MILITARY OFFICERS CALL

Sun City Center Chapter Military Officers Association of America

P. O. Box 5693, Sun City Center, FL. 33571

Volume 36 Number 6 June 2020

President’s Message James Haney, MAJ. USMC (Ret)

Members, Prospects & Friends, Here is hoping you passed your best wishes to a currently serv-ing military service member(s) on the 16 May Armed Forces Day. The Board sincerely regrets that we have received information from the Community Association that has led to the next luncheon meeting being tentatively scheduled for 2 September 2020. In the meantime, the Board will be deciding the best way to proceed with meal service and seating.

Chapter Program Chair Eunice Patxot is making plans for new Chapter member, retired Army COL Gary Bridges, to be our speaker at a 2 September meeting to share his experiences as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. And has lined up Dr Susan MacManus for 7 October. At this stage with the pandemic uncertainty the Board has decided that this is our best way forward.

Membership Chair Walt Cawein is continuing to contact pro-spective members that had purchased SCC Veterans Memorial bricks and others that have been identified by MOAA National that have moved into our Zip Code catchment area. I encourage you to contact Walt and assist him in his efforts to gain new, and re-gain lapsed, Chapter members.

JROTC Cadet awards coordinator Jim Warchol started pre-senting Cadet awards on 11 March at Lennard HS, and then school was cancelled during Spring Break. Hopefully, the remain-ing eight JROTC Cadet awards can be provided to those cadets through their instructor staff.

You must visit the Chapter Web site at www.sccmoaa.org and see why Frank Kepley’s efforts not only gained the Chapter an MOAA 2019 five star award for the newsletter, but for the Web site as well. The Chapter has submitted its MOAA 2019 Five Star Level of Effort award nomination and looks forward to getting 2020 on track in the near future.

Happy Flag Day and a very Happy 245th Birthday to the United States Army.

Stay Safe & Healthy, and Continue to Serve.

Jim

(JUNE LUNCHEON CANCELLED)

Cybersecurity critical for DoD teleworkers during pandemic

“People expect to get information on their phones, at home, at work, in multiple ways,” said Servio Medina, one of the Defense Health Agency’s health infor-mation technology’s leaders on cyberse-

curity. “When you increase the venues of access, you could in-crease the likelihood of risk and unauthorized access.” The Military Health System is increasing its efforts for cyberse-curity awareness and “healthy” practice. Medina said it’s more important than ever to protect information, especially someone’s personal health information. Protect your family in cyberspace by discussing safe online be-havior with them. To help with this discussion, the DHA of-fers www.Health.mil/cyberfit: plain language and guidance on cybersecurity and internet safety. Family members need to know and practice basic cybersecurity routines such as create strong passwords and connect to the internet only when it’s needed and disconnect when finished. DoD workforce members who are teleworking should follow their or-ganization’s specific cybersecurity guidance. “Human error data breaches, just like improper handwashing, puts us at risk,” said Medina. “We need to change human behav-ior so we’re not making ourselves more vulnerable to ‘cyber infec-tions.’” Washing your hands regularly helps reduce healthcare associ-ated infections. Similarly, proper cyber hygiene helps reduce cyber “infections” that can compromise DoD information and infor-mation systems. The COVID-19 pandemic is directly affecting many of us; every one of us can help minimize risks to our military healthcare mission. Editors Note: Telehehealth is not coming, it is here. We all need to learn how to protect our personal information.

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TRICARE Pharmacy Options: COVID-19 Myths vs. Facts The Military Health System is working to meet the health care demands of COVID-19. You can help by staying in-formed. TRICARE can help you separate rumors from truth when it comes to your pharmacy options. MYTH: Now I need to get prescriptions filled at a network pharmacy or through home delivery. FACT: Beneficiaries can continue to get prescriptions at military pharmacies as long as the military pharmacy is open. Many have expanded to offer curb-side pick-up. Home delivery and network pharmacies remain options for beneficiaries if the military pharmacy closes due to local pandemic conditions. MYTH: I can’t get prescription refills early. FACT: You can get early refills three ways:

• TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery can send a 90-day supply of most drugs

• Retail network pharmacies can provide three, 30-day re fills at once

• Military pharmacies offer a 90-day supply for most drugs (Note: There may be temporary limitations that result in a decrease in service or closure at your phar-macy due to COVID-19).

MYTH: Due to low supplies, I can’t get my prescriptions at a military hospital or clinic pharmacy. FACT: Currently, military pharmacies don’t have supply issues. You should be able to fill or refill your prescriptions as usual (Note: Again, there may be temporary limitations that result in a decrease in service or closure at your mili-tary pharmacy due to COVID-19). MYTH: Some medication combinations can prevent or treat COVID-19. FACT: There’s no FDA-approved medication combination to prevent or treat COVID-19. Don’t take any medications without your doctor’s advice. Consider sharing Myth vs. Fact and spread the truth, not the virus.

Military’s Plan to Cut 18,000 Medical Billets Is on Hold During Pandemic

Fighting the novel coronavirus pan-demic has put on hold a controversial plan to cut medical billets in the Military Health System and transfer retirees to outside providers, according to the De-fense Health Agency.

"We are shifting our focus to support the nation ... and

devoting all available resources to combat COVID-19," DHA officials said in a March 31 statement to Military.com. The changes would not impact all retirees and result in a rush to outside providers, officials said. "In fact, 98% of our beneficiaries will see no change in where they receive their care," DHA officials said. "The changes affecting the remaining 2% will be carefully phased in during a three-to-five year period, and patients will receive a warm hand-off from MTF providers to [Tricare] network providers." "MOAA believes simply pausing the current MHS reform strategy is not enough." "The COVID-19 pandemic will yield many lessons learned for the whole of government and national medical systems [DoD, Department of Veterans Affairs, Medicare and net-works] and, potentially, a new vision for DoD's role in any future nationwide medical emergency," Karen Ruedisueli, director of health affairs at MOAA, said in a statement. "The current situation demands all plans to reduce medi-cal provider billets and military hospital and clinic capacity be reconsidered once a full evaluation of the COVID-19 national response has been conducted." In a Feb. 19 report to Congress, the DHA said that, of 50 facilities ultimately designated for restructuring under the plan, 37 outpatient clinics currently open to all beneficiaries will eventually see primarily only active-duty personnel. "Active-duty family members, retirees and their families who currently receive care at those facilities will transition over time to Tricare's civilian provider network," it said. The DHA's plan for a major overhaul of the MHS has raised concerns in Congress and within the DoD itself. In a December memo to DoD Deputy Secretary David Norquist, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy questioned the "lack of performance and planning with respect to the tran-sition" by the DHA. Editor’s Note: This thing is becoming murkier and murkier.

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MOAA ACTION SITE

I have created this box to direct members to the online

MOAA ‘Take Action’ site in order to assist MOAA in

achieving their legislative goals.

Click here and select the issue(s) you would like to

have MOAA discuss with your representatives. Fill in

the form and click submit. MOAA will send it to your rep-

resentatives. You can add your own comments if you

wish.

MEMBERSHIP CORNER The Membership Committee Chair is providing the fol-lowing to update the Chapter membership regarding our Chapter LOE & MOAA rewards. Also, this article will list new Chapter members — 169 Chapter members — 85 Regular LIFE members — 29 Regular ANNUAL members — 33 Regular BASIC members — 17 Surviving Spouses — 5 Honorary members — 0 Non-MOAA members New Chapter member: We welcome aboard. Michael J. Scionti, LTC USA USAR

REMINDER: The Chapter reimburses $100 to members upgrading to LIFE when LIFE certificate is presented to the Treasurer.

The Sun City Center MOAA Chapter is an IRS 501(c)(19) designated non-profit Charitable organization and therefore all donations are eligible for deduction on your federal income tax form

"Mental distancing" became the new "social distancing"

Why it matters: Sure ... "social distanc-ing" is a relatively new concept for most people, but "mental distancing" is also very important. Even if you are one of those poor suckers who has to monitor the news 24/7 for your job, carve out

some time to take a break and escape the onslaught of coronavirus news. The world isn't going to end in the hour or two it takes you to get some exercise, read a book or watch a silly movie. Now, if someone would just write a newsletter to provide you with fodder for your mental dis-tancing… Editor’s note: I’m trying…I’m trying.

