988 crisis line is not aimed specifically at veterans, but advocates are hopeful that the resource will provide an easier venue for veterans and military members facing mental health emergencies. Veterans and active-duty military will be instructed to dial 1 once connected to the crisis line. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Crisis Line is part of the switch to a new service. 

The VA says they have been planning for the switch, and for the expected increase in the volume of calls. They project a five to 13% increase in telephone calls. The growth is expected to continue with a potential 40% to 60% increase in the second year, and a 150% increase throughout the first three years. Some of the increase is due to existing trends. However, said Miller, more people are likely to call simply because it is easier to remember a three-digit phone number in a time of crisis than a ten-digit phone number. The VA has been preparing for the switch, with a 56% increase in hiring and improvements in the technology to support those workers. 

Callers to the VCL not only receive immediate assistance and advice, they can also elect to have a local suicide prevention coordinator from the VA reach out to them in the days after the call. The VA has also hired peer support counselors to telephone crisis line callers back. These counselors can engage with callers as peers to identify challenges and needs, and to help them engage with available resources. The 988 switch applies only to telephone calls. Those wishing to engage with the VCL through text messages should still text 838255 to reach a counselor. 

The FRA supports improvements of VA and Defense Department suicide prevention programs to reduce the rate of suicide among veterans and active-duty service members.  The Department of Veterans Affairs recently released its 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. The report shows a decrease from 2018 to 2019 in the total number of veteran suicide deaths (6 percent) and a decrease in the rate of veteran suicides. Specifically, the VA reported that there were 6,261 veteran suicide deaths in 2019 — 399 fewer than in 2018. Of the 17 veterans who died by suicide per day on average in 2019, approximately ten of them had no recent interaction with the VA health care system. The data also revealed that the female veteran suicide rate de-creased by almost 13 percent, which is the largest rate decrease for female veterans in 17 years.

Veterans ages 18 to 34 experience a higher rate of suicide than all other age brackets of veterans. The suicide rate for young veterans increased by 76 percent from 2005 to 2017, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. A growing number of these veterans never experienced combat. 

HVAC Hearing on VA EHRM
The House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees recently held separate oversight hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report revealing serious issues with the deployment of VA’s new Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. The FRA has been monitoring the implementation of the EHR and wants to ensure adequate funding for Department of Defense and the VA health care resource sharing in delivering seam-less, cost-effective, quality services to personnel wounded in combat and other veterans and their families.

VA Homelessness Program
During a press conference, the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough dis-cussed efforts to eliminate veteran homelessness. VA Secretary McDonough stated, “no veteran should ever be homeless,” and thanked the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the $365 million package of resources recently released. 

Executive Director of the VA’s Homeless Programs Office Monica Diaz reported that veteran homelessness has declined by nearly 50% since 2010, and the VA has helped more than 950,000 veterans and their family members become permanently housed. “Our strategies are working,” she said, thanks to the dedication of VA employees and veterans’ resiliency. Diaz explained the VA takes a “housing first” approach to the issue. This means the veteran does not need to be ready for housing or enter treatment before being housed. Instead, the VA provides a home, then wraps treatment and other support services around the veteran. 

She described the various VA programs to help veterans. However, she said, every citizen can play a role in combating veterans’ homelessness. She asked the media to spread the word those services exist, and to encourage veterans to reach out for help. Diaz also called upon employers to open their doors and to give veterans a chance. The VA’s goal is to place at least 38,000 veterans into permanent housing by the end of this year. That is almost the total number of veterans who were reported as homeless in the 2020 Point in Time count. 

Korean War Memorial Expanded
The Korean War Memorial located on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. was renovated to include a new wall that lists the Americans who were killed in the Korean conflict. The war has often been referred to “America’s Forgotten War.” The $22 million renovation was authorized in the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act and provides 100 new panels bearing the names of 36,634 American servicemembers and 7,174 Korean troops who served with the U.S. military. This week marks the 69th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement ending the hostilities.  

DOD Responding to Chemical Contamination
The Environmental Protection Agency recently updated drinking water health advisories for PFOA and PFOS, also known as “forever chemicals.” Based on new science indicating even the tiniest levels of these chemicals in drinking water can cause health problems, the new levels are “near zero,” according to an EPA statement. 

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) have been linked with a variety of health effects, including decreased birth weights, suppressed vaccine response in children by lowering the concentration of serum antibodies, increased breast and other cancer incidence, and other issues. 

The Department of Defense has been dealing with PFOA/PFOS contamination at military installations around the country, including National Guard and Reserve installations. Military-grade firefighting foam, until recently, used both chemicals. In recent years, Congress has required DOD to stop using those foams and to find alternatives. 

