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Maryland Council (MD MOAA) |
Last Update: Oct 2018
BREAKING NEWS:
The website SeniorLiving.com has shared with us a Veteran Care Guide “designed to help veterans and/or their surviving spouses determine their eligibility, explain how to apply for benefits and cover the various veteran care options.” Neither MOAA or the Maryland Council of Chapters endorses the site, the guide, or any links contained within it. (5 Oct 2018)
Congressional Luncheon Coverage by MOAA – MOAA has extensive coverage
of the luncheon on their web site, including excerpts of the comments from
many legislators. Also see below for comments from
Council President COL Harvey Kaplan, USA (Ret). (4 Oct 2018)
DENTAL CARE:
If you are currently enrolled in the Tricare Retiree Dental Plan (TRDP), you
must choose a new plan before 12 Dec 2018. TRDP is being replaced by the
Federal Employees Dental and Vision Plan (FEDVIP). Please visit https://www.benefeds.com/ for further
details. Plan information and rates will be available in early October and the
open season will run from 12 Nov to 12 Dec. MOAA will also publish more
information in the Nov issue of the Military Officer magazine. (27 Sep 2018)
BELL RINGER – Maryland Gov Larry Hogan has
issued a proclamation calling for bells to be tolled in Maryland
on November 11, 2018 at 11:00 am in remembrance of veterans of World
War I. The proclamation coincides with a call by the United States World War I
Centennial Commission for all Americans to participate in a national tolling of
bells. Read more below. (5 Sep 2018)
Congratulations! Col Brad Jewitt, USMCR, has been selected to participate in a very special program. Council Prosident COL Harvey Kaplan, USA (Ret), shared the following:
“At today's MOAA Congressional Luncheon in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Col Brad Jewitt, USMCR, shared with me his recent selection for this very special program. Brad, as you know, is a member of our Maryland Council of Chapters and our Governor-appointed member of the Maryland Veterans Commission. This new role is very exciting and I was most definitely pleased to hear the great news about Brad's upcoming one-year assignment in Washington, DC, as a selected member from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).”
In this role, Col Jewitt (Chief of the Facilities Management
Division of NASA) “will
provide programmatic leadership of government-wide efforts to achieve the
recently released Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations published by
the Office of Management and Budget pursuant to Executive Order 13781,
“Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch”.” For more
information, please see the press release below:
https://www.performance.gov/2018-08-31-new-whldp-cohort.md/
There is a new “Why MOAA” video from the National Office. See below for information on how to view it. (22 Aug 2018)
Council
President COL Harvey Kaplan has distributed comments from the latest Council
Presidents Quarterly Webinar. (22 Aug 2018)
We
are restarting periodic postings of job search related information. See the Job Search section below. (22 Aug 2018)
We
recently started getting periodic emails from the Howard County Office of
Veterans and Military Families. Follow this link
for the latest information from them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Web Pages of the Maryland Council of Chapters, an affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America. The Maryland Council was awarded a Five Star Level of Excellence for 2017 (as of August 2018).
The Maryland Council is composed of ten chapters, spread geographically across the state. Here is a list of the Chapters, with links to their individual Web Pages. All Chapters have an informational page here, and some have additional pages, as shown with additional links (Stars indicate the Level of Excellence rating earned by the Chapter for 2016 – as announced in July 2017.):
·
Annapolis – Chapter
Web Site
·
* * * * * Ft George G Meade
·
* * * * * Star Spangled Banner – Chapter Web Site (Winner of 5 Star Col Marvin J
Harris Communications Award for 2017, as of 7 Apr 2018)
·
* * * * * General
Smallwood
·
* * * * * Montgomery
County
– Chapter Site at MOAA
·
* * * * * Susquehanna – Chapter
Site at MOAA – Chapter
Web Site (Winner of 5 Star Col Marvin J Harris Communications Award for
2017, as of 7 Apr 2018)
·
* * * * * Upper Potomac – Chapter
Site at MOAA
Council
Officers
Here are the Council officers for 2017 – 2018 (as of 2 Feb 2018):
|
President |
Harvey |
Kaplan |
COL |
USA |
||
|
1st Vice Pres |
Bryon |
Hartzog |
LTC |
USA |
||
|
2nd Vice Pres |
Norton |
Bob |
COL |
USA |
||
|
Treasurer |
Jim |
Campbell |
Capt |
USAF |
||
|
Webmaster |
Jim |
Shiffrin |
Maj |
USAF |
jim.shiffrin@gmail.com |
|
|
Secretary |
Dave |
Peterson |
CAPT |
NOAA |
||
|
Immed. Past Pres |
Andrew |
Fallon |
Col |
USA |
||
|
Transition Officer |
Jim |
Dittbrenner |
Maj |
USA |
||
|
Legis Liaison |
Annie |
Brock |
CPT |
USA |
||
|
Spouse Liaison |
Naomi |
Kaplan |
||||
|
Chaplain |
Jim |
Campbell |
Capt |
USAF |
||
|
Md Veterans Commissioner |
Brad |
Jewitt |
COL |
USMCR |
bjewitt@msn.com |
|
|
Annapolis |
Andrew |
Fallon |
COL |
USA |
||
|
Montgomery Co |
Dave |
Peterson |
CAPT |
NOAA |
||
|
Ft Meade |
Bryon |
Hartzog |
LTC |
USA |
||
|
Southern MD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gen Smallwood |
Daniel |
Donohue |
COL |
USMC |
||
|
Prince Georges |
Steve |
Regner |
Col |
USAF |
||
|
Susquehanna |
Harry |
Quinn |
LTC |
USA |
||
|
Upper Eastern Shore |
Mike |
Johnson |
CW5 |
USA |
mjnmi1@verizon.net |
|
|
Upper Potomac |
Hugh |
McIlroy |
LTC |
USMC |
germac03@gmail.com |
|
|
Star Spangled |
Tom |
Seybold |
COL |
USA |
||
The Southern Maryland Chapter is currently functioning as an affiliate of the Gen Smallwood Chapter.