‘Unknown’ no more: USS Oklahoma sailor laid to rest with full honors in Hawaii

NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEME-TERY OF THE PACIFIC, Hawaii — A 20-year-old sailor who died Dec. 7, 1941, during the attack on the USS Oklahoma and then lay a half-century in a grave for unknown dead, was buried with full military honors Tues-

day in Hawaii. Seaman 2nd Class Hubert P. Hall was laid to rest in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, or Punchbowl, in Honolulu under overcast skies and steady rain. A Navy honor guard fired a rifle salute, followed by the somber sound of taps. His remains had once been among the estimated 388 individuals buried in 46 graves of the unknown at Punch-bowl — all taken from the Oklahoma after it was destroyed and sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers during the sur-prise attack on Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor. They were too badly burned, scarred or decomposed to be identified. Scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System completed the identification using mito-chondrial DNA analysis, dental and anthropological analy-sis and circumstantial evidence, DPAA said in a statement. A total of 429 crewmen who had been aboard the Okla-homa — 415 sailors and 14 Marines — were missing after the attack and were presumed to have been killed in ac-tion. Editor’s note: As you may recall, Ed Socha ran off of this ship just before it was hit and sunk.

Here’s How Much You’re Saving in Military Commissaries

Commissary customers’ savings continued their upward trend in fiscal 2019, with aver-age worldwide savings of 25.6 percent com-pared to civilian grocery stores, according to a report from the Defense Commissary

Agency. Overall, those savings are up from the 23.9 percent sav-ings for fiscal 2018. But savings measured in overseas stores declined to 42.2 percent, from the 44 percent sav-ings level in 2018. Officials attribute that drop overseas to

the lower cost of living allowance in fiscal 2019. The commissary agency has been required to track cus-tomer savings since fiscal 2016, in order to help defense officials and Congress monitor the commissary benefit. The overall savings level for U.S. stores (to include Alas-ka and Hawaii) was 22.3 percent for fiscal 2019, up from the 20.2 percent level in 2018.

Military scientists, engineers develop ventilator prototype in response to COVID-19

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — In re-sponse to the COVID-19 pan-demic, scientists and engineers at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) are developing low-cost, easily-assembled, non FDA-

approved ventilators that can be rapidly prototyped and used in both hospital and field settings. If approved, these prototypes could be used to support critical care require-ments around the world. During a period of only two weeks, the Department of Defense (DoD) Hack-a-Vent Innovation Challenge sought to ignite the brilliant minds and expertise of our Nation to respond to the threats overwhelming the medical system. Teams were charged with creating innovative prototypes using exclusively commercial-off-the-shelf items and/or 3D printed parts. The NSWC PCD teams are comprised of mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers, as well as diving and life support subject matter experts, in addition to experts from the Naval Experimental Diving Unit and end-users, includ-ing medical professionals. The prototypes were devel-oped and tested in partnership with NSWC PCD’s Center for Innovation. Holly Gardner, NSWC PCD innovation lead, said this challenge identifies an emergent need that can be rapidly delivered across the globe through innovation. Editor’s note: Is this impressive or what!

Trump says VA won’t collect debts, will extend benefits deadlines amid coronavirus outbreak President Donald Trump said he will direct the Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs to postpone all debt collections and extend deadlines for benefits applications where possi-ble in an effort to lessen the financial impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on veterans and their families. pledge came at his daily press conference Thursday about the ongoing federal response to the fast-spreading illness, which has already infected at least 240,000 Ameri-cans and killed more than 6,000 others. Trump said he has instructed VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to use “any authority at his disposal” to deal with the bene-fits and collections issues. VA officials did not provide any immediate comment on the White House decision. Numerous lawmakers have been pushing for the move for days, calling it a necessary step to protect already anx-ious and suffering veterans. The Senate Veteran’s Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and ranking member Jon Tester, D-Mont., petitioned Wilkie to grant waivers for a host of benefits filing deadlines.

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Chapter Officers 2020

PRESIDENT Major James Haney, USMC (Ret)………...….220-8758

jhhaney1@gmail.com 1st VP COL Eunice Patxot, USA (Ret)……..… (301) 529-4301

niche.patxot@gmail.com Program chair 2nd VP Lt Col Walter Cawein, USAF (Ret)……...….. 340-0533

waltcawein@gmail.com Membership Chair TREASURER 1Lt Bob Cochran USA (Fmr)…………....…..773-7925

boblo15@msn.com SECRETARY LTC Ed Mooney, USA (Ret)…….…………….751-6844

edmllc@yahoo.com DIRECTOR Jane Foppe (Aux) ……………………….….....541-2618

ljcfoppe@aol.com Surviving Spouse Liaison DIRECTOR CAPT Frank Kepley, USN (Ret) ……………..642-0801 Public Affairs Officer Legislative Affairs Publisher/Editor Officers Call Newsletter Webmaster

benjaminkepley@gmail.com DIRECTOR LTC Charlie, Conover, USA (Ret)…..……......260-3257

charlierconover@gmail.com DIRECTOR LT Dave Floyd, USN (Fmr)... ……….… …....334-7797

DavidFloyd2012@yahoo.com DIRECTOR Lt Col Ferrris Garrett, USAF (Ret)……….….841-0532

Garrett4@tampabay.rr.com DIRECTOR Lt Col Samuel Rorer, USAF (Ret)…..……..... 260-3882 Chaplain / Personal Affairs Officer

srorer@hotmail.com PAST PRESIDENT LTC Benny Blackshire, USA (Ret)……………260-3105

bwblacks@aol.com JROTC Coordinator Lt Col James Warchol, USAF (Ret)………..…633-1063

wjammer39@gmail.com

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COVID-19 Vaccine Test Center Hit By Cyber Attack, Stolen Data Posted Online

A medical facility on standby to help test any coronavirus vaccine has been hit by a ransomware group that promised not to target medical organi-zations. The criminals behind the Maze ran-

somware attacks have struck again, stealing data from a victim and then publishing it online to get them to pay the ransom demanded. That, in and of itself, would not be par-ticularly newsworthy, sadly. However, the Maze threat ac-tors were amongst the leading cybercrime gangs which, just days ago, pledged not to attack healthcare and medi-cal targets. The Maze threat actors didn't go as far as those behind the DoppelPaymer threat by offering free de-cryptor codes to those hit by accident. Nor, it would ap-pear, did they mean what they said. The latest victim is Hammersmith Medicines Research, a British company that previously tested the Ebola vaccine and is on standby to perform the medical trials on any COVID-19 vaccine. Malcolm Boyce, clinical director of Hammersmith Medi-cines Research, told Computer Weekly that the cyber-attack, which took place on March 14, was spotted in pro-gress, stopped, and systems restored without paying any ransom. "We repelled [the attack] and quickly restored all our functions," he said, "there was no downtime." This was, admittedly, before Maze announced on March 18 that it would no longer target medical organizations. However, this pledge has not stopped it from continuing in attempts to extort them. Editor’s note: I mean, just how low can they go?!

We've Got the Energy:' Military Doctors Relieve Worn-Out Staff in NYC Hospitals

Military medical staff are departing underused Navy hos-pital ships and field medical centers to relieve overbur-dened civilian doctors in New York City's hard-hit hospitals as the coronavirus crisis wears on. The staff there "are tired and have been working very, very long days and weeks," said Ratcliff, commander of the 927th Aerospace Medical Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The Navy's 1,000-bed hospital ship Comfort was sent to the city, arriving at Pier 90 in Manhattan on March 30, to take on the expected overflow of trauma patients from city hospitals as local doctors treated COVID-19 cases. But the patient flow has not materialized, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at a Pentagon news conference Tuesday. "The strategy has changed," he said. "We're moving off the Comfort our doctors, a portion of our doctors, and put-ting them into New York City hospitals to provide relief."

