FRA Today - March 2010

Communications - Member News

NED Perspective - Participating in the Legislative Process

Shipmate Forum
Eye-Opening Story
FRA Scholarships
VA Streamline Loans

On & OFF Capitol HILL
Member Information and Participation Critical to FRA Success
Administration Releases FY 2011 Budget
FRA Honors Outstanding USN and USMC Personnel
New Coast Guard Commandant and Enlisted Leaders
New Web Site Makes Federal Employment Easier
DFAS Announces Error on Some Retiree Account Statements
FRA Post-9/11 GI Bill Brief
Current TRICARE Contractors Remain for Now
FRA Announces 2010 VA Priorities
VA Hires Additional Wounded Warrior Aid Coordinators
President Signs Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act
FRA Launches Online Survey on Social Media Use

FRA Education Foundation - Educating our service members and veterans.

Membership Matters - Keeping Up With the Times

Member Benefits

WOMEN in Military Service - Defying Convention

News from the Branches

Reunions

TAPS

Looking For…

LA FRA NEWS
Message from East Coast Regional President, Deb Washington

Communications - Member News
The primary benefit of joining a legislative advocacy association is representation on Capitol Hill. FRA’s focus on pay, benefits and quality-of-life issues assures members that as bills are being debated, FRA is there to make sure the legislators understand what’s at stake for you and your family. We are your voice on Capitol Hill — and have been for over 85 years.
Additionally, FRA is a trusted news source. Each week in NewsBytes and each month in FRA Today, you can read what is happening on the Hill. Providing you information you can use is a key mission for FRA. Page 17 details many other benefits to FRA membership.
In fact, FRA offers several ways to stay informed. Visit the Member News page when you login to www.fra.org for the full schedule of teleconferences, recordings of previous conferences, convention news, a Twitter feed and a link to the Association’s Facebook page. The “Member Resources” section includes information needed by every FRA shipmate, such as dates of regional conventions and important meetings. Please visit the Member News page today to learn what is new at FRA!

2010 Military Almanacs Now Available
The 2010 Military Almanacs, which provide the most up-to-date information on military benefits, are now available. These fact-filled, 256-page reference books include the most current information on pay and allowances, entitlements, health care, taxes, Space-A travel, veterans’ benefits, retirement, recently passed legislation, CRSC and CRDP programs, and includes recent changes in eligibility rules, survivors’ benefits, and many other subjects important to service members, retirees and their families.
The Uniformed Services Almanac for active duty personnel, the Reserve Forces Almanac for members of the Reserve Components, the National Guard Almanac for Army and Air National Guard members, and the Retired Military Almanac for retirees or those nearing retirement are available directly from the publisher for $12.95 per copy, plus $3.50 for shipping and handling. Mail orders may be sent to Uniformed Services Almanac, Inc., P.O. Box 4144-FRA, Falls Church, VA 22044, with check or money order made payable to Uniformed Services Almanac, Inc. Please specify which title(s) you are ordering. Credit card orders may be placed by phone, toll-free (1-888-872-9698) or through their secure website www.militaryalmanac.com.

Your Mission – Your Voice
FRA’s Free Teleconference Series
Topic: Women in the Military
March 10, 2010, at Noon (EST)
Dial 1-800-391-1709 and enter bridge number 444313
If you’re a female service member, work with military women, or are just interested in women’s expanding role in today’s active duty and Reserve components, plan now to participate. Can’t be on the call? After the call is over, we will post a recording of it on the Member News page of www.fra.org.

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NED Perspective - Participating in the Legislative Process
The surprising result of the recent special election for the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts has created a far-reaching ripple effect. The election of state senator and National Guard veteran Scott Brown, a Republican running in a heavily Democratic state, reverberated throughout the country and on Capitol Hill, and offers some important lessons related to the power of individual voters and the importance of participating in the legislative process. 
Electing Brown to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s seat in the Senate resulted in an almost immediate halt to health care reform legislation that’s been the focus of significant work in both the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate during the past year. The election also prompted a quick shift in the Administration’s priorities and job creation jumped to the top of the list. 
The election also shifted the balance of power in the Senate from a filibuster-proof majority of 60 Senators (58 Democrats and two Independents who usually vote with them) to a new 59/41 split of Democrats and Republicans. This forced reconsideration of strategies for enacting other pending legislation and a serious examination of the mood of the country’s voters and their top concerns — always important to members of Congress, but even more so in an election year.
So what does this mean to individual voters? First and foremost, it’s a reminder that each vote is important. Voters who may cynically think otherwise should reconsider their viewpoint. Each of us has the power to influence the advancement or defeat of legislative proposals and, working in conjunction with FRA’s grassroots advocacy efforts, we collectively have significant power. It’s also a reminder of the importance of elected officials responding to their constituents’ concerns. Those who don’t, do so at their own peril in the next election cycle.
FRA’s legislative advocacy program has been the Association’s foundation since it was established in the 1920s. Our founders traveled to Capitol Hill to weigh in on pending legislation that they deemed harmful to the Navy’s enlisted force. That tradition has endured for 85 years and continues today. 
Since 2006, adequately funding the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans’ Affairs (VA) health care programs to ensure maximum access to care for all beneficiaries has been a top legislative priority for the Association. Related to this, FRA has been at the forefront of strong and continuing opposition to drastic health care fee hikes proposed by DoD through 2008 to help offset rising health costs. 
The opposition expressed by the Association in congressional testimony, in correspondence and interaction with members of Congress and staff, and tens of thousands of messages from individual shipmates through FRA’s Action Center has resulted in defeat of legislative proposals to authorize drastically higher health care costs for military retirees. And for the second year in a row, no fee hikes are included in the Administration’s recently released FY2011 Budget.
In addition, the proposed VA budget for next year includes significant funding increases for various veterans’ programs. Despite significant resources and staffing to handle VA disability claims, the backlog of unresolved claims continues to grow. FRA strongly supports the proposed $460 million funding increase to address the disability claims backlog, nearly $3 billion more for 2012 health care funding, and an eight percent increase in funding to provide care and support for our wounded warriors.
Remember that these are still just requests from the Administration and are subject to hearings, amendments and markups of authorizing and appropriations legislation during the Second Session of the 111th Congress. As these and other measures move through Congress, the power of grassroots support or opposition is just as important as voting on election day. Each of us has the ability — and responsibility — to participate in the legislative process. Not participating in the process forfeits your opportunity to have an impact, and provides a greater opportunity to someone with an opinion different than yours. You have the right to be heard and the ability to make a difference. 
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Shipmate Forum
Eye-Opening Story
This is a brief note of thanks for your featured article in the February 2010 FRA Today. The article was heart warming and informative. I was glad to see that the VA is utilizing the great technology that is available for the benefit and treatment of our veterans. Again, thanks for a great article.
Clarence Attaway 
FRA Scholarships
I just wanted to thank you all again for the amazing scholarship that has helped me tremendously this year! And I would also like to update everyone on my first semester of college!
I made the dean’s list with a 3.67 GPA, as well as the Pre-Legal Honor Society! I received a chair position in the honor society and have been very involved in the University of Florida’s [successful] Mock Trial Team. I also have been an active member of Campus Crusade for Christ and lead worship for thousands of students at our weekly meetings. I have been hard at work with my studies and have decided to continue my major in Public Relations, but also get a degree in International Relations.
None of this would have been possible if it was not for the FRA scholarship! It was such a blessing and I know that my first semester could not have been the same without it. I would like to thank everyone [who made this possible]. 
Am I allowed to re-apply for this same scholarship or is there any way the scholarship can be renewed? 
Kelley Davis
FRA Response: Congratulations on your great success! We encourage you to apply again for an FRA scholarship. We’ve recently established the FRA Education Foundation to administer and expand our scholarship program, and application forms are available at www.fra.org/scholarship. All applications must be postmarked by April 15, 2010. 
VA Streamline Loans
I am retired and bought a home in November 2008 using my VA eligibility for the first time. Since then, I have received numerous solicitations to refinance my home loan through the VA Streamline Refinance Program. Can you tell me more about the key points of this program? 
Anna Solis
FRA Response: Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loans (IRRRL) are sometimes referred to as a “Streamline” or “VA to VA” loan. According to the VA Web site (www.homeloans.va.gov/irrrl.htm), an IRRRL is only available to those who used their eligibility for a VA loan on the property you intend to refinance and it must be a VA to VA refinance. The interest rate on the new loan must be lower than the rate on the old loan, unless you’re refinancing an adustable-rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed rate mortgage. No appraisal or credit underwriting package is required by VA, but you should be aware that lenders may require an appraisal and credit report anyway.
No lender is required to make you an IRRRL, however, any lender of your choice may process your application for an IRRRL. You do not have to go to the lender to whom you currently make your mortgage payments or to the lender from whom you originally obtained your VA loan, but it might be the best place to start shopping for an IRRRL. Veterans are strongly urged to contact several lenders, as there may be big differences in the terms offered by the various lenders you contact.
The only cost required by VA is a funding fee of one-half of one percent of the loan amount which may be paid in cash or included in the loan. The loan may not exceed the sum of the outstanding balance on the existing VA loan, plus allowable fees and closing costs, including funding fee and up to two discount points. 
As with any financial decision, FRA encourages you to read all loan documents thoroughly and understand exactly how an IRRRL will impact your short- and long-term financial plan. 

