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Field Reports
By Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret., Director, and Col. Jim Pauls,
USAF-Ret., Council and Chapter Affairs, and Kris Ann Hegle
Chapter Adopts Reserve Battalion
Members of the Military Officers Club of Northeastern Wisconsin
Inc. know all too well the problems servicemembers and their families face during a wartime deployment. That’s why they adopted the U.S. Army Reserve’s 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion. The battalion, which is based in Green Bay, Wis., deployed to Iraq in April 2003, and its members are working to rebuild the country.
According to Chapter President Cmdr. John M. Friedel, USN-Ret., the lack of military installations in Wisconsin has created a strain on reservists’ families because they are less familiar with the normal military support services found on active duty bases. The strain is compounded because requests for support services have to be made by phone or e-mail with no face-to-face contact.
“We want to be a resource for them,” says Friedel. “We want them to know we’re here when they need help.”
Chapter members say they plan to support the battalion any way they can. This might range from aiding a reservist’s wife with a family matter to assisting members of the unit with their professional development. Chapter members also are working to boost the battalion’s morale.
When CWO5 Randy Hansen, USA-Ret., a chapter member and member of national
MOAA’s board of directors, won four tickets to a Green Bay Packers game, he invited three members of the battalion to join him. The soldiers, who were home on two weeks’ leave, had such a good time that Hansen decided to contact the Packers public relations department to see if they could do something to boost the morale of the other troops who were home on leave. To Hansen’s amazement, the Packers donated 50 tickets to the battalion, allowing 13 reservists and their family members to see the team square off against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2003
NFC wild card playoff game. Another area business, Krolls West restaurant, donated a space in its parking lot near the stadium so members of the 432nd contingent could enjoy a pre-game tailgate party.
Articles about Hansen’s role in getting football tickets for members of the 432nd ran in two newspapers, increasing the chapter’s profile in the community.
Adopting the reserve battalion also has helped the chapter forge an ongoing relationship with a source of potential members.
“I know [Lt. Col.] Dan Ammerman [USAR], the former commander of the 432nd, joined
MOAA because we were able to show him the value of belonging to the association,” says Hansen.
Currently, Hansen and Lt. Col. Steven Sato, USAF-Ret., past president of the chapter, are working with the battalion’s Family Readiness Group to organize a community-wide welcome home celebration for members of the 432nd. It will be held July 10–11 and will feature a motorcycle rally, a parade, a flyover, and speeches from numerous dignitaries, including U.S. Rep. Mark Green
(R-Wis.).
Johnson Attends Louisiana Council of Chapters’ Convention
Adm. Jerry Johnson, USN-Ret., chairman of national MOAA’s board of directors, and his wife, Joy, traveled to Barksdale
AFB, La., to attend the Louisiana Council of Chapters’ Convention. Members of the
Ark-La-Tex (La.) Chapter hosted the convention Dec. 6, 2003.
The convention drew 19 representatives from eight different chapters in the state. Council members used the opportunity to interact with Johnson one-on-one and share their viewpoints on a number of topics.
During the meeting, curator Buck Riggs took council members’ spouses on a guided tour of the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale. They also enjoyed an afternoon of shopping on base and lunch in nearby Shreveport, La.
After the convention, chapter members attended the Ark-La-Tex Chapter’s Christmas party, where they each donated at least one gift for a needy child in the area. Students from the Centenary College choir in Shreveport, La., provided entertainment, and the chapter held its annual election of officers, who were sworn in by chapter member and former national
MOAA board of directors member Lt. Col. Lees Broome, USAF-Ret.
Johnson reviewed MOAA’s successes on Capitol Hill during 2003 and outlined the association’s legislative goals for 2004 during his speech before 225 council and chapter members and several distinguished guests, which included U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.). Members were encouraged to participate in
MOAA’s 75th Anniversary Campaign, which is seeking to raise $7.5 million for The Scholarship Fund of
MOAA. Johnson also said several positions had been reorganized on the national staff in order to help the association better fulfill its missions.
