The month of April has been busy.
Chapter members participated in MOAA/VCOC activities in D.C. to enhance
pending legislation and expressing our thanks to legislators for their
support. Please note
below the Legislative Update prepared by Major Melva Mallison
after attending the “Storming the Hill” and Council President’s
conference. Seven of us (see photo on page 8) attended the VCOC
Congressional luncheon on April 16th. One Senator and seven
of thirteen Congressmen of the Virginia delegation attended.
Senator Warner gave us his farewell words and encouraged us to keep up
our collective efforts for furthering MOAA’s goals and objectives. Our
new Congressman Robert Wittman in his remarks expressed his interest in
continuing support while serving as the newest member on the Armed
Services Committee. The annual recipient of VCOC’s Minuteman Award was
MOAA President Admiral Norb Ryan.
In other chapter activities we are making good progress in the 2008 Give me Ten campaign.
As we go to press with this
issue we have eleven newmembers.
Our goal is “100”. For the end-of-year award VIPMOAA is competing with front
running Mount Vernon Virginia
chapter who is using our best practices to increase their
numbers. Help us get to 100
and have a chance of winning. See anofficer in uniform anywhere? Thank him/her
for his/her service, then
invite the officer to join for one
year free. Free memberships are for active, guard and reserve officers. Other officers
and widows join MOAA for 2
years at only $25. A Give
Me Ten Form must be
used. Current MOAA members may transfer to life membership using GMT
forms, but otherwise the program is for new or lapsed members only.
Always provide info about our chapter and invite them to attend a
meeting or event.
WE STILL NEED
A NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Ernest Hinojosa
, Jr.,
COL, USA,
Ret, President
Go
top
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Special
this month, update by Melva Mallison
VIPMOAA Helped MOAA Storm Capitol – Washington DC Apr 2
Eight from
VIPMOAA participated in April 16 Virginia Congressional Luncheon Two Virginia MOAA teams stormed our
nation’s capitol, 10 April 2008. One was led by COL Sam Wilder,
Vice President of the Virginia Council of Chapters (VCOC) MOAA. I
was on the other team, led by LtGen Al Edmonds, USAF, Ret of Burke VA,
a MOAA Board Member. My team visited the offices of five
Representatives by appointment, speaking directly with four, and
Senator John Warner’s office where we spoke with his assistant.
Only one Representative visited by my team was in VIPMOAA’s area:
Bobby Scott, 3rd District. Bobby Scott spoke well on the issues,
posed for photos, and seemed eager to let us know he was aware of MOAA
priorities. He mentioned recently attending a Wounded Warrior
event at Fort Monroe. Sam Wilder’s team met with Senator Webb who
emphasized the need to help veterans via GI bill initiatives and also
the importance of getting more “dwell time” for our troops returning to
Iraq and Afghanistan. They also met with Rep Thelma Drake,
District 2 and assistants of other districts where VIPMOAA has members
who are constituents.
The issues we stormed for are almost exactly the Legislative Priorities
developed by VCOC. Virginia teams reminded our Congresspersons
about the Virginia MOAA Congressional lunch April 16. VIPMOAA
President and Legislative Committee will be among the 8 VIPMOAA
participants. We hope to meet with all Representatives of all
VIPMOAA members (Senators too).
The Issues:
Sustain Defense Budget Floor at
Least 4% GDP 3.9% Pay Raise for Active Duty.
Bar Disproportional Military Health Fee
Increases.
Eliminate Financial Penalties for
Military-Caused Disabilities and Deaths.
There is good info on the MOAA website about the storming, and there
will be coverage in the MOAA magazine.
I thank the VIPMOAA President and Board for submitting my name for the
drawing which resulted in my attending the event. It was busy,
but productive, interesting and rewarding. MOAA does it every
year.