HASC Chair Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.) released a statement that the EPA move “underscores just how dangerous” these chemicals are for local communities as well as those in the military and their families. He stressed the importance of Congress conducting “rigorous oversight” of DOD’s response. 

FEATURE  STORY

Operation Deep Freeze
Antarctic Discoveries

By Ezra Phillips

Amidst the tensions of the Cold War, on the opposite side of the collaborative spectrum, rose a more academic spirit to internationally delve into new earthly discoveries. The International Geophysical Year, from 1957-1958, brought together 40 nations to study the earth from the North to South poles, in between, and from the bottom of the ocean to the lofts of the atmosphere. Strategically, the years chosen were in line with the peak of the sun’s sunspot cycle, creating the perfect conditions for knowledge to be gathered alongside a higher frequency of solar flares and other electromagnetic disturbances and their effects on earthly cyclical patterns.  

Baptism by Sub-Zero Temperatures
Beyond the furthest reaches of what humankind had substantially studied up to the 1950’s, the U.S., Great Britain, France, Japan, Norway, Chile, Argentina and the USSR, collectively set out to establish bases and uncover what was to be learned from the only country in the world that had no native human populations; Antarctica. Equally as striking, is that there are also no native land animals, all animals encountered are there by sea and air. In the early 1950’s as IGY was on the horizon, a partnership between the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) built the metaphorical bridge to the shores of the coldest continent in the world to better study hydrography, weather patterns for improved predictions, geomagnetism, gravity and auroras as well as other areas of focus.  

At 5.2 million square miles, the continent stands unexpectedly alone as being the world’s largest desert, despite more common associations with deserts being vast stretches of parched sandy scenery.  Deserts on other continents don’t offer the most hospitable environments for life to thrive, and deserts formed by such frozen temperatures that limit precipitation, are similar to the former in their own unforgiving harsh realities. Despite the common associations with snow and ice, with just 2 inches of precipitation a year, Antarctica is an impressive feature on the list of the world’s most dry locations on the planet. Due to average annual temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit along the coastal warmer portions, and -67 degrees Fahrenheit inland, all the snow that does occur, accumulates faster than it could ever melt. 

Frosty Frontier: Naval Support
In preparation for the IGY, the Department of Defense designated the Navy, and particularly Task Force 43, to support the effort in carrying out necessary preliminary projects. Chosen by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd, was appointed as officer in charge of Operation Deep Freeze I, alongside Capt., and later Adm. George J. Dufek who postponed his retirement to fill the role as Commander of Task Force 43 and Commander of U.S. Naval Support, Antarctica. In treacherous settings where the world’s human population almost exclusively have zero comparable experience, Dufek was a straightforward selection for this role since he had completed missions on the continent since in 1929. During those early outings he helped establish the first Naval base called “Little America I” on the Ross Ice Shelf, where McMurdo Station, “Little America II” would also be located in later years. Additionally, Dufek led expeditions inland and conducted the first flight over the South Pole before returning to chart most of the coastline after WWII. 

United in their endeavor, four groupings of personnel; Surface Units, Air Development Squadron (VXE-6), Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (Special) as well as Seabees and support staff made their voyage to the southernmost tip of the world in November 1954 for the Antarctic summer season.  Despite the journey taking place during a time when the southern hemisphere was thawing, the groups faced the difficulty with navigating through miles of sizable ice chunks and frozen conditions as they closed in on their destination, led by icebreaker USS GLACIER (ABG-4). With the endless list of ways Antarctica is unlike any of the other land masses humans have settled, so much trial and error went into building the bases as the men were learning as they progressed through their mission over the next year and a half.   

Battling the Elements, Racing Against Time
By April 1956, the permanent bases had been constructed and the Naval staff shifted to maintenance and support positions. With staff members always present, Operation Deep Freeze I was a success. McMurdo Station was established in December 1955, and served then, as it does now, as the primary American hub for research and logistics in Antarctica. Preemptively envisioning the potential need during emergencies, Officer in Charge of Naval Operations, Richard E. Byrd, had authorized the formation of a parachute rescue team by air support VXE-6 that same year. Training was heavy handed given the environment rescues would take place in, and first aid specific to Antarctic conditions as well as rationed diets in minimal sheltering was exercised.
  
With IGY rapidly approaching, Operation Deep Freeze II brought the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion to the western and southern regions to build Byrd Station and the South Pole Station, where they wintered over while continuing with the construction. Work was completed in short windows before needing to take breaks to ensure their hands weren’t victim to the freezing temperatures.  Seabees and the Civil Engineering Corps who were also present, reported it was the harshest weather conditions they had ever experienced. Conquering the bitter, aggressive cold, the Navy completed all base facilities in time for IGY in 1957.