Publisher/Editor

CAPT Frank Kepley, USN (Ret)

We need your input about member activities associat-ed with MOAA and articles of interest to the military community. Contact Frank at: benjaminkepley@gmail.com or 813-642-0801

MOAA 5 Star

Newsletter Communication

Award 2015 — 2019

Sun City Center MOAA Website

Don’t forget to visit our new 5-star website. Here is

the link to the website: www.sccmoaa.org You will find much membership information, pho-tos, calendar of events, past newsletters and more. If you would like to suggest topics for inclusion contact

the editor: benjaminkepley@gmail.com A new

improved version is here.

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Chapter Recruitment Plan

Walt Cawein, chairman of the new Membership Commit-tee, has developed a comprehensive plan for recruiting new members and maintaining our current roster. Our continued success as a chapter depends on our ability to maintain and expand our growth.

The plan, Click here, is on our web site and is an ambi-tious one that depends on all of our current members, not just the committee, to become involved in this important, if not critical, endeavor.

You are encouraged to read the plan and hopefully assist the committee in achieving their goals. Volunteers to serve on the committee are welcome.

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LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

Frank Kepley, CAPT USN

(Ret)

TRICARE Users Face Limits on Prescriptions Connected to COVID-19 If you are prescribed certain types of inhalers and seeking refills, or you are starting a new prescription of hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), the amount you receive will be restricted under new limits designed to combat coronavirus-related shortages. Below are details regarding the limits. If you have trouble filling your prescription medications of any type for reasons connected to the COVID-19 pandemic or response, please Share your sto-

ry or report your problem by emailing legis@moaa.org.

Protect Your Health Care Benefit (MOAA newsletter)

Objective: Ensure any changes to the Military Health System sustain military-medical readiness and beneficiary access to top-quality care. Overview: Access to quality health care is paramount for servicemembers and retir-

ees and their families. MOAA continues to target our advocacy efforts at preserving a strong military medical system and keeping TRICARE effective and affordable for all beneficiaries who earned and rely on these health care benefits. In recent years, servicemembers and retirees have carried the increased burden of paying more for their health care than most people think. The notion that these beneficiaries pay little to noth-ing for health care provides the fuel to raise TRICARE fees and copayments for lawmakers and administration officials to fund military readiness or other programs not directly related to health care or medical readiness. The government should be doing more to stabilize and improve the TRICARE program and the Military Health System (MHS), rather than disproportionately shifting readiness costs to benefi-ciaries or enacting cuts to medical billets and health and research programs that provide essential operational support.

Click Here for MOAA’s Key Goals for 2020.

Dozens of Lawmakers Support Waiving TRICARE Pharmacy Copays During COVID Crisis

Reduced hours at military treatment facil-ity (MTF) pharmacies. Crowded waiting areas that prevent social distancing. Instal-lation access restrictions. Longer wait times at pharmacy counters. We’ve heard you: Pharmacy concerns are the top medi-

cal issue reported to MOAA related to the COVID-19 emergency. Addressing MOAA members’ concerns about getting prescription medications safely and affordably is one of our top priorities during this national emergency. MOAA is calling on Congress to make

make home shipping an affordable option for TRICARE ben-eficiaries. Eliminating mail order copayments would encourage more ben-eficiaries to skip the trip to the pharmacy, freeing up personnel and limiting exposure risk. TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Waive Mail Or-der Copays During the Pandemic

Veterans on Burn Pit Registry May Be at Greater Risk for COVID-19, Lawmakers Say

Veterans advocates and lawmakers are stepping up pressure on the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase outreach and services for thousands of veterans thought to be at-risk for life-threatening cases of coronavirus: former troops exposed to burn

pits in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, and Mike Rounds, R-

South Dakota, sent a letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie on Tuesday urging his department to be more proactive in car-ing for veterans with compromised respiratory systems as a result of exposure to burn pits used to dispose of waste at more than 250 overseas locations. The senators asked Wilkie to follow the department's own COVID-19 response plan, which calls for veterans with service-connected respiratory issues to have access to counseling ser-vices through local Vet Centers. But with many of those facilities doing only telehealth counseling, and not all equipped to handle telemedicine, Klobuchar and Rounds say veterans are missing a vital service and also may be at risk during in-person Vet Center visits due to a shortage of critical medical supplies. "The VA estimates that over 3.5 million veterans have been exposed to burn pits, and over 200,000 veterans and service members have signed up for the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to date," the senators wrote. "Given the signifi-cant number of at-risk veterans, it is critical that the VA prioritizes efforts to ensure that these brave men and women are able to safely receive care during the current public health crisis." Editor’s Note: How the VA can continue to get away with ignoring this problem is beyond me. Its not about denying the validity of the claims, its all about the money.

Update After Mandate from Congress, VA Opens Research Center for Burn Pit-Related Illnesses The Department of Veterans Affairs is increasing its focus on health conditions linked to burn pits and other airborne pollution in combat zones, establishing a "center of excellence" to better un-derstand the extent of related illnesses and treatments for affected veterans. The new Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence was stood up in May at the VA's War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center, or WRIISC, in East Orange, New Jersey. The office will specialize in clinical and translational research, as well as forg-ing partnerships with researchers, physicians and others currently working to support veterans with burn pit-related diseases. According to Dr. Anays Sotolongo, the center's director, the facil-ity's mission is multipronged: It will work to understand the health consequences of airborne environmental exposures, provide health evaluations for difficult-to-diagnose patients, build a network of specialized clinicians across the country, and facilitate research.

Veterans Affairs records 400th death from coronavirus

The Department of Veterans Affairs reached another grim milestone Friday with the 400th death of a patient from the fast-spreading coronavirus, all coming in the last 40 days. As of Friday morning, 6,363 veterans in

VA medical care have tested positive for the virus. Both of the number of cases and death have climbed steadily since mid-March. So far, 71 VA facilities across the country have lost at least one patient to the illness. Nationwide, more than 46,000 Americans have died from complications related to the virus. Among the VA population, about 8 percent of individuals who have been tested were confirmed to have contracted the virus. Testing has ramped up significantly in recent weeks, with fewer than 17,000 patients tested on April 1 and more than 78,000 tested more recently. The New York City area alone accounts for more than one-third of VA’s coronavirus fatalities. Four VA sites near the metropolitan area — including East Orange, N.J. — have totaled 149 deaths, all in just the last few weeks. The death rate among VA patients who have] contracted the virus is more than 6 percent, a figure that has risen as high as 6.5 percent over the last few weeks. In early April, fewer than 4 percent of patients battling the illness eventu-ally died from it. The VA patient population being tested and treated for coronavirus may be more vulnerable to the illness because it is significantly older and less healthy than the American population as a whole. Medical experts have said that el-derly and infirm individuals are particularly susceptible to fatal respiratory issues connected to the virus. Union officials and department leaders have sparred publicly in recent weeks over the availability of personal protective equipment at VA facilities. Employee advo-cates have reported shortages and rationing among staff, but VA leaders have continually insisted that supplies are adequate to meet needs. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie acknowledged that the department did face mask shortages in recent weeks but said he is confident staff has adequate supply levels now.

