MILITARY OFFICERS CALL

Sun City Center Chapter Military Officers Association of America

P. O. Box 5693, Sun City Center, FL. 33571

Volume 32 Number 12 December 2016

President’s Message Charles Conover LTC USA (Ret)

December 2016

Dear Colleagues :

What a great Hi-Neighbor we had in November. We signed up three new members and one Auxiliary mem-ber and also have prospects for several more members. Our table was manned by Benny Blackshire, Ferris Gar-rett and me. We had a truly inspiring presentation by Mary Ellen Harlin- Chaplain for the Hillsborough County Veterans Council. We are fortunate to have such dedicated peo-ple working with our veterans. We welcome the new officers and directors elected at our Annual Meeting last month. We look forward to the new ideas that they will bring to the board of directors. This month we mark the 75

th anniversary of the bomb-

ing of Pearl Harbor “A Day That Shall Live in Infamy” as stated by President Roosevelt in 1941 in his address to the Nation. Our own Ed Socha, who was there, is the last survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack still living in Sun City Center. At our December luncheon , we are pleased to wel-come the Men’s Choir of The United Methodist Church of Sun City Center who will sing the National Anthem, another patriotic song and Christmas songs. December represents an important time in our lives. We celebrate Christmas, the first day of Hanukkah on December 25

th and Kwanzaa on December 26

th. What-

ever your faith, I wish you the very best during the Holi-day Season. Please attend the church of your choice and thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us and our nation. Our guest speaker this month will be Marc Oliveri, President, Florida Council of Chapters of MOAA, who will install our new officers and directors and give an update on what is happening in the MOAA.

The leadership experience of Lt. Col. Marc Oliveri, USAR (Ret), runs the gamut. He’s held the positions of newsletter editor, membership chair, second vice president, first vice president, and president of the Palm Beach-Martin Counties (Fla.) Chapter and, before moving to Florida in 2008, vice president of the Military Officers Club of Long Island (N.Y.). But it doesn’t stop there. He also chaired the Florida Council of Chapters’ 2012 convention and served as southeast area vice president, newsletter editor, bylaws chair, membership chair, and vice president. He currently is president of the council, a role Oliveri first stepped up for when the Florida Council of Chapters president fell ill in early 2015. He completed the term and now is serving his own term. Though his past accomplishments are impressive — including helping to establish the Florida Keys Chapter and rejuvenate the South Central Florida Chapter, sponsoring a family and friends cruise that generated a $5,000 surplus that goes to help chapters that can’t afford to hold events, and mailing postcards to potential members who are invited to come have a drink and learn about the Palm Beach-Martin Counties (Fla.) Chapter — Oliveri continues to look to the future and find solutions for the challenges chapters

DECEMBER LUNCHEON

♦(813) 642-0497♦ Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016 (Florida Room)

Salad Bar & Fresh Fruit with Assorted Dressings Carved Steamship Round of Beef

Onion Crusted Salmon Hot Starch & Vegetable du Jour

Dessert Bar: Chef’s selected desserts

Beverages: Decaf Coffee, Iced Tea, and Ice Water

DECEMBER SPEAKER

LTC Mark Oliveri USA (Ret)

2017 DUES

Paying your 2017 MOAA dues in advance will save the chapter $1.30 per member, the cost of mailing out dues notices. 2017 dues are $15 Member or $12 AUX.

Make your check payable to MOAA and mail to MOAA, PO Box 5693, Sun City Center, FL 33571-5693.

Or bring the check to the December luncheon.

Mary Ellen Harlan was the featured speaker at the Mili-tary Officers Association of America (MOAA) monthly luncheon, which took place in the Florida Room at the North Side Atrium on November 2

nd, 2016. Mary Ellen has

spent 32,000 hours volunteering at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. She is a retired nurse and widow of a Navy pilot. She is currently the Polytrauma Family Liaison Officer at the veterans hospital and she discussed the many heart wrenching veterans stories she has encoun-tered and assisted with down through the years. She has been particularly involved with paralyzed and other seri-ously physically debilitated veterans whose lives were turned upside down. Mary Ellen is a Co-founder of Haley House that takes care of housing for Active Duty and Veteran families, whose income is under $3,000 per month, while the patient is in James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. She served on the Florida Gulf Coast PVA Hospital Committee for 10 years and is still active. She also participated in a cable show, doing interviews of veterans for Hillsborough County on veteran’s issues. Subsequent to Mary Ellen’s excellent presentation MOAA president Charles Conover (right) presented Nancy Alguire, (Center), president and Colin Howgill, MFST chair-man with a $1000.00 donation.

