‘

“2016” got off to a great start with our montly meeting at the Crystal River Golf

Club. If you weren’t there you missed a very interesting presentation by Kim

Tennille, the park warden at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

In addition to learning many things about the park and its very successful animal

rehabilitation efforts, everyone in attendance received a free pass for two to enter the

Wildlife Park or Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or for

eight to enter any of the other state parks.

The following day, Membership Chair Mark

Bodenheim and I headed to Orlando for a Florida

Council of Chapters leadership meeting that focused

primarily on chapter membership and recruiting. You will recall that the

Level of Excellence Award calls for retention of 95% of our membership from

one year to the next. Allowing for members who have moved out of our

chapter catchment area or reported for duty “ at a Higher Command”, our

chpater gained membership. With your help we will do even better in 2016.

Surely each of us knows someone who is a member of the National MOAA (or

should be) who does not belong to the chapter. When speaking with them,

it’s important to emphasize that it’s not just about participating in our meetings.

Although they are certainly enjoyable, it’s about advocating for folks who have worn, are wearing or will in

the future wear the uniform. Numbers count and everyone who joins strengthens MOAA’s voice.

You may recall that several of us participated in a Florida Council “Friends and Family” cruise in early

December to Cozumel and Belize designed to raise money for the Council. At our meeting in Orlando it was

announced that the cruise netted $5,150 profit! For your planning purposes, the same outfit ( Cruise

Holidays of Viera) will be running the 2017 FCOC Convention at Sea on board Royal Caribbean’s Oasis

of the Seas sailing for seven days from Port Canaveral, April 23-30th. Joy and I have already made our

reservation. The deposit is only $500, which is fully refundable until February 2, 2017 when the final

payment is due. Also, remember to register for this year’s FCOC Convention in Lakeland, Fl. You can do this

by going to the FCOC website. The convention promises to be a lot of fun. “No black tie required”.

Our guest speaker for February’s meeting on the 11th will be Citrus County Supervisor of Elections, Susan

Gill. She has spoken to us several times in that capacity. This time, she is coming to us a member of the

Board of Directors of the New Citrus County YMCA. This project has been long anticipated and I am very

interested in learning more about what it will be. Be sure to join us.

Finally, unless you have recently arrived from a distant planet, you are acutely aware and sometimes

painfully, that election time is upon us. I want to remind everyone that while MOAA is certainly partisan, it

is absolutely non-political. We can meet with our elected officials to discuss issues and policies of concern

to the military community. But we can not take sides or even appear to take sides that favor candidates.

Just as when we were on active duty and wearing a uniform at a political rally was not allowed, we need to

refrain from wearing MOAA clothes or caps now. Stay active and stay aware and make sure that you have

signed up for “Action Alerts” and the weekly “Legislative Report” from MOAA. Once you have done so or if

you have already done so please inform our Legislation Chair, Ron Lundberg.

Tim

Military Officers Association of America, Citrus County

Post Office Box 637, Lecanto, Florida 34460-0637

THE BUGLER

GLER

FEBRUARY 2016

CAPTAIN’S CALL

CAPT Thomas T. Holme Jr. USN Ret

2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Captain’s Call 1

Officers 2

Upcoming Events 2

Annual Financial Report 3

Legislative Report 4

MOAA Women 5-6

Membership 7-10

MOAA of Citrus County Operating Officers

President: CAPT Thomas T. Holme Jr. USN (RET) (352) 597-3884 / tholme@tampabay.rr.com V. President: LCDR Merrill Schlegel USN (RET) (484) 354-1039 Merrill.Schlegel@1967.USNA.com Secretary: Vacant

Treas: COL Thomas E. Green USA (RET) (352) 489-7304 / gtapgreen@aol.com Legislative Officer: 1

stLT Ronald Lundberg. USA (Ret)

352-746-9502 / rjlundberg@embargmail.com Membership:Col. Mark Bodenheim. USA (RET) (352) 513-4197. / markboden@hotmail.com

Chaplain: The Rev. Frederick C. Ohsiek II, Capt. USAR (352) 746-7131 / fohsiek@yahoo.com

Auxiliary Liaison and MOAA Ladies President: Ms. Louise Maroc Hogberg, Auxiliary Member: (352) 637-5898 aussie90@tampabay.rr.com Newsletter Editor: Col Dianne Tiano, USAFR (RET) (352) 201-4971/ dtiano1@tampabay.rr.com

Web Master: Vacant Immediate Past President LTC Norm Cooney USA (RET) (352) 746-1768 / Norm66@tampabay.rr.com

