1600 Communicator. President s Message. WHCA Change of Command. Upcoming Events/Key Dates:

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1 1600 Communicator A publication exclusively for members of the 1600 Communications Association Summer, 2011 (August) President s Message Hello, friends. I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the summer season. The Association hosted its 18th Annual Golf Tournament on June 17th. I would like to thank our Golf Tournament Committee Chairman Mr. Bob Ohm, Co- Chairman TSgt Erik Kristensen, and everyone that assisted in organizing and conducting the this successful event. Also, a special thanks to our sponsors and all entrants for their generous support of the Association. A full article on the Golf Tournament appears in the newsletter (page 3). On June 25th many Association members and WHCA families were in attendance for the Agency Open House and Association Shrimp Feast. The event opened with welcoming remarks from the WHCA Commander, Col Michael Black. We were fortunate to have Ms. Lorraine Rea Evangelista, granddaughter of COL George McNally in attendance at the event. Throughout the afternoon attendees toured the WHCA grounds to learn about the latest Presidential communications equipment and support vehicles. The event culminated with a large gathering conversing and enjoying delicious shrimp, barbeque, and cold beverages. Many thanks to Gordon Aitken, Glenn Arnett, Floyd Hepler, Helen Pennington, and Steve Young for their hard work in planning and executing the event. SSG Abigail Evangelista, SGT Genet Bottorf, and the WHCA Open House Committee did an excellent job in coordinating the event and providing access to the WHCA compound. Thanks to their outstanding support, everything went smoothly. On July 29th many Association members were in attendance at the WHCA Change of Command Ceremony to bid a fond farewell to Col Michael Black and to welcome COL Clinton Bigger. Details are included in this newsletter. Thanks to our Scholarship Committee, the Association s 2011 Educational Scholarships have been awarded. Congratulations to the scholarship awardees. We wish them continued success in their academic endeavors. An article naming the awardees appears on page 4 of this newsletter. The next event on the schedule is the 21st annual Camp David Chapter Picnic, which will be held on Saturday, September 10th. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland for this fun-filled event. Sam Watkins President WHCA Change of Command Colonel Michael B. Black (USAF), transferred command of the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) to Colonel Clinton R. Bigger, (USA) during a ceremony hosted by the DISA Director, Lieutenant General Carroll F. Pollett on July 29, Colonel Bigger, the 26th Commander of WHCA, served as the Agency s Deputy Commander prior to assuming command. His biography appears on page 6 of this newsletter. Colonel Black, who will retire on August 26, 2011, spoke of some of the Agency s achievements during his tenure, Our accomplishments are truly amazing and are far too numerous to mention individually but a couple of significant ones include: acing the change of administration test and making an outstanding first impression with President Obama s administration, and providing live stream capability to WhiteHouse.gov from nearly any event in the world, including town hall meetings from China, Turkey, or Egypt. (continued on page 6) Upcoming Events/Key Dates: SOB (Some Old Buddies) luncheon held the first Tuesday of each month at the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, VA at 1130am. Camp David Chapter Picnic - September 10, 2011, 12noon Suker Residence, Cascades, MD Holiday Dinner Dance - December 3, 2011 Ft. Myer VA Details to be published at a later date) Page 1

2 The Association has a group on Facebook and the activity has really picked up lately! Just log in to Facebook and search for 1600 Communications Association so you can start networking with your friends and re-connect with former colleagues. McNally Book The republication of A Million Miles of Presidents, the book written by Colonel George McNally, the first Commander of WHCA, is available for sale through the 1600 Communications Association. The original book was published by the Association in This 2nd edition includes all the original material from that first publication as well as additional narratives from several Commanders who served during the years following Colonel McNally s retirement. The book depicts the early history of the Agency and its maturation over the years. It frames the development of WHCA against the backdrop of historical events and the advancement of technology. It is a must have piece of history for all who have served in WHCA. If you are fortunate enough to own a copy of Colonel McNally s original book, this will complete your collection. Details for ordering copies are on the 1600 Communications Association web site. We have also provided a copy of the order form in this edition of the newsletter. The cost is $20 per copy via mail order. All net proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to support the Association s scholarship program and support of wounded veterans and their families. Association Contact Information Officer/Board Member Address Telephone President Sam Watkins samw@1600commassoc.org Vice President Sabrina Rose sabrinar@1600commassoc.org Secretary Glenn Arnett glenna@1600commassoc.org Treasurer Don Canterbury donc@1600commassoc.org Director-at-Large Steve Young stevey@1600commassoc.org Director-at-Large Helen Pennington helenp@1600commassoc.org Historian Gordon Aitken gordona@1600commassoc.org Newsletter Editor Floyd Hepler floydh@1600commassoc.org Parliamentarian VACANT Page 2 Summer, 2011

