Distinguished Speaker Program

Transcription

1 The Official Newsletter of the Navy League of the United States Greater Austin Council January February 2013 Citizens in Support of the Sea Services COUNCIL OFFICERS Kathy Pillmore President Vacant President-Elect Phil Darby Vice President for Administration Stephen Smith Vice President for Business Partnerships Glenn Looney Vice President for Communications Tim Hunsberger Vice President for Education & Community Outreach LuAnn Reyes Treasurer &Vice President for Finance Bruce Byron Vice President for Military Affairs Jeanie Coffey Vice President for Legislative Affairs Jim Brotherton Vice President for Youth Programs Brian Colfack Secretary Kaye Johanson Alternate Secretary Tom Griffy Chaplain Michael Murray Judge Advocate General NATIONAL directors Max Miller Jeanie Coffey Tim Hunsberger Glenn Looney Jack Ritter Mary Virginia Pittman-Waller NATIONAL V.P. Jack Ritter BOARD OF DIRECTORS Glenn Looney, Chairman Jim Brotherton Bruce Byron Jeanie Coffey Don Jones Max Miller Randy Patterson Jack Ritter Steve Smith Kathy Pillmore (Ex Officio) LIAISONS Brian Colfack Military Services Coalition Steve Smith Marine Corps CAPT John G. Eden, USN CO UT NROTC CDR Brett Fereday, USN CO Navy Operations Support Center OUR NEXT Distinguished Speaker Program Thursday February 21, 2012 RADM Terence McKnight, USN (Ret) Author: Pirate Alley: Commanding Task Force 151 off Somalia native of Norfolk, Virginia, Admiral McKnight graduated A from the Virginia Military Institute in May 1978 and completed his master s degree in International Relations at Salve Regina University in May Moreover, he graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 1994 and also attended the National Security Seminar at Syracuse University in He commanded USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) from January 1995 until November 1996 and USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) from July 2002 until December McKnight also served as the 85th commandant of Naval District Washington, the oldest continuously operated Navy installation in the nation and the deputy commander, Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region. He assumed duties as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, in September 2007 and served as the first Commander of Task Force 151 for counter-piracy operations in January Continued on page 2 DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER PROGRAM RESERVATIONS Austin Woman s Club, Chateau Bellevue 8th and San Antonio (Parking entrance on Nueces between 7th & 8th Streets) Social 1815 Dinner 1915 Program 2015 Members & their Guests- $30 Military in Uniform & their Guests - $20 Cadets & Midshipmen and their Guests - $15 R E S E R V AT I O N S A R E R E Q U I R E D CALL OR luann@luannreyes.com ONLINE via PayPal at PLEASE NOTE: WE CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR MEAL WITHOUT A RESERVATION

2 President s Message Kathy Pillmore President, Greater Austin Council, NLUS A belated Happy New Year to Navy League members and friends and welcome to our first program and newsletter of I understand that I may be the first civilian female president of the Greater Austin Council, a distinction I am honored to accept. You may wonder how I came to the Navy League in the first place, given I have no background in the Navy other than growing up in Jacksonville, Florida where sailors and Marines were a common sight. It was a long and circuitous route that got me here and included membership in the Air Force Association, a VIP day and night on the USS Nimitz, a Veterans in Schools program I instituted with AISD, a cruise on the USS Austin, LPD-4 for its re-commissioning; public relations for The USS Constitution Museum s Old Ironsides Across the Nation program, and my friendship with two former, now deceased, Navy League members Jim Wathen and Bill Lacy. I started with an honorary membership in 2003 and have been a member ever since, serving as a director and officer responsible for the newsletter among other communications duties. As I don the mantle of president, the Greater Austin Council of the Navy League is an organization, like others civic in nature, whose membership is flat or waning because of the aging pool of individuals who understand the importance of civic involvement. The Navy League, as do the sea services, faces real challenges. As we try to figure out how to increase our membership in order to carry out our mission in support of the sea services, the sea services struggle to carry out their mission in the face of devastating cuts in funding. Sequestration and continuing resolutions are taking their toll on all the services and the security of our nation at a time when we are witnessing foreign nations building their militaries, testing nuclear weapons, and seeking to destroy our way of life. Our Legislative Affairs team does a tremendous job each year of visiting Texas legislators in Washington to brief them on the state of the sea services; hopefully arming them with the knowledge they need to make important funding decisions. But they can t do it alone. It s the noisy constituency that gets the attention. So we look to our members in Austin and across the nation to get involved, recruit more Navy League members who can join the effort to keep our sea services strong. Yet another challenge the Council faces is sufficient resources to continue to support our project such as youth programs, scholarships and support of active duty and reserve units. Our share of the dues revenue is not enough to carry on our work. Subsequently, we send letters to members each year asking for donations over and above their dues. We will again be sending out those letters and we hope the membership will continue to be as generous as in the past. Remember that the Navy League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and as such, may qualify for matching funds from your employer. Thank you for your confidence in me. I will do my best to fill the office of president as ably as my predecessors even though I come to the job through a different path. I welcome any comments and suggestions as we face the challenges of the coming year. Don t hesitate to call or me at or kpillmore@austin.rr.com. Kathy McKNight, continued from page 1 Personal decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, as well as various other unit awards and decorations. On his retirement from the Navy in 2009, he joined Cobham, a defense firm, and holds the position of Vice President, Government Relations. He also sits of the boards of the Navy League of the United States and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. He resides in northern Virginia with his wife, Lisa. They have two children, T and Tyler. Visit his website at GAC MEMBERS AND GUESTS You may now make your dinner reservations online with Go to and click on Register Online 2 The Anchor, January February,