During ODF II when pertinent training involved a larger amount of people than had previously been on the island, everyone, including Navy personnel, completed extensive training relevant to survival in sub-zero temperatures. Scientists, military personnel and support staff vigorously trained to be able to identify signs of frostbite, how to carve ice blocks and construct shelters under the snow. The following year, ODF III and IV were largely resupply missions, as every item needed in inventory on base was transported from other countries, apart from turning ice in to blocks for temporary shelters the land offered no supportive tools and materials. 
 
ODF IV was intended to be the end of the mission and all bases were to be closed, however, scientists advocated to the U.S. government that they saw immense value in the opportunity to continue their research, which they were granted — with a decrease in budget. The Navy staff had worn many hats throughout these operations as divers helping collect specimens, providing air drops for supplies to scientists on lengthy expeditions through the wind and snow, as well as transporting staff and scientists between bases and mission locations. 

Winds and Snow Drifts of Change
By 1959, the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (Special) was replaced by Antarctic Support Activities, who took the reigns on maintenance and operating of the stations. When scientists, staff and Navy personnel returned home for the winter, while most of the population of McMurdo and other stations would, Detachment ALFA would arrive in March to winter over in their absence to maintain operational functioning and address needs of the bases that could be problematic if left until the summer teams returned. Despite this, some bases were eventually abandoned as their construction was unprepared for the vast amounts of drifting snow that tended to collapse structures or bury them so significantly that continuing to use them was a gamble on if the inhabitants would get snowed in or if they were still accessible when summer came.

After a decade of camaraderie, relations between the Navy and the NSF began to sour around the unspecified amount of control either entity had over their roles in missions. Between the Navy and the Coast Guard that had become more involved over the years, neither entity was sure who was responsible for McMurdo Station. The NSF had financial expectations that failed to align with the Naval and Coast Guards’ evaluation of what was necessary for safety and operating. Bitterly contentious, the NSF’s determination that only one icebreaker was needed for the resupply mission of ’88 was heavily disputed by the Navy and Coast Guard and by 1990 the Navy was ready to discontinue their support after the National Guard’s 109th Air Wing offered support in their place. 

The Air National Guard slowly phased out air support provided by VXE-6 and by March 1999, the Navy was largely uninvolved in Antarctic operations apart from the Military Sealift Command ships still in use. As research robustly continued at McMurdo and other bases around the continent, one facet of Naval involvement that has been a steady presence over the years from Naval Seabees, Naval Cargo Handling Battalion ONE supporting the transport of resupply missions. In keeping the annual tradition of Naval support alive, after the long voyage to the Antarctic shores the Seabees worked around the clock offloading supplies that provide 80% of the stock needed to survive the winter for each trip. 

A Spirited Tradition
Rooted in human curiosity, the passion for discovering and understanding the world around us continues to fuel forward momentum in challenging the limits of what humans can survive in while endeavoring a mission. 

Scientific research is still being performed each year along the frozen coasts, the deeply snow drifted inland, the surrounding ocean and atmosphere to continue to shape understanding about how to improve weather prediction and how humans play a role in the grand spectrum of life on Earth. From the farthest reaches of the planet, where there is still a deficit in the ability to communicate with the rest of the world, there are answers to the questions embedded with a high relevance to everyday life amongst the populous being identified and others waiting to be explored.         

