Renew your dues please see page 5!

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1 VOL 45 No. 2 March 2018 GREATER CINCINNATI CHAPTER MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA WHERE: Renew your dues please see page 5! General Membership Meeting ROTC/JROTC Recognition Manor House Restaurant 600 Maple Trace Dr., Springdale, OH (Gathering Room) WHEN: Friday, 9 Mar 2018 TIME: 12:00 PM Social Time 12:30 PM Lunch Program follows Dinner It s not too late to get your reservations in for our ROTC/JROTC Recognition Luncheon. Those units scheduled to be represented are Miami Navy ROTC, Little Miami Air Force JROTC (new unit), and Western Brown HS Army JROTC. Come out and support our young and new generation of service members. Also you now have the opportunity to sponsor a cadet or midshipman at the meetings. From the President The Greater Cincinnati MOAA Chapter has received a request to solicit support for Ohio Senate Bill (SB) 116, the socalled "Trailing Spouse Bill" which would provide unemployment compensation to spouses of armed forces personnel who quit their civilian jobs to accompany the service member on a permanent change of station (PCS). A companion bill has passed the Ohio House of Delegates (HB-158) but SB (Senate Bill)-116 is still in the Senate Finance Committee. The object of any letter is to ask Senators to vote to move the Bill out of the Finance Committee to the floor of the Senate for a vote. If you are an Ohio resident and know your State Senator, so much the better. If not, you can find your State Senator at by entering your zip code/4-digit extension. As a MOAA member please give serious consideration to contacting your state senator. What follows is a suggested letter. Dear Senator : I am a constituent of yours and am writing to ask for your support of Senate Bill 116. This legislation would provide unemployment compensation to spouses of military personnel who are forced to quit their civilian job to accompany their military spouse on a permanent change of station/reassignment. I understand that a companion bill, HB-158, has passed the House but SB-116 is still pending in the Senate Finance Committee. As a veteran and citizen of Ohio, I urge you to support reporting SB-116 out of Committee to the floor for a vote. This a fair legislation. I understand that Ohio is one of the few states without this protection for military spouses. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Lunch RESERVATION: Friday, 9 March 2018 Manor House Restaurant Springdale, OH. Name: Rank & Service: Spouse/Guests: (ARE YOU A NEW MEMBER, OR FIRST TIME OUT? ) Entrée choices: Lunch BUFFET $16.00 Would you like to sponsor a ROTC/JROTC Cadet or $16.00 (Circle if you have a preference) Total Reservations = Total $ Make Checks payable to GREATER CINCINNATI CHAPTER/MOAA and mail to CAPT MIKE GLASER, 6788 Brookville Rd., Oxford, OH , (Phone (513) ) or michael.h.glaser@gmail.com. Please make reservations NLT than 7 March. No cancellations after that date.

2 2018 CHAPTER OFFICERS AND BOARD (phone # s are area code 513 unless noted) Executive Committee President CAPT Steve Drefahl, USN Immed PP LTC Al Brauer, USA st VP CAPT Mike Glaser, USN nd VP CAPT Rex Settlemoir, USN Secretary CAPT Alan Echt, PHS Treasurer LTC Paul Fellinger, USAR Chaplain Rev Joseph L Boone, USA Legislative Ofc BG Tom O Brien, USA Natl Bd Past Natl Bd RADM Larry Hereth, USCG Spouse/ Diane Lochocki, Surviving Sp Surviving Spouse Liaison State Council Delegate CAPT Alan Echt, PHS Alt Delegate Vacant Committees Programs Vacant Membership CAPT Mike Glaser, USN R.O.T.C. LTC Al Brauer, USA Reserve/NG CAPT Steve Drefahl, USN Historian LCOL Dick Probst, USAF Sympathy/ CAPT Roger Argalas, USCG Personal Affairs TOPS LtCol Brad Hamant, USAF CinMoaaNews/ CWO3 Kym Mader, USN Public Affairs Service Representatives Army COL Robert Greene, USA Navy CAPT Rex Settlemoir, USN Coast Guard CAPT Roger Argalas, USCG USPHS CAPT Alan Echt, PHS Air Force Lt Col Brad Hamant, USAF Marine Corps CAPT Rex Settlemoir, USN PURPOSES OF THE GREATER CINCINNATI MOAA CHAPTER The purposes of Military Officers Association of America as stated by national are printed on the outside of each Newsletter. The corresponding purposes of our Chapter as stated in our BYLAWS, Article II are: (a) To promote the purposes and objectives of the Military Officers Association of America (b) To foster fraternal relations among retired, active and former officers of the uniformed services. (c) To protect the rights and interests of personnel of the uniformed services and their dependents and survivors. (d) To provide useful services for members and their dependents and survivors. (e) To serve the community and the nation. Your officers and Board members welcome your comments and suggestions on steps that may be taken to strengthen our Chapter and its benefits to all members. This newsletter is published by the Greater Cincinnati Chapter, which is an affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). MOAA and it s affiliated chapters and councils are non-partisan. Articles in this newsletter are the opinions solely of the individual authors and do not necessarily express the policy or opinions of the newsletters editor or publisher and do not reflect an endorsement by the Chapter or the National organization of MOAA, unless so indicated. Advertisements that appear in this publication also do not reflect an endorsement by MOAA or this affiliate. TAPS If you know a member of MOAA who has passed away, please let us know so we may pass it on. CAPT Willard Siepel, USN, Ret - 