Chapter Officers

PRESIDENT LTC Charles Conover, USA (Ret)…..….…......260-3257 charlierconover@gmail.com 1st VP LTC Benny Blackshire, USA (Ret)…………….260-3105 bwblacks@aol.com

2nd VP MAJ James Haney, USMC (Ret)……………..642-0373 jhhaney1@gmail.com SECRETARY/TREASURER (Interim) D. Kay Benson (Aux).…………………...….… 938-3030 mamby45@hotmail.com DIRECTOR LT Dave Floyd, USN (Fmr)... ……….………...334-7797 Davidfloyd2012@yahoo.com DIRECTOR Doris Glass (Aux)…………………………...….642-0497 Luncheon Reservation Coordinator dobygl@juno.com DIRECTOR CAPT Frank Kepley, USN (Ret) ………….… 642-0801 Public Affairs Officer Legislative Affairs Publisher/Editor Officers Call Newsletter dkepley@tampabay.rr.com DIRECTOR Jane Foppe (Aux) ………………………….....541-2618 ljcfoppe@aol.com PAST PRESIDENT LT Thom Brown, USNR (Fmr)………….… ….634-7435 galenageneral1999@gmail.com

PERSONAL AFFAIRS CDR Ed Socha, USN (Ret) …………...……. .634-4957 Proofreader ejsfalcon1@frontier.com JROTC COORDINATOR CDR Gina Alderman, USN (Ret)………..…...331-3390 ginaalderman61@gmail.com CHAPLAIN Lt Col Samuel Rorer, USAF (Ret)…..………. 260-3882 srorer@hotmail.com LUNCHEON COORDINATOR LTC Frank Sanyour, USA (Ret) ………....… 642-9777 sanyourfrank@aol.com

GOLF TOURNAMENT

Thanks to Dave Murphy, the 2016 MOAA Golf Tournament was a rousing success. Dave worked long and hard to ensure that success.

THANKS DAVE

And thanks to those committee members who assisted him.

Mary Ellen Harlan & President Charles Conover

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Colin Howgill. Chairman MFST – Nancy Alguire, Pesident MFST Charles Conover, Presiden t MOAA

.

.

David J. Gauthier Certified Public Accountant—Sun City Accounting

Sun City Center, Florida 33573

(813) 634-9500

(813)642-8112-Fax

Income Tax Preparation

Corporate and Business Taxes

Accounting and Bookkeeping

Financial and Investment Planning

Planning for Freedom Plaza Entrance Fees

• Financial Assistance in critical times of need

• PAWS for Patriots through Southeastern Guide Dogs: MFST supports three blind veterans per year at a cost of $5,000 per veteran

• Service Dogs for veterans with PTSD and other traumatic injuries.

• Homeless Prevention for Women Veterans: help with rent, child care and licensing training.

• Operation Warm Heart, administered by the 1st Sargeants Group at MacDill AFB, who provide commissary vouchers for soldiers in need in Tampa.

in Tampa

• Scholarships and Leadership Pro-grams for students from military families

• Operation Helping Hand: monthly support for military families of wounded servicemen and women at the James A. Haley VA Hospital .

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MEMBER OF THE MONTH

Lt Col Richard Ballentine USMC (Ret) and wife Marta

Sun City Center MOAA Website

Don’t forget to visit our new website. The link to the

website is: http://moaafl.org/chapters/SunCity/ You

will find much membership information, photos, cal-

endar of events, past newsletters and more. If you

would like to suggest topics for inclusion contact Jim

Haney at jhhaney1@gmail.com

Publisher/Editor

CAPT Frank Kepley, USN (Ret)

We need your input about member activities associat-ed with MOAA and articles of interest to the military community. Contact Frank at: dkepley@tampabay.rr.com 813-642-0801

MOAA

5 Star

Newsletter

Communication

A native of Santa Clara County California, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1970 I deployed on a one year duty assignment with 3

rd Marine

Division in Okinawa, Japan. Upon my return from overseas, I served with the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Cali-fornia before reenlisting and being assigned to the 7

th Engi-

neer Battalion, 1st Force Service Regiment, as a Cartographic

Draftsman in 1973. I was promoted to the rank of Staff Ser-geant in May 1976 and later that year was selected for promo-tion to Warrant Officer. Following TBS I was assigned duties as a Mapping and Survey Officer with the 2

