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BBlluueeggrraassss CChhaapptteerr,, MMiilliittaarryy OOffffiicceerrss AAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff AAmmeerriiccaa JJaannuuaarryy 22001166

CChhaapptteerr sswwiittcchheess ttoo FFrriiddaayy mmeeeettiinnggss Beginning with this month’s meeting the Bluegrass chapter plans to hold

its 2016 meetings on the fourth Friday of every other month. The one ex-

ception will be during November, when we will meet on the 18th

to avoid

collision with Thanksgiving plans.

As in 2015, meetings will be held at the Equestrian Woods Country

Club, 107 Clubhouse Drive, Nicholasville. Here’s the complete annual

schedule: Jan 22, March 25, May 27, July 22, Sept. 23, and Nov. 18.

Mark these dates on your calendars now!

The change was made after members attending the November business

meeting were polled on preferences. Also during the meeting the following

slate of officers was approved by unanimous voice vote: BG Les Beavers,

President; MAJ Marty Pinkston, 1st Vice; COL Tom Little, 2nd

Vice; Mrs.

Pat Jones, Treasurer; COL John Shotwell, Secretary; and CWO4 Ike Pink-

ston, Sergeant-at-Arms.

Mrs. Jones also gave the financial statement at the meeting, reporting

that the current account balances for the chapter stood at $1978.23 check-

ing and $415.23 savings. Donations for the year included $2,240 to

Thomson-Hood Veterans center and $1,800 to area ROTC units.

Note at Bugle press time a January speaker had not been confirmed. The pro-

gram will be announced via email before the meeting. Please RSVP for the January

meeting to Pat Jones (contact info on p. 2) NLT Wednesday Jan. 13. Social time

begins at 11:30 with lunch at noon. The club will serve a buffet with meat choices,

vegetables, salad, dessert and drinks for $17, gratuity included.

NNeeww MMOOAAAA lleeaaddeerr ttaakkeess hheellmm Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, USAF (Ret.) took the reins as

president & CEO of MOAA on Jan. 4. He replaced Vice

Adm. Norb Ryan, who retired after leading MOAA since

2002.

At the time of his USAF retirement in 2012, Atkins, a

Portland, Ore., native, commanded Alaskan Command,

Alaska; NORAD Region; JTF Alaska; and 11th

Air Force

at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Atkins served as a command pilot with more than

4,000 hours in fighter aircraft. His career included as-

signments as vice commander, 7th

Air Force and USAF

Korea, as director of operations (J3) U.S. Pacific Com-

mand, and as special assistant to the Supreme Allied

Commander Europe during the air war over Serbia. He

also flew as a demonstration pilot for both the European

A-10 demonstration team and the USAF Thunderbirds.

Since his military retirement he has been president of

Chronicle Media, a large communications company in

the Augusta, Ga., metro area. In his new role at MOAA,

Atkins leads more than 390,000 members of the na-

tion's largest military service organization and fourth-

largest veterans service organization in its advocacy mis-

sion on behalf of the uniformed services community.

Lt. Gen. Atkins briefing media while on active duty in 2002.

INSIDE

THIS

ISSUE

President’s Corner, Recruit members … p. 2

Member profile, LTC Thad Vann … p. 2

Officers’ contact info … p. 2

Dues payment process … p. 2

ROTC meeting guests … p. 3

Chapter Viet vets recognized … p. 3

ACA requires new tax form … p. 3

Welcome new member, Lt.Col. Shoup … p. 3

New Veterans ID explained … p. 3

Membership renewal form … p. 4

BBlluueeggrraassss CChhaapptteerr

CCoonnttaacctt IInnffoo President

BG (ret) Les Beavers

(502) 226-3876

lesbeaversusma60@gmail.com

First Vice President

MAJ (ret) Marty Pinkston

(502) 695-1059 Marty_Pinkston@hotmail.com

Second Vice President

Col (Ret) Tom Little

tlittlelex@gmail.com

Secretary

COL (Ret.) John Shotwell (859) 263-5436

jmshot0@g.uky.edu

Treasurer

Mrs. Pat Jones

(859) 271-2606

ppatcatfan@aol.com Sergeant-at-Arms

CW4 (ret) Ike Pinkston (502) 330-5569

ike.pinkston@outlook.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MOAAB

luegrassChapter Web: http://moaabluegrasschapter.web

s.com/

BBLLUUEEGGRRAASSSS BBUUGGLLEE,, pp 22

PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT’’SS CCOORRNNEERR I’m honored that members have elected me to a sixth term

as chapter president. Thank you for your show of confidence.