3 A Proper Set of Horns for the USS Texas, SSN-775 Members of the Greater Austin Council and UT NROTC unit marked December 7, 2012 by presenting a proper set of longhorns to the USS Texas, currently based out of Pearl Harbor. Those who attended the November 7th Distinguished Speaker Program when USS Texas Commander Andrew Hertel was the guest speaker. At that time it was learned that the USS Texas had a pair of longhorns that were displayed as the ship set sail. However, the set they owned was only 3 to 4 ft. in length...a fact determined not to be the best representative of Texas reputation as the place where all things are bigger. A set of longhorns, measuring 7 ft. in length were secured and presented to the USS Texas via the Navy ROTC unit at U.T. The full story is published in the February 2013 issue of Sea Power ( The presentation took place in a Texas Capitol Extension meeting room, which was made possible with the help of Rep. Paul Workman s staffer Brian Mitchell. CDR Hertel attended via Skype and was rightfully aghast when he saw the full breadth of a real set of longhorns. Lt. Chris Hoover, UT ROTC Asst. Professor of Naval Science coordinated things on the unit s end and accepted responsibility for shipping the horns to Pearl Harbor. Members of the Greater Austin Council attended and each had an opportunity to speak with CDR Hertel. Members of the presentation team. Front row, left to right GAC members Jeanie Coffey, Kathy Pillmore and Mary Virginia Pittman-Waller. Back row: GAC s Max Miller, UTNROTC s LT Chris Hoover, Officer Candidate (EM2) Andrew Adams, MIDN 1/C Timothy Garrett, MIDN 1/C Andrew Watkins, GAC s Bruce Byron, UT NROTC CO CAPT John Eden, and GAC s Glenn Looney. Dedication plaque on the longhorns courtesy of Capital Rubber Stamp. CDR Hertel on the Skype broadcast, Lt. Hoover (back to camera) and Kathy Pillmore Check out the Council s new banner which is proudly displayed at each Council event Enjoy browsing our newly redesigned and freshly updated website, featuring an abundance of information, old and new, and features about our Council, the Navy League, and the Sea Services. Go to The Anchor, January February,

4 Snapshots from the November 11, 2012 Distinguished Speaker Program &Dinner (Photos left to right) Randy Patterson thanks CDR Hertel, CO of the USS Texas, SSN-775 with a gift of a Navy League beer mug (sans beer!) Capt. James Eden, CO of the UT NROTC unit converses with CDR Hertel. Max Miller, CDR Hertel and Master Chief Matt Harris Susan Ashton with the Annapolis Alumni Association, Jeanie Coffey VP Legislative Affairs and Lone Star Regional President Travis LaGrone Chuck Cooley visits with C/PO3 Brianne Ridley from Vista Ridge High School Kaye Patterson (2nd from left) visits with an eager group of Vista Ridge JROTC cadets Linda and Ron Hill tickle Glenn Looney s funnybone Local coordinating Officer for Toys for Tots, 1stSGt George Garcia and LCPL Francisco Garza LCDR Grant Garcia, COMSUBLANT chats with GAC chaplain Tom Griffey Vista Ridge students C/SA Austin Stone, C/SA Payton Rittenhouse-Shultz, C/SA Wyatt Mc Ever, learn about subs from LCDR Turner COMSUBLANT Vista Ridge JROTC cadets C/SA Sierra Debakey, C/SA Tyler Murton, and Mr. James Gossett Vista Ridge JROTC cadets C/SA Alyssa Allen and C/SA Lauren West were among the many guest from the Leander ISD high school 4 The Anchor, January February,