nd Topographic Platoon, 2

nd Marine

Amphibious Force, in Camp Lejeune, NC. In 1979 I led a Geodetic Survey team in support of the USNS Chauvenet (T-AGS 29) conducting hydrographic survey operations off the southern coast of Panama. In 1981 I was selected for the Limited Duty Officer program as an Engineer Maintenance Officer and promoted to First Lieutenant. From 1982 through 1986 Marta and I were sta-tioned in Okinawa, Japan. In 1989 we moved to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, California, where I was promoted to Major and was selected for unrestricted officer status as a Marine Logistics Officer. In 1991 I deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1995 I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and trans-ferred to the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, Georgia as the Director of the Marine Corps Systems Division overseeing the maintenance of the Marine Legacy Mainframe Supply and Maintenance systems and the development of the Marine Air Ground Task Force II (MAGTF II) suite of software systems for the planning and execution of Marine Forces movement and sustainment requirements. These systems were later migrat-ed to the Department of Defense and became the nucleus of

the Joint Force Requirements Generator system cur-rently used for Joint Force planning and execution. In 1999 I deployed as the Director of Logistics and later Chief of Staff for the US Forces supporting the Australian-led International Forces East Timor (INTERFET) operations. In June of 2000 we returned to the Tampa Bay area and retired from active service. I continued to work as a Government contractor at US Central Command in the Logistics Directorate, Lo-gistics Automation Branch, and later the Joint Security Directorate working Defense Critical Infrastructure Pro-tection and Antiterrorism Program until retirement in July 2015. Marta and I continue to enjoy an active life with sea-son tickets to the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Bucca-neers, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the Performing Arts Theater. We have two children. Our daughter lives in the Clearwater area and our son, a Master Ser-geant in the Marine Corps, is currently stationed in New York. We have seven grandchildren.

The 10 women join Capt. Kristen Griest as the only female infantry officers.

Without the media fanfare generated by the gender integration of U.S. Army Ranger School last year, 10 female soldiers made history Wednesday afternoon at Fort Ben-

ning when they graduated from the Infantry Officer Basic Leadership Course. In a ceremony that was not open to media, 166 lieu-tenants graduated from the course and became infan-try officers. The 10 women join Capt. Kristen Griest as the only female infantry officers.

I am sorry to report that Hilda Sanyour, wife of SCC MOAA member Frank Sanyour, passed away on

11/07/2016.

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

Frank Kepley. CAPT USN (Ret)

VA uses cash payouts to get rid of problem employees, lawmaker says

House lawmakers want to know whether Veterans Affairs officials are using employ-ee settlement policies to dismiss problem staffers instead of punishing them and push aside whistleblowers rather than address

their allegations. “In an effort to make the disciplinary process more con-venient, VA often agrees to pay out thousands of taxpayer-funded dollars both to the employee and their legal repre-sentation, as well as other benefits for the employee to simply just go away,” said House Veterans’ Affairs Commit-tee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., during a hearing Wednes-day. The inquiry into the practice comes amid news reports of a Puerto Rico VA hospital employee who has been offered up to $300,000 to quit after filing complaints about a super-visor’s criminal record. VA officials would not comment di-rectly on the case, saying it could interfere with ongoing personnel matters. Committee officials said nearly $5 million in employee settlements have been negotiated since July 2014. Editor’s Note: So, instead of reforming the MSPB we, the taxpayers, have to pay off slackers to get them out of the system. Outrageous!!!

McCain agrees to drop veterans hiring preference changes from NDAA

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain told veterans groups this week that he’ll oppose contro-versial plans to limit federal hiring prefer-ences for individuals with military experi-ence, an advantage advocates argue is

critical in helping them find employment. Earlier this year, Senate lawmakers approved a draft of the annual defense authorization bill which included limiting veterans preference in federal hiring procedures to a one-time use. Veterans who applied for a second federal job or a transfer from their first position would be evaluated by hiring officials as just another civilian federal worker under the plan. In a letter to the American Legion, McCain -- Arizona’s senior Republican senator -- said given the opposition from their leadership and other veterans groups, he will work to remove the provision from the final draft of the authorization bill.

Vets, retirees will see a 0.3% COLA hike in 2017

Military retirees and individuals receiv-ing veterans benefits will see only a 0.3 percent cost-of-living increase in their federal benefits next year, a nominal in-

crease matching 2016’s hike. Officials from the Social Security Administration an-nounced the small raise, the third consecutive year the ben-efits adjustment will be under 0.5 percent. Since 2009, the cost-of-living hike has been more than 2 percent only once, when it reached 3.6 percent in 2011. According to the Associated Press, the 0.3 percent adjust-ment will mean less than $4 more a month for a Social Se-curity recipient who sees the average payout of $1,238. The adjustment will go into effect for beneficiaries starting Dec. 30. Veterans using Medicare for health coverage may not see anything at all once those medical costs come into play. The Associated Press reports that Medicare Part B premi-ums, which are usually deducted from Social Security pay-ments, are expected to increase next year, effectively wip-ing out the COLA hike. Editor’s note: Now I have to figure out what to do with that windfall of 4 extra dollars a month.

