Newsletter - Army and Air Force Exchange ServiceAlso, you don’t need to be in Dallas. Newsletter...

Newsletter

AAFES Retired Employees Association

Supporting the Interests of AAFES, Its Retirees and the People it Serves

APRIL 2015

The AREA election booth is about to open! The Board of Directors is now able to

offer a full slate of four candidates for the four elected positions in AREA leader-

ship. Until a change in the AREA Constitution two years ago, the position of Vice

President (then called President Elect) went unfilled through several electoral

cycles—no candidates would commit to run for the office and take the position of

President in the next election.

So the change was made, and today we have four candidates for these positions:

Chuck Poffenbarger, President; Tom Gallagher, Vice President; Terry Corley,

Treasurer.; and Don Smith, Secretary.

All AREA members are eligible to vote by mail using the ballot on page 24. Just

cast your vote and mail it in—deadline is May 15, 2015.

Cast your vote by May 15, 2015

When the AREA Board of Directors met in February, changes were blowing in the wind or at least a few new faces were there. So let’s meet (or re-meet) them all, beginning with the front row: Pat Weaver, Membership Director; Chuck Poffenbarger, Pres-ident; Tom Gallagher, Vice President and Scholarship Program Director; and new to the board, effective June 1, Marcia Kane, Information Director. In the second row: Bob Haver, Member-at-Large; Ken Weaver, VEBA Trustee; Daryl Hinshaw, Auditor; Milt Bergman, Member-at-Large; and Ron Compton, Legal Advisor. Not shown are Dick Fregoe, Member-at-Large and Commu-nity Service Chair; and Don Smith, Secretary. Ken Weaver, Daryl Hinshaw and Ron Compton are recent Board newcomers.

YOUR AREA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chuck Poffenbarger Tom Gallagher

Terry Corley

AREA board election features four candidates for first time in a long time

Don Smith

C h u c k P o f f e n b a r g e r , P r e s i d e n t

April 2015 AREA NEW SLETTER

We are pleased to announce that Marcia Kane has accepted the position of Information Director, which includes respon-

sibility for the quarterly Newsletter, and was voted a board member at our February 26th board meeting. Marcia worked

with Larry Phillips on this Newsletter and Larry will oversee Marcia’s efforts with the July Newsletter. After that, Larry

will retire from his 15-year Newsletter editorship. Marcia’s appointment date is June 1st, the beginning of the new 2-year

term for elected Officers of the Association (President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary.) Marcia’s position, as

well as several others, is not voted on by the members. Instead, it is voted on by the board and subsequently appointed by

the president for indefinite terms.

Most of us know Marcia from the many years she worked at AAFES and her final assignment as Director, Benefits

Branch. When we had conventions or other group meetings, Marcia would always come to the General Meeting and brief

retirees on policy and other changes and leave us all better informed. It was a pleasure working with her and we all look

forward to a close association again.

Welcome aboard, Marcia.

(Please see page 17—Marcia reintroduces herself and shares some inside stuff you may not know about her.)

February 27 Board Meeting At our board meeting, we discussed the three items I outlined in the January Newsletter that require immediate attention

if our organization is to continue to function as it currently does.

Our General Fund needs more income. AREA dues for members are $15/year, a rather nominal amount. Spouses are in-

cluded at no additional dues amount. See our web site for details: http://www.aafes.com/about-exchange/retired-

employees-association/

Reply: We’re looking at various alternatives to reducing expenses, thus potentially negating the need for an increase

in membership dues. We formed an ad hoc committee to research the alternatives and will be sending chapter presi-

dents an email within the next few months to obtain their views.

We need a replacement for Larry as the AREA Information Director. It’s an interesting volunteer opportunity, allowing

full use of creativity. Of course, you won’t have to do all of the Newsletter work alone. There are three people, who

always help out, and chapters and others who submit articles for publication. Also, you don’t need to be in Dallas.

Newsletter details can be sent and received via email.

Reply: Done. Marcia Kane will be our new Information Director, effective June 1.

We need more people to sign up for receipt of the Newsletter via email attachment rather than receiving it in the mail. It

will save us a lot of money.

Reply: This is part of the ad hoc committee’s charter. We may have to insist that members with access to the internet

agree to receive their Newsletter electronically. Leaving the decision as a volunteer item, as it is now, is not generat-

ing the numbers needed to significantly reduce costs.

AREA Update

AREA NEW SLETTER April 2015

YOUR EXCHANGE BENEFITS…

Wellness is a lifelong journey, from staying healthy to managing conditions. Your medical plan includes no-cost programs and

services to help you enjoy better health.

Simple Steps To A Healthier Life® is an online wellness program that helps you with losing weight, eating healthier and manag-

ing stress. You start by completing the Health Assessment (an online questionnaire), then you receive a health report and recom-

mendations on online wellness programs to complete. Remember, you earn a $50 Health Incentive Credit when you complete or

update the Health Assessment.

Aetna Health Connections Disease Management Program pairs you with trained nurses who can help you better manage one or

more chronic health conditions. Contact Aetna Member Services at 1-800-367-6276 to find out more information.

The Informed Health® Line (1-800-556-1555) is a toll-free phone line staffed by

registered nurses who can answer health-related questions and help you handle imme-

diate non-emergency issues and concerns.

The Aetna Pharmacy Advisor Program (1-877-418-4128)lets you talk by phone,

toll-free, with pharmacists who can help with your medication-related questions and

concerns.

As an Aetna member, you can use discounts to save on vision and hearing care, fitness

memberships, natural products and services, weight management programs and more.

You can access your discounts at www.aetnanavigator.com or contact Aetna Member

Services at 1-800-367-6276. AAFES Retired

Employees Association

The AREA Newsletter is published in

January, April, July and October

Mailing Address: AREA

P. O Box 380614

Duncanville, TX 75138-0614

President:

Chuck Poffenbarger

[email protected]

Tel: (972) 296-0388 Membership & Address Changes:

Send your NEWSLETTER ADDRESS

and MEMBERSHIP changes and your

MEMBERSHIP DUES to the AREA

Membership Director Pat Weaver.

[email protected]

Tel: (972) 780-9810

Newsletter input:

Submit articles to the editor by e-mail

to Newsletter Editor: Marcia Kane

[email protected]

[email protected]

AREA Web address:

http://www.aafes.com/about-exchange/retired-employees-association/

DoD NAF Health Benefits offers free health and wellness programs

Quit smoking —get Immediate health benefits!

If you quit today …Your heart would start to recover the very next day...Your risk of

heart disease would drop sharply after two years...You'd be less at risk for many can-

cers. Plus, you can count on a brighter smile, bigger savings and more energy.

Why it's hard to quit: It's the nicotine. When you smoke, it spreads powerful, pleasing

feelings throughout your body. And you feel that pull to smoke in just about everything

you do — eating, drinking, celebrating and more.

Smoking less doesn't work: Studies show that even if you smoke less, you'll likely

inhale deeper. You'll get the same amount of nicotine, driving you to continue the habit.