Submissions: Send Shipmate Forum letters to: Editor, FRA Today, 125 N. West St. Alexandria, VA 22314. E-mail submissions may be sent to fratoday@fra.org. Please include “Shipmate Forum” in the subject line. FRA reserves the right to select and edit letters for publication. Letters published in Shipmate Forum reflect the opinions and views of FRA members. They do not necessarily reflect the official position of FRA as a whole. FRA is not responsible for the accuracy of letter content.
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On & OFF Capitol HILL

Member Information and Participation Critical to FRA Success
The ballooning budget deficit is already causing some lawmakers to call for a freeze in future Defense spending. Related to this, FRA is concerned that the current economic climate will force tough budgetary choices in the coming year and that people programs may be the first affected programs. An obvious cost-cutting option is shifting more of the TRICARE health care costs to beneficiaries in lieu of cutting other Pentagon spending programs. Fortunately, the Administration’s 2011 budget fully funds TRICARE and VA health care. This is good news and related to the outstanding grassroots involvement of our members. During the Second Session of the 111th Congress, FRA continues its work to ensure members’ health care and other quality-of-life benefits aren’t unduly impacted by budget cuts, and urges continued member communications with their elected officials.
FRA congratulates and thanks the shipmates who made their voices heard in 2009 by sending more than 25,000 advocacy messages to their elected officials through our online Action Center. This free and easy-to-use service is available at www.fra.org and provides members the opportunity to directly participate in the legislative process by sending prewritten e-mail messages on FRA-related issues to their elected officials. Action Center usage increased by more than eight percent last year, adding strength to FRA’s collective voice and contributing to our legislative successes. 
It’s also important to stay informed. All FRA members are urged to subscribe to Newsbytes, a free weekly e-mail newsletter that keeps members up-to-date on legislative issues that directly impact them. Newsbytes provides members with accurate and timely information on rapidly changing legislative developments on Capitol Hill. To subscribe, please e-mail newsbytes@fra.org with “Subscribe” in the subject line and your name and address in the body. If you are a member of FRA or LA FRA, please include your member number as well. 
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Administration Releases FY 2011 Budget
President Obama sent details of his FY2011 budget to Congress in early February, asking for increases in the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans’ Affairs (VA), and cuts in the Coast Guard budget. The DoD request totals $708.3 billion (a 3.4 percent increase over FY2010) and, for a second year in a row, fully funds military health care programs without requesting increased out-of-pocket costs for TRICARE beneficiaries. The budget calls for a 1.4-percent active duty pay increase that equals the Employment Cost Index (ECI), which FRA believes is inadequate, and boosts funding for family readiness programs. Funding is also requested for phasing-in the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation for service members who were medically retired with a 30-percent or greater disability (so-called Chapter 61 retirees). 
The FY2011 VA budget request of $125 billion includes funding for 4,000 additional claims adjudicators to process the growing backlog of VA disability claims — an FRA priority — and new technologies to streamline the disbursement of education benefits and create an electronic recordkeeping process. The proposal also provides for $54.3 billion in advanced funding for VA health care and to further expand health care access for 500,000 Priority Group 8 veterans, plus expanded care and support for wounded warriors and female veterans. 
The U.S. Coast Guard budget reflects a three-percent decrease and includes an end-strength reduction of 1,100 billets related to the retirement of several Coast Guard vessels. FRA is particularly concerned about this manpower reduction, given the service’s growing mission requirements. 
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FRA Honors Outstanding USN and USMC Personnel
FRA continued a long-standing tradition of recognizing excellence by Sea Service personnel by honoring top Navy and Marine Corps performance. The Association recognized the Navy’s 2009 Recruiters of the Year (ROYs) in mid-January and a number of Marine Corps personnel later in the month. 
The Association recognized and presented awards to the 15 top Navy recruiters and their family members at a special Capitol Hill luncheon. RADM Craig Faller, commander of Navy Recruiting Command (NRC), and Recruiting Force Master Chief Chris Penton thanked FRA for the Association’s ongoing efforts to support Sailors and recognize outstanding performance. FRA’s National President Gary Blackburn participated in the recognition ceremony. National Vice President James Scarbro and LA FRA National President Cindy Rodman Tuck also attended the event. FRA also coordinated donations from FRA branches, LA FRA units and other organizations to help cover the costs associated with the ROYs’ stay during their visit to Washington, D.C., arranged a tour of the Capitol for the ROYs and their families, and participated in the ROY awards ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial.
For the 12th consecutive year, FRA recognized top Marine Corps enlisted personnel by participating in two special awards ceremonies at Quantico MCB, Va., in late January. On behalf of NP Gary Blackburn, John Davis, FRA’s director of Legislative Programs, presented awards to the Marine Corps Recruiting Command’s 2009 Staff Non-Commissioned Officers in Charge and Prior Service Recruiters Staff Non-Commissioned Officers in Charge of the Year in recognition of their outstanding service. Marine Corps leadership was represented by Major General R. E. Milstead Jr., Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruiting Command, and Sgt. Major Fenton Reese.
FRA’s National Executive Director Joe Barnes presented similar awards to other Marine Corps’ top performers during the 2009 Combined Awards Program. The annual ceremony, also held at Quantico, recognizes the Marine Corps’ top Recruiters, Drill Instructors (DI), Marine Corps Embassy Security Guards (MSG), Career Retention Specialists and Combat Instructors (CI). Milstead and SgtMaj Dennis W. Reed, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, presided at this ceremony. The Association also hosted receptions following both events.

Members of FRA’s Legislative Team (DLP John Davis and NVSO Chris Slawinski) and other representatives of The Military Coalition (TMC) met recently with Lt. General Dennis McCarthy, the newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, and his staff to discuss issues of mutual concern. FRA and TMC stressed the importance of making Reserve early retirement retroactive to those who served on or after September 11, 2001. (Currently only service on or after January 28, 2008 can be credited to early retirement.)

McCarthy explained that Reserve units are being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq on a rotational basis so Reservists will continue to play a substantial part of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). He also noted family readiness programs as a high priority and said that less than eight percent of Reservists have elected to purchase TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) health care coverage. McCarthy also pledged to work closely with FRA and other TMC members to achieve mutual goals during the Second Session of the 111th Congress. 
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New Coast Guard Commandant and Enlisted Leaders
President Obama has nominated Vice Admiral (VADM) Robert J. Papp Jr. to succeed Admiral Thad Allen as Commandant of the Coast Guard. Papp is a 1975 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy and holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College and a Master of Science in Management from Salve Regina College. 
Papp has named the Coast Guard’s next top active duty and Reserve enlisted leaders. Command Master Chief Michael Leavitt has been selected to be the next Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG). He will relieve MCPOCG Charles “Skip” Bowen during a change-of-watch ceremony on May 21, 2010 at Training Center, Cape May, N.J.
“I have always tried to be the best humble servant I can be,” said Leavitt, “and that won’t change in my new position as MCPOCG. As my predecessors have done before me, I hope to enhance Coast Guard leadership and have a positive impact.”
Command Master Chief Mark Allen, USCGR, was selected as the next Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Force. He will relieve Master Chief Jeffrey Smith during a change-of-watch ceremony May 15 at Telecommunication and Information Systems Command, Alexandria, Va. Shipmate Allen is a member of FRA Branch 182 (Rockville, Md.), Central Liaison Committee (CLC) Chairman, and a former member of FRA’s National Committee on Legislative Service (NCLS).
“My wife, Colleen, and I are both amazed and humbled by the opportunity to serve in this new capacity,” said Allen. “Taking care of the crew is the number one priority and I look forward to being a conduit for communications between deck-plate Guardians and the Commandant.”
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New Web Site Makes Federal Employment Easier
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently announced the official launch of FedsHireVets.gov, a Web site that will help ensure military retirees, veterans, transitioning military service members, their families, human resource professionals, and hiring managers receive accurate and consistent information regarding veteran’s employment in the Executive Branch. The Web site is a one-stop gateway to employment resources throughout the government to help veterans find federal jobs when they leave the military. There are approximately 480,000 veterans working within the Federal Executive Branch. For more information, visit www.FedsHireVets.gov.
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DFAS Announces Error on Some Retiree Account Statements
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) recently announced that nearly 18,000 military retirees (mostly in the Norfolk, Va., area) received incorrect information about their annual increase in Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP). DFAS says these retirees received letters with another retiree’s information on the second page of the letter, and asks recipients to destroy the erroneous information. DFAS has reissued corrected forms and retirees who have any questions should contact DFAS at 1-800-321-1080. 
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FRA Post-9/11 GI Bill Brief
FRA’s Director of Legislative Programs (DLP) John Davis briefed the Coast Guard Recruiting Command on the Post-9/11 GI Bill in Arlington, Va. The presentation was similar to a briefing at FRA’s recent 82nd National Convention. The session included a comparison of the new benefit program to the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB). Davis also explained the “nuts and bolts” of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, including eligibility requirements,  housing allowance provisions, transferability to spouse and children and other aspects of the program. 
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Current TRICARE Contractors Remain for Now
Last July, TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) announced that contractors currently administering TRICARE’s North and South Regions had lost their competitive bids for the next contract period. In November, government auditors concluded that the winning bids for TRICARE contracts were mismanaged and TRICARE officials have vowed to take corrective action. Until then, the current TRICARE contracts (HealthNet Federal Services for the North Region and Humana Military Healthcare Services for the South Region) will be extended at least until March 31, 2011.
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FRA Announces 2010 VA Priorities
FRA’s National Executive Director Joe Barnes participated in a special roundtable meeting hosted by the House Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Committee in January to discuss the most critical issues facing our nation’s veterans, including a broader FRA priority to ensure wounded troops, their families and survivors of those killed in action are cared for by a grateful nation. House VA Committee Chairman Bob Filner (Calif.) led the meeting with representatives from 40 veterans-service and military organizations who discussed priority concerns within the veterans’ community. FRA’s top five VA priorities are:
•	Improving VA claims processing to reduce the backlog of unresolved claims for VA benefits; 
•	Insuring maximum access to VA care for all veterans; 
•	Removing restrictions on Agent Orange disability claims filed by Vietnam-era “Blue Water” vets; 
•	Improving Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits; and 
•	Ensuring that Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are distributed in a timely manner. 
FRA will also address these concerns before a joint hearing of the House and Senate VA Committees on March 18, 2010. 
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VA Hires Additional Wounded Warrior Aid Coordinators
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) recently announced the hiring of five new Federal Recovery Coordinators (FRC), bringing the total to 20 FRCs helping coordinate care for our nation’s most severely wounded, ill, or injured service members, veterans and their families.
The FRC program was created as part of the FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to assist severely injured service members, veterans and their families with access to care, services and benefits provided by the VA, Department of Defense (DoD), other federal agencies, states, and the private sector. Currently, the FRCs work with 419 of the most severely wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans. The program is administered by the VA and operated jointly with DoD.
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President Signs Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act 
President Barack Obama signed The Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act in early February, legislation that enables the VA to reimburse enrolled veterans for the cost of emergency treatment not covered by his/her outside health insurance. Previously, VA could reimburse veterans or pay outside hospitals directly only if a veteran had no third-party health insurance. The VA can now pay the difference between the amounts paid by the third-party and the VA allowable amount. VA is not responsible for co-payments the veteran owes to the third party.
The FRA-supported measure, sponsored by House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairmen Rep. Bob Filner (Calif.) and Sen. Daniel Akaka (Hawaii), also allows the VA to provide retroactive reimbursements for care received prior to the passage of this bill. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this legislation will cover approximately 700 future claims per year and as many as 2,000 veterans retroactively.
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FRA Launches Online Survey on Social Media Use
FRA invites all current and former enlisted members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard to visit www.fra.org/survey to participate in a new online survey about the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Communities section of FRA’s Web site. The survey, which begins March 1, 2010, will help FRA improve its communications with shipmates and others who are impacted by the Association’s legislative advocacy and benefits programs. 

