The Beacon. In this issue: UPCOMING EVENTS PRESIDENT S MESSAGE. September 2018

Transcription

1 In this issue: UPCOMING EVENTS... 1 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE... 1 BREAKFAST MEETING: NOVEMBER 7, ON THE HORIZON IN OCTOBER: LINKEDIN WORKSHOP... 2 ON THE HORIZON IN 2019: 50 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION... 3 GOOGLE ANNOUNCES NEW TOOLS TO HELP VETS FIND BETTER JOBS... 3 EIGHTH ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL LUNCHEON... 3 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE INFORMATION... 3 INTRODUCING THE MARYLAND MILITARY COALITION... 4 NATIONAL NEWS... 5 CHAPTER LEADERSHIP... 9 ABOUT MOAA... 9 MEMBERSHIP DUES FORM UPCOMING EVENTS September Chapter Meeting: 13 September, Bayou Restaurant, Sponsored by APG FCU. Eighth Annual Congressional Luncheon: 26 September, , Washington, DC. November Breakfast Meeting: 7 November, 7:30 9:00 am, at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) location in Aberdeen (980 Hospitality Way; collocated with Comfort Inn and Suites). See details below. PRESIDENT S MESSAGE I hope to see everyone at this month s dinner meeting. Thanks to those who have signed up see you Thursday! There is a lot going on this Fall. In addition to our events, there is the APG Oktoberfest on Sep, other community Oktoberfests, First Fridays, and many more. Consider inviting other Chapter members to go with you. Another event is the National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) on 25 Sep. NVRD is a national holiday celebrating our democracy and MOAA National, including the Maryland MOAA Council of Chapters and our Chapter, is pushing to have members help in this effort. If you are able to help on the 25 th at a location in the area, please contact Cathy Hampton or call the number at the bottom of this page. Cathy s is in the Chapter Leadership table near the end of the newsletter. (302)

2 There is plenty more info in this newsletter like always, to include the Transition Information section and the section that introduces the new Maryland Military Coalition. Respectfully, Harry Quinn BREAKFAST MEETING: NOVEMBER 7, 2018 Sound reveille! Join the Chapter for our Breakfast Meeting on November 7, 2018, 7:30 9:00 am, at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) location in Aberdeen (980 Hospitality Way; collocated with Comfort Inn and Suites). Breakfast will be on your own (order from menu). Our guest speakers will be Carissa Merritt and Jennifer Travers from Chesapeake Health Education Program (CHEP). CHEP has a dual mission of providing transitional housing through veteran-only programs and hosting affordable, high quality educational programs for healthcare providers in Harford and Cecil Counties as well as the surrounding counties and states. More information about CHEP is highlighted below. Look for the reservation flier coming soon! Spotlight on: CHESAPEAKE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM (CHEP) CHEP has a longstanding mission to serve and strengthen communities by giving hope and help to American Veterans in need. This is accomplished by providing transitional housing and support services to homeless Veterans. These programs focus on Veteran success from the point of entry into the programs and continue until the achievement of the ultimate goal: independent living within their community. The rationale is simple: veterans should not experience the indignity of not having a place to reside and so we provide them with safe and comfortable living environments. Their work targets the reality that on any given day in 2018, as many as 40,000 veterans (male and female) are living on our Nations streets and another 15,000 are living in shelters. CHEP s efforts have assisted hundreds of veterans over the years. CHEP is our Service Organization of the Month for November. Proceeds from the Breakfast Meeting will be donated to CHEP. For more information on CHEP, see or contact Cathy Hampton, VP Programs. ON THE HORIZON IN OCTOBER: LINKEDIN WORKSHOP Annie Brock, Immediate Past President for our Chapter, will conduct a 4-hour workshop on LinkedIn, a business and employment-oriented service that operates via websites and mobile apps. LinkedIn is used extensively for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their curriculum vitae describing their work (302)