The only way to quit smoking is to quit for good.

How our health plan helps you with your efforts to quit: Full coverage (no copay-

ments) for a 180-day supply of the following FDA medications that can ease withdraw-

al symptoms and help you succeed in quitting:

1. Bupropion SR

2. Nicotine gum

3. Nicotine inhaler

4. Nicotine lozenge

5. Nicotine nasal spray

6. Nicotine patch

7. Varenicline

To take advantage of this benefit, you must get a prescription from your doctor.

Also, your preventive care benefits will continue to cover eight smoking cessation

counseling sessions every 12 months. Discuss the advantages of these counseling ses-

sions with your doctor. For more information about the smoking cessation program, call

Aetna Member Services at 1-800-367-6276. For Aetna International, call 1-888-506-

2278. Visit Aetna InteliHealth® at www.intelihealth.com for more tips to quit smoking.



It is an ongoing battle to hold down health plan increases, especially as prescription

drugs continue to steadily rise. New specialty drugs coming onto the market and price increases for brand-name drugs are the main forces driving prescription drug cost trends.

Specialty drugs are typically less than one percent of all prescriptions, yet nationally these drugs now account for more than 25% of total prescription drug costs. Nationwide the projected specialty drug/

biotech cost trend rate for 2015 is an exceptionally high 19.4%.

While medical costs were mostly unchanged for AAFES retirees from

2013 to 2014, prescriptions increased by $5.8 million, a little over 20%.

For AAFES overall, prescriptions increased by $10.4 million (23%) from

2013 to 2014. That is why changes were necessary in 2015.

The NAF Health Benefits Program pharmacy plan under Aet-

na moved from a Three Tier Formulary in 2014 to a Four Tier

Formulary for 2015. The added fourth tier is for specialty

pharmacy. It is also the first time since 2009 that pharmacy

copays and/or coinsurance have changed. How much you pay

for a prescription depends on the type of drug used.

For 2015, the pharmacy tiers are set as follows:

The Tier One copay is $10 for generic drugs.

The Tier Two copay went from $20 to $35 for brand-name drugs on the preferred drug list.

The Tier Three percentage is 35%. However, the per-prescription minimum went from $35 to $60, and the maximum

went from $100 to $125.

The Tier Four is for specialty pharmacy. The cost you pay is 40%, with a minimum of $60 and a maximum of $125. Spe-

cialty medications are generally injectable drugs requiring special shipping and handling (such as refrigeration). Aetna

Specialty Pharmacy® fills prescriptions for specialty drugs.

We realize that for many of you these changes mean an increase in costs. For the drugs that moved from Tier Two to Tier Three, the

copays went from normally $20 last year to a new copay based on the above description. Below are three of the most widely used

prescriptions along with some cheaper alternative choices.

Drug Name Total # of Rx's

Cost to Plan

Avg. Rx Cost Alternatives

DIOVAN 1,914 $263,787 $138 eprosartanmesylate, irbesartan, losartan potassium, valsartan, EXFORGE, EXFORGE HCT

LYRICA 1,579 $407,634 $258 gabapentin, lamotrigine, topiramate, venlafaxine hcler, SAVELLA

ADVAIR DISKU 1,436 $442,319 $308 DULERA, SYMBICORT

Understanding the new pharmacy costs

Continued on page 5

$10 Copay $35 Copay 35% Copay 40% Copay



For the drugs that moved from Tier Two to Tier Four, the copay amounts went from $20 to $125, but when you look at the total cost

of those drugs, it is still a bargain. Here are at the top three prescribed drugs that moved from Tier Two to Tier Four:

The most expensive drug in this group costs more than $10,000 per prescription.

It is very important to talk to your physician about the prescription options available to you, in order to minimize your cost. Always

use less expensive generic prescriptions, if possible.

Members can estimate the cost of their drugs by visiting www.aetna.comand logging into Aetna Navigator® and selecting ―Aetna

Pharmacy‖ and then choose ―Get Drug Prices‖.

To learn more about our Aetna Pharmacy Plan Drug List, or for the most up-to-date preferred drug, precertification or quantity lim-

its information — which is subject to change during the year — go to www.aetna.com/formularyand then go to the drop down for

Aetna Commercial Formulary and select 2015 Aetna Commercial Four Tier Open Formulary (Self Insured).

—Brian Poss, Director of Benefits, AAFES

Drug Name Total # of Rx's Total Cost Avg. Rx Cost

HUMIRA 433 $1,346,531 $3,110

ENBREL 295 $845,539 $2,866

COPAXONE 77 $418,369 $5,433

‘Talk to your physician about prescription options...in order to minimize your cost’

In most cases, families have to make funeral arrangements with-

in 48 hours of the death of a loved one. Few individuals know

exactly how to plan a funeral. The actual details of the process,

including things like selecting a casket, comparing funeral

homes, negotiating a memorial service time—those can be a real

challenge for someone facing this crisis.

Aetna offers, at no charge to our associates with life insurance,

Everest Funeral Planning and Concierge Services. This is a

personalized program designed to help guide you through the

funeral planning process and to provide a support network and

resource center to help make informed decisions- even when

you only have a few days to plan the entire funeral. Everest Ad-

visors are licensed funeral directors with extensive knowledge

of how the funeral industry functions, having worked in a funer-

al home at some point in their careers. At the time of a death, a family contacting Everest and an Advi-

sor will be assigned to work with them over the telephone to

provide 24-hour assistance throughout the funeral planning pro-

cess.

If plans were made in advance, a personalized funeral plan

is confirmed

If not, the Advisor will help the family create a personal-

ized funeral plan which includes:

o Providing a step-by-step guide through the many deci-

sions required of the family

o Sharing options with the family, but never recommend-

ing one product or service over another

o Researching prices for funeral products and services

o Organizing phone conferences (toll-free) for geograph-

ically dispersed family members to participate in the

funeral planning process

o Working with a funeral director if requested by the

family

Everest assists with preplanning by guiding clients through the

funeral planning process; documenting end-of-life wishes and

storing the information in a secure data warehouse.

Getting Started

Visit www.everestfuneral.com/aetna

Enter your e-mail address and the Enrollment Identifi-

cation Code: AETNA0055

If you do not have access to a computer, advisors are

available by phone

In the United States: 1-800-913-8318

Overseas: 011-1-905-754-1922

In time of need call...

Everest Funeral Planning and Concierge Services



Q. On our pension payment, State Street has finally made it possible to change the tax withholding amount on line. Is there any

way that they could give us the option of stopping the paper "Advice of Deposit" each month, and just make a copy of it available

online? That way, a retiree can choose to no longer receive the paper statement each month, and just view it online. Now online,

you have the option of seeing that a payment was made, and the total net amount, but no other information. If they could make an

exact copy available online of what we receive in the mail each month, that would be great. It just seems to me that for a company

that does nothing but retiree payments, State Street's website is not real helpful or user friendly.

