As always, I end with a word or two about membership. If you have not renewed your membership, please

Transcription

1 A quarterly publication exclusively for members of the 1600 Communications Association Spring, 2009 (April) President s Message Spring is here and I hope we have seen the last of the cool weather! Summer is just around the corner and I m certain that I will wish for the return of these cooler days in July. Oh well, sometimes there is no pleasing. On Friday May 1st, the WHCA change of command ceremony will be held at the McNally Building where COL James Lien, USA, will hand over command of the WHCA to COL Michael Black, USAF. COL Lien is retiring from the US Army and we wish him the best in his retirement. I would like to especially thank him for his support of the Association during the last three years. The May 31st deadline is fast approaching for submitting educational scholarship applications to the Association for consideration. If you are a member in good standing, I encourage you to check the Association web site for eligibility requirements and guidelines and, if you qualify, submit an application. Scholarships can be awarded to any Association member in good standing, as well as the family of members in good standing, and must be received before the May 31st deadline. Last year we provided $11, in scholarships to family members. Applications must be submitted timely and accurately to be considered. A more detailed article is included in this newsletter (page 6). If you do not know if you qualify, please contact any board member. It s time to take the golf clubs out of the closet and start preparing for the annual Association Golf Outing at Andrews AFB, on June 19th. Bob Ohm, golf chairman, and his committee have been hard at work planning for this event, with the anticipation that it will be as successful and well-attended as prior years events. The flyer with entry form is included with this newsletter. Deadline for all entries is June 8th. The WHCA Open House and Shrimp Feast will be held on June 20th at WHCA HQ, McNally Building on Anacostia. Flyers for the shrimp feast will be mailed at a later date. As always, I end with a word or two about membership. If you have not renewed your membership, please do so soon or you will be dropped from the membership roster. The membership year runs January through December, at a cost of $20.00 per year. Lifetime memberships are available and the rate is based on age. I am looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Have a beautiful Spring! Helen Pennington IN THIS ISSUE... Upcoming Events Customized Apparel Sale! Contact Information Incoming WHCA Commander Call for Volunteers 2009 Golf Outing News You Can Use Treasurer s Report Membership Information WHCA CCST Reunion Invitation Scholarship Program/Deadlines Memorable Moments Page 1 Spring, 2009

2 Upcoming Events/ Reminders SOBs (Same Old Buddies) lunch, held the first Tuesday of each month at the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, VA. The next scheduled lunch should be held on Tuesday, May 5th. Educational Scholarship Submission Deadline May 31, 2009 for requests to be received by the Association in order for applications to be considered. Please visit the web site for eligibility requirements and information. Golf Outing June 19, 2009 at Andrews Air Force Base shotgun start on the South Course (see enclosed flyer for details or visit WHCA Open House and Shrimp Feast June 20, 2009 at the WHCA Headquarters, McNally Building, Anacostia NAS. Details to follow in the coming weeks. Camp David Chapter Picnic September 5, 2009 at the home of Warren and Carol Suker. Holiday Dinner Dance December 5, 2009 at Spates Community Club, Fort Myer, VA Communications Association Customized Apparel Items 30% OFF! You can now purchase customized Association merchandise caps, polo shirts, jackets, etc. at a DEEP DISCOUNT! We are having a SALE on selected items - each item is available with the Association logo, and can be further personalized with your own unique lettering. The flyer is included in this newsletter, and available for download from our web site: Communications Association PSB Stickers We still have a few of these coveted PSB stickers for sale. If you would like to purchase one or more, send your request with payment by check payable to 1600 Communications Association ($5 per sticker) and mail to Helen Pennington, 6964 Klett Drive, Fort Belvoir, VA These four-color stickers measure approximately 3 ½ inches in diameter. As a reminder, these decals/stickers are for use by PSB recipients only. Association Contact Information President Helen Pennington h: helenp@1600commassoc.org Vice President Floyd Hepler h: floydh@1600commassoc.org Secretary Laura Hill laurah@1600commassoc.org Treasurer Glenn Arnett h: glenna@1600commassoc.org Director-at-Large Gordon Aitken h: gordona@1600commassoc.org Director-at-Large Steve Young stevey@1600commassoc.org Historian VACANT Parliamentarian Sam Watkins samw@1600commassoc.org Page 2 Spring, 2009

3 Welcome Incoming WHCA Commander Colonel Michael B. Black is the Deputy Commander, White House Communications Agency (WHCA). He 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, he was a student at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, DC. Colonel Black earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy, graduating with Military Distinction in He has served in various communications positions at the squadron, group, MAJCOM, Combatant Command, and Air Staff levels. Additionally, he deployed and served as the Deputy Director, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (J6), Joint Task Force Southwest-Asia. He is married to the former Ms. Wilda Stewart of North Little Rock, Arkansas. They have three children, Jordan, Clinton, and Hannah. COLONEL MICHAEL B. BLACK We wish to offer Colonel James Lien our tremendous gratitude for his support and encouragement of active duty WHCA personnel to join the 1600 Communications Association. VOLUNTEERS!!! Volunteers we still need them! This is a repeat from many prior newsletters because we still need your help. Your Association runs on the fuel of the willingness of individual members to give a little time to help support our various activities. This is an excellent time to step forward. With the annual Association Golf Tournament and Shrimp Feast just around the corner, we would like to see some new volunteers. We are not asking for huge commitments of time jobs such as assisting with golf tournament registration and food set-up for the Shrimp Feast require very little time but help the Association tremendously. Please contact any Board member if you can help. Page 3 Spring, 2009

