EXPIRATION DATE ON THE BACK OF YOUR MILITARY ID CARD?
2008/10/21

Yes, there it is on the back of your card, in the medical block, under “EXP DATE.” Before TRICARE For Life (TFL) was enacted in 2001, the expiration date indicated when you dropped off the TRICARE Prime or Standard rolls upon turning age 65. So why do folks age 65 and older with TFL still see the expiration date on the back of their card? continue reading

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GOAL IS TO DELIVER SUPPORT TO 300,000 MILITARY MEMBERS

IRVINE, CALIF - The California State Legislature and Yellow Ribbon America have launched its fifth annual Operation Christmas for Our Troops and Their Families, a statewide and national non-partisan holiday effort to give support to America’s deployed and at home military members and their families. The effort, which supports the National Guard, Reserve and Active
Duty deployed and at home military members and their families, began in November 2004 and has grown every year since. It is not just the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guard members that are affected when they are deployed and away from home but also the families who are left behind. According to the Pentagon, this is the largest Christmas Holiday effort for both our nation’s military and their families. continue reading

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Posted to call to your attention to the Shasta County October issue of their chapter newsletter Sentinel, edited by Colonel William Nichol, USAFR. MC (Ret). It has great color pictures and terrific member input filling 18 pages i.e. if you’re interested in understanding about Reverse Mortgages you’ll find it on page 1. Without financial cost Chapter Newsletters posted on the Cal-MOAA Website are available for widespread computer Internet viewing. Thus this valuable posting allows family members and friends the capability to view, read and even save for posterity. Certainly making interesting information, they most likely would not otherwise be aware of, available.

Look for this item in the issue ” I wrote it because I figured I have nothing else Toulouse”.

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MESSAGE TO GOLDEN WEST CHAPTER MEMBERS

I apologize for missing our September meeting, but, I was recovering from a medical procedure.

As I promised in my last newsletter, MG Mall gave an outstanding presentation.

At our October meeting we should have another great presentation by General Doolitle’s Grandaughter; who isalso a renowned aviator.

Unfortunately all requests for members to serve on the nominating committee have been declined by the members we contacted. I will be out of town until October 1 so I am requesting that interested members contact Tim Richards or any board member with positions you will desire to hold.

We are a volunteer organization run by volunteers; so, without volunteers for board positions it will be necessary to either fold or merge. This is your choice. By failing to volunteer for a board position, your are voting to terminate our chapter of MOAA. I hope that the choice to volunteer is made by enough members to fill vacant board positions.

I look forward to seeing a large turnout for our October meeting. We will hold nominations from the floor and put together a slate of nominees to allow a vote in November and installation in January.

CDR Allan Thompson, usn (ret)
President
Golden West Chapter

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BRITISH RELEASE INTERESTING WORLD WAR II STORY

Starting in 1941, an increasing number of British airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the authorities were casting-about for ways and means to facilitate their escape. Now obviously,one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map, one showing not only where-stuff-was, but also showing the locations of ’safe houses’, where a POW on-the-loose could go for food and shelter. Paper maps had some real drawbacks: They make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear-out rapidly, And if they get wet, they turn into mush.

Someone in MI-5 got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It’s durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and makes no noise what-so-ever. At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington, Ltd.

When approached by the government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort. continue reading

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2008-ANOTHER VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR!

The MOAA Scholarship Fund is providing more than $9.2 million in undergraduate educational assistance to 1,650 children from military families for the 2008-2009 academic year. This year, 1,620 students received a $5,500 interest-free loan with 793 of the top-performing students receiving a $5,000 interest-free loan and a $500 grant. The top 15 seniors who previously received an interest-free loan from the MOAA Scholarship Fund were selected to receive a $5,000 to $6,000 grant.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the MOAA Scholarship Fund – American Patriot Grant has supported 96 children whose military parent died while in active service. This year, 60 children will receive a $5,000 American Patriot Grant.

The MOAA Scholarship Fund supports children who had a parent who served in one of the seven uniformed services, both officer and enlisted. Applications for the 2009-2010 academic year will be online in early November 2008 at www.moaa.org/education. continue reading

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KITCHEN TABLE GANG TRUST WILL RETIRE FLAG WITH HONORS

Do you have a old and frazzled flag that’s laying around your office or home and you just don’t know what to do with it? Then send it to us! We will properly dispose of it according to federal laws.

Who are we? Visit our website at http://www.kitchentablegang.org for details about us and what we are doing to help veterans and our soldiers overseas, and giving proper respect for ol’glory.

The Kitchen Table Gang Trust will retire your tattered, worn out and frayed American flags with full honors! Anything else is desecration!

Just send your flags to the not-for-profit Kitchen Table Gang Trust, 42922 Avenue 12, Madera, CA 93638-8866 and we’ll dispose of your flags in a proper and dignified manner with full honors and dignity pursuant to the United States Flag Code Section 8K (PL93-344). The Kitchen Table Gang (formed over 16 years ago) is a “rag-tag” bunch of patriotic military types helping
hospitalized veterans and our soldiers and Marines overseas with “Care” packages. continue reading

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BAY AREA TEAM RETURNS HOME FROM HURRICANE IKE

MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. Sept 18, 2008 - Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing who performed Hurricane Ike rescue operations are scheduled to return here today at 1 p.m. from Kelly Field in San Antonio.

The 23 Airmen who are returning on an MC-130P Combat Shadow tanker and two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters were part of Joint Task Force 129, a self-contained search and rescue unit based at Kelly Field. Fifty-three unit personnel also returned here yesterday.

Overall, 129th RQW members saved 34 people and 11 dogs in response to Hurricane Ike. continue reading

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