Budget deal avoids government shutdown, finalizes next year's VA

Congress averted a government shut-down with a rushed budget deal that also settles the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction budget for all of fiscal 2017. The measure gives VA officials $74.4

billion in discretionary spending next year, a nearly 4 per-cent increase but about $700 million below what the White House requested in its budget plan. Still, department lead-ers have signaled support for that level of funding, especial-ly considering more significant cuts proposed by House law-makers. It also includes $7.72 billion for more than 200 military construction projects, a decrease of almost 6 percent but nearly $300 million above the president’s request. About $1.3 billion of that is slated for military housing projects scheduled to get underway in coming months. Those two agency budgets are the only ones to get a full-year spending plan approved before the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. Lawmakers approved a 10-week extension of federal funding at fiscal 2016 levels for all other government pro-grams, and will need to adopt a long-term budget deal after the November elections are complete This legislation will provide a $2 billion increase over the current year, with additional funding to address treatment of hepatitis C, long-term care for veterans, caregiver support, and reduction of the claims backlog.

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FIRST RESPONSE

Please take a look at the flyer on page 14. There will be a “First Response” program on Dec. 8 at the Community Hall from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. It is a first of its kind program and will be well worth your time. It could save your or some-one else's life. Details on page 14.

VA Announces Caregiver Support Program Expansion

The (VA) announced several new and expanded partnerships to support the VA

Caregiver Support Program. http://www.caregiver.va.gov

The VA Caregiver Support Program supports the-often unsung heroes of wounded or ill veterans – the ones who take care of them.

Selling Purple Hearts would be illegal if this bill becomes law

A California congressman wants to make it illegal to sell Purple Hearts as military col-lectibles, calling the practice disrespectful to the sacrifices of wounded troops. Republican Rep. Paul Cook introduced legislation last week which would make sell-ing the medal punishable by fines and up to

six months in prison. Online retailers price the military hon-ors at several hundred dollars each, more if they can docu-ment who the original recipient was. “These military collectors cheapen the Purple Heart by buying and selling this symbol of sacrifice like a pack of baseball cards,” said Cook, who served 26 years in the Marine Corps before joining Congress, rising to the rank of colonel and receiving two Purple Hearts for injuries sus-tained during the Vietnam War. “I’m committed to defending our veterans and that means preserving their symbols of honor like the Purple Heart. These medals belong with families or in museums, not on some collector’s auction block.”

Congress fails to pass VA medical marijuana provision

Veterans pressing Congress to let VA doctors recommend medical marijuana for their patients in states where the drug is considered legal had their hopes dashed last month when Congress passed a pared version of the Veterans

Affairs funding bill without the marijuana provision. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropria-tions bill originally included the Veterans Equal Access amendment, which would have let Veterans Affairs physi-cians discuss medical marijuana with their patients and complete the paperwork required by some states to pur-chase it. The amendment passed the House in May, 295-129, and the Senate, 89-8. But in June, the provision was removed from the final version of the larger appropriations bill by the conference committee established to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions.

22 Pushup Challenge? Not in uniform or on duty, says Air Force The 22 Pushup Challenge? Not in uniform or on duty,

says Air Force. Over the past few months, Facebook feeds -- and even official defense media sites -- have been flooded with vide-os of people dropping to the ground and doing 22 pushups, to raise awareness of the problem of veterans and suicide. But the Air Force is now warning airmen that while they are allowed to take part in such challenges, doing so while in uniform or on duty, even if their intentions are good, could violate the Defense Department's policies against endorsements and fundraising. The release emphasized that fundraising can't be done during duty hours, although lunch hours are OK, or while in uniform or in the workplace. Editor’s Note: This program is for the benefit of the soldiers fighting for our country. And their leadership is against this program??

Secularists demand Air Force punish colonel who expressed Christian beliefs

A group advocating the separa-tion of church and state is demand-ing the Air Force rebuke a com-mander who expressed his Chris-tian beliefs in an interview. In a “Meet your leadership” ques-tion-and-answer session with the

39th Air Base Wing’s public affairs office, Lt. Col. Michael Kersten answers a question about his greatest influences by talking about Jesus Christ. “As a Christian, my example is to be like Christ,” Col. Kersten says in the Sept.15 interview. “He is my guide and affects all of my decisions. He teaches to do all things as unto the Lord and I believe this is synonymous with integri-ty first and excellence in all we do.” The interview quickly drew the ire of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which sent a demand letter Thursday to Col. John C. Walker, commander of the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey. The missive demands the Air Force apologize for the expression of faith, rebuke the statement, punish Col. Ker-sten and take measures to ensure an atmosphere of inclu-sion and diversity is upheld on the base. Mikey Weinstein, who heads the MRFF, said his group represents more than 100 Incirlik Air Base personnel and a number of Turkish soldiers who took issue with the decla-ration of Christian faith. Editors Note: I have run out of words to describe my feel-ings about incessant PC efforts to eliminate religion.

