Never Stop Serving Join us at

Never Stop Serving Join us at www.starspan.org Welcome to the Star Spangled Banner Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. We are the oldest, continuously operating MOAA chapter in Maryland. Founded in 1964, we provide camaraderie with purpose and align with MOAA's national mission: a strong national defense, taking care of our country s veterans, and protecting the benefits of all who have served and currently serve. Our chapter membership is open to all seven services and supports ROTCs/JROTCs, numerous heartfelt charities and state tax exemption for retired uniformed services members and SBP recipients! AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER Contents: paws4vets Fund Raiser and Reservations page 2; June 6 Event - The Role of the Military in U.S. Foreign Policy; Recruiting; ROTC/JROTC; Legislation Update; Member, Spouse and Surviving Spouse Information; Nominations 2018; Future Events. Fundraiser September 22, 2018 4:30-8:30 P.M. Sparrows Point Country Club East/West Terrace Room 919 Wise Ave., Baltimore, MD 21222 Dogs & Speakers Reservations, see Page 2, due Aug 12 Randy Powers and MORGAN Member BG (Dr.) Stan Minken, USAF (Ret.) Delightful Buffet- Cash Bar- Casual Dress Auction Raffles Door Prizes Live Band Three4All (soft rock trio) 1

paws4vets First Annual Dinner & Fundraiser Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 4:30pm Sparrows Point Country Club - East/West Terrace Room 919 Wise Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21222 This Chapter was founded in 1964 by military members to take care of the military! Now we have the opportunity and distinct honor to help Veterans in serious need by supporting paws4vets. This organization trains assistance dogs and places them with veterans suffering from combat injuries such as PTS or even attempted suicide. These dogs have a proven history of saving lives! This is our only fund-raising event for the year. Please attend this worthy and fun event splendidly organized by Chairperson Col. Rita Kurek. Volunteer to help and sell or buy the raffle tickets as you are able! --Tom Seybold, Col., USA (Ret), President Unlike normal dinners, you will need a ticket for this event due to the door prizes and sales to non-members. We have only 100 tickets to the event so please reserve your tickets by August 12, 2018 at which time we will open sales to the public if needed. Don t get left out! This event is open to members, family & friends - the more the merrier for our wonderful raffles, prizes & fundraising efforts! Please indicate below if you wish to have your tickets mailed or pick them up at will call at the event. The paws4vets Directors and veterans with dogs will be present. BG (Dr.) Stan Minken USAF (Ret.), 40 years experience, tell us about veteran health issues! You were mailed ten $10 donation raffle tickets for great vacation stays, gift baskets & a gift card. This raffle is one part of our fundraising effort and we would respectfully ask that each member sell or buy the tickets whose proceeds will go directly to the foundation. I have extra tickets if you can sell more!! Please let me know. If you have not already, return the ticket stubs and money with your event ticket reservation by August 12. Even if you cannot attend the event, we hope you can assist us in helping our fellow service members with raffle sales! Let s have a fantastic first annual event!! For questions, extra tickets or to volunteer, please call me at 410-294-4913. -- Rita Kurek, Col., USAF (Ret), Secretary & Event Chairperson -----------------------------------------cut here--------------------------cut here---------------------------------------- Mail to: Dr. Rita M. Kurek, 1231 Engleberth Road, Baltimore, MD 21221-2010 by Aug 12, 2018 Make ALL checks payable to: Star Spangled Banner Chapter paws4vets Event Tickets, Sep 22, 2018 # of tickets @$55 each Amt Donation for paws4vets.. Amt I am enclosing my ten raffle stubs Amt Total Enclosed I wish to: have Fundraiser tickets mailed to me pick up at will call at event Name: Telephone Address: 2