4 2009 Golf Outing Submitted by Bob Ohm, Golf Outing Chairman Mark your calendars! The Communications Association Golf Outing will be held at 1400, Friday, June 19, 2009, West Course at Andrews Air Force Base. In addition to getting all of us to together to share the thrills of semi-competitive golf, and the fellowship that follows, the tournament is our major fundraising activity for the year. It provides the majority of the income for the Scholarship Fund, and is also used to provide assistance to wounded troops at Walter Reed and NNMC Bethesda in a variety of ways, including phone cards and entertainment. We think these to be a most worthy set of causes. As always, there will be team and individual prizes, and a Mulligan raffle with lots of goodies from our many sponsors. There is also a meal provided after the round. Entry fees will remain unchanged from prior years: $50 for persons holding Active-duty military ID cards, $60 for persons holding retired military ID cards, and $70 for all others. The field is limited to 144 entries, so get your team(s) together and get those entry forms in soon, as the tournament fills up very quickly, and we ve been oversubscribed the last several years. The Tournament Entry Form is included in this newsletter. This year, we will have two types of sponsorships - Corporate and Individual: - Corporate sponsorships are available for each golf hole for $500, the Hole-In-One contest for $700, the Putting Contest for $500, Golf Carts for $1800, and Meal Sponsor for $ In addition, we are offering for the first time Individual Sponsorship, where individuals may contribute a minimum of $100, and receive recognition on appropriate signage. - Please note that sponsors need not be players. - Helen Pennington is primary contact for sponsors. See Board listing, page 2 for contact information. Come out and have a great time with us at Andrews! News You Can Use: Download Your DD-214 Online The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following web site for veterans to gain access to their DD-214 s online: or at room/vetrecs/ This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of their DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and internet access to obtain copies of official documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased military members may now use a new online military members personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must complete and submit Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the web site. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service for these requests by eliminating the records centers mailroom and processing time. Please share this information with former military personnel and dependents you may know. Page 4 Spring, 2009

5 Treasurer s Report April, 2009 Submitted by Glenn Arnett Bank Account Balances as of April 8, 2009 Checking $5, CD1 $2, CD2 $5, CD3 $3, Scholarship Working Account $5, Scholarship CD $10, Membership Renewal Thus far in 2009 we have processed 97 membership renewal and new member actions. To save postage, we do not mail a special dues invoice. We continue to remind members via the newsletters that the dues year is January to December, with payment to be remitted in January ($20 annually). Below is a form to complete and send with your payment. Also, please include any address or contact information changes. Welcome New Members: Gregory S. Ham, Kenneth W. Hankins, Mack A. Coleman, Jr., Norman A. Hill, Chad A. Martinez, Michael J. Robertson, Scott A. Schneider, George F. Schooler and Jerome White. Number of Members As of this report the Association has 540 active members. There are approximately 83 prior members who are no longer active on the roster. The roster will be purged of inactive (unpaid) former members on April 30, 2009 and the web site s members only access information will be revised at that time. If you know former members or someone who is eligible for membership, let them know we would be happy to see them on the active roster. Membership Roster Update If you have not already done so, please send us your updated membership roster information so we can maintain accurate records. If you have any questions or wish to confirm that your information is correct in our records, please contact: glenna@1600commassoc.org or laurah@1600commassoc.org, or any Board member. Roster information format is: Name, Address, Spouse, Home telephone, , and WHASA/WHCA service dates (from and to) 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 Spring, 2009

