New River Current February 2013 Page

Feb. 2013 Vol. 4, Issue 1

New River Chapter Newsletter

President: Doug Ehrhardt, CAPT., USN-Ret. 1st Vice President: Charles Knapp, COL., USA-Ret. Secretary/Treasurer: Ken Lynn, Col., USAF-Ret. Programs/Membership Committee Chair: C.M. (Mac) Hunt, CDR., USN-Ret. Personal Affairs Committee Chair: Barbara Sears Scholarship Committee Chair: Linda Marsh Legislative Committee Chair: Doug Ehrhardt, CAPT, USN-Ret. Past President: Not Yet Applicable At-Large Director: Ron Schuette, LTC., USA-Ret. At-Large Director: Louis Burge, Maj., USAF-Ret. Auxiliary/Spouse Liaison: Betty Schuette Newsletter Editor: Ken Lynn, Col., USAF-Ret. Webmaster: Doug Ehrhardt, CAPT., USN-Ret.

Inside this issue:

Feb. Program………...…………….1 President’s Message………………1 Chapter Happenings………………2 Committee Updates…………..3 & 4 Legislative Update…………….4 & 5 Navy & Marine News………………6 Army & Air Force News………….7 Calendar & Contact Information..8

Copyright © 2013, The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), all rights reserved. Part or all of this message may be retransmitted for information purposes, but may not be used for any commercial purpose or in any commercial product, posted on a website, or used in any non-MOAA publication (other than that of a MOAA affiliate, or a member of The Military Coalition) without the written permission of MOAA and the New River Chapter. All retransmissions, postings, and publications of this message must include this notice.

From the President…

So here it is the end of January and there’s only one more football game! It always seems like there isn’t much excitement once the season is over… But, that’s not the case with MOAA! Having just returned from another quarterly NC Council meeting, I once again came away with a new sense of urgency as to what we’re doing, can be doing and should be doing to make both our Chapter and National stronger. In the case of Chapters, MOAA ended the “Give Me 10” recruiting effort at the end of 2012. Whereas GMT was successful in raising the total MOAA membership, it didn’t address growth at the chapter level. The new campaign is designed to reach out to the over 300K MOAA members who do not have a chapter affiliation. Wow, 300,000!! Some of those members HAVE TO LIVE IN ASHE COUNTY! Can you help us out by putting on your thinking cap, looking at your address book, or names in your computer e-mail list, and invite just one person to join the New River Chapter? The new program now has three levels of membership: Basic (NO COST), Premium and Life. I repeat, Basic membership in a Chapter will be at NO COST to a new recruit for the 1st year. It’s primarily aimed at persons who think, “What does MOAA do for me?” and gives them a full year to answer the question. Hopefully, after discovering MOAA’s many programs and benefits, and learning how MOAA’s “One Powerful Voice®” serves to influence Congress in protecting service members earned benefits, they too will want to join the journey. Besides, they’ll also look forward to coming to our monthly gatherings, picnics and holiday socials and have fun, too! For everyone, however, one thing we all can, and should be doing, is following the Legislative Alerts on www.moaa.org. Usually, with no more than a click of your mouse, you add your voice via e-mail to Congress, keeping them informed about the military’s sacrifices – both active and retired – and get a “head count” on the number of their constituents who urge them to support pending legislation. Stay warm and we’ll see you in March…Doug (MOAA Life Member)

March Program: Barbara Sears will give a presentation on the trip she made to South Africa last year where she spent a considerable amount of time travelling within the country.

5-Star Chapter Awarded For: 2010, 2011

New River Current

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New River Chapter Happenings December Holiday Social a Smashing Success: The 8 December holiday social at the West Jefferson Coffee House was well attended and included outstanding food, entertainment with lots of laughs and great fellowship with NRC members and guests!

Reminder: 2013 NRC Dues are now Due: If you haven’t paid your 2013 annual dues of $20, please mail your check to the New River Chapter MOAA, PO Box 1202, Jefferson, NC, 28640. Alternatively, bring your payment to the March meeting and pay Chapter Treasurer Ken Lynn. Dues can be paid in advance for multiple years if you so desire.

