1. Healthcare

Highlights
February 2015
Page 1
highlights
Mayport Chapter
Military Officers Association
February 2014
Volume XXIV No 2
Serving Mayport and the
Beaches
Jacksonville Florida
What’s inside…
President’s
Message
1
Program
2
Calendar
2
Legislative
Affairs
3
Photos from Jan
Member Meeting
6/7
Af T_X Aircraft
8
P3 Final Deployment from JAX
10
Menu & RSVP
12
Military Officer Association
of America
380,000 + Members
From The Podium
CWO4 Patrick Ivory, USN (Ret)
H
I everyone, I hope this finds your well.
My comment above is meant to be an
eye catcher. At our January meeting, we installed the officers and committee chairs for
2015. It was a bit disappointing that there
were only 24 members and guests present,
including those being installed. The numbers
of members attending the luncheons have
been steadily declining over the last couple
of years and that begs the question, why?
Our members are aging and in fact we have
44 that are over the age of 90 attending may
be an issue for them. I am asking you to
please contact me, either by phone or e-mail
and tell me what you think the cause is and
what you feel we can do to improve attendance. Is it people are tired of going to
Ocean Breeze, the fact that the meetings are
in a Sunday, do we need to change the focus
on guest speakers, or do we need to have
more social events, without a speaker?
John and Donna Snyder, Bob Bachmann.
Terri and I attended the Florida Council of
Chapters leadership forum this past weekend. There are several chapters that are
struggling with recruitment and retention of
their members. There were many ideas discussed and the board will be looking at possible changes, but I would like your input.
Each member is effectively a recruiter for
members. If you know someone that is eligible to join us, please encourage them to join.
They can complete an application through
the website.
COL. Mike Hayden, USAF, retired is the
Director of Government Relations. He routinely testifies on the Hill concerning issues
(Podium Continued on page 8)
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Highlights
February 2015
MAYPORT CHAPTER (MOAA), INC.
2993 Bright Eagle Dr
Jacksonville, Florida 32226-4045
mpmoaa.org
The Mayport Chapter (MOAA), Inc. is a nonprofit corporation operated to promote the
objectives of the Military Officers Association of
America and for other purposes as set forth in the
Chapter’s Bylaws.
HIGHLIGHTS is the newsletter of the Chapter
published monthly for the information of the
members.
Editor and Web Master:
LCDR John Snyder, USN/Ret…...…….363-6030
MEETING TIME & PLACE
The Chapter meets at the Ocean Breeze
Conference Center, U.S. Naval Station Mayport,
Florida or, as specified in the calendar.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS for 2015
President:
CWO Patrick Ivory, USN/Ret...................757-9206
Vice President:
CDR Miles Dean, USN/Ret.......................... 497-5911
Secretary:
Mrs. Teresa Ivory........................................ 757-9206
Treasurer:
COL Bob Bachmann, USA/Ret.......................... 737-0568
Directors:
CAPT Robert Frampton USN/Ret.............. 642-7856
Carol Trentalance........................................ 821-8094
COL Jim Jandreau USA/Ret .................... 361-3068
Immediate Past President:
LCDR John Snyder, USN/Ret ............................ 363-6030
February Program
W
e are excited to have RADM
Thomas C. Watson Jr. USN
Retired as our speaker at our
February meeting.
Prior to moving to Jacksonville in 1990,
he was President and CEO of Mars
Electronics International, Inc., based in
Philadelphia. The company designed,
manufactured and distributed a number of microprocessor-based products
RADM Thomas C. Watson Jr. USN Retired for commercial applications as well as
some consumer electronic products.
The rapid growth of the company resulted in the need for designing and building a large modern facility which became a model of technology application in
manufacturing.
Prior to becoming President of this fast growing company in 1982, he had a
(Program Continued on page 10)
CHAPTER CALENDAR
Chaplain:
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Printed by: ARC
7999 Philips Hwy, Suite 202
Jacksonville, FL 32256
2015 MEETING SCHEDULE
February 2015
CDR, Steve Souders CHC USN .............(360) 917-5939
Programs:
COL Bill Walker, USAR/Ret .....................268-7593
Membership:
Vacant ..............................................................................................