FEATURE STORY

Hank Bauer
A Natural Leader

By Ann Norvell Gray

Henry Albert Bauer was born July 31st, 1922, in East St. Louis, Illinois, to John and Mary Bauer, immigrants from Austria-Hungary. He was the youngest of nine children, and money was tight. John had lost a leg in some sort of factory accident, and then tried to make a living as a bartender. Without supplementary support from the older girls, it’s doubtful that the family would have survived intact. Hank was remembered as a tough little street kid, determined and fearless. His brother Joe recalled him “always going around with a bloody nose.” 1
When Hank graduated from high school, he went right to work, joined the pipefitter’s union, and got a job working on furnaces in a beer bottling plant. Instead of being defeated by the grinding poverty of his difficult childhood, he turned hardship into a commitment to make something of his life.  He and his brother Herman were both talented athletes. Herman was drafted by the White Sox, and got Hank a tryout with the minors, which landed the 18-year-old in a Class D farm club in 1941. Then Herman was drafted, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and Hank joined the Marine Corps in January of 1942. Hank was sent to the Pacific Theatre, where he contracted malaria, which continued to plague him throughout his four years in the Corps. Herman was killed in France in 1944.
The same determination and fearlessness that informed his young street life made Hank Bauer a dedicated fighting Marine. In the Pacific, he began his service with a Raider regiment. He was big, strong, and willing to face whatever was in front of him without excuse or complaint. His intense experience is summarized by this description in an article by Jay Hemmings in War History Online:
“When he reached the vicinity of Guadalcanal … He and his fellow Marines had to fight in the dense jungle on the islands of New Georgia northwest of Guadalcanal, a campaign Bauer called “indescribable – the worst [place he had] ever seen.
… Bauer served with the 2nd Battalion 4th Marines, part of the 6th Marine Division. He fought on the islands of Emirau in Papua New Guinea, and then on Guam, where he received his first wound.…  some pieces of shrapnel stayed in his body, and would end up being picked out of his back by his Yankee teammates in locker rooms many years later.
After Guam, [Sgt.] Bauer …and his Marines joined the Battle of Okinawa, …  the bloodiest and one of the most ferocious battles of the entire Pacific theater of war. Bauer commanded a platoon of sixty-four Marines … only six men – including Bauer – survived the intense fighting.
Bauer fought on for fifty-three days before he was wounded by shrapnel once again. This time it was serious enough to result in his being sent back to the U.S. to recover from his injuries.” 2
When the shrapnel from that last artillery shell tore a hole in Bauer’s upper leg and ended his 32-month combat career, his first thought was that his dreams of a life in baseball were also ruined. …[In 1945] the war in the Pacific was finally over. The tough young Marine’s conduct and courage had earned him 11 campaign ribbons, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts, and the Navy Commendation Medal.