Following his speech, Johnson received a plaque from Lt. Col. George
Finck, USAF-Ret., of the Ark-La-Tex Chapter, in honor of his visit. Participants then hit the dance floor and enjoyed the music of the 156th Louisiana National Guard Band for the rest of the evening.
“We’ve always had good luck drawing top-notch speakers for our conventions,” says Col. Lynn
LeBlanc, USAF-Ret., Louisiana Council of Chapters president. “The Ark-La-Tex Chapter did a great job, and it was well attended.”
Kick It Upstairs
As you are reading this column, your council leaders or your chapter leaders will be making their final preparations to come to Washington, D.C., for the 2004 Storming the Hill and Council Presidents’ Seminar. If you are a regular reader, you know how justifiably proud we are of these annual gatherings and the legislative and organizational results they achieve. Each year brings new legislative efforts and, more important, legislative successes; successes such as TRICARE for Life and most recently dramatic—but not yet complete—changes to concurrent receipt rules. These were the direct result of your state council leaders’ efforts on your behalf, so please don’t ever ask, “What is a council good for?”
There are other aspects of the Council Presidents’ Seminar that should be of concern to chapter members: what your state presidents bring to Washington and what they take back home. Every state has issues affecting military retirees. Whatever they are—getting a state legislature to exempt military retired pay from state tax, having a war memorial erected on state capitol grounds, or funding state veterans’ homes or cemeteries—chapter members are in the best position to identify them.
If there are issues you want addressed at the state or national level, kick them upstairs. Tell your chapter leaders about them and ask them to share those issues with your state leaders. Then when they come to Washington, they can seek the collective experience and wisdom of
MOAA leaders from across the country who already might have addressed your issue.
Your state council leaders represent all of you—chapter and non-chapter
MOAA members alike. Make your suggestions to them. That’s what they’re there for. If your chapter isn’t part of the state council but you feel the combined council presidents meeting in session should address your issue, write directly to your state leaders and ask them to represent you at the national meeting. When your leaders return home, ask them what they learned. They’ll appreciate it, and so will you.
Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret.
Director, Council and Chapter Affairs
North Shore and Chicago Chapter Hosts Legislator
More than 120 members of the North Shore and Chicago Chapter Inc. turned out to hear U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) speak during a recent chapter meeting. Kirk, who also is a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve, told the chapter members about his military service in Haiti, Bosnia, and Iraq.
In 1999, the Navy named Kirk Intelligence Officer of the Year for his combat service in
Kosovo. He also is the only member of Congress to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was an air crewman in Iraq during Operation Northern Watch. Kirk told members he continues to serve his country as a reservist, and most of his duty weekends are spent at the Pentagon.
Following his speech, Kirk participated in a question-and-answer session. Members also took the opportunity to thank Kirk for cosponsoring legislation that sought to raise the minimum Survivor Benefit Plan annuity for surviving spouses age 62 and older, and they asked for his continued support on this and other legislative issues being championed by national
MOAA.
“I think the thing that really surprised me was his openness,” says chapter President Lt. Col. John
DeReu, USA-Ret. “He really spoke like a military person, not like a congressman.”
The 435 members of the North Shore and Chicago Chapter stay up-to-date on legislative issues, thanks to the hard work of Col. Thalia West,
USAF-Ret., who is the chapter’s legislative director. In addition, chapter members support several area Junior
ROTC and ROTC units.
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce Speaks to New Mexico Council of Chapters
First-term U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) knows more than he used to about the legislative issues that are important to
MOAA members, thanks to members of the New Mexico Council of
Chapters. Council members invited Pearce to speak at their Nov. 8, 2003, meeting, which was hosted by the
Pecos Valley Chapter in Roswell, N.M. More than 60 chapter and council members from around the state attended the event.
Following his speech, Pearce participated in a lively question-and-answer session with meeting attendees. Members also took the opportunity to share information on the legislative issues they support, including raising the minimum Survivor Benefit Plan
(SBP) annuity for surviving spouses who are 62 and older, which is national
MOAA’s top legislative goal for 2004.
