THE LARIAT. President s Message. Save The Date MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ALAMO CHAPTER. Inside This Edition:

Transcription

1 MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ALAMO CHAPTER THE LARIAT Volume 36, Number 3 Five Star Chapter March 2016 President s Message I want to address something which I am rather passionate about and that is membership in MOAA and the Alamo Chapter. In helping Randy Hoff in recruiting membership to MOAA and our Chapter, many times I will have a potential Officer or Warrant ask me What does this do for Me? By the same token, I also run into National members who ask, Why should I join the Chapter? National is all I need. Well, let me elucidate on those questions a little bit. The National membership of MOAA has been on the rise over the last few years, while membership in some of our sister organizations has been steadily falling. At present National membership numbers some 390,000 members. Of that, there are approximately 34,000 members in Texas. Over the several years that I have been President of Alamo MOAA and with the help of our great member Inside This Edition: Pg 2 Chapter News & Notices Pg 3 Duty Officer Appreciation Pg 4 Membership Stats Pg 5 Transitioning Tips Pg 10 Health, Benefits & Welfare Pg 11 Speaker Bio Pg 15 Calendar of Events Pg 15 Blue Skies Golf Tournament Chair, Randy Hoff and others, Alamo MOAA has steadily grown in membership so that, at present we are hovering between 1500 to 1700 members at any given time. Over 1/3 rd of our membership is comprised of active duty officers, which causes some of the cyclical nature of our numbers as officer s pcs to other duty stations. OK, back to the original questions. What does MOAA do for me?. MOAA is and has been a major advocate for the military for many years. MOAA is the co-chair of the Military Coalition in Washington and, as such, Congressmen and Senators, Committee members in the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and other key Congressional and Senate Committees, listen to MOAA and seek out their views and advise when creating provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act or other key legislation, each year. MOAA was instrumental in helping get Tricare for Life passed. We have held back egregious changes to Tricare. We have helped and continue to help shape retirement issues, issues with the VA, Commissaries, etc. In other words, MOAA is in DC fighting for your pay, benefits, medical care, retirement, SBP and many other issues which affect you and your families! Question is, why is MOAA listened to? The answer is NUMBERS. The politicians know that MOAA represents military members, veterans, retir- ees and families across the nation and as a result know that we represent a huge number of voters. This gives MOAA a huge amount of influence to help mold Federal legislation. This doesn t mean that every National member of MOAA is involved in advocacy every day, but it does mean, by their membership that they are lending influence to those of us that actively advocate. In addition, as a National member, I have access to services such as transition assistance, financial planning, retirement planning, job placement around the world and many other things. Also, keep in mind that National is assisting and representing all ranks of the military in its activities. (Continued on Page 6) Save The Date Summer Celebration Dinner Dance Friday June 24 9th Annual Golf Tournament Friday September 9 Christmas Dinner Dance Friday December 9 The Lariat March 2016