One of my primary goals for 2016 is to increase chapter

membership. Our rolls have dwindled over the past several

years for a number of reasons, mostly because members have

moved away or passed on.

I need your help in this regard. I’m sure that most of you

have friends and neighbors who’ve served as officers in our

armed forces. Bring them to our meetings. Encourage them to

join. It doesn’t take a mathematical wizard to figure out that if

each member brought just one new member into our fold over

the next year, we’ll double our paid roster.

Member Spotlight

LTC Vann advised South Vietnamese Forces Before he was commissioned through Army ROTC, LTC Thad Vann’s

leadership skills were honed on the football field at the U. of Southern Missis-

sippi where he was coached by his father, legendary collegiate Hall of Fame

member Thad Vann, Sr. He graduated from there in 1968.

As an advisor to the South Vietnamese armed forces, then-lieutenant Thad

Vann found a niche with his Australian NCO in directing tactical air, navy

riverboat, helicopter gunship support and other fire power support. The com-

pany performed recon by fire missions and gathered information for the divi-

sion intelligence staff. Its most important campaign was the successful siege of

running the North Vietnamese forces out of the U-Minh Forest, a dense jun-

gle in the southeast region of the Mekong Delta.

As the years passed Vann continued to find niches in which to excel. He’s

commanded infantry companies, served as an instructor with the 5th

Advanced

Infantry Training Brigade at Fort. Polk’s famed Tigerland facility, and retired

as assistant division chief, 2nd

Maneuver Training Commanded, U.S. Army

serves. Reserves. In that capacity he conducted training ex-

ercises and evaluated combat readiness for units in

the southeast and Puerto Rico. He served a com-

bined 25 years in the regular army and reserves.

Vann’s civilian career includes 30 years of trade

and industry association executive service for three

major industries, the last being the Kentucky Manu-

factured Housing Institute (KMHI). His primary du-

ties as chief staff executive included overall staff lead-

ership, coordination of volunteer committees and a

In Country – Vann (center) shown with South Vietnamese

soldiers he advised during the war in Southeast Asia

board of directors, professional training, public/media

relations, legislative and government relations, member

services, and legal affairs. He retired from KMHI in

2011.

Vann currently works part-time in event planning,

vehicle parking and ushering at for the UK athletic de-

partment, Lexington Legends Baseball, Lexington Cen-

ter/Rupp Arena and Keeneland Race Course. He is

married with three adult children and one granddaugh-

ter. The Vanns make their home in Frankfort and be-

long to Tates Creek Presbyterian Church in Lexington. LTC (Ret.) Thad Vann

BG Leslie E. Beavers (Ret)

On another matter, I’m so proud of our members for stepping up to the plate to support

Thomson-Hood residents. After a lackluster contribution during 2014, you folks reached into

your hearts and wallets last month to allow us to make a sizeable donation. I’m sure that the

great patriots who reside at THVC will be greatly appreciative when we present that check.

IItt’’ss tthhaatt ttiimmee ooff yyeeaarr aaggaaiinn……..

Chapter dues obligations for 2016 began Jan. 1. To renew, com-

plete the form on p. 4 and either mail it with your check to Pat

Jones or bring it to her at this month’s meeting. Or you can renew

online. Go to MOAA’s home page. Click on the “Chapters &

Councils” tab at the top, then click on “Chapter dues” and follow

the instructions.

Welcome aboard – The Bluegrass Chapter welcomes our newest member, LtCol

(USAF, Ret.) Ed Shoup, a chaplain.

