A NEWSLETTER FOR THE CENTRAL OHIO CHAPTER, MOAA An Affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America

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1 A NEWSLETTER FOR THE CENTRAL OHIO CHAPTER, MOAA An Affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America Vol. 60, No. 2 February 2013 President - Peter Wilkinson, Col, USAF (Ret) Editor George Williams, CAPT, USN (Ret) Secretary- Nancy Rey, LCDR, UNN (Ret) Get updates and more - visit your chapter on the web at NOTE: To change postal or address - call LCDR Nancy Rey at or to moaacentralohio@gmail.com Monthly Luncheon Meeting February 8, 2013 Berwick Party House 3250 Refugee Rd. Gathering 1130 AM; Lunch served at Noon. On to 2013 where there is much to be done. I suggest we focus our efforts as follows: Continue to Mission UP: Taking Care of the Troops Increase Membership and Membership participation to: Increase influence on Washington and Ohio Military Issues; and Increase Support to Central Ohio Troops Solidify Going Electronic Develop/Implement a Public Affairs/Marketing Program Develop/Implement a Community Blueprint Pete Wilkinson Colonel USAF (Retired) President, MOAA Central Ohio Chapter petewilkinson@columbus.rr.com FROM TOM MOE,DIRECTOR OHIO DEPT OF VETERANS SERVICES Dear Fellow Veterans, SPEAKER -Member Paul Gibson, LTC AUS "My time at Dachau Concentration Camp" Paul spent the year 1946 in Dachau, Germany with the US Army 1st Infantry Division. Send Luncheon Reservations to: COL Tom Farrell, USA (Ret.) 1575 Northcrest Ave Columbus, OH by Monday February 4, PRESIDENT'S CORNER We had an excellent business meeting at the January 11, 2013 luncheon. Officers were elected as indicated in an accompanying RECALL item, and Secretary and Treasurer reports were provided. As I mentioned in last month s RECALL, 2012 was a good year. More on the State accomplishments in 2012 are shown in the accompanying letter from Col Tom Moe, Director. Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs. The year 2012 is now behind us, but as we all set ourselves to the many tasks which lay ahead of us in this New Year, it s important to take a look back and consider all that we ve accomplished for Ohio s veterans over the past 12 months. Passing New Legislation to Benefit Veterans: Thanks to the cooperation of the General Assembly and the support of Governor Kasich, Ohio veterans benefited from a number of legislative victories. Eight major bills became law with the Governor s signature: House Bill (HB) 490, whose many provisions included permission for county veteran service officers to directly access DD 214 s from county recorders; added a member of the National Guard Association to our department s Veterans Advisory Council; and made spouses and children of deceased service members from anywhere in the nation eligible for in-state tuition at Ohio s public colleges and universities. HB 459, made Ohio the first Purple Heart State in the Nation. HB 337, waived the skills test portion of a commercial driver s license for veterans who already possess those skills from military training.

