Presidents Corner: May 2018 I believe that most of us was very shocked and surprised to learn of the passing of Joyce Harte. Joyce was a very hard worker for both our chapter and for National MOAA as the advocate for all serving spouses. Joyce was the first person appointed to that position. She also served on the Florida Council of Chapters in the same position. She will be sorely missed by our chapter. Our guest speaker for May will be Mr. Rick Piccolo from the Bradenton/Sarasota Airport. He is a very interesting speaker and its been a few years since we have had an update on the airport. Maybe we can set up another behind the scenes tour. The last one was very interesting and a fun afternoon. Since June is the start of the hurricane season we will have someone from the Emergency Management Center to talk about surviving a hurricane this season. Our guest speaker, Col Larry Bustle Call Anita Porter for reservations, 907-230-2422, apnanook10@gmail.com, or 1020 Kestrel Court, Bradenton, FL, 34208 by Friday, 11 May. See you there.
CHAPTER OFFICERS President CW4 Don Courtney, USA donaldcourtney1@verizon.net 745-9564 First Vice President COL Gill Ruderman 708-0166 gill660@tampabay.rr.com 2nd Vice President BG Richard Blunt, USA hogrider50@gmail.com 907-230-9143 Secretary Lt. Col Gerard Koontz, USAF 761-4801 koontz@tampabay.rr.com Treasurer Capt. Jose Cocco Valdez jocoval@verizon.net 756-5964 Personal Affairs/Chaplain COL. Sterling Forrester 792-1201 Social Secretary Anita Porter 907-230-2422 apnanook10@gmail.com Program Committee LtCol. Gerard Koontz, USAF 761-4801 koontz@tampabay.rr.com Membership Committee COL Larry Burnette 794-2310 burnette_l@juno.com Morgan Lingle Morgan is a student at Lakewood Ranch High School and has a cumulative GPA of 3.74. She plans on attending Geneva College in 2018 and double majoring in missions and business. She will be attending with her freshman year already completed, allowing her to graduate in three years. Then in about five years she wants to start a non-profit organization to help and send missionaries to places that need to be reached. In the JROTC program she has risen to Battalion Executive Officer in her senior year. In other leadership fields she was a student leader on a Peru mission trip in 2017 and an orienteering varsity team leader. She has a strong desire to serve others, especially those with learning disabilities and mental illness. Publicity LTC Randall McCrea 512-763-9356 Legislative Committee Lt. Col Gerard Koontz, USAF 761-4801 koontz@tampabay.rr.com CW4 Don Courtney, USA 745-9564 donaldcourtney1@verizon.net Auxiliary Liaison Immediate Past President Editor: CW4 Don Courtney 745-9564 donaldcourtney1@verizon.net www.orgsites.com/fl/moaa-bc The MOAA-BC Newsletter is published nine times a year for the information of the members of The Military Officers Association of America Bradenton Chapter, an affiliate of The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The MOAA-BC is a nonprofit organization, incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida. Gerard Koontz Sr. Terrence McDonald Greg Steube Mark Landers May Birthday s 9th 18th 19th 26th 2
Ana Mejia Ana is a student at Bayshore High School with a grade point average of 3.7. She is an outstanding student in the JROTC program, rising in the ranks to be the Cadet Battalion Commander. After graduating from high school she plans to finish her associate s degree at State College of Florida and then transfer to either the University of South Florida or University Central Florida to complete a master s or doctoral degree in the health science field. She sees herself working in a Florida hospital or possibly joining the Air Force as an officer and serving six years as a pharmacist. She has received several JROTC and academic honors. Allison Chajon-Paz Allison is a student at Manatee High School and has a cumulative grade point average of 3.4. After graduation she wants to obtain a bachelor s and master s degree in psychology. She has served as Company and Battalion Executive Officers, and as Drill Team Commander in JROTC. She is an outstanding and well organized student as evidenced by her letters of recommendation. She is not only a hard worker and leader, but an excellent team player. Her helpfulness and motivation of other cadets is exceptional. She has already been accepted at Stetson University and Hofstra University. 3
