THE “NOR‘EASTER” - MOAA Florida Council of …moaafl.org/Chapters/NEFLMOAA/documents/Newsletters/Dec...+ $311 million for 93 M2A4 Bradley fighting vehicles; + $194.4 million

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The “Nor’Easter” a newsletter of MOAA Northeast Florida Chapter (FL-18; published by the Northeast Florida Chapter (FL-18), which is an affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). MOAA and its affiliated chapters and councils are non-partisan. The advertisements that appear in this publication also do not reflect an endorsement by MOAA or this affiliate.

DECEMBER 2017 EDITION THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

This year, like most recent ones, I find myself wondering where the time has gone. As we pass Thanksgiving and head into what should be the most joyous season of the year, it seems that everyone wants a bit of us--from the tax collector to the myriad charity mailings that stuff our mailboxes, our churches and synagogues, and even the blessed folk who give up their time to stand by red kettles and ring bells for less fortunate souls. Like you, I am watching my calendar fill with events that each demand just a little time, but taken all together leave little time for reflection, so I decided to use this space to reflect just a bit for all of us. We are blessed indeed to have the wonderful men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces on the ramparts of freedom. Let’s remember them and send a holiday greeting or gift through the USO or Red Cross. Do that now--it is a long way to Afghanistan or Niger. Compared to much of the world, we are blessed with material things, so let’s reflect on the benefit, and not the cost, as we donate toys to the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign, and let’s look forward to emptying the change in our pockets into those red kettles. If you are reading this newsletter, you understand service, so

reflect on how good it feels to sincerely thank those who spend their time

clothing, sheltering, feeding, counseling and protecting those in need.

It is a privilege to belong to MOAA, an organization that provides service opportunities outside normal duty hours and long after we have retired our duty uniforms. I especially thank those who have stepped up to take on leadership roles for the coming year, and I hope you all will join us for our holiday luncheon on December 20th share a meal with friends and celebrate the blessings of this holy season. Don’t forget to bring a new, un-wrapped toy for the Toys for Tots drive.

Above all, continue to serve!

Wally

THE “NOR‘EASTER”

MOAA Northeast Florida Chapter (FL-18), P.O. Box 442022, Jacksonville, FL 32222-2022

Chapter web site: www.moaafl.org/chapters/neflmoaa/

This publication is intended to communicate with our members via FL-18’s Board of Directors.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed

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CHAPTER CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

Please join us on Wednesday, December 20, 2017, 1100 at the NAS Jacksonville Officers’ Club. Please note: Social hour is 1100 to 1145; lunch served 1200 sharp. Lunch will be Garden Salad/with house dressing (preset), Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce, Sautéed Shrimp, mashed potatoes, fresh asparagus. Rolls, butter coffee, iced Tea and decaf. White Zinfandel (in crafts) will be on each table. Desert Station. The cost is $14.00 per plate. Please RSVP and payment to Pat Munn, no later than 1400 FRIDAY, December 15, 2017. You may also make reservations by calling Pat at 770-570-0122 or by email at [email protected]. Also, reservations may be made by visiting our website at: http://www.moaafl.org/chapters/neflmoaa/Reservations.aspx?ID=194 you will receive a written confirmation immediately. This is the preferred method for obtaining reservations going forward. Payment will be made at the door. You must have a reservation to eat and reservations cannot be accepted after November 13, 2017 at 1400. Dress is appropriate casual. For those of you who like to take home part or all of your meal, the staff has asked that you bring your own containers. The Club is not set up to accommodate take out. Thank you.

Please call 770-570-0122 for Reservations/CANCELLATIONS. If cancellation is confirmed by the above RSVP deadline, your check will be returned to you. Because we commit to a guaranteed attendance, NO SHOWS, OR LATE cancellations; checks will not be returned; or you will be billed. NOTE: TO SIMPLIFY ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO AID OUR GREETERS PAYMENT BY CHECK IS PREFERRED. Make checks payable to MOAA NE FL. THANK YOU.