A. You should have the option to turn the notices off in State Street’s MyPenPay site, https://aafesretirement.mypenpay.com . This

State Street web site for AAFES Retirees provides you access to your pension payment history, payment detail, payment status,

address of payment and tax elections. The web site also gives you the ability to process changes to your payments including pay-

ment method changes, address changes and tax withholding changes. You can suppress the mailing of your State Street monthly

notices by doing this: From the ―Payment Method Screen‖, click on ―Banking Information‖ and at the bottom of the page it gives

you the option to turn the notices off. You will go through a couple of confirmation steps and receive a letter in the mail confirming

the change. If you want to speak with a customer service representative from State Street, call 1-877-247-2769.

Q. During our recent AREA meeting, a question was asked about if our older members need to get revaccinated because of the re-

cent measles outbreak in California. There was quite a bit of discussion about if you were born after 1956 you need to check your

shot records just to make sure, and then there were more questions about whether this strain of measles was different than the one

we were vaccinated for as kids. Hoping you will be able to shed some light on this.

A. Aetna advised that the CDC has not changed their guidance on the vaccinations for measles due to the California outbreak. The

simple answer is if you have already been vaccinated there is not a need to revaccinate. If not already vaccinated, then you should

get it. It used to be assumed that all those born before 1957 had been exposed or had measles. This is no longer considered a univer-

sal truth. Having the disease is not a reason to avoid vaccination. Aetna does cover Measles immunoglobulin for unvaccinated mem-

bers who have documented exposure. As usual, members should talk to their healthcare provider about the decision to revaccinate.

Q. My uncle has told me that he has a free membership to his local Y, either through Medicare or his secondary, he isn't sure. Does

anyone know if a free gym membership is available to AAFES retirees either through Aetna or Medicare? I know about discounted

ones; I'm asking about free.

A. Unfortunately we don’t have any free memberships. You can get discounts to fitness centers through Aetna and Global-

Fit. Medicare does not cover any type of gym membership, YMCA or otherwise. There are however some Medicare Advantage

Plans that offer "Silver Sneaker". Silver Sneakers will pay for your membership in the Y or some other facilities, depending on

your area. The AARP United Healthcare Medicare Supplement also offers Silver Sneakers in some areas. You can get discounts to

fitness centers through Aetna and GlobalFit—for more information, visit these websites:

Aetna Discounts: https://member.aetna.com/memberSecure/featureRouter/contentPage?page=discountPrograms

GlobalFit: https://www.globalfit.com/

Q. I retired from the Exchange May 31, 2014 with 30 years of service. (31.5 years with sick leave). I recently heard a "rumor" that

our "100% paid for" retiree health insurance (those of us that were grand-fathered since 1999 cut off) is being reviewed for a

change? I'm aware that they are looking at DoD funding and consolidation of the Exchange Services. Have you heard of any pro-

posed changes to our retiree health care benefit? For example, making us pay a monthly premium other than the after 65 year old

medicare payment. Please let me know and maybe put some kind of update in the next AREA publication.

A. What you heard is a ―rumor‖. AAFES does not have any intention of making grandfathered retirees pay for their health insur-

ance. As far as what may eventually happen with any consolidation, it is way too early to even speculate. Whatever the case may be,

we will continue to fight to keep the benefits you have.

Do you have a question? The answer will come quickly if you write...

[email protected] [email protected] or [email protected]

Benefits Q&A— Questions you ask; answers from Exchange Benefits


CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Golden Gate Chapter—The first AREA-GG luncheon for 2015 was held at Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay, CA on Feb-

ruary 4, 2015. The second Golden Gate AREA luncheon for 2015 was held at Trader Vic's in Emeryville, CA on March 4, 2015.

Fourteen members and families (and Buddy) enjoyed the Aloha Spirit at this world famous restaurant.

Ernie Kodama, Buddy, Marion Grohoski & Val Grohoski

Sandra Westfall & Neil Burns

Val & Marion Grohoski

Mary Lou Geimer & Lorraine Harris

Noble Emery, Carol Beatty & Joan Turner Marion Grohoski & Buddy

"Chick" Kretz, Gina Kretz & Ernie Kodama

Arlene Hadfield &Julie Lee GG members enjoy lunch at Trader Vic’s.

Sandra Westfall, Neil Burns, Joan Turner, Carol Beatty, Noble Em-

ery, Dennis Gilman, Gina Kretz & Chick Kretz Dennis Gilman, Lou Vitalie, Arline Gilman, Gina

Kretz, Chick Kretz & Ikue Burney


CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Alamo Chapter—The Alamo Chapter held their Valentine dinner at Pompeii Grill on Febru-ary12. The group chose from a variety of tempting Italian entrees. Each member was given a small cup of chocolates and there were heart shaped plates on each table holding chocolate covered strawberries. A $1 per ticket raffle was held. B Klein won a lunch for two to Pompeii Grill and Rhoda Freitas won the drawing for 1/2 the pot. Renee Davia entertained with music on the harp.

—Brenda Borland

Tim Brogan, Bob Askew, Ann Brogan, Virgina Askew, Javier

Cerna, Marilyn Cerna, Kathy Jackson, Retha Stackleather, Mark

Porter, B Klein, Ken Klein, Jackie Robinson and Dan Forsch.

Tony Trevino, Ella Trevino, Eric Gunn, Stephani Solis, Mike Rohrer,

Bette Rohrer, Tom Gross, Diane Gross, Mike Bresnok and Shannon

Soefje

Song Choe, Lois Lown,

Ann Pauleu, Brenda Bor-

land, Bill Dobbs, Janice

Dobbs, Lou Sheridan, Phu-

ong Rury, Ruth Lown, Len

Freitas and Rhoda Freitas.

Renee Davia

played on a

native harp.

If you wish to include AREA in your will...

―From time to time retired associates of AAFES leave bequests to the AREA in their will. If

you desire to make such a bequest we recommend providing the person that prepares your for-

mally written and executed will with the following sample clause. If you make such a bequest

please notify AREA at the same address as in the clause."

"I give (blank dollars/property) to the Army Air Force Exchange Service Retired Employees

Association (AREA), P.O. Box 380614, Duncanville, Texas 75138."

Northern California Chapter— February’s meeting at Woody’s Grill and Bar was well attended by 30 members and guests. Also

our membership increased by two this month with Margie Iwamoto and Yaeko Cooper joining us. Door prize winners were Arlene

Ferry, Ruth Hayes, Margaret Schaetzle, Eulie MacDougal, Yaeko Cooper and Renate Atkinson. We’re in for a busy time this spring,

with the bake and used book sale on april 4 at McClellan BX. In addition we will also be collecting and selling DVDs, CDs, puzzles

and craft items. Upcoming meetings will be at Mini’s Café in Sacramento, March 11; Country Waffles, Sacramento, April 8; Apple-

bee’s, Rancho Cordova, May 13; and El Tapatio, Citrus Heights, June 10. After taking a summer vacation in July and August, there

will be three more luncheons and the Christmas luncheon to end the year.


CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Gulf Coast Chapter —The February Luncheon was another fun-filled monthly AAFES Retiree luncheon . Amazing location, ex-

ceptional food and great camaraderie. I tried to get a group shot but they were in the restaurant chatting and catching up. Poor Steve

Mitchell (left above) tried getting them outside but to no such luck - they needed to catch up! Some members did gather outside so

their photos are shown above. A truly fun relaxed place to enjoy a superb lunch and talk AAFES stores (Hawaiian lingo) We also

celebrated the February birthdays.

Our March location was the Crab Trap! Another very enjoyable luncheon - 37 attendees - Great location, great food, great service

and most important - great camaraderie. (Enjoy the photos below.)

--Jan Comstock

Kay Pesini Bernice Brown Cynthia Gittens Barbara Robinson

50/50 winner

Fort Dix-McGuire—Our Spring Lunch-eon took place at Cracker Barrel and was another great success...we had over 40 members attending. The wonderful weath-er, after all that snow, contributed to the great participation. Everyone had a real good time! Four members shown in the photographs below were the door prizes winners. The other photos show our happy crowd enjoying a great meal.

--Fran Stanley


NORTH TEXAS CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

NTC Holiday Celebration and Gift Exchange – 44 NTC-AREA members celebrated the season at Lefty’s Lobster & Chowder

House. Gifts were exchanged… some more than once and others may be seen again next year. The door prizes were plentiful and

in shades of red, white and blush. As always, the food was delicious, lobster and lamb were special treats and the service was su-

perb! Celebrating the season with good friends, good food and a lot of laughs made the afternoon a very special occasion.

—Linda Dean

Beth Jones and Leon & Marilyn Levin

Sue Sheff watching the server crack her lobster

Hilde & Rick Doyle and Jack Leavitt

Patsy Waterreus, Kay Wright and Chuck Poffenbarger

Phyllis McQueen, Barbara Caisse and Nancy Chavies

Front: Ruth Watson and Kav Kavanaugh; Back: Chuck & Lina Poffenbarger

Joe & Johanna Ferreyra

Roy Dean, John Liczbinski and Jerry Johnston

Linda Dean, Christine Justus and Christa Liczbinski

Sandy Johnston, Helen Conti and Sue Sheff

Ruth Watson and Chong-A Williams

Hilde Schultz and Bonnie Gauvin

Christine Justus and Margaret Gibson

Paula Lockett and Hilde & Rick Doyle

Michelle Priester and Bill Eddings

Bill Eddings and Victor Morgan Glenda Hume and

Brenda Charron Brenda Charron & Damon Ladd


More Chapter Happenings on pages 14-15

NORTH TEXAS CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Corinne & Bill McQueen

NTC attendees (not in order) in the group photo are : Barbara Caisse, Nancy Chavies, Frank Clark, Jerry & Carlon Cloud, Helen Conti & Family, Roger & Julie Cosby, Roy & Linda Dean, Richard & Hilde Doyle, Joe & Johanna Ferreyra, Dick & Gisela Fregoe, Bonnie Gauvin, Leonard & Joyce Jefferys, Mike Jones, Christine Justus, Jack & JoAnn Leavitt, Bruce Luedke, Chuck & Lina Poffenbarger, Hilde Schulz, Richard & Sue Sheff, Terry & Sandy Taylor, Ruth Wat-son, Chong-A Williams

Chuck & Lina Poffenbarger Gisela & Dick Fregoe

Richard & Hilde Doyle Barbara Caisse, Nancy Chavies, Christine Justice, Bonnie Gauvin and Hilde Schulz Helen Conti & 5 family members Ruth Watson

Opus Brunch & Dallas Symphony, 21 Dec – 42+ alumni, family and friends attended the spectacular Holiday Dallas Symphony

Concert at the Meyerson. First we enjoyed a scrumptious brunch at the Opus Restaurant making the concert even more special.

Rodeo & Dinner - The North Texas Chapter of AREA members attended the Fort

Worth Stock Show & Rodeo on military day and then headed for Los Vaqueros, a

favorite Mexican restaurant in the Stock Yard District. Fun, food, friends and a

few margaritas made the cold day seem a lot warmer.

Pat Duggan and Chong-A Williams

Jerry Johnston, Dalton Murayama and Carmen Conti

Corinne & Bill McQueen, Bill Eddings, Roy Dean, Sandy & Jerry Johnston and Michelle Priester

Patsy Waterrues

Richard & Sue Sheff

Tim & Birgit Lane

Bill Eddings


Tom Ige’s tips for a trip to Japan

(Editor’s Note: Tom Ige and his family returned to

Japan in 2014 and toured on their own. After returning

home, Tom decided he’s make up a list of travel tips

that could help anyone wishing to take a trip that’s not

in category of an escorted tour or cruise. With the able

assistance of his daughter, Natalie Muldaur, the fami-

ly duo also sent in some pictures to help illustrate their

visit. While you may know him as Tom, his given name

in Japanase is Tsutomu, but Natalie says everyone in

the USA knows him at Tom...so we will refer to Tsuto-

mu as Tom in this article and the captions.)

By Tom Ige

We had a fun and exciting visit to Japan last fall

and while many of you may have been there be-

fore, but not recently, or those having thoughts of

visiting Japan here are some planning ideas that

will be useful.

Tom’s Tips for Touring Japan on Your Own

1. Cell phone. Do not rent a cell phone there. It is very expensive. Instead, rent it here for a nominal fee . They are readily available.

It's fun to walk and shop on your own and still stay in touch. The streets, shops, everywhere are always crowded and you can easily

be separated.

2. JR Railroad Pass. If you're planning to travel on the Bullet Train buy a Japan RR Pass here. It is a very convenient way to trav-

el. They are, however, only for use on Japan Railroad (JR) train and other JR operated transportation. The cost is very reasonable

compare to buying tickets there. They can only be purchased outside Japan.

3. Speak Japanese? If you do, speak first so that they can reply without having to wonder how to reply. If not, the conversation

can become confusing because most Japanese can now speak some English but the spoken Japanese includes English words and

many are abbreviated.

4. Take a coin purse. Hundred yen notes are no longer used. You can have a handful of coins in no time. Using a coin purse makes

it easier on your pocket/purse and to pay for your purchase.

5. Directions. For those of you who have not been there recently do not give direction to the taxi drive or anyone else on how to

get where you want to go. So much has changed that the road you took then may no longer be there or rerouted.

6. Group or private tours. We, 6 of us, found that hiring a tour van with a English speaking guide was more economical than a

bus tour. Check bus tours and prices on pamphlets available at hotels, train stations and in many other locations. Hotel staff can as-

sist you in getting tour van info and fares..

7. Food when traveling. You do not have to buy food for meals to take with you. They're available everywhere and always, re-

gional favorites too. If you need something to drink or a snack vending machines, too, are everywhere.

