Susquehanna Chapter The Beacon October 2017 issue

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1 In this issue: Upcoming Events President s Message Credit Freeze Information Identity Theft Membership Notes 7th MOAA Maryland Congressional Appreciation Luncheon Susquehanna Chapter Scholarship Fund Legislative Information Session Details Chapter Leadership Ken Burns Delves into Questions of the Vietnam War in Documentary 6 Easy Steps to Prevent Identity Theft Changes are Coming to TRICARE/Express Scripts Mail-Order Pharmacy Program Living Socially in Retirement Communities About MOAA Chapter Dues Form UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday, November 2 nd, 7:30 9:00 AM Professional Development Breakfast Meeting Legislative Information Session, Bob Evans Restaurant, Aberdeen (More information on Page 5) Thursday, November 30 th Professional Development Dinner Meeting Lt Gen Dana Atkins, USAF (Ret), President and CEO, MOAA, Waters Edge Events Center, Belcamp PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Dear Susquehanna Chapter Members, We ve rounded the corner into the final quarter of 2017 but we re not slowing down. We ve got lots going on! Our September 21 st dinner sponsored by APGFCU was a big success, with 38 Chapter members and their spouses in attendance. Liz Leoni-Monti, provided to learn about Identity Theft and Scams that can affect us. Bill Johnston, VP Membership, pinned our two newest members, Joan Betzold and Lt Col Gayle Ruffenach, USAF (Ret). Please plan to join me for breakfast on Thursday, November 2 nd, as we talk about the 2018 Maryland Legislative Session. It s your choice about whether you eat a full breakfast or just have a cup of tea/coffee. It will be pay as you go. The registration form is on the Chapter Activities page of our web site. Please share the event information with anyone you think would be interested in attending whether or not they are eligible for membership in MOAA or not. We are in the season of putting together a new slate of officers for This is my third year as your president; Jeff served for the three prior years. We very much appreciate the many kind comments you have shared with us. Yet, it is time for a new person to take the baton and lead the Susquehanna Chapter forward in

2 2018. As Past President, Jeff is leading the Nominating Committee. Please let him know if you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors in any capacity. Are you up-to-date with your Chapter dues? We are updating our membership records, so if you are arrears in your dues, you can expect to hear from me this month. I would like to turn over the Chapter to a new president in January with everyone s dues being current. I hope you ve blocked off Thursday evening, November 30 th, to come meet Lt Gen Dana Atkins, USAF (Ret), President and CEO, MOAA, at the Water s Edge Events Center. You ll receive further details and a registration link towards the end of October, but please reserve that evening for us now. And, make sure you share the information with your friends and co-workers! Have a great October! I m looking forward to seeing you on November 2 nd! Enthusiastically! Annie Annie S. Brock President Susquehanna Chapter, MOAA CREDIT FREEZE INFORMATION At our last dinner meeting the subject of implementing a credit freeze on your accounts with the major credit agencies came up. There was some confusion about the terms of a credit freeze. Please see the below from consumers union: How long does a freeze last? A freeze generally lasts until you remove it, though a few states place limits on the duration of a credit freeze (e.g. Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota 7 year duration) Prepared by: Consumers Union Financial Services Campaign, West Coast Office, Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. (415) If you decide you want to freeze your credit report, the Federal Trade Commission web site indicates you will need to: Contact each of the nationwide credit reporting companies: Equifax Experian TransUnion You'll need to supply your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and other personal information... After receiving your freeze request, each credit reporting company will send you a confirmation letter containing a unique PIN (personal identification number) or password. Keep the PIN or password in a safe place. You will need it if you choose to lift the freeze.