2 Cookie Angels Grateful thanks to those who either baked and or took items to the wounded soldiers at Ft Sam Houston s Warrior and Family Support Center. If you were able to give this month on behalf of the Alamo Chapter please call Susie at (210) , so we may add your name to our list. Thank you. Maryada Artiglia Irene Collier Nita Felder Susan Filipini Joe & Adele Genualdi John Gibbs Sue McCarthy Mac and Lori McDonald Goldie Monroe Lolly Orlowski Phyllis Smith Lou Strong Brenda Tobey Susie Tolman Dot Wise Tom & Evelyn Woods TAPS We have received information that the following member has passed away and we wish to convey our sincere condolences and best wishes to their family and loved ones: Capt James Paul Martin USAF, (Ret) 12/7/15 Mrs. Jane Robison 2/15/16 Chapter News & Notices Thank You! To each of our members listed below who have donated a little (or a lot) to either the Scholarship Fund, Chapter Operations, or both! LTC Carmelito Arkangel USA (Ret) Col Edd Barnes USAF (Ret) COL Clair Book USA (Ret) COL Matthew Brockway USA (Ret) Col David Brooks USAF (Ret) Col Watson Burnfield USAF (Ret) LtCol Harry Carpenter USMC (Ret) COL Darrell Childers USA (Ret) Col George Chronis USAF (Ret) Mrs. June Cook LCDR Sharron Crowder USN (Ret) Mrs. Betty Cruzen Col Patrick Curoe USAF (Ret) CDR Jesse DeLoach USN (Ret) COL Kathryn Deuster USA (Ret) COL Jesse Dominguez USA (Ret) Capt Andrew Duncan USAF (Ret) COL Janice Edgerson USA (Ret) Mrs. Linda Gayer BG Donald Gudinas USA (Ret) Mrs. Jodie Hammond Mrs. Billie-Kite Howlett LtGen James Keck USAF (Ret) LTC Dean & Joan Lansing USA (Ret) Mrs. Doris Long Mrs. Joan Lyman CDR David Marx USN (Ret) Gen William McBride USAF (Ret) Col Mac McDonald USAF (Ret) Maj Gerald Meehan USAF (Ret) Mrs. Mary Milburn Col Boots Miller USAF (Ret) LTC William Moore USA (Ret) Maj Len Mull, Jr USAF (Ret) Mrs. Mildred Munt Col John Murray USAF (Ret) LTC Joe Newell USA (Ret) Mrs. Lolly Orlowski MAJ Harry Pierson USA (Ret) BGen Karen Rankin USAF (Ret) Mrs. Joan Rawlings COL Charles Reding USA (Ret) Mrs. Alice Riggs Col Russell Sanders USAF (Ret) Mrs. Judith Schindler Col Steve Senia USAF (Ret) Mrs. Betty Shelton-Mills LtCol Randy Smith USAF (Ret) Mrs Margot Stryker Mrs. Betty Tarbox LTC (Ch) James Taylor USA (Ret) Mrs. Voncille Vordenbaum Mrs. Jeanette Wahl LtCol David Walker USAF (Ret) Mrs. Phyllis Wallace Col John Whiting USAF (Ret) Maj Paul Winkler USAF (Ret) LTC Tom Woods USA (Ret) The Retired Officers' Wives and Widows Club This month s luncheon will be held on Monday, March 28, at 11:00am at the Ft Sam Houston Golf Club. Plants & Vegetables That Thrive in San Antonio Presented by Mr. Calvin R. Finch. Guests are welcome. Reservations by Mar 23 to (210) The Lariat March

3 Duty Officer Appreciation Our dutiful and faithful Duty Officers were recognized at the recent Chapter Luncheon on Feb 25 and awarded a Certificate of Appreciation with grateful acknowledgement by Chapter President, Jim Cunningham for the work they have done over the years. Pictured L-R are Jim Cuskey, Stu Myers, Irene Collier and Jim Cunningham. Not pictured are Bill Polasek, Ed Waggoner and Phil Swinney. Thank you for your service! February Luncheon NEVER STOP SERVING! Our family would be honored to serve yours Call today for a free consultation (210) Speaker Col Jim Van Straten being presented with a chapter coin following his presentation of his experiences in Vietnam as a Medical Service Corps Officer. His book A Different Face Of War is available in the Ft Sam AMEDD Museum or on line through Barnes & Noble or Amazon. WE NEED YOU TO PLEASE VOLUNTEER Posi ons Available on Chapter Staff Spouses of Members Welcomed! Contact: (210) moaa ac@sbcglobal.net 3 The Lariat March 2016