8. Tips. As you know, tipping is not the norm there. You may find your tip being declined. A ―thank you‖ will suffice.

9. Dining. Food is always said to be ―expensive‖ but you can enjoy ―Izakaya,‖ a Japanese Pub that serves good food and drinks,

and ―revolving sushi bars.‖ Many tourists are now enjoying small ―mom and pop‖ shops serving Ramen noodles and traditional Jap-

anese and western dishes and enjoying the atmosphere, friendship, and food.

10. Distance. If you ask anyone how far is it to walk to your destination you will be told in number of minutes and not by blocks or

street name. Remember, the walking time mentioned is for people with strong legs in good health. Give yourself additional walking

time based on your age, health and how well you walk.

11. Go Native! And lastly, you will enjoy Japan if you have strong legs, good appetite and a budget you can manage. Go the way

―natives do‖ like so many tourists are now doing and you will enjoy the visit.

Our group of six at the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto. Ray and Natalie, Gary, Tom, Pauline and Kyle. (Natalie is Tom’s daughter and Ray is her husband. Pauline is Tom’s niece and Gary is her husband and Kyle is their son)


If you get a chance to go stay in a ryokan, do it! This is our dinner in our tatami room. What a great experience!

Kyle and Gary in the door of an Izakaya we found in Kyoto. Very reason-able and great food!

Natalie on the Shinkansen train with a Bento box purchased at the train station!

Tom, Natalie and Ray at the family shrine, with small urn of Helen’s ashes (Tom’s wife and Natalie’s mom.)

Chirashi-sushi to go!


CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

Southeastern Chapter—We celebrated

our Christmas party at Red Lobster in

Morrow, GA, with 28 members and guests

attending. Lee Stanchfield and her guest,

Jim Knight, donated a beautiful floral

centerpiece for all of us to enjoy and to be

included as a raffle ticket drawing prize.

Luan Fields won the v centerpiece, Carol

Painter won the top cash prize of $30 and

Gary Eckhardt won the $20 cash prize.

Several other non-monetary prizes were

also raffled away. Everyone brought in

beautifully wrapped gifts, which we auc-

tioned off. Our raffle ticket sale and our

gift auction generated $441 for our schol-

arship fund donation.

Our annual business meeting was at the

Olive Garden in Morrow on January 15,

2015. We voted to keep our yearly chapter

dues the same for 2015 at $7.50 per per-

son, with $2.50 of it going as an automatic

donation for yearly scholarship donation.

Our get-togethers will remain on the third

Thursday of the month at 1 p.m., and we’ll

have nine meetings again this year. James

Mahoney was re-elected as President;

Dave Painter, Vice President and Mel

Taylor, Secretary/Treasurer. They volun-

tarily took over vacant positions with the

past two years so they remained in their

offices.

We voted to make our annual scholarship

donation $1,000 for this year, which is a

new record for our chapter. Our new rec

ord donation was made possible by the

automatic donation from each member’s

yearly dues, our yearly white elephant auc-

tion and our members’ generous support of

our Christmas party raffle ticket purchase

and auction of their own brought-in gifts.

In addition, several members—Hetty Cox,

Leo Hesson, Wade and Fredda Raczyn-

ski, Mary and Rick McClendon, Dave

and Deanna Nelson, James Mahoney

and Dave and Carole Painter—made

mail-in or extra donations.

Our oldest member was Oscar Heyman at

98 years young, when he passed away last

year. Now Leo Hesson, 94, is our oldest

member.

—James Mahoney

Jim Knight, Lee Stanchfield, Mary Beth & Gary Eckhardt

Carole Painter, Doug & Louise Laskey David Reeves, Cindy Cooper, Dave Painter

“General” Lee Kleckley, Liz Green & son, William

Nettie Gleaton, Mary Taylor, “General” Lee Kleckley, Liz Green

Debbie Jeffreys, Luan Fields, Kim Barton

Lee Boyd, Kathy Gailey, Debbie Jeffreys

Joe & Magali Haser, Joe Madding Joe & Pat Madding, Mary Taylor David Reeves, Dave Painter, James Mahoney, Mel Taylor


CHAPTER HAPPENINGS

West Georgia Chapter— In the month of November we celebrated the birthday of a young 90 -YEAR

-old, Mrs. Arlene Moore...she was presented a cake and flowers, and we all sang Happy Birthday. Next

we celebrated our annual Christmas dinner and gift exchange playing Dirty Santa,with 40 people taking

part..Thanks to all for coming. Lastly we are supported a young AAFES associate Tameka Archie a

single mom of four, with some additional food for the holidays..

—Elizabeth Baum

Arleen Moore...celebrating

her 90th birthday with cake

Chapter members attending the

Christmas dinner were Hattie Stewart,

Gloria Williams, Lydia Jones, Christine

and Donald Rembold, Norma and

Frank Jones and Peggy, Katrina Cun-

ningham and Pat, Mr. and Mrs. Hillman

and Dot Few.

Friday coffee group enjoys Christmas breakfast

A group of AAFES retirees who have been meeting every Friday morning

for the past 20 years in an Arlington restaurant to enjoy coffee and chit chat

gathered at Roy and Linda Dean's home for a Christmas breakfast. The

group enjoyed breakfast tacos, egg casserole, B-52s, mimosas, pumpkin

coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, fruit salad and other goodies then divided into

teams for a 30-question Christmas quiz. Linda Dean

Ken Terry & Mike Jones

Terry Hanson

Ken Terry &Judy Hanson

Mac Terry &Nancy Minton

Christa Liczbinski, Linda

Dean & John Liczbinski

Tom Minton cooking tacos

Judy Hanson, Mac Terry &

Nancy Minton

Christa Liczbinski & Buddy Harrington Bruce Leudke & John Liczbinski


Hi, my name is Marcia Kane, and I am

your new AREA Information Director.

The position sounds important, so I hope I

am up to the job that Larry Phillips has

done so well for so long. Larry will be

sorely missed as he has done such a great

job. He is going to handle the April issue

and ―shadow‖ my efforts with the July

newsletter to make sure I do this right.

Many of you may remember me as the

former Benefits Manager (now called the

Director, Benefits) in the Treasury Depart-

ment, Finance and Accounting Directorate

(FA).

I retired from AAFES in December 2005. I

know a lot of retirees as a result of work-

ing in that position, so it feels like I’m

talking with family as I write this article.

My days now are mostly filled with card

parties (bridge); Bunco; and volunteer

work for Providence Hospice (in Whit-

ney), and at the White Bluff Chapel, an

Interdenominational Christian chapel. I’ve

worked a few temporary jobs to keep out

of trouble, and we love camping in our

motor coach whenever possible. We also

love to travel whenever possible.

