Contents President’s Report 4

Guest Article: HSD2

AFJROTC 5

Diversity 6

Membership/

Transitioning

7

Chaplain’s Corner 8

TOPS 9

Legally Speaking 10

Cemetery Update 11

Investment Club 13

Surviving Spouse

Advisory Commit-

tee Selection

14

Interview: Joe

Weigand

15

Improving Senior

Sleep Patterns

17

Dealing with Diver-

sity: Gold or Plati-

num

18

Keep Your Invest-

ment Costs Low

19

Legislative Watch 20

Profile 20

Volume 55 Issue 2 Feb. 2016

Upcoming Events

Legislative Watch/

Volunteer Opportu-

nities

20

New Officers 21

Coming Events 22

App of the Month

Each month we will be looking at an electronic option that may be of use to our members.

MOAA does not endorse these, but is merely alerting you to their presence.

DiversityDNA is a free iPhone app that offers a mini-course in how to be aware of the way

we behave and interact with others based on our own innate assumptions and percep-

tions. Diversity no longer just addresses racial, gender or religious differ-

ences. These lessons can apply to those returning to the United States after

having been an expat, having moved from a different region of the country,

or transitioning to civilian life. Available at the iTunes store.

Business Professionals Thursday, 01-28 5:30-7:30 PM Club @Flying Horse

Speaker: Barrie Gillis, Global Consultant Exchange Services

Board Meeting Monday, 02-01 5-6:30 PM Catalyst "Innovation" Campus

ROWC Luncheon Wednesday, 02-03 11-12 AM social hour; lunch 12:15

PAFB Club

Member Luncheon Thursday, 02-04 11:30-1:00 AM Falcon Club

Speaker: Aaron Termain, Division Director, Veterans Community

Living Centers.

MOAA Singles Friday, 02-15 11:00 The Warehouse, 25 W. Cimarron

Business Professionals Thursday, 02-25 5:30-7:30 PM Club @ Flying Horse

Speaker: Joe Weigend, Teddy Roosevelt Show

ROWC Luncheon Wednesday, 03-30 11-12 AM social hour; lunch 12:15

PAFB Club

Pikes Peak Chapter - MOAA

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Elected Officers Appointed Officials Associated Organizations

PRESIDENT CHAPLAIN PERSONAL AFFAIRS SCHOLARSHIP FUND

John Carrigan USA former CW2 Col Bob Mossey, USAF (Ret) CAPT Stephen Lucks USN (Ret) COL Jeff Wetjen, USA (Ret)

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT EAGLE EDITOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

Carl Nasatka Maj, (Ret) Jennifer Marsh Col. Phil Andreski, USAF (Ret) CCoC

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT VETERANS OUTREACH LEGAL ADVISOR Lt Col Bob Nelson, USMC (Ret)

Steve Sanchez, Col, USA NG, (Ret) Unassigned Col Skip Morgan, USAF (Ret)

AUXILIARY REP VETERAN AFFAIRS FINANCIAL ADVISOR ROWC

Elisabeth Haase Col Phil Andreski, USAF (Ret) Unassigned Janet Johani, President

SECRETARY MOAA SINGLES

Susan McGovern LTC, USN, (Ret) WEBMASTER Geri Jeffers, President

ASST SECRETARY Lt Col Bob Nelson, USMC (Ret) INVESTMENT CLUB

Maj Bob Green, Maj, USAF (Ret) HISTORIAN ASST WEBMASTER COL Owen Knox, USA (Ret)

TREASURER CPT Max Borysko, USA (Ret) Unassigned

Robert M. Smith COL, USAF, (Ret) TRAINING OFFICER SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

ASST TREASURER COL Nanette Mueller, USA (Ret) Unassigned

Dan Miller, MAJ, USAR JROTC PHOTOGRAPHER

MEMBERSHIP Lt Col Bob Nelson, USMC (Ret) Warren Pearce, USAF (Ret)

LTC Peter Mueller, USA (Ret) TOPS MENTORS

ASST MEMBERSHIP Col. Nanette Mueller, USA (Ret)

Carla Stephany, USAF former MAJ

IMMED PAST PRESIDENT PROGRAMS FUND DEVELOPMENT

Stewart Laing, Lt Col USAF (Ret) Ann-Marie Jojola MAJ, USAF, (Ret) Phil Bachman Capt. USAF, Prior

TRI-LAKES SATELLITE

John Carrigan USA former CW2

Pikes Peak Chapter

Military Officers Association of America

P.O. Box 15319 Colorado Springs, CO 80935-5319

www.PPMOAA.org

MOAA Outstanding Chapter MOAA Chapter Newsletter Contest Award: 1990, 2000, 2001, 2005, National Winner: 1987, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 & 2010 2011, 2012, 2013 , 2014 Co-Winner: 1997 1st Runner-Up: 1998, 1999, Runner-Up: 1997, 1998, 2004 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012 2nd Runner-Up: 2013

National Website Winner Winner: 2003 1st Runner-Up: 2010, 2012

To contact MOAA Headquarters:

Web Site: www.moaa.org

E-Mail: msc@moaa.org

Phone: 800-234-6622

****************************************

The Eagle Newsletter is pub-

lished by the Pikes Peak Chap-

ter, which is an affiliate of the

Military Officers Association of

America (MOAA). MOAA and its

affiliated chapters and councils

are non-partisan. The adver-

tisements that appear in this

publication also do not reflect an

endorsement by MOAA or its

affiliate.

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 2

PAGE 3 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

President’s Report John A. Carrigan

(719) 445-0054

csJACarrigan@gmail.com

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 4

When we talk about the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), we should do so with

pride. Nationally, we have over 390,000 members and we are growing. We are rated as the top veteran’s

organization lobbying groups in DC and one of the best performing ones overall. Our scholarship and educational loan

program are also top notch and very highly rated. We have some of the best insurance programs available to reduce

our members out of pocket costs. We have a strong transition assistance program for those leaving the military and we

are now focusing intensely on supporting the careers of our member’s trailing spouses and providing support to their

families. We are doing a lot and continue to improve.