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Programs & Membership Committee Report Mac Hunt, CDR., USN-Ret. & MOAA Life Member

The research for my topic this month was prompted by a short article in the January issue of Military Officer http://content.yudu.com/A209ed/201301JanuaryFlash/resources/23.htm?searchQuery=january,%202013 (upper left, page 23). However, in view of the nature of the subject, I judged more detail to be appropriate. Suicide among the U.S. armed services’ active forces and veterans has reached alarming proportions. An active member takes his/her life almost daily; and the suicide total reached 349 in 2012---with a rate of 32 (per 100,000) for the Army, 24 for the Marine Corps, and 18 for the Air Force and the Navy. Although the overall rate for all departments (24) is slightly below that in the U.S. civilian male population of ages 17 – 60 (25), for the first time death by suicide in Department of Defense uniformed personnel exceeds combat losses (295 in Afghanistan in 2012). Furthermore, the rate of self-inflicted deaths in veterans greatly exceeds that of the active forces, with Department of Veterans Affairs estimates of 18 per day last year. They account for 20% of the 30,000 annual U.S. suicides, although no greater than 1% of this nation’s citizens have served in the armed forces. Since my years in medical school, I have had an interest in a category of animal compounds referred to as lipids---known to you as “fats.” Lipids include triglycerides and cholesterol, terms with which many of us have developed an unwelcome familiarity. A key component of a lipid molecule is a sub-unit described as a fatty acid (FA). Among the FAs essential to human health is a group classified as omega-3 FAs---including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3 FAs are not manufactured in our bodies; therefore we must depend on dietary sources for them. Fish oil (especially from salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines)

contains high levels of both EPA and DHA; but the dietary intake of these oils has dramatically declined in Western countries over the last century. (Fortunately, there are now over-the-counter, palatable preparations [in capsule form] of high concentrations of omega-3 FAs, from oils of fish and krill---a shrimp relative). Disturbingly, in the past fifty years there has been almost a 20-fold increase in the number of cases of depressive disorders. And there are increasing studies connecting inadequate dietary consumption of Omega-3 FAs with the occurrence of depression, and demonstrating lower levels of EPA and DHA in patients with mild depression, major depression, seasonal depression, post-partum depression,

and suicidal ideation. But, ever-greater clinical studies also demonstrate benefit in the treatment of depressed patients whose intake of these compounds is optimized---even for some who were already taking an anti-depressive medication. Some of the subjects in both categories of the aforementioned studies have been members of the U. S. armed services. Armed with these considerations, on 8 October 2012, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) announced a three-year, $10-million clinical trial in which more than 300 armed services veterans will be drinking omega-3 FA “smoothies” as part of a study attempting to demonstrate that the best weapon against suicide in them and their active-duty counterparts may be a common dietary supplement. Funded by the Military Operational Medicine Joint Program Committee, and managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, the study will involve the collaboration of researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry of MUSC, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (VAMC), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The NIAAA co-investigator will be Joseph R. Hibbeln, M. D., Captain, U.S. Public Health Service---featured in the Military Officer article referenced in my first paragraph. Ron Acierno, Ph.D., a co-principal investigator representing MUSC and VAMC, stated, “Suicidal thoughts and behaviors cut across a variety of emotional problems faced by active-duty personnel and veterans, from PTSD to depression to grief at losing a fellow soldier. If we establish that this Omega-3 FA treatment, a treatment with virtually no side effects, is effective at reducing the risk of suicide, we will have begun to pay back the debt of service we owe our armed forces personnel.” Dr. Hugh Myrick, an associate professor of psychiatry at MUSC and associate chief of staff for mental health at VAMC, added, “This study represents a novel intervention that could reduce the risk for suicide. If the results are positive, the impact on veterans, our current military personnel, and society will be immeasurable.” If you wish to have additional information, I recommend: http://rt.com/usa/news/us-army-suicide-rate-025/; http://www.turtlezen.com/omega3fattyacids.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_oil; http://www.musc.edu/pr/omega-3_suicide_study.htm. Additional benefits of Omega-3 FAs (yes, these appear to be “wonder compounds”): http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/omega-3-fatty-acids-fact-sheet.

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Personal Affairs Committee Report Barbara Sears

There’s big news for TRICARE beneficiaries: the cost of TRICARE pharmacy co-pays is increasing for many individuals on 1 February 2013. These changes were authorized as part of the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Authorization Act and will increase the cost of prescription co-pays on brand name and non-formulary medications that aren’t filled at military hospitals or clinics. The good news is there is no increase in co-pays for generic medications (in most cases, generic medications are still free or $5 for most TRICARE members).

In addition to these co-pay increases, the law also allows TRICARE to increase co-payments each year by the same percentage of the retiree Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). There is a condition to the COLA increase: the increase must be at least $1; if not, it will carry over to the next year and then be implemented. Let’s take a look at the changes and how they will affect your bottom line.