Here is a snapshot of my background with

AAFES for those who do not know me. I

started with AAFES in October 1972 at

the Golden Gate Exchange Region in San

Francisco, CA. I was a newly married mil-

itary spouse shortly after I started work for

AAFES. Patrick and I have been married

for 42 years in January 2015. Patrick also

worked for AAFES in security at the Pre-

sidio main store and the San Antonio and

Ft. Worth warehouses before going to

work for General Dynamics (now Lock-

heed Martin) in Ft. Worth, TX in 1980.

In 1976, I was accepted into the AAFES

personnel management trainee program

and was transferred to San Antonio, TX

(at Lackland AFB). At the time, I only had

one year of college, so it was a true honor

to be selected as ―management material‖

by my bosses and HQ AAFES career man-

agement.

After a number of different HR jobs at the

South Texas Area Exchange, Carswell,

and HQ AAFES, I worked for about a year

in AD in the editorial/writing branch. It

was there that I finally finished my BBA

degree, Magna Cum Laude, through TCU

in 1988. I was promoted to the Benefits

Communications position, newly created

by Bob Pardue and Ken Weaver, in the

Insurance and Pension Administration

Branch in FA in 1989. I completed my

Certified Employee Benefits Specialist

(CEBS) certification through the Wharton

School of Business in Pennsylvania and

became a CEBS fellow.

I was eventually promoted to Benefits

Manager, and I stayed in that position until

retirement (in December 2005).

My goal as your Information Director is to

make sure retirees can keep in touch with

old friends and colleagues and keep you

informed about your retiree benefits. Also,

I want to make sure we promote the AR-

EA Scholarship program, chapter happen-

ings, and other AAFES news of interest to

retirees.

I would like AREA chapter presidents to

continue sharing photos/articles about fel-

low retirees. You don’t know what a sim-

ple photo at a chapter luncheon can do for

people. For example, I recently saw a pho-

to of Iyoko Pao who I worked with at

Golden Gate Exchange Region. Even

though we keep in touch through Christ-

mas cards, it was a real joy just to see her

photo!

I must admit that I am selfish in taking this

volunteer position because I considered

insurance and pension benefits as ―my

baby‖ for several years, and I still have a

vested interest! That’s especially true for

the DoD NAF Health Benefits Program,

which I helped develop and implement

along with the other NAF employers. I

can’t tell you the number of hours of lost

sleep I had over such things as continued

AAFES retiree health care coverage and

the pension plan aggregation proposal. The

DoD NAF Personnel Policies offices, and

certain congressional folks, were very

much involved in these issues, and some-

times my job was a real challenge.

The fight to retain valuable benefits for

current associates and current/future retir-

ees is a continuing concern of mine. Not

only is it important to each of you, but it’s

also important to AAFES as an organiza-

tion. That’s because AAFES wants to be a

―desired‖ employer as defined by the

AAFES Associate Satisfaction Index goals

we read about in the Exchange Post.

I look forward to working with all of you.

Please be kind when I mess up, I’m a lot

older than I was nine years ago at retire-

ment, and the brain is feeling the effects of

the years!

Marcia K. Kane

24008 Oak Shadow

Whitney, TX 76692

Home Phone: 254-694-9914

E-mail: [email protected]

Marcia and Patrick Kane—then and now—showing the couple in 1977 in San Francisco; the

more recent photo was taken in 2012.

Meet Marcia Kane—your new AREA Information Director (editor)


AREA Community Service Awards – Spring, 2015 The Retired Employees Association recognizes Exchange Retirees and Associates who volunteer their time and devote

other resources, such as personal knowledge and expertise, to help improve the economic, civic and social health of the

communities where they live and work. The Community Service Review Committee, Richard Fregoe, Chairman, and

members Chuck Poffenbarger, Jerry Cloud and Don Streeter reviewed the nominations and, along with the entire AR-

EA membership, are pleased to recognize these Exchange Retirees and Associates for their commitment to their com-

munities’ well-being.

All recipients were provided with a Certificate of Appreciation and a recognition letter signed by the program director

and president, AREA. We wish to thank Watt/Spohn Universal, a leading worldwide Exchange Broker, for supporting

the Retired Employees Association through their active involvement in the

Dallas/Fort Worth and Hampton Roads ALA chapters. Watt/Spohn Univer-

sal specializes in representing brand name manufacturers in the Power

Zone, Automotive, Hardware, Housewares, Sporting Goods, Stationary and Consumables categories. They have a long

history of supporting retiree programs. We invite you to visit them at www.wattspohn.com.

COMMUNITY AWARD RECIPIENTS, Spring, 2015

Charles Eagen, AAFES Employee, APO 09123 Charles teaches Karate to young children 8 to 18 years old, and up, twice-a-week in the town of Badem where he resides.

He does this without receiving anything for it. His efforts keep children off the streets and occupied in a productive man-

ner after school.

Pamela Miller, AAFES Employee, Scott AFB

Pam has volunteered for the Boy Scouts of America for over 10 year. She does fun raising, camping trips, and helps the

young receive their badges.

Cynthia Sparkman, AAFES Employee, Scott AFB Cindi and her mother Julie have sent packages to deployed servicemen every month for over two years. They do this to

support our troops overseas.

Larry Phillips, AREA Information Director, Dallas

Larry has been awarded AREA’s President’s Award

for Exceptional Community Service (shown at right)

―for his 15-year contribution to our membership as

AREA Information Director. Volunteering time and

donating other resources, such as personal knowledge

and expertise, helped improve the economic, civic,

and social health of AREA and chapter members, and

the communities where they live and work.‖ He will

―retire‖ a second time on June 1st, having retired first

after an extensive and successful 31-year career at

AAFES. One of Larry’s major responsibilities has

been editor of this Newsletter, an important service

that AREA offers its members. This is Larry’s last

Newsletter. He will be sorely missed for his develop-

ment and editing skills and dedication to the interests

of retirees of AREA.


SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS

DONORS IN MEMORY OF

Edmond Fitzgerald Eva Fitzgerald $500.00

Patricia Frank Dale Frank $25.00

Gary Smith James Stapleton $100.00

Gary Smith Lt. Colonel “Dick” Wilson $100.00

Dorothy Hornus Louis Hornus $25.00

Dorothy Hornus Richard O’Meara $25.00

Dorothy Hornus Rueben Bugge $25.00

Dorothy Hornus Eva Fitzgerald $25.00

Southeastern Chapter Larry Slaughter Oscar Heyman Earl Martin

$1,000.00

Barbara Martinez Thomas Rambo $100.00

Michael Griffin James Stapleton $50.00

After 15 years as newsletter editor, it’s time to say goodbye By Larry Phillips

When Don Streeter was President of

AREA in 1999, he asked me if I’d

take over as editor/information director

of AREA. Of course, we never dis-

cussed length of service. Here it is

15 years and some 63 issues of the

newsletter later. Late last year

when AREA President Chuck

Poffenbarger accepted my ―resigna-

tion‖ and started a search for my suc-

cessor, Marcia Kane, stepped forward to

become editor of the newsletter. It seems

to be a tradition that the topic of ―how

long‖ Marcia will be editor isn’t dis-

cussed, but we all wish her well for as

many years as she cares to hold that title.