3 experience, education and training, skills, and a personal photo. The site also enables members to make real-world professional relationships through connections to each other in an online social network. The workshop date, time and location will follow by separate flier. ON THE HORIZON IN 2019: 50 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Celebrating our past, inspiring our future Fifty years as a chapter is certainly something to celebrate. Few chapters are as fortunate to have persevered through the good and not so good times. Regardless of the journey, the Susquehanna Chapter never lost sight of its mission: fight for the welfare of all servicemembers and veterans and their families. This celebration promises to be a very special event for Chapter members and the community. Cathy Hampton, VP for Programs, has started preliminary planning for the event and is asking fellow members to serve on a planning committee to make this an affair to remember. Please contact Cathy to volunteer for the committee to plan for an event that only happens every 50 years! GOOGLE ANNOUNCES NEW TOOLS TO HELP VETS FIND BETTER JOBS Veterans seeking to transition to civilian work often lack the common language that matches their military experience with civilian jobs. As a result, 1 in 3 veterans or roughly 250,000 servicemembers who transition out of the military each year, end up taking jobs well below their skill level. To eliminate this mismatch, Google recently announced new job search tools especially for military veterans and their families who are looking for jobs. The new features now available let military service members and their families search Jobs for Veterans and then enter specific military job codes to find civilian jobs with skills similar to those they used in the military. Additionally, job seekers can find out if a business is veteran-owned in a new Google My Business feature, which shows up on Google Maps and Search mobile listings. EIGHTH ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL LUNCHEON The Susquehanna Chapter is sending a delegation to the 8 th Annual Maryland Council of Chapters, MOAA Congressional Luncheon in Washington, DC, Wednesday, September 26, We will let you know what happened in the next newsletter. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE INFORMATION MOAA Military and Veteran Networking Forum Thursday, September 20, 2018, 6:30-10:00 PM National Air and Space Museum FREE, but must register ( (302)

4 This annual evening of networking and professional development is designed to provide those who have served and their families the opportunity to meet industry professionals, hiring managers, executives, and resource specialists. Sponsored by MOAA, it is open to men and women of all ranks. Two designated halls will cater to the needs of transitioning servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses interested in networking with executives, mentors, hiring managers, and resource specialists from top military-friendly companies. Top Military-Friendly Employers: Candidates can network in the Milestones of Flight and Space Race Halls with representatives from the top military-friendly companies from a variety of industries. Exploring Entrepreneurship: Thinking about starting a business, already own one, or exploring franchise opportunities? Join us in the Pioneers of Flight Hall to network with successful veteran business owners and resource specialists and to learn more about ownership, growth, and taking your idea and career to the next level. Questions about this event? Contact Annie Brock (); I ve attended previously and will be there again on the 20 th. INTRODUCING THE MARYLAND MILITARY COALITION When Maryland s military community comes together as one powerful voice, it will accomplish more in the Maryland General Assembly. That s the reason for establishment of the Maryland Military Coalition (MMC), now preparing for its role in MMC will work hard to project a clear, united message to Maryland lawmakers. With about 460,000 military-connected people in the State, the need to speak with one voice is very clear. As of September 1, 2018, 13 Charter military, veteran, and uniformed services organizations have joined the MMC, with one core purpose: to protect, defend, and improve benefits earned in military service to our great nation. (The American Legion is not/will not be a member of the MMC, as there is a national organization stipulation that the AL will not join other organizations. However, it is expected they will support the MMC efforts.) While every association has its own programs and goals, each year the MMC will forge a common agenda with its member groups, and will testify before the Maryland Legislature on critical issues of interest to Maryland veterans and their families. The organization s strength lies in its membership. 100,000+ Maryland veterans are members of MMC groups. These numbers provide not only access to Maryland lawmakers but, more importantly, influence. When the MMC is an active participant in the legislative process, the expectation is that members of the Legislature are more likely to listen and act. At times, not all of the associations will agree on a position. One of the key strengths of the MMC is the ability to come together to discuss the pros and cons of veteran and military benefits and issues, and enable a greater understanding of the implications at hand. The MMC will educate the Maryland Legislature and other elements of State Government about the need to improve the health care, benefits, and quality of life programs of the uniformed services community including family members. The MMC is modeled on the work of The Military Coalition, a national consortium of military and veterans organizations representing the interests of currently serving members including the National Guard and Federal Reserves veterans, survivors, and family members of the seven uniformed services. Registered in the State of Maryland, the MMC will (302)

5 operate as a Social Welfare Organization under IRS Code. Classified as a 501(c)4 tax-exempt entity, it is headquartered in Largo, Maryland. Charter Membership is open to other veterans groups operating in the State of Maryland through 31 December For more information, please contact John P. May at (301) or Harvey T. Kaplan at (301) Charter Member organizations of the Maryland Military Coalition (as of 1 Sep 18) Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) American Military Society (AMS) Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS [U.S. Public Health Service] Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Jewish War Veterans of the USA (JWV) Maryland Air National Guard Retiree s Association Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS) NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association] The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA) Veterans of Foreign Wars Maryland (VFW) NATIONAL NEWS Senate to Consider Defense Spending Appropriations (By: Mike Barron) President Donald Trump signed the FY 2019 John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law Monday, Aug. 13, in a ceremony at Fort Drum, N.Y. Attention regarding defense policy and spending now turns to the completion of the defense appropriations legislation, which will fund the policy directives and authorizations included in the FY 2019 NDAA. The two defense bills directly complement each other in the congressional budget and spending process, as the FY 2019 NDAA must be funded through the appropriations process under a separate appropriations bill. That part of the process is still ongoing. As we saw this year with the earliest signing of the NDAA in decades, the defense appropriations process also is moving forward at a much more rapid pace than normal. Congressional leadership has stated they aim to have the final legislation approved and signed into law by the president before the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year. State of play Members of the House, having finished their defense legislative work, are on August recess until Labor Day. The House defense appropriations legislation H.R. 6157, sponsored by Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), chair of the House Appropriations Committee-Defense (HAC-D), was debated and then (302)