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

Kathy Spain, Legislative Affairs Officer “High Stakes Budget Battle Looms Over Defense Spending”

CONGRESS PASSES FY2018 NDAA: On November 14, the House voted 356-70 to pass the conference report version of the NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018 (NDAA FY 2018). Two days later, the Senate passed the same compromise bill by voice vote. The annual NDAA is the primary way in which Congress executes its Article I constitutional obligation to “provide for the common defense”—by equipping, supplying, and training our troops; caring for them and their families; and setting national security policy. This year, the defense bill authorizes a base defense budget of $626.4 billion for DoD and the national security programs of the Department of Energy--in addition to $65.7 billion in funds for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account for ongoing operations in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In total, the NDAA supports a topline of nearly $700 billion for national defense—which is $26.1 billion above the President’s budget request and $80 billion more than the sequestration spending caps for FY 2018. President Trump is expected to sign the legislation. Overwhelming bipartisan votes in the House and Senate reflect strong support for the defense bill’s massive spending increase—which is based on a vast array of global threats, an accelerated mission tempo, and the need to rebuild military strength and readiness. However, because the final price tag exceeds the 2018 federal spending cap of $549 billion, additional congressional action will be required if the bill is to be enacted as passed. The president and congressional leaders will have to strike a deal to eliminate or raise sequestration caps for defense spending in just a few days. So far, lawmakers have yet to come to an understanding on how to deal with the issue. A budget battle is expected because congressional Democrats have pledged to block major increases in defense spending unless there are equal spending increases to non-defense programs. The Senate’s Republican majority of 52-48 is so small that any legislation changing the rules of sequestration would need Democratic votes to pass. In order to avoid sequestration and avert a government shutdown, Congress must come to a compromise by December 8--when the continuing resolution currently funding the government expires. Given Washington’s focus on tax reform and the unprecedented gridlock in Congress, it would be a miracle if lawmakers were able to reach a budget agreement in time. More than likely, we will see another continuing resolution passed by Congress--extending budget negotiations several months into the New Year. DEFENSE BILL HIGHLIGHTS: For 56 years, the annual NDAA has authorized defense spending levels, prioritized how DoD will spend the money, and set national security policy. The defense bill for FY 2018 strengthens the military, provides a pay raise for the troops, bolsters missile defense, encourages innovation in military technology, and builds on the defense reforms passed by Congress in recent years. Furthermore, the legislation begins a reversal of the dangerous readiness crisis plaguing our American fighting force. Some of the specific provisions in the final compromise bill include: + Major reforms in Pentagon management and acquisition (including e-commerce,

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defense contract auditing, & increased oversight for service contracts); + A 2.4% military pay raise, matching recent private sector pay growth; + Authorization for an additional 20,300 troops (16,600 active duty / 3,700 reserve); + $241.2 billion for operations and maintenance; + $141.8 billion for military personnel (pay, allowances, bonuses, death benefits, and PCS moves); + $10.7 billion for military construction and family housing; + $33.9 billion for defense health care programs; + A prohibition on the use of funds for a new round of base closures (BRAC); + An increase in pharmacy co-pays; + Permanent extension of the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) under the Survivor Benefit Plan, plus annual inflation adjustments; + Retention of the grandfather clause that ‘protects’ working-age retirees from TRICARE fee changes which take effect in 2018 for new service entrants; + A continued prohibition on the transfer of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to U.S. soil; + A prohibition on the closing of the main base and detention facility at Guantanamo; + $15 billion for ballistic missile defense; and + $8 billion for cyber operations (defensive & offensive), including $647 million for the U.S. Cyber . Command; The NDAA FY18 also focuses on rebuilding a military that has endured eight years of constrained budgets and a constant high-operational tempo. The Department of Defense has deferred buying modern and more capable equipment, and instead has relied on repairing existing equipment—to the point where it is no longer safe, or the repairs are now too costly. Some of the modernization authorizations in the defense bill include: + $10.1 billion for procuring 90 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft; + $2.9 billion for procuring 17 KC-46A tankers; + $3.1 billion for Army helicopters; + $26.2 billion for shipbuilding to fund 14 ships; + $1.1 billion for 85 modern Abrams tanks; + $311 million for 93 M2A4 Bradley fighting vehicles; + $194.4 million for 51 HERCULES improved recovery vehicles; + Funding for 87 F-35s; and + $739 million for 10 additional F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. In addition, the defense bill does the following: + Codifies the nation’s strategic goal of increasing the Navy’s fleet size (currently 273 ships) to 355 ships; + Requires the Air Force to maintain a minimum fighter aircraft inventory; + Fully funds the development of the B-21 Raider bomber program; + Supports advance procurement funding of attack submarines and fully funds the Columbia-class ballistic missile development; + Requires the Army to develop a comprehensive modernization strategy; and + Fully supports the modernization of the nuclear triad. A PERNICIOUS & INSIDIOUS THREAT: CRs AND SEQUESTRATION: Military leaders have warned, time and again, that chronic reliance on continuing resolutions (CRs) hobbles troop training, delays routine maintenance, erodes overall readiness, and drives up the cost of weapons. Combined with the Budget Control Act’s artificial spending caps on defense and non-defense spending (sequestration), the CRs are causing significant and lasting damage to a military in its 16th year of war and facing an unprecedented array of global threats. Proper, stable and predictable funding is critical to our national security. And 2018 is a key year for launching the rebuilding of our military and modernizing our forces for the future. Continued defense austerity, in the face of a vast array of global threats, is not only foolhardy, but it can be fatal. MOAA supports the discontinuation of continuing resolutions and the repeal of sequestration. Members are encouraged to ask their legislators to pass a real budget and to repeal sequestration. If you go to MOAA’s website (www.moaa.org) and click on the Legislative Issues link, you will come to a “REPEAL SEQUESTRATION” screen with a pre-written e-mail for your congressional representatives. Please send those e-mails out to your representatives and demand they make America’s national defense a priority once again. Time is running out!