For now, I’d like to leave with a few

words of thanks. To the membership.—

our readers—thanks for your membership

and faithful reading and support of the

newsletter. To the four AREA Presidents,

Don Streeter, Tom Harmon, Bill Barnes

and Chuck Poffenbarger, you made edit-

ing the newsletter easier. To the AREA

Board of Directors, your continued fund-

ing and support of the newsletter, raising

dues once when it was necessary, enabled

AREA to keep printing the newsletter

every quarter.

Many thanks to AREA, Chuck Poffen-

barger and Dick Fregoe for the President’s

Award for Exceptional Community Ser-

vice (see page 18). It’s an unprecedented

award and very much appreciated.

For the past dozen years, Chuck and I

have worked closely on scheduling the

newsletter and every three

months soliciting infor-

mation from the Ex-

change and AREA for

materials that because

stories and photos in the

newsletter. We have co-

ordinated throughout the

year through emails, phone

calls, visits to the Exchange Headquarters

and other interchange of information to

keep each other in-the-loop.

From almost Day 1 on the job, I’ve also

worked on each issue with Pat Weaver,

our Membership Director. She’s come

through issue after issue with membership

updates, scholarship donations obituaries

and all the mailed in articles, photos and

chapter newsletters that she retrieves from

the AREA Post Office Box in Duncan-

ville. We also sweated out getting names

compiled, sorted several times through

computer runs and published in the Ex-

change Directories.

The late John Ellis, was a frequent con-

tributor to the newsletter in the last few

years he served as convention coordinator.

John was a valuable resource about con-

vention history and producing countless

articles in the early 2000’s. Sometime

around 2009 I asked if he’d write a history

of his involvement in AREA conventions,

and he attacked it with the same diligence

as he did in running all those conventions.

His article came out at the time of his

death and was a fitting tribute and wrap-up

to his long service to AREA.

Every issue a call goes out from Chuck to

the chapters to send in news about their

meetings, and a dedicated corps of con-

tributors always comes through with pho-

tos and stories, most now by email, one by

Flickr, one on Facebook, several in chap-

ter newsletters and a few still by snail mail

--with real photographs. Whichever meth-

od you use, thanks to all of you for mak-

ing Chapter Happenings a well-received

and informative section of the newsletter.

The clock has ticked down to the final

seconds of my last issue, and it’s time to

―put the paper to bed‖ — just journalistic

jargon that comes to mind from the 58

years I’ve been dabbling in newspaper

work. Some of you have asked ―what are

you going to do now?‖ Well, there’s a host

of activities—first, spoiling my one-year

old grandson, travel, photography, com-

puter work, painting (watercolors and

oils—not house painting), stained glass,

piano, cooking/grilling, church activities,

Texas Rangers baseball and perhaps a

few, honey-do’s from my better half of 48

years! Now you see why I need a little

while off from my AREA responsibilities.

After 15 years, it’s time to say goodbye.


IN REMEMBRANCE LINDA ALLEN, 67, died Nov. 13 in

Windermere, Fla. The Operations Support

Center Supervisory Contract Specialist

retired in 2002.

ELFRIEDE AUSTIN, 82, died Oct. 29 in

Killeen, Texas. The Fort Hood Account-

ing Manager retired in 1994.

LEO DAVIS, 63, died Jan. 5 in Char-

lottesville, Va. The JB Langley-Eustis

Warehouse Worker retired in 2009.

MORRIS FISHER, 93, died Oct. 9 in

Cumberland, Maine. The Exchange Asso-

ciate retired in 1974.

GLENN GROOM, 87, died Dec. 31 in

San Antonio, Texas. The Giessen DC As-

sociate retired in 1985.

IRENE HAIR, 92, died Oct. 29 in

Fayetteville, N.C. The Fort Bragg Person-

nel Clerk retired in 1981.

HELEN HASHIMOTO, 80, died Oct. 19

in Fulton, MD. The HQ business assistant

retired in 2005.

CECIL HAWKS, 82, died Dec. 8 in

Rosepine, La. The Travis AFB Service-

Station Manager retired in 1987.

HELEN HENDERSON-VOSS, 91, died

Dec. 12 in Phenix City, Ala. The West

Georgia Area Associate retired in 1976.

CARL JOHNSON, 60, died Jan. 20 in

Fayetteville, N.C. The Fort Bragg HR

Manager retired in 2009.

LYLA KENNEDY, 91, died Aug. 5 in

San Antonio, Texas. The HQ Accounting

Technician retired in 1984.

FRANK LAZAR, 90, died Nov. 30 in

San Antonio, Texas. The HQ Computer

Specialist retired in 1987.

ROBERT QUATES, 73, died Nov. 5 in

Riverview, Fla. The Fort Bliss Food Busi-

ness Manager retired in 1992.

BLANCHE STEVENS, 80, died Oct. 21

in Fairfield, Calif. The Travis AFB Mili-

tary Clothing Sales Manager retired in

1989.

RUTH WILLIAMS, 83, died Nov. 30 in

Alexandria, La. The Exchange Sales Asso-

ciate retired in 1992.

ALLEN DEAN MILLEN, 79, died Feb.

20 in Overland Park. He was born in

Belleville, KS on Feb. 8, 1936 and his

parents, Howard Glen Millen and Velda

Loraine (Banks) Millen, named him after

his great-grandfather who fought in the

Civil War.

He graduated from Republic High School

in 1954, received his BS degree in Agri-

culture Dairy Science from Kansas State

University in 1958. He moved to Apple-

ton, WI where he was employed by the

USDA in the Agriculture Marketing Ser-

vice Dairy Division. In 1964 he met and

married Patricia Korsan while attending

graduate school at the University of Wis-

consin. He served his country in the Air

National Guard for 6 years.

Allen’s career in food manufacturing with

AAFES moved his young family to the

Philippines, Hawaii, Germany, Texas, and

Washington. They then settled in Arling-

ton, TX. Upon retiring from AAFES, Al-

len built a successful second career as a

real estate broker.

After the passing of Patricia in 2001, he

became reacquainted with Judy (Mai)

Colebank of Prairie Village, whom he first

met in 1957 in Garden City, KS. They

were married in 2002 and moved to Over-

land Park. He was an active member of

United Methodist Church of the Resurrec-

tion, its men’s group, and an avid sports

fan, especially K-State. A firm believer in

higher education and his alma mater, he

established the Allen D. Millen Elite Agri-

culture Scholarship in 2006.

He is survived by wife Judy, daughter

Michelle (Farshid Mohammadi), daughter

Christine (Kurt) Hahn, grandsons Daniel

& Alex Mohammadi, and Andrew &

Bryce Hahn, his extended family Scott &

Kathleen Colebank, Daniel & Emily; Ka-

ren & Lynn Dishon & Preston; Julie &

Andy Scott, Sandon, Sophie & Clancy;

Ken Schmidt; and Kristin & Greg Van

Scoy, Ellison, Gavin & Jenna. He is also

survived by sister Janet (Wayne) Schrock,

brother Arlo (Sherry) Millen, nephews

Doug, Daryl & David Schrock, and Matt

& Jeff Millen and several cousins.