The FRA Legislative team is Joe Barnes, National Executive Director; John Davis, Director of Legislative Programs and Branch 181 President; Bob Washington, Health Care Advisor and Outreach Manager; Chris Slawinski, National Veterans Service Officer and Ed Dockery, Assistant Director of Legislative Programs.
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FRA Education Foundation - Educating our service members and veterans.
These are challenging times.
Every day, young men and women in the military risk their lives to protect and defend our Nation. But all too often, they leave the military with skills not needed in the public sector workforce, or have sustained injuries to prevent them from pursuing the career for which they were trained. This is reflected in startling statistics: the national unemployment rate is 9.8 percent, and for veterans it is over 11.3 percent.
FRA believes that educating our service members and veterans is an important duty, and has been an outspoken advocate for enhanced education benefits for many years. For example, FRA was instrumental in ensuring the new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit was available to military personnel who previously had no education benefits and allowed transferability of benefits to family members of career service members.
This year, FRA is going even further and marking its 85th anniversary by launching the FRA Education Foundation.
Our Roots
FRA’s scholarship program has also been helping deserving students reach their educational and professional goals for decades, presenting annual awards of up to $5,000 to FRA members, their spouses, children and grandchildren who are pursuing college degrees. Thanks to the generosity of our members, legacy gifts and corporate sponsors, the scope of the program has grown substantially since 2000; increasing the number of recipients by more than 50 percent and boosting the monetary value of the awards by more than 260 percent. Just since 2000, the FRA scholarship program has provided over 200 scholarships totaling more than $850,000.
We recognize more is needed to ensure that our Nation’s military and their families are afforded an education that will benefit their future — and that of our country. The Foundation is an important step in growing this scholarship program, and we are inviting you to be a “plank owner” in this newly founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization by contributing within the Foundation’s first year.
Please consider supporting the FRA Education Foundation as it assists our military personnel and their families by making a donation today. Please mail your donation:
FRA Education Foundation
125 N. West St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
or visit www.fra.org/support to donate online. 

The FRA Education Foundation will allow us to expand and assist even more scholars through the development of more and larger scholarships, as well as other educational programs. Together, we can ensure education opportunities for our worthy military personnel and their families.
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Membership Matters - Keeping Up With the Times
This month’s feature article reminds us all that times and roles are changing. In 1956, FRA sponsored the Mrs. U.S. Navy contest, a pageant to honor the contributions of Navy wives. In 1970, FRA recognized women serving in the military and opened its membership to female shipmates; and it didn’t take too long before women assumed leadership positions in the association at the branch, regional and national levels. Consistently, female shipmates are among those being recognized as outstanding personnel at FRA-sponsored ceremonies for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Shipmate Venus Cacace, for example, recently won the competition for USMC Prior Service Recruiter of the Year and was recognized at an event in Quantico with other outstanding Marine Corps personnel where she was meritoriously promoted to GySgt.
Changing times have also brought new technologies. The advent of electronic communication has changed how commands communicate with personnel world-wide. In the 1950s, the radiomen could not have imagined using a wireless laptop! Today, all-hands messages posted online or sent by e-mail are read instantly, and Sailors, Marines and Guardians have e-mail addresses that follow them throughout their time in service. Military personnel are taking courses online, and reading books on hand-held devices. 
These advances have many benefits for recruiting and retaining FRA members. Shipmates tell us they want connection and communication — and that is what we provide. Our legislative advocacy program has been enhanced by offering shipmates the ability to access pre-written messages on our Action Center at www.fra.org and send e-mails to their elected officials expressing support for or concern about important legislation. Additionally, after the e-mail is sent, the program offers the sender an opportunity to alert other people to the need to weigh in. This advocacy model is extremely effective on Capitol Hill — and it is a fantastic way to let people who are not yet members of FRA know about our great legislative work — making it a tremendous recruiting device. Be involved and forward these messages to people in your address book! Unlike so many of the viral e-mails that are circulating today, FRA’s Action Alerts or “Making Waves” e-mails provide factual information with an opportunity to act immediately. 
Another example of using electronic communication for recruiting and retention is our weekly legislative e-mail alert, called NewsBytes. Through data analysis, we have learned that members who subscribe to NewsBytes are far more likely to renew their memberships. Why? They see on a weekly basis the value of the Association’s work and are reminded that their dues are a strong investment in their future, and that of their families. NewsBytes subscribers are also forwarding this important information to others and suggesting they join the association as well to further FRA’s legislative agenda.
FRA’s social media presence is another aspect of our recruiting and retention program. There are nearly 1,000 shipmates who have become “fans” of FRA on FRA’s Facebook page (www.fra.org/fb is a shortcut) where they are asking Headquarters for information, communicating with each other, posting pictures, sharing stories and more. It’s easy to follow breaking news from FRA on Twitter.com/frahq — or by logging into www.fra.org and reading the Member News page where we have a streaming Twitter news feed. 
FRA is changing with the times, and our grassroots recruiting and retention programs must as well. We certainly appreciate shipmates attending outreach events to promote membership in FRA. Displays at reunions, veteran appreciation days and so forth are wonderful for our visibility. Please give some thought, however, to putting a link in your e-mail signature block about FRA’s legislative work and the need to be a part of a professional military association that is fighting for the needs of service members and their families. E-mail your friends in FRA and let them know you’re glad they’ve retained their membership. Talk about NewsBytes and the Action Center at branch meetings and with your shipmates. FRA needs your grassroots membership advocacy as much as you need our legislative advocacy!

If you are not a NewsBytes subscriber, please e-mail Newsbytes@fra.org and put “subscribe” in the subject line or login to www.fra.org, click to edit your profile and check the NewsBytes box. To listen to NewsBytes by phone, please call 1-800-FRA-1924 ext 112.