Locally, our membership is in excess of one thousand member households. We enjoyed greater than 10 percent growth

in 2015 and expect to repeat or exceed that level of growth this year. We believe that the average household income is

in excess of $80,000. We know that greater than 90% of our members have undergraduate degrees and many also

have graduate level degrees. We also know that our members tend to be active in our community and consistently vote

in elections. As a chapter we support several veterans focused on profit organizations and intend to increase our level

of giving to those that support our community. Additionally, we communicate frequently with our elected officials at eve-

ry level, starting with city council up to and including the governor’s office and our US senators and representative. We

are becoming more of a known entity.

So, why is this important? We need to understand that politicians, businesses and organizations respond to numbers.

They want to know how large is our group and how many voters on an issue we represent. They also think about the

size of a taxable income we represent, which think is somewhat north of eight million dollars and is growing. Education

levels are also important because they want to understand how well informed we are on an issue or issues.

That being said, we have more to do. We need to continue the growth, because there is strength in numbers. There-

fore, I would like to task each of you with helping us, by personally making an effort to bring a friend that is not currently

a member to one of our events. I want you to encourage them to become a member and join us. Tell them about the

good things we do and why you are proud to be a member yourself. Ask them to join our chapter.

HSD2 AFJROTC Franklin J. Hinson, Jr. Colonel, USAF (Retired)

jhinson@hsd2.org

PAGE 5 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

Harrison School District 2 AFJROTC Unit CO-961 was the first Air Force Junior ROTC Unit established in Colorado Springs and was activated in the fall of 1996. The 175 student-cadets from Harrison and Sierra High Schools strive to meet the AFJROTC Mission of “developing citi-zens of character dedicated to serving their nation and their community”. Many not familiar with the AFJROTC mission assume that our instructors are military recruiters. Over the past 19 years, while many graduates of CO-961 have gone on to successful careers in the military, many more have pursued medicine, engineering, education, law and other careers. Nationally, of 110,000 students enrolled in AFJROTC, less than 15% will serve in the military.

Over the past six years, CO-961 has consistently been recognized by HQ AFJROTC as a distinguished unit based on community service, inspection results, and suspense compliance. This school year, the cadets of HSD2 will complete over 2,000 hours of community service. One of the major community service highlights each year is the November Colo-rado Springs Veterans Day Parade, when thousands of military veterans line Tejon Street and the AFJROTC Cadets of CO-961 march in their honor. Over the past six years, we have also built a very strong relationship with the Community Partner-ship for Child Development (CPCD), a local non-profit Head Start and Preschool Program. Our cadets volunteer at family strength-ening events each month and also support the CPCD’s annual Adopt-A-Family program each holiday season. Our color guard supports veterans, active duty military, civic, and sports events in the local area and throughout the state. Our competition drill team has made great strides and for the past two years has placed 2nd overall in the annual state ROTC drill competition. The team is working hard for the first place trophy this year.

In addition to excelling in the community, our cadets are excelling in the classroom, with a graduation rate over the past six years of 100%. In 2014, both the Harrison Valedictorian and Sierra Vale-dictorian were cadets in the AFJROTC program. Last year’s AFJROTC corps commander is on a 4-yr AFROTC Scholarship at CU-Boulder. Even more inspiring then their cadet performance is their desire to give back to current cadets. From career days to interviewing and resume writing workshops to college success seminars, our former cadets continuously look for ways to support today’s students.

One additional component of the AFJROTC Program that is thor-oughly enjoyed by cadets is the Aviation Program. The majority of cadets in our program are given the opportunity to fly through the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles Program. The Professional Aviators of EAA Chapter 72 at Meadow Lake Airport are great supporters of our program and provide young people a free flight to broaden their perspective on the world and hopefully kindle an interest in aviation through their mission “HIT THE MARK.” These students were so excited after their orienta-tion flight that they applied for and were accepted into the High Hopes for Teens Program. This amazing program is a local non-profit designed to positively inspire, motivate, and create change through aviation experience.

In the community, in the classroom, and in the air, the cadets of CO-961 are having a blast as they work together each day to be-come better citizens, dedicated to serving their nation and their community.

(Please see photos on p. 11)

The word diversity dates back to the 12th century, when it referred to something that was differ-ent. By the 14th century, it had developed an air of wickedness, but by the 1790s, it had developed a positive sense in terms of government, implying that power shared among the various groups under a government meant no one group would become too powerful.

Studies show that a balanced diversity in our environment is good for air, soil and water quality, and much study is being carried out to explore the impact of diversity in our diets. If we eat too much of a good thing, the thinking goes, even something like kale, we cheat ourselves of optimum nutrition and health. Likewise, being actively involved in a community with a robust set of opinions is said to be good for the brain. On p. 20, we list some opportunities for volun-teer work in Colorado Springs. Take a look at Brenda Sanchez’s article on p. 18 for more information on diversity.

Don’t forget to check out the app featured on p. 1. Because diversity refers to difference, remember, you all bring diversity to the civilian world. It is estimated that returning to the U.S. after having been an expat is three times harder than moving overseas! Why? Because you expect to know how everything works, and you have little patience with yourself as you transition. Sound familiar, those of you transitioning out of the military?

One of our goals at the Eagle is to try to reflect the many facets of the military and larger communities in Colora-do Springs. Some people want to reach out and help those in need; some people want to devote themselves to the arts; some people are raising families or tending to ailing relatives. We know our readers are a diverse lot, so if there is something you are interested in and we’re not talking about it, please let us know! I appreciated the email from Janet Johani, current president of the Retired Officers Wives Club (check out the information for their lunches on p. 1), letting us know their schedule.