Legislative Affairs:
CDR Miles Dean, USN/Ret...................... 236-1714
Personal Affairs:
CDR Jerry Johnson, USN/Ret ....................249-1654
Chapter Events:
Mrs. Donna Snyder....................................................363-6030
ROTC/Junior ROTC:
CDR Gale Ruskosky, USN/Ret . . . . . ………564-2081
Data Processing:
LCDR John Snyder, USN/Ret . . . . . ……….…363-6030
AUX Liaison:
Barbara Gearhart........................................................ 744-1195
USO:
CDR Jerry Johnson USN/Ret.........................249-1654
TOPS:
CAPT Mike McHugh, USN/Ret ........................ 992-6123
Public Relations:
Vacant...............................................................................................
Page 2
7
0930, Feb Board of Director Meeting
Location John & Donna Snyder’s
8692 Hampshire Glen Dr S
Jacksonville FL
Jan 18, Sun, 1230 Ocean Breeze Brunch
Feb 15, Sun, 1230 Ocean Breeze Brunch
Mar 15 Sun, 1230 Ocean Breeze Brunch
14 Valentine’s Day
Apr 19, Sun, 1230, Ocean Breeze Brunch
15 1230, Ocean Breeze Brunch
May 17, Sun, 1230 TBA Brunch
16 President’s Day
Jun 21, Sun, 1230 TBA Brunch
18 Ash Wednesday
Jul
March 2015
7
0930, Feb Board of Director Meeting
Location John & Donna Snyder’s
8692 Hampshire Glen Dr S
Jacksonville FL
8 Daylight Savings Time Starts
Summer Break
Aug Summer Break
Sep 20, Sun, 1230 Ocean Breeze Brunch
Oct 18, Sun, 1230 Cypress Village Brunch
Nov 15, Sun, 1230 Ocean Breeze Brunch Annual Member Meeting, (Toys for Tots)
Election of Officer for 2016
15 1230, Ocean Breeze Brunch
Dec ??, Fri, 1800 Ocean Breeze Christmas
Dinner Dance (Toys for Tots)
Highlights
February 2015
Page 3
Legislative Affairs
From MOAA.org
January 16, 2015
S
everal important concurrent receipt and veterans’ bills have been introduced in the 114th Congress. Click on the bill numbers below to send
your legislators a MOAA-suggested message in support.
H.R. 333 – Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act. Authorize full concurrent receipt for retirees with a service-connected disability rated less than 50
percent, including Chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service.
Bills
of
Interest
H.R. 303 – Retired Pay Restoration Act. Authorize full concurrent receipt
of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation for retirees with
regular or Guard/Reserve retirements, regardless of disability rating.
H.R. 218 – CHAMPVA Children’s Protection Act. Increase the maximum
age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program to age
26. This legislation would align CHAMPVA coverage for children with coverage provided under the Affordable Care Act.
H.R. 216 - Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Planning Reform Act.
Require the Secretary of the VA to establish a Chief Strategy Office to advise
the Secretary on long-range VA planning. The bill also aligns the planning cycle of the VA to a four year cycle to match DoD's in an effort to advance cooperative strategic planning and provide better long-term care for veterans.
S. 167 – Clay Hunt SAV Act. Support the health needs of our nation’s servicemembers and veterans who are experiencing challenges resulting from a
service-related mental health issue, traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic
stress. The House unanimously passed the companion measure (H.R. 203)
on January 12.
MOAA expects many more important bills to be introduced over the next few
weeks.
January 13, 2015
By Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret)
New Bottom Line:
New Sec Def
New Congress
Same Old Problems
The 114th Congress is now in office, and secretary of defense nominee
Ashton Carter awaits confirmation. Many observers in the press are speculating what this turnover in congressional and Pentagon leadership means for
the military community.
You can color me interested, too.
(LA Update Continued on page 5)
February 2015
Highlights
Page 4
February 2015
Highlights
Page 5
(LA Update Continued from page 3)
Carter is known within Pentagon circles as a reformer on acquisition costs, while incoming Armed Services Committee
Chairs Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) also have signaled plans to tackle acquisition
reform.
But acquisition will not be the only item these three will face.
There are several issues over the coming months that will drive the discussion. By Feb. 1, the Military Compensation
and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC) will issue its anticipated report detailing proposals to overhaul
military compensation and personnel programs.