Also on April 16, MOAA's Col. Steve Strobridge (USAF-Ret)(Director of
government Relations for MOAA) and several other representatives of The
Military Coalition were invited to testify before the Senate Armed
Services Personnel Subcommittee on legislative priorities for
FY2009. Over the course of the 90-minute hearing, Strobridge
urged senators to oppose large TRICARE fee hikes, fix inequities for
disabled retirees and survivors, improve health and tax relief programs
for active duty/Guard/Reserve members, and provide needed improvements
for wounded warriors and their families. / Melva Mallison, Maj, USAF,
Ret, VIPMOAA Imm Past President
Editor's Note: We all mourn the passing
of Blair Smith's spouse, Libby. Go up Are timeshares worth
your time?
We commonly read about wealthy
celebrities having vacation homes in the mountains of Colorado, on a
tropical island or in the French Riviera. Who doesn’t dream of owning a
little slice of vacation luxury? It is a wonderful ideal to aim for,
but your heart can overrule your head.
More Americans have made the leap toward owning a vacation home. For
some, it turns into a place to retire. For others, it may just be a
getaway, possibly in the form of a “timeshare” property that allows
access to an attractive location for one or two weeks each year. The
good news is that there are a wide variety of options to consider. That
fact should also encourage you to take your time to make a wise buying
decision.
Below are five important
issues to consider as you assess the wisdom of making an investment in
a timeshare or vacation property:
1. Be aware
of all costs The purchase price is only part of
the equation, but there are other fees to consider. What will it cost
to maintain the property when you are away? What are the property
taxes? Will you need to do repairs? How much will it cost you to travel
to that destination in order to enjoy it? 2. Location, location, location It is easy to get caught up in the
beauty of a place you are visiting for the first or second time. Be
sure if you consider a home there, you know that it is a place you will
want to return to again and again.
3. Rental market possibilities Your financial decision can be made
easier if you know there is potential to generate rental income during
parts of the year when you don’t use your property. Is there a market
for renters where you want to buy? You need to investigate and possibly
be willing to set up rental arrangements. 4. Think about retirement Does the home have potential as a
place you’d want to retire? Retirement can have a big impact on your
investment decision, and give you more leeway in terms of your options.
The most important factor is to know this is a location you are
comfortable spending most or all of your time when retirement comes.
5. Resale opportunity If you have a home, you want to make
sure you can obtain fair value for it when you sell. This is a far more
complicated issue with a timeshare, where the resale market is more
challenging. Find out what the secondary market is like for timeshare
units before making an investment.
The key point is to avoid making snap decisions on any vacation
property purchase. Carefully weigh your options and read over all
documents carefully before signing anything that commits you to a
purchase.
A financial advisor may be able to help identify a plan to buying a
timeshare or vacation property. He/she may be able to help you develop
a savings and cost strategy for helping you plan your dreams.
### This column is provided for
informational purposes only. The information is intended to be generic
in nature and should not be applied or relied upon in any particular
situation without the advice of your tax, legal and/or your financial
advisor. Neither Ameriprise Financial nor its advisors or
representatives provide tax or legal advice. The views expressed may
not be suitable for every situation. Consult with qualified tax and
legal advisors concerning your own situation.
Financial planning services and
investments offered through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member
FINRA & SIPC.
LOCAL
HAPPENINGS On behalf of VIPMOAA,
Melva Mallison participated in MOAA's storming of DC, and Council
President's conference 31 March - 3 April 2008. (Her husband Bob
took part in the spouse activities). All was complimentary of
MOAA as a prize for the 20% more Give Me Ten competition the last
quarter of 2007 (Virginia was the only one to have such an
award). Conference attendees expressed much interest in
Virginia's Give Me Ten success and annual storming of state capitol and
Congressional luncheon.
23rd
Annual Virginia MOAA Congressional
Appreciation luncheon 16 Apr 2008-VIPMOAA Attendees (left to right):
Charley
Burch, Blair Smith, Ernie Hinojosa, Melva Mallison, Jackie Peters, and
Frank Duckett.Missing from photo:Jim Pauls
Army
Echoes is now available on line at http://www.armyq1.army.mil/RSO.
This address is the Echoes and the Retirement Services Office
Homepage. There is a new format and a new
column called the Spouses’ Corner. The Spouses’ Corner issue,
Jan/Apr 2008 has an inspiring story of a long-time volunteer.