2 HB 284, permitted a physician assistant degree from an accredited institution and three years of military physician assistant experience to count toward state licensing. HB 280 and HB 555, created more Ohio War Orphans scholarships by opening it to children of deceased veterans who received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. HB 197, strengthened Veterans Courts by requiring judges to consider military service during sentencing. Senate Bill (SB) 134, gave Vietnam veterans their long-delayed recognition by setting aside March 30 of each year as Vietnam Veterans Day. An official commemoration is being planned now for this year. SB 222, required the POW/MIA flag to be displayed at rest areas along the Ohio Turnpike and interstate highways. Other bills signed this year named roads across Ohio for service members who have fallen in the line of duty and specified that Ohioans killed in combat since September 10, 2001, and their next-of-kin, will be awarded the Ohio Military Medal of Distinction. Getting Veterans Employed: The implementation of Battlefront to Homefront, an initiative of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, the Ohio Adjutant General, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, helped more veterans get jobs. Battlefront to Homefront connects returning Ohio National Guard members to employment counseling and referrals, with follow-ups throughout the new veteran s reintegration process. In addition, Ohio is continuing multi-agency efforts aimed at employing all eligible veterans a process that s placed over 2,400 veterans in jobs in the past 12 months. Connecting More Veterans to Benefits: Statewide marketing and outreach efforts contributed to new VA spending in Ohio of $480 million. This spending was driven by the VA s ranking of Ohio as 8 th best in the nation in 2011 in connecting aged and low-income veterans to VA pensions, and the doubling of our rate of increase in connection to VA compensation. These two programs brought $1.7 billion in direct payments to our veterans. Preserving a Memorial: Our Ohio Veterans Home Sandusky was awarded a $798,987 grant by the VA to clean and improve the headstones and grounds of its cemetery. These grounds are the final resting place of the Home s earliest residents, the veterans of the Civil War, up to the residents of today. The Ohio Veterans Home Cemetery will thus be preserved as an appropriate memorial for the veterans of today and the future. None of these accomplishments were possible without the dedication, cooperation and tireless work of everyone in our Ohio veterans community, from our department through every county veterans service office and all of the veterans service organizations. We continue to face challenges in 2013 improving our ability to connect veterans to jobs and benefits, planning and executing our Vietnam Veterans Day commemoration, as well as continually looking at ways to improve services to those who ve earned and deserve them the most. But with your help, I m confident that we ll have many more great accomplishments to reflect on next year. Sincerely, Thomas N. Moe Director Ohio Department of Veterans Services ADOPT A SERVICE MEMBER SFC Eric Hammond and Capt Michaiah McCollum received January packages from us. SFC Hammond sent me the following . I am ing you to thank you for the care package you sent me. I have shared it with several of my fellow soldiers. We all truly appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness. It is heartwarming to have so many supporters. I appreciate the offer of future packages, but that won t be necessary as we will be leaving soon. Please accept this as a small token of our gratitude. "Warrior Ethos I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never leave a fallen comrade. Capt McCollum s name was supplied by Nancy Rey. The two February packages are going out to an MP unit from Bluefield WV. While we were traveling, I met a woman whose husband had just returned from Afghanistan. She promised to contact me if she heard of local soldiers who had been deployed. I just received an from her. PFC Wolfe and PFC Wright are both part of the 304 th MP CO Army Reserve guarding an Afghan prison until July. Keep asking; you never know when or where the names will come from. Any questions or suggestions, please contact me at: Dorothy Williams, or zemzem1@aol.com.

3 CHAPTER RECRUITING In 2013, MOAA is encouraging us to focus on Chapter recruiting. While we did well in Chapter membership recruiting last year, we must continue the momentum to keep our Chapter healthy and strong. For more information and assistance, please go to our website ( lohio.org/forms_publications.html) and download the membership application form or contact me. Joe Machado Home: or Cell: bonus travel rewards and a waiver of initiation fees at the prestigious Army and Navy Club of Washington, D.C. NOTE: If you are not already a MOAA National LIFE member, please consider becoming one by calling MOAA's Member Service Center at (800) and reference "LIFE2013" for a 10-percent discount. For a complete description and a side-by-side comparison of each of the membership levels, visit the MOAA website ( For more information, please contact me. Joe Machado MOAA NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP LEVELS Effective 1 January 2013, MOAA has three levels of national membership BASIC, PREMIUM and LIFE. More information about these membership levels can be obtained from the MOAA website ( These levels are outlined below. BASIC MEMBERSHIP is MOAA s new nofee electronic membership category. BASIC membership provides a new member the opportunity to experience what MOAA is all about, stay current with MOAA National electronic newsletters (e-newsletters), and participate in grassroots activism efforts to protect our earned entitlements. A BASIC member will receive the Military Officer magazine via MOAA s mobile app; have the opportunity to attend MOAA career fairs, networking events, and classes; and take advantage of valuable discounts on products and services. PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP provides full access to all services and benefits MOAA National offers, including the full spectrum of career resources (i.e., one-on-one career counseling, résumé reviews, and interviewing advice and critiques); discounts on products and travel; and access to all MOAA publications and news updates. In addition to all the benefits of BASIC membership, a PREMIUM member can consult with MOAA s staff of experts for financial and investment advice, college scholarships for dependents, and much more. LIFE MEMBERSHIP continues to be the elite level of membership for military officers and their spouses. As a LIFE Member of MOAA National, you will help make MOAA a stronger advocate for America s military officers, but you will also make a lifetime investment for yourself and your loved ones. In addition to all the benefits of PREMIUM membership, a LIFE member will receive exclusive privileges and benefits, such as EXTRAS Thanks to: Rick Isbell, Dorothy Williams, & Joe Machado for alerting us to Special Events for Veterans, or in the case of Honor Flight, for an event honoring veterans. THE RESERVATION SLIP FOLLOWS THEN, THE 3 FLYERS WHICH PROVIDE ALL THE DETAILS ON EVENTS. Stay involved... Spread the Word... and Pick an event & let 'em know that... MOAA is here!!