4 THANK YOU! Renewing Members: WELCOME! New Members MajGen Gary Alkire USAF (Ret) MG Glenn Kothmann USA (Ret) BG Donald Gudinas USA (Ret) BG John Poppe USA (Ret) BGen Karen Rankin USAF (Ret) COL Clair Book USA (Ret) COL Wayne Boyd USA (Ret) COL Matthew Brockway USA (Ret) Col David Brooks USAF (Ret) COL Arthur Bryant USA (Ret) Col Watson Burnfield USAF (Ret) Col Benjamin Chacko USA (Ret) COL Darrell Childers USA (Ret) COL Raymond Cole USA (Ret) Col John Danielson USA (Ret) COL Marilyn Davis USA (Ret) COL Joe DePonte USA (Ret) COL Jesse Dominguez USA (Ret) Col John Dunn USAF (Ret) COL Janice Edgerson USA (Ret) Col George Gagnon USAF (Ret) COL Michael Gilmer USA (Ret) Col Kerry Green USAF (Ret) Col Clovis Haddock USAF (Ret) COL Darlow Inberg USA (Ret) Col Thomas Klimas USAF (Ret) Col Betty Knuth USAF (Ret) COL Charles Lalli USA (Ret) Col Joseph Marchino II USAF (Ret) Col Boots Miller USAF (Ret) Col Mac McDonald USAF (Ret) Col Paul Parker USAF (Ret) CAPT Robert Rahal USN (Ret) Col Frank Rohrbough USAF (Ret) Col John Root USAF (Ret) COL Michael Rozsypal USA (Ret) Col Russell Sanders USAF (Ret) Col Steve Senia USAF (Ret) COL Helen Schotz USA (Ret) COL John Weir USA (Ret) (Continued on Page 5) LtGen Darryl Roberson USAF MG Alfred Valenzuela USA (Ret) COL Robert Akam USA (Ret) Col Steve Caberto USAF Col Russell Garner USAF COL Peggy Jones USA Col Sean McKenna USAF COL Rich Morales USA Col Marc Piccolo USAF Col Tony Pounds USAF COL Melissa Sturgeon USA (Ret) Col Jeffrey Thompson USAF LTC Tim Beninato USA LTC Dwayne Elder USA LtCol Ross Felker USAF (Ret) LtCol Stephen Frank USAF LTC Rodney Garfield USA LTC Michael Harvey USA LTC Walter Llamas USA LtCol James Lanier USAF LTC Michael Martin USA LTC Jeffrey Mulvihill USAFR (Ret) LtCol Raul Solis USAF (Frmr) MAJ Dwayne Adams USA MAJ Barbara Archer USA (Ret) Maj Ralph Barksdale USAF (Ret) LCDR Kevin Crockett USN (Ret) Maj Serafin DeLosSantos (Ret) MAJ Amaury Gomez USA Maj Kevin Harris USAF (Frmr) Maj Reginald Sinevet USMCR MAJ Alexa Soto Rivera USA (Ret) Maj Brian Smith (Ret) MAJ Chris Spahn ANG Maj Christian Thompson USAF (Ret) Maj Christopher Victoria USAFR CPT Aida Meyers USA Lt Constance Robinson USNR CPT Elissa Robinson USA CPT Steven Siaji USA Cpt Evan Smith USAF CPT Ryan Wempe USA (Frmr) CW5 Raymond Patrick USA CW4 Carlo Brown USA CW4 Clifton Tillman USA Kelly Bonds USA Chris Brady USA (Ret) Peter Flores Jaime Palma ANG Ken Stewart USN (Ret) The Lariat March

5 Renewing Members Contd: Col Bob Wickman USAF (Ret) LtCol Paul Amrhein USAF (Ret) LTC Carmelito Arkangel USA (Ret) LTC Robert Ashley USA (Ret) LTC Ronald Bilski USA (Ret) LTC Robert Biskup USA (Ret) LtCol Emil Buran USAF (Ret) LtCol Mervin Buss USAF (Ret) LtCol Don Byrd USAF (Ret) LtCol Harry Carpenter USMC (Ret) LtCol Michael Cermele USAF (Ret) CDR Jesse DeLoach USN (Ret) LTC Martha Dingey USA (Ret) LtCol Forrest Dressler, Jr USAF (Ret) LTC Jim Finch USA (Ret) LtCol Carolyn Friedle USAF (Ret) LTC Lloyd Gardner USA (Ret) LTC Derek Gaudlitz USA (Ret) LtCol John Gilg USAF (Ret) LTC Earl Gilley USA (Ret) LTC Vernon Gray USA (Ret) LtCol Daniel Hancock USAF (Ret) LTC Randy Hoff USA (Ret) LtCol Frederick Jones USAF (Ret) LtCol Robert Jones USAF (Ret) LTC Ford Martin USA (Ret) CDR David Marx USN (Ret) LtCol Richard Murray USAF (Ret) LTC Charles Nowlin USA (Ret) LtCol William Pollock USAF (Ret) LTC Ronni Pue USA (Ret) LtCol Edith Reade USAF (Ret) LTC Joseph Regan USA (Ret) LTC George San Miguel USA (Ret) LTC Darrell Small USA (Ret) LtCol Randy Smith USAF (Ret) LTC Stainton Smith USA (Ret) LTC William Smith USA (Ret) LTC Ferrell Talbot USAF (Ret) LTC Ralph Talbot USA (Ret) LTC (Ch) James Taylor USA (Ret) LtCol Wade Taylor USAF (Ret) (Continued on Page 15) Are You Job Fair Ready? If you ve had a chance to check out the new website milcityusa.org, you will see a number of job fair events coming up. Tis the season for job fairs. However, there is a method to the madness of how to prepare for and then what to do when you get to the job fair. Job fairs can be intimidating. They are crowded and noisy. You re not sure where to start. There are multiple reasons for attending. A job fair is a great place to network to the attending employers and with fellow job fair attendees. This is an opportunity to practice your 30-second introduction remember the importance of first impressions. There are usually workshops on such topics as resumes, mock interviews and social media use. The employers may conduct on-site interviews. Some job fairs also provide a professional photographer for that LinkedIn profile. So, what do you need to do to prepare for a job fair? First thing to do is to find out which employers will be attending. You can usually find out that list from the job fair s website. Review the list and research the employers that interest you. Check the website or google to company. Look up the company on sites like glassdoor.com. You can now narrow down the list and organize your activities at the job fair. The goal is to maximize your time. A crucial step is to update your resume. Contact Goodwill Veterans Resource Center or the TVC representative at your nearest Workforce Center. There are folks there to help. You can also contact me for help. You don t need a resume printed on fancy paper. Keep it focused and organized on the type of job that you want. And max of two pages. One thing to note about presenting Transitioning Tips resumes at job fairs. A number of employers no longer accept resumes due to the regulations now in place regarding resumes and applications. The recruiter will tell you to apply online. This allows them to track applicants and meet federal tracking requirements. The thing that I recommend is to check out Vistaprint or other source for a simple business card. You can then present the card and get one of their cards. You then have the opportunity to follow up after you have applied on-line. Based upon your research, build some questions to ask the recruiter. Focus your questions on the skills that they are looking for, what the company culture was like, and what kind of person are they seeking. Don t get into questions regarding salary or benefits. Also and a big also - don t ask questions that can be found on the website. A final preparation is what to wear. The best advice is to wear business attire. That means a suit for men and a suit or dress with jacket for women. Shined dark leather shoes are the best. Women: Fancy heels are great on the dance floor. Your feet will say thank you at the end of the day if you save those for later and wear a moderate heel. Concrete floors for any length of time will test all. Be prepared for plenty of walking and standing. Remember that you need to be conservative for most employers. Be professional. Be organized. Keep papers, resumes, etc. in a portfolio or briefcase. And on one final note. Don t smell of cigarette smoke or heavy perfume. Now s your opportunity to shine. Best of luck. Kitty Meyers Kathryn "Kitty" Meyers, LtCol USAFR (Ret), SPHR, SHRM-SCP Chapter Transition Liaison Officer 5 The Lariat March 2016