Home Delivery by mail (for up to 90 day supplies): Generic medications: free by mail (No increase)

90-day prescription brand-name formulary medications: $9 to $13 ($4 increase) 90-day prescription non-formulary medications: $25 to $43 ($18 increase)

Retail co-pay at Network Pharmacies (for up to 30 day supplies):

Generic: $5 (No increase) Formulary prescription brand-name medications: from $12 to $17 ($5 increase)

Non-formulary prescription medications: $25 to $44 ($19 increase) Note: If you want to have a 90-day prescription filled, you will pay the copayment for each 30-day supply.

MOAA Legislative Update Compiled by Doug Ehrhardt, CAPT, USN-Ret. & MOAA Life Member

Crisis on the Horizon: A Legislative Update of interest dealt with the New Year’s Eve ‘fiscal cliff’.

In the update, MOAA noted that “Over the next three months, the military community and the nation face several new and likely even more threatening fiscal confrontation deadlines,” including:

“The president will send Congress his FY 2014 budget submission in February” which could “include proposals for significant new troop, pay, and benefit cutbacks.”

”The country is expected to hit the statutory ceiling on the size of the national debt. Many in Congress adamantly oppose an increase, but absent a deal to raise it, America would default on its debts; the last time Congress had a debt ceiling fight, America’s credit rating was downgraded, which tightened credit limits for individuals and companies. Any deal almost certainly will require more spending (including defense) cuts.”

Sequestration (a $1 trillion, 10-year, across-the-board budget cut) “will go into effect in March unless Congress adopts an alternative for spending cuts/revenue increases. DoD would be required to absorb $41 billion in cuts before the end of October (a devastating cut in so short a time) and $450 billion more over the next 9 years.” (Editor’s Note: this has been delayed three months.)

Finally, “the continuing resolution under which the federal government is operating expires on 27 March, and without an extension, the government will shut down. Here again, many legislators are talking about

accepting a shutdown unless major spending cuts occur.” MOAA considers that the consequences of any one, or all, of the above could result in “default on our debt, a government shutdown, or massive and immediate defense spending cuts could have a prolonged and negative effect – not just for currently serving and retired servicemembers and federal civilians – but also for Americans as a whole.“

Legislative Goals: While MOAA’s entire list of legislative goals that are outlined as important in 2013 is lengthy,

the top tier in four major areas important to the military include issues for: Active/Reserve Force/Family - sustain active duty, Guard and Reserve force sizes to meet mission

requirements; sustain military pay comparability with private sector; and protect currently serving and retiree benefits against significant degradation based on sequestration’s arbitrary cuts.

Health Care - Avert 27% Medicare/TRICARE payment cut and fix statutory formula to improve access to care; protect against disproportional increases in TRICARE fees; and oppose enrollment fee for TRICARE For Life

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TidBits

Thompson’s Seafood & Country Cooking, 8714 Old Hwy 421 S., offers a 25% discount on all regular menu items to retired and active military.

Funny Bone

How to Contact Your State and Federal Representatives

Rep. Jonathan Jordan: NC House of Representatives, 300 North Salisbury St., Room 418C, Raleigh, NC 27603-5925; Tel.: 919-733-7727; E-mail: jonathan.jordan@ncleg.net Sen. Dan Soucek NC Senate, 300 North Salisbury St., Room 310, Raleigh, NC 27603-5925; Tel.: 919 733-5742; E-mail: dan.soucek@ncleg.net Rep. Virginia Foxx: 1230 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515; Tel.: 202-225-2071 nc05reply@mail.house.gov Sen. Kay Hagan: 521 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510; Tel: 202-224-6342 Sen. Richard Burr: 217 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510; Tel.: 202- 224-3154

or curtailment of TFL coverage. Retirement/Survivors – oppose military benefit changes that are inconsistent with service career sacrifices;

preserve full-inflation cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs); and end deduction of VA disability compensation from military retired pay.

Veterans/Other - improve quality, efficiency, transparency, and timeliness of VA claims-processing system; and establish Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for surviving spouses of Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.”