3 NOTE: A new Maryland law regarding freezing of your credit report took effect October 2, The law enables Maryland residents to freeze their credit report without having to pay any fee; it is now FREE to freeze your credit report in Maryland. However, the credit reporting companies can charge you to temporarily lift the freeze; the fee is typically $5. Creditors typically only need to review one company s report, so you shouldn t have to lift the freeze with all of the credit reporting companies if you need to make your credit report accessible. IDENTITY THEFT (provided by Naomi Kaplan, Maryland Council of Chapters Spouse Liaison) Members of the military and their families are vulnerable to various types of identity theft, frauds, and scams. Members have unique factors which affect their financial well-being, such as deployment. To talk to an Identity Theft Information Specialist for free personalized assistance, you can contact the toll-free call center at , LiveChat with the specialist, or send an to itrc@idtheftcenter.org. LINK: Some blogs on the subject include: Don't Let Military Deployment Destroy Your Credit Keeping Our Military Safe From Scams and Identity Theft What the Real ID Acts Is and How It May-Affect-You Identity Theft and Fraud Armed Forces Romance Scams Snare Lonely Citizens There is no cost to those needing victim-assistance or information. MEMBERSHIP NOTES: Membership recruitment is not a one-person show. All members of the Susquehanna Chapter are recruiters. Please talk to neighbors, friends, and co-workers that are eligible for membership in MOAA and explain the benefits of membership. We recently added Gayle Ruffenach and Joan Betzold as new Chapter members. Please offer a warm welcome to them when you see them at one of our events. Thank you to all members who are current in their dues! As a reminder, 2017 dues are effective for the calendar year January through December. On July 1st, dues increased to $25. If you have any questions about your dues status, please contact Bill Johnston at wrjohnston@gmail.com. Dues may be paid on the MOAA National website at or mail the form at the end of this letter with a check. AND, thinking ahead: why not pay your 2018 dues now so you do not become one of the 20%. 7 th MARYLAND MOAA CONGRESSIONAL APPRECIATION LUNCHEON On September 13, 2017, a contingent of Susquehanna Chapter members attended the 7 th Maryland MOAA Congressional Appreciation Luncheon on Capitol Hill. Again, this year, our Chapter had the second highest number of members registered for the event. It s not a competition, but when you consider there are several other chapters where members travel a much shorter distance to attend than we do and we out do them in attendance... let s just say it doesn t go unnoticed and that definitely makes me smile! I was proud to receive our 5-Star Level of Excellence Award from Lt Gen Dana Atkins, President and CEO, MOAA.

4 SUSQUEHANNA CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIP FUND The Board of Directors is investigating the feasibility of creating a Susquehanna Chapter Scholarship Fund for graduating high school students. If you would like to be a part of the committee working on this endeavor, please contact Larry Archer at archerl211@yahoo.com or call him at , no later than 11 Oct. A subcommittee will be formed to begin the process of creating the scholarship fund in October 2017.

5 Susquehanna Chapter Military Officers Association of America Professional Development Meeting Legislative Information Session It s time to prepare for the 2018 Maryland Legislative Session. Learn about legislation affecting Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard Uniformed Service Members, Veterans, Surviving Spouses, and their Family Members. Thursday, November 2, :00 9:00 AM Bob Evans Restaurant 1024 Beards Hill Rd, Aberdeen, MD Annie Brock President, Susquehanna Chapter, MOAA Legislative Liaison, Maryland Council of Chapters, MOAA After growing up as a military child and graduating from college, Annie Brock served nearly ten years in the US Army. She was one of the first 100 women assigned to the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, graduated from the Jumpmaster Course, earned her Senior Parachutist Badge, and received a Direct Commission to the Medical Service Corps, where she became a medevac helicopter pilot, and flew Hueys and Blackhawks. A stroke of luck led Annie to meet the man who became her husband at an Air Force officers club in Germany. As a military wife and mother, she homeschooled their two daughters, has been the owner of several small businesses, to include as a Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics, and led the girls and adults in 21 USA Girl Scouts Overseas Troops in Stuttgart, Germany. One of the ways in which Annie breathes life into her passion for exciting and inspiring others is by serving as an active volunteer in the civilian and military communities. She is a past Chair of the Harford County Commission on Veterans Affairs. An Executive Director with the John Maxwell Team, Annie accompanied John Maxwell to Guatemala in 2013 to teach transformational leadership by request of the Guatemalan President. She will accompany John to Costa Rica in March She has keynoted and presented workshops at the University of Kansas School of Health Professions, Textron Systems, Verizon, Towson University, and Harford Community College. Annie earned a Master of Professional Studies in Public Leadership at George Washington University, and is a graduate of Veteran - Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship, Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University. She is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and as a Human Behavior Consultant. Annie was recognized in the March 2017 MOAA Magazine as a chapter leader Leading the Way and profiled as a Women of Influence in I95 Business Magazine s February 2015 issue. Her accolades include the Department of the Army Commander s Award for Public Service and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Service Award. Cost: Choose from the Bob Evans menu when you arrive. Register: by Wednesday, November 1, Information: Annie Brock, or president@susquehannamoaa.org