6 President s Message (Continued from Page 1) All right, now, Why should I join the Chapter?. I also get the statement, I don t have enough time to participate. Well, I would tell you that you should join the Alamo Chapter for many of the same reasons that you should join the National organization. It again comes down to NUM- BERS and advocacy! Alamo MOAA is a member of the Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations (TVCO). This group is made up of over 38 VSO and MSO organizations in Texas. The Chairman of the organization, which is the primary lobbying group that goes before the State legislature advocating for the military community, is the President of the Alamo Chapter. Over the years, advocating in Austin, we have been successful in getting property tax relief for 100% disabled veterans, surviving spouses of 100% disabled veterans and for veterans who were killed on active duty. After many years of working on it, we finally got the State to recognize Veteran owned businesses as historically minority businesses so that they could get some preference for state contracts. We also helped get the state to join the interstate compact for military children, which meant that a child moving into Texas with a PCS-ing parent would not come in at a disadvantage with their new schools, would not have to duplicate tests and would be on an even playing field in joining school activities. We have done other things having to do with voting rights for deployed service members and right now are working to protect the Hazlewood Act. Again, when we go to our representative at the state, we are better able to advocate if those representatives know that we have large numbers of veterans and active duty members as well as their families behind us. (Continued on Page 8) The Lariat March WANTED! All Active Duty or Retired Job Seekers If you would like to be added to the regular blast that lists job opportunities in San Antonio and Texas please contact David Patrick, the Career Transition Coordinator - Texas dwpatrick01@gmail.com If you are an area employer who is interested in hiring career transitioning officers or their spouses.. or if you are a MOAA member who is interested in helping a career transitioning officer or spouse as a San Antonio Networker, or if you are a MOAA-AC member Job Seeker, please contact Kitty Meyers LtCol USAFR (Ret) Chapter Transition Liaison Officer at meyers.kathryn@yahoo.com