Florida Council of Chapters Communiqué

October 2016 Issue

See what the other Chapters are doing. The Florida Coun-

cil of Chapter’s newsletter, the “Communiqué” can be ac-

cessed by clicking on the link below. After you click the

link and then click Allow, it may take a minute or so for the

newsletter to pop up. It is worth the wait.

Apr2014.pdfhttp:www.moaafl.org/communique

Editor—Marty Brown. Send articles and photos to:

wayne.and.marty.brown@gmail.com

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EHR Burden Weighs Heavily on Physicians, Leads to Burnout Physicians are spending more time with patients' elec-tronic health records (EHRs) than they are with the patients themselves, according to an observational study looking at the allocation of physician time in ambulatory practice. For every hour of clinic time they spend with patients, physicians spend approximately 2 additional hours on EHR and desk work during office hours, Christine Sinsky, MD, vice president of professional satisfaction at the American Medical Association (AMA), and colleagues report in an article published online September 6 in the Annals of Inter-nal Medicine. In addition to the time physicians spend at the office, they also spend another 1 to 2 hours on comput-er and other clerical work during their personal time each day. This finding adds to the growing body of evidence sug-gesting that the current generation of EHRs adds to physi-cians' daily administrative burden and, as a result, may be increasing rates of professional burnout.

“If we look at the total clinic day, less than a third of that time a physician is actually giving direct patient care,” says Christine Sinsky, MD, lead author and AMA’s vice presi-dent of professional satisfaction. “And despite spending half of the work day on EHR/clerical work, physicians are still taking home one to two hours of data entry work at night and taking time away from their families and friends to complete these clerical tasks. This is not sustainable.” Editor’s Note: EHR’s provide better documentation, but at the expense of patient/physician contact.

Why provider success hinges on connecting with the patient

Telehealth: Aligned with improved video quality and faster internet connections, the concept of virtual care is gaining significant traction. According to the American Tele-medicine Association, more than 15 million

Americans received some form of virtual care last year and this is expected to rise by another 30 percent in the coming year. The next phase of medical care will be delivered in the form of an “always-on” provider who has the capabili-ties to extend care beyond the hospital or clinic and pro-vide care based on the patient’s convenience. Not only do 62 percent of patients want to text or video chat with their doctors, but also nearly 59 percent would

choose a primary care doctor who offers a patient mobile app over one that does not. Whether the interaction is con-ducted via two-way video chat or through a messaging platform, physicians will be expected to provide these virtu-al offerings in order to compete with competition and meet patient expectations.

Express Scripts Pharmacy Network Changing for TRICARE Beneficiaries

Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI) today an-nounced upcoming changes to the retail pharmacy network it manages on behalf of TRICARE. On Dec. 1, 2016, Walgreens pharmacy locations will join the network. CVS pharmacies, includ-

ing those in Target stores, will leave the network on the same day. The new network will have more than 57,000 locations nationwide, and ensures TRICARE beneficiaries have timely access to retail pharmacies in their community. ESI is the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, responsible for developing the pharmacy network. ESI reached a new network agreement with Walgreens, which will replace CVS pharmacy in the TRICARE network. This change is intended to provide better value and maintain convenient access for beneficiaries. The addition of Walgreens into the network means that 98 percent of TRICARE beneficiar-ies will still have a network pharmacy within 5 miles of their home. Find a network pharmacy at ESI's Website . If beneficiaries chose to fill a prescription at CVS after Dec. 1, it will be a non-network pharmacy. This means they will have to pay the full cost of the medication upfront, and file for partial reimbursement. ESI and TRICARE are working to notify all beneficiaries of this change, and ensure that people currently using CVS have time to switch to another network pharmacy. ESI is doing additional outreach to patients filling specialty drugs at CVS pharmacies to ensure they can move their prescrip-tion with no gap in their prescription coverage. Please visit the ESI's website for more information on this change.

VA and Stanford to Pursue the Nation’s First Hadron Center

The Hadron Center is anticipated to be a clinical facility, designed to deliver particle radiation beam therapy for the treatment of cancer patients. Presently, the most com-mon radiation beams used for cancer treat-ment are photons and electrons, which are easy to target to a tumor but can result in damage to normal tissue. Particle beam ra-diotherapy, on the other hand, uses beams

of charged particles such as proton, helium, carbon or oth-er ions to allow more precise targeting anywhere inside the patient’s body, resulting in less damage to normal tissue. Particle beam therapy can be more effective at killing radi-ation-resistant tumors that are difficult to treat using con-ventional radiation therapy. Judicious and innovative appli-cation of particle therapy can result in improved cure rates for cancer. Editor’s note: Stay tuned folks. You are going to hear a lot more about particle beam therapy.