6 CHAPTER LEADERSHIP President: Annie S Brock (Former CPT, USAR) Senior Vice President: COL Dick Giligan (USA Ret) Vice-President for Membership: LCDR Bill Johnston, USN (Ret) Vice-President for Programs: Vacant Treasurer: LTC Harry Quinn, USA (Ret) Secretary: COL Mike Early, USA (Ret) Legislative Affairs: COL Dan Lafontaine, USA (Ret) Newsletter: LCDR Larry Archer, USN (Ret) Personal Affairs: COL Mike Early, USA (Ret) Chaplain: Vacant Publicity: Vacant Transition Assistance: Vacant Webmaster: Vacant Director: COL Morton S. Brisker, USA (Ret) Director: LTC Monroe L. Manning, USA (Ret) Director: COL Keitron Todd, USA (Ret) Director: LTC Trent Moxley, USA (Ret) Past President: LTC Jeffrey A. Brock, USAF (Ret) MOAA National Articles Ken Burns Delves into Questions of the Vietnam War in Documentary Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns describes his 10-part, 18-hour PBS series The Vietnam War as one of the most challenging - and perhaps most meaningful - projects he's ever undertaken. He says the Vietnam War, much like the Civil War, tore the country apart in ways that still affect us today, and he asserts it's now time to try to understand it. We believe it's the most important event in American history in the second half of the 20th century, Burns explains. It's also a war whose wounds still linger, and a good deal of the division we experience in our country - particularly with our political discourse - sort of [stems] from the wounds of the Vietnam War. As Burns and Novick worked on the series, they held multiple screenings, sharing the work in progress with some of the people they interviewed to ensure they were on the right track. They also made sure to include Vietnam veterans every step of the way. We've never had a screening [of this documentary] where we didn't have veterans there, as well as our historical advisors, and as you know, veterans have a pretty high BS meter, Burns says. They could really help us understand the story, and at the same time, you could see they were... reliving their experiences and finding comradeship, even if the veteran they were sitting next to and hugging after an episode didn't share the same exact views of the war they did. Both Burns and Novick hope the documentary will offer comfort to those who might be conflicted about their experiences in Vietnam. We've talked to a number of former officers who went through this war - especially junior officers, because that's who is still around to talk about it, says Novick. There's a lot of inner conflict [that arose from] leading men in a war that [was] controversial, knowing they [had] to get their men home safely, and explaining to them