7 Medical Minute How Much Sleep Do You Need? What do Chernobyl Nuclear Explosion, Three Mile Island, and the Exxon Valdez oil spillage have in common? All three catastrophes were linked in part to sleep deprived workers. Car and truck crashes are often linked to drinking too much alcohol. Drinking one beer after four hours of sleep has the same effect as drinking a six pack. Not getting enough sleep, often six hours or less, has also been linked to reduced quality of life and to health complications that include cardiac disease, diabetes, obesity and weakened immune system. The Sleep Research Society says most activities should aim for at least seven hours of sleep at night. It is a myth that as you grow older you require less sleep. Sleep patterns vary with people. Too much sleep can be equally as damaging as too little. The following is the National Sleep Foundation s recommendation for sleep. AGE Hours Recommended 0-3 mos mos yrs yrs yrs yrs yrs yrs yrs 7-8 Source: Mayo Clinic Health Letter Nov 2015; Health After 50 Sep 2015; Harvard Women s Health Watch Sep 2015 Col Irene Collier (Ret) History of Phrases Every day we use old hackneyed phrases and used expressions to express an event or situation. Have you ever wondered about their origin or what they meant when first created? Here is the history of a few commonly used expressions. There is an old Hotel/Pub in Marble Arch, England which used to have gallows next to it. Prisoners were taken to the gallows to be hanged. An armed guard who would stop the dray outside the pub would ask the prisoner if he would like ONE LAST DRINK. If he said YES, it was referred to as ONE FOR THE ROAD. If he declined the prisoner was ON THE WAGON. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last were the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying don t throw the baby out with the bath water. Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high with no wood underneath. It was the only place animals could get warm. So all the other animals, dogs, cats, (mice & bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, It is raining cats and dogs. In olden days they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner leaving left overs in the pot to get cold overnight. Then they started over the next day. Sometimes they had stew that had been in there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas Solitaires porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old. Sometimes they could obtain pork to add to the pot. Which made them feel quite special. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf. The family got the middle. Guests got the top. Hence the Upper Crust. Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach into the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes. So for the next 400 years or so tomatoes were considered poisonous. Source: History of Phrases Col Irene Collier (Ret) If you are single, like to eat, chat, make new friends, experience or provide brief impromptu or scheduled interesting demonstrations, talks, or discussions, whether you are: visiting the area; active duty or retired; widowed or divorced; the SOLI- TAIRES is the group for you. This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy camaraderie with other single men and ladies whose backgrounds and experiences are with the military. Make that resolution to get out and about and come have some fun!! The group meets for lunch at the Ft Sam Golf Club each 1st Tuesday of the month and for Brunch at The RAFB Parr Club the 4th Sunday of the month. Other activities are planned through out the year. Call the office (210) to be put into contact with the group s coordinator. 7 The Lariat March 2016

8 President s Message (Continued from Page 8) This doesn t mean that you, as a member, have to be involved on a day to day basis! It simply means that you are passively supporting us in our efforts on you and your fellow service members and families behalf. The bottom line is, that if you don t lend your support, by being a member of the National and Alamo Chapter you are probably hurting, and certainly not helping, you and your fellow service members, veterans, retirees and all of their families. It is MOST important that you join both organizations and maintain your membership! If you are not now keeping up with MOAA advocacy, you need to be sure and get on the MOAA.ORG website and utilize the cap whiz feature to send messages of support for legislation or concerns that we have now. If you have read the current Military Officers magazine, the House Armed Services Committee is taking a look at Tricare as a whole and Military Training Facilities in particular. You will find in the February issue of the Military Officer, several pre-printed letters to the Representatives and Senators that represent you asking that they protect your Tricare benefits and address issues of importance where healthcare is concerned. Though they certainly will not be individually read they will be counted, and the more volume of mail that we send them, the better we will be heard. Make it a point to mail them. We are moving forward with state activity which will lead to legislation in First and foremost, we will be defending the overall Hazlewood Act. We realize that it needs some changes, particularly in terms of residency requirements. We anticipate that the state will lose its appeal to the 5 th Circuit Court. Work will move forward to create sane and reasonable changes to the law so that it does no harm to the state, the veterans or their dependents. Interim hearing will begin in March on this and other legislation. Additionally, we are looking at updating the law that gives partial exemption from ad valorem taxes to partially disabled veterans. This is a law that has not been updated since Other areas have to do with voting rights for deployed military members, transportation, housing and so on. We may call upon you, from time to time, to contact your representatives in support of legislation that we want to see enacted. As you may know, Alamo MOAA supports some 120 High School JROTC programs with leadership awards and medals as well as 7 ROTC programs at the college level. We also offer scholarships, which will be awarded at our March 31 luncheon. The amount we are awarding this year is $14,000. Moneys for these scholarship come from the donations you sent in (100% is used, no admin fees are taken) and from our annual Golf Tournament. I hope that many of you can attend this function., at the Ft Sam Golf Club. The speaker will be LTC Walter Llamas, Professor of Science from the University of Texas, Rio Grand Valley. His bio can be found on Page 11. Reservation slip can be found on the back page of this Lariat. MOAA National also offers scholarships to children of military members, veterans and retirees of all ranks if the child is working on their bachelor s degree. These usually amount to about $5400 and are interest free. Last year over 54 of these scholarships were awarded in Bexar County. More information can be found on MOAA.org. Hope that you all have a wonderful month! And if you haven t already joined or renewed your membership in the Chapter, please do so we may have greater influence over our legislative efforts. Maj Jim Cunningham (Ret) Corporate Partners Abby Consulting Air Force Federal Credit Union Army Residence Community Beldon Roofing Company Blue Skies of Texas Caring Transitions Medical Services International Mortgage of Texas & Financial LLC Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union Security Service Federal Credit Union Silverbridge Realty See links to these companies on our website at We encourage each of you to remember our Corporate Partners in your business and daily activities because we truly appreciate their support. Happy Easter to all our Members and their families! The Lariat March