Another Chance at Bat
Back home again, Bauer got a job as an ironworker. But fate had other ideas. In 1946, a New York Yankees scout who remembered him ran into him in a local bar, and his dreams of a life in baseball were restored, Bauer attacked the Yankee farm system with the same gusto that made him a decorated Marine. His toughness showed in his face and in his intense physicality. “I wasn’t blessed with natural ability like a lot of ball players,” Bauer said. “I had to work like hell. I was blessed with a good arm and a good pair of legs. I could run. But for the other skills in baseball I worked my butt off.” 3
In 1947, while playing for the Yankees’ very good Kansas City Blues farm club, he met and fell for Charlene Friede, the general manager’s secretary.  “The whole first year all I did was say hello,” Bauer said. “In 1948 I asked her for a date.”4 The next year, they were married, and settled down in Prairie Village, a pleasant suburb of Kansas City. 
Meanwhile, after a lackluster 1948 season for the Yankee team in New York, Casey Stengel arrived, and soon began pulling in promising young players from the farm system. Hank Bauer, the big, aggressive fellow from Kansas City, was part of a rejuvenated Yankees team that delivered a five-year championship run. He was strong, fast, focused at the plate and in the outfield — a natural leader among his teammates. He wasn’t a media star like Mickey Mantle, who excelled in slamming the ball into the cheap seats, or Yogi Berra, whose steady onfield contribution was seasoned by his famous creativity with the English language. “Too many people judge ball players solely by a hundred runs batted in or a three hundred batting average. I like to judge my players in other ways,” Stengel said, pointing to Bauer. “Like the guy who happens to do everything right in a tough situation.”5
For the next ten years, Hank Bauer was part of one of the New York Yankees’ best and most successful lineups. He was a ferocious outfielder, where his combination of speed, muscle, and a strong, accurate throwing arm were great assets. He was a reliable hitter, but his fearsome base running was legendary. One of the defining moments of his invaluable contributions to this team was remembered in his obituary in the New York times this way: “In the 1951 World Series, … Bauer almost single-handedly won the sixth and deciding game, hitting a bases-loaded triple and making a diving catch of a line drive for the game’s final out with the tying run on base.”6 
But even for a player as apparently invulnerable as Hank Bauer, time marches on. After a lackluster 1959 season, it was time for some changes, and Hank was traded to the Kansas City Athletics. He wasn’t particularly happy about the deal, but his family was settled in Kansas City’s suburbs, where Charlene had created and maintained a stable home life for their four children, Henry Jr., Herman, Bebe, and Kelly. While he played for the Yankee organization, he and his wife had spent most of their summers apart, and coming home to Prairie Village was a benefit as his career as a player was winding down.
By 1961, Bauer had left the Athletics’ field for the last time, joined the coaching staff, and been promoted to manager. His relationship with owner Charley Finley was problematic, and two years of ninth-place finishes in the 10-team league was enough for him. In 1963, he quit the organization, and went to the Baltimore Orioles as a coach. By 1964, he was the manager. It was a fortuitous match. When the Orioles finished third behind the Yankees, he was honored as American League Manager of the Year. 
On September 11 of 1964, Time magazine’s cover article was all about Hank Bauer’s career. The cover is a rendering of his tough-guy mug. Under the title “Old Potato Face,” a reference to a 1928 story in Prairie Schooner, his full baseball story is reported in nine pages of irresistible old-fashioned sports writing. Here’s a small sample of a moment in this detailed account: “Then what do the Orioles have? … Henry Albert Bauer, 42, the brightest and ugliest face in baseball, …  Hank Bauer is the kind of man everybody wants for a friend — because only a suicide would want him for an enemy. …”7
Bauer was recognized again as A.L. Manager of the Year for the Oriole’s 1966 season. His work with the Orioles stood in stark contrast to the previous manager’s ineffective leadership. Hank Bauer was anything but weak. Warren Corbett quotes his players on that subject: “He enforced only a few rules; they boiled down to ‘play hard and don’t embarrass yourself or the ball club.’ First baseman Boog Powell said, ‘He just expected you to act like a man, nothing less.’ … ‘[H]e had a raspy voice and scared the hell out of everyone,’ pitcher Milt Pappas recalled. ‘Underneath he was the nicest guy in the world.’”8
After the 1968 season, Hank left Baltimore, spent an unsatisfying season as manager of the Oakland As, and when he was removed from that position, gave some time to the Yankees as a scout, and pretty much hung up his professional bat and went home to Kansas City.  About his years in retirement, Corbett says, “Now the breadwinner came home to run his liquor store in suburban Prairie Village, with plenty of time for hunting and fishing. He took up golf, then gave up golf. ‘Only time I ever hit to right field in my life was on that golf course,’ he said.”9
On the website of the Baseball Almanac, there is a collection of anecdotes and quotations about Hank Bauer that reinforce his reputation for toughness, fairness, and little patience with foolishness. About his now legendary ruggedness, Tommy Lasorda has been quoted saying, “This guy’s tough. He had a face that looked like it’d hold two days of rain.” Johnny Pesky, a shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, said, “When Hank came down that base path, the whole Earth trembled.” In a particularly telling exchange during Hank’s one season in Oakland, owner Charlie Finley said to Bauer, “I noticed when you went out to the mound, you had grass stains on the seat of your pants. That's not a good example to set for your players.” Bauer smiled and said, “Those weren't grass stains, Charlie. That was mistletoe.” 
Henry Albert Bauer was emblematic of millions of American stories. The characteristics that made him a good ball player are the same strong, honorable traits that made him a good Marine. When Hank died in 2007 at the age of 84, George Steinbrenner said this about him: “Hank Bauer is an emblem of a generation that helped shape the landscape of our country. He was a natural leader and a teammate in every sense of the word, and his contributions went well beyond the baseball field. His service to the Yankees, his country, and his family shows why I have been so privileged to call him a friend.”     

Footnotes
1. Corbett, Warren, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hank-bauer/ 2. www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/hank-bauer-ww2-hero.html
3. Golenbock, Peter, Dynasty (Inglewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1975)
4. Brown, Douglas, “Thick-Skinned, Blunt, Relaxed, Smiling — Hank Bauer,” Baltimore Sun Magazine, April 12, 1964.
5. Golenbock, op. cit.
6. www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/sports/baseball/10bauer.html
7. “Old Potato Face,” Time, September 11, 1964 (Cover story)
8. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hank-bauer
9. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hank-bauer

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MEMBERHSIP MATTERS

It Takes a Crew

Dear Shipmates,
I have been faced with a number of questions lately about what it takes for the FRA to “keep sailing.” We are deployed, we are pursuing a mission, we won’t return to our home port for a long time. There is no question that the front-line functions of the FRA depend on a core team of personnel, including both the visible staff and the supporting roles, not only delivering the action plan about our goals, but also ensuring that we can follow through whenever it is required.

If we think about a modern warship, the same basic story applies. Once a ship leaves port, suddenly a number of basic parameters can no longer change. How much fuel is she carrying?  What personnel are on board? How many days of supplies are in the stores?  Barring supply missions and other extraordinary efforts, these basic facts are generally set firmly in stone once the lines are cast and we put to sea. 

The same holds true for the FRA. Our visible mission — our NED, our senior leaders in regions and branches — is defined by the cadence with which we elect them. We have support staff behind the scenes, responding to inquiries from shipmates and supporting the messaging and objectives of FRA through its many outlets. We publish a magazine, we host a website and we deliver content to federal agencies in our role as a congressionally chartered veterans’ service organization. The Fleet Reserve Association is a name that carries weight, and history and importance.  