Penny Collins is a member of FRA Branch 24 in Annapolis, Md. and can be reached at penny@fra.org.
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Member Benefits
Take Action!
FRA provides the Action Center on www.fra.org and a pocket guide called Communicate With Your Elected Officials to make communicating with members of Congress easy and convenient. On the Action Center, you can access a list of hot issues and send pre-written messages (or write your own) to your legislators to weigh in. You can also look up your senators and representative to see how they’ve voted on issues of importance to FRA shipmates. Examining someone’s voting history is helpful at election time! If you don’t know who your elected officials are, you can easily look them up in both the Action Center or in the Communicate With Your Elected Officials guide. Both are free benefits brought to you by FRA. If you would like a copy of Communicate With Your Elected Officials, please e-mail Eileen@fra.org and include your name and address.
Communicate!
FRA offers Communities on www.fra.org to help shipmates keep in touch with their branch, communicate with HQ, and get information. Use the Communities and be involved! Login to www.fra.org and click Communities. You will see the communities to which you belong — each branch and MALs have individual communities. There are also communities for FRA Today and OnWatch readers, people concerned about health care, and more. This is a place to ask the experts or share your opinions or frustrations. Branches can use these communities to share meeting minutes or other important documents with shipmates who are unable to attend a branch meeting.
Once you’re in the Communities section, click the option that says “Global Preferences” to subscribe to any or all communities. This will allow you to receive updates when other people post to the site. 
You can start a new topic by clicking the link “Create New Topic.” You’ll have the opportunity to start a new discussion in that community and everyone who is subscribed to the community will be notified.
If you don’t know how to login to www.fra.org, please call 1-800-FRA-1924 for assistance or click the link on the home page for Login Help. 
Provide input!
FRA is very interested in hearing from you. There’s always a survey available at www.fra.org/survey. The surveys are quick, easy and help us share your concerns with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Be a fan!
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GEICO Car Insurance
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Navy Times
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Avis Car Rentals
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HERTZ Car Rentals
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WOMEN in Military Service - Defying Convention
The concept of women in the United States military is hardly new. American females have been performing unofficial military service since the Revolutionary War, and as our nation grew, so did their contributions. Female nurses tended the wounded in the Civil and Spanish-American Wars, but it wasn’t until 1901 that women began officially serving in the Army Nurse Corps. A similar Navy Nurse Corps was founded in 1908 and by the end of World War I (1918) women were serving not only as nurses, but as telephone operators, stenographers and clerks.