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MOAA CHAPTER TRANSITION LIAISON ARTICLE WAYNE ELLIOTT, CWO5, USN (Ret)

MOAA CHAPTER TRANSITION LIAISON ARTICLE - DECEMBER 2017

MODERNIZE YOUR RESUME CONTENT: A great resume starts with great content that clearly communicates your value in the workplace. Just as important, a modern resume is readable by humans and technology alike since both are important considerations throughout your search. Some suggestions include ‘start with a WOW’. Begin your summary and experience sections with what makes you unique, memorable and qualified for the positions you are targeting. Highlight your achievements, responsibilities, technical skills and more that give you depth and help hiring managers remember you. ‘Write to your objective’. Showcase your skills, experiences and accomplishments as they relate to your career goals, while minimizing unrelated activities. ‘Write tight, lean and clean’. Long narrative paragraphs and lengthy lists of bulleted items are easy to skip over. Eliminate information that doesn’t apply to your objective. Don’t include words that don’t mean anything and use common abbreviations only that your target audience will recognize. ‘Research key words’ for the position you’re targeting and include them throughout your resume. Please pass this on to any of your family members, neighbors, friends, who may know of Military Officers that are separating or retiring in the next twelve months. Also, invite them to our monthly meeting. Obtain a short BIO so you can properly introduce them to our membership.

MONTHLY PROGRAM

This year our Chapter Christmas Party will be on Wednesday, December 20, 2018. We will have a very special luncheon served by the Staff of the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, O’ Club. Social Hour will begin at 1100 hours. Lunch will be served promptly at 1200 hours. Music for your listening pleasure will be provided by John Michael, on the keyboards and guitar. John will be play during Social Hour and during the luncheon. Additionally, after lunch, a short business meeting and Dirty Santa (rules follow), John will lead a sing along with seasonal music. Song books will be provided. Please leave them on the table when we finish, so they can be used in the future. We should be finished by 1:30 p.m. The Officers and Board of Directors wish all the membership of the Northeast Chapter of MOAA, a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year 2018.

Here are the rules for our Dirty Santa event at our upcoming

Chapter Christmas Luncheon on December 20th

1. BRING A WRAPPED GIFT: Each person attending the luncheon needs to bring a wrapped gift with a value of $10 to

$20. To play you must bring a wrapped gift. Be creative and any gift that you pick will be just fine if it is wrapped and of the

specified value. Gag gifts are appropriate.

2. EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE A RANDOM NUMBER: Each person who brings a wrapped gift will be given a

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random number which, will be used to determine the order of gift selection.

3. GIFT SELECTION: Once the gifts are collected and placed in a central location, the moderator will begin the process

of gift selection beginning with the person who has #1.

• Person #1- will select a gift from the pile of wrapped gifts, unwrap it and show it to everyone.

• Person #2- will select a gift from the pile or take the gift selected by person #1. If the gift is selected from the pile it

will be unwrapped and shown to everyone. If the unwrapped gift is taken the person who the gift was taken from

will immediately choose a wrapped gift from the pile unwrap it and show it to everyone.

• Person #3- (and every other number in order) will select a gift from the pile or take the any unwrapped gift. If the

gift is selected from the pile it will be unwrapped and shown to everyone. If an unwrapped gift is taken the person

who the gift was taken from will immediately choose a wrapped gift from the pile unwrap it and show it to everyone

or they can take any unwrapped gift except the one taken from them.

• End of gift selection- gift selection will continue until all gifts are unwrapped.

4. OFF LIMITS GIFT: a gift taken away 3 times becomes off limits and cannot be taken away again.

5. YOU MUST HAVE FUN: The objective of “Dirty Santa” is to have fun and a lot of laughs. Please be creative in your gift

selection and feel free to take any gift that has not been declared off limits.

“HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS”

“A REMINDER FROM THE MEMBERSHIP CHAIR”

In accordance with the chapter bylaws, approved by the general membership on October 18th, all regular members and

surviving spouse members serving in officer positions within the chapter must be current members of National MOAA.