4 CENTRAL OHIO CHAPTER, MOAA I plan to attend the luncheon meeting scheduled for Friday, February 8, 2013 at the Berwick Party House, 3250 Refugee Rd, Columbus, Ohio. Social at 11:30 AM. Lunch served at NOON. Enclosed is my check, payable to COC/MOAA, in the amount of $ for meals at $12.00 each. NOTE: If you have special dietary needs, please specify those needs in "needs" space* Members and Guests who will attend are: Please Enter Code for Branch of Service (BOS) Army (A) Navy (N) Air Force (AF) Marines (M) Coast Guard (CG) Auxiliary (X) Rank BOS Note special diet needs Name(s) * * This reservation form should reach COL Thomas S. Farrell, 1575 Northcrest Ave Columbus, OH , no later than Monday, February 4, 2013.

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6 Military Education Veterans Foundation MILVETS ( Columbus Ohio MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 15, 2013 For Further Information Contact: Al Burzynski, APR Media Relations (614) Free event for members of the military and those who support them What: Operation Let s Roll ( free military submission grappling tournament open to the military, veterans, Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) civilian employees and the family members of the aforementioned groups. When: March 1, 2013 Time: 3 p.m. 6 p.m. Location: Convention Center, Exhibit Hall C (Columbus, Ohio) The tournament will be run under Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) rules. The ADCC competition is considered by many as the Olympics of Submission Grappling and referred to as the purest form of Mixed Martial Arts where strikes are prohibited and action takes place on the mat. Athletes with experience in the following: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Military Combatives, Sambo, Wrestling (Greco Roman/Freestyle and Catch-is-Catch-Can), Jiu Jitsu, Pankration and Judo meet the criterion to compete in the mixed tournament. Master Carlson Gracie Jr. whose father was one of founding pioneers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will be on hand to take part in this special event as part of the 25 th Anniversary of the Arnold Sports Festival. Check out the new and improved which was recently completely overhauled for the latest happenings in the armed forces veteran community. For more information contact Al Burzynski, APR, at or via at alski1@sprint.blackberry.net

7 Westerville For Honor Flight proudly presents the fourth-annual Jukebox Revue Tickets: $10 WWII & Korean Vets are our guests Sunday, February 17, p.m. Westerville North High School 950 County Line Rd., westerville Featuring singing, dancing, comedy and more! In the spirit of the Ed Sullivan show, don t miss this special variety production featuring Westerville-area talent! All proceeds benefit Honor Flight Columbus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the honor and celebration of our nation s WWII and Korean veterans by flying them to Washington D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. The veterans are provided this experience at no cost as a token of our gratitude and respect. Time is of the essence in this effort, as our nation loses World War II veterans at a rate of approximately 1,000 per day. All Proceeds Benefit Honor Flight Columbus With your help, Westerville For Honor Flight will again sponsor a flight in 2013, the fifth Honor Flight made possible by the community. Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of performances, laughs and entertainment, all to benefit those who have served.