11/30/ MEETINGS - Mark your Calendars NOW! Watch for updates. Board Meetings 2nd Friday of each month, American Red Cross Building* 2111 Dana Ave., Cincinnati, OH Conference Call in is available. Contact a board member for more details. Spouses and guests are welcome at all meetings. (* Board meetings falling on the date of a member meeting are held after the member meeting) Remember To Update Us On Your Address and When you move or change your address, please let us know so we can continue to let you know what is going on with your local chapter, within the state and nationally. We would hate for you to miss out. Membership Meetings / 3rd Annual Dining Out Membership Meeting - Friday, Mar 9, Noon, Manor House Restaurant, ROTC Recognition Membership Meeting - Friday, June 8, Noon, Manor House Restaurant Membership Meeting - Friday, September 14, 1800, Manor House Restaurant Dining Out - Saturday, November 10, 1800, Highland Country Club, Ft. Thomas KY Membership Meeting - Friday, December 7, Noon Manor House Restaurant For MOAA National information Click on one the links below: General Information Legislative Updates 2

3 Important Changes to TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan and New Vision Coverage Available By CAPT Roger Argalas, Sympathy/Personal Affairs Committee Hot off the presses! I'm attaching a news story I received from Bill Schmidt, the Coast Guard's Retiree Services Coordinator for Ohio. It comes from the Fleet Reserve Association. If you currently have Tricare Retiree Dental coverage and/or are thinking about Vision coverage, it's important that you read this story: Shipmates and friends!!! BIG NEWS FOR MILITARY RETIREES and SBP annuitants!!! Please find below a portion of FRA NewsBytes from Feb 2, The portion I sent you deals with retiree dental and vision! After you read the article, just below is the TriCare webpage address to find out even more info! Please pass this on to any of our shipmates and friends that you think could use this information! Dental insurance will never be like you had on active duty, but hey this looks like a step in the right direction, especially on vision coverage. New Dental and Vision Program Coming in 2019 Last week, FRA DLP John Davis received a briefing from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on upcoming changes to TRICARE dental and vision programs. This new insurance option for certain beneficiaries is set to be implemented on January 1, The existing TRI- CARE Retiree Dental Plan, which is currently provided through Delta Dental, will expire December 31, The newly designed option was included in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act with the legislated start date of At the briefing, OPM officials explained the later starting time is meant to allow for better preparation and communication for the new plan. It will be offered and administered through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). All TRICARE retirees and their families are eligible for both the dental insurance and the vision coverage. Active duty military families are only eligible for the vision coverage. The FEDVIP dental program of offerings will replace the existing TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan, which is currently provided through Delta Dental. The retiree dental plan and the addition of a vision plan will allow for beneficiaries to choose from several dental and vision carriers with a variety of benefit options. The FEDVIP program lists 10 dental carriers and four vision carriers (Delta Dental is included) with comprehensive dental and vision insurance at competitive group rates. Beneficiaries must choose a plan during TRICARE's open season (November 12, 2018-December 10, 2018). Beneficiaries need to understand there is no automatic transition for those currently enrolled in the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program. Changes can only occur during open season and life changing events. A partial list of coverage TRICARE beneficiaries receive with FEDVIP include: *No wait period for most dental services *No annual maximum benefit for some dental plans *Access to regional and national dental networks *No deductible for some vision plans *No limit on brands for frames or contacts for some vision plans *Discounts on LASIK offered by some vision plans Beneficiaries are encouraged to start getting information and pre-enrollment communications through the website set up just for this program. Thanks Bill Schmidt VA Veterans ID Card Now Available By CAPT Roger Argalas, Sympathy/Personal Affairs Committee Thanks to CAPT Alan Echt, our hard working chapter Secretary for the following information: I learned about this new VA Veterans ID card (VIC) from an from the MOAA state council. For more information go to pressrelease.cfm?id=3979. To request a VIC, Veterans must visit vets.gov, click on Apply for Printed Veteran ID Card on the bottom center of the page and sign in or create an account. MOAA Now Offering Pet Insurance Pet Insurance. Check it out. Pets are part of our family. Yes they are. MOAA members may save 10% on premiums for the Best Benefit Accident/Illness pet health Insurance plans from Pets Best. Pets Best was founded by a veterinarian in For details call; and mention referral code: MOAA. To read the article go to Published February, You may also contact Diane Lochocki, Liaison Surviving Spouse, Spouse at djlochocki@aol.com or Taxes Homestead Exemption Veterans rated by the VA as 100 percent disabled due to a service-connected disability and surviving spouse who occupy the same home are eligible for the expanded Homestead Exemption, which applies to Tax years 2014 and forward. State of Ohio tax info State and federal income tax laws contain special provisions for members of the military and their families. Details on some of the major issues facing military families during income tax filling season can be found on the link below: military_tax_provisions.aspx 3