At the same time, the White House will release its FY 2016 budget request. The request must grapple with the budget
caps established by sequestration that return in full force Oct. 1.
Somehow Congress will need to address the conflict between the budget submission, which is expected to exceed sequestration’s limits, and the caps established by the law.
Can Congress find cost-saving reforms in time? Acquisition reform can take years to yield savings. Sequestration’s
budget rules limit where money can be cut to the point where Congress has forced itself to make the false choice between people programs or weapon systems. But infrastructure and weapons programs are political hot buttons that often
generate “not in my backyard” cries from legislators.
What’s the quickest way to show savings in the accounting books? Draw down troop levels and shift personnel costs
onto the backs of servicemembers and their families.
The next few months will include a flood of activity for the new secretary of defense, Congress, and MOAA, with political posturing and the formulation of defense bills. The question is whether the MCRMC recommendations will affect the
FY 2016 defense bill process.
The first year of a new Congress provides greater opportunity to implement sweeping reforms. Legislators arrive in
Washington emboldened by a sense of popular mandate in their first year, without the fear of an upcoming election.
It’s unlikely any MCRMC recommendations will be included in the White House budget submission, as budget planners
have been working for months on the FY 2016 proposal. However, this won’t stop members of Congress from trying to
include them in the defense bill markup process, especially if the proposals come with a blessing from Pentagon leadership.
That endorsement might come quickly. The Military Times already has reported Pentagon leaders plan to take a month
to review the MCRMC recommendations and finalize a position for the new secretary — all in advance of the markup
timelines.
MOAA’s biggest concern is that the new Congress will look at the Pentagon and the MCRMC proposals with the purpose of saving money or cutting the budget and will make decisions based on arbitrary budget caps, without considering
how compensation and benefits are necessary to recruit and retain a high-quality all-volunteer force.
The bottom line: The next few months will be very busy, and we will need all hands on deck to make sure your voice on
the pay and benefits needed to sustain the all-volunteer force is heard by legislators. We ask that you pay close attention
to the report in early February and participate in MOAA’s grassroots efforts to ensure shortsighted budget savings don’t
come at the expense of the health of the all-volunteer force. ##
February 2015
Highlights
January Meeting
Annual Memorial Service for fallen members
CAPT James Mennis CHC USN Retired, COL John Berle USMC Retired
Major Richard Robinson USAF Retired and Mrs. Ann Hume AUX
were Memorialized
Mrs. Donna Snyder was presented a
Certificate of Appreciation for her work as
Events Chair for 2014
Page 6
Highlights
February 2015
Page 7
January Meeting
Installation of Officers of the Mayport Chapter MOAA for 2015
Left to right: CDR Steve Souders USN, LCDR John Snyder USN Ret, Mrs. Donna Snyder, CDR Jerry Johnson USN Ret,
COL James Jandrau USA Ret, Mrs. Terri Ivory, CAPT Robert Frampton USN Ret and CWO4 Patrick Ivory USN Ret
Ala
in s
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ars rize
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Pa oor
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Bill Walker wins
Free Brunch
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50/ rse w
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Pri 50
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Highlights
February 2015
Pertinent Telephone Numbers
I.D. Cards /DEERS NavSta Mayport:
(904) 270-5571
Retired Pay NavSta Mayport:
(904) 270-5363 or direct to
Chuck Venable, ext 149
Retired Activities Office NAS Jax:
(904) 542-2766, ext 124/126
Casualty Affairs NavHospital
NAS Jax:(904) 542-7584
Local Social Security Office:
(904) 730-5555
Florida Dept of Veterans Affairs:
1-800-827-1000, ext 7432
National MOAA Personal Affairs:
1-800-245-8762, ext 116
TRICARE For Life Help Line:
1-866-773-0404
TRICARE Senior Pharmacy (TSRx):
1-877-363-6337
SHARING & CARING
Do you know any member or spouse of a
member who is ill or passed away?