The Members of the Board of Directors are: RADM Mac McLeod, USN (RET) CDR Gary Runyon, USN (RET) CPT Jim Echlin, USAF, (RET) LTC Marge Blunk USA (RET) Mrs. Barbara Lincoln CW4.Kenneth Sumners Jr. USA (RET) MOAA, Citrus County Chapter, Inc. is affiliated with Military Officers Assoc. of America whose offices are located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Florida. MOAA, Citrus County Chapter, Inc. is also a member of MOAA Florida Council of Chapters. MOAA of Citrus County is a 501 (C) 3 Not for Pofit Corporation registered in the State of Florida

Our Website:

http://moaafl.org/Chapters/Citrus/

UPCOMING EVENTS

Board Meeting 4 Feb

BOCC Meeting 9 Feb Assisted Living for Veterans Inverness Courthouse 1 pm

Monthly Meeting 11 Feb

March Board Meeting 3 Mar

Monthly Meeting 10 Mar

Adams Family 17 Mar Hudson Dinner Theater

MOAA FCOC Convention

Cruise on Royal Carribean Oasis of the Seas 23-30, April 2017 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise

Geroge Washington –February 22, 2015

“ Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable;

procures success for the weak , and esteem to all.

Human happiness and moral duty are

Inseparably connected”

3

DECEMBER 31, 2015 FINANCIAL REPORT

GENERAL FUND

Receipts Disbursements Item Amount Item Amount

Dues 156.00 Show Palace Dep 200.00 Dinner Collection 1435.00 Dinner Expenses 1356.00

WISE Fund 175.00 Community Service Fund 110.00 Thomas E. Green Treasurer

TOTALS $ 1876.00 TOTALS $1556.54

COMMUNITY FUND Interest .10

PETTY CASH FUND

No Activity

SUMMARY

General Fund: 1 Dec $ 8225.49 Total Assets Receipts 1876.00

Disbursements 1556.54 Balance: Dec 31* $ 8544.95 $ 8544.95

CSF: 1 Dec $ 245.72 Interest .10 Balance: 31 Dec** $ 1245.82 $ 1245.82 Petty Cash Fund 1 Dec $ 19.35

No Activity Balance 31 Dec: $ 19.35 $ 1245.82

WISE CDs & Interest $ 2470.44 ( $ 5186.07) *** $ 2470.44

GRAND TOTAL $12, 280.56 * Includes $2715.63 of Maurice Wise Scholarship Fund

**Community Service Fund owes General Fund $ 87.82 *** Total Value of Wise Fund Submitted: Thomas E. Green Approved: Thomas T. Holme Jr.

COL USA RET CAPT USN RET

Treasurer President

4

ASSISTED LIVING FOR VETERANS Ron Lundberg, USA, Ret

On February 9th, Tuesday at 1:00 pm the Board of County Commissioners ( BOCC) will meet at

the Inverness Courthouse to pass a proposal to create an Assisted Living Facility exclusively for veterans,

in Citrus County. I don’t know if the spouse of a veteran is included or is yet to be determined. I expect no

objection to moving forward, but a very large crowd of supporters from the veterans’ community will be

attending to fast track the project. I hope MOAA will be represented to make the immediate need known.

Also, people who spoke in favor of this proposed facility, at the planning and Development Commission

meeting held on January 7, 2016, were Ms Rebecca Bays from the Citrus County Economic Development

Aurthority, Mr. John Stewart, Commander of VFW Post 4252. Our State Representative, Jimmy T. Smith,

came forward and announced that he would file a State budget request in support of the project. This

facility would be run by the private sector, not the VA, with staff primarily of veterans.

Apparently $8 milliion has already been or will be allocated by the VA. The total cost would be $10

million. I believe the remaining $ 2 million will have to be raised locally. The size is a 100-150 bed facility

on eight acres of land adjacent to the current VA facility in Beverly Hills.

Dr. Paresh Desai is the visionary and main driver of the project . His email is: desaipg@hotmail.com.

The vision is for this facility to become a model for Florida and the nation. I hope I have all the facts about

the financing correct. More information will be forthcoming as the project proceeds.

LEGISLATIVE COLUMN

5

“Survivingg Spouse Grassroots Involvement”

By Patricia Berqquist, SSAC Advisor

The National MOAA and its Government Relations team diligently work each year on legislative issues

that impact the active duty, retiree, and surviving spouse membership populatuion. Over the years,

grassroots advocacy efforts by council and chapter members across the country have helped change the

direction on numerous key legislative issues.