BRANTLEE PRICE SONTAG, 65, of

DeSoto, Texas, died January 30, 2015.

She was born January 4, 1950 in Honolu-

lu, Hawaii, the daughter of Julian Price

and Delancy Snelgrove Price. She earned

her Bachelor’s Degree from the University

of South Carolina and then a Master’s

Degree from Purdue University. In 1969

was crowned Miss South Carolina and

competed in the Miss America pageant.

She went on to work as personnel manag-

er for AAFES, but her life’s devotion was

to her family. She also played tennis and

loved to travel, having lived six years

abroad in Germany.

Brantlee loved music and was a member

of First United Methodist Church in Dun-

canville, where she sang in choir and

played hand bells. She was on staff at the

church for many years serving in the mu-

sic ministry office. Brantlee was preceded

in death by her parents and a sister, Patsy

Martin. Survivors include her husband of

32 years, Joel Sontag; son, Julian Sontag

and wife, Jessica; brother-in-law, Blair

Martin; sister-in-law, Sheila Sontag; niec-

es, Robin Giles, Erin Perkinson & Wendy

Bennett; nephews, Paul Rosenberg & Rus-

sell Martin.


USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

The following telephone numbers are provided as a convenience to members wishing to contact certain HQ AAFES offices and the AAFES Federal Credit Union.

HQ SWITCHBOARD

(214) 312-2011

FOR RETIREMENT and GROUP INSURANCE BENEFITS: HQ. AAFES BENEFIT BRANCH REPRESENTATIVES (800) 519-3381

GENERAL COUNSEL:

DALE HARBOUR (214) 312-3126

EXCHANGE POST: BARBARA KIRSCH (214) 312 3831

SALES TABLOIDS: TABLOID DEPARTMENT (800) 733-5142

ID CARD, PRIVILEGES HR-S HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE (214) 312-6531

ID Cards issued Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30-10 a.m.

If you are not able to get to the office between those times, you can call and schedule an appointment.

DOD VEHICLE STICKERS:

DOD stickers are issued in Real Estate (RE) from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Monday-Friday

Retirees no longer need to put decals on their vehicles. When going to a military installation, you now only need to show your identification.

AAFES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION: TOLL FREE SERVICE NORTH AMERICA (800) 452-7333

UNITED KINGDOM 0800-89-7490 GERMANY 0130-81-1187

FOR OTHERS NOT LISTED: PAT WEAVER (972) 780-9810

For other information, check out the Exchange website at: http://www.shopmyexchange.com and the AREA website http://www.aafes.com/about-exchange/retired-employees-association/


AREA SCHOLARSHIP FUND DONATION FORM

To: AREA P.O. Box 380614 Duncanville, TX 75318-0614

From: Telephone

This donation is (check one box below)

In Honor of (Name)

In Memory Of (Name)

An Annual Pledge*

Other

Send Card to:

NAME

ADDRESS

ADDRESS

CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE

TELEPHONE

Amount of donation (check enclosed)

$

* I wish to pledge $_________________ each year to the AREA Scholarship Fund. My donation for the current year is enclosed.

Your donation will be acknowledged to both the donor and to the recipient or the survivor. All donations are income tax deductible.

DONOR NAME (Printed) SIGNATURE

COMMENTS:

Enclosure # 6-1

75138-0614

In honor of: ____________________________________

In honor of: ____________________________________

In honor of: ____________________________________

In memory of: __________________________________

In memory of: __________________________________

In memory of: __________________________________

* *

*IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERSON TO LIST, USE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW

*

*

*

*


AREA MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY UPDATES


Help Us Save Money!

Get the Newsletter online rather than through the mail.

The difference in cost is significant*, and you’ll enjoy these advantages:

Get the Newsletter first—E-mail is faster than snail-mail.

The Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format is in color and you can

transfer/save the file as you desire.

*Per copy print cost at $1.42 + mailing at $0.57 = $1.99 cost per copy. Do yourself and AREA a favor—try

the Newsletter via e-mail attachment.

Here’s what one member said: ―The e-mail edition is superb. Easy to read, brilliant colors, etc. I can't say

enough about it, and would recommend that anyone with a computer should give it a try. Especially since

they can always convert back to hard copy. I doubt if any would do that.‖

Send an e-mail to Pat Weaver, Membership Director, at [email protected] and state that you would

like to get the Newsletter on line and we’ll do the rest. Give it a try. If you don’t like it, we can always add

you back to the snail-mail list.

New Members

JAMES BROWN 300 SABINAL ST OCOEE, FL 34761 407-617-6837 [email protected]

J.R. CANNON 700 SARALVO RD MIDLOTHIAN, TX 76065 972-938-3358 [email protected]

RONNIE D. COMPTON 3720 DANBURY DR ARLINGTON, TX 76016 817-429-9522 [email protected]

KELVAN COX 2175 SPRING GROVE CT MOBILE, AL 36695 251-634-9464 [email protected]

CHERYL DECK 707 JUDY LANE COPPERAS COVE, TX 76522 254-547-8510 [email protected]

CHRISTINE GEHRINGER 6214 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. ARLINGTON, TX 76017 [email protected]

STEW LINZ 44 WESTVIEW DR OSPREY, FL 34229 941-918-8198

BARBARA J. MIMS 8243 FM 2657 KEMPNER, TX 76539 [email protected]

GERALDINE MORELAND 4031 TRURO DR ANCHORAGE, AK 99507 907-522-1720 [email protected]

KRISTINE NEWBOLD 53 LAKEVIEW DR PITTSVIEW, AL 36871 706-566-8501 [email protected]

ROSARIO OLSON 2766 PECAN CREEK RD KILLEEN, TX 76549 [email protected]

CATHERINE ORONA 1023 CR 3351 KEMPNER, TX 76539 512-932-2559 [email protected]

TERESA STICHNOT 1632 S. TIMBER CT BENBROOK, TX 76126 817-249-1876 [email protected]

SANDRA WESLEY 6020 NORTON ST COLUMBUS, GA 31907 706-718-6447 [email protected]

Address Changes ROBERT BUCKINGHAM 6470 POST RD, APT. 109 DUBLIN, OH 43016


P.O. Box 380614


DUES ALERT!

If the last time you renewed your dues was in March 2014,

please send your $15 dues PAYABLE to AREA

at the mailing address shown above.

Vote for AREA Officers and

mail your ballot by May 15


P.O. Box 380614


Mail ballot to:

President

Chuck Poffenbarger

Write in ______________________

Vice President

Tom Gallagher

Write in ______________________

Treasurer

Terry Corley

Write in ______________________

Secretary

Don Smith

Write in ______________________

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