Have a wonderful rest of your January and may February be good to you!

Diversity

Jennifer Marsh, editor

jmarshwrites@gmail.com

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 6

PAGE 7 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

Looking for more information about MOAA’s goals for

2016 and beyond? Check out the MOAA Strategic Plan

2014-2018. Interesting reading and you may find an

area where you want to get involved. Find it at:

http://www.moaa.org/Content/About-MOAA/About-

MOAA.aspx

Are you transitioning? Take advantage of MOAA’s

Ready Set Prep virtual prep session Feb. 16 from 9-12

ET and the Virtual Career Fair Feb. 24. Sign up at http://

www.moaa.org/Content/Events/Career-Fairs/Detail/

Virtual-Open-House-and-Career-Fair-Feb-16.aspx.

The Chapter currently has 1061 members:

Regular members: 390

Life members: 436

Auxiliary members: 65

Life auxiliary members: 170

TAPS

IN MEMORIAM

Regular/Associate Members Died

Auxiliary Members Died

Barbara Saks 1/11/2016

HELPING HANDS

Please notify us about a family member or

friend who is ill, in a hospital, or care facility.

We need your help so we can extend care

for them. Call Chaplain Bob Mossey at 576-

6010, Gail Farrar at 592-0297 or any

Chapter Board Member.

Membership/Transitioning LTC Peter Mueller, USA (Ret)

pjmueller1@mindspring.com

Chaplain’s Corner:

Your New Year Calendar

Chaplain (Col) Bob Mossey

(719) 576-6010

remoss75@yahoo.com

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 8

Inspired by the crisp, clean pages of a new calendar, most of us start the New Year with great enthusiasm for resolutions and plans for change. We may receive a new calendar from our church or bank and still others from various businesses and clubs. However, most of you these days may be using a more sophisticated hand-held electronic organ-izer to help you plan, schedule and budget your time in order to get the most out of every day in 2016. Calendars, datebooks and “organizers” can tell us a lot about how we lived the last year. Soon you will be read-ing through last year’s calendar as you do your year end accounting in preparation for income tax filing. So, what might you learn about yourself as you turn those pages? Were there any major events that challenged you? Were there health problems? Has there been a loss of family members or friends? What do the pages tell of how you spent your time? How much emphasis on work, favorite pastimes, friends, or family? Are you satisfied with how you used your own talents and gifts? Were Sundays observed as family days at church and at home in a peaceful setting together? Hope-fully, the musing in the calendars and planners will be a kind of synopsis of the way you are spending your precious time, who you have become, what your priorities and accomplishments are, and what your plan for the future will be. Some people have written books about their lives while others have had books written about them. Most of us have only our calendars to tell our stories and, for many, those calendars have been thrown away or deleted each year. Has your life been a series of throwaway calendars? If so, how do you plan to make the most of this New Year so it won’t be just another throwaway calendar year? It is within your power to plan and execute a great life for yourself be-ginning with this new calendar. If you firmly believe in yourself, if you choose a goal that is worthy, selfless and good in itself, then you cannot miss. Make a resolution to live this new year well! 2016 can be a time to inventory your spiritual life, the practice of your faith and your purpose in life. Think of this as an investment that will pay dividends to you and those close to you. As this new year begins, your most important investment is a strong involvement with God, His church, synagogue, or other place of worship. God is your authority and source of strength and truth. Through His way of life you gain faith in yourself and find the ways to cope with the tests of life. With a strong faith, you will pass those tests with flying colors! Remember that only God knows which calendar will be your last, so enjoy and grow in each pre-cious day. If this seems too demanding for a life that is already too busy, perhaps this is the sign, and perhaps a warn-ing, that your priorities need to be examined very, very carefully. There is always time to do what God wants for us, but we must put ourselves completely into each moment that God offers us. As you consult your new calendar for things to do, places to go and lives to touch, begin each day with a prayer for God’s guidance and the grace to do conscientiously what He wants you to do. Try to remember this passage, “I ex-pect to pass through this life but once. If there is any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do for my fellow hu-man being, let me do it now and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.” Reach out and touch some-one in His name and see how happy this year will be. Your calendar for 2016 will truly “runneth over”. May God Bless You and may God Bless America!

Creative Commons, Sarah Wood

Transitioning Officer Placement Service Doug Bonebrake

drbonebrake@gmail.com

PAGE 9 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

The TOPS group meets 0700 – 0800 every Tuesday at the TREA Building at 834 Emory Circle, vicinity of Murray Blvd and Galley Rd. Whether you are looking for talent, looking for a job opportunity, or just looking for a good breakfast; come and join us. For more infor-mation, visit our web site at http://www.ppcmoaa.org/TOPS. If you have questions about the program, please contact Nanette Brede Mueller, COL, USA (Ret).