Page 8
(Podium Update Continued from page 1)
that affect active duty, reservists and retirees. As you are all aware, there has
been a shift in power in the Senate. It is hoped that this shift will help push
through issues of great importance, however, the administration will likely
stone wall these efforts. It was brought out that MOAA has repeatedly had a
large impact on the COLA minus one issue recently. It took less than two
months, to reverse that law. The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission will be submitting their report in the first week in February. There is a lot of concern that there will be recommendations that will have
a negative impact on the all-volunteer force, and will recommend significant
changes In Tricare; including TFL. Mike indicated that we should expect Legislative Alerts to be sent out requesting our members to respond to their congressional representatives. I hope everyone will take the time to respond almost immediately, so that Congress understands our concerns.
I hope that you will come to the February member meeting on March 15th.
Our next speaker is RADM Thomas Watson, USN Ret. Admiral Watson was a
Naval Aviator who did three tours in Viet Nam, commanded a squadron, two
air wings and two large ships including the USS Independence. He also
served on the Department of the Navy and the Joint staffs at the Pentagon.
Respectfully submitted.
Pat Ivory
If so, please contact
Carol Trentalance
821-8074
our Chapter's
Sharing and Caring committee person
for an appropriate card to be sent.
Editor Needed!
HIGHLIGHTS newsletter needs some fresh blood to rejuvenate its superior
standing. I have had the privilege of editing and producing the newsletter
since early 2005. After 10 years it’s time for a change.
The job includes collecting inputs, layout and submitting to the printer plus
preparing the mailing of each issue and dropping off at the Business Mail Unit.
Training on Microsoft Publisher is available as well as mail prep. All you
need is a windows computer. A copy of MS Publisher will be provided along
with a laser printer to print the envelopes. Mail addressing is provided by our
Database Manager.
To volunteer contact me at [email protected].
John Snyder
Highlights
February 2015
Page 9
T
he U.S. Air Force plans to apply a new acquisition strategy to a handful
of weapons programs, from a new trainer aircraft to a battlefield intelligence system, the service’s top civilian said.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the effort, dubbed
“Bending the Cost Curve,” on Wednesday at the Atlantic Council. The idea is
for the service to work with defense contractors to encourage innovation, cut
costs and speed up the acquisition process, she said.
James, a former executive at SAIC Inc. and onetime staffer on Capitol Hill,
said it takes the Air Force, on average, 17 months — almost a year and a half
— to award a sole-source contract. “That is simply too long,” she said.
The new strategy is more targeted than the Pentagon’s Better Buying Power
effort, the secretary said, and includes three components: enhancing interaction with companies, expanding competition to include non-traditional contractors, and improving internal business analytics.
Air Force Eyes T-X
Aircraft,
Intel System for
Cost-Cutting
Strategy
The first component includes launching a so-called Cost Capability Analysis
to better identify instances where small changes in requirements have a large
impact on cost, James said. For example, if the service has a requirement for
a jet to fly 500 miles per hour, but could save a significant amount of money
by reducing the figure to 450 miles per hour, officials could use the information to make trade-offs, she said.
The Air Force plans to apply the analysis to a handful of acquisition programs,
including the T-X jet trainer, Long-Range Stand-off Weapon, Multi-Adaptive
Prodded System and Space-Based Infrared System follow-on, the secretary
said.
The second strategy component will make it easier for the Air Force to award
contracts after events where company officials demonstrate their products to
government customers, James said. The first such industry event, known as
PlugFest Plus, will take place Jan. 20 at George Mason University in Fairfax,
Virginia, and apply to the Distributed Common Ground System, an opensource intelligence system that collects data from a variety of sensors, she
said.
“If this event proves successful, we will take steps to evolve the process to
other Air Force applications,” she said.
The third component of the strategy seeks to set up a business analytics office for information technology, James said. It was the No. 1 recommendation
from corporate chief information officers who were asked about what could be
done to bring down the service’s acquisition costs, she said.
“What we’re really after here is a data-driven approach to spending,” she said,
noting that similar efforts in the private sector have reduced costs by 25 percent or more.
February 2015
Highlights
Page 10
(PROGRAM Continued from page 2)
long career as a naval officer which included duty as a
carrier-based naval aviator, a test pilot, three tours in
combat operations in the Vietnam War and command
of five US Navy commands; a squadron, two air wings
and two large ships, including the aircraft carrier, USS
Independence. He also served on both the Navy and
the Joint Staffs in the Pentagon.
He is the recipient of a number of military awards and
medals; he culminated his naval career as a Rear Admiral.