November Meeting – The chapter was pleased to host two UK Army ROTC cadets, Drew Myers

(left) and Trent Rice, to our November luncheon. They were accompanied by UK Professor

of Military Science, LTC Thomas Krupp, at right.

pp.. 33,, BBLLUUEEGGRRAASSSS BBUUGGLLEE NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 22001155

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AAnnnniivveerrssaarryy

Chapter President BG Les Beavers presented Vietnam

veterans, including CAPT Jerry Cook, Vietnam War lapel pins at the November meeting. The pin, shown

below, was created to com-memorate the war’s 50th anniversary.

Veterans ID card to replace DD-214 Last year Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Veteran’s

Identification Card Act of 2015. The law directs the VA to issue a veteran’s ID

card to a requesting veteran who is neither entitled to military retired pay nor en-

rolled in the VA system of patient enrollment.

The law requires the card, among other things, to: (1) display the veteran’s

name and photograph, and (2) serve as proof that the veteran has a DD-214 form

or other official document in his or her military personnel. The law also directs VA

to charge a card fee and states that the card shall not serve as proof of entitlement

to benefits.

However veterans eager to trade in their DD-214s for the new cards will have

to wait a while. The VA is drafting regulations that will allow the department to

implement and enforce the legislation. This is a lengthy process that requires time

for a public comment period as well as approval from the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB). The rule-making process is expected to take 12 months or

more. VA is also in the process of developing procedures and policies to implement

the VA ID card program. VA currently estimates the program will be implemented

in 2017. In the meantime, the VA continues to provide a Veterans Identification

Card (VIC) for veterans to use at VA medical facilities. The VIC is issued only to

veterans who are eligible for VA medical benefits and only for the purpose of iden-

tification and check-in for VA medical appointments.

ACA requires new tax

form for retirees

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA),

all Americans including all military mem-

bers (active duty, retired, Selected Re-

serve, or Retired Reserve) and their eligi-

ble family members must have health

care coverage that meets a minimum

standard called minimum essential cov-

erage or pay a tax. TRICARE coverage

meets the minimum essential coverage

requirement under the ACA.

Beginning in January 2016, DFAS will be

providing IRS Form 1095-C to all U.S. mili-

tary members, and IRS Form 1095-B to all

retirees, annuitants, former spouses and

all other individuals having TRICARE cov-

erage during all or any portion of tax

year 2015. An IRS Form 1095 documents

you (and your family members, if appli-

cable) have the minimum essential cov-

erage. More information will be forth-

coming about the delivery method of

these forms.

These forms will document the infor-

mation that DFAS will provide to the IRS

on yourself and your authorized family

members. The forms will be required to

be reported with your 2015 federal tax

return. DFAS will provide you with IRS

Form 1095 series forms no later than Jan.

31, 2016. More info can be found at:

http://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act,

or http://www.dfas.mil/taxes/aca.html.

(source: Army Echoes, Oct. 2015-Jan.

2016.

Bluegrass Chapter

Military Officers Association of America

Mrs. Pat Jones

1660 Atoma Drive

Lexington, KY 40511

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID

LEXINGTON, KY PERMIT NO. 398

Last, first, middle name: Rank: National MOAA member no: ________ Spouse name: Email address: ________ Date of birth (month/day): Street address – city, state, Zip code: ________ Month/year entered service________________ Month/year separated________________________________________ Phone number: Cell number: Military status (circle all that apply): Active Duty Drilling National Guard/Reserve Retired

Separated honorably ROTC (1 year free) Widow(er) (no charge) Branch of service (circle one): USA USMC USN USAF USCG NOAA USPHS Want to make a donation? General use: $________ Vets: $_______ ROTC scholarships: $_______

Total enclosed: $________________

Bluegrass Chapter, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) New Membership/Membership Renewal/Donations

Please complete this form and your dues check payable to: BGMOAA. Mail the form and check to our return address. Membership (new/renewal)=$25; widow(er)