Kaitlyn Ames Kaitlyn is a student at Palmetto High School and has a cumulative GPA of 3.83. After graduation she plans to attend the University of Florida (where she has been accepted) with a major in biology along the pre-med track. Then she plans to attend medical school and become an orthopedic surgeon. In the JROTC program she currently holds two positions: Operations and Training Officer and Executive Officer. In addition she has been the Color Guard Commander and Drill Team Commander from 2014 to the present. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Palmetto High s biomedical program. She has over 180 community service hours at her school and with other organizations in the community. Carter Nelson Carter is a student at Southeast High School and has a cumulative GPA of 3.53. His near term objective is to go to college and get a bachelor s degree, majoring in biology and follow a pre-medical track as well as participate in Navy ROTC. In five years he wants to enter the Navy as an officer and start applying to medical school. He received the Distinguished Cadet Award in 2016 from JROTC, as well as the Academic Excellence Award in 2016 and 2017. He has been inducted into the National Honor Society. He has risen in the JROTC ranks to become the Battalion Commander. He has already been accepted at the University of South Florida. 4
Eliminate the Widows Tax (SBP-DIC Offset) Issue: Current federal law (10 USC 1450) requires survivors of deceased military members to forfeit part or all of their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity when they are awarded the VA s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). This loss of any portion of the SBP annuity is known as the widows tax. For approximately 67,000 military survivors, the widows tax makes SBP the only insurance that you pay into but are legally prohibited from collecting. Background: SBP is a voluntary, member-purchased annuity provided by DoD, allowing a continuation of a portion of military retired pay upon the death of the servicemember. According to DoD, the intended purpose of SBP is to insure that the surviving dependents of military personnel who die in retirement or after becoming eligible for retirement will continue to have a reasonable level of income. Coverage later was expanded to active duty personnel as well. DIC is a VA-paid monetary benefit for eligible survivors whose sponsors died of a service-connected injury or disease. These separate benefits are paid for separate reasons and should not be construed as duplicative compensation. Surviving spouses of active duty or retired servicemembers who died of a service-connected cause are forced to forfeit $1 of their military SBP annuity for each $1 received in DIC. This offset wipes out most or all of the SBP check for a majority of survivors, totaling approximately $12,000 annually, including those whose servicemembers purchased the plan through deductions from their retired pay. Congress has helped a small minority of survivors by: raising the lump-sum death gratuity for servicemembers who died after 2001, ending the offset for survivors who remarry after age 57, and authorizing in FY 2008 the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA), a modest rebate ($310 a month in FY 2018, indexed to COLA) to SBP-DIC recipients subjected to the widows tax and subsequently making SSIA permanent and inflation protected in the FY 2018 NDAA. However, lump-sum increases in the death gratuity did not help the 95 percent of survivors whose spouses died of service-caused conditions before 2001. Further, while SSIA serves as evidence of congressional interest and support, it only provides relief for about 25 percent of the widows tax. Tasked by Congress in 2007 to review the inequity, the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) agreed with MOAA and other veteran organizations that when military service causes a member s death, VA indemnity compensation should be paid in addition to the SBP annuity, not subtracted from it. No other federal annuity is structured with this offset; DIC is not deducted from federal survivor annuities for military veterans in civil service jobs. MOAA s position: Support full repeal of the SBP-DIC offset. If Congress cannot achieve this, it should incrementally increase SSIA above COLA adjustments to help mitigate the overall effect of the widows tax. 5
Luncheon At Premiere Catering, 16 May, 2018 11:30 am. MENU: Mixed greens with choice of dressing Black Oak Ham with house made pineapple mango sauce, Rice pilaf, steamed broccoli Brownie a la mode Cost: $17.00 per person, checks payable to MOAA-BC. Mail or call Anita Porter, 907-230-2422, 1020 Kestrel Ct. Bradenton, FL 34208 by Friday, 11 May. Cancellations cannot be accepted after Friday. The chef has to know how much to order & prepare. Military Officers Association of America-Bradenton Chapter PO Box 381 Bradenton, Florida 34206-0381 6