Employer Recon

A successful military operation often depends upon good, reliable and timely intelligence. This concept is not unique to military planning. It also applies to business and professional objectives. The more we understand the environment in which we seek to achieve our goals, the more effective we may become in navigating obstacles and overcoming poten-tial sources of failure. Even if we are engaged in a nationwide job search, we must consider that at some point, we must zero in on an objec-tive and walk the ground. Especially if our search is mostly confined to one city, we must step away from the computer and recon the area. Given that most job opportunities are never advertised, we must ask ourselves, how do we discover them? The answer is human contact. While we can submit resumes via the Internet, we do not advance in the hiring process until someone pulls us out of the database. Unless we have the right set of key words, our resume may never be read by human eyes. Even if it is, we are not there to interpret the value of what they see. Human contact allows us to expand the conversa-tion. One essential task in our job search is to locate and research leads and opportunities. We can start the process via the Internet and in local libraries, but that is only equivalent to a map recon and there is a lot of information we can miss. Networking allows us to gain leads to identify potential employers. As we capture such information, we should begin to organize it into employer profiles. This exercise will assist us to not only target potential employers, but also to prepare for interviews. As we collect information, we should conduct periodic patrols to examine the ground and refine our understanding of where we seek to work. While we may have a specific business we intend to visit, we should also drive and walk the sur-rounding area. Especially in an industrial or research park, we may find derivative, supporting or competitor businesses who may also present opportunities for our talent. We should also consider that lesser known brands may provide great-er opportunities for advancement because they may be in an expansion mode. Every name brand was one day a start up. As we recon the area, we should write down the businesses we see. While some businesses will have elaborate security which may keep us out, they are likely to have identifying signs we can look up on the Internet, in the library or discuss with network contacts. If we find a network contact working at such a business, our conversations with them might lead to an opportunity to see the inside. We should not overlook the need to enter lobbies as part of our recon. While elaborate signs are not on the outside, the building directory may provide us some leads for our research. A visit to the reception desk may also allow us to make some initial human contact from which to learn about the potential employers inside. As with any intelligence plan, we must rely upon and refine the input of multiple sources. We must not rely only upon the Internet. We must remember a critical objective to our goal is human contact; therefore, an essential part of our research is to get on the ground where we can shake hands.

Legally Speaking:

SBP and the Adult

Disabled Child

Col Skip Morgan, USAF (Ret)

www.skipmorganlaw.com 473-1986/

chmorgan2d@skipmorganlaw.com

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 10

It’s been my privilege to be brought alongside a number of military families who have cared for adult disabled

children all of their lives. The selflessness, love, patience, perseverance and yes, courage of these families leaves me in awestruck admiration.

The reason I’ve come into these families is that they face unique estate planning problems. Parents or grand-parents won’t always be around, and for many institutionalizing a child is unthinkable. There are all sorts of disabilities – physical, cognitive, psychological and combinations of the three (such as cerebral palsy) which might make an adult child unable to live independently. Hence, they disabled child may have to rely on Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Eligibility for these benefits is means-tested. That is, there are strict limitations on how much you can have in total assets and monthly income depending on the nature of the child’s entitlement and disability. Both SSI and Medi-caid are designed to help the indigent or near-indigent who have not had sufficient work history to qualify for Social Se-curity Disability. These are often children with congenital or childhood-onset conditions.

Because SSI and Medicaid are means-tested, should Medicaid/SSI recipients receive a bequest outright it may have the automatic result of disqualifying them from further assistance until the money is used up. Further, if the recipi-ent dies with some of that money there’s a good chance that Medicaid will lay claim to it. Hence, outright testamentary bequests to an incapacitated family member may have the strange result of actually causing long-term financial harm.

There is a way to provide something for loved ones in this position without jeopardizing their entitlements called a Supplemental Needs Trust, or Disability Trust. It can be created during the lifetime of the donor or by will. As a rule, it will require the approval of a court and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

Once approved, it puts the money into the hands of a third-party trustee outside the reach of state Medicaid au-thorities during the lifetime of the beneficiary because it’s not counted as a resource belonging to the beneficiary. As you might expect, Colorado and Federal law define and sharply circumscribe the terms of such trusts, confining distributions to the beneficiary to what might be termed “extras.” While distributions cannot be expended for those things which Medi-caid pays for, or for staples such as food, clothing, and lodging, they can fund vacations, companionship, gifts, and “treats” that enrich the lives of the beneficiary without supplanting or jeopardizing Medicaid-resourced payments or SSI.

As well, income in excess of that which is permissible can also sometimes be sheltered through the creation of a Miller or Income Trust. That permits a beneficiary who is receiving income in excess of the permissible amount, but less than a certain maximum, to collect the maximum permissible to qualify for benefits with any remainder being held in trust for the benefit of Colorado Medicaid upon death.

Retirees with an adult disabled child have long been able to designate that child as the beneficiary for the Survi-vors Benefit Plan. The problem until now is that the receipt of SBP could and often did act to cut off SSI/Medicaid bene-fits. But good news, part of the 2015 DOD Authorization Act enables a parent to designate the Supplemental Needs Trust to be the beneficiary of SBP payments on behalf of a disabled child. Properly done, this infusion of cash into a SNT can be used to satisfy the purposes of the SNT without running afoul of income and resource limitations. It has to be done right, of course, but the point is that until now it could not be done at all. A DoD Memorandum has recently is-sued implementing the legislation and can be found at http://www.moaa.org/uploadedFiles/Content/Take_Action/Top_Issues/Spouse_and_Family/SNTPolicyFinal31Dec15.pdf. Possibly this column spends too much time brooding over the bad news. This is good news, and for some of you out there represents a signal change in your estate-planning opportunities to care for a disabled child.

“Wills, Trusts,

Estate Planning,

Probate and

Military Law”

PAGE 11 VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE

Cemetery Update

A FORWARD LOOK

The architectural and engineering company which has been working this past year on the master plan and architectural drawings for our national cemetery has submitted its plans and drawings to the Veterans Administration for final approv-al, and for the VA to produce a cost analysis and a budget request to the Congress to fund the construction of Phase I of the cemetery. The construction funding is expected to be passed by the Congress for expenditure using Fiscal Year 2017 budgeted funds.

When the construction funds are available to the VA, they will solicit bids from construction firms capable of constructing the cemetery. Actual construction can only start after final selection of the construction firm to perform the job, pending the resolution of any issues or challenges by any other firms, hopefully in early 2017. Although total construction time for Phase I of a national cemetery is usually two years, we are told that the VA could permit early burials prior to completion of the Phase I. We hope that the earliest burials might be possible in the latter months of 2017 or early months of 2018.