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Legendary SEAL leader: National anthem protests dis-respect the military

Retired Adm. Bill McRaven, the for-mer head of U.S. Special Operations Command who commanded the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, in his role as chancellor of the University of Texas system called on U-T athletics managers to urge athletes to stand up

straight, hand over heart, during the national anthem "I spent 37 years defending freedom of speech and free-dom of expression," McRaven wrote. "Nothing is more im-portant to this democracy. Nothing! However, while no one should be compelled to stand, they should recognize that by sitting in protest to the flag they are disrespecting every-one who sacrificed to make this country what it is today -- as imperfect as it might be." McRaven doesn't want to see any such protest from his Longhorns, saying the American flag is reminder of the en-during commitment to improve the nation and a symbol that demands respect.

This Navy electronic attack jet took flight on beef fat

Earlier this year, the Navy deployed ships for the first time that ran on a bio-fuel blend of processed beef fat. Now, biofuels are taking flight. The "Green Growler" -- an EA-18G electronic attack jet running on biofuel

JP-5 -- made its first flight in September on an advanced biofuel that did not contain petroleum JP-5, according to a Navy release, as part of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus' initia-tive to get the service running on 50 percent renewable en-ergy by 2020. "From takeoff to landing, you couldn't tell any difference," said Lt. Cmdr. Bradley Fairfax, project officer and test pilot with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23, after the first test flight Sept. 1. "The information presented to us in the air-plane is pretty simplified but, as far as I could tell, the air-craft flew completely the same as [petroleum-based] JP-5 for the whole flight." Down on the ground, a flight test engineer used telemetry to verify whether the Growler performed up to snuff on the new fuel. "What we have seen is that the 100-percent bio-JP-5 ap-pears to be basically transparent,' engineer Mary Picard said in the release. "It looks just like petroleum JP-5 in the airplane. So far, everything looks good and we haven't no-ticed a difference." The fuel is designed to be filled directly into aircraft tanks without any modifications to the planes.

The mistakes that led to a deadly Blue Angel crash

Shortly after takeoff Capt. Jeff Kuss, the opposing solo pilot, initiated a Split-S ma-neuver. But he was flying too fast and too low, according to a new Navy report. He called in over the radio that he'd turned off

his afterburners, but he hadn't. At the time, rumors flew on social media and blogs that Kuss must have gone uncon-

scious because he hit the ground at such a high speed. Others were sure he had sacrificed himself and stuck with the jet to make sure he didn't fly it into a populated area. The truth is, by the time he realized what was happening and tried to eject, it was too late. A cloudy day, tactical errors and - investigators conclud-ed - fatigue were to blame for the accident that claimed the 32-year-old pilot's life in Smyrna, Tennessee, according to the Navy investigation released Sept. 15. Kuss made an error by starting the Split-S maneuver at a higher speed and below the required altitude, and investiga-tors believe his other mistakes and oversights were likely due to tiredness. After the crash, investigators noted that he hadn't signed off on his aircraft discrepancy book that day, giving the jet the good-to-go for the practice. His F/A-18C Hornet was fine, but it was uncharacteristic for Kuss to forget to do something like that. It was also odd that he forgot to enter his radar squawk code and turn on his transponder, accord-ing to the report, and then later told air traffic control that he had turned off his afterburner, though he hadn't. This Ultimate Doomsday Rifle Shoots 21 Different Calibers Of Ammunition

The Scavenger 6 is a new rifle that looks like a revolv-er and can fire 21 different calibers of ammunition, just by swapping out the cylinder. In a post-apocalyptic scenario where survival is dependent upon scavenging resources, it pays to be prepared. That’s the thinking behind Scavenger 6, a new rifle that can fire 21 different calibers of ammunition. It looks like a cross between a .44 Magnum and an M1A1 carbine, and the crazy thing is that’s not inaccurate. Scavenger 6 was designed and created by Air Force vet-eran Tim Ralston, who rose to prominence as an inventor and survivalist after appearing on the National Geographic Channel’s “Doomsday Preppers,” a reality television show about post-apocalyptic scenarios and survival planning. The rifle can fire 21 different calibers of ammunition just by switching out the cylinder barrel, referred to as a CB. However, Ralston notes that if there’s a specific caliber you want, it can be custom ordered.