Here are the Maryland Council Bylaws, last revised in 2008, and reviewed in Dec 2017.
The Council published a set of Goals in 2011 that are still relevant for 2017-2018.
Here
are some comments from Council President COL Harvey Kaplan, USA (Ret) on the
2018 Congressional Luncheon:
“If you've not seen this already, I'd like to share MOAA's write-up
on our 8th Annual Congressional Appreciation Luncheon, held in the Dirksen
Senate Office Building last Wednesday (26 September 2018). Our attendance
from the Chapters was excellent this year, and we had close to 100 people in
attendance! We appreciate all the work of Bryon Hartzog and his Planning
Committee in making the event so successful. We also appreciate the
participation by Lt Gen Dana T. Atkins and members of our National MOAA Staff.
Kindly note that there is a Flickr album of photographs included at the
link. Click on the arrow in the second
photo in the article to see all the great pictures, taken by MOAA's own
Robert Lennox. Thanks again, Bob. [I truly hope you had time to
enjoy a healthy sandwich during this year's event!]
Watch for the article in Military Officer
(upcoming in the December 2018 issue) by Blair Drake of MOAA for a discussion
of all the planning effort that goes into these luncheons, as well as the
multiple benefits of making them happen every year.
Harvey”
The 9th Annual Congressional Appreciation Luncheon will be held in Sep 2019. Stay tuned for details as they become available. (4 Oct 2018)
MOAA
membership is open to all current, former, and retired officers of any of the
seven Uniformed Services. Visit the Why Join MOAA
page at the MOAA Web Site for details on the three classes of membership, and
to join.
There
is a new “Why MOAA” video produced by the MOAA National Office. Please use the following link to access the video:
For those concerned about embedded links and cyber security,
please do the following:
1) Go to the YouTube website by
typing: www.youtube.com
in your web browser
2) Type MOAA in the search bar
3) Click on the link to the MOAA
channel
4) Once the MOAA channel comes up,
you will immediately see the “Why MOAA” video.
5) If you want to cut and paste the
video web address for others, click on the “Videos” link, then select the “Why
MOAA” Video
6) Once the video begins playing,
highlight and then copy the web address at the top of the screen. It
should exactly match the hyperlink listed in this email.
If you are a MOAA member who is
not a member of a Maryland Chapter, please
click here to find the chapter in your area.
Council
Calendar
The Council officers and Chapter Presidents meet quarterly, on call of the President. Meetings are currently held at O’Loughlin’s Restaurant, 1258 Bay Dale Drive, Arnold MD 21012, starting at 1130. Here are the recent and upcoming dates, with links to the minutes of each, as they are available (older minutes are available here)
Jan 21, 2017 - Minutes
Mar 4, 2017 - Minutes
June 10, 2017 - Minutes
Sep 9, 2017 - Minutes
Dec 9, 2017 - Minutes
Mar 10, 2018 - Minutes
Jun 9, 2018 - Minutes
Sep 8, 2018
Editorial
Policy
MOAA, the Maryland Council of Chapters and the individual chapters
in Maryland are non-partisan. Information on this web site relects the position
of the Maryland Council of Chapters only.