6 passed by the full House Thursday, June 28, by a vote of The House bill approved $674.6 billion in total discretionary defense spending. The Senate, after a short recess, returned to session this past week to continue work on their version of the defense appropriations legislation, sponsored by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Shelby also serves as the chair of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee. The legislation, similar to other Senate appropriations bills this year, has been packaged into a combined minibus $856.9 billion spending package (H.R. 6157), which now includes labor, health and human services, and education and related agencies (S. 3158) as well as defense (S. 3159) - the two largest annual appropriations bills. The defense portion of Senate bill accounts for $674.9 billion. Introducing the legislation on the Senate floor this past week, Shelby stated, The package before the Senate makes essential investments to accelerate the rebuilding of America's military and provides our men and women in uniform with the largest pay increase they have seen in nearly a decade. He also said, The fiscal year 2018 defense appropriations bill enacted earlier this year contained the largest increase in military spending in 15 years. The bill now before the Senate provides an additional $16 billion above the fiscal year 2018 level. This funding sustains U.S. force structure and improves military readiness. What's next This week, the Senate will continue to consider amendments to the appropriations legislation introduced by other members of the Senate. Once this is complete, Senate leadership will bring the bill up for a final vote. Once passed, the Senate bill will be reconciled with the House version of the appropriations legislation in conference, before heading to the president for his signature. Look out for future updates as Congress moves to close out final action on the FY 2019 defense appropriations legislation before the start of the new fiscal year. The August recess is an excellent opportunity for you to engage with your elected representatives, who are back in their home states holding town hall meetings and campaigning for the upcoming 2018 midterm elections. Please thank them for their support of the FY 2019 NDAA and ask them for their continued support for the full funding of the FY 2019 NDAA in the final FY 2019 defense appropriations bill. Please visit MOAA's August recess page, which contains information on the FY 2019 NDAA and other important issues. Six Considerations Before Making a Donation (By: MOAA Staff) When you decide to support a charity purportedly benefitting active duty military, veterans and their families, you want to ensure your gift will actually support that cause. Just because a charity has a legitimate-sounding name or uses pictures of people in uniform, it actually may or may not support the cause it advertises, says Col. Mike Turner, USAF (Ret.), MOAA's vice president of development. Doing research ahead of time will ensure your donation goes where you intend it to. Turner offers these six tips to consider before making a donation to a charity: 1. Check GuideStar, a nonprofit organization that lists financial information reported by charities, and specifically check its rating, a measure of how transparent the organization is with its governance. They provide all the information you need to assess the legitimacy of a nonprofit, Turner says. Make sure you type in the exact name of the organization or you may have to scroll through several (302)