9 9 The Lariat March 2016

10 Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP): The Military and Veterans Law Section of the Texas State Bar offers pro bono legal service to needy service members or retirees. These attorneys are often serving Guard or Reserve officers, or are retired or former Active, Guard or Reserve military attorneys. Many of these officers belong to MOAA and other veteran organizations. LAMP is a consortium of state and local bar associations that provide legal assistance to military personnel and their families. If you are military personnel assigned within Texas and need legal help, you should first contact the legal assistance officer assigned to your unit. Operation Enduring LAMP (Legal Assistance to Military Personnel) is an ongoing project of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Lawyers Care, and the Military Law Section. A significant number of military personnel are assigned within Texas. The Staff Judge Advocate's Office on each base, post, or installation provides legal assistance to military personnel and their family members, but legal assistance officers are unable to provide court representation. Health, Benefits & Welfare tation, volunteer support from pro bono lawyers, paralegals, and other legal support staff is vital to Operation Enduring LAMP's success. Attorneys are encouraged to volunteer for general legal assistance pro bono programs. Reserve Judge Advocates may receive points credited towards retirement for providing pro bono legal assistance. At a minimum, legal assistance to military personnel can involve court representation, counseling, telephone calls, and letter writing for signature by the client or the attorney. The client is responsible for any out-of-pocket expenses. Local attorneys who agree to do this work pro bono provide legal assistance, as appropriate, in the attorney's individual office or at the Centers/Armories. Local bar associations may also provide meeting space. To apply for legal assistance through LAMP, go to the following website: and complete their intake form. and search for LAMP Source: State Bar of Texas **** Scammers Fake Social Security The subject line says Get Protected, and the talks about new features from the Social Security Administration (SSA) that can help taxpayers monitor their credit reports, and know about unauthorized use of their Social Security number. It even cites the IRS and the official-sounding S.A.F.E Act It sounds real, but it s all made up. It s a phishing to get you to click on a scammer s link. If you do, a The Lariat March The LAMP program helps active duty military, members of the Reserves and National Guard called to active duty, and their families with a wide range of legal issues ranging from family law matters to employment issues to consumer law. Legal assistance is especially needed for family members in communities beyond the reach of an active duty legal assistance office. Because the Staff Judge Advocate's Office cannot provide court represenscammer can install malware like viruses and spyware on your computer. Or, the link might send you to a spoof site a lookalike website set up by a scammer to trick you into entering your personal information. Not sure if an is really from the government? Here are a couple of clues. Did the end up in your junk folder? providers use filters to help catch phishing scams and prevent spam from getting into your inbox. And when you hover your cursor over the link, is the web address really a trusted website? In this fake SSA , when you hover over the URL you re invited to click on, you see the link goes to an unrelated.com instead of the Social Security Administration s socialsecurity.gov or another.gov site. If you get a questionable , don t click on any links, or open any attachments. Report it to the FTC by forwarding the to spam@uce.gov and to the real organization impersonated in the . You also can report it to your provider. Some providers let you mark messages as phishing scams. Your report is most effective when you include the full header, although most programs hide this information. To find out the full header, type the name of your service with full header into your favorite search engine, and include this information in your report. When you re done, delete the . If you re unsure about an that looks like it s from the government, contact the agency directly. But find the contact info yourself. Source: Social Security Administration mailing list, 28 January 2016 ****