5 Max Miller recognized by the NLUS A The Leander ISD Vista Ridge High School Navy JROTC cadets mustered possibly the largest contingent of high school students ever to attend a Navy League dinner. The students were at the November 7 dinner and took the opportunity to pose with Master Chief Machinist Mate Matt Harris (Chief of the Boat,) LTJG Mike Von Bargen and CDR Andy Hertel, CO from the USS Texas, SSN-775 (center front). The students were challenged by their senior science officer, CWO Rocky Hulse (far right second row) to engage dinner guests in conversation, which they eagerly accepted The Vista Ridge cadets also served as the evening s color guard. CONGRATULATIONS to the following GAC Members on the anniversary of their membership NOVEMBER Eben D. Jones James D. Schwarting Mary A. Shelton JANUARY Ernest G. Banasau Jr. Jim and Nancy Brotherton Marvin and Alice Morgenroth W. Michael Murray DECEMBER Jim and Sarah Brightman Daniel V. Crotzer David L. Hearn FEBRUARY Miguel Cardoza Duane Cooper Raymond and Ingrid Roark Tom Uhl Don t forget to renew your membership!! NLUS President Phil Dunmire presents the Distinguished Service Award to Max Miller at the October dinner. T I N C O U N U S N a t e d S t a t e s L C I G R E A T E R A t the Navy League U. S. National Board of Directors meeting held October at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA Greater Austin Council member Max Miller was honored with a Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the Navy League locally and nationally. Miller has served as the president and chairman of the Austin council, Central Texas Area president, national director and chair of the NLUS Awards Committee. He continues to serve as Central Texas Area President and as a director for the Greater Austin Council, and is responsible for the large majority of the programs the Council brings to its members throughout the year. n i v y U L e a g u e o f t h e The Anchor, January February,

6 The Chaplain s Corner The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut has prompted a renewed discussion of the role guns play in our society. New laws regulating firearms are being considered in various state legislatures and the US Congress, prompting heated debates on the issue of gun control. Is there a religious component to this debate? Can the Bible provide any guidance? At first sight it might appear that the answer to the last question is no since all the texts of the Bible were written long before the invention of firearms. However, there are several texts in the Bible which discuss the role of swords, the biblical equivalent of the gun, and these texts might provide some insight. Perhaps the most familiar of these passages is found in Isaiah 2:4: they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. This seems to settle the issue. Swords (guns) should be done away with. It becomes less clear when we examine a similar passage found in Joel 3:10: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Comparing these two verses, the immediate lesson we learn is how misleading it can be to take any Bible verse out of its context. by Tom Griffy YOUR COUNCIL NEEDS YOUR HELP Read in its proper context (Isaiah 2:2-4), the first passage describes what will take place AFTER all people have recognized God, come to worship him and learned to live by his teachings. In other words, beating swords into plowshares is not the way to achieve peace; it is what we shall be able to do AF- TER peace is achieved. The analogous lesson for today might be that controlling guns does not bring security; if we lived in a peaceful, nonviolent world, guns would be unnecessary. Perhaps the most relevant New Testament verse dealing with this issue is Luke 22:36. The context of this verse is Jesus final address to His disciples, telling them what they must do following His departure. He tells them let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. The immediate context is a change in instructions for the disciples as they carry out their mission. Just as they will need a purse, bag, or sandals, so also they will need a sword. Jesus is not preparing to launch an armed revolt, however; there is no evidence of Zealot sentiment in his teachings. Neither is Jesus instructing the disciples to take arms to prevent his arrest. The sword carried by a traveler was for selfdefense. (New Interpreters Bible) If we lived in a peaceful law-abiding world guns, at least for self-protection, would be unnecessary. Since we don t, we should be very concerned with attempts by the state and federal governments to restrict our access to these tools we might need for our security. Each year the Greater Austin Council sends out a letter to its members asking for donations to support ongoing Council activities. Another of these letters will be going out soon. The GAC receives only a portion of your dues which are paid to the national association. They are used to support Council activities but they barely cover our nominal administrative expenses. We also try to keep the cost of Distinguished Speaker Series dinners as low as possible for our members, charging just enough to cover our costs. We even subsidize dinners for uniformed enlisted, JROTC cadets, NROTC cadets and midshipmen and their guests. Subsequently, we are lucky to break even on the dinners. The Council, through its Youth Programs, provides support to 12 local JROTC units, the William B. Travis Division of the Sea Cadets, the Young Marines, UT Navy and Marine ROTC units, and the Naval Reserve Operations Center. Support is in the form of annual stipends, awards and other undertakings as they become possible. The level of our assistance is based on the level of our funds available. We also make a $100 donation to the Jones Scholarship fund in memory of each of our deceased members. Regarding our Jones Scholarship, funds are reserved specifically for scholarships for deserving high school seniors and are not used in any way to supplement Council activities. We urge you to be generous when you receive our solicitation letter. The Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and as such, your donations are tax deductible. OR...if you can t wait for your letter, please feel free to make your check out to the Greater Austin Council and give it to LuAnn Reyes at our next dinner or mail it to her at W. Parmer Lane, #2203, Cedar Park, TX Please indicate that it is a donation to the Council activities fund. Thank you as always for your continued support of the Greater Austin Council and the Navy League s mission to educate citizens about the importance of sea power to U. S. national security and to support the men and women of the sea services and their families. 6 The Anchor, January February,