Spouse
and Surviving Spouses Newsletter
Below
are recent newsletters from the Spouse and Surviving Spouse Liasion Officer,
Mrs Naomi Kaplan. (22 Aug 2018)
-
Feb
2018
-
Apr
2018
Maryland
National Guard Unit of the Year
Maj. Gen. Linda L. Singh, the adjutant general of Maryland, is pleased to announce that she has nominated the 200th Military Police Company, Maryland Army National Guard, to receive the annual Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Maryland National Guard Unit of the Year Award for 2017 from the Maryland Council of Chapters of MOAA.
The 200th MP Company was called upon in 2017 to assist the U.S. Virgin Islands in the aftermath of the devastation left behind from Hurricane Irma. On short notice, the unit deployed and was attached to the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Force. While attached, the 200th MP Company performed more than a thousand patrols, aided in the arrest of several dangerous gang members, conducted two high-risk search warrants and improved security for more than 150,000 residents of the island territory. The Soldiers of the 200th MP Company directly contributed to the decrease in violent crime, assisted in the improvement of civil infrastructure and provided improved security to the residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The award was presented on 26 May 2018 at the Catonsville Armory.
Council Past President COL Andy Fallon, Md Adjutant General MG Linda Singh, Star Spangled Banner Chapter representative COL Jim Shelley with trophy
(3 Jun2018)
Highlights
of recent and upcoming Chapter activities
·
Nothing
at this time (30 Aug 2017)
In my August 1st update, I told you I was querying
everyone running for elected office in Maryland regarding their position on a
selection of issues important to us as Uniformed Service Members and
veterans. Unfortunately, that turned out to be much more cumbersome than I could
manage, so I limited the emails to those running for Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, US Senate, and US House of
Representatives. I received results from 20 of the 51, 39%.
You will find the issues and the candidates' answers at
http://susquehannamoaa.org/wp-
Where there is no answer, the candidate has not responded. I copied/pasted each
candidate's response as I decided that paraphrasing or shortening their answers
would not be fair to the candidate or you. If I receive additional responses, I
will update the compilation at the end of September and October.
Best,
Annie (12
Apr2018)
We now have a list of the members of the Maryland House
of Delegates Veterans’ Caucus, and the Maryland
Senate Veterans’ Caucus. (21 Feb 2018)
Make MOAA's One Powerful Voice® heard in
Maryland. It will take each MOAA member living in Maryland to make this happen.
Act now to do your part!
Here is a list of Points
of Contact for the Maryland Congressional delegation (both Senators and all
eight Representatives)
There is an email address, mdcoclegis@gmail.com, to reach Legislative Liaison CPT Annie Brock, USA
(Former)
or whoever is filling in for her if she is out of town.
·
From
time to time, we will suggest messages we would like Maryland members to send
to Annapolis on upcoming bills of interest to all of us. There are two
web-based methods you can use to contact your State Legislators:
·
The
Maryland Legislature maintains a Web Site that you can use to contact your
Senator or Delegate. To use it, visit http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmmain.aspx?pid=legisrpage&tab=subject6,
and select the legislator’s name. If the legislator accepts e-mail (I hope most
of them do today), you will see a link to Contact Online. Click on that link.
Enter your identifying information, and type or paste the text into the Message
box.
·
Another
method is to visit http://mdelect.net/.
This site, run by the Maryland State Archives, allows you to enter your address
(Zip+4 will do, unless district lines go through your Zip+4 area – then enter
your full address), and it will tell you who your Federal and State legislators
are. There are links to their web sites. Some have e-mail tools built in;
others will link into Outlook, as above. (21
Jan 2013)
·
NEW
– here is a link to a roster provided
by the Legislature with office locations and phone numbers for all of the
State Senators and Deelgates. Some have moved since last year. (26 Jan 2018)
You can find information on
MOAA’s national legislative priorities at the MOAA Take Action web
page.
Maryland
Veterans Commission
There
are no recent reports from the Maryland Veterans Commission. One will be posted
here when available.
The following is from a Press Release from the Maryland Department of Veterans’ Affairs 8 Aug 2018:
Maryland Gov Larry Hogan has issued a proclamation
calling for bells to be tolled in Maryland on November 11, 2018 at 11:00
am in remembrance of veterans of World War I. The proclamation coincides
with a call by the United States World War I Centennial Commission for all
Americans to participate in a national tolling of bells
“Over 62,000 Marylanders
served honorably during World War I, making incredible sacrifices to bring
justice and freedom to all people,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Today, on the
anniversary of the Hundred Days Offensive marking the beginning of the end of
World War I, I am proud to issue this proclamation calling on all Marylanders
to join me on November 11th at 11:00 am in participating in the bell
tolling to honor our veterans who served in the Great War.”