World War II (1941–1945) saw women’s roles expanding to include flying as Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs); performing communications and intelligence duties as Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES); serving as mechanics and drivers in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve; and holding positions as photographers and pharmacist’s mates in the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve. Women were granted permanent status in the Regular and Reserve forces in 1948 and they served honorably in battle-torn Korea (1950–1953) and Vietnam (1965–1975). 
When Congress rescinded a law that limited female service members to two percent of the total force in 1967, it began a major shift in the ways women serve. The advent of the all-volunteer force in the early 1970s also expanded women’s roles in our nation’s defense. By the 1980s, women were deploying to Greneda as part of Operation Urgent Fury and graduating with distinction from the nation’s service academies. Two of the 40,000 American servicewomen deployed during Operations Desert Shield and Storm (1990–1991) were held as prisoners by the Iraqis.
There are 205,000 women on active duty today, accounting for 14.2 percent of all active duty personnel in the U.S. military. Another 150,000 females are serving in DoD and Coast Guard Reserve units around the world, accounting for nearly 18 percent of the total Reserve force. As women’s contributions become more recognized, their military service has become more readily accepted by the general public and within the respective branches of service.
Service Cultures
Each service is expanding the avenues by which women contribute to the mission, and recruiting, training and almost all operational components reflect growing female involvement. 
USCG: Women began serving as authorized keepers in the Lighthouse Service in the 1830s, but many women unofficially served far earlier, taking over keeper duties for the husbands or fathers who fell ill or passed away. Women were invited to join the Coast Guard during World War I and by the end of the war, women were serving as Boatswain’s Mates and Coxwains. Women’s roles expanded greatly during World War II, when the Coast Guard’s Women Reserve was established. Most of the more than 11,000 women who served during WWII (also known as the SPARs, an acronym for the Coast Guard’s motto — Semper Paratus — Always Ready) were demobilized when the war ended, but women continued to participate in the Coast Guard’s varied missions.
Today, women comprise 12.2 percent of the U.S. Coast Guard and there are no restrictions on the type of duty women can pursue. The only exception is a recent memorandum of understanding with the Navy that allows a select number of Guardians to undergo SEAL (Sea, Air, and Land Forces) training. Coast Guard women, like Navy females, are not candidates for this program.
“Since 1978, there’s no job in the Coast Guard that women can’t do,” explains Master Chief Ann Tubbs, who joined the service in 1980 as a machinery technician. “Because the service is not part of the Department of Defense, there are fewer restrictions on job opportunities for women. Though we aren’t traditionally considered a combat force, there are six USCG patrol boats in Iraq, three of which are skippered by women.”
But that doesn’t mean there are women in every rating or every job in the Coast Guard, Tubbs clarifies. “Our 210-foot medium endurance cutters are older platforms and don’t have berthing for enlisted females. There might be a female commanding or executive officer, but no female crew members.”
Tubbs also explains that although all USCG ratings are open to women, not all women can meet the performance requirements. For example, the Coast Guard’s Rescue Swimmer program is very physically demanding, requiring candidates to possess the strength and endurance to function for 30 minutes in heavy seas. All rescue swimmers, regardless of gender, must meet these rigorous requirements.
USMG: Opha Mae Johnson is known as the Marine Corps’ first official female Marine. She was among some 300 women who joined the Corps in 1918 to assume the clerical duties from Marines who were called to overseas combat. The Marine Corps Women’s Reserve was established in 1943 and women became a permanent part of the regular Marine Corps in 1948. By 1975, women were authorized for assignment to all occupational fields except infantry, artillery, armor and pilot/air crew, and today serve in 93 percent of the Corps’ occupational specialties. More than 1,000
female Marines were deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990–1991), and 11 percent of the military forces serving in Iraq today are female, most of whom are Soldiers and Marines.
Women make up 6.2 percent of the Marine Corps — the smallest proportion among service branches — and these Marines are changing the face of women in combat. In 2004, the Marine Corps developed its Lioness Program to provide culturally sensitive searches of Muslim women. During a rotation in the Lioness Program, female Marines are attached to combat units and conduct searches of women and children who may be smuggling contraband or acting as suicide bombers. They also gather intelligence data and train Iraqi women to conduct proper searches of other women. Because Muslim tradition does not allow a man to touch a woman who is not related to him, these female service members are, perhaps for the first time in America’s war-fighting history, doing a mission-necessary job their male counterparts cannot.
NAVY: Women constitute between 15 and 16 percent of the total Navy population, according to Stephanie Miller, director of the Navy’s Women’s Policy Office. “We’ve held pretty steady over the past seven or eight years,” says Miller. “Changes in demographic trends show there’s a growing pool of talent out there and we’re looking to increase the number of women to 20 percent by 2015.” 
Of the more than 52,000 females serving in the U.S. Navy today, 15.8 percent of them (more than 44,000) are enlisted and nearly half of those are serving in non-traditional ratings such as aviation, combat systems, construction, engineering and operations. Women were authorized to serve aboard Navy surface ships in 1979, but service as a SEAL and service aboard submarines are two of the few ratings and assignments that are off limits to females. But that’s changing, too. In September of 2009, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that women should be allowed to serve on submarines.
Integration
Just as the military paved the way for racial integration in the work place decades ago, it is also leading the way in gender integration and offering career advancement opportunities that may not be available in the civilian workplace. 
“I worked for one of the first African-American chiefs in the Coast Guard,” remembers Tubbs. “He told me that women in the military weren’t all that different from minority men who joined the service 10 years earlier. ‘Some people won’t want you at all because you’re female; others will want you just because you’re a female. You’ll need to find a place somewhere in
the middle.’ ”
First Class Culinary Specialist Kimberly Brown, USN (Ret.), who joined the Navy in 1988, appreciates the sense of equality she felt in the service. “I never felt looked down upon because I was female and I never felt I had limits on what I could accomplish. I believe I had more opportunities in the military than I might have had in the civilian workplace. I was doing the same job as men, developing the same skills, and got promoted based on my test scores and abilities. They don’t ask your gender when you’re taking advancement exams.”
Coast Guard Lieutenant Kim Andersen, protocol 
officer for the Commandant of the Coast Guard, agrees. “I joined the Coast Guard because there weren’t any restrictions on the jobs females could hold. I’ve been fortunate to do any job I wanted,” says the former machinery technician, who enlisted in 1989 and later attended Reserve Officer Candidate School. “Doors have been open to me and I believe the Coast Guard is leading the way in diversity.”
Senior Chief Teri Reese served as an engineman and diver on active duty for four years and then transferred to the Navy Reserve in 1983. “I’ve had the opportunity to participate in great projects and work with some great leaders from both the active duty and Reserve perspectives. I felt a greater sense of equality and
opportunity in the Reserves, which I think is related to the rich diversity of folks serving in the Reserve force. There’s a real tapestry of experiences that Reservists bring from their civilian careers,” says Reese, who
recently retired from military service and returned to her job at the California Highway Patrol. 
Ensign Kat Wacker, a mustang who enlisted as a Navy radioman in 1986 and is now a security officer, says she’s had to reestablish her credibility everywhere she goes. “Being a woman in the military is a delicate balance,” says Wacker, an FRA shipmate in Branch 276 (Omaha, Neb.). “Sometimes it’s about putting your head down and muscling through a situation, and other times it’s about finesse … sort of a combination of rugby and figure skating.” 
Combating Discrimination and Harassment
But integrating women into the military work force hasn’t been without pitfalls. There are still incidents of discrimination and harassment, but as the number of women grows, there are fewer and fewer reported offenses, according to Miller.
“Social research and practical experiences show that when a minority population comprises 15 percent or more of the total, there are markedly fewer instances of discrimination. The Navy addresses all charges head on and encourages anyone — male, female, racial minority, religious minority, whomever — to come forward if they feel they’ve been the target of discrimination. They will be taken seriously.”
“I’ve definitely experienced discrimination,” says Marine Master Sergeant Jacqueline Gray, an administrative chief for Marine Corps Recruiting Command, “but the biases I’ve experienced aren’t just because I’m a female. We all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences and perspectives. I remind fellow Marines that we’re all on one team. I try to open the lines of communication and demonstrate that I uphold the same Marine Corps standards, regardless of my gender or race.” 
“I think everyone — male, female, black, white — experiences discrimination in some way,” echoes Gunnery Sergeant Venus Cacace, a Marine Corps recruiter who joined the service in 1996. “When it happens, I address it immediately and directly with the person involved. I nip it in the bud. I’ve never had a reason to take it up the chain of command.” 
“I’ve never been horribly mistreated, but I have seen things done intentionally to make females uncomfortable. And I’ve experienced biases from both men and women,” says Wacker. “We’ve gotten away from some of the inappropriate behavior, but men and women are still judged by different standards. A male who’s direct and professional is deemed a ‘straight shooter,’ but a woman who asserts herself in a professional manner is often accused of being on a control trip.”
Wacker admits she’s a harsh critic of other women in uniform, because “they all represent me. If they aren’t squared away, they reinforce every negative stereotype about women in the Navy. We all need to meet Navy standards — period. Leadership fails if anyone is held to a different standard. There’s no shame in doing your best and failing, but there’s also no honor in letting someone stay in a job or in uniform if they don’t meet the standards.”
Tubbs agrees. “If you treat a group differently, they come to expect different treatment. I don’t treat others differently because of their gender, race or whatever, and I don’t allow myself to be treated differently.”
Proving Themselves in Non-Traditional Jobs
As the number of women in uniform increases, so does the breadth of opportunities available to them. In an arena where assignments were once limited to nursing and clerical duties, women now serve in previously male-only positions such as explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) technicians, pilots and divers. Succeeding in these male-dominated fields takes perseverance, dedication and self-motivation. 
Gunnery Sergeant Cacase was recently named the Marine Corps’ Prior Service Recruiter of the Year for 2009 as a result of her work bringing former Marines back to active duty. Her dedication and focus earned her the respect of her peers and a meritorious promotion to her current rank. “I’ve been a successful recruiter because I don’t let anyone or anything get the best of me. I really focus on the positive,” says Cacace. 
Being promoted for her outstanding recruiting
efforts was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Cacace. “It’s always nice to be recognized and rewarded for your hard work,” she says, “but it was an honor to be competing with other high-caliber Marines in a male-dominated field and come out on top.”
In 1981, Reese also made her mark in a traditionally male rating by attending Navy dive school. “My goal was to become a fleet salvage diver,” recalls Reese, a Life member of FRA and a shipmate in Branch 313 (Oceanside, Calif.). “At that time, diving was a secondary rating, so I became an engineman — an equally non-traditional rate for females at the time.”
Getting in to dive school was only the first of many challenges, according to Reese. “The Master Diver aboard USS Canopus didn’t want females and was very clear about it. He said he didn’t want any ‘split-tails’ in his dive locker and threw me out three times. But I was young and naïve enough to keep trying. My mother told me I could be anything I wanted to be and I believed her.”
When a new Master Diver took over the locker, he gave Reese a chance. “He told me if I could fix the generators and main engines on his beat-up dive boats, he’d let me in. I proved my worth and I spent the next six months as a ‘mud puppy.’ He took some guff from the Chiefs’ Mess, but he had the courage to give me a chance.”
As the only female in her dive school class, Reese didn’t get a lot of support from her classmates, with one notable exception. “Mark Faram was my dive buddy. He got saddled with ‘the girl,’ but he was a progressive thinker and saw the value of women in the military.”
Faram, a veteran of the Navy, Navy Reserve and National Guard, is currently a bureau chief for Navy Times. He recalls Reese’s determination and abilities as she proved herself in “an environment that wasn’t overtly friendly.” She met or exceeded the course’s demanding physical requirements and demonstrated loyalty to her shipmates. “She proved herself by being a great Sailor and an excellent diver, better than many of us. I believe she was one of the top divers in our class and the fact that she was a woman wasn’t a factor in my eyes. She inspired me, I can tell you that.”
“Some Coast Guard ratings attract more women than others, like corpsmen, musicians and yeomen, for example,” says Tubbs, who served as machinery technician early in her career. “But you don’t see many women in the bilges.”
Like Reese, she knew early on that she’d have to prove herself to be accepted by her peers. “My first day at a small boat station, I met some of my fellow crew members down in the engine room. They were all male and immediately asked me to help them,” says Tubbs. “I knew instinctively it was a test. They just wanted to see me try. I went below, grabbed a wrench and gave it my all. They accepted me from then on.”
War Changes Things
While military policy still excludes women from being assigned to units whose primary mission is direct combat, these restrictions are difficult to define in a war that has no front lines. In Iraq and Afghanistan, many women are assigned to support units as truck drivers, military police, medics and other non-combatant roles, but they are performing their duties in decidedly dangerous territory. Others are patrolling streets with machine guns, disposing of explosive ordnance and a few have conducted raids and directly engaged the enemy. 
The arguments against women in combat include their relative lack of physical strength, concern that romantic relationships will detract from the mission, resulting pregnancies will create shortfalls in battlefield manpower, and that an overall sense of mistrust will disrupt unit cohesion. But women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are dispelling many of these fears by serving with distinction. 
There are more than 220,000 female veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. More than 125 women have made the ultimate sacrifice in these operations, and more than 600 have been wounded in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. And like their male counterparts, many suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of their combat experiences. 
PTSD Doesn’t Discriminate
When Petty Officer Brown came up for reenlistment in 1992, the Navy yeoman rate was overmanned. She decided to use her skills and love of cooking to cross-train as a culinary specialist and enjoyed a relatively safe military career for years. But when Sailors in her unit were recruited to serve in Iraq in 2007, she volunteered to go as an Individual Augmentee (IA). Once in Iraq, she joined another unit comprised of IAs from other ratings — “a medley of Sailors, some who were volunteers and some who were volun-told.” Brown served a one-year tour as a compound shift leader, overseeing 25 guards and as many as 1,000 detainees at a correctional facility at Camp Bucca, Iraq. 
“It was a tremendously difficult year,” says Brown, who didn’t always agree with the policies she was
required to enforce. “I just tried to remain stoic and do my job. Everyone knew me as an alpha female who took charge, but it was draining.”
When she returned to her home unit in Albany, N.Y., she felt like a different person. “I was in emotional disarray,” she recalls. “I felt like an outsider looking in. I have a great support network and I’m getting back to my old self. I’m more self-aware now and feel like that allows me to better serve my fellow vets,” explains Brown. 
To that end, Brown is using her veterans’ education benefits to get a degree in public health service management and is also attending Outreach Training Institute (OTI) to become a credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor. OTI recognizes the advantages of veterans counseling other veterans and is reaching out to the veterans’ community. 
In addition to the myriad health care, rehabilitation and education programs available to veterans, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) is working to expand its services to female veterans. The number of females using the VA system is expected to double over the next five year, making women one of the fastest growing segments of the veteran community. FRA supports a variety of legislative initiatives that seek to examine the needs of women veterans and improve services available to them. 
Success Isn’t Gender-Specific
Women are proving they can be successful in the military — not because they’re female, nor in spite of it. Like their male counterparts, they are purely honoring the vows of service they took when they joined the military. 
Reese credits a portion of her success to her determination and focus. “I think I was successful in my Navy career because I was competent, enthusiastic and a self-starter. I didn’t allow myself to be influenced by those who didn’t want me to succeed. You have to be goal-oriented and either have self-confidence or develop it quickly.”
“You have to believe in yourself, even if sometimes you’re the only one who does,” agrees Cacace. 
Tubbs believe that success is purpose-driven. “Understand the reasons you joined this great organization, and then do your level best. Be true to yourself and your service,” advises Tubbs.
“You have to have a plan and know why you joined,” echoes Reese. “I see young Sailors who aren’t clear about why they’re here or what they want to create. They need to define what success looks like to them.”
“You have to earn the respect and support of your peers, who are more apt to support you if you’re a team player, do your job and are able to strike a balance between your personal and professional life,” adds Tubbs.
Role Models You Can Believe In
Reese also credits her many mentors for her success in the Navy and advises all young Sailors to seek mentors with whom they can relate. She found great value in spending time with older shipmates, many of whom were male. “Once I proved I was there for a purpose, their guidance came freely. Many of the young men and women joining the service today are facing very adult problems without the benefit of adult skills. Senior leaders need to be aware of that need, get to know their Sailors and understand they’re seeking competent mentorship.” 
Brown found that having female role models helped shape her Navy career. “By the time I got to my first ship, I’d already seen senior female leaders — enlisted and officer — who were well-respected. They were taking charge; they weren’t in the background. One senior chief in particular taught me to stand up and not take or give any BS. She advised me to remember I was a Sailor first,” remembers Brown. “Over the next 20 years, I saw the number of female Sailors increase exponentially and I saw them advancing professionally. I never saw them push their role as women; only as Sailors.” 
Gray saw her first role model in Marine recruit training, where boot camp is segregated by gender. “Our drill instructors [DIs] were just as hard on us as the male DIs were on the men. They reminded us that we might be perceived, or even perceive ourselves, as weaker, but encouraged us to put that out of our minds.”
Tubbs acknowledges that she’s followed the example of women she never met. “There were women who were pioneers in the Coast Guard and other military services, and it’s easier for each generation that follows. The women who joined the Coast Guard before me left a path for me to follow.”
Reese reminds leaders who mentor others that the concept of service is no less important to today’s military personnel than it was to previous generations. “They are just as committed, but it looks different to them,” she says. Shipmate Reese believes this perspective is also important to FRA shipmates who have an opportunity to mentor young service members. “There’s a pool of young Americans available to serve in organizations like ours. We just need to help them understand the importance of what we do and how directly it impacts their lives.”
Common Bonds
Times have changed and the role of women and other minorities in the military have evolved, but the concept of teamwork, leadership and faith in your shipmates remain constant, irrespective of gender.
“It’s all about trust,” summarizes Wacker. “If you don’t trust your shipmates, they’ll reciprocate. Disenfranchisement results in the absence of trust, and vice versa. But when diversity is introduced and the trust is there, it’s a thing of beauty. It makes us more effective as a unit and as individuals. It’s a force multiplier.”