Phase I construction includes roads and utilities, the front gate, headquarters building, maintenance facilities, visitor cen-ter, two committal shelters, honor guard facility, and burial and columbarium facilities for approximately 10,000 veterans.

IT’S ALL FOR THE VETERANS!

Col. Vic Fernandez

(719) 598-6752

vic.fernandez1@comcast.net

Harrison AFJROTC Photos Franklin J. Hinson, Jr.

Colonel, USAF (Retired)

jhinson@hsd2.org

HSD2 AFRJOTC 2015 Drill Team: 2nd in the

State

HSD2 AFROTC Corps at 2015 Colorado

Springs Veterans Day Parade

HSD2 AFJROTC Cadets (High Hopes for

Teens Students) w/ Tuskegee Airmen

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 12

Investment Club COL Owen Knox, USA (Ret)

689-2355 /knoxcolorado@gmail.com

PAGE 13 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

The January 14th meeting of the Pikes Peak MOAA Investment Club was attended by five

members and two members were represented by proxy.

Minutes of our December meeting were read by the Secretary, Dave Wintermute, and were ap-

proved.

Our treasurer, Jim Kennedy, presented the financial report for the month of December which was approved without change. The total valuation for the club as of the end of December was $141,226.34.This figure represents the total val-ue of our stocks plus cash on hand. Our stock portfolio value has dropped a little reflecting the overall trends in the mar-ket. Jim Kennedy, our portfolio manager, provided reports on the status of the 15 stocks held by the club. The performance

of these stocks was presented for the entire period that we have held the stock and how they have performed since the

beginning of the year. The year to date performance showed a loss of -1.35% which compared somewhat mixed with the

Dow at -2.23%, the Nasdaq at +5.73% and the S&P 500 at -0.69%. To put these results in perspective, the value of our

stocks has increased since the date of purchase by 17.72%. For those who have been following the performance of our

160 shares of Apple stock (AAPL), the price per share recovered sufficiently in the month of November to show a profit

of 8.76% since the beginning of the year 2015. Then it got caught up in the year-end correction driven by severe drops

in oil prices and the uncertainty of overseas markets and ended December with a loss of -4.43%. The total value of our

holdings of this stock has increased by 22.91% since our purchases in 2012, 2013 and in March 2015. (Please stay

tuned).

Gary Kramer introduced CVS Pharmacies (CVS) as a candidate for purchase. After some discussion it was decided that

we would sell our holdings in Corning (GLW) and buy 100 shares of CVS.

Stocks now held by the Club are: Air Lease Corporation (AL), Apple Inc. (AAPL), Alaska Airlines Inc. (ALK), First Solar

(FSLR), Gilead Science (GILD), Honeywell Intl. Inc. (HON), Intl. Paper Co. (IP), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), J P Morgan

Chase & Co. (JPM), Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH), Southwest Airlines (LUV), PayChex Inc. (PAYX), Procter

Gamble (PG), CVS Pharmacies (CVS) and Skyworks Solutions (SWKS).

If you would like to join us, all are welcome to attend our regular scheduled meetings that are held on the second Tues-

day of the month at 2:30 in the Merrill Lynch conference room. The Merrill Lynch office is located in downtown Colorado

Springs on the 6th floor of the Wells Fargo Building, 90 South Cascade Avenue. Park in the underground garage and

have your ticket validated in the ML office for free parking. If you have any questions please call Owen Knox at 689-

2355.

Creative Commons

Surviving Spouse Advisory

Committee Selection

Sharon A. DeVaney, MOAA Surviving Spouse

Advisory Committee

719-488-6687/jsdevaney@aol.com

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 14

(From the MOAA National Website):

MOAA is looking for surviving spouses who possess good leadership and communication skills to fill two open positions on the Surviving Spouse Advisory Committee (SSAC). SSAC members make recommendations to national MOAA’s president on issues affecting surviving spouses of military members. New SSAC members will serve a three-year term beginning February 2016.

Nominees should include a short 250-word biography, a letter of recommendation from their council or chapter president, and state why they want to serve on the SSAC. The deadline for applications is Jan. 29, 2016.

To apply, visit the Surviving Spouses section of MOAA’s website and download the Selection Criteria. Applications can be submitted via email to auxcomm@moaa.org or mailed to MOAA, Attn: MSC, Surviving Spouse Advisory Committee, 201 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2539.

- See more at: http://www.moaa.org/Content/Chapters-and-Councils/Council-and-Chapter-eNewsletters/The-Affiliate/2015-Affiliate/December-2015-Affiliate/Attention-Surviving-

Spouses.aspx#sthash.5UXqT0OD.dpuf

Interview: Joe Weigand as Teddy Roosevelt Jennifer Marsh, editor

jmarshwrites@gmail.com

PAGE 15 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

As a boy, Joe Weigand wanted to save the world. The pathway he saw to making a big differ-

ence was through politics — not the politics he saw on tv, but the biographies he read in the library when

he had finished his math and his schoolmates had half an hour still to go. After a distinguished twenty-five year long ca-

reer in politics, he needed to find another way to make a difference.

Theodore Roosevelt was one of Weigand’s idols. Not only was Roosevelt an author, explorer and soldier, he also held a

number of interesting positions, among them assistant Secretary of the Navy, cattle rancher, sheriff, police commission-

er, and lawyer. He set aside over 42 million acres of land during his presidency, including what is now Malheur National

Wildlife Refuge and the Grand Canyon. He was also the youngest president to assume office (aged 42 when McKinley

died), was the first to travel outside the United States during his administration, the first to fly, and was the first American

to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating an end to the Russo-Japanese war.

