Vol. XL No. 4 September/October 2016 WE DID IT AGAIN!! FIVE STAR AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE LTC Arlo Janssen, US Army (Ret.) President, 2015, Kingdom of the Sun Chapter, MOAA The biggest and best news this summer was an email from MOAA HQ in August announcing our KOS selection of a 2015 Level of Excellence Award. We will receive a Five Star Award at the MOAA Annual meeting at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA, on October 24, 2016. My congratulations to Sharon Murry who prepared our final 2015 application for this special Award. Our KOS Chapter won a Four Star Award for our Sunbeams Newsletter in June 2016. This Award was presented by the national President and CEO of MOAA, Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, to Sharon Murry at our 40 th Anniversary Gala Celebration on June 2, 2016, for her work as the editor of our KOS Sunbeams newsletter. Stuff the Bus was our major charity program this summer. We supported the program at four different Walmart locations in July 2016. In August, we supported the Super Tuesday event on August 2, 2016, and the Paddock Mall location on August 6, 2016. John Rose and his group of volunteers did an outstanding job in connection with this Marion County Stuff the Bus program that KOS started in 2002. A large amount of school supplies, clothing, shoes, and backpacks were collected for the homeless children of Marion County. The Stuff the Bus was featured in the Editorial section of the Star Banner on July 13, 2016, and made note of the 15 th anniversary of this program. In July, the Florida Council of Chapters (FCOC) announced a realignment of some chapters in Florida. Our KOS Chapter was changed from the West Central Area to the newly established Mid Central Area. Our new Area Vice President (AVP) is Wayne Brown. Mary Rose and I will attend the MOAA annual Convention in Arlington, VA, on October 24-25, 2016. We have a number of great KOS Chapter events planned for our members this fall, starting with our Welcome Back luncheon on September 1, 2016. Our Five Star KOS Chapter is certainly in Good Hands again this year. I want to thank all those who participated and supported our KOS Chapter functions this year. LTC Arlo Janssen, President, KOS/MOAA Visit our website at: http://www.moaafl.org/chapters/kosmoaa/
SUNBEAMS PAGE 2 September/October 2016 THE DISTAFF SIDE by Mrs. Betty Hayes Kingdom of the Sun Chapter, MOAA PO Box 114, Ocala, Florida 34478-0114 SUNBEAMS is published bimonthly for the information of the members of Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Chapter, an affiliate of The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of either organization. SUNBEAMS is printed by Concord Print Shop of Ocala, Florida. KOS is a nonprofit organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida on 13 April 1976. It is not associated with the Department of Defense. Editor: Lt. Col. Sharon M. Murry (Air Force), 352-347-8760 Photo Editor: Dennis Rose (Air Force), 425-0500 Legislation: LTC Philip Johnson (Army), 854-3403 Publisher: Kingdom of the Sun Chapter of MOAA Chapter Officers: President: LTC Arlo Janssen, (Army) 237-9720 1st V.P.: COL Robert Schlegel (Army), 516-815-2816 2nd V.P.: Lt. Col. Carol C. Walker (Air Force), 237-6546 SECRETARY: Mrs. Betty Hayes, SS, 622-7813 TREASURER: Mrs. Linda Byrd, SS, 509-4317 Directors: LTC Philip Johnson (Army), 854-3403 CDR Thomas W. Dann (USCGR), 245-3571 CPT John Rose (Army), 307-6130 CW03 Ralph Spiller Jr. (Navy), 454-7238 Mrs. Bonnie Morris, SS, 622-8331 COL Robert Morris, Jr. (Army), 352-259-9393 Birthday Representative: Mrs. Marilou Truitt, SS, 732-6046 Distaff Representative: Mrs. Betty Hayes, SS, 622-7813 Immediate Past President Lt. Col. Sharon M. Murry (Air Force), 347-8760 Meetings: The Kingdom of the Sun Chapter (MOAA), meets monthly on the first Thursday of the month. Dates, times and occasions are announced in advance in the SUNBEAMS. Members are encouraged to attend and guests are always welcome. Meetings are usually suspended during the summer months of July and August. The KOS Board currently meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month at 12:30 P.M. at the Ocala Elks Club. Officers and Board Members are required to attend. A BIG THANK YOU to all the KOS members who helped Stuff the Bus! Because of your participation and contributions, a whole lot of homeless kids went