7 Cook Like A Sailor! GAC Calendar ~2013~ February 21 March May 23 TBA RADM Terence McKnight, Author of Pirate Alley: Commanding Task Force 151 off Somalia Lone Star Regional Conference, Stagecoach Inn, Salado, TX Capt. William Schubert, former adminstrator of the Marine Administration Div. of the Dept. of Transportation will talk about the US Flag Merchant Marine impact on the Texas economy. Dr. Walter C. Wilson, Asst. Professor of Political Science, U.T. San Antonio HOTTER THAN A NUCLEAR BLAST...IT S THE USS TEXAS, SSN-775 COOKBOOK...NOW ON SALE AT YOUR LOCAL NAVY LEAGUE COUNCIL. HOT OFF THE PRESS AND CHOCK FULL OF SEA-GOING RECIPES. THIS IS A MUST-HAVE ADDITION TO YOUR COOKBOOK COLLECTION THAT YOU WILL TREASURE FOR YEARS TO COME. Order yours now by ing Max Miller at maxk@austin.rr.com or attend the February 21st Distinguished Speaker Series dinner and pick one up. (Soon to be available at ONLY $30 (Proceeds support the Greater Austin Council -- the USS Texas got their cut first!) TBA TBA Congressman Michael McCaul, 10th District, U. S. House of Representatives; Topic Cybersecurity Edwin Dorn, Professor of Public Affairs, UT LBJ School of Public Affairs Dates are subject to change to accommodate the speaker. For calendar updates go to George T. Jones, U. S. Navy WWII Veteran and Navy League Member George T. Jones Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to graduating seniors in Navy and Marine JROTC and Sea Cadet programs Contribute Now! Send your tax deductible contributions to Greater Austin Council NLUS George T. Jones Scholarship Fund c/o Lu Ann Reyes W. Parmer Lane, #2203 Cedar Park, TX Advertise your business in The Anchor. For information go to newsletter/asp or kpillmore@austin.rr.com The Anchor, January February,

8 The ANCHOR The ANCHOR is the official newsletter of the Greater Austin Council of the Navy League of the United States. It is published six times annually and distributed free of charge to all its members and to other interested parties. The Greater Austin Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and as such is exempt from Limited Sales, Excise and Use Taxes per the IRS Code. FIRST CLASS MAIL RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Citizens in Support of the Sea Services The Navy League of the United States is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating our citizens about the importance of sea power to U. S. national security, and supporting the men and women of the sea services and their families. SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AFFILIATES Ricon Products Your Company s Name Here Ask us how HELP US BUILD OUR MEMBERSHIP Use the form below and sign up a new member. Bring it and your new member to our next council meeting, or mail the form, together with the fee (check or money order payable to NLUS,) to Kathy Pillmore, Jupiter Hills Drive, Austin, TX 78747; or Lu Ann Reyes, W. Parmer Lane, Cedar Park, TX The new member will immediately be added to our mailing list. YES! Please enroll me as a Navy Leaguer Today I am a U.S. Citizen I am not a U. S. Citizen Name: (Mr., Mrs., Dr., Etc.) First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name Name of Spouse: (Mr., Mrs., Dr., Etc.) First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name Address: Number, Street, Name (Apt., Suite, P.O. Box) Date of Birth City State Zip Code (+4) Type of Membership (please check one) Individual One-Year Membership...$50 Joint Husband/Wife One-Year...$85 Individual Two-Year Membership...$90 Individual Three-Year Membership...$125 Individual Life Membership...$500 Joint Husband/Wife Life Membership...$750 Some NLUS Councils may charge local dues Method of Payment Check enclosed (Make payable to NLUS or Please charge my Visa MC AMEX Home Phone Business Phone Card# Exp. Date Sponsor s Last Name Sponsor s Membership # New Member s Council Signature Billing Zip Code