The Role of the Military in U.S. Foreign Policy LTG Ed Leland USA (Ret.), Chapter Board Member at Large --Col. Rita Kurek, USAF (Ret.) Secretary LTG Leland gave an awesome presentation to the chapter at Liberatore s, June 6, 2018. He survived in Vietnam as a 24-yearold and ended his career as Chairman of several Functional Committees on the National Security Council under then NSC Chairman Gen Colin Powell. The Council consists of the Principals Committee which meets quarterly, the Deputies Committee which meets weekly and the Functional Committees (Counterterrorism etc.) which meets several times a week. There are many PhD s and a tremendous amount of talent on the NSC but his key point was that the NSC doesn t always do what the military says they should do but the military does at least have their input. Our military was small before WW2, escalated to 4.2 mil during WW2 and is now 435K, the smallest force since the Gulf War. In retrospect, the NSC had about 50 people when he was there but it grew to 300 under President Obama and is now between 200-300 people. LTG Leland observed several challenges for the military --- the budget and the underfunded State Department. For 36 out of 40 years the budget was not approved by the beginning of the year and the vast majority of the DOD budget is on a 1-year cycle, therefore our highest priority items didn t get done because they were not approved quick enough. As for the State Dept, he feels they overuse the military for affairs that should be state matters and the more underfunded they are, the more bullets we have to buy. Although the Army is in 140 countries and the force is well trained, and we still are the single most powerful country setting the world order, he feels the military is very isolated as WW 2 veterans become less & less. Currently only 7% of adults have served in the military and only 1% are electing to serve now. Listening, and taking notes! Left to right. New member Babs and BG Stan Minken, guests Tom and Jolie McShane (their daughter, Erin was the 9 th female Army Officer to become an Army Ranger) and Jackie and John Dyer, Chapter Treasurer. Recruiting: 300 Life and Premium National MOAA members in the Baltimore area have been mailed the chapter s updated Recruiting Brochure. They are invited to use the form in the brochure and to join us at the Fundraiser, September 22 and our 54 th Annual Banquet, November 14. You can join the recruiting effort! The chapter website http://www.starspan.org/about.html has the strategy for recruiting and provides the updated Recruiting Brochure. Print one from the website and recruit a veteran service friend! Carry one in your pocket as a chapter ambassador, ask for $25 and fill out the form for a potential member you may meet! New members bring clout to the tax exemption effort! 3

ROTC and JROTC Spring 2018 Events LTC Eric Atherton (Ret) & Col. Tom Seybold (Ret) The four Army ROTC programs in our area commissioned 62 Cadets as US Army officers in May. On behalf of our MOAA chapter, each of these officers was presented the most current copy of the comprehensive Army Officer Guide (AOG) from their Professor of Military Science or a MOAA representative during their commissioning event. The AOG will provide these officers with valuable information on Army culture, protocol, leadership, and resources throughout their careers. Mount Saint Mary s University 2018 Army ROTC Commissioning Class Loyola MD University 2018 Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony in the Alumnae Chapel Johns Hopkins University 2018 Army ROTC newly commissioned officers, staff & VIPs 4

All Four major ROTC Programs nominate one junior cadet to receive the MOAA Medal and Certificate for exceptional potential for leadeship! Loyola Junior Cadet Jacob Shriner LTC Don Mozer watches as Junior Cadet Catherine Lynch, (and lacrosse player) receives MOAA daughter of Col. Lynch receives the MOAA Award for exceptional potential for leadership leadership from Chapter President Col. Tom Seybold award and medal. Both of these cadets will probably hold top leadership positions in their ROTC Battalions next year! Our Chapter participated in several High School JROTC awards ceremonies, awarding outstanding JROTC Cadets with a MOAA certificate and medal for their excellent performance. LTC Bryon Hartzog, USA (Ret), V.P. MD Council of Chapters presents Winter s Mill High School Army JROTC Cadet LTC Grace Digate with the MOAA award for leadership excellence. Dundalk High School Navy JROTC Cadet Lieutenant Alexzander Gartside is awarded the MOAA leadership medal by CAPT Mike DeHaemer, USN (Ret.) 5

Legislative Affairs: BG (Dr.) Stan Minken, USAF (Ret.) Please Welcome New Member BG Stanley Minken! He has generiously volunteered to provide updates on legislative affairs to be posted in our newsletters and on the new website. Stan is also a MOAA member of the Sarasota County Chapter. In that chapter he serves on the Board as the Director of Legislative Affairs. He began his military career as an Air Force officer (Major) during Vietnam with one in-theater deployment. Following that, he was a vascular surgeon in Baltimore as the Chief of Surgery at St. Agnes Hospital and finally a full time Associate Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins. During that time, he joined the Maryland National Guard and served as the Commander of the 10 th Medical Regiment. In August, 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General by Major General Adkins, the Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard. He was asked to return to duty with the DoD as Chief of Academic Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS), the government medical school. While there he did a deployment to Landstuhl and was further involved with combat surgical up-training of deployed units. As the war wound down he separated from DoD and returned to his private medical career. Approximately 2 years ago he finally retired and moved to the Sarasota Florida area. He and his wife Babs now split their time between Florida and Baltimore, where they have a condo near the inner harbor. Babs and Stan were surprised to meet several old friends at the June 6 event at Liberatore s. The House passed the MISSION ACT May 17. A week later, the Senate passed it. Some of the major provisions in the act include: expanding the VA's comprehensive caregiver support program to pre-9/11 veterans, providing eligible caregivers additional support services and a monthly stipend; eliminating the broken Choice program and establishes one community care program called the Veterans Community Care Program; allowing veterans and their doctors to choose the best option on where to get health care whether in the VA or from one of the providers in the VA's community care network; streamlining eligibility standards so veterans have greater choice, doing away with the former distance and wait-time restrictions; investing in the VA's workforce to attract and retain high-quality health care providers; expanding access to telehealth care closer to home; establishing mobile deployment teams to help provide additional care to the VA facilities with the highest need; recruiting medical scribes to help physicians focus on serving veterans, rather than spending time on paperwork; establishing a walk-in care benefit in the community for veterans in need of nonemergency care; establishing a commission to review and recommend realigning of resources to strengthen and modernize the VA medical infrastructure to address the needs of the changing veteran population. The MISSION Act, the short title for the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018, is named in honor of two Vietnam prisoners of war, Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Johnson (R-Texas), and former Sen. Akaka (R-Hawaii), a World War II veteran who passed away earlier this year. 6