Lauren Armstrong is the Contributing Editorand an LA FRA Member at Large. She can be reached at lauren@fra.org.

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News from the Branches

BRANCH 18  Seattle, Washington
Members of the branch and unit gathered to dedicate two monuments at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Wash. One monument offers “a silent prayer for departed shipmates who are now serving on the staff of the Supreme Commander,” while the other honors “those who serve by staying and waiting.”

BRANCH 17  Cleveland, Ohio
Branch President Edward M. Blind (right) recognizes Shipmate William L. Edwards’ 40 years of continuous FRA membership.

BRANCH 24  Annapolis Maryland
A 21-gun salute was fired by Marines from the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., during Veterans’ Day ceremonies. The branch and unit event included remarks from Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer, a color guard from the Marine Corps Reserve Center in Baltimore, Md., and a bugler from the U.S. Naval Academy.

BRANCH 1  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PRPNE William Reese (right) presents a certificate and savings bond to BM1 Donald S. Deleo, USCG, to commemorate his selection as Enlisted Person of the Quarter aboard USCGC Cleat.

BRANCH 15  Walhalla, South Carolina
Shipmates Paul Greene (left) and Clarence Busch, two of only three Pearl Harbor survivors who live in Oconee County, shared their memories of December 7, 1941, at a luncheon hosted in their honor.

BRANCH 346  Panama City, Florida
Branch President Timothy Brooks, Secretary Douglas Day and Board of Directors member Harry Brax present a $900 check to Anchorage Children’s Home Executive Director Tim Putman on behalf of the branch and unit.

BRANCH 29  Bremerton, Washington
Branch Vice President Frank Duncan (left) and President Otis Robinson (right) present a check to Mr. Slint Walpole, principal of West Hills Elementary School, to purchase baseball and softball equipment for the school’s after-school sports program.

BRANCH 5  Norfolk, Virginia
FRA presented an Honor and Remember flag at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va., during the Memorial Day celebration concert. Approximately 1,700 attendees gave an overwhelming standing ovation when the flag was presented.

BRANCH 20  Groton, Conneticut
Branch President Rick Aiken presents Shipmate Robert “Doc” Perry (right) with his 60-year membership certificate and pin, while Margaret “Peg” Perry represents members of the unit.

BRANCH 89  Atlanta, Georgia
CAPT Mingonet, former CO of NAS Atlanta, presenting a plaque and a U.S. flag last flown over NAS Atlanta prior to the base closing, to Shipmates Don Lear, Charles Blair, Joe Sims and Ernie Rose in recognition of the strong support Atlanta Branch and Unit 89 shared with NAS from 1941 to 2009.

Correction to February News From the Branches:
Branch 253, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania should have read Branch 124 Lakehurst, New Jersey

To submit a photo for News From the Branches, please E-mail a photo as an attachment in jpeg format to FRAToday@fra.org or mail a high-quality photograph to FRA Today, 125 N. West Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Please include a brief description of the photograph and include the names of those pictured. Laser prints and scanned copies of photographs cannot be accepted. 

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Reunions
Patrol Squadron 24 (VP-24) 
October 28–31, 2010, Charleston, SC. Contact Preston L. Rose, 22146 Chancellors Run Road, Great Mills, 
MD 20634, 301-863-5652, mdrebel@md.metrocast.net.
U.S. Navy Cruiser Sailors Assn. National Reunion/Convention
May 16–21, 2010, Rapid City, SD. Contact Bob Smeltzer, 6511 Kenwood Ave., Rosedale, MD 21237, 410-574-1720, resusnret@verizon.net.
USS Alamo (LSD-33)
June 1–3, 2010, Pensacola, FL. Contact Gary W. Moss, 850-944-3499.
USS Bexar APA/LPA 237
September 23–26, 2010, Long Beach/CA. Contact Steve Malloy, 1542 10th St. Bremerton, WA 98337, 360-373-1093, ussbexar@comcast.net.
USS Chevalier (DD/DDR-805)
August 24–28, 2010, Hutchinson, KS. Contact Robert Stiggins, 1906 E. 33rd Ave., Hutchinson, KS 67502, 
620-669-9612.
USS Dayton (CL-105)
August 11–14, 2010, South Bend, IN. Contact Robert B. Mac Donald, 69 Ferndale Lane, 386-326-3224, 
dunsailn1@aol.com.
USS Denver (LPD-9/CL-58)
September 30–October 3, 2010, Little Rock, AR. Contact Jim Hyden, 800-467-8297, jim.hyden@hmflaw.net.
USS Dixie (AD-14) All Crews
September 15–18, 2010, Kansas City, MO. Contact J. T. Smith, 107 Brookhaven Court, Gallatin, TN 37066, 615-513-2440, jts912@att.net.
USS Greenwich Bay (AVP-41)
September 23–26, 2010, Warwick, RI. Contact Martin Brown, 424 Washington Avenue, Hamlet, NC 28345, 
jmbnpb@bellsouth.net.
USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7)
September 15–19, 2010, Nashville, TN. Contact Robert G. McAnally, 152 Frissell Street, Hampton, VA 23663, 757-723-0317, yujack@megalink.net.
USS Kearsarge (CV/CVA/CVS/LHD-3)
May 16–20, 2010, Branson, MO. Contact Edward Mckee, 307-632-0743.
USS Kimberly (DD-521)
October 18–21, 2010, Myrtle Beach, SC. Contact George Scott, 8351 Sylvan Dr West Melbourne, FL 32904, 321 676 2307, ggs33@aol.com.
USS King (DLG-10/DDG-41)All Hands
June 10–12, 2010, Orlando, FL. Contact Randy Gillette, 757-588-3009, randygillette@cox.net.
USS LSM/LSMR Wisconsin-Midwest
May 17–18, 2010, Wisconsin Dells, WI. Contact Allen Westerberg, 12575 Pleasant Ave. So., Apt. 315, Burnsville, MN 55337, 952-894-1116, maral315@msn.com.
USS Mispillion AO 105
September 2–4, 2010, Portland, OR. Contact Steve Dengler, 1211 Pueblo Lane Auburn, IL. 62615, 217-438-3529, stevedsr@newwavecomm.net.
USS New Orleans (LPH-11)
September 15–19, 2010, Nashville, TN. Contact Robert G. Mcanally, 152 Frissell Street, Hampton, VA 23663, 757-723-0317, yujack@megalink.net.
USS Proteus AS-19
September 9–12, 2010, Norfolk, VA. Contact Paul Castle 302 Calla Ave., Imperial Beach, CA 91932, 619-237-1314, paul1@ix.netcom.com.
USS Randolph (CV/CVA/CVS-15  All Hands
September 13–19, 2010, Newport News, VA. Contact Sal Rizza, 321-454-2344.
USS Rathburne (DE/FF-1057)
September 13–16, 2010, Gettysburg, PA. Contact Bob Rowe, 1241 Tipton Rd., Munford, TN 38058, 901-837-6106, fs512420@yahoo.com.
USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849)
March 21–25, 2010, Baton Rouge, LA. Contact Robert L. Simon, 432 3rd Ave Bellmawr, NJ 08031-1415, 856-933-9483, simon-dd849@comcast.net.
USS Seadragon (SSN-584)
September 1-3, 2010, Cincinnati, OH. Contact Tom Mccabe, 707-429-4796, Tompops@aol.com.
USS Seawolf (SSN575)
October 7–11, 2010, Branson, MO. Contact Dave Brink, 14507 Kingcross Circle NW Silverdale, WA 98383, 360-315-4229, David_Brink@wavecable.com.
USS Sphinx (ARL-24) All Crews
September 13–16, 2010, Branson, MO. Contact Frank Ironi, 954 Lilac Dr., Sauk Centre, MN 56378, 320-352-3271.
USS Tennessee BB-43
July 27–31, 2010, Indianapolis, IN. Contact John Dussault 17504 Plaza Gitana, San Diego, CA 92128, 858-676-0765, jcdusso@yahoo.com.
USS Tripoli (LPH-10)
September 15–19, 2010, Nashville, TN. Contact Robert G. Mcanally, 152 Frissell Street, Hampton, VA 23663, 757-723-0317, yujack@megalink.net.
USS Wabash (AOR-5)
April 29–May 2, 2010, San Diego, CA. Contact Andy Anderson, 9479 Lake Canyon Rd Santee, CA 92071, 619-562-4696, hnhusker@gmail.com.
USS Waccamaw AO 109
May 13–16, 2010, Branson, MO. Contact William (Sandy) Jackson, 1044 O’Neal Drive Shreveport, La 71107, 318-222-3828 (or) 318-564-3560, sanwan4@att.net.
USS William C. Lawe (DD-763)
October 15–17, 2010, Virginia Beach, VA. Contact Owen Turner, 51 Miriam Rd., Waltham, MA 02451, 
781-891-3043.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
September 7–12, 2010, Oconomowoc, WI. Contact Dick Hamann, 6010 Tranquility Lane, Sutherland, VA 23885, 804-265-5417, dickbb64@directv.net.
VP-44 NAS Norfolk
September 9–12, 2010, Norfolk, VA. Contact Ralph Cook, 717-335-0348, blusgtar@ptd.net.
VP-45/VP-205/VP-MS-5, Patron Four Five Association
September 29–October 2, 2010, Washington, DC. Contact Buck Jones, 601-528-9374, bpj1927@yahoo.com.
VMF/VMA-311
September 8–12, 2010, Chattanooga, TN. Contact Jim Galchick, 1290 E. 12th St., Salem, OH 44460, 330-337-9382, jgalchick@neo.rr.com.
VPB/VP 26
September 12–15, 2010, Syracuse, NY. Contact Charlie Meadors, 107 Davidson Ln., Oak Ridge, TN 37830, 865-482-9702, meadorsc@bellsouth.net.
VQ-1, 2, 5 & 6 Association (All Eras)
September 15–19, 2010, Rapid City, SD. Contact Phillip Jones,5510 Timeless View, Colorado Springs, CO 80915, 719-375-8851, vq1256@gmail.com.
VR52 Det. Detroit/VR62 Detroit (NAF Detroit)
August 20–22, 2010, Port Clinton, OH. Contact Bill Borrusch, 8903 York Dr., Hudson, FL 34667, 727-862-6343, adcsbill@juno.com.