7 similar entries. Also, be careful. Many organizations, like MOAA, have hundreds of independent chapters, so make sure you get the parent organization. The MOAA Scholarship Fund has a Platinum Guidestar rating, and the MOAA foundation has a Gold rating. Help military and veteran families by donating to your favorite MOAA Charity today at 2. Check Charity Navigator, which rates nonprofit organizations. Unlike GuideStar, Charity Navigator rates only nonprofits with annual revenues greater than $1 million. 3. Scan IRS Form 990. Turner checks for the length of the company's existence; how the nonprofit has performed year-over-year; program expenses, management expenses and fundraising expenses; and number of board members. 4. Check the charity's website. Turner says he looks for clearly defined programs and specific activities the nonprofit is engaged in. I've been to nonprofit websites with a very professional look, but which actually reveal a nonprofit with very few programs, he says. This isn't necessarily a showstopper, but again, it's a warning flag causing me to look deeper. 5. Search complaints. One of the easiest ways to do that, Turner says, is to type the name of the charity and the word complaints into Google. He also suggested going to Glassdoor.com for information about the charity's track record. Once again, complaints are not necessarily a problem, Turner says. An organization with four complaints over the past 10 years is probably fine; an organization with four complaints over the past year may not be. 6. Network through LinkedIn. Turner suggests typing the name of the nonprofit in LinkedIn and finding connections with people who are familiar with the nonprofit's work. Then contact them about the organization. You'd be amazed what you can learn from an insider's perspective, Turner says. Get a Glimpse Inside VA s Major Overhaul (By: Rene Campos) Do you remember the VA MISSION Act- the massive, most comprehensive health care reform bill passed out of Congress in over 25 years and signed into law by President Donald Trump on June 6? VA has quietly begun working on implementing these major changes but recognizes it can't do so without veterans' help. VA wants to know what questions veterans have about the VA MISSION Act as VA moves forward in rolling out these huge health system changes. While MOAA and other veteran service organizations (VSO) have started working with VA to implement the legislation, veterans are central to making the transformation smooth and in helping the department meet the very tight deadline mandated by Congress. Passage of the VA MISSION Act signaled Congress' readiness to implement major changes in VA's health care system - seen by some congressional leaders as long overdue reform. One of the most significant changes veterans will see in the next few months is the elimination of the Veterans Choice Program, established in 2014, to provide temporary relief and help VA rebuild internal capacity to reduce long wait times for veterans seeking health care. A new, streamlined community care program will replace Choice and consolidate multiple community care programs currently managed by VA into a single program. A few other major changes veterans can expect to see are: (302)

8 the expansion of VA's comprehensive caregiver support program, opening up the program to eligible pre-9/11 veterans; veterans and their doctors will be able to decide the best option on where the veteran should get their care, whether inside VA or in the community; more telehealth programs; and, walk-in health care services with local community providers. What would normally take three to five years to implement such massive system changes, Congress gave VA one year from the enactment of the MISSION Act to replace the Choice Program and two years to implement the caregiver program expansion. Last week, VA provided MOAA and other VSOs a little peek under the tent as to the rough timelines the department is working under to combine and implement the new community care program and walk-in care services over the next year. Here's generally what we know: Phase 1, June - October Build the operating structure, access and eligibility criteria, new veteran care contract agreements, and new competency standards for community providers; and, draft regulations. Phase 2, November February Complete and test the operating structure and elements initiated in Phase 1; continue rollout of the new community care provider network; begin educating and training VA staff; and, finalized regulations. Phase 3, March - June Transition and begin operation of the new walk-in care and community care program; continue educating VA staff; continue rollout of new community care provider network; begin using new competency standards for community providers; publish regulations; and, end the Choice Program. So here's what MOAA needs from you: We need you to send us your questions about the VA MISSION Act that you want VA to answer and communicate to veterans now and throughout the implementation of the system reforms. To help get you started, here are a couple questions MOAA has already provided to VA we think veterans will want to know: How can veterans expect VA to communicate with them as progress is made in implementing the MISSION Act and how can veterans provide feedback throughout the process? What does walk-in care mean and will I be charged for getting this care outside of my VA medical center? Now, what questions are on your mind? Please send your questions to legis@moaa.org and we will share your questions with VA as well any communication and marketing materials as they become available. (302)

9 CHAPTER LEADERSHIP President LTC Harry Quinn, USA (Ret) Senior Vice President CDR Robert Hanson, USN (Ret) Vice-President for Membership LTC Thomas (Trent) Moxley, USA (Ret) Vice-President for Programs MAJ Cathy Hampton, USA (Ret) Treasurer MAJ Sidney (Bill) Beddow, USA (Ret) Secretary COL Michael Early, USA (Ret) Legislative Affairs COL Daniel Lafontaine, USA (Ret) Newsletter LCDR Lawrence Archer, USN (Ret) Personal Affairs COL Michael Early, USA (Ret) Chaplain Vacant Publicity MAJ Cathy Hampton, USA (Ret) Transition Assistance Annie Brock, CPT (Fmr), USAR Webmaster Annie Brock, CPT (Fmr), USAR Director COL Morton Brisker, USA (Ret) Director COL Richard Gilligan, USA (Ret) Director COL Keitron Todd, USA (Ret) Immediate Past President Annie Brock, CPT (Fmr), USAR ABOUT MOAA The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation s largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization. The MOAA Legislative Action Center provides information regarding MOAA s top national legislative priorities for the year and COLA, as well as perspective on issues in the military community that could affect you and your family. If you are not a member of MOAA, you can join at Membership in MOAA is separate from membership in the Susquehanna Chapter. (302)

10 MEMBERSHIP DUES FORM Please contact Trent Moxley at if you have questions about your dues status. Dues may be paid online at Pay Dues ( or fill out and mail the form below with a check. (302)