VA pledges more masks for medical staff who were rationing supplies

Veterans Affairs leaders are promising additional protective masks for health care staffers in the wake of accusations from em-ployee groups that the depart-ment has covered over equipment

shortages during the coronavirus outbreak. In a message to staff this week, Richard Stone — the executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration — said that all employees in a community living center, spinal cord injury unit or inpatient mental health unit will receive one mask a day to help limit exposure to the ill-ness. The email also publicly acknowledged for the first time

that some staffers had been asked to ration supplies, even as top department leaders have publicly said there were not any system supply shortages. “Out of an abundance of caution, we implemented aus-terity measures to ensure that every person working with COVID-19 patients had the equipment they needed,” Stone’s email said. “Those employees not working directly with COVID-19 patients received a mask each week, per the CDC guidelines.” Stone said that officials now have “have full visibility of our supply chain,” enabling them to better plan for future needs and broaden distribution of the masks. “We are working hard to ensure that each and every one of you has what you need to stay safe,” he wrote. “Employees across the nation are facing the deadly con-sequences of the VA’s lack of action, testing, and personal protective equipment to date,” national president Everett Kelley said. “Let’s not forget that the VA has been claiming through-out this pandemic that our members on the front lines have the personal protective equipment they need. Beginning to change course, admit the issues, and address the problem with a policy change is a good start from the agency, but our members on the ground need to actually get the PPE in their hands.”

Lawmakers criticize VA for changing benefits process amid pandemic

The VA is ending a decades-old prac-tice of allowing veterans service repre-sentatives to review benefits decisions for accuracy before those decisions are finalized and sent to veterans. As out-

lined in a VA manual, representatives accredited by the VA have 48 hours to review new rating decisions on behalf of their clients. The decisions determine the level of compen-sation for service-connected injuries and illnesses. The Veterans of Foreign Wars was the first to criticize the decision to remove the 48-hour review. The VFW said Paul Lawrence, the VA undersecretary of benefits, an-nounced the change at a meeting with veterans groups in March. They were told it would take effect April 24. “Since all veteran records, documents and other mate-rials are now scanned or transmitted electronically, Veter-ans Service Organizations and other accredited represent-atives have access to their clients’ records throughout the claims process in real time,” Noel said. “This is a marked improvement over the limited, 48-hour review period under the old system.” Veterans groups argued that veterans would prefer rep-resentatives take the 48 hours to check for errors “rather than litigate their claims in the lengthy appeals process.” In addition to the VFW, The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Vi-etnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, the Military Officers Association of America and the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers wrote to Trump about the issue. Reps. Mark Takano, D-Calif., and Phil Roe, R-Tenn., leaders of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, wrote to Wilkie, and seven Democrats on the Senate Vet-erans’ Affairs Committee wrote their own letter to the VA secretary.

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Service surgeons general voice concern about military health care reforms

Two of the military’s top doctors said the Pentagon’s effort to transform and reorganize the military health system is turning out to be a “complicated merger of four cultures” and

“extremely difficult," suggesting that the Defense Health Agency isn’t ready for some of the coming changes. The Defense Department is in the middle of a decade-long effort to transform its health care system, which will shift responsibility for local military treatment facilities, or MTFs, away from the individual services and put it for the first time under the DHA. The aim is to allow the military medical commands to focus more on providing health care to troops and medical readiness. The DHA — historically a bureaucracy focused on man-aging contracts rather than actual hospitals — is expected to assume management of all military health facilities within the next two years, and the Pentagon is poised to jettison 200,000 non-uniformed patients from 37 military hospitals and clinics. Throughout the process, the service surgeons general have remained relatively silent on the subject. But during a hearing on the defense health program’s fiscal 2021 pro-posed budget, Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Dorothy Hogg described it as a “complicated merger of four cul-tures” and Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Scott Dingle called the process “extremely difficult.” The plan has been fast-tracked as top officials have moved up the timeline for the organizational changes. In the hearing Rep. Betsy McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota, chairwoman of the subcommittee, expressed concern about the pace of some proposed changes and their impact on patients, especially those who will be sent to the private sector to get health care.

More retirees, family members to be booted from military hospitals under Pentagon reform plans

In a House Armed Services hearing Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., chairwom-an of the Subcommittee on Military Per-sonnel, and ranking member Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., said they found that in some areas, including San Francisco

Bay and Seattle, family members can’t get timely appoint-ments at military facilities, nor is care available in the com-munity. The civilian healthcare networks in those areas, Speier said, “either lack the capacity or are unwilling to admit Tri-care beneficiaries” because the markets are “oversaturated.” “DoD seems intent on gutting our military health system and calling it an efficiency,” Speier told military health offi-cials, including McCaffery, Place and the services sur-geons general. McCaffery assured lawmakers that while the principal mission of the military health system is to enable force readiness, that includes military families and retirees. “After all, while service members who deploy must be

medically ready to do their jobs, they also need to know that their families back home are cared for and that, in re-tirement, they will receive a health benefit that recognizes the value of their service,” McCaffery said. Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., wasn’t satisfied with the an-swers, saying the changes are a “great source of anxiety for our families.” “What’s the strategy? What’s the plan? How do we make certain that as we move further into Tricare for beneficiar-ies that there is a “there” there for them and they are not going to lose benefits that they have already had?” Davis said. Editor’s note: As the two previous articles attest, this change is not going down without some serious hiccups.

Women Should Have to Register for the Draft, Congressional Commission Says

A commission formed by Congress to assess military and national ser-vice is calling for women to be in-cluded in selective service registra-tion, Military.com has learned. The 11-member National Commis-

sion on Military, National and Public Service is set to re-lease a final report with 164 recommendations, following two-and-a-half years of research and fieldwork on topics including propensity to serve in the military; the civilian-military divide; and the future of the U.S. Selective Service System. One of the most hotly debated questions considered by the panel is whether women should be required to register for the draft for the first time in U.S. history. A source with knowledge of the report confirmed that the commission had recommended that women should be

made eligible for selective service. Politico first reported on the commission's findings. Other recommendations include keeping the U.S. Selec-tive Service System and keeping the registration require-ment, which currently applies to American males within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Editor’s note: Never thought I would see this day; howev-er, now that they are eligible for combat roles, the change is probably inevitable.

The F-35 still has hundreds of problems the Pentagon has no plans on fixing

The beleaguered F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is still suffering from hundreds of unresolved design flaws, according to a new report from a non-governmental watch-dog, dozens of which the Defense Department has "no plan" to ever

correct. The Joint Strike Fighter Program Office’s Deficiency Re-port Metrics, dated Feb. 28 and obtained by the Project On Government Oversight, indicates that the Pentagon is still dealing with roughly 883 design flaws, more than half of which remain "open, in dispute. The F-35 program office simply intends to ignore those issues. Editor’s note: Really!

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MEMBER OF THE MONTH

Colonel Gary J. Bridges, USA, (Ret) Colonel Gary J. Bridges, the son of a Navy Mustang officer, enlisted as a private in the US Army in 1968; was appointed to Warrant Officer in 1969 and received a commission to First Lieutenant, Infantry, in 1970. He served on active duty until 1993, when he retired as a colonel. Serving 19 months in Vietnam. He accumulated 2,000 combat hours flying assault helicopters. In the

course of his career, serving in both infantry and aviation assignments, he commanded two infantry companies, one being an airborne rifle company in Alaska, and command-ed an air assault infantry battalion during Operation Desert Shield/Storm with the 101st Airborne Division. When not with troop assignments, he was teaching air-borne/air assault tactics at the United States Army Infantry Center or Corps/Division Operations at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, with a follow-on assignment as an exchange Instructor at the German Army Tactics Center. Upon retiring from the US Army, he went into private business. He and his wife have been married for the past forty-nine years and reside in Apollo Beach, Florida. They have two sons, both prior enlisted soldiers and now both are Army officers. Gary just recently published a book, an Amazon Best Seller, entitled “Undaunted Valor.”

Copayments Waived for COVID-19 Tests On or After March 18

Did you know you can ask to have TRICARE copayments waived for cer-tain COVID-19 testing and office visits related to the testing? This applies to tests and visits on or after March 18.

This may apply to you if you paid any copayments for certain testing and the resulting office visits with a TRI-CARE network or non-network provider. The test must be one approved, cleared, or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to detect SARS-CoV-2 or diagnose COVID-19. To apply for a reimbursement, file a claim for reimbursement. Hillsborough County has four new COVID-19 test sites People who live in Hillsborough County will now have more access to COVID-19 testing. ... from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hills-borough County test sites are free of charge. For more information related to the coronavirus, visit the FAQ paget. You can also learn more by signing up for email alerts, and TRICARE and COVID-19 updates. Editor’s Note: Phone number for Call Center (813)273-5900 —may need to pre –register for free test. at 201 14th Avenue SE, Ruskin. No need to be symptomatic to be eligible for free test.

