I have a great deal of respect for General Schoomaker, having had the opportunity of serving as a psychological operations battalion commander when he was in command of the U.S. Special Operations Command. However, I believe he is drastically underestimating the retention challenge the Army faces. With a stated four-year rotation cycle, and a shorter one in practice, today’s part-time soldier has become an unwitting pawn in the deployment game.

A key challenge is that reservists and guardmembers are simply not able to pursue a career, and while employed reservists are afforded some protection by the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act, those without jobs have dismal prospects, as employers resist hiring people who will be called up for long periods.

Troop levels are not likely to decline and dissatisfaction among families, soldiers, and employers is growing. General Schoomaker knows the foundation of the Army is its troops. The retention challenge is not likely to be met by prior-service personnel, because their dissatisfaction is high as well. The chief and his staff need to employ the kind of “out of the box” thinking [he] is known for.

— Col. Lawrence D. Dietz, USAR-Ret.
via e-mail

The cover of the November 2004 Military Officer just absolutely stopped me dead in my tracks, and my heartbeat increased considerably! I keep some copies of your magazine [that contain articles] of special interest to me, but this time it is the cover. …

This December I shall be 83 years of age, and this picture of Gen. Peter Schoomaker, USA, had me feeling like a teenager. I have been a widow for 28 years and had a super U.S.

Marine Corps husband — so super I never wished to have anyone take his place. The general’s wife and all his family must be very proud of him, and so am I!

— Phyllis Carter Baker
Washington, D.C.

SBP Pros and Cons

I sympathize with the confusion of Colonel Schlatter regarding the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) (“Your Views,” November 2004). I attempted to determine what the beneficiary payment would be for my spouse.

I read “SBP Made Easy” from cover to cover. I felt this to be an excellent publication, a best effort on the part of your staff, but it’s not simple.

I concluded the only way to get an accurate dollar figure is to die, then [the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)] will use its secret formulas to determine the pay- ment. I retired in 1978, I am now 73, and apparently the 35-percent figure after Social Security offset does not necessarily apply — but what does?

I decided to use the 35-percent figure as an approximation for estate-planning purposes. Can DFAS not devise a calculator using their formulas that the average sharp knife can use to determine benefits without dying first? Apparently not.

— Lt. Cmdr. W.V. Adams Jr., USN-Ret.
St. Mary’s City, Md.

Editor’s Note: MOAA’s Benefits Information Department can help you determine the amount of your survivor’s SBP annuity. Call (800) 234-MOAA (6622).

For many years, MOAA has [challenged] the SBP program so it would provide retired military with the benefits promised. … I signed up in July 1977, when I retired. Since that date, based on the 2003 reported premium, I have paid about $90,072 into SBP. It seems that SBP was actually a gambling situation, since my wife is now in very poor health, and I am not. If she were to predecease me, the payment I have made is down the drain. I will receive no reimbursement of the $90,072 that I have paid into it so far, and it will continue to increase until that fateful day.

I guess that is how the government breaks even on SBP over the long run, because retirees like me and many others will pay the bill. Perhaps it is like visiting Las Vegas, and the odds over time have to be considered. It would have been interesting to visit Las Vegas with their odds, and my $90,072, and see if the results would have been better over time, but I will never know!

— Cmdr. Earle R. Callahan, USN-Ret.
Coronado, Calif.

Cold War Veterans

I have belonged to MOAA for more than 20 years. I read the “Veterans Day” editorial (“From the Editor,” November 2004), and I need now to speak out against what I believe is a sad state of affairs with MOAA: your constant failure to recognize a very large group of officers who served our country from the 1950s until 1993 when the “Wall” came down, the Cold War “warriors.” …

Colonel Lacy, I believe you and your association owe an apology to the tens of thousands of veterans whom you neglected to mention in your editorial of salute to veterans. It’s time this band of brothers and sisters was recognized. We did, in fact, win our war!

— Lt. Col. Donald O’Connell, USAF-Ret.
via e-mail

Editor’s Note: The intent of the editorial, and everything else MOAA stands for, is to salute and support “veterans.” That term includes everyone who served — whether in a “hot” war or “cold” war. I patrolled the Fulda Gap in Germany many times [during the Cold War era], as well as having served in Vietnam and Desert Storm. Many veterans also served stateside during hot and cold wars, and their efforts were just as important. MOAA certainly appreciates the Cold War warriors.

Initial Error

Thanks for the wonderful photos of the National World War II Memorial in your November issue. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is proud of this magnificent tribute to the service and sacrifice of America’s World War II generation.

On page 56 you correctly note that the inscription attribution for Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, USN, is incorrectly shown in the photo as Adm. Chester A. Nimitz, USN. If you receive comments on this, please tell your members that the “typo” was discovered and corrected in May.

— Michael G. Conley
Director of Public Affairs, ABMC

Who Came First?

In the Encore article which appears in the November 2004 issue, I erroneously credited Adm. Diego Hernandez, USN-Ret., with being the first Puerto Rican to attain flag rank. This distinction belongs to Adm. Horacio Rivero Jr., USN, who was born in Ponce, P.R., and attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served in World War II. In 1964, Rivero became the first Puerto Rican — indeed the first Hispanic American — to be elevated to the rank of four-star admiral. He went on to become vice chief of naval operations and, after retiring in 1972, U.S. ambassador to Spain.

— Capt. John Wallace, USN-Ret.
Kapolei, Hawaii