to school on the first day with all the school essentials they needed. You are a helpful and giving group. Speaking of groups, there are currently 15 active Surviving Spouses (SvS) in our KOS chapter. The Florida Council of Chapters (FCOC) has asked each Florida Chapter to create a Military Retiree Survivor Assistance Program (MRSAP). Why? Because most of the aging WW ll servicemen and women are in their 80 s plus, and many of those are here in sunny Florida. FCOC has provided our chapter with detailed information on how to form and develop a Military Retiree Survivor Assistance Program. Our Chapter President Arlo Janssen has appointed Chaplain Ralph Spiller and me (I am a Surviving Spouse) as KOS s Assistance Team. We are available to help families/next of kin with any problems that might occur as a result of the death of a retired military member. If we cannot provide what you need, we will find the right military agency that can help you. There are many excellent publications that MOAA can provide. One I found helpful was titled: Help Your Surviving Spouse-NOW. My husband, Dan, had that booklet in a file that he had prepared for me several years before he passed away. It was a blessing to have. There are many more helpful booklets you can receive from MOAA. Even the annual Medicare and Medicaid handbooks continue helpful information. Chaplain Spiller and I will endeavor to provide guidance, assistance and materials when called upon to help the next of kin of a deceased military retiree. Our phone numbers and Email contacts are in the current KOS 2016 Directory. If you do not have a KOS Directory and are a paid member, contact me and I will happily send you one. IN MEMORIAM CAPT David Dave O. Jr. Olson, USN, died on July 21, 2016. MEMORY JOGGER: Ghosts, goblins, witches and black cats! Things that go BUMP in the dark! Get your Halloween costume for our Halloween dinner dance on October 6th.
SUNBEAMS PAGE 3 September/October 2016 STUFF THE BUS Greeter Martha Cieplinski with flyers STUMPKNOCKERS Restaurant Featuring Our Famous ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Catfish Casual Dining on the Scenic Withlacoochee Kudos to John Rose and his hard working group of KOS volunteers who supported the Stuff the Bus program this summer. Stuff the Bus is the largest school supply effort for homeless children in Marion County. Four different Walmart locations were visited by the Yellow School Bus crew in July. He was there supporting Super Tuesday and the Paddock Mall visit in August. John has been the KOS Chairperson for Stuff the Bus for a number of years which KOS started back in 2002. Thank you John Rose and all of your super helpers for all the hard work on this important program. Fresh Grouper, Snapper, Shrimp, Scallops, Oysters, Crab Legs, Frog Legs, New York Strip, Ribeye, Grilled Chicken Breast Full Liquor Bar Highway 200, at the Withlacoochee River in Dunnellon Phone 854-2288 MEMORY JOGGER: The 2016 Veterans Snowflake Ball is set for Thursday, December 15, 2016. Mark your calendar for this annual event.
SUNBEAMS PAGE 4 September/October 2016 KOS DIRECTORY CHANGE Please make these changes in your 2016 Directory. A new Directory will not be published until 2018 because of the cost and the constant changes needed. DECEASED: Kilmark, Robert COL USAF Olsen, David CAPT USN CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Kelly, Edward Lt Col. USAF 7845 Midway DR. Terrace, Unit C-102 Ocala FL 34472 Email: ejk5embarqmail.com (phone number no change) Henderson, C Brooks COL USAA (MC) 2660-SW 53rd Lane #1737 Gainesville, FL 32608 Email:brkshyndrsn@aol.com (phone number no change) Smith, Tilford COL Aus USA Address remains the same phone # 1-352-383-1817 Morris, Robert COL USA(CH) Email: chrmorris82@ gmail.com NEW MEMBERS: Evans, Robert (Barbara) MOAA# 000245142 COL USA 8986-SW 97th St. Ocala, FL 508-280-3111 Email: lafleurbarbara@yahoo.com NEW AFFILIATE MEMBER: Guinn, Kent (Sandi) Mayor of Ocala 2335 SE 5th St Ocala, FL 24471 #572-0312 Email: guinnshields@ att.net KOS ANNUAL MEETING IS NOV 3, 2016 This constitutes the notice of the KOS/MOAA Annual Meeting on November 3, 2016. CDR James Chandler, the Nominating Committee chairperson, will present the slate of officers for 2017 at the annual meeting. The final slate of Officers and Directors will be published on the KOS WEB Site in October and in the Nov/Dec edition of the KOS Newsletter.