The Commissary Is Installing Plexiglass 'Sneeze Shields' Amid Pandemic

Military commissaries world-wide will soon have plexi-glass "sneeze shields" in-stalled in checkout lanes as a barrier between commissary employees and shoppers, officials announced. The 24-30 inch-wide, 36 inch-high barriers, which will

be installed in all commissary stores over the next several days, are designed to "add extra protection for customers and cashiers during the COVID-19 outbreak," the release said. The plexiglass barriers are the latest in ongoing efforts to keep commissaries open while reducing virus spread. March 18, stores stopped offering Early Bird shopping hours to give workers more time to stock shelves and clean. Officials also started 100% ID checks at commissary doors, restricting all non-authorized shoppers from enter-ing.

We’ve Got The Vaccine, Says Pentagon-Funded Company

Canadian firm says it could make 10 million doses per month — if its innovative production method wins FDA ap-proval. A Canadian company

says that it has produced a COVID-19 vaccine just 20 days after receiving the coronavirus’s genetic sequence, using a unique technology that they soon hope to submit for FDA approval. Medicago CEO Bruce Clark said his company could pro-duce as many as 10 million doses a month. If regulatory hurdles can be cleared, he said in an interview, the vaccine could start to become available in November 2021. How did Clark’s team create one so quickly,? They use plants, not chicken eggs, as a bioreactor for growing vac-cine proteins. So Medicago doesn’t work with a live virus. Instead, it uses plants, a relatively new approach that has seen much advancement in the past decade. It inserts a genetic se-quence into agrobacterium, a soil bacteria, which is taken up by plants — in this case, a close cousin to tobacco. The plant begins to produce the protein that can then be used as a vaccine. If the virus begins to mutate, as is expected for COVID-19, they can just update the production using new plants. “That’s the difference between us” and egg-based meth-ods, he said, ”we go directly to producing the vaccine or the antibody without having to propagate the virus.”

Click here for full story.

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Horrifying Report Says Girls Hold in Urine, Don't Drink, Skip School To Avoid Boys in Gender-Neutral Restrooms

Can unisex bathrooms lead to bladder infections for young girls? Because of how they’re being implemented in the United Kingdom, at least one doctor thinks so. The Daily Mail reported on Oct. 15 that young girls have become so intimidated by the prospect of using gender-neutral bath-rooms that they’re taking drastic steps to avoid using them — up to and including

staying home from school. “With a growing number of both primary and secondary schools installing unisex toilets, some girls are risking infec-tions by refusing to urinate all day,” the outlet reported. “Others are so fearful they have stopped drinking liquids at school.” “The trend for single-sex toilets is driven by the wish to be more inclusive of children who identify as transgender and wish to use the same facilities as the opposite sex,” the Daily Mail reported. “But doctors and politicians called on schools to halt the move towards unisex toilets to prevent any further harm to female pupils,” it said. According to Dr. Tessa Katz, holding urine or not drinking during the day, if done regularly, could lead to infections of the urinary tract or bladder. “The psychological effects of girls not feeling safe enough to use mixed-sex toilets is also concerning,” Katz said. The objections to unisex bathrooms have always had little — in fact, nothing — to do with transgender individuals. They’ve had everything to do with the predations of those who would look to take advantage of unisex restrooms to put others, al-most universally female, at risk. That should never happen just so politicians and school offi-cials can seem politically correct. Editors note: And so it has come to this. All about PC.

U.S. Makes $175 Billion in Payments “That Should Not Have Been Made” in 2019

Though federal law forbids it, every year the U.S. government squanders huge sums of Amer-ican taxpayer dollars and dismisses it matter-of-factly as a “monetary loss.” In 2019, Uncle Sam misspent an eye-popping $175 billion, a 15% increase from the previous year and the figure is

likely to grow in the future. The largest chunk—$121 billion or 69%—was blown on “improper payments” in three federal pro-grams, according a federal audit issued this month by the non-partisan investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, the Govern-ment Accountability Office (GAO). The programs with the high-est concentration of waste last year were Medicaid, Medicare and Earned Income Tax Credit. “Improper payments—payments that should not have been made or that were made in incorrect amounts—continue to be an area of fiscal concern in the federal government,” the GAO report states. “Improper payments have been estimated to total almost $1.7 trillion government-wide from fiscal years 2003 through 2019.” The problem is so pervasive that Congress passed a law called Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) in 2010 to address the issue. Incredibly, many federal

agencies don’t bother complying with the measure and the waste continues full throttle. In 2018 the government made $151 billion in improper payments, according to figures includ-ed in the GAO report. The government simply adds the num-bers and reports it as “monetary loss, an amount that should not have been paid and in theory should or could be recov-ered,” according to congressional investigators. There is no end in sight to the problem. Editor’s note: And the politicians would have us believe the government is fiscally responsible and only they can spend our tax dollars to serve the common good. The common good in-cludes their annual pay raises.

FDA clears remdesivir for emergency use in treating COVID-19

The antiviral drug remdesivir was cleared by U.S. regulators for emergency use in COVID-19 patients, becoming the first medication backed by early clinical data to be made available to fight the novel coronavirus. Remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences

Inc., reduced the time it took hospitalized COVID-19 patients to recover in an interim analysis of an ongoing study. The Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency-use authorization, President Donald Trump said on Friday, a step by which the agency can allow products to be used with-out full data on their safety and efficacy. "This was lighting speed in terms of getting something ap-proved," said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, speaking with Trump. "From clinical trial to getting it authorized, it was 90 days." Emergency use is limited to hospitalized COVID-19 patients with low blood-oxygen levels or who need breathing support, the FDA said in a statement. A U.S.-led study released this week showed patients given remdesivir, which is administered by an intravenous infusion, recovered in 11 days, on average, while those who got a placebo recovered in 15 days. The FDA has also authorized two malaria drugs, hy-droxychloroquine and chloroquine, for use against COVID-19, but those haven't undergone rigorous research or shown an effect against the coronavirus.

At least 1,100 USS Kidd sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus (updated number)

At least 1,100 sailors aboard the USS Kidd have tested pos-itive for the coronavirus, Pen-tagon officials said in an-nouncing the Navy’s second outbreak aboard a deployed warship. Kidd Story Fifty-two have recovered. One sailor aboard the guided-missile destroyer was evacu-

ated from the ship after developing symptoms consistent with the coronavirus and later tested positive at a medical treatment facility in San Antonio, said Jonathan Hoffman, the chief spokesman for the Pentagon. That sailor was stable and re-ceiving medical attention. Editor’s Note: Looks like one ship after another will be affected. Twenty-six other ships have reported cases.

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Beware of Scams Connected to the Coronavirus Crisis (MOAA Newsletter)

In a time of uncertainty, there is a heightened risk of falling victim to scams concocted by those with ill intent. For cy-bercriminals and scammers, the corona-virus crisis creates an attentive audience

who may be willing to accept false information in order to protect themselves from perceived risks. Arm yourself not only against the virus, but against other threats, by learning how to detect them first with tips from the Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). Know how officials operate. Knowing how legitimate organizations do business can give you a leg up on anyone who attempts to pull the wool over your eyes. Health officials you’ve never contacted will not email you or come to your door. If this happens, con-tact your local police department immediately. Legitimate health organizations will not intimidate you with repercus-sions if you do not do what is asked. If you are threatened with arrest, prosecution, or confinement, you can safely know that the representative you are dealing with is not working on behalf of a real agency. Similarly, hospitals will not contact you seeking money to provide an urgent service for a loved one. If there is any question, contact your local hospital or the family member for further confirmation. Your bank will not call you to offer investment alterna-tives or to move around funds during market uncertainty. Be especially suspicious if the contact comes from a finan-cial organization that you do not have a relationship with.