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TAPS
Name	Branch
Ackerman, Richard B., SCPO USN	MAL
Ainsworth, Aubrey E., SFC	MAL
Aker, Roy E., HMC	093
Alberstadt, Patrick, BTC	222
Alex, George, LNC	MAL
Alfonso, Matthew W., SKC	MAL
Anderson, Lennart E., PH1	MAL

Badgley, William W., ADJ1	191
Baeta, Delphine B., 1STSGT	230
Beasley, Franklin, DKC	MAL
Bekeris, Joseph A., Jr., GYSGT	162
Bell, Leslie P., ATC	099
Bellock, John R., MMC	313
Benik, Ralph E., TM1	136
Bennett, James G., PNC	162
Berg, Richard A., CTTC	136
Binder, Edward, ADJ1(AC)	MAL
Bishop, Forrest E., Jr., ENC	041
Bitter, Robert W., CM1	MAL
Blackwell, Charles D., POC USN	052
Borrowman, Darold, ADC	MAL
Bower, Ralph G., BM2	203
Bray, Richard W., HMC	092
Breland, Cecil V., BMC	371
Brickley, Robert L., GYSGT	MAL
Britt, James D., SF1	040
Brown, Harold P., YNC	382
Brown, Wayne, ADRAN	MAL
Buffkin, Reuben H., AD1	126
Bunch, Raymond, EMC	MAL
Burns, Donald R., CPO USN	038
Burris, William O., CWO4 USN	166
Busitzky, David J., CPO USN	040

Caldwell, Horace E., RMC	MAL
Campbell, Glenn E., SFC	MAL
Carleton, Jack E., CDR USN	061
Casele, Lawrence, ADRC	124
Chambers, Charles D., SGT	011
Chapman, Jack O., AT1	163
Chetister, Robert W., Sr., RDC	005
Childress, Robert C., Jr., ADJC	179
JPNChap Church, Kenneth C., AE1	275
Cooper, Charles V., EN1	MAL
Cornish, Raymond R., RDC	072
Cottom, Robert V., CAPT USN	MAL
Creel, Gaston E., MSC	044
Cummins, William R., Jr., BTC	371
Curley, Robert W., SSGT	228

Daggett, Samuel K., ENC(SS)	047
Dawson, William, ENCS	MAL
Dellegatto, Antonio L., BM1	003
Deshotels, Donald, ASC	MAL
Dewitz, Douglas A., YNC	MAL
Donigan, Paul Edward, BMC	009
Dotarot, Bibiano L., EMC	289
Drebert, Dennis E., FCC	229
Ducharme, Alphee H., SGTMAJ	317
Dyck, Oran D., ADR2	136

Elfrink, Richard J., PNCM	MAL
Ellenbecker, Anthony E., BTCM	312
Elmore, James S., MN1	067
Ely, Medford H., PO1 USN	MAL
English, Carl L., FTGC	278
Evans, Beauford R., YN1	060
Ewald, William O., AECS	161
Farmer, Elmo M., CPO(SS) USN	118
Farmer, John J., PC1	MAL
Farrell, Elwyn T., CPO USNR	043
Ferrell, John M., ADC	MAL
Fittro, Algie W., HTC	219
Fletcher, Lawrence B., BM1	MAL
Flores, Calixto T., MMC	008
Fosdick, Franklin, PO2 USN	MAL
Fray, Robert, MMCM	MAL

Gagnon, George N., ACC	186
Garrison, Kenneth C., CWO2 USCG	055
Gilbert, Will H., SD1	110
Golden, Harold G., CPO USN	230
Green, Paul A., CAPT USN	136
Griggs, Roscoe B., CPO USN	MAL

Hall, James N., GYSGT	032
Halstead, Charles R., AMHC	147
Hamby, Robert N., GMCM	161
Harding, Michael J., ASC	061
Harris, Lyman A., FTC	101
Harris, Norman R., SN USN	230
Hawkins, John L., BM1	MAL
Haynes, Emory H., Sr., CWO4 USCG	127
Hayton, Wondell Edward, CPO USN	MAL
Heckman, John O., ENC	106
Hensel, Gwillym O., GMGC	050
Higginbotham, Neal, ADRC	161
Hildebrant, Archi, Jr., MMC	MAL
Holdaway, David R., RMCS(SS)	MAL
Holland, Ervin B., EN1	MAL
Holt, Carl, AKC	MAL
Honodel, Jack, BM1	029
Hornsby, Sterling L., SMC	MAL
Horswell, Vance E., CDR USN	022
Houlihan, William E., MN1	MAL
House, Malcolm J., CWO2 (AO) USN	091 
Hulsey, Marvin D., YNC	MAL
Hunsucker, C. B., Jr., BMCS	060

Irby, Marshall G., PO1 USN	054
Iske, Donald L., RMCS	MAL
Iverson, Raymond O., PH1	MAL

Jarrell, Bobby L., GMGC	177
Johler, Frederick J., ENCS	186
Johns, Dewayne C., PO3	077
Johnson, George W., PO1 USN	161
Johnson, James T., MM1(SS)	311
Johnson, Larry L., SN USN	MAL
Jones, Evan N., DT1	MAL

Kelly, James T., YN1	MAL
Kelly, Robert, BMC	MAL
Kitchen, Herman C., CS1	MAL

Lackey, Harriet H., PNC	324
Lance, Charles E., SH1	MAL
Larson, Irving T., OS1	238
Layman, Kenneth E., AD1	289
Ledgerwood, James A., HMC	054
Leggieri, Gerald M., MSC	MAL
Lester, Verlin K., MSGT	161
Levicki, Andrew, AFCM	126
Lewallen, William M., LCDR USN	040
Linderman, David, RMC	MAL
Losongco, Enrique M., BM1	073
Lowe, William L., ADJC	051
Luka, Richard T., CPO USN	053
Lundy, Lawrence H., HMC	MAL
Lusch, Charles R., CSCS	348