Grassroots advocacy occurs when chapter members, including surviving spouses, contact their U.S.

representatives and senators about their position on key legislative issues such as health care reform/fee

increases; the Survivor Benefit Plan/Dependency and Indemnity Compensation offset and repeal; military

pay comparability/commissary benefits; and other issues.

To participate in grassroots advocacy efforts, surviving spouses should:

Call or visit their congressional legislators’ district offices

Call their congressional legislators’ Washington D.C., offices. Use MOAA’s toll free number,(866)

272-6622, which will connect you to the Capitol Switchboard. Ask to speak with your

representative or senator or their legislative assistant or military assistant.

Send a letter or email on important legislative issues to your congressional legislators’ district

office or Washington D.C. office.

Sign, date and mail all grassroots advocacy postcards that are included periodically in Military

Officer magazine.

If you know other surviving spouses or active duty or retired service members and spouses who don’t live

in your area or live in another state, ask them to contact their representatives and senators on legislative,

issues, too.

The chapter legislative liaison should work with the surviving spouse liaison (SSL) and encourage

surviving spouses to participate in advocacy efforts . If you need guidance, please email the Surviving

Spouse Advocacy Committee at: auxcomm@moaa.org. Surviving spouses’ grassroots advocacy efforts are

needed to support key legislative issues and are critical to the overall success in preserving and improving

service members’ benefits and entitlements.

MOAA has developed its legislative priorities for 2016, and grassroots advocacy will be needed

from all of us. Do not miss this opportunity to work with your chapter and raise your voice!

SURVIVING SPOUSES OF MOAA

6

January 28, 2016

Kim Menster, the Citrus County Veteran Service Officer

(left) is shown here with Louise Hogberg (center), President of

the Women of MOAA organization along with her organizational

co-chair, Agnes Kearns (right). Ms. Menster presented

information about services her office provides to Citrus County

veterans during the annual joint luncheon between the Women

of MOAA and the MOAA Citrus County Chapter that took place

on January 28th, 2016 .

SURVIVING SPOUSES OF MOAA

7

Mark Bodenheim, COL, USA

MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN SECTION

MOAA Florida Council of Chapters Winter Leadership Forum- Jan 2016

Tim and I attended the MOAA Florida Council of Chapters (FCOC) Winter Leadership Forum in Orlando,

FL on Jan 8-9, 2016. Our Citrus County Chapter is part of a council of 44 Florida chapters divided into

geographical districts with around 8, 000 members. You can learn more about the FCOC at its website at:

http://moaafl.org/. The forum we attended conducted (1) general business for the FCOC, (2) presentations

by districts on subjects ranging from membership to legislative initiatives, and (3) national MOAA staff

presentations.

A presentation was given by Barry Wright, COL (Ret) USA, who is the National MOAA Director, Chapter

and Council Affairs. He outlined what steps national MOAA has taken since 2013 to recruit/retain

membership at both the national level and local chapter level. He stated that national MOAA identifies local

chapter membership as key to the strength of the national MOAA organization. He directed us to focus on

recruiting new local chapter members. With over 390,000 national MOAA members, there are over

300,000 who are not members of a local chapter. He also highlighted a national MOAA aspirational goal

to achieve local chapter influence in every congressional district. This links the local chapter mission to

national MOAA priorities by personalizing the local chapter/legislator relationship.

Do you have an elevator speech? Barry Wright outlined how each chapter member must have a 30

second “elevator speech” prepared for those occasions when they meet an active, former or retired military

officer in public. With a potential recruit, first determine if the officer is a national MOAA member since this

is a requirement to join our chapter. If “yes”, go directly to the elevator speech. If “no”, direct them to the

national MOAA website (have them Google it). Tell them that national MOAA membership affords some

benefits they may like but more importantly is the most respected and heard military organization on the hill

in Washington. What is my 30 second elevator speech?

Here you go:

“Our chapter provides local political representation for all veterans in Citrus County. We also

provide scholarships for local JR ROTC students. We provide opportunities for comaraderie

through meetings and outings. Would you like to talk with me later about our chapter?” I then

get a phone or email contact information or exchange information. Always have your personal

card ready with that information printed on it.

MOAA Membership

Corner

8

MOAA Florida Council of Chapters Annual Convention- May 13-15, 2016

I invite all chapter members to attend the annual convention of the MOAA FCOC. It is being held in

many unique venues in Lakeland, Florida. You can find out about the details and registration for the

convention at http://moaafl.org/Convention/.