3 2011 Golf Tournament a Major Success! The 18th Annual 1600 Communications Association Golf Tournament, held on Friday, June 17, 2011 at Andrews AFB South Course, was comprised of 130 golfers. The tournament produced a winner of a Hole-In- One contest (which was sponsored by TWD, one of our original supporting organizations), a historic first! The tournament has seen aces before, notably when Steve Young pulled off that feat several years ago. This time, however, Ben Ellis dropped in a 150-yard shot on Hole #3 to win a Flat-screen TV, which marks the first time we have ever had a player win a major prize. Congratulations to Ben, who was also in the foursome which won the Low Gross prize with an 18-hole score of 54, a whopping 18 under par! Other members of that group were Eric Campbell, Lee Ellis, and Frank Kirchman. Low Net scores were marked by the AT&T team of Ellen Floyd, Wally Ridley, and Danny Young; by the team of Rolando Crespin, Terry Hostavich, Dennis Linkous, and Tom Pacheco; and by the SAVA team of Jason Arnstorm, Matt Blackburn, Dave Le, and Chris Purvis. Thanks to our sponsors (see page 4), we were able to cover all expenses, and still net over $10,000 for the Scholarship and Veterans Funds. This is a new record for income and is very much appreciated. A special note of thanks to Mark Olson, who provided a number of prizes for the Mulligan drawing from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor s Authority. Mark provided Las Vegas-themed items, and also two very nice TaylorMade R-11 drivers, and matching putters. Thank you, Mark! Once again we had a number of sponsors donate slots for Active Duty players. Winners were selected by drawing. The generous donors were Pontis Communications, two slots; TWD, two slots; Verizon Business, two slots; and SRA, one slot. As is always the case, we could not have completed this event successfully without a body of dedicated and committed volunteers. This year s team included the following: Gordon Aitken Ed Barger Erik Kristensen (WHCA Rep) Bob Ohm Phil Samuels Glenn Arnett Floyd Hepler Lee Merchant Helen Pennington Sam Watkins We also received help from Danny Young of AT&T, Ernie Campos of HP, and Melissa Gerhand of MTN Government Services. Thanks to all who supported this very worthwhile event. We hope to repeat its success next year, so mark your calendars for the third Friday in June (that s June 15, 2012) as our tentative date. We ll confirm early next year. Page 3 Summer, 2011

4 1600 Communications Association 2011 Golf Tournament Sponsors AT&T ByLight IT Services CACI Catapult Technologies General Dynamics IT HP/JGR Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Lenaj Marketing Link Solutions MorganFranklin MTN Government Services NetCentrics Pontis Communications SONY SRA TWD Verizon Business Two Holes Golf Carts Two Holes Mulligan Raffle items Golf Hats, Ball Markers Meal Sponsor Drink Carts Two Holes Hole-In-One Contest Putting Contest Links to our generous sponsors sites are included at Please patronize our supporters wherever possible Communications Association Customized Apparel Items for Sale We thank our Alumni who have supported our logo clothing program. Your purchases have afforded us the opportunity not only to increase funding for our 1600 Association Scholarship Fund, but also to help us in our efforts to get advertising out about our organization. It is deeply appreciated and we ask you to continue to support our program efforts as we refine and expand our product selection. The flyer is available on the website for your use. PSB Stickers If you would like to purchase one or more of the PSB stickers, send your request to Helen Pennington, 6964 Klett Drive, Fort Belvoir, VA These four-color stickers, measuring approximately 3 ½ inches in diameter, are available for $5.00 each. Please make your check payable to the 1600 Communications Association. As a friendly reminder, these decals/stickers are for use by recipients of the Presidential Service Badge only. $12,500 Awarded in Scholarships This year was another great year for the for the 1600 Communications Association Scholarship Program. We received a large number of applications this year, and the overall quality was excellent. Again, the task of selecting the finalists and subsequent award winners was not easy. After screening for eligibility, all applications were evaluated in 10 areas -- academic achievement, leadership, character and commitment, extracurricular activities, quality of the written essay, quality and completeness of the application, potential for academic success, career potential, evidence of responsible citizenship, and financial planning. Based on the criteria, the committee selected the following for 2011 scholarships: Rexford Holmes Virginia Tech University $4,500 Gabriela Hernandez Florida State University $3,500 Michelle Bailey Regis University $2,500 Joshua Thibault West Virginia University $2,000 Rexford Holmes is also recognized as this year s recipient of the Ronald K. Thomsen Memorial Scholarship. This award recognizes Ron Thomsen, a long time Association member who served on the Board in virtually every capacity for more than 25 years, and was the driving force behind making the Scholarship Program what it is today. Ron passed away in December of The Association offers its congratulations to this year s scholarship awardees and extends best wishes for continued success in their academic pursuits Page 4 Summer, 2011