Luncheon: Wednesday Dec 7, 2016 11:00 am

Florida Room

Board Meeting: Wednesday Dec 14, 2016 10:00 am

SunTrust Bank

Membership Committee Mtg. Club Renaissance

3rd Wednesday Dec 21 2016

Monthly Member and Board Meetings

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Phoenix VA deploys army of germ-zapping robots to enhance patient and employee safe-ty

The Phoenix VA Health Care System is the first hospital in Arizona to deploy Xenex Germ-Zapping Robots to de-stroy deadly germs and bacteria lurk-ing on hospital surfaces that can cause hospital acquired infections. The porta-

ble room disinfection system utilizes pulsed xenon UV light and is effective against even the most dangerous super-bugs including MRSA, Clostridium difficile (C. diff), VRE, norovirus and influenza. Additionally, the robots have been proven effective against both the Ebola virus and Anthrax. Superbugs have become resistant to many antibiotics and cleaning chemicals. New weapons are needed in the battle against germs that can pose a risk to patients, em-ployees and visitors. The Phoenix VA robots — named Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Chief (dressed in their camouflage “uniforms”) – are used to quickly disinfect rooms inside the hospital, including ORs, ERs, patient rooms, ICUs, cath labs, restrooms and other public areas. Editor’s Note: The camies is a nice touch.

VA to Offer Routine Eye and Ear Appointment Without Primary Referral

VA to Offer Routine Eye and Ear Appoint-ment Without Primary Referral Veterans receiving care at VA Medical Cen-ters will now be able to schedule routine ear and eye appointments at local VA Audiology and Optometry clinics without a primary care referral.

Before now, veterans seeking appointments with audiolo-gists or optometrists had to first make an appointment with a primary care physician for a referral for a routine clinic consult visit. A clinic representative would contact the pa-tient to set up the consult appointment, which could result in a several weeks’-long lag between the appointment and when the veteran was actually seen. The new process, the Audiology and Optometry Direct Scheduling Initiative, which began as a successful pilot at three sites in 2015, is being expanded to all VA Medical Centers.

Military failed to conduct background checks on civilians in base housing, putting troops at risk

Military officials have been taking an “unnecessary safety and security risk to military personnel, their dependents ... and assets” by not properly screening civilian tenants who apply to live in pri-vatized housing on base, the Defense

Department Inspector General has found. In some cases, that included failing to conduct criminal background checks at one of the Defense Department's most highly classified sensitive installations, Fort Detrick, Maryland, home to the military's chemical and biological

research programs. “The consequences of unauthorized access to these types of facilities could be catastrophic,” the Inspector Gen-eral auditors wrote. According to the report, some of the tenants also re-ceived access badges that expired after their lease is end-ed, including some that exceeded the lease termination date by six months or more.

Surgical death, complication rates decline at VA hospitals

The percentage of surgical patients at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities who experienced major surgery-related complications declined from 10% in 1999 to 7% in 2014, and the surgery-related death rate declined from 24% to

15%, according to an analysis published in JAMA Surgery. The VA's surgical outcomes are comparable to the private sector's, says Dr. Jason Johanning, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study.

Tricare Rx Network Adds Walgreens, Drops CVS

Walgreens will soon rejoin TRICARE's pharma-cy network for users nationwide, officials an-nounced Friday, while CVS pharmacies will leave. That means TRICARE users will now be able to fill their prescriptions off-base at Walgreens pharmacies without paying out-of-

network rates, and CVS users will need to find a new phar-macy or pay unsubsidized rates for their medications. The change takes effect Dec. 1.

DUES REMINDER

The 2017 Chapter dues ($15 for members & $12 for

auxiliary) should be paid to the Treasurer, D. Kay Ben-

son, by 1 January 2017. Members that joined the Chap-

ter during October 2016 & later will already be paid

through 2017.

LUNCHEON

Wednesday, Dec 7, 2016

♦Call 642-0497♦

Florida Room, Atrium North Campus SCC

Reservations no later than 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec 4, 2016

Please give full names of members and guests, total num-ber attending. Cost is $14.00 payable at the door in cash or check. Social hour begins at 11:00 a.m. Business meeting at 11:15 followed by lunch and a speaker.

Remember, if you make a reservation and do not attend, you are expected to pay.