From the convention brochure, it states the following:

“The Convention will begin Friday with a visit to historic Summerlin military academy founded in

1887 as the first public high school located in Bartow, Florida, and attended by 500 high school

cadets. The venue will relocate to the Sun ‘n Fun campus and the Central Florida Aerospace

Academy. CFAA is a high school curriculum focused on aviation and boasts a 100% graduation rate.

Approximately 450 students attend CFAA. The day will end with a reception featuring exciting

entertainment.

Saturday will begin with breakfast meeting in a chow hall utilized by aviation cadets during WWII.

There will be a presentation on the history of Lodwick Field and the Detroit Tigers 100 year presence

in Lakeland. An educational fair will feature career academy achievements by middle and high school

students. A number of other organizations and entities will be present demonstrating their support of

the military and veterans. The Saturday evening event will be a 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s Hangar

Canteen extravaganza. Dig out your old uniform(s)—Class A, B, fatigues, flight suit, party suit,

whatever. Enjoy the sounds of a popular Swing Band playing the period music. You will not forget this

evening.

Sunday morning Memorial Service will take place at Veterans Park.”

As you can see, this convention provides a unique vacation and learning opportunity experience. Hope to

see you there.

2016 Local Chapter Membership Dues

Over 50% of our membership has completed their local chapter dues payment for 2016. There have

been a few online payments of local chapter dues during the month of January. This new choice to pay local

chapter dues (and scholarship contributions) is easy, eliminating envelopes and stamps. You may also mail

me your dues or give them to me at our next meeting (please when giving me cash or checks directly,

complete the dues coupon too).

That’s it, until we meet again.

“Never Stop Serving”

Mark Bodenheim

M0AA Chapter Memebership Chairman

9

DUES PAYMENT COUPON

Dues are $15.00 per year for regular members and $6.00 per year for auxiliary members. The dues are to be

paid during the month of January each year. If you have a national MOAA local chapter dues voucher, this must

be mailed to the chapter in order to receive credit for the dues. Dues are delinquent on April 1st of each year. Late

dues reminders will be sent by email in February and also in March of each year. Mail dues to:

MOAA Citrus County Chapter

PO Box 637

Lecanto, FL 34460-0637

Please consider supporting the Bud Wise Scholarship fund as well as the Community Service Fund at the

same time you pay your annual dues. Clearly mark on your check and dues payment coupon how much you want

for each dues and contribution item.

Dues X( number of years) X ($15.00 or $6.00)...…………………______________

Contribution to the Bud Wise Scholarship ………………………. _____________

Contribution to the Community Service Fund…………………… _____________

Total…………………… ___________

10

MOAA CITRUS COUNTY CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

NATIONAL MOAA MEMBERSHIP NUMBER: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___LIFE MEMBER? ___YES___NO

LAST NAME __________________________________________ FIRST NAME_______________________

PREFERRED NICKNAME IF ANY: _____________________________________

ADDRESS _________________________________________________________________________________

CITY: ____________________________ STATE: _______ ZIP CODE: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ - ___ ___ ___ _

EMAIL ADDRESS: ________________________________________@________________________________

TELEPHONE: (___ ___ ___ ) ___ ___ ___- ___ ___ ___ ___

DATE OF BIRTH: (MM/DD/YYYY) ___ ___ / ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___

STATUS (CHECK ONE): ___ AUXILIARY ___ ACTIVE ___FORMER ___RETIRED

SERVICE (CHECK ONE): ___ NOAA ___ U.S. ARMY ___ U.S. AIR FORCE ___ U.S. COAST GUARD

___ USPHS ___U.S. NAVY ___ U.S. MARINES

SERVICE COMPONENT : ___ACTIVE ___RESERVE ___NATIONAL GUARD RANK:________________

MOAA MEMBER SPOUSE NAME (IF ANY) FIRST__________________ LAST ______________________

PREFERRED SPOUSE NICKNAME IF ANY: ________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________ PLEASE CHECK TYPE OF MOAA CITRUS COUNTY MEMBERSHIP YOUR ARE APPLYING FOR (CHECK ONE ONLY):

____ REGULAR MEMBERSHIP(Retired, Former or Active Duty Officer, Warrant Officer or Limited Duty Officer of

the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, NOAA or Public Health Service)

____AUXILIARY MEMBERSHIP(Surviving spouse of eligible officer)

MOAA CITRUS COUNTY CHAPTER ANNUAL DUES*: Regular Membership: $15/Auxiliary Membership: $6