For additional information click on Corona Virus scams

New Research: Coronavirus Vulnerability Could Be Partially Determined by Blood Type

Amid the flood of studies taking place as researchers try to unlock the secrets of the coronavirus to build defenses against it, one study has found that a person’s blood type might be a key to the severity with which the virus strikes. The study of a sample of corona-virus patients in China, including

some who died from the virus, found that people with different blood types showed different reactions when infected. “People with blood group A have a significantly higher risk for acquiring COVID-19 compared with non-A blood groups, where-as blood group O has a significantly lower risk for the infection compared with non-O blood groups,” the study reported. The research was not peer-reviewed, which means its method-ology has not been fully vetted, according to the South China Morning Post. The research found that people with type A blood had more severe symptoms once they were infected than did individuals with type O blood after infection.

Tricare Warns About New Coronavirus Test Kit Scam "The scam involves direct calls to beneficiaries with an offer to ship or sell COVID-19 testing kits. The calls include requests for

personal information such as Social Security numbers, bank or credit card information," the release states. "Beneficiaries should avoid any solicitation regarding a COVID-19 test kit by anyone other than their attending physi-cian."

Any calls about selling or shipping coronavirus testing kits should be reported right away to Tricare's fraud and abuse sec-tion, the release states. The only way for Tricare users to get test-ed for the virus is through a physician's order. The testing kit scam isn't the first associated with the current pandemic. White House officials issued warnings mid-March that rumors spread by text message about a national quarantine are fake. "Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE," ac-cording to a March 15 tweet posted on the Twitter page of the National Security Council. "There is no national lockdown."

Pentagon Launches 'Rumor Control' Site to Combat False Virus Info

The Defense Department has officially launched a webpage on its website to dispel rumors and misinformation regarding the Pen-tagon's response to the novel coro-navirus outbreak. Dubbed "Coronavirus: Rumor Control," the Pentagon will provide

its response to myths and fabrications about how the U.S. has responded as coronavirus cases continue to spread within the country and among the ranks, according to officials. "In times of crisis, it's important to be transparent and push back on false narratives," Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah told reporters during a briefing. "As the secretary, chairman and senior enlisted adviser stated in their town hall, it's important to go to trusted sources for information. “The department pushed back on a false conspiracy theory be-ing promulgated by a senior official in the Chinese Communist Party, blaming U.S. Army soldiers for spreading COVID-19," she said, referring to the World Health Organization's name for the coronavirus. "This is not the only case of misinformation and disin-formation springing up during this tense period of time.

Click here for full story Coronavirus rumors Navy Is Hardest-Hit Military Service in Coronavirus Outbreak The Navy, which announced its first positive navel coronavirus cases on a deployed aircraft carrier, has about a third of the mili-tary's COVID-19 patients. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said that the service had 57 cases of COVID-19. Several of those sailors are assigned to Navy warships, including three on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which is deployed in the Asia-Pacific region. The Pentagon -- which tallies the cases among uniformed per-sonnel, dependents, Defense Department civilians and contrac-tors -- reported 174 positive COVID-19 cases among service members. Data provided by the individual services total 170 cas-es. Nine troops have required hospitalization for the virus, according to the Pentagon data. COVID-19 can cause acute respiratory distress and organ damage -- or in extreme cases, death. Seven-teen of the troops, according to the data, have already recovered.

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Drug Touted as COVID-19 Treatment Has Troubling Side Effects, Experts Say

A former Army doctor who has spent a career helping veterans who believe they were permanently harmed by malaria drugs said two medications being consid-ered to treat the COVID-19 coronavirus could cause brain damage and other long-

term health problems in some "susceptible individuals." A small French study on the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 garnered attention when President Donald Trump touted its results and promised to make the drugs "available al-most immediately." The non-clinical trial found that hydroxychloroquine, a derivative of chloroquine, lowered the virus counts of 20 patients with COVID-19 within six days of it being administered. When used together with the antibiotic azithromycin, it cured six individuals of the coronavirus within a week. Related: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physicians in the U.S. have been using it "off-label" -- for use other than what is recommended by the Food and Drug Administration -- to treat patients hospitalized for COVID-19. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said research is needed to determine whether the medications are safe and effective for treating COVID-19. "Any drug has some toxicities. The decades of experience that we have in this drug indicate that the toxicities are rare and they are in many respects reversible," Fauci said. On Monday, Phoenix-based Banner Health hospital said a man died and a woman is in critical care there after ingesting chloro-quine phosphate, a chemical used to clean fish tanks. The health company urged patients not to ingest chloroquine or any household products to prevent COVID-19. Editor’s note: People should not take these drugs on their own; they should be prescribed and taken under the supervision of a physician. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case.

Doctors Are Hoarding Unproven Coronavirus Medicine by Writing Prescriptions for Them-selves and Their Families (and now the bad news)

A nationwide shortage of two drugs touted as possible treatments for the coronavirus is being driven in part by doctors inappropriately pre-scribing the medicines for family, friends and themselves, according to pharmacists and state regulators.

“It’s disgraceful, is what it is,” said Garth Reynolds, executive director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association, which started get-ting calls and emails Saturday from members saying they were receiving questionable prescriptions. “And completely selfish.” Demand for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine surged over the past several days as President Donald Trump promoted them as possible treatments for the coronavirus and online forums buzzed with excitement over a small study suggesting the combi-nation of hydroxychloroquine and a commonly used antibiotic could be effective in treating COVID-19. Reynolds said the Illinois Pharmacists Association has started reaching out to pharmacists and medical groups throughout the state to urge doctors, nurses and physician assistants not to write prescriptions for themselves and those close to them.

“We even had a couple of examples of prescribers trying to say that the individual they were calling in for had rheumatoid arthritis,” he said, explaining that pharmacists suspected that wasn’t true. “I mean, that’s fraud.” it’s also used to treat lupus. “People are losing their minds about this product,” said Brian Brito, president of SMP Pharmacy Solutions in Miami. “We’re selling so much of this stuff and people are just stockpiling it prophylactically if anybody in their family gets sick — they’re just holding on to it.” Experts are warning that any use of the drugs outside of a hos-pital setting can be dangerous, and admonished doctors to stop prescribing the medicines inappropriately. Daniel Brooks, the medical director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center in Phoenix, said it was “immoral” for phy-sicians to hoard the medications. Editor’s note: This is a really troubling finding. Troubling and dis-gusting. These docs should have their license suspended. See next article.

Run on hydroxychloroquine leaves lupus patients in limbo People with lupus depend on hydroxychloroquine to prevent rash-es, debilitating fatigue and joint pain, and the drug is now in short supply after being touted as a potential treatment for COVID-19. In Arizona, a woman is in critical care and her husband is dead after taking nonpharmaceutical-grade chloroquine phosphate to ward off the disease, according to Banner Health. Full Story: NBC News (3/23), CNN (3/23)

FDA to allow use of blood plasma to treat COVID-19 patients

The FDA is facilitating the use of blood plas-ma from people who have recovered from in-fection with SARS-CoV-2 for people who have a life-threatening condition related to the dis-ease it causes, COVID-19. Plasma-derived therapy, or convalescent plasma therapy, in-volves injecting plasma or a derivative that con-

tains antibodies into sick patients and "has a high likelihood of working," says Arturo Casadevall, chief of immunology at Johns Hopkins University's School of Public Health.