6 WHCA / CCST REUNION July 4, 2009 NAS Ft Worth JRB Carswell Field Pavilion #1, hrs. Fireworks display at dusk Come join other former WHCA CCST members, WHCA, friends and their families on July 4th for a great time at the lake. Bring appropriate sports equipment if you want to play softball, volleyball, horseshoes, etc. Please pass the word to others, or send their information to Ken Hankins (contact info below). A potluck would be the easiest - a large grill will be available and we can plan on eating between 1300 and 1400 hrs. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact Mr. Hankins. Please RSVP via to khanky@hotmail.com if you can make it to the picnic and advise if you need a pass to get onto the base. If a pass is required, please provide your full name and full names for each of your guests that are of driving age. With this information, your auto registration and insurance will be checked at the gate and then you will be given access. Contact Ken Hankins at , or khanky@hotmail.com The Scholarship Program Submitted by Gordon Aitken, Scholarship Committee Chairman Scholarships it s that time of year again. The 1600 Communications Association Scholarship program dates back almost as long as the Association has been in existence and, again this year, we are seeking applications from those members and eligible family members who are pursuing higher education and are in need of financial assistance. Over the years the Association has given out thousands of dollars to eligible individuals and this year will be no exception. Last year alone we distributed $11,000 in scholarships. All qualified individuals who want to apply should carefully review the information on the program contained in the Association s Bylaws. The information is available on the Association web site -- under the Members section. Please pay particular attention to the sections on Applicant Eligibility and Selection Criteria. Only those individuals meeting criteria in these two sections will be considered. The application for selection is available on the web site in a downloadable MS-Word format. Please note the application must be completed in its entirety and must be type written no incomplete or handwritten applications will be accepted. Additionally, all applicants must provide information on where and to whom the scholarship awards should to be sent. This is usually to the university s bursar s office. Applicants should verify the correct office and provide a name, telephone number and mailing address as well as information on how the check should be written to ensure it is posted against their own university account. This information should be included in a cover letter accompanying the application. Please note that scholarship awards will not be sent directly to the recipient; they will only be sent to the academic institution. All applications must be mailed to Association s post office box the address is included in the instructions on the web site at and must be postmarked no later than May 31, Late applications will not be considered. Good luck and get busy preparing your applications. *****Don t forget the deadline for applications is May 31st **** Page 6 Spring, 2009

7 Memorable Moments in WHASA/WHCA We are still in search of your most favorite WHASA/WHCA story that you can share with the 1600 Membership. If you have a favorite that you would like to see printed, please send it to Helen Pennington. Of course the memorable moment should be in good taste and something that does not put the Agency in a bad light in any way. The following memorable moment was sent in by Dennis Ekardt. The Case of the Lost Truck A while ago I relayed a story about a Presidential trip to Hartford with a possible last minute Air Force One arrival at Springfield MA. The following is a prequel and what happened on our trip to Hartford. In 1967 the World s Fair in Montreal (EXPO 67) had just opened and there were rumors of the President going there to dedicate the opening of the U.S. pavilion. Shortly thereafter we were notified to get ready for an in-and-out trip. We all assumed it was to Montreal. We spent the day getting the equipment ready and were then told we were going to Hartford, CT.; we were going to drive up. This wasn t exactly EXPO 67 but duty called. We packed up a large Avis rental truck with the equipment and took two cars - a sedan with a driver for the trip officers and a station wagon for the troops. The truck had a driver and one of our crypto technicians, armed, to guard the crypto gear. We departed Washington in a convoy and were in communications with each other with portable two-way radios. The three vehicles got up to the New Jersey turnpike about 7 PM. We were near the Camden exit when the rental truck started to have problems and had to pull over. We all stopped and the trip officer, I think it was Colonel Gilmore, advised me, as senior radio man, to take care of this while he and the officers continued on to Hartford. His parting words to me were, don t lose the truck. We left the truck on the shoulder, with the driver and the guard, and took the next exit and went to a gas station to call Avis in Philadelphia to get another truck. About an hour later, while we were waiting for a new truck, I see our original truck, being towed by a large state tow truck pass the gas station heading God knows where. In the cab of the truck sat our driver and our guard like two dashboard ornaments. My driver and I jumped in our station wagon and gave chase; the rest of the crew was in a diner drinking beer. We finally stopped the tow truck and found out that the New Jersey state police had requested the truck to be towed. I convinced the tow truck driver to take our broken down truck back to the gas station to wait for a new truck. While we were waiting for the new truck I was talking to the two Jersey boys who worked there. One of them asked where we were headed. I told him Hartford. He said Hartford? Is that in Jersey? Aw, those Jersey boys. The new truck finally arrived and we moved the equipment and started up the road to Connecticut. We got to the NYC area about 3AM, across the George Washington Bridge and were heading for Hartford. When we got to Connecticut we took a parkway toward Hartford and didn t notice a sign that said NO TRUCKS. The truck driver noticed and didn t follow us. He called us on the radio and advised us that he was taking another route and would call us when he got to Hartford. We arrived Hartford at about sunrise. I found a pay phone and called back to the White House switchboard to find out where the trip officers had spent the night. They gave us a motel phone number. I called the trip officer and advised him we were in town. He gave us directions to the motel and asked if the truck was okay. I didn t know where the truck was but didn t tell him that yet. I told him the truck was on its way. We d been trying to call the truck on the radio all morning and had gotten no response. As we were driving to the motel the trip officer called us on the radio and told us that they were heading for a pancake house up the road from the motel and to meet them there. They gave us street by street directions to get to the pancake house. As we were driving there I was wondering what I was going to tell the Colonel about the lost truck. When we got there and were waiting to make a left turn into the parking lot coming down the road, from the opposite direction, there was our truck. They turned into the parking lot in front of us. We turned in and I jumped out of the car and ran to the truck and asked them where they had been. The driver informed me that the transmitter on their radio wasn t working and they could hear our transmissions but could not answer. When they heard us talking to the Colonel they just followed the directions in reverse order and there they were. We all walked in to the restaurant and the Colonel got up from his breakfast and shook my hand and told me what a good job I did. Whew! I thanked him and let it go at that. Page 7 Spring, 2009