While serving as Vice-President, Roosevelt came to Colorado Springs and gave a speech at the opening of the YMCA

which was then on Tejon Street. He said that the YMCA, “promotes industry, temperance, and self-reliance...It is a tax-

payers’ best friend. It gives better government at less cost, and that is the ultimate of political aspirations." However, he

was not always well received. Being a gold standard man, he was run out of Cripple Creek by the silver miners.

Joe Weigand has performed as TR, the first president to go by his initials, since 2004, and has performed all over the

country, including at the Smithsonian and the White House. He will be performing at the Business Professionals Meeting

Thursday, February 28 at 5:30 at the Club at Flying Horse. You can reserve your spot at the website,

www.ppcmoaa.org.

ROTC / JROTC Donations

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 16

Would you like to see your name here? Support

the Chapter and our ROTC/JROTC Scholarship

Program with a Tax Deductible Do-nation.

Please see http://www.ppmoaa.org/members/ and

click the “Make a Donation” link

Please support your Chapter and join fellow members for a good time visiting

with friends, good food and dynamic speakers. See your Eagle newsletter for

more details on each breakfast/ luncheon/dinner and the reservation process.

Membership Luncheon, Feb. 4, 11:30, Falcon Club. See details on p. 22

PAGE 17 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

High quality sleep of adequate quantity is important to senior health. Many seniors have trouble falling and staying asleep. Lack of sleep can cause a variety of problems like drowsiness, poor concentration, and inability to focus. Worse still, undiagnosed sleep disorders like breathing trouble and sleep apnea have been connected to hypertension, pulmonary problems, cardiovascular complaints, and compromised nervous system health. A 2005 Gallup poll of 1,000 adults over age 50 found that only 32 percent of respondents reported "getting a good night's sleep" every night. No wonder: proper sleep improves concentration, aids memory formation, allows the body to repair cell damage, and keeps the immune system functioning at its best. Adequate sleep can also improve mood, reduce pain, help control anxiety, and lead to better sleep the following night. Changes in sleep-regulating hormones as people age can lead to more rapid sleep cycles, which in turn cause fragmented sleep. Those that suffer from this problem end up feeling unrested. This same hormone shift can cause seniors to want to go to bed and wake up very early. These changes in sleep patterns alone are not necessarily disruptive and can often be addressed with a shift to an earlier bedtime and good sleep hygiene. However, they can also snowball into other sleep problems, anxiety, depression, and physical pain. There are a wide variety of sleep disruptors. Arthritis and other chronic conditions can cause pain. Seniors with cardiovascular issues are often advised to sleep in an angled position, which many people find uncomfortable. Both bladder and prostrate problems can lead seniors to wake up for bathroom breaks. Many medications can cause sleep problems. A lack of exercise can either make people feel tired and unmotivated, or make them never tired enough to sleep. Exercise releases chemicals that promote better sleep. A short daily walk, bit of gardening, or other low-impact activity can greatly improve the quantity and quality of one's sleep. Taking that exercise outside has the added benefit of being exposed to daylight, which can help regulate the body's natural circadian rhythms and further promote a restful sleep pattern. Making sure to spend a bit of time outdoors at a regu-lar time every day, or even simply sit in a window with natural light, can help lead to healthier sleep. Finally, stress, anxiety, and depression can all interfere with healthful sleep. Many seniors experience greater levels of anxiety as they age. Finding a way to express worries and concerns can impact getting a good night's sleep. Having social connections can make a difference, although serious emotional issues, such as grief or clinical depression may necessitate the help of a trained health profes-sional. Naps can be either the cause or the cure! For seniors who struggle to stay alert all day, a short nap may be the bridge they need to get them from a convenient waking time to a reasonable bedtime. Good, healthy, restorative naps are short--just 15 to 30 minutes, relatively early in the afternoon so they don't conflict with bedtime, and physically comfortable in a quiet and dimly lit place.

Many seniors turn to sleep aids, both prescription and over-the-counter. One of the potential problems with this route is that sleep aids can interact negatively with a range of medications and/or they can cause drowsiness that itself leads to accidents and falls. Worse, many sleep aids can cause confusion and disorientation. For seniors with any level of dementia, this potential side effect must be closely monitored and avoided since it can lead to night fears, heightened anxiety, and even worse: sleep problems. Here are some "sleep hygiene" tips and habits that may help: 1) Gradually eliminate caffeine from your diet, or at least limit caffeine intake to one caffeinated beverage in the morning. Avoid all caffeine after lunch. 2) Eat a big meal at lunchtime, and have a lighter dinner. 3) Avoid alcohol, or at least limit alcohol consumption to one drink, preferably with a meal and not right before bedtime. 4) Do some sort of physical activity every day, preferably outside where you can get direct daylight. Exercise early in the day since physical exertion too close to bedtime can be stimulating. 5) Establish and maintain a set bedtime and waking time. If you choose to take a nap, do so at a regular, set time. 6) Establish a pre-bedtime calming routine. This may include a warm bath, reading, or listening to restful music. 7) Avoid television right before bed. 8) Write down any fears, worries, or concerns that are on your mind as part of your bedtime routine – giving voice to such concerns can help reduce their ability to negatively impact sleep. 9) Use your bed (and preferably the whole bedroom) only for sleeping, do not read or watch television in bed. 10) If you don't fall asleep after 15 – 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something quiet and calm, read or listen to restful music or a book on tape. Serious or long-term sleep disorders should always be brought to the attention of a health care provider.

Improving Senior Sleep

Patterns

Dorothy Silvanic, Col (ret), USAF

Owner Home Care Assistance

dsilvanic@homecareassistance.com/

719-258-0573

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 18

A plaque placed on the pedestal upon which the Statue of Liberty sits reads in part, “Give me your tired, your

poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.” The United States of America has always been seen as the “land

of opportunity.” America was thought to be a melting pot where people migrated to begin a new life, bringing with them

the tastes, values, expectations, beliefs, entertainment and lifestyle preferences that make us who we are as a country.