4 SURVIVING SPOUSE CORNER Building a New Social Life (MOAA article By Sharon DeVaney, Surviving Spouse Advisory Committee member) How do you fill the void in your life after you lose your spouse? Here are some ideas to help you become the outgoing person you once were. If you don t have to relocate, it could be possible to rely on your family and friends for a while. Your family members have suffered a loss as well. Try to brighten their days. You could meet for lunch or bring a salad or dessert to share a meal. If you have grandchildren who have school programs or sporting events, you can attend and be there for them. Perhaps, their school needs volunteers or mentors. Maybe your church sponsors a grief support group. Listening to speakers with others might help you process your loss. Calling another widow or widower and inviting them to a MOAA meeting will help both of you keep that connection to military life. Offer to help. You could represent surviving spouses if that position is not filled. Volunteering to help at your church or for a community function will bring you as much reward as you will give to others. Every group needs new faces and willing hands. Try something you haven t done before. I became a docent at our Fine Arts Center. I loved touring visitors of all ages. For many children, this was their only exposure to art. Also, other docents became my new friends. Use your work-related skills. I volunteered to teach a life story writing class at the nonprofit in my community. That brought a group of strangers together who became new friends as they shared their amazing life stories. Discover a new talent. I moved this summer and joined the drama club at the senior center. I hoped to find people who wanted to attend plays. Instead, I learned the club was producing the Fall Follies. All of a sudden, I had bit parts in three skits and the opening and closing numbers. We closed with a Salute to Veterans, which moved the audience to come to their feet. Spread cheer by visiting residents in a nursing home. A friend in Florida makes bouquets from her garden and brings them to residents. Consider getting a dog. It will need to be fed, walked, and loved. I guarantee that you will be visiting with other dog owners on your daily walks. In January, it was my privilege to present to Tracy Butts, Program Manager, VA Medical Center Cincinnati, $200 worth of gift cards for the use of the Veterans at the center. This was from the proceeds of the Basket of Cheer at the December Members meeting. Hopefully we can continue our support for the VA Center either monetarily or by volunteering at the facility. 4 I want to encourage all my Surviving Spouses and Spouses to attend the Member meeting in March. If I know you will be there, I will have a contact for you at the door so that you do not feel alone. Come and enjoy the group. Diane Lochocki, Liaison Surviving Spouse/Spouses Kaine Introduces Military Spouse Employment Bill (MOAA article By Thea Lawton, MOAA President s Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council) As an active duty spouse, with a permanent change of station on the horizon, the prospect of having to look for a new job gives me the hives. So, when I accepted and invitation to the announcement of the Military Spouse Employment Act of 2018, it was with more than just idle curiosity. I wanted to understand precisely what was in this bill and how it could help military spouses, like me, in our future job pursuits. Sen. Time Kaine (D-VA.) took the floor at the Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center at Old Dominion University Feb.2,, and he began to talk about what the bill hoped to accomplish. I found myself nodding in approval. He explained roundtable discussions with military spouses inspired the provisions of the bill. I took this as a valid sign that the bill looks to address the significant employment barriers that a military spouse faces. The most inspiring part of the program, for me, came in the form of four military spouses sharing their experiences with entrepreneurship, using the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program (MyCAA), dealing with finding affordable child care, and transitioning from the military life. Each spouse spoke their truth, and that truth was my own. In my view, there are several essential factors this bill will address: One is lack of enough approved child care providers and reevaluating the number of available child care slots on military installations. Knowing that you have a safe place to leave your child makes all the difference in getting and keeping employment. The provisions to ensure spouses are fully aware of the benefits the MyCAA program brings us closer to developing portable careers. The bill also extends the eligibility of Military OneSource from six months post-separation to one full year. Extended eligibility means that the service member and spouse will have access to resources in a way that is unprecedented. I am excited to see this bill introduced this week. Kaine seems to have heard the voices of military spouses. Military spouse employment is not just a family issue it is a mission-readiness issue.