To learn more, visit the MOAA website at www.moaa.org and go to “Key Bills” under the Take Action link. Military Health Care: In an on-going criticism of the military health care system by Washington Post columnist Walter Pincus, MOAA President, VADM Norb Ryan, chides Pincus’ remarks in a 15 January 2013 letter to the editor for being “not only wrong on the facts, but self-contradictory.” According to Ryan, “Pincus only tells half the story and ignores the obvious: Those who pursued a career in uniform have every right to use the benefits they were told that their decades of service would earn for them.” Ryan asks, “If military retirement is such a great deal, why aren’t more people taking advantage of it? Because few are willing to endure the demands and sacrifices of uniformed service for a single term, let alone 20 or 30 years." Thank you, Admiral Ryan for your continued leadership and efforts to make the Congress better informed on military sacrifice and the earned entitlements for same. NC...How are we Doing?: In the November 2012 issue of Military Officer, a 16 page insert described, “How do the

50 states (and the District of Columbia) measure up in programs to improve quality of life for military retirees, veterans, and family members?” Since MOAA and affiliated local chapters are working together to promote state-level policies and legislation, it is worthwhile to examine retiree benefits (policies and programs benefitting servicemembers who have separated or retired from the military) and see where we stand, vis-à-vis exemptions from state taxation:

Military Retired Pay (Limited/Conditional) Survivor Benefit Plan (Limited/Conditional) Disability Pay (Limited/Conditional) Monetary Incentives (No) Homestead Tax Relief (Limited/Conditional) Property Tax Relief (No) Veteran Status on License/ID (Yes)

Does this answer the call? Do you feel a need to press for changes in any/all of the above list? Your MOAA local chapter is the place to begin: 1) local chapters bring together officers from every branch of service; 2) are active in pursuing the concerns of servicemembers at every stage of life and career; 3) enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow officers; and 4) provide opportunities for local networking, advocacy, community service, and much more.

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Navy News Compiled by Jim Dunne, CAPT., USNR-Ret. & MOAA Life Member

The CVN 21 next-generation carrier program is well under way. Construction of the first ship of the class, USS Gerald R. Ford CVN 78, began under a $5.1 billion contract awarded in 2008 and will be delivered to the Navy in 2015. The Ford class will maintain the core capabilities of naval aviation while improving affordability of the carrier force. The major goals of this design are to increase the sortie generation rate (SGR), increase electrical generating capacity, reduce manpower, increase life allowances for displacement and stability and improve

survivability. Key features include new nuclear propulsion and electrical plant designs, electromagnetic catapults, advanced arresting gear, new integrated warfare systems, and weapons/material-handling systems. The Ford class is being designed to operate with nearly 800 fewer crew members than a Nimitz-class carrier, and improvements in the ship design will allow the embarked air wing to operate with 400 fewer personnel. Technologies and ship design initiatives that replace maintenance intensive systems with low maintenance systems are expected to reduce watch standing and maintenance work for the crew. Gerald R. Ford is the first aircraft carrier designed with all electric utilities that will eliminate steam service lines from the ship, reduce maintenance requirements and improve corrosion control. The new AIB reactor, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, advanced arresting gear and dual band radar all provide enhanced capability with reduced manning requirements. The Ford class is designed to maximize the striking power of the embarked carrier air wing. The ship’s systems and configuration are optimized to increase the sortie generation rate, resulting in a 25% increase over the Nimitz class. This configuration and electrical generating plant are designed to accommodate any foreseeable requirements during the ship’s 50 year service life. The Navy has also announced the names of two follow on ships in the class. CVN 79 will be the USS John F. Kennedy, and CVN 80 will be the USS Enterprise.

Marine Corps News Compiled by Ken Lynn, Col., USAF-Ret. & MOAA Life Member

The original 12.5-foot tall Iwo Jima statue is heading for auction and is expected to sale for as much as $1.8 million. While most Americans are familiar with Felix de Weldon’s 32-foot tall bronze rendering, less well known is his smaller statue completed in just three months and on display until 1947 when it was removed to make way for a new building. Returned to de Weldon, he covered it with a tarp at his studio. In 1990 military historian and collector Rodney Hilton Brown bought the original statue from de Weldon. The statue, still under the tarp, had suffered tremendous deterioration. Brown had it restored and it remained displayed on the Intrepid Air and Space Museum in New York from 1995 - 2007. The winning bidder will also receive the tools used to build the original statue along with de Weldon’s drawings. De Weldon died in 2003. The auction is set to take place on 22 February.

Marine General Joseph Dunsford took command of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan earlier this month. Dunsford, who is likely to be the last commander of the international coalition, succeeded Marine General John Allen. Dunsford faces the challenge of drawing down about 100,00 foreign troops, including 66,000 from the United States as the mission comes to a close by the end of 2014. After that date, only a small residual force of U.S. troops is expected to remain. Thus far nearly two dozen generals have commanded troops in the eleven year Afghanistan operation with six U.S. generals, including Dunsford, overseeing both commands. It remains unclear when the remaining 66,000 U.S. troops will come home or exactly how big the residual force may be. Allen has been nominated to lead NATO forces in Europe.