Former President Jimmy Carter said, “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different

beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”

Immigration has been and continues to be in the minds and thoughts of Americans and in the political rhetoric of candi-dates for political office. Regardless of which side of the immigration issue you find yourself on, one thing cannot be de-nied, immigration is responsible for the richness in diversity we enjoy in American society.

Diversity isn’t limited to our cultural upbringing, it exists at the human level. If you look around, the world is full of individ-uals, each one of us unique with our own experiences and expectations. Is it little wonder that there is often conflict among us? Conflicts arise when we focus on our differences instead of on our commonalities. By focusing on our com-monalities we can build bridges of understanding which translates to building better relationships. In his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey’s 5th habit is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

A wise piece of advice that has been passed along for many generations, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” You may remember this as “The Golden Rule” we all learned as kids. It’s a great rule to live by and believe in, especially when it comes to honesty, values, ethics and having consideration for the needs of others. However, when it comes to interpersonal communication, it can backfire because others may not wish to be treated the same way you like to be treated.

Tony Alessandra as a young man, learned this lesson firsthand when he moved from New York to San Diego. He prac-ticed The Golden Rule verbatim by treating the people in San Diego the way he liked to be treated… as a New Yorker. He came on too strong; he was too assertive and just “too fast” for most of the laid-back people on the West Coast. He rubbed many people the wrong way, which prompted them to “dig in their heels” and few responded positively to his re-quests. Fortunately, he soon realized that people are diverse and each need to be treated differently. As he became more self-aware, he coined the phrase, “The Platinum Rule,” which states: “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.” The Platinum Rule is a more sensitive version of the ancient axiom. That is, learn to understand the behav-iors of others and interact with them in a style that is best for them, not just for you. You need to adapt so that, while re-taining your own identity, you can lead others in the way they like to follow, speak to them the way they are comfortable listening. By treating people the way they want to be treated, you are paying attention to their needs, wants and expecta-tions. You are trying to walk in their shoes, to understand their feelings, see their point of view and in business relation-ships identify their needs a customers. That builds trust, friendship and respect ... three requirements for any strong rela-tionship.

Getting along with others is the universal key to success. In fact, studies have shown that the ability to build rapport with

others was the one thing all highly successful people have in common. Mastery of The Platinum Rule is the key to open-

ing the door to successful relationships in all areas of your life.

Dealing with Diversity:

Gold or Platinum

Michael and Brenda Sanchez, Major (ret), USAF

cards@hugsandkisses.com

Hugs and Kisses Cards

719-331-1525/719-440-6477

Keep Your Investment

Costs Low

Lt Col USMC (Ret) Skip Fleming, CFP

685-0600

Skip@lodestarfp.com

PAGE 19 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

Last summer, I discussed the Serenity Prayer as a backdrop toward financial planning. Specifically I discussed the importance of changing the things that you can change. We as investors have little control over what happens in the market, the economy, or the world. However, we do have control over what we pay for our investments.

When we keep our investment costs low, we allow more of dollars to work for us. Investment costs come direct-ly from your returns, and over the long-term can reduce your wealth accumulation.

If you understand the different costs, and how they affect performance, you may be able to improve your results. Investment costs come from three areas: sales loads, expense ratios, and transaction costs.

Sales Loads

When you purchase a mutual fund from a broker,you pay an up-front sales load, typically 5%, or you pay a slid-ing scale redemption fee accompanied by an additional 1% annual fee. When you invest in a typical ‘A’ share class of Mutual Fund, you pay the retail price also known as the POP or Public Offering Price. The price that you can sell it back to the Broker is the NAV or Net Asset Value. The difference between these two is the load. Therefore, if the NAV of that fund is $9.50 per share and the POP is $10.00 per share the load is 5 percent. For example you purchase 100 shares of XYZ Mutual fund at $10 per share, if you were to sell it the next day and the price had not changed you my only get $950 of yourinvestment back. The $50 load went to compensate the Broker who handled your transaction. You continue to pay the sales load on all subsequent purchases of the fund. The sales load might be discounted when the account bal-ance reaches a certain level or when purchasing large quantities of the fund.

With a back-end sales fee, a combination of annual charges and redemption fees ensure that the brokerage earns its commission over time.

You can avoid sales load by avoiding broker sold funds and investing in no-load funds directly from a no-load mutual fund company. Keep in mind however that you might not receive any advice on selecting the right fund for you.

Operating Expenses

The day to day administration and management of a mutual fund portfolio costs money. These expensesare expressed as a percentage of the portfolio’s net assets or expense ratio. The higher the ratio, the more it costs to oper-ate the fund and therefore the more drag on the overall performance for the fund.

It is often wise to consider lower operating expenses when comparing mutual funds. Often the lowest operating expenses are associated with funds that try to match a particular index. Otherwise known as Index funds.

Transaction costs.

The mutual fund manager pays a trading fee to buy and/or sell stocks or bonds inside the portfolio. The higher the turnover in the portfolio the higher the trading fees. Higher trading fees often detract from the portfolios overall per-formance. Often funds with lower turnover rates can reduce the trading cost and likely result in less drag on the fund’s performance.

Control the things you can control – Individual investors cannot control the markets, however they can often con-trol what they pay to invest. That can make a tremendous difference over time. The lower your costs, the greater your share of the return and the greater impact of compounding.

(Skip Fleming CFP® is an investment advisor representative of and offers investment advisory services through Garrett Investment Advisors, LLC, a fee-only SEC registered investment advisor. 103 E. Van Buren, #357, Eureka Springs, AR, 72632. Tel: (910) FEE-ONLY [333-6659]. He does business as Lodestar Financial Planning in Colorado Springs.)