5 Treasurer s Report August 2011 Bank Account Balances as of August 13, 2011 Checking $ 3, CD1 $ 2, CD2 $ 5, CD3 $ 3, Scholarship Working Account $ 5, Scholarship CD $10, Secretary and Membership Report for July 2011 To date, we have processed 110 membership transactions. Of those, 33 were new members and 13 signed up for Lifetime Membership. We registered 11 new members at the Shrimp Feast. This brings the total membership roster to 596. Regrettably, we will be removing over 35 members for non-payment of dues. Scholarship Donations Thanks to MG Henry Schumacher and BG Frank Baker for their generous donations to the Scholarship Fund. New Members This Report Welcome to the following new members: Fredy A. Alberto, Burch Alford, Jr., Theresa Faye Grainger, Troy D. Hammond, Bobby L. Hand, William E. Hawkins, Reynold L. Smith, James C. Summers, III, Steven S. Swanson, Joan W. Waddill, Debora M. Williams, Devin J. Williams, Alain L.M. Jones, Thomas L. Bach, Donald C. Pettyjohn and Daniel M. Wickersham. Membership Renewal To save postage we do not mail a special dues invoice. We continually remind everyone in the newsletters that the dues year is January to December. If you have already sent your 2011 dues, thank you very much. Please remember the yearly dues are $20.00 per year and are due in January. Below is a form to fill out and send with your dues. Also, please let us know of any address, address, or other information changes Communications Association Membership Renewal NAME: SPOUSE NAME: ADDRESS: HOME PHONE: WORK PHONE: ADDRESS: Please make check payable to 1600 Communications Association and mail to P.O. Box 160, Washington, DC Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for reply. Page 5 Summer, 2011

6 WHCA Welcomes a New Commander Colonel Clinton R. Bigger is the Commander, White House Communications Agency (WHCA). WHCA is responsible for providing assured information services to the President, Vice President, National Security Council, White House Senior Staff, and the United States Secret Service to ensure instantaneous secure and nonsecure worldwide communications to lead the nation. Prior to this assignment, Colonel Bigger served as the Division Chief, LandWarNet Networks Integration Division, CIO G6 on the Army Staff. Colonel Bigger is a native of Waverly, Iowa and a 1986 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Education. He entered active duty in 1986 as a Signal Officer attending the Signal Officer Basic Course at Fort Gordon. Colonel Bigger has served in numerous staff and command positions. He commanded at the Detachment, Company, and Battalion level in addition to serving as a Deputy Brigade Commander and Deputy CJ6. He has served on the Headquarters, Department of the Army Staff twice and deployed two times serving in J6 staff sections. COL Bigger s assignments include the following. 534th Signal Company, 69th Signal Battalion, 160th Signal Brigade, 5th Signal Command HHD and 181st Signal Company, 43d Signal Battalion, 160th Signal Brigade, 5th Signal Command Special Troops Battalion, 13th Corps Support Command, III Corps HHC, Division Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division HHC, 122d Signal Battalion, 2d Infantry Division HHC, 3d Signal Brigade and HHC, 16th Signal Battalion, 3d Signal Brigade, III Corps G8-Force Development Communications, Headquarters Department of the Army HHC, 304th Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade and HHC, 1st Signal Brigade CJ6, Multi-National Forces Iraq CIO/G6, Headquarters Department of the Army His military schools include the Signal Officer Basic Course, Marine Corps Advanced Communications Course, Command and General Staff College, and Joint Advanced Warfighting School. Colonel Bigger also holds a Master s of Science Degree in Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy, Colonel Bigger s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal 6th Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal 5th Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Korean Defense Service Medal. Colonel Bigger is married to the former Elizabeth Weatherspoon of Austin, Texas and they have five children. The Association looks forward to a productive relationship with Colonel Bigger. WHCA Change of Command (continued from page 1) I am most proud of operationalizing a medical clinic in our main WHCA building, said Colonel Black. As one of our doctors there once told me, Taking care of the people who take care of the President is taking care of the President! Attendees at the ceremony included George Mulligan, Director of the White House Military Office; Brook Colangelo, Chief Information Officer, Executive Office of the President; Colonel Black s wife, Wilda and their children; Colonel Bigger s wife, Elizabeth, and six former WHCA commanders. WHCA, originally known as the White House Signal Detachment, was officially formed by the War Department on March 25, 1942 to provide normal and emergency communications requirements in support of the president of the United States. The Agency has evolved over the past 69 years from a small team of 32 personnel working out of the basement of the White House to a joint service command of 1,200 military and civilian personnel. Page 6 Summer, 2011

7 A Million Miles of Presidents 2 nd Edition, By Colonel George McNally, the 1st Commander of WHCA Republished in 2009 and offered for sale by the 1600 Communications Association ( This powerful book is a history of WHCA from the eyes of its first Commander, documenting WHCA in its earliest days through the administration of President Johnson. The supplemental material provides the perspective of eight other former WHCA Commanders spanning nearly four decades from 1965 to the early 2000s. $16.00 per copy, plus $4.00 shipping/handling for mail orders. All net proceeds are applied toward the 1600 Communications Association Scholarship Fund and the Association s support of wounded veterans and their families. To order your copy today, contact: Gordon Aitken 2805 John Coffee Ct. Woodbridge, VA All orders by mail must be accompanied by a check for the full amount, including shipping. Checks should be made payable to the 1600 Communications Association please note McNally Book in the memo portion of the check. Fulfillment Request Name Street City State Zip Qty: copies, please Check enclosed in the amount of $ Make payable to: 1600 Communications Association Mail Request to: Gordon Aitken 2805 John Coffee Ct. Woodbridge, VA 22192

8 P.O. Box 160 Washington DC 20044