Elizabeth Walters, spouse of Retired COL Walters, was one of the first
people to volunteer with the Ft. Belvoir, VA Army Community Services
Office in 1966. She was honored in 1997 for 10,000 volunteer
hours. She still volunteers once a week at age 92.
New at the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s (AAFES)!
Rather than send your loved ones packages that cost a fortune to send,
you can now send a gift certificate that can be redeemed at any
BX/PX. This “Gifts from the Homefront” certificate can be sent to
deployed troops by logging on to http://www.aafes.org/
or by calling 1-877-770-4438. For a flat shipping and handling
charge of just $4.95, you can send as much as you want through a gift
certificate to any service member.
In addition you can send the gift of food to a Military Family through
the Defense Commissary Agency’s (DeCA) “Gift of Groceries”
program. These certificates, known as “CertifiChecks,” can
be purchased at your commissary for a $1 service charge. The gift
certificates are good at any of DeCA’s 258 commissaries worldwide and
can be given directly to a service member or donated to a military
non-profit organization that assists Military Families in need.
You may also purchase the “Gift of Groceries” gift certificate on
http://www.commissaries.com or calling 1-877-770-4438 to place your
order. You can also donate gift certificates to any of the five
nonprofit organizations participating—Air Force Society, Fisher House
Foundation Inc., Operation Homefront, Operation Interdependence and the
USO- through a secure site, click the “Donate Online” link at “Gift of
Groceries.”
Auxiliary Liaison, Jackie Peters General Notices Go top
TOTAL MEMBERS: 359
Members; Reg = 286, Aux = 73;
TAPS:
LTC (RET) USA Richard R. Bailey
WANTED A FEW GOOD
MEN AND WOMEN
REPORT CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP CHAIR.
Please report
change(s) of address, rank, marital status, phone number, as well as
death of member or spouse to Membership Committee
Chairperson. Newsletter mailing labels are printed
from the membership roster.
MEMBERSHIP FORMS
Applications are available on our
chapter
website.
Or you may call chapter president or membership chairperson to obtain
one.
EDITOR STILL NEEDED
NEWSLETTER INPUT Please Email input to VIPMOAA@cox.net with “for
Newsletter” in subject line. Word documents are preferred for
paper newsletter, with photos separate in JPEG format. Letters to
the Editor (or emails to the editor) are welcome as well as articles of
interest to local officers, their families, and
widows/widowers.
You may also email input directly to the news letter editor, when we
have one appointed.
Go top
BOARD MEETING
Next meeting June 12 Monthly
2nd Thursday 11:30AM Arrive at 11:15 to order Lunch ANGELO'S RESTAURANT
757 J. CLYDE MORRIS BLVD. Newport News Board Members submit regrets
only to Secretary in advance. Chapter members are welcome to
attend. Submit agenda
items to president in advance. Go
top
CALLING WORLD WAR II, KOREAN WAR VETERANS:
Air Compassion for Veterans in Virginia Beach seeks YOUR war stories
for a special project of published interviews called, “A Sacred
Glance”. Interviews will be conducted by local college and high
school students from now until May 30, 2008 at Air Compassion for
Veterans headquarters, 4620 Haygood Rd. Suite 1, Virginia Beach, VA
23455. To sign up, or for more information, call Suzanne Rhodes,
Project Director, at 757-271-2299.
DID
YOU SERVE ON THE USS INGERSOLL (DD652)? The USS Ingersoll
(DD 652) operated during the Vietnam Era as a Navy destroyer gunship
conducting fire support missions along the coast of the Republic of
Vietnam for military ground operations. In addition to coastal
duty, the USS Ingersoll traveled up the Saigon River on Oct. 24 and 25,
1965, to fire on enemy bases. The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) C&P Service has reviewed the ship's deck logs, located at the
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and confirmed this
service on the "inland waterways" of the Republic of Vietnam. As
a result, the presumption of herbicide exposure, as described in 38 CFR
3.307(a)(6), can be extended to any crewmember who served aboard the
vessel on these dates. Anyone who served on the Ingersoll
on the dates in question and had previous claims for Agent
Orange-related conditions denied should reapply. VA
regional offices are directed to extend the presumption of herbicide
exposure to new claims involving a veteran who served aboard the USS
Ingersoll during Oct. 24 and 25, 1965. Additionally, if regional
offices are aware that any such claim was denied due to lack of
evidence for herbicide exposure, they are directed to reevaluate the
claim as soon as possible.