Legislative Watch

Jennifer Marsh, editor

360-265-8718/jmarshwrites@gmail.com

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 20

Click here to see MOAA’s top 10 legislative goals for 2016.

Did you serve at Camp Lejeune? The VA has ruled that certain diseases are connected to the water there. Click

here for more details.

The Commission on Care wants to hear your voice about health care at the VA. Click here to comment.

For more, go to http://www.moaa.org/takeaction/.

Are you sure you are getting all your benefits? Check it out with MOAA.

Volunteer Opportunities

Red Cross always needs new volunteers. There are opportunities galore, from the Disaster Action Team work of

going out and working with clients, to Service to Armed Forces caseworkers, to International Services volunteers

helping to reunite families separated by natural disasters or war, to Public Affairs volunteers who tell the story of

the Red Cross. http://www.redcross.org/support/volunteer.

Rocky Mountain Field Institute is looking for volunteers to help with regional restoration projects of areas affected

by bad weather, wild fires or floods. Rmfi.org

Project Angel Heart delivers meals to those undergoing serious health issues. Projectangelheart.org

Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care needs volunteers, including working with prescription animal therapy, cou-

rier duties and helping out after a patient passes away. Pikespeakhospice.org

The VA is looking for volunteers to donate a blood sample for the Million Veterans Program, which has a database

of blood samples reaching back over twenty years. While blood and medical information is shared with research-

ers, identities are kept confidential. More information is at http://www.research.va.gov/mvp/.

New Officers

PAGE 21 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

Warren Pearce, USAF (ret)

wwpearce@comcast.net

President, John Carrigan USA former

CW2 First Vice President, Carl Nasatka Maj,

(Ret)

Second Vice President, Steve Sanchez, Col,

USA NG, (Ret)

Secretary, Susan McGovern LTC, USN,

(Ret) Treasurer, Robert M. Smith COL,

USAF, (Ret)

Chaplain, Col Bob Mossey, USAF (Ret)

Veteran Affairs, Col Phil Andreski, USAF

(Ret)

Fund Development, Phil

Bachman Capt. USAF, Prior

Membership, LTC Peter Mueller, USA

(Ret)

Photographer, Warren Pearce,

USAF (Ret) Historian, CPT Max Borysko,

USA (Ret) Assistant Treasurer, Dan

Miller, MAJ, USAR

Clip and Mail

Save Time – Go Online and pay with PayPal or your credit card for Luncheon or Dinner http://www.ppcmoaa.org/Upcoming-Events

OR

For Luncheons - Mail reservation form (below) with check payable to PPCMOAA

To PPCMOAA, Attn: Reservations PO Box 15319 Colorado Springs, CO 80935-5319

to arrive by 1400 on Feb. 1. OR

To make/cancel reservation

call Nina Brokaw at 719-232-7389 or e-mail brokaw135@aol.com

NLT 1600 Feb. 1.

UPCOMING MONTHLY CHAPTER EVENTS – RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

February 4 Membership Luncheon 11:30 am Thursday

Falcon Club, AF Academy

Price: $19 Menu: NY Strip Loin or Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast

Speaker: Installation of 2016 Board of Directors

February 25 Business Professionals Dinner 5:30 pm Thursday

The Club at Flying Horse, 1880 Weiskopf Pt.

Price: $27.50 Menu: Buffet

Speaker: Joe Wiegand, An Evening with Teddy Roosevelt

March 3 Membership Luncheon 11:30 am Thursday

The Club, PAFB

Price: TBD Menu: TBD

Speaker: TBD

March 24 Business Professionals Dinner 5:30 pm Thursday

The Club @ Flying Horse, 1880 Weiskopf Pt.

Price: $27.50 Menu: Buffet

Speaker: TBD

Membership Luncheon Reservation

February 4 at 11:30 am Falcon Club, AF Academy

$__ per person

Number of Persons ______ Total enclosed $_______

Names:

Menu Choices:

_____________________________________________________ _____________

_____________________________________________________ _____________

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 22

Pikes Peak Chapter Membership Renewal Form

Chapter dues are paid annually (Jan – Dec) and separate from MOAA National dues.

Save time and postage: Please use the secure PayPal (credit card) feature to pay your

Chapter dues at www.ppcmoaa.org , or you can cut out this form and mail to: Pikes

Peak Chapter–MOAA, Attn: Membership, P.O. Box 15319, Colorado Springs, CO

80935. Make check payable to: PPC-MOAA. Thank you for your support!

Full Name ______________________________________________________ Rank __________________

Branch _______________Retired / Active / Former____________________________________

MOAA Nat’l # ____________________ Email ________________________________________

REGULAR MEMBER DUES

□ 2015 - $24 □ 2 YEARS - $48 □ 3 YEARS - $72 LIFE MEMBER: □ Under 70 - $250 □ 70 & Over - $200

AUXILIARY DUES

□ 2015 - $12 □ 2 YEARS - $24 □ 3 YEARS - $36 □ LIFE MEMBER - $125

*** Life Memberships can be paid in 4 equal installments during the year.

Donation to the JROTC/ROTC SCHOLARSHIP FUND $_____________(tax deductible ID# 84-1301955)

Pikes Peak Chapter Membership Renewal Form

Chapter Dues are paid annually (Jan – Dec) and separate from MOAA Nat’l dues

Mail to: Pikes Peak Chapter –MOAA Check payable to:

Attn: Membership PPC-MOAA

PO Box 15319 Thank you

Colorado Springs, CO 80935-5319 for your support!

https://www.facebook.com/PikesPeakChapterMOAA. Act Now Preserve Your Promised Benefits

Go to the MOAA Website

http://MOAA.ORG

Click on Issues & Legislation

Action Alert

PAGE 23 THE EAGLE VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2

VOLUME 55 ISSUE 2 THE EAGLE PAGE 24