The following email from MD Senator Steve Waugh of Calvert and St Mary s County is such a good synopsis of MD passed legislation that it is worth printing for our members! Military Retirement Tax Cut One of the top priorities was a complete exemption of military retirement pay. We didn't get the whole thing, but we got a YUGE step in the right direction. SB996 is a 50% increase in the exemption, and it starts 10 years earlier. Beginning 2018, $15K is exempt for those over age 55 and $5K for all. We will keep knocking on this door until we keep every retiree in Maryland. Veteran Resource Centers Vets are not the typical under-grads. The Colonel Todd J. Hixson Memorial Resource Center Act requires each community college to establish a veterans resource center with a full-time student adviser trained on the unique needs and resources available for students who are veterans, plus provide enrollment and advising services to current and prospective students who are veterans. Surviving Spouses Benefits Spouses bear the burden of military life, and veteran benefits should remain with the family after they pass. SB-429 expands eligibility for a property tax credit to include a Surviving Spouse. SB-626 expands the exemption from vehicle registration fees to Surviving Spouses of Veterans. Priority College Registrations The first step to transition is often going back to college. HB-1074 requires public institutions of higher education to grant priority registration for courses to currently serving members and veterans of the armed forces of the United States. Employment and Transition Program It's all about JOBS. HB-1096 established the Veteran Employment and Transition Success Program to provide grants to assist transitioning veterans in obtaining a certification, license, or registration. 7

Veteran Suicide Prevention The epidemic of suicides emerged as the #1 Veteran priority, and the entire Senate approved SB911, Veterans Suicide Prevention Plan. The House of Delegates refused to even vote it. It is a travesty that for purely political purposes someone would kill a bill that would save lives. Some people are just more interested in a cushy office than doing the right thing. I want to go back to Annapolis and GET THIS DONE. Legislative Affairs: More from BG (Dr.) Stan Minken Important TRICARE Information: The Senate version of the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision that could significantly impact health care costs and increase fees for military retirees. Last year's TRICARE fee increases were already disproportionately high and affected currently serving families and those who have served full careers. The addition of these new Senate-proposed fee increases places a more disproportionate burden on military beneficiaries with the sole intent of raising revenues for defense programs unrelated to the costs of health care. The House and Senate have both passed their respective 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) proposals. The Senate's version shows currently serving TRICARE beneficiaries would experience zero to minimal relief on their existing higher cost shares. In addition, retirees and their families under age 65 are targeted for another round of large increases to their TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select enrollment fees. These proposed fee increases are set to be implemented just as a large percentage of currently serving members - many who have served their careers during wartime - become eligible for retirement. Last year's large fee increases as well as this proposal by the Senate expedites the erosion of the service-earned health care benefits. These TRICARE fee increases amount to reducing money off the top of service members' retirements, many of whom have served multiple deployments to war zones. Interestingly, the current Congress has the fewest number of veterans in decades which may lead to a true lack understanding of the actual sacrifices that these service members and their families have made. Key concerns about this proposal include: There will be zero to minimal reductions in cost shares for most beneficiaries. As of January 1, Prime retirees are already paying higher co-pays that match those of new entrants. The most controversial provision in the Senate bill unwinds an important TRICARE grandfathering provision from last year's defense bill. The move repeals 8