Often, our ability to influence the mission is dependent upon the work that was previously done. If someone asks about the FRA’s history of supporting the sea services, we need to have material about the benefits we have already secured at our fingertips. When we supported TRICARE for Life, we could do it because we had the facts and figures about our Shipmates and their needs immediately at hand. 

Does it matter whether we are based on the west coast, or the east? Does it matter, with modern technology and communications, how we deliver our work, or simply that it was done on time and to a high standard? It is an advantage for the FRA and all Shipmates that we are nimble, responsive and correct, at least most of the time. We want our mission to be the driving force that we all support, no matter what position we hold or how our team organizes itself to respond.

The FRA must adapt to the times. Our regions and branches work well with National HQ to drive recruitment, communicate benefits and deliver results to those Shipmates who need them most. Many of our Shipmates will never visit the National HQ, and they shouldn’t have to. Our job is to serve them where they are, not force them to come and find us.  

The reality is that while the crew on board the vessel is crucially important, a lot of the work they do is only possible because of huge amounts of effort that was expended long before they set sail. The contracts, the supplies, the planning and contingencies — it all depends on an extended crew of people working remotely, often unseen but never disregarded. Our team adapts to the visible mission, but in doing so, it never steps aside.

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

1. 
Branch 268, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Shipmate Nadine Lewis was presented a citation from the Oklahoma House of Representative Eric Roberts for her military service and continued volunteer community activity for veterans. The citation was presented during the April 7 session.

2. Branch 23, Buffalo N.Y.
(L to R) RP Neil Ross installed the newly elected branch officers; Branch Vice President RuthAnn Coppola, Branch President Wayne Sorrentino, Branch Chaplain Andy Rotola, while Branch Secretary Dave LaGraves and several members attended on Zoom.

3. Branch 98, Shreveport, La.
Branch 98 conducted a Memorial Day ceremony at Cross Lake in Shreveport Louisiana. (L to R) Lee Jeter, Branch President Willie Hill, Aux RTSC Saundra Smith, Branch Vice President Charles Smith, PRPSC Emmett Smith, Guest Speaker Capt. Joe Chesky, Chuck Lester and Larry Lewis.

4. Branch 15, Walhalla, S.C.
Branch members assembled meals that were denoted by Chick-fil-A for kids during the South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources Youth Fishing Rodeo on May 14. (L to R) Shipmate Harvey Spencer, Branch President Clyde Albertson, Board Member Jimmy Hall, Board Member Tom Smith, and Branch Secretary/Treasurer Jim Jones.

5. Branch 275, Placerville, Calif. 
(L to R) Branch Secretary/Treasurer PNP Larry Boudreaux, Branch President Charles “Bud” Sweet and Branch Chaplain Clara Dean Gemmet conduct a Memorial Day service at the American River Resort in Coloma, California.

6. Branch 146, Johnsville, Pa.
During the April branch meeting, Branch President Bob Opett (L) presented of $400 check to Cmdr. Jack Beaver (Ret.) of the Liberty Bell Squadron. The branch is a sponsor of the Liberty Bell Squadron of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps.

7. Branch 251, Mt. Home, Ark.
Branch 251 held a Two Bell Ceremony for HM1 Donald R. Patterson, then presented his wife Dorothy Patterson with a Certificate of Appreciation and a 35 Year Continuous Membership Certificate and Pin recognizing Patterson’s service.

8. Branch 70, Poway, Calif.
Westview High School NJROTC cadets received certificates of achievement by FRA Branch 70 President Lou Irvin (L) and was assisted by Navy Capt. Thomas Adams (R), Unit OIC who is also a Shipmate.

9. Branch 166, Virginia Beach, Va.
PRPEC Sha’ron D. Martin (FRA Rep. for Commonwealth of Virginia) with members of the HRCOV attending a Hampton Roads briefing by the Commissioner on the VA transition plans for the Commonwealth as well as Hampton Roads. 

10. Branch 115, Lehigh Valley, Pa.
The Lehigh Valley Branch held their Americanism Essay Contest celebration on June 18, where the officers and Team Leaders were recognized and installed for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

11. Branch 299, Wilmington, N.C.
Branch members shown with the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Torpedo Squadron 8. The branch supports the Sea Cadets. Branch Secretary Frank Roberts (L), Branch President Ron Meyer (R),
FRA Shipmate and Cadet leader Capt. Guy Simmons (in fatigues)

12. Branch 261, Lemore, Calif.
Shipmate John J. Otto (L) was presented his 50 Year Continuous Member Certificate and Pin. The presentation was conducted by Branch President Doug McCann (R).