Sunday, November 11,
2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice
which ended World War I. To commemorate the occasion, in 2015 Governor Larry
Hogan created the World War I Centennial Commission through an executive
order to create ways for the state’s residents and its visitors to remember,
commemorate, and learn about the meaning of World War I and the role of
Marylanders during that time. In addition, the commission is tasked with
developing activities and events to recognize the anniversary. Under the leadership
of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, the Commission has worked
towards preserving and promoting the history of all 62,000 Marylanders who
served in World War I, including 11,000 African Americans and 6,000 women.
“We thank Governor Hogan
for joining states across the nation in tolling bells to honor veterans of
World War I,” said David Craig, Director of the World War I Centennial
Commission. “Marylanders served a significant role in the Great War with nearly
2,000 giving the ultimate sacrifice, and the Maryland World War I Centennial
Commission is committed to honoring the sacrifices of our ancestors.”
“On behalf of the
Maryland World War I Centennial Commission, I would like to thank Governor
Hogan for his continued support of our efforts to recognize the heroes of the
Great War,” said Joseph Suarez, Chair of the Maryland World War I Centennial
Commission. “Since the establishment of our Commission by Executive Order in
2015, we have committed to telling the story of Marylanders who served and
sacrificed both on the battlefield and on the home front during the Great War.
The solemnity of the bell tolling that is taking place across the nation and in
every town and community in Maryland is a reminder of that human sacrifice that
helped to change the world.”
Marylanders are asked to
toll the bells twenty-one times with a five-second interval between tolls
beginning at 11:00 am on Sunday, November 11, 2018 in
commemoration of the armistice. Organizations, towns, churches and museums
across the state will also participate by listing the names of those involved
in the Great War from their site.
The action of tolling
the bells has historical significance as a signal indicating the end of World War
I. During the War, all church bells were silenced only to ring as a warning of
invasion by enemy troops.
Looking for a new job, or know someone who is? Visit the MOAA Transition and Career Center
for Career Information.
We
are also now posting job search related information here:
-
The
Career Transition Resources
page contains links to various other resources. It will be updated
infrequently.
-
The
Program Announcements, Career Fair Providers, and Scheduled
Career Fairs pages contain time-sensitive announcements about programs and
upcoming career fairs. They will be updated as necessary.
-
The
Monthly Newsletter
page contains thoughts and comments from our Transition Officer, CPT Jim
Dittbrenner, USA (Former). It will be updated more or less monthly.
The Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families publishes periodic notes with links to other resources to benefit veterans and military families. They are not endorsed by that office, or by the Military Officers Association af America or the Fort Meade Chapter. With that caveat, feel free to browse the notes:
MAJ Jeffery Burbank, an Army Chaplain at Fort Leavenworth and the son of Fort Meade Chapter member CW5 Larry Burbank, has prepared a list of web-sites that provide information on Veterans benefits and how to file/ask for them. There are many sites that explain how to obtain books, military/medical records, information and how to appeal a denied claim with the VA. Please pass this information on to every Veteran you know. Nearly 100% of this information is free and available for all veterans, the only catch is: you must ask for it, because they won't tell you about a specific benefit unless you ask for it. You need to know what questions to ask so the right doors open for you and then be ready to have an advocate who is willing to work with and for you, stay in the process, and press for your rights and your best interests. (Note – the Maryland Council of Chapters has nothing to do with any of the listed sites, and is not responsible if any of them are no longer active.)
The consumer website MoneyGeek.com
has recently published a sutdent financial aid guide for military veterans,
including a list of scholarships offered to vetereans and their family members
and an interactive map tool to help veterans find schools that participate in
the Yellow Ribbon benefit program. The guide is available at http://www.moneygeek.com/
Here are some other sites with military discounts and deals:
Dealback.com: https://dealhack.com/blog/military-discounts-guide
Offers.com: https://www.offers.com/b
AllConnect.com: https://www.allconnect.com/
(Again, the inclusion of these links does not imply any
endorsement by MOAA or the Maryland Council of Chapters.) (22 Jan 2108)
The website SeniorLiving.org has shared with us a Veteran Care Guide “designed to help veterans and/or their surviving spouses determine their eligibility, explain how to apply for benefits and cover the various veteran care options.” Neither MOAA or the Maryland Council of Chapters endorses the site, the guide, or any links contained within it. (5 Oct 2018)
The Council’s Spouse/Surviving Spouse Liaison Officer,
Naiomi Kaplan, has prepared a list of Pertinent
Issues for Spouses and Surviving Spouses. (29 Feb 2016)
The fololowing is from a 19 March 2018 emaiol to all MOAA
members:
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Click
here for more information on Council
activities.
Please send any comments and suggestions to the Webmaster using the email address shown in the listing of Council Officers above.