SUNBEAMS PAGE 5 September/October 2016 SEE AND BE SEEN By Dennis Rose STUFF THE BUS. JULY-AUGUST 2016 a MONTH BY MONTH PHOTO HISTORY OF KOS-MOAA. are YOU IN IT? Left photojohn Rose, Shelly Palmatier Ida Washington Right photo Francine Jefferies, Suzanne McGuire, Joyce Byrd Below photo Carol Walker Above - Francine Jeffers, John Rose, Joyce Byrd Below - Suzanne McGuire, Virginia Higgenbotham, John Rose Above - Kay Chandler Below- Peggy Sayat
SUNBEAMS PAGE 6 September/October 2016 LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS (Excerpts from MOAA s email updates, Copyright Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) or from other sources as cited. See more at http://www.moaa.org/content/take-action/top-issues ). RETIRED PAY RESTORATION ACT Recently, Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Vice-Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and winner of the 2015 EANGUS G.V. Sonny Montgomery Eagle Award, introduced H.R. 303 in the House of Representatives and Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced S. 271 the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2015 in the Senate. If signed into law, these legislative initiatives would allow Veterans to receive both military retired pay and VA disability compensation. The Retired Pay Restoration Act: Expresses that military retired pay should not be reduced because a military retiree is also eligible for veterans disability compensation awarded for a service-connected disability. Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability. Repeals provisions phasing in the full concurrent receipt of such pay through December 31, 2013. Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability. The Retired Pay Restoration Act ensures that all Veterans who receive retirement payments as a result of their military service can also receive disability payments from the Veterans Administration. Currently, some military retirees have their disability pay deducted from their retirement pay; these are two completely different benefits. They should not count against one another. It isn t right to deny Veterans the financial compensation they have earned and deserve, Bilirakis said. Email: Service@concordprintocala.com 600 S. Magnolia Avenue Ocala, Florida 34471 (352) 629-0736 Fax: (352) 732-0311
SUNBEAMS PAGE 7 September/October 2016 Radical proposal would change the way retired pay is divided in divorce cases Former spouses might get a smaller share of a military member s monthly retirement pay if Congress passes legislation that some are describing as a radical rewrite of the law regarding the division of marital assets when military couples divorce. It would require state courts to award payments to exspouses of service members based on the rank and years of service at the time of divorce not the rank and years of service at the time of retirement, as is currently the case. In some cases, it will mean the spouse will get a smaller share of the service member s monthly retirement. We re trying to protect warriors out there fighting for our country. We see a lot of marriages failing, unfortunately, and we want to make sure warriors have benefits at the end of the trail, said Rep. Steve Russell, R-Okla., who introduced the legislation in the House to amend the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act. MILITARY TIMES Pay, housing, healthcare, retirement: Congress faces thorny military decisions He gave the example of a constituent in Oklahoma who SEPTEMBER Ocala Elks Club 702 NE 25th Avenue, Ocala 1 - Welcome Back Luncheon Cost: $14 12 Noon, Cocktails (cash bar) 12:30 P.M., Lunch Menu: Tossed salad, pot roast, boiled potatoes, carrots, dessert, coffee, tea, rolls, and butter Speaker: Ted Warner, a veteran blinded in Vietnam Reservations by August 29 13 - Board of Directors 12:30 P.M., Everyone is welcome Karen Jowers, Military Times 4:56 p.m. EDT August 9, 2016 Schedule of Events OCTOBER Ocala Elks Club 702 NE 25th Avenue, Ocala 6 - Dinner Dance with Retro Express; Halloween Costumes Encouraged Cost: $16 Menu: Tossed salad, turkey and dressing, candied yams, peas and carrots, and chef s choice of dessert Reservations by October 3 11 - Board of Directors 12:30 P.M., Everyone is welcome served for 35 years in the Air Force, and was divorced from his first wife after two years of marriage, in the first years of his career. The former spouse was able to receive half of his retirement pay based on those two years of marriage. Given that the service member s current wife had been married to him for more than 30 years, it s just not equitable that the former wife would receive that much of the service member s retirement pay, Russell said. Russell, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, said his proposal has nothing to do with him personally, noting he has been happily married to his wife for 35 years, and they moved 15 times during his 21-year career. He tried to address the problem when he was a state senator in Oklahoma, he said, but was unable to because of conflicts with the federal law. But state legislation adopted encouraged state judges to consider the service member s rank and time of service in their decisions. He said the response to the proposal has been absolutely overwhelmingly positive, although people have complained that the proposal would not be retroactive. NOVEMBER Ocala Elks Club 702 NE 25th Avenue, Ocala 3 - Annual Meeting and Memorial Service Cost: $16 6:00 P.M., Cocktails (cash bar) 6:30 P.M., Dinner Reservations by October 31 08 - Board of Directors 12:30 P.M., Everyone is welcome 14 - Officer s Call 5:00-7:00 P.M., Informal outreach to potential KOS Chapter Members Tables will be available for single members at all KOS events. Reservations: Lt Col Carol Walker at (352) 237-6546 or by email to Kapuahi77@aol.com