Full Story: CNN

LUNCHEON (CANCELED) Wednesday June 3rd, 2020

♦Call 924-1983♦ Florida Room, Atrium

North Campus SCC Reservations: (Cancdlled) Please give full names of members and guests, total num-ber attending. Cost is $15.00 payable at the door in cash or check. Social hour begins at 11:00 a.m. Business meeting at 11:15 followed by lunch and a speaker. Remember, if you make a reservation and do not attend, you are expected to pay. Bring payment to next meeting or send check to:

Military Officers Association of America Post Office Box 5693 Sun City Center, FL 33571-5693

Navy’s newest aircraft carriers have clogged toilets that cost $400k to fix, report says

The Navy’s two newest aircraft carri-ers have a problem with their toilets getting clogged and it costs $400,000 to fix each time there’s an issue with their sewage systems, according to a Congressional watchdog report re-leased Tuesday. The USS Gerald R. Ford and USS

George H.W. Bush were both built with a new toilet and sewage system that’s similar to what is used on commercial aircraft, but increased in scale to accommodate more than 4,000 people, the report said. But there’s been unexpected and frequent clogging of the sys-tem, causing the Navy to determine it needs to acid flush each aircraft carrier’s sewage system “on a regular basis.” “The issue is not with water pressure because the system is a pressurized vacuum system. The issue, essentially, is that the pipes are too narrow and when there are a bunch of sailors flush-ing the toilet at the same time, like in the morning, the vacuum pressure doesn’t work as effectively,” Oakley wrote in an email to The Virginian-Pilot. “Waste builds up because it isn’t sucked down and then you need the acid wash.” The GAO found 150 examples of systemic maintenance prob-lems throughout the fleet for all classes of ships, resulting in at least $130 billion more in maintenance than the Navy planned. Editor’s note: You would think that after all of the carriers that have been built, the engineers would know how big the pipes need to be to accommodate the early morning ‘royal flush.’

New memorial honors thousands of military dogs who were left behind after the Vietnam War

A Dog Team Memorial wall has been dedicated at Motts Military Museum in Groveport, a south-west suburb of Columbus. Its three black granite panels are inscribed with the names of 4,244 dogs that served during the war, as well as the numbers that were

tattooed inside each of their ears. Also listed are the 297 dog han-dlers, one veterinarian and two vet technicians who died in Vi-etnam. The panels surround a life-sized bronze sculpture modeled after Prince and his handler Ed Reeves who was among the approxi-mately 10,000 men who served as dog handlers in Vietnam. Inscribed on the center panel of the memorial are the words, "The Unbreakable Bond." The total cost of the memorial was $110,000. The three panels were designed and constructed by Columbus Art Memorial, using granite from the same area in India that produced the stone for the Vietnam Memorial in Washington. The sculpture was created by noted Zanesville sculptor Alan Cottrill. After working with new handlers, most Vietnam war dogs that survived combat either were euthanized or given to the South Viet-namese Army, according to the U.S. War Dog Association, based in New Jersey. Only about 200 returned to the United States. The dogs who were euthanized either were ill or deemed too aggressive. Most of the dogs in good condition were given to the Vietnamese.

The war dog association estimates that 4,900 dogs — mostly German shepherds, like Prince served during the Vietnam War, but incomplete records were kept in the war's early years.

The US Navy’s hospital ships in the COVID-19 fight badly need replacing

The Military Sealift Command hospital ship Comfort escorted by U.S. Coast Guard, New York Police Department and New York Fire Department assets as the ship arrives in in New York City, March 30, 2020. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty

Officer 2nd Class Cory J. Mendenhall) The U.S. Navy generated glowing headlines and cheering crowds when deploying its hospital ships Mercy and Comfort to Los Angeles and New York City respectively. But the ships are both pushing 50 years old and need replacing, and what those replacements will look like is anything but certain. Both ships were converted super-tankers designed for providing care for combat casualties. And while both ships have combat deployments under their belts during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, they are far more frequently used for disaster relief and medical outreach missions across the globe. But much like the bulk of the surge sealift fleet, the ships run on outdated steam plants that fewer and fewer mariners know how to operate and maintain. The Navy’s plan to recapitalize them relies on their Common-Hull Auxiliary Multi-Mission Platform (CHAMP) concept, which proposes a new-build common hull that can be altered to meet a number of different mission. The sheer size of Mercy and Comfort – both displacing more than 65,500 tons – have limited the kinds of missions the ships can perform, Hendrix said. “I think we need to look at smaller variants that are more accessi-ble to a broader variety of ports and conditions,” he said.

Pentagon orders installations to stop reporting coronavirus cases as military-linked infections eclipse 1,000

The Defense Department has ordered commanders at all of its installations world-wide to stop announcing publicly new coro-navirus cases among their personnel, as the Pentagon said Monday that more than 1,000 U.S. military-linked people had been sickened by the virus.

The order issued by Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday is meant to protect operational security at the Defense Department’s global installations, Jonathan Hoffman, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement Monday. He said Defense De-partment leaders worried adversaries could exploit such infor-mation, especially if the data showed the outbreak impacted U.S. nuclear forces or other critical units. Hoffman said the Defense Department would not conceal infor-mation about coronavirus-related deaths on its installations and would work to keep local officials abreast of any “health threats” coming from military bases. The individual military services remain authorized to report coro-navirus cases within their ranks to the public, Hoffman said. Editor’ note: Wanting aggregate information rather than specific unit information made public makes sense.

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Inspector General Warns About New Social Security Benefit Suspension Scam

There have been fraudulent letters threat-ening suspension of Social Security benefits due to COVID-19 or coronavirus-related office closures. Social Security will not sus-pend or discontinue benefits because their offices are closed.

The Social Security Office of the Inspector General has received reports that Social Security beneficiaries have received letters through the U.S. Mail stating their payments will be suspended or discontinued unless they call a phone number referenced in the letter. Scammers may then mislead beneficiaries into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain regular benefit payments during this period of COVID-19 office closures. As of Tuesday, March 17, 2020, local Social Security offices were closed to the public due to COVID-19 concerns. However, Social Security employees continue to work. Social Security will not suspend or decrease Social Security benefit payments or Sup-plemental Security Income payments due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Any communication you receive that says Social Secu-rity will do so is a scam, whether you receive it by letter, text, email, or phone call. Social Security will never:

• Threaten you with benefit suspension, arrest, or other legal action unless you pay a fine or fee.

• Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.

• Require payment by retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, inter-net currency, or prepaid debit card.

• Demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem.

• Send official letters or reports containing personally identifiable information via email.

If you receive a letter, text, call or email that you believe to be suspicious, about an alleged problem with your Social Security number, account, or payments, hang up or do not respond.

Military Commissaries Limit Meat Purchases Amid Supply Chain Worries

Citing supply chain strains and anticipated shortages as a result of the novel corona-virus pandemic, the agency that manages military commissaries says some stores will start limiting how much fresh meat custom-ers can purchase.

Starting May 1, commissaries within the 50 states and in Puerto Rico will limit purchases of fresh beef, poultry and pork, the De-fense Commissary Agency announced Thursday evening. For fresh beef, pork, chicken and turkey, customers will be limited to purchasing two items per visit, according to the announcement. "There may be some shortages of fresh protein products in the coming weeks," Robert Bianchi, a retired Navy rear admiral and the Defense Department's special assistant for commissary opera-tions, said in a statement. "Enacting this policy now will help ensure that all of our customers have an opportunity to purchase these products on an equitable basis." The release noted that purchase limits were also intended to head off the phenomenon of panic buying, which has led to bare shelves in supermarkets all over the country. As demand spiked,

DeCA issued a March 14 directive allowing store managers to implement shopping limits as they saw fit to maintain stock availa-bility. That directive remains in effect.

How a heroic Coastie sacrificed himself to save others during the service's worst peacetime tragedy

It's been 40 years since the Coast Guard suffered the worst peacetime trag-edy in its history. Twenty-three lives were lost aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn after it collided with a passing 605-foot oil tanker

in the waters of Tampa Bay. Seaman Apprentice William Flores was 18 when he heroically went down with his ship. As the Blackthorn capsized, Flores stayed aboard, throwing life jackets to his fellow seamen. He al-lowed even more jackets to float to escaping crew members by propping open a locker door with his own belt. Then, the 180-foot cutter sucked Flores into the depths of Tampa Bay. "He drowned about 15 feet away from me," remembered Jeff Huse, a survivor of the Blackthorn. "I probably floated with one of the life jackets that he tossed out." Huse was just one of dozens of Coast Guardsmen and women who gathered Monday to celebrate Flores' heroism and to honor the lives lost. (On Tuesday's anniversary, the Coast Guard will remember the tragedy with its own event.) As local politicians and members of Flores' family looked on, Brighter Future Florida, a local nonprofit founded by former Congressman David Jolly, un-veiled a concrete statue of Flores for its Circle of Heroes underwa-ter monument off the coast of Clearwater. One day, his group hopes to include 24 statues in total, Jolly said. For now, the number is 13. Flores' statue is the first in the monument to resemble a particular person

Navy must plan for more coronavirus outbreaks on ships, Hyten says

The Navy should expect more ships to have outbreaks of the coronavirus after more than 400 sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt contracted the illness, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, the vice chair-man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said re-cently. “To think that it will never happen again is not a good way to plan .”