protections for health care beneficiaries who entered into the service prior to Jan. 1 from a new cost share structure, one with higher fees and pharmacy co-pays. MOAA strongly opposes the Senate provision. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, higher out-of-pocket costs will push 20,000 beneficiaries out of TRICARE. 1. There will be zero to minimal reductions in cost shares for most beneficiaries. As of January 1, Prime retirees are already paying higher co-pays that match those of new entrants. The most controversial provision in the Senate bill unwinds an important TRICARE grandfathering provision from last year's defense bill. The move repeals protections for health care beneficiaries who entered into the service prior to Jan. 1 from the new cost share structure, one with higher fees and pharmacy co-pays. 2. Current problems with the high outpatient co-pay system are not addressed. This includes large co-pays for recurring therapies (PT, speech, mental health, etc) which are considered Specialty Care. These costs would continue unchanged for these individuals. 3. Retirees under age 65 would have TRICARE Prime enrollment fee increases of 21 percent and TRICARE Select families would face an unprecedented (and unexpected) fee of $450 for individuals and $900 for families. 4. TRICARE Select retirees face a new non-network deductible {the first $300 (individual) or $600 (family} when using out of network providers. This information is provided to keep us aware of the dynamics occurring in this important area. MOAA and other Veteran groups are actively working to make our legislator s aware of these problems. Individual letters to your representatives will also send a powerful message. House Votes to Extend VA Benefits to More Vietnam Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange! The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act was overwhelmingly approved by the House 382-0. The bill will now move to the Senate for final approval. Veterans who served on ships off the coast of Vietnam will now have their illnesses recognized as being caused by Agent Orange, the herbicide sprayed to destroy the vegetation enemy fighters used as cover. Those who served on the Korean demilitarized zone between Sept. 1, 1967 and Aug. 31, 1971, will also be covered. More than 3 million veterans have developed illnesses due to exposure to Agent Orange, according to government data. Unlike ground troops who served in Vietnam who were assumed to have been exposed, naval troops had to prove they stepped foot in Vietnam to show their illness was service connected. For ground troops, special status was granted to expedite disability claims because it was assumed they were exposed. Those veterans were not required to prove exposure. This bill will extend that same treatment to naval veterans, 9

who would also be considered to have been exposed to the toxic materials. The bill funds about $1 billion in benefits for those veterans over the next 10 years. In order to cover the costs, fees on VA-backed home loans will increase. Happy 243 rd Birthday Army! The U.S. Army celebrated its 243rd birthday on June 14. Here are some important figures and dates for the military branch. 1. 1775: The year the Second Continental Congress established a Continental Army. 2. George Washington was unanimously elected Commander-In-Chief. 3. 468,579: The total number of "active duty military personnel" in the Army. Top brass includes 10 generals, 50 lieutenant generals, 121 major generals, and 133 brigadier generals. 4. 336,619: The size of the Army National Guard. 5. 190,350: The number of people in the Army Reserve. 6. 69,872: The amount of active duty women (including commissioned officers, enlisted ranks and cadets) in the Army. Request Volunteers for Chapter Vacant Positions 2019-20! Officers: Nominations filled Board: Coast Guard, USPHS Chairpersons: Personal Affairs, Jobs and Transition, Auxiliary Liaison Volunteers should contact the Nomination Committee Chairman Mike DeHaemer 443-695- 4741 or President Tom Seybold 410-561-5377. The full slate will be presented in the next newsletter and the election will be held during the Annual Meeting November 14. Future Chapter Events for 2018: Nov. 14, 2018 Wednesday 5:30 pm Chapter 54 th Annual Banquet, Liberatore s Ristorante, Timonium, MD Park Ranger Raconteur from Ft Mc Henry, Vince Vaise: WWI at FT McHenry and More! ***This newsletter is published by the Star Spangled Banner Chapter. It is a 501(c)19 nonprofit affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The Star Spangled Banner Chapter is one of more than 400-plus chapters affiliated with National MOAA. Our chapter is a non-partisan veterans organization. MOAA and its affiliates are dedicated to maintaining a strong national defense and ensuring our nation keeps its commitments to currently serving, retired and former members of the uniformed services, their families and survivors. Our chapter supports national MOAA s federal legislative actions and MD Council s State legislative priorities. *** Newsletter Online: www.starspan.org Newsletter Editor and Distribution: LT George Wright, USN (Ret) COL Tom Seybold, USA (Ret) Webmaster 410-560-5937 Chapter President 410-561-5377 geo@loyola.edu tksseybold@hotmail.com Assistance dogs learning to down and long stay at a Toy R Us 10