TAPS

Name	Rating	Branch
Annin, Timothy E.	CAPT, USN	24
Arceo, Ernesto	DKCM, USN	MAL
Atkinson, Jerry T.	STS2(SS), USN	20
Augustine, Joseph A.	AMS1, AWS	MAL

Baldwin, Jack A.	HMC, USN	MAL
Bleavins, Charles	SCPO, USN	MAL
Bossar, Albert G.	GM3, USN	24
Britner, Neal P.	STSCS(SS), USN	23
Burke, William	GATCS, USN	22

Cavitt, Sylvan L. 	ADRC, USN	42
Clancy, Henry M.	ETCM/SS, USN	MAL
Cleary, Howard E.	FTGC, USN	34
Cole, Gordon A.	EMCS, USN	192
Cormier, Joseph M.	EON2, USN	42
Coward, William L.	MGYSGT, USMC	339
Cunningham, Marvin A.	
	DTC, USN	01

Dennis, James E.	USN	269
Doubrava, Norman G.	GYSGT, USMC	94
Duerr, Kenneth R.	CSCM, USN	MAL

Elam, Curtis	AOC, USN	MAL

Fournier, Roland R.	EM1, USN	MAL

Gillen, Wallace R.	PO1, USN	MAL
Granato, Robert C.	ADR1, USN	MAL
Gray, Gary	OSC(SW), USN	MAL
Guth, Frederick L.	RMCS, USN	MAL

Hennequin, Harry C.	NCCS(SW), USN	161
Hermann, Dean A.	CDR, USN	298
Herring, Kenneth R.	AMCS, USN	91
Hirschman, Joseph	AOC, USAR	60
Hussey, George O.	LCDR, USN	24

Janney, Corinne A.	SN, USN	269
Jones, Durward L.	RDC, USN	MAL
Jones, Alton N.	GMG1, USN	250
Jones, Donald E.	MSCM, USN	40
PRPNW, Jordan, Gerald V.	
	ADCS, USN	18

Killingsworth, James R.	CWO3, USN	166
Kolodziejczyk, Josef	OSC, USN	55

Lewis, Johnny E.	GSEC, USN	53
Lloyd, Thomas E.	ADR2, USN	97
Long, Warren E.	CPO, USN	137
Lowman, Charles B.	QMC, USN	178

Marshman, Frank	EMC(SS), USN	276
Matthews, Claude T.	OS1, USN	212
McKay, Ronald J.	TMC(SS), USN	MAL
Moore, Joseph W.	BM2, USN	302
Morgan, Jack N.	DC2, USN	221
Morrison, John A.	RMC, USN	269

Neuhart, Virgil J.	BMC, USN	MAL
Newell, Lester	MAJ, USMC	24
Newsome, Donald C.	CPO, USN	MAL

Oass, William J.	SR, USN	24
Orth, Arthur K.	USN	MAL
Pagsolingan, Andres C.	SD2, USN	MAL
Patterson, Boyd E.	CPO, USN	269
Perry, Ernest A.	ENC, USN	MAL
Perry, Robert E.	LCDR, USN	302
Price, Jack M.	RMC, USN	40

Rackley, Emmett L.	USN	269
Reed, Robert F.	CAPT, USN	24
Ricker, John J.	AOC, USN	91
Roberts, Virlene R.	PO1, USN	MAL
Rogers, Charles E.	YNC, USN	307
Rydzy, Walter P.	ICC, USN	269

Sager, Teddy M.	AZ1, USN	94
Schetrompf, Blair	SH1, USN	31
Schmitz, John N.	RMCS/SS, USNR	346
Schober, Herbert C.	SK1, USN	72
Shields, Robert E.	ATC, USN	161
Stahl, James L.	PRCS, USN	MAL
Stump, Jackie	LCDR, USN	MAL

Thompson, Robert	PNC, USN	MAL
Triplett, James E.	MCPO, USN	MAL

Walker, Junior W.	HT1, USN	MAL
Wardius, Harvey	PNC, USN	55
Wartha, Jerold A.	CPO, USN	MAL
Weaver, James C.	ASC, USN	MAL

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LA FRA Auxiliary

A Message from the West Coast Regional President

For the 3rd consecutive term, I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as the president of the West Coast Region, and I am honored to advance as the president anew.