An exert of Article IV, Section 5 is printed below:

Section 5. All regular members are required to hold and maintain membership in national MOAA. Surviving Spouse

members holding chapter offices are required to hold and maintain membership in national MOAA. All surviving

spouse members are encouraged to acquire and maintain national MOAA membership.

Due to the recent decision of the board of directors to start enforcing this requirement the following

accommodations shall be made:

• Existing regular members who currently (as of July 2017) are not members of national MOAA will be

given one calendar year (until December 31, 2018) to obtain national MOAA membership.

New regular and members joining the chapter (if they are not already national members) are expected to sign up for

national MOAA membership at the time of application for Chapter membership but not later than within three

months of becoming a Chapter member.

While most members are current members of National MOAA there are a few who need to follow through and bring their

National MOAA membership current as soon as possible.

As you can see in the above bylaws you need to get this done before December 31, 2018. You can join National MOAA

at the following link http://www.moaa.org/join/ .

“A FRIENDLY REMINDER”

Membership dues become due on January 1st

. Dues notices will be sent out within the next two weeks by email or US mail. Please remit your dues as soon as possible.

AS A CONVIENCE TO OUR MEMBERSHIP YOU CAN RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP/PAY YOUR DUES ONLINE BY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

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https://chapterdues.moaa.org/Membership.aspx

Annual Membership Dues are only $25.00 or $12.50 if you are a surviving spouse.

The above Renew Your Membership link is the preferred method for renewing your membership/paying your dues however, if you prefer you can pay your dues by mail or dropping off your check at our monthly luncheon/meeting. Any questions you can email me (Membership Chair) by clicking this link: David Mosley, Membership Chair

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WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE COMMISSARY?

November 17, 207

Over the past two years, MOAA has worked hard to ensure any changes made to commissaries (and the entire defense resale system) do not adversely affect the benefit. Part of this effort involves making sure you know what is changing, listening to your experiences, and ensuring resale leaders have the right information to support the benefit.

What you need to know

Legal reforms passed in the National Defense Authorization Act in FY 2017 were systemic changes such as allowing the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to sell items above and below cost (called variable pricing), eliminating the law that required DeCA to sell goods at cost. But the legislation also included safeguards to protect savings levels, quality, and customer satisfaction levels.

The commissary began introducing its own private label goods earlier this year, beginning with bottled water and paper goods, and recently introduced food products. These are sold under DeCA's trademarked brands Freedom's Choice™ and HomeBase™. The introduction of these brands helps ensure the variable pricing program adequately benefits the bottom line for patrons.

What your experience should be like Your shopping experience should be the same or better than before, not worse. Senior defense officials recently emphasized to MOAA and other military service organizations that they want to engage patrons at the store level, ensure the experience is one worth returning to, attract new patrons, and renew relationships with patrons who might have left.

The introduction of Freedom's Choice™ and HomeBase™ products is one way they intend to improve the shopping experience. These new brands are designed to compete directly with mid-tier and top-tier brand name products, but at a price competitive with items outside the gate at a Walmart or another discount grocery store.

How to improve your experience

Store managers at commissaries around the globe are being asked to develop better communication with patrons and provide feedback to DeCA. If you are concerned about quality or don't see a product you want, senior defense officials say you should speak to your store manager and see what can be arranged. Some items can be special ordered with enough notice.

Think of your commissary store manager as your neighborhood grocer. As a highly regulated government agency, they can't operate with the same flexibility as a private business, but DeCA's goal is to ensure a great shopping experience with great products and savings. And, as always, if you have bigger concerns about your experience at the commissary, you can always reach us at [email protected].

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE!

PLACE YOUR AD HERE!

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Military Officers Association of America

Northeast Florida, Inc., (FL-18)

P.O. Box 442022

Jacksonville, Florida 32222-2022

MOAA NORTHEAST FLORIDA CHAPTER

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION & RENEWAL INFORMATION

GOOD NEWS! The chapter is now online, via MOAA National web site, for renewing your chapter dues and for anyone wanting to join our chapter and pay online using your credit/debit card. Use this link to go directly to the page:

https://chapterdues.moaa.org/Membership.aspx

You can also go to the MOAA web site and then to Chapters and Councils and click on the "Chapter Dues" tab.

Annual Membership is ONLY $25.00 or $12.50 if you are a surviving spouse.

The above Join/Renew link is our preferred method of completing your membership application however, if you prefer you can complete and submit the application form provided on our Chapter web site (http://moaafl.org/Chapters/NEFLMOAA/JoinUs.aspx) instead. This choice will require payment by personal check. If you have any questions you can contact Membership Chair, David Mosley ([email protected]) .