7 the purpose of the war. That's a huge burden for an officer to carry. Many we talked with are still carrying it to this day. Novick says she is pleased to see positive responses from some who already have viewed the documentary. We've seen that people are extremely grateful for the opportunity to see the experience they went through with a little bit of distance [and] through many different perspectives, Novick says. It's seemed to take some of the weight off that they've been carrying all this time. While the series covers many aspects of the war, Burns says it's less an attempt to answer some of the issues debated over the years and more an effort to present a set of questions. He says the goal has been to collect as much information as possible from newly released and declassified material, as well as to speak to the widest variety of people possible to understand their experiences and spark conversation. I think each episode, every moment, will be kind of a revelation shedding light on some unanswered questions, Burns says. But I think it's less saying, 'This is definitively what happened' than showing you the fact that, particularly in war, it's possible for there to be more than one truth operating at the same time. The Vietnam War was shown on PBS during September. The episodes can be viewed online at 6 Easy Steps to Prevent Identity Theft Scary ads and articles trumpet the dangers of identity theft and other forms of hacking. The risk is real, but the good news is it s easy to protect yourself with these simple steps. 1. Set aside time as little as a couple of hours to assess your current situation. Gather account information for your financial institutions, medical providers, insurance companies, and organizations. Premium and Life members of MOAA have free access to two publications Family Matters for active duty families and the Personal Affairs Guide for other families that can help you assemble all your personal information in one place. Tip: Need up-to-date account information but dread navigating the telephone maze? The website GetHuman.com can help you reach a real person. Remember to record the dates and outcomes of your calls and the names of anyone you spoke with. 2. Establish best password practices. In Future Crimes (Doubleday, 2015), Mark Goodman advises changing passwords on a regular basis and not using the same password across multiple sites. Passwords should be long (20 digits or more) and contain upper- and lowercase letters as well as symbols and spaces, Goodman writes. If you have trouble remembering complex passwords, Eva Velasquez, president of the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), suggests writing down your passwords and keeping that written list in a secure location. She advises against keeping a password document on your computer. For more tips on passwords, read Choosing Passwords That Really Protect You. [ Passwords-That-Really-Protect-You.aspx ] Tip: Use a secret code or hint to help you remember a password. For example, write down or record Name# and age of best friend at summer camp instead of LaureenJohnson#14 (the actual password). 3. Store copies and originals of sensitive documents in separate, secure locations, such as both a bank lockbox and a hidden fireproof box at home, and remember to share your information with the person who will need it if you become incapacitated.

8 4. Protect personal information that could be valuable to a thief, such as your name, Social Security number, date of birth, address, driver s license, financial account numbers or cards, passwords, answers to security questions such as your mother s maiden name or your father s middle name, telephone numbers, and biometric data. Make purchases with a credit card rather than a debit card to keep your bank account safer, and keep an eye out for anyone who might be looking over your shoulder while keying in your debit card PIN at the checkout or ATM. You also might invest in a locking mailbox and a crosscut shredder to keep a would-be thief from accessing any unsolicited credit card offers. 5. Cybersecurity could be a column on its own (and it is see 5 Cybersecurity Tips to Keep Your Information Safe [ Features/Top-Cybersecurity-Tips.aspx ]). As a start, turn your computer off when you aren t using it; put tape or a sticker over the built-in camera; and set your security software, operating system, and web browser to update automatically. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a good source of information about phishing, or fraud. [ ] 6. To keep up with current wisdom and get answers to questions as they arise, rely on respected sources like the FTC and the National Crime Prevention Council. The Department of Justice has an identity theft quiz to test your security awareness, while Identity Theft Resource Center has a live chat feature and offers support especially for military families. Changes are Coming to TRICARE/Express Scripts Mail-Order Pharmacy Program Beginning Sept. 1, 2017, Express Scripts needs consent from patients who want to receive automatic refills of their maintenance medications enrolled in TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery. Express Scripts will contact TRICARE beneficiaries before their prescription refills expire to determine whether they want their doctor to be contacted to renew the prescription and if they would like to continue in the Automatic Refill program. If not, Express Scripts will not refill the prescription. When the last refill of a medication enrolled in the Automatic Refill program ships, Express Scripts will reach out to the beneficiary by telephone and/or (depending on the preference you indicated) and ask the following: Would you like Express Scripts to reach out to your doctor for a new prescription? Do you want to keep your medication enrolled in the Auto Refill program? Express Scripts will not re-enroll your medication unless they hear from the beneficiary. Ways to respond: Online at Via the automated phone call from Express Scripts By calling an Express Scripts Patient Care Advocate (PCA) at If Express Scripts does not receive consent within 10 days of reaching out to the beneficiary, they will remove the medication from the Auto Refill program. More information about these changes can be found at this link: lls.