ALWAYS
CHECK YOUR RETIREE STATEMENT: There have been emails being
passed around that a retiree received his/her DFAS Retiree statement
and it had the wrong beneficiaries listed. While the email was
not accurate what is RECOMMENDED is that when a retiree receives their
statement (every December OR when you make a change to your pay
account) every retiree SHOULD review their statement. If you
don’t receive a paper copy (some individuals elected NOT to receive
their statements) then check it on-line a couple times a year.
Also you can provide an email address for DFAS to send an email when
changes are made to your pay account.
SAVE
THE PRINTED NEWSLETTER. Ever wonder why we keep a link
active for last month's e-news? Well, please be sure to hang on to your printed
newsletter at least until the next one arrives in the mail. The names and phone numbers on page
2 can really come in handy. Future
chapter meeting dates and places are listed in the printed and e news.
Mark your calendar now. If a meeting date is a week to ten days away and you
have not seen your newsletter with menu, reservation coupon, and
program description, take
action. Either "log on" (you do NOT have to log on, just go
there!) to our website to check out the e-newsletter, or call a board
member and find out the meal
cost and reservation deadline. Go top
CHAPTER
DINNER MEETING JUNE 26, 2008 LANGLEY AFB ENLISTED CLUB 6:30 -9:00 P.M.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 – ATTACK ON AMERICA!
In October 2007, our guest speaker, Retired Marine LTCOL Robert J.
Darling, completed a distinguished career as a Marine Helicopter Pilot,
including 4 years in the Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa with the
24 Marine Expeditionary Unit, during which, among other things, he flew
combat missions in support of Operation Restore Hope, Somalia. In
July 1998, he was selected to fly the President of the United States
with Presidential Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1). In October
2000, he was hand picked to serve as the White House Military Office
Airlift Operations liaison officer.
On September 11, 2001, then Major Darling was working in the White
House Military Office and was initially tasked to coordinate airlift
assets for President Bush’s evacuation to an undisclosed
site. However, as events unfolded that fateful day, LTCOL
Darling was directed to utilize his military expertise and serve as a
liaison between the Vice President, the National Security Advisor and
the Pentagon. During the next 24 hours, he received
real-time information from numerous government agencies and worked
directly with the National Command Authority to help implement the
Nation’s response to the terrorist attacks. LTCOL Darling
witnessed first-hand many weighty decisions made that day on behalf of
all Americans. This presentation is the unfiltered account of the
events that took place on that infamous day, based on the personal
observations of one who was uniquely situated that day to be an
Eyewitness to History.
We are indeed fortunate to be able to offer this timely, topical
program, which should be of great interest to all existing and
potential members, including every officer serving on active duty.
DON’T MISS THIS PROGRAM! Our social hour begins at 6:30 pm,
followed by dinner. To attend, please send your check and
completed reservation coupon (which appears elsewhere in this
newsletter) to arrive at VIPMOAA Hospitality no later than Friday, June
20, 2008. We hope to see you at Langley on Thursday, June 26th. Get the coupon, get
the menu, get directions.
DON’T MISS THIS PROGRAM! John Corcoran, Capt, USNR JAG Corps (Ret),
Programs Chair
FUTURE
CHAPTER MEETINGS June 26, dinner August 28, Lunch September 25, dinner October 23, dinner November 20, lunch December 18, dinner VIPMOAA rotates chapter meetings between
Fort Eustis, Langley AFB &
Williamsburg. Meetings are usually the 4th Thursday except July
(informal Sunday brunch with Portsmouth Chapter), November &
December (scheduled on another Thursday so as not to conflict with
holidays). We also attempt to hold one picnic or outing each
year.
Most meetings are at night. A few daytime meetings are scheduled each
year, usually in the winter.
Schedule/Location is presented for planning purposes and may
change. Current as of April 27, 2008.
Special
this month, update by Melva Mallison
Are timeshares worth
your time? 