11 Speaker Bio LTC Walter Llamas Professor of Military Science UT RGV Lieutenant Colonel Walter Llamas is a native of Puerto Rico. He was commissioned as a 2LT in the Quartermaster Branch in 1994 through the ROTC program at University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. In 2005 Lieutenant Colonel Llamas received a Master of Science degree in Logistics Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. Previous assignments include platoon leader, 528 th Quartermaster Company, 80 th Ordnance Battalion; Detachment Commander and Executive Officer, 81 st Quartermaster Detachment and 528 th Quartermaster Company, 80 th Ordnance Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington; Company Commander, 289 th Quartermaster Company, Special Troops Battalion, 13 th COSCOM Fort Hood, Texas; Aide-de-Camp for the 21 st Theater Support Command Commanding General in Kaiserslautern, Germany; Services Officer and Deputy Support Operations Officer, 15th Sustainment Brigade in Fort Hood, Texas; Executive Officer, 262 nd Quartermaster Battalion, 23 rd Quartermaster Brigade and Operations Officer and Executive Officer to the 50 th and 51 st Quartermaster Generals in Fort Lee, Virginia; Operations Officer and Executive Officer to the Third Army/US Army Central Assistant Chief of Staff G4 (Logistics) in Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Lieutenant Colonel Llamas military education includes the Quartermaster Officer Basic and Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, Airborne School, Aerial Delivery and Materiel Officer's Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Logistics Executive Development Course, the Command and General Staff College at Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in Fort Benning, Georgia and the Demonstrated Master Logistician Certificate. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (1OLC), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, Parachutist Badge and Parachute Rigger Badge. 11 The Lariat March 2016

12 The Lariat March

13 13 The Lariat March 2016

14 Chapter Events Calendar MARCH 1 Volunteer Hours Due 1 Chapter Excellence Award Due 1 Solitaire s Luncheon 11am Ft Sam Golf Club 3 Staff Meeting 10am Chapter Office 3 VA Volunteers 1pm VA Hospital 13 Daylight Savings Time begins 14 Lent begins 16 MOAA ESGR Job Fair Freeman Coliseum 25 Good Friday 27 Easter Sunday 31 Scholarship Luncheon 11am Ft Sam Golf Club Ongoing Events: Cookie Angels deliver cookies, snacks and personal care items to the Warrior & Family Support Center. Call Susie Tolman for details (210) APRIL 1 Volunteer Hours Due 5 Solitaire s Luncheon 7 Staff Meeting 10am Chapter Office 9-14 MOAA President s Meeting & Storming The Hill Washington DC 13 Storming The Hill, Washington DC 13 JBSA Volunteer of the Year Award ceremony 1pm Fiesta San Antonio! 23 Retiree Appreciation Day Kendrick Club JBSA Randolph 28 Chapter Luncheon 11am 24 Solitaire s Sunday Brunch 11 am Randolph Parr Club Events pertaining to general membership are bolded and italicized for the volunteer leadership team, though regular Members are always welcome! Please call the office for details (210) MAY 1 Volunteer Hours Due 2 Solitaire s Luncheon 11am Ft Sam Golf Club 4 Health & Benefits Fair Army Residence Community 9-Noon 5 Staff Meeting 10am Chapter Office 8 Mother s Day 9 Victory Day in Europe 17 Volunteer of The Year United Way Awards Dinner IMAX Palladium 21 Armed Forces Day 22 Solitaire s Sunday Brunch 11 am Randolph Parr Club 26 Chapter Luncheon 11am Blue Skies of Texas The Lariat March