9 Living Socially in Retirement Communities When Lt. Col. Milo Myers, USAF (Ret), and his wife moved into a retirement community, his friends were shocked. At age 62? And in great health? Why? Dan Heuer, an Army veteran, now lives in the 55-plus section of a planned community in Florence, Ariz. He's on the go all the time. The community's facilities include a golf course, pickleball and tennis courts, a 48,000- square-foot community center with gym equipment, and an outdoor concert facility with free performances. Health issues and bereavement precipitate some people's moves into retirement communities. However, residents such as Myers and Heuer choose them for other compelling reasons. To be around people like themselves. Unlike many suburban areas where neighbors don't know each others' names, many specialized senior communities cater to peoples' desires to be with others who share their former professions, ethnic backgrounds, religious preferences, or hobbies (such as motorcycling or RVing). To broaden your cultural experiences. At Teischer's residence, New Mexico's mix of cultures is evident in a daily menu that includes chile rellenos (deep-fried green chiles and cheese) prepared by a chef from Mexico, Cinco de Mayo celebrations with authentic mariachi singers, and staff and residents from many cultures. To keep learning and cheering. About 100 retirement communities have direct ties with nearby universities, providing the intellectual stimulation, sports connections, and cultural opportunities that come with college life. To prepare for the unexpected. Most couples don't age - or become disabled - at the same time or at the same rate. When one partner requires a greater level of care, a CCRC permits a healthy partner to protect his or her own health with the help of 24-7 caregivers to watch after them both. I liked the assurance of knowing I had people around who would notice I wasn't around and check in on me, says Chief Warrant Officer Bill Hay, USMC (Ret), of his decision to move from a five-bedroom house to a retirement facility in Escondido, Calif. Because living smaller is trendy. Between 7 and 10 percent of people 75 and older live in senior housing, according to Beth Burnham Mace, chief economist for the National Investment Center for Senior Housing and Care. She predicts the declining caregiver support ratio of adult children to their senior parents will boost that percentage greatly as the boomer population ages. For some, downsizing means giving up treasured possessions and familiar comforts. For others, living smaller and more simply is part of a wider trend encompassing tiny houses and the Marie Kondo method. Burnham Mace says people are growing more comfortable with the idea of senior community settings. Because living smaller doesn't mean giving up living big. When Col. Bart Allen, USAF (Ret), moved himself and his wife from their home into a cottage in a retirement community in Grand Junction, Colo., his next transition - after her death, to assisted living - was even simpler. But recently he hosted a party of 45 friends to celebrate my 87th birthday in the Garden Room, and he cites the varied menu and flexible meal times at his community as other reasons he is happy with his choice. To explore new opportunities. Gary Somerville, an Air Force veteran and retired sergeant with a California sheriff's department, lives in Dan Heuer's Arizona community and is grabbing what life has to offer. I'm living [the] high school years I [missed] because I was too busy getting my career going, Somerville says. Hay expresses the same level of satisfaction. His casita in his retirement community in Escondido has a spa that helps with old injuries he incurred, and since he lives near the ocean, he is able to serve as a docent on USS Midway (CV-41). These communities are not nursing homes, Hay says. These are luxury apartments with great restaurantstyle dining, activities, and outings. It's like living on a cruise ship that never leaves the dock.

10 ABOUT MOAA The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation s largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization. The MOAA Legislative Action Center provides information regarding MOAA s top national legislative priorities for the year and COLA, as well as perspective on issues in the military community that could affect you and your family. If you are not a member of MOAA, you can join at Membership in MOAA is separate from membership in the Susquehanna Chapter.