Florida Council of Chapters Communiqué

April 2020 Issue

See what the other Chapters are doing. The Florida Coun-

cil of Chapter’s newsletter, the “Communiqué” can be ac-

cessed by clicking on the link below. After you click the

link and then click Allow, it may take a minute or so for the

newsletter to pop up. It is worth the wait.

Apr2014.pdfhttp:www.moaafl.org/communique

Editor—Polly Parks. Send articles and photos to:

Pollly Parks pparks@igc.org

VA is preparing 1,500 hospital beds for non-veteran patients

The Department of Veterans Affairs is readying 1,500 hospital beds for non-veterans infected with the coronavirus — the biggest step the agency has tak-en during the pandemic to serve as America’s backup medical system. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie an-nounced that the VA would treat civil-ian patients in Louisiana, Michigan and

Massachusetts, in addition to the help it’s providing for non-veterans in New York and New Jersey. “We are in the fight, not only for the 9.5 million veterans who were part of our service, but we are in the fight for the people of the United States,” Wilkie said during a news briefing at the White House. The VA is treating about 100 non-veterans in Brooklyn, Manhattan and East Orange, N.J., Wilkie said. The agency will begin to provide support in other hard-hit areas. The New Orleans VA Medical Center has seen the most coronavirus patients out of any VA facility nationwide. In total, the hospital has tested 381 veterans who were infect-ed with the virus, and 44 were hospitalized . Eighteen vet-erans have died there. The facility started transferring non-coronavirus patients to VA hospitals in Mississippi last week to free space. Wilkie has insisted the VA’s efforts to help civilian pa-tients would not negatively affect veteran care. The department, which operates 172 medical centers, is responsible for treating more than 9 million veterans. As of Sunday, the agency reported 2,699 positive cases of coro-navirus among VA patients. The death toll had reached 103.

Pentagon Extends ID Card Expiration Dates, Allows Mail Order for Some

Military dependent and retiree ID cards set to expire this year will get an automatic extension through Septem-ber, while some other ID card updates and enrollments are now permitted by fax or mail, according to new Penta-

gon guidance. The changes are designed to help military families and retirees avoid visiting base ID card offices during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the memo states. The change was announced in an April 7 memo sent to the service chiefs and signed by Matthew Donovan, under secretary for per-sonnel and readiness. Typically, dependent and retiree military ID card enroll-ments and updates must be done in person at one of the Pentagon's 1,600 ID card offices. While some paperwork can be signed and turned in electronically, cards must gen-erally be retrieved in person. Normally, expired ID cards can be confiscated at base gates, and military children over the age of 10 are required to have their own card. The Defense Enrollment Eligibil-ity Reporting System (DEERS) manages personnel infor-mation across the Defense Department, including keeping track of when benefits expire and who is currently enrolled.

The Zantac Recall: What to Do if You Take Ranitidine

Millions of Americans take Zantac or ranitidine for Apheartburn or ulcers.

April 2020 update: The FDA has re-called all over-the-counter and pre-scription forms of ranitidine, which in-cludes Zantac. If you take ranitidine,

contact your health care provider to discuss other treat-ment options. January 2020 update: The FDA has announced two more recalls of prescription forms of ranitidine. The FDA also notified the public about a recall of nizatidine, a chemi-cally similar antacid. In September, the FDA issued a recall for Zantac. Only certain lots made by a single manufacturer were included in the recall, but many retailers have pulled the product from their shelves completely as the FDA continues looking into the safety of the drug. What is Zantac? Zantac is an H2 blocker. It blocks the signal to the stom-ach to make acid. It is an old medication and has been around for years. There are several manufacturers of the generic form of this medication, called ranitidine. Why has it been recalled? According to the FDA, some lots of ranitidine have been found to contain small amounts of a substance called NDMA. NDMA is carcinogenic (it may cause cancer). Cer-tain lots of the brand name, Zantac, and generic ranitidine are included in this recall. What to Do if You Take Zantac You can look to see if your Zantac (ranitidine) is on the list of recalled lots. If it isn’t, you can continue taking it. But, if yours is included on the list of recalled lots, or you want to try something else while the FDA continues to investi-gate, you have some options. Medical Alternatives to Ranitidine There are other drugs that prevent heartburn, aside from Zantac and ranitidine. You could try: A different H2 blocker, such as Pepcid (famotidine) or Tagamet (cimetidine) A proton pump inhibitor (Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix, etc.) You might even stop all acid-blocking medication. Many patients start these medications and never stop them. They may not still be needed. This can be a good thing. Although these medications are well tolerated, there may be some side effects from long term use.

Luncheon: Wednesday Jun 3rd, 2020 11:00 am

LUNCHEON AND MEETINGS CANCELLED

Board Meeting: Wednesday Jun 10, 2020

2:00 pm—Trinity Baptist Church

Membership Committee Mtg. Trinity Baptist church

2:00 pm 4th Wednesday Jun 19th, 2020

Monthly Member and Board Meetings

George Hammond, COL, USA (RET) MOAA member, passed on May 3rd, 2020

IN MEMORIAM

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MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

MOAA: The SCC Chapter of The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)

membership is granted to Army; Navy; Marines; Air Force; Coast Guard; National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Public Health; the National; Guard or

Reserve components both active or retired; and former officers and Warrant Of-

ficers who were separated under acceptable conditions.

MISSION: The mission of Sun City Center FL chapter shall be to promote the pur-

poses and objectives of the Military Officers Association of America; foster frater-

nal relation among retired, active duty and former officers of active duty, retired

and reserve components personnel of the uniformed services and their depend-

ents and survivors; provide useful services for members and their dependents

and survivors and serve the community and the nation.

MEETINGS: A meeting is held monthly (except July/August) in the Atrium build-

ing in the Florida room at 11:00 a.m. and includes lunch and a guest speaker.

ACTIVITIES: Coordinate and sponsor Annual Memorial Day ceremony; provide

awards and honorariums to outstanding JROTC Cadets; contributed to Operation

Warm Heart and Helping Hand; contribute to My Warriors Place; provide funds for

MOAA scholarships and participate in numerous community activities.

Additional information can be obtained by calling 813-642-0801 or e-mailing

benjaminkepley@gmail.com. You can also contact us by mail at Frank Kepley, 815

Freedom Plaza Circle, Apt 104 Sun City Center Fl. 33573.

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Chapter 5–Star Level of Excellence Award

Newsletter 5-Star Communications Award

Sun City Center Chapter Military Officers Association of America P.O. Box 5693 Sun City Center, FL. 33571-5693

Place Stamp

Here.

Or Current Resident

U.S. ARMY BIRTHDAY

June 14, 1775 (245th)

The sponsors that appear in this publication do not reflect an endorsement by MOAA or this affiliate.

The Sun City Center, FL MOAA Newsletter is published by the Sun City Center Chapter, which is an affiliate of

the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). MOAA and its affiliated chapters and councils are non-

partisan.

Opinions presented herein are those of the individual and not necessarily of the Chapter. Commercial solicita-tion of members using membership rolls and/or rosters is prohibited. Some articles may be taken from MOAA and DoD publications. The Chapter is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Codes.

MOAA Take Action link: http://takeaction.moaa.org/?1

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