15 Renewing Members Contd: LTC John Tompson USA (Ret) LtCol David Walker USAF (Ret) CDR Maxine Wilcox USCG (Ret) LTC Tom Woods USA (Ret) Maj Gerald Frazier USAF (Ret) Maj Jack Garison USAF (Ret) Maj Len Mull, Jr USAF (Ret) Maj Bert Thomas USAF (Ret) MAJ Josh Welch USA (Ret) Maj Paul Winkler USAF (Ret) Capt Andrew Duncan USAF (Ret) Capt Andrew Inselmann USAF (Frmr) Cpt George Sacerich USA (Ret) CPT Michael Saucedo USA (Ret) CWO2 Barry Martin USN (Ret) Mrs. Celeste Cook Mrs. June Cook Mrs. Betty Cruzen Mrs. Helen Devitt Mrs. Delores Eubanks Mrs. Ann Furlow Mrs Mary Gossage Mrs. Helen Grizzard Mrs. Barbara Horvath Mrs. Billie-Kite Howlett MRS. Anna Johnson Mrs. Doris Long Mrs. Joan Lyman Mrs. Sue McCarthy Mrs. Margaret Milazzo Mrs. Seiko Munger Mrs. Norma Nail Mrs. Lu Nix Mrs. Lolly Orlowski Mrs. Lea Porter Mrs. Judith Schindler Mrs. Dian Sherrod Mrs. Inez Strawn Mrs Margot Stryker Mrs. Betty Tarbox Mrs. Marilyn Veach Mrs. Jeanette Wahl Mrs. Phyllis Wallace DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THIS LARIAT FASTER AND IN FULL COLOR ON-LINE? Just send an to with the subject line OLLO. We ll gladly remove you from this printed version mailing list and notify you each month by when the new issue is available for viewing. Saves the chapter paper and postage and you get to see it sooner! Help us shape and drive our chapter forward! Alamo Chapter Join us at our monthly business meetings, Each first Thursday of the month from 10am to noon at the chapter office Call for more info or directions. ALAMO CHAPTER VOLUNTEER STAFF: PRESIDENT MAJ James R. Cunningham EXEC VP OPERATIONS LTC Bill Goforth VP ADMINISTRATION LtCol Jim Webb VP PROGRAMS Col Bruce Willett VP MEMBERSHIP LTC Randy Hoff SECRETARY Col David Patrick TREASURER Col Vaughn Caudill SCHOLARSHIP Col Peter Hunt VP PERSONAL AFFAIRS Col Stuart Myers DEPUTY PA (Open) VP LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS LTC Bob Blake VP PUBLIC RELATIONS LTC Charles Poole VP LOGISTICS (Open) LEGAL COUNSEL Jacobson Law Firm SOLITAIRES Pat Shecter CONSULTANT Maj Len Mull CONSULTANT Lt George Frecsko EDITOR Col Kerry Green CHAPLAIN LTC James Taylor CHAPLAIN Alt LtCol David Leas PX/VAV/VAC Rep Susie Tolman ASST JROTC Coord. Col Peter Hunt TRANSITION LIAISON LtCol Kitty Meyers WEB MASTER Col Bill Hudson HISTORIAN LTC Kerry Reyna VOLUNTEER COORD (Open) ADVERTISING COORD. Maj Fernando Carreon BSTW LIAISON LtCol Jim Conner BSTE LIAISON (Open) ARC LIAISON MG Charles Honore CONTRACTOR: Admin Support Trish Meserve DIRECTORS: Chairman: MAJ Jim Cunningham LTC John Gibbs LTC Jim Finch Mrs. Susie Tolman BG James Doty Col Mac McDonald LtCol Ed Marvin Col Frank Rohrbough DIRECTORS EMERITUS HONORARY DIRECTORS BG Robert Herring Gen William McBride Statement of Publication The Lariat is the newsletter of the Military Officers Association of America Alamo Chapter. It is published once each month to inform the membership of issues and activities of interest to all. MOAA-AC is a non-profit organization 501c 4 within the state of Texas organized to represent the membership and to support the activities of the Texas Council of Chapters and MOAA National. Advertising contained in the newsletter is not endorsed by the Chapter and does not represent any recommendation to the membership. Opinions expressed in articles contained herein are not necessarily those of the membership as a whole or the Chapter. Questions should be directed to the Editor at the Chapter office. MOAA-AC P.O. Box San Antonio, TX (210) moaa-ac@sbcglobal.net 15 The Lariat March 2016

16 THE LARIAT National Award Winning Newsletter U.S. Postage Paid San Antonio, Texas Permit No MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ALAMO CHAPTER F OR INFORMATION REGARDING OUR BY-LAWS, STRATEGIC PLAN, EVENTS CALENDAR AND PAST ISSUES OF THE LARIAT PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW. ALAMOMOAA. ORG P.O. Box Ft Sam Houston, TX Phone: moaa-ac@sbcglobal.net Stanley Rd, Bldg 140 Ft Sam Houston, TX Postmaster please deliver by March 5th Time Sensitive Material Thursday March 31, 2016 Scholarship Awards Luncheon Spkr: LTC Walt Llamas Professor of Military Science UT RGV Ft Sam Golf Club Meet & Greet begins 11am - Lunch served approx 11:45am Menu A) BBQ Beef B) Baked Tilapia Fresh Mixed Greens Salad, Twice Baked Potatoes, Rice Pilaf, Long Green Beans & Carrots, Dinner Rolls Apple Cobbler Coffee, tea or water, honor wine bar Cost per person $20 Enclosed: $ RSVP by Noon Monday 28 Mar Reservations not cancelled by noon Tuesday 29th will be billed Non member Officers & guests are welcome with paid reservations Name Guest(s): Call (210) to make your reservation or send check made payable to MOAA-AC to P.O. Box , Ft Sam Houston, TX Or contact us by moaa-ac@sbcglobal.net to hold a reservation or reserve and pay on-line at The Lariat March