Shortly after arriving in Jacksonville in 1990, he was
asked to lead the Museum of Science and History as
the executive director. Subsequently, he founded and
served as President of CAVU Associates, an economic
development consulting company. He has been active
in a number of local organizations including the Jacksonville University Council, the Navy League, Rotary
International, the World Affairs Council and others.
He was born in 1931 in Pensacola, Florida, graduated
from Marion Military Institute, attended The Citadel for
a year before going to, and graduating from, the US
Naval Academy at Annapolis. He earned his Navy
Wings of Gold and served as a combat aviator in a
number of aircraft carriers in both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. He is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate
School in Monterey, California, the Aerospace Safety
School at the University of Southern California and the
Senior Officer Ship Material Management course in
Arco, Idaho. He has attended a number of graduate
business courses including the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and the Wharton
School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Admiral Watson has traveled extensively and is a
strong proponent of a policy of engagement in international trade as a means of national prosperity as well
as national security. He is a patriotic and experienced
business executive, naval officer and community activist who is routinely involved in the current affairs of our
country and the local community.
P-3C Orion makes
final deployment
T
he sailors of Patrol Squadron 26 made history
Thursday as the last East Coast squadron to deploy in the P-3 Orion aircraft. The deployment will mark
the end of an aircraft with a 50-year legacy of excellence
and historic milestones.
Two of 10 P-3 aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville took off Thursday carrying about 300 men and
women from VP-26 Squadron to El Salvador and Bahrain. The sailors will be conducting counter drug missions and supporting command operations.
“It's pretty exciting for the community,” Cmdr. Greg
Smith said. “The P-3 has a long legacy here in Jacksonville. VP-26 has been flying the P-3 since 1966 -- for 50
years.”
Since 1966, this aircraft has performed combat roles
during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. When this
group returns from deployment they will transition to the
new P-8A "Poseidon" aircraft.
Six P-3 squadrons still remain between Washington
state and Hawaii. Those are set to transition to the P-8A
within the next six to eight years.
Excerpts from a story on News4Jax on Jan 22, 2015.
February 2015
Highlights
Page 11
Highlights
February 2015
New Members
Membership Report
None since our last newsletter
2015 Membership Scoreboard as of 1/21/14
Description
Retention
Recruitment
Page 12
Total Members
Target
185
15
201
Actual
176
1
185
Performance
86.7%
45.0%
83.0%
Remarks
Set by Board of
Directors for 2015
A
s we closed out 2014 membership you will note that we did not achieve
our goals for either retention or recruiting. For our chapter to continue
we need to add new members at the rate of 2 members per month to stay at
the level we are at.
As you receive your January copy of the newsletter please check to see if
you have renewed for 2015. We need your membership an MOAA National
needs your membership especially in the turmoil the military is currently facing
your assistance with meeting the Legislative goals of MOAA. America must
maintain a strong military now and the immediate future. Our chapter will be
calling on each of you to respond to Legislative Call to Action focused upon
ensuring we keep our military strong and ready to face challenges around the
world.
Reservations for the Mayport MOAA
February Member Brunch Meeting
Sunday February 15, 2015
Ocean Breeze Conference Center
Naval Station Mayport
Social hour 12:30 PM, Brunch 1:00 PM
Donna Snyder must receive reservations
NO LATER THAN Feb 11, 2015
Cost is $20 per person
Please reserve ___ for a Total $________
(Checks will be accepted at the door for those who
made their reservations online. Please mail check to the address below.)
Enclose check (for total) payable to: MAYPORT MOAA
Names of Attendees: *** _______________________________________
Address and Phone: _______________________________________
*** If none of the members of your party have access to the base please
include their Date of Birth and the last 4 digits of their SSN
when making your reservation
(You may make your reservations online @ http://mpmoaa.org )
Mail your reservations with check to:
Donna Snyder
8692 Hampshire Glen Dr S
Jacksonville FL 32256
Or Call Donna at 363-6030
Membership Drive
Every Member
Get a
New Member
By the end of
2015
Do your part
Menu
Tossed Green Salad w/ assorted dressings
Fresh Fruit Salad
Scrambled Eggs w/ chives
Crispy Bacon
Chicken Marsala
Rice Pilaf
Sautéed Garden
Vegetables
Dessert Station
Coffee, Iced Tea, Water
Cash Bar