5 2018 CHAPTER DUES ARE DUE! Please pay now- IF you haven't done so. To determine whether your dues are paid, please check your address sticker on the other side of this form. The year is shown for the latest year for which your dues are paid. (Life members show LIFE). If your number is (2017) or lower, please return this form (with your name sticker on reverse) along with a check for your dues to bring you up to current year. Please mark your selection of dues (one year, multiyear or life). If you are moving out of state and don t want to continue your chapter membership or have any other status change, please let us know. Also please indicate on your check the year(s) your dues are for. NEW - You can now renew your membership online. Go to Councils/Chapters-and-Councils.aspx#Chapter-Dues There is no membership dues for Surviving Spouses. Chapter Membership Renewal Name: Rank: Your address please: Member $28 for three years $19 for two years $10.00 for one year Surviving Spouse (surviving spouse of a deceased officer) No Cost Please renew as a LIFE member. (Please circle amount in fee schedule.) Make check payable to: Greater Cincinnati Chapter / MOAA Mail Renewal form and check to: LTC Paul Fellinger, 5493 Delhi Rd., Cincinnati, OH cut here Dues Form cut here WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS Capt John Clancy, USAF LIFE MEMBERSHIP FEES (Chapter Only) (Fee is based on your age, nearest birthday) Member Age up to 55 $ Age 56 to 70 $ Age 71 to 89 $ Age 90 and over Waive MOAA Messages MOAA is happy to announce their new and improved newsletter, The MOAA Newsletter, starting Thursday, February 8. Watch for it. Your current newsletters from MOAA, including the Legislative Update and News Exchange, will be consolidated and delivered in one convenient newsletter. Through new technology, you now will be in charge of the topics you get and how often you get them customized for you, by you. Military Families Prosper in Buckeye State Ohio has an array of resources and benefits that are advantageous for service members and their families. These programs include a family support network, financial assistance, home loan programs, health care options, legal aid and even discounts on recreational activities and entertainment. Information regarding benefits for military families can be found at any of Ohio s 88 County Veterans Service Offices, by downloading our Benefits Resource Guide or by going to the Veterans Benefits home page at OhioVets.gov. Why Ohio? Ohio continues to rank sixth in the nation in terms of veteran population with nearly 800,000 former service members residing throughout the state. Each year, thousands of men and women who served honorably return home or move to Ohio and begin a crucial new phase of their lives in which they may endeavor to delve into a new career learn a skill seek certification pursue higher education start a family Fortunately, Ohio is an ideal home for transitioning veterans with multiple benefits and resources at their disposal such as fast tracks to licensing, paid apprenticeship programs, the Ohio Veterans Bonus and comprehensive medical care. To learn more about these programs and other advantages for transitioning veterans, go to our Why Ohio webpage. Remember To Set Your Clocks Ahead Don t forget to set your clocks ahead 1 hour on March 11th. Daylight savings time is the practice of setting the clock forward by one hour during the warmer part of the year, so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. 5

6 Greater Cincinnati Chapter MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 8099 Pepper Pike West Chester, OH NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI, OH PERMIT NO 4403 Postmaster: Dated material, Please Expedite ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED PURPOSES OF MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA TO inculcate and stimulate love of country and flag; TO defend the honor, integrity, and supremacy of our National Government and the Constitution of the United States; TO advocate military forces adequate to the defense of our country; TO foster fraternal relations between all branches of the various services from which our members are drawn; TO further the education of children of service personnel; TO aid active and retired personnel of the various services from which our members are drawn and their dependents and survivors, in every proper and legitimate manner; TO present their rights and interests when service matters are under consideration; and TO foster the integrity and prestige of uniformed service. from the Preamble to the Association s Bylaws