Maahs, Robert A., Jr., GYSGT	170
Mack, Buford, SKC	374
Maddox, Odis, CS2	MAL
Maffia, Angelo, QMC(SS)	071
Malone, Aaron L., SM1	028
Manees, Thomas J., MSC	264
Mangosing, Daniel F., MSC	MAL
Mann, Louis R., MMCS	292
Martel, Raymond J., GMG1	061
Martin, John P., GMCS	264
Martin, Robert C., BMC	361
Matchke, Jerome L., AMCS	070
Mattina, James A., AOCS	226
McAnulty, Melvin W., AEC	MAL
McCormick, Myron W., BM2	133
McDaniel, George, STCM(SS)	MAL
McIntyre, John W., FN USN	258
McKay, Julius B., Jr., EMCS	MAL
McKinney, Joe, CDR USN	MAL
McKouen, Michael G., CSCS	060
McLean, Edward L., DKCM	MAL
McNair, Harris E., PO1 USN	226
Merrill, Harold H., LCDR USN	MAL
Mesler, William P., LT USN	MAL
Miller, Charles J., ADJC	001
Mitchell, Harry L., HMC	101
Moore, Jim L., YNC(SS)	151
Moore, Robert G., HMCM	222
Moore, William H., CEC	091
Morales, Malcom E., SN USN	371
Morgan, Duane C., PNC	049
Mosher, Bryan J., USN RET	161

Nason, Norman G., Jr., PNC	022
Nelson, Steven R., CTMC	011
Noble, Cyrus, EOC	306
Noel, Theodore R., HTC	320

O’Donnell, John T., OSC	060
Oneill, James G., ACCS	120
Ostermiller, John, LCDR USN	MAL

Page, Ervin C., MMC	346
Page, Lisle E., SKC	MAL
Palmer, Roger A., MSGT	251
Pastove, George, Jr., BM1	251
Pease, Arthur W., QMC	MAL
Pelletier, Louis R., GMG1	057
Perry, Carl J., MM1	053
Perry, Victor E., AG1	MAL
Peterson, Eugene A., YN1	090
Pfannstiel, Ben F., ADC	MAL
Pobuda, Jas F., ENC	008
Poletti, Ervin R., POCS USN	166
Poole, George, HMCM	MAL
Porter, Donald B., BM1	MAL
Potosky, Michael J., PO1 USN	MAL
Powers, Michael E., CAPT USNR	106
Pursch, Charles D., ENC	106
Pusey, John, EMC	MAL

Ratzlaff, Otto E., MM3	179
Rhodes, Merle H., HMC	MAL
Reeves, David, HT1	MAL
Reeves, Paul E., YNCS	MAL
Reinhardt, Robert H., PNC	057
Reinhart, Adrian A., Jr., BTCS	MAL
Renfrow, Jack F., ETC(SS)	MAL
Rice, Gerald A., PC1	273
Rickles, Kenneth R., Sr., ABEC	217
Roach, Harold C., YN2	280
Rock, Ivan L., RMC	327
Rodriguez, Allan, PO2 USN	MAL
Ross, Scott K., LCDR USN	022
Runyan, Raymond T., ENC	057

Saner, Walter H., EMC	230
Santti, Robert, ADCS	MAL
Sentelik, Joseph, YNC	216
Shawler, Robert E., HMC	MAL
Shelp, Roger H., STCM	MAL
Sherrill, Vernon E., MCPO USN	228
Shrader, Joseph H., GMCS	006
Smith, Chester R., CDR USN	047
Smith, Earnest J., HMC	133
Smith, Roy F., MSC	005
Snell, Billy B., YNC	346
Stargel, Leroy, BTCS	022
Stott, William H., MN1	MAL
Stout, Louis T., HTCM	041
Summers, Jack A., GMTC	054
Swars, George J., CWO2 USN	008
Sweet, Ronney C., AG1	268

Thies, Lloyd D., RMC	382
Thomas, Richard M., EN1(DV/S)	136
Thomas, Robert, USMC RET	MAL
Thorpe, Bert D., CAPT USN	185
Townsend, James N., ETCM	030
Treadway, Clifford E., SK1	316

Unfried, Charles M., CWO4 USN	MAL
Upton, Robert D., AVCM	120

Vanhoose, John W., GMCM	204
Voss, Robert W., AECS	101

Weldon, Frederick S., Sr., AQC	MAL
Welu, James, ET1	MAL
Wheeler, James E., CPO USN	022
White, Charles D., ADJ1	MAL
Wilkerson, Robert L., PO1 USN	MAL
Williamson, Wilbert G., SH1	047
Wilson, Fred, DCCS	043
Wing, Rodney C., CDR USN	292
Woodcock, Leon E., SFCM	MAL
Yeo, Lawrence, PO2 USN	MAL
Yerkes, William J., CWO2 USN	MAL
Yunger, Ernest M., BU1	274
Zable, Harold L., HM1	374
Zamora, Robert O., AOC	317
Zarske, Gerhard W., BUC	MAL
Ziglar, Noble L., BMC	346
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Looking For…
Rex and Vera Morris
We were good friends in Charleston, SC, in the mid 1980’s. Anyone knowing how to contact them, please contact Samuel G. Kibler, samlyn@aol.com.
Carol Stover, mother of Randy. 
Last seen in San Diego, 1969–70. Please contact RMC-RET Joe Kaplin, bplayer037@aol.com or 407-302-7893.
USS Greenwich Bay Personnel
In preparing for the upcoming reunion, we’re trying to track down information about the following members: Haygood, B.E.; Balkam, Charles (1952), Roanoke, Texas; Burgess, A.D. (1953) Kansas City, Mo.; Brosky, Karl Thomas, (1953), Northhampton, Pa.; Dennison, Jules (1952 OR 53); Dini, Peter (1955), Escondido, Calif.; Ferris, William (1952-53); Fisher, John, aka Jack T. Fisher (1952-54); Freeman, Robert (1960-61), Sacramento, Calif; Keenan Michael (1954-56); Marcinkowski, Richard, (1952), Hayward, Wisc.; McPherson, Robert K. (1953) Monaghan, John R. (1952-53), New Bedford, Mass.; Moore, Charles A. (1952-53), Woodbine, N.J.; Plummer, Darwin (1952-53), Teague, Texas; Reynolds, Bill, Paducah Ky.; Rockford, George, Lakeland, Fla.; Scott, Carl M.; Slowik, Joseph J. (1954-66); Smith, Donald (1946-47), Washington D.C.; Snyder, Daniel; Sones, Eugene (1961); Wilson, T.P. (1949), Captain of the ship.
	Please contact Lois Vanderlaan at loisv@comcast.net if you have any 
information on any of these men.
Charles “Chuck” Hudson TM1 (SS USS Jack SSN (605), 1963 – 1966. 
Please contact Richard Moore at 
drifterpilot@cox.net or 804-815-0730.
MMC Kenneth Eby
Please contact SKC Harvey C. (Slick) Swinford USN (Ret). 4244 Marcwade Dr, San Diego, CA 92154-3840. Phone: 619-690-5615, e-mail Debzpa2@aol.com
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LA FRA NEWS
Message from East Coast Regional President, Deb Washington

It is hard to believe my term as Regional President East Coast is already at the midway point. I was excited and honored to have been elected to serve in this position. There is so much to be done and I am looking forward to working with the Units of the East Coast to make this year a productive one. This region has always been fortunate to have members who answer the call to serve and help keep the Units in the region in good working order. I am humbled to be a part of this group and elated to have this opportunity to tell you about them.
The Auxiliary Members of the East Coast are talented, hard working and very charitable. They don’t hesitate to share their expertise and give, not only their time, talent, wisdom and money, but their hearts as well. I am proud to say they do exceptional work. The Units started 2009–2010 year by donating school supplies to local schools and participating in Backpacks for the Needy programs. Many Units adopted local nursing homes or senior citizens homes. They routinely make visits and supply them with tray favors, lap robes, toiletries, reading materials and sponsor craft workshops.
The winter holidays always bring about great opportunities to participate in charitable activities. I must shine a spotlight on the East Coast Units for all of their charitable activities this past holiday season. They gave hundreds of Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets to needy civilians, wayward youth and teens, as well as, military families in need. The Units participated in the Angel Tree Program giving hundreds of children hope and love on Christmas Day. They filled stockings and cooked meals so the spirit of the holidays could be truly enjoyed by all. 
The East Coast is happy to be the region where our National Pilgrimage is held every spring. The annual Pilgrimage will be held Saturday, April 24, 2010, in conjunction with the FRA’s National Board meeting. There will be an early morning tea at 10:30 a.m. to honor our National President, Cindy Rodham-Tuck at the Westin Hotel Tyson’s Corner located at 7801 Leesburg Pike in Falls Church, Virginia. The National President’s tea has always been a great time to meet the National Board members. Later that day, we will board a bus for Arlington National Cemetery where National President Rodham-Tuck will pay tribute to the crew by placing a wreath at the Mast of the USS Maine at 3:15 p.m., followed by the procession and a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 4:15 p.m. Weather permitting this should be a beautiful sunset ceremony and a wonderful time to renew our commitment to the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association. 
The hotel room rates are $99 a night plus 9% tax. Cutoff date for this special rate is March 26, 2010. Remember to mention FRA/LA FRA to receive the negotiated rate. You can make your reservations by calling the Westin Hotel at 1-800-937-8491. These special rates are in effect from Sunday, April 16th – Sunday, April 25th. We hope to see you there.
I am so happy to be a member of this wonderful organization where we can help those in need and have the support of such wonderful, giving members. Increasing our membership in the Ladies Auxiliary of the FRA is very important, and we are making an effort to retain members and recruit new ones. If we combine the wisdom of our seasoned members and the innovation of younger members and applicants, we will inspire a great future for the LA FRA.

Fran Hoadley is the editor of LA FRA News and the FRA Today Liaison.

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