“We try to get our congressional representatives to speak at council meetings whenever they’re in town,” says Lt. Cmdr. Neal Harris,
USN-Ret., president of the New Mexico Council of Chapters. “It gives us a chance to hear where they stand on the issues. It also gives us a chance to give them up-to-date information on the issues we support.”
Council and chapter members in New Mexico are stepping up their legislative efforts to win passage of
SBP in 2004. In fact, two members of the Albuquerque (N.M.) Chapter, Carolyn Epling and Col. Larry D.
Hellikson, USAF-Ret., have volunteered to brief members of other military and veterans’ organizations in the state about
SBP to increase support.
Council members also maintain strong ties with their state representatives. According to Harris, council members will work on several legislative issues throughout 2004, including getting state income tax relief for all retirees who live in New Mexico, an issue the council has been supporting for several years now. Retirees who live in several surrounding states already benefit from full or partial state income tax relief.
A closer look at council and chapter achievements
The Home Front Cares
COL. Bob Carlone, USAF-Ret., wanted to support the troops and their families when Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March 2003. The Vietnam veteran called friend and fellow Pikes Peak (Colo.) Chapter member Col. Joe
Henjum, USAF-Ret. “Joe,” he said, “We’ve got to do something to help these families.”
The words struck a chord with Henjum, who also is a veteran, and the two went to work. A few weeks later, they launched a nonprofit organization called The Home Front Cares, which helps the families of servicemembers who are deployed in harm’s way.
Carlone and Henjum take advantage of the 501(c)(3) status of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation, a well-respected philanthropic organization that serves as the fiscal agent for all donations, and The Home Front Cares has raised more than $46,000. Approximately $11,000 was used to help 25 needy servicemembers’ families who didn’t qualify for assistance through other sources.
To receive help, a family must live in the Pikes Peak region, have a loved one deployed in harm’s way, and have its need verified through a reputable source, such as a military family support agency. The organization also helps family members from all ranks and services, including the Guard and Reserve.
The Pikes Peak Chapter provided $500 in seed money to found The Home Front Cares, and several chapter members stepped forward to fill positions on the all-volunteer staff. Today, The Home Front Cares has sponsors ranging from the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross to
USAA to The Retired Enlisted Association.
“We really didn’t have to work to get sponsors because everyone wanted to help,” says Henjum. “This is especially true of the civilians who live here in the area. We’ve given them an opportunity to express their appreciation to the military in a way they never could before.”
The Home Front Cares helped the wife of a soldier in Iraq who stopped working because of an illness and whose car failed. She was able to return
to work, but faced a dilemma: Should she buy a car and go back to work, or should she pay the rent? She bought the car and promptly received an eviction notice. She didn’t qualify for a loan through Army Emergency Relief or another family support program. The Home Front Cares paid $609 in past-due rent and late fees, and she avoided eviction. In turn, she was required to attend budget counseling twice a month.
The Home Front Cares also paid one month’s energy bill for 310 families of deployed enlisted troops who live off-post or off-base, which totaled more than $29,000. The organization paid the bills using a grant from Energy Outreach Colorado, a low-income energy assistance program located in Denver.
The Home Front Cares also helped the family of a soldier injured in Iraq. While he was hospitalized in Germany and Washington, D.C., his family ran up a long-distance phone bill of $790.64. The Home Front Cares negotiated with the long-distance carrier and paid the bill, which was reduced to $201.50.
This inspired Carlone and Henjum to form an offshoot organization called the Wounded Troops’ Fund, which helps alleviate the financial burden placed on families who must travel to see their hospitalized loved one. The fund receives contributions through the Pikes Peak United Way as part of the Combined Federal Campaign.
According to Carlone, the Home Front Cares won’t shut down—even after the troops come home from Iraq.
“There will always be men and women deployed in harm’s way,” he says. “We’re just grateful to be able to help.”
To find out more about The Home Front Cares, visit www.thehomefrontcares.org.
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