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Air Force News Compiled by Ken Lynn, Col., USAF-Ret. & MOAA Life Member

The 33rd Fighter Wing located at Eglin AFB is a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C Lightning II aircraft. Last month, the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (led by the NRC’s editor

some 25 years ago) provided a four-turn-four, a first for the wing as it receives the military’s newest aircraft. Pilots flew four aircraft in the morning, landed for routine servicing and maintenance and then took off again. The maintainers also had spare aircraft ready. During the training flight, the advanced radar system of the aircraft were used to track “adversary” aircraft over the Gulf of Mexico.

Working in conjunction with the Air Force Research Lab, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently introduced the first-ever portable runway rubber removal system that’s capable of being deployed in a C-130 aircraft. Each time an aircraft lands, rubber builds up on the runway and it’s necessary to remove it from time-to-time so as not to impose a risk to landing aircraft. Equipped with two systems: one using detergent to dissolve the rubber and a second using high pressure water to rinse it away, the new device also takes care of any resulting debris, thereby reducing any foreign object damage hazards to running aircraft engines.

Following a nine-month investigation into sexual misconduct at its basic military training facility, senior USAF leaders recently testified before Congress that they’ve implemented a comprehensive program to eliminate sexual assault. Calling the crimes “stunning,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said there could be no excuses. Welsh and Air Education and Training commander, Gen Edward Rice, Jr., spoke before the HASC.

Army News Compiled by Ken Lynn, Col., USAF-Ret. & MOAA Life Member

Thanks to a double-arm transplant, former infantryman Brandon Marrocco has two new arms.

The Soldier lost both arms and both legs in an explosion in Iraq in 2009. During the surgery on 18 December that took 13 hours, a 16-person surgical team at Johns Hopkins performed their first-ever double-arm transplant. The surgery was the most expensive and complicated transplant surgery ever performed. At a press conference on 29 January, Morrocco was able to move his arms and even scratched his head. Since nerves regenerate at a rate of about 1 inch per month, it will take a long time for his recovery to be full, but the long-term outlook is expected to be very rewarding.

After retiring from his private radiology practice, 61 year old Dr. Ted Mull has begun a second career by rejoining the Army and is heading to the Officer Basic Leadership Course later this month. Commissioned as a Lt. Col. In the Reserves, Mull’s first duty assignment will be in Korea, assuming he passes OBLC. Because he had five years of previously Army service, Mull was granted an age waiver which usually tops out at 60 years old for medical professionals. Earlier in his career, Mull served for a short time as a nuclear engineer at the Savannah River Plant. He used to drive by the Medical College of Georgia going to and from work and one day stopped to talk to an admission officer. After completing school, he joined the Army and did his residency at Walter Reed.

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The New River Current is the Military Officers Association of America New River Chapter bi-monthly newsletter.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 1202, Jefferson, NC 28640

Visit the Chapter website: http://www.newrivermoaa.org

E-mail the Chapter: info@newrivermoaa.org

Visit MOAA National’s website: http://www.moaa.org/ MOAA is a nonprofit veterans' association dedicated to maintaining a strong national defense and the preservation of earned entitlements for uniformed services members, their families and survivors. Membership is open to those who hold or have ever held a warrant or commission in any component of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, or NOAA and their surviving spouses.

Calendar of Events Regular membership meetings are held at the West Jefferson Coffee House on the Backstreet in West Jefferson starting at 1830 hours on the third Tuesday of the following months unless otherwise noted: March, April, May, June, July, August (picnic social), September, October (annual meeting) and December (holiday social). Board of Director meetings are generally held immediately prior to general membership meetings beginning at 1730 hours. Upcoming: Join us on 19 March where will resume meeting for calendar year 2013. Barbara Sears is scheduled to give a presentation on the trip she made to South Africa last year where she spent a considerable amount of time travelling within the country. An article summarizing her trip was published in a recent edition of the Jefferson Post.

Want to Comment on Something You Read in the New River Current?: Mail your response to: Editor, New River Current, P.O. Box 1202, Jefferson, NC 28640...or e-mail the editor at: Lynn001@aol.com. Please keep your comments to no more than 150 words. All responses must include your name, retired/former rank, and/or affiliation.

NRC Thanks These Local Businesses for Outstanding Chapter Support

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George Rembert, Jr.