Despite facing restrictions from the pandemic last year, spectacularly, this term has been eventful. I traveled to two of the West Coast units that I had not visited in the past; Unit 59 in Cheyenne, Wyoming and unit 185 of Ogden, Utah proved to both possess members with excellent organization skills. I also attended my first pilgrimage this past April. What a heartfelt and moving experience! I plan to connect with more units in the near future once I recover from a fractured lower limb.

As I review the new officer reports, there are indications that some new members are serving as officers of their units. But I must say it has become a challenge recruiting auxiliary members who want to escalate and serve in regional officer positions when we oscillate with the same unit members. Nevertheless, I am happy to announce that some of the units have acquired new members. I am hoping that some of us past and present leaders will work diligently to equip them to be future leaders of the auxiliary. 

Now that the pandemic restrictions have lifted, it is encouraging that the units are back to meeting in person and accomplishing major objectives. The West Coast Region units are holding; installations and dinners, fundraisers with bingo games, corn hole tournaments, monthly breakfasts and selling tote bags. The West Coast Region is able to participate in Veterans Day parades and flag raising events for Veterans Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day and the 4th of July. The region continues to hold food drives for the holidays, create Mother’s Day baskets for the battered women’s shelter, have sock and hat drives for homeless veterans and offer cafe talk for veterans to socialize.

The West Coast Regional Convention is quickly approaching. The dates are from August 18 to August 20 and will take place at the Gold Dust West Hotel in Carson City, Nevada. It is an honor having the national officers attend the important event along with some of our regional unit’s new members. This year’s convention will be hosted afresh by Branch and Unit 137 of Carson City, Nevada. They are seasoned in hosting conventions and are outstanding moderators.

In closing, I would like to ask all of you for help with the expansion of the Fleet Reserve Association and the Auxiliary, please carry several applications with you at all times. You never know when you will run into that prospective future member.

In Loyalty, Protection & Service, 
Kelly M. Pena

Kelly is the West Coast Region president of the LA FRA.
FINANCE MATTERS

Paying Down Debt Versus Investing
Paying down debt is often difficult, especially in a challenging economic environment. You may be wondering which to tackle first — pay down your debt or invest for the future.

Balance Is Best
A balanced approach to wealth management serves both today’s needs and tomorrow’s goals. For some that may mean paying off some debt today while simultaneously investing for the future.
Your own needs and circumstances will be unique. The following guidelines can help you evaluate alternatives and find an approach that fits your situation and goals.

Don’t Forget Your Emergency Fund
In addition to paying down debt and settling on an investment strategy, make it a priority to set up an emergency reserve. Traditional “rules of thumb” suggest setting aside three to six months or more of living expenses in traditional savings or very short-term, highly liquid, low-volatility investments.
While ideal, that goal may not be realistic for everyone. Start by building up a reserve of a month’s expenses and make it a goal to increase your emergency fund over time as resources permit.

Your Future First
When making decisions about debt and investing, be a long-term thinker. Consider “what position do I want to be in 10 or 20 years from now?” Then evaluate what actions today should be most effective in helping you achieve your long-term financial goals.
For example, if you have high-interest debt that is compounding, this could eventually become a serious impediment to reaching your long-term goals. In contrast, you might not be in a hurry to retire low-interest debt if the potential return on long-term investing would be greater.
When making decisions about debt reduction vs. investing, keep in mind that the need to eventually pay off principal is certain but investment returns are not. Investment performance will vary over time, and it’s possible to experience losses as well as gains. At the same time, it is well known that investors who start earlier may benefit from compounding and “time in the market.”
If you have the opportunity to participate in a retirement plan at work and your employer makes matching contributions, that could be a compelling reason to prioritize investing up to the amount that the employer will match.
But there are no magic numbers. That’s why you may want to work with a financial advisor to create an investment strategy that fits your financial expectations for the future.

Prioritize Your Debts
With your emergency fund and investment strategy in place, you can begin deciding on a strategy for reducing your debts. But how do you decide which debts to pay down first?
Mathematically, it makes sense to focus on paying off high-interest debts like private student loans and credit card debt first. Federal student loans and mortgages might be lower priorities because their rates are often lower and their terms longer. Vehicle loans might fall somewhere in the middle. Tax considerations may also come into play.
An alternative approach is to start with the smallest debt first. It might be motivating to get a “quick win” by paying off a smaller debt before beginning to chip away at a larger one.
Once you pay off one debt, add that payment amount to a different debt payment amount to accelerate its pay off.

It’s Personal
One last tip: Don’t discount your emotions. If paying off a certain debt will help you feel more secure, follow your gut. Or discuss with a financial advisor before you decide. Also, identify some key milestones that you want to reach, and celebrate (modestly) when you achieve those goals!  

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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• Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency
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• Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested

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