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Survey: Digital divide between patients, phy-sicians continues

A digital divide of sorts still exists between physicians and patients in how they view the use of technology such as electronic health records (EHRs), patient portals, and smartphone apps for self-diagnosis. That's according to a recent Medscape survey of 1423 health professionals

(including 847 physicians) and 1103 patients. The biggest gap was seen with EHRs. Eighty percent of patients said EHRs make a practice more efficient, compared to just 54% of physicians. Just over 90% of doctors said they used EHRs, but 1 of every 2 said it reduced their efficiency. Web portals were also viewed favorably by patients, with two thirds saying they improved the relationship with the doctor. More than half of patients said a portal was availa-ble for accessing their physician, and about a fifth said they always or almost always made use of the communication method. But only 49% of physicians agreed that it improved rela-tions, perhaps because just over half said they rarely used the technology to communicate with patients — even though most had a portal. Physicians younger than 34 were substantially more likely than older colleagues to use the portal. Despite the patients' thumbs-up in the survey, Web por-tals have not been shown to improve health outcomes or even patient satisfaction. But a 2012 systematic review of controlled trials looking at the portals found that they helped decrease office visits.

Night Time Surgery 'Doubles Death Risk' People who undergo surgery at night are twice as likely to die as those oper-ated on during regular daytime hours, research suggests. The findings, being presented at a conference, also suggest a higher than

usual risk of death among those who have surgery later in the day and in the early evening. 30-Day Hospital Survival Rates The results are based on studying 30-day survival rates for patients at a hospital in Montreal, Canada. Between April 2010 and March 2015, the researchers were able to compile a database of 41,716 emergency and routine oper-ations carried out on 33,942 patients. The operations were classified as taking place either in the daytime between 7.30 am and 3.29 pm; during the evening between 3.30 pm and 11.29 pm; or at night be-tween 11.30 pm and 7.29 am. The researchers found that, after making allowances for assessment of patients' overall health and other factors such as age, those patients operated on in the night were 2.17 times more likely to die than those operated on during regular daytime working hours. Also, patients operated on late in the day were 1.43 times more likely to die than those operated on during regular daytime working hours. Doctor Fatigue and Staff Shortages The researchers say there may be a number of reasons for why night time surgery is riskier. These include fatigue among medical staff, overnight staffing shortages or

treatment delay.

.Senators: More protection needed for troops

who misbehave after trauma

Eight senators have urged Defense Sec-retary Ash Carter to follow the Navy's lead in ensuring that service members aren't wrongfully discharged for misconduct stemming from a trauma-related mental health condition.

The senators -- six Democrats and two Republicans -- wrote Carter on Thursday asking he consider adopting a policy that would prevent the services from discharging personnel involuntarily under less than honorable condi-tions without weighing whether their discipline problems were related to a physical or mental trauma like sexual as-sault or brain injury. In June, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus issued a policy re-quiring the Navy and Marine Corps to refer any sailor or Marine processed for involuntary administrative separation who has a diagnosed mental health condition to the disabil-ity evaluation system. Defense Department policy prohibits the services from discharging personnel who have served in combat for a personality disorder or other mental health condition if they also have been diagnosed with service-related PTSD.

Stigmas and Misconceptions Of Post-Traumatic Stress Weaken Us All

Recently, the Bush Institute commissioned a survey of a group of post-9/11 military vet-erans and general population adults to gain a better understanding of perceptions of veterans, including around the invisible wounds of war. The survey found that over 80% of warri-

ors struggling with invisible wounds are hesitant to seek care because of embarrassment or shame; belief that their family will not understand; and belief that seeking care will result in negative repercussions in the workplace. We know the consequences of ignoring injuries due to shame or stig-ma. Those outcomes are unacceptable. Beyond stigma and misconceptions, barriers to accessing and receiving care prevent many of our warriors from con-necting to the treatment that they need. Many treatment options exist for the invisible wounds of war; yet, studies have shown that less than half of military personnel and veterans who experience them actually receive any care due to individual, logistical, financial, systemic, and com-munity barriers. Editor’s Note: This is an area that the VA has been woeful-ly lacking in. They just do not have adequate staffing.

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Sun City Center Chapter Military Officers Association of America P.O. Box 5693 Sun City Center, FL. 33571-5693

Place Stamp

Here.

Current Resident or

The sponsors that appear in this publication do not reflect an endorsement by MOAA or this affiliate.

——————————————————————————————————————————— Membership: All veteran and active duty commissioned officers of armed forces as well as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., Public Health and National Guard Reserve members and widows and widowers of former MOAA members. _______________________________________________________________________________________________

The Sun City Center, FL MOAA Newsletter is published by the Sun City Center Chapter, which is an affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). MOAA and its affiliated chapters and councils are non-partisan.

MRFF: Keep religion off-limits at flag-folding retirement ceremonies

The Military Religious Freedom Founda-tion, which advocates for the separation of church and state, is asking the Defense De-partment's inspector general to review the Air Force's decision to allow retiring airmen to have religiously-themed speech during

the flag folding portion of their retirement ceremonies. The Air Force last month announced it would change its rules governing retirement ceremonies and allow some to have religious elements if the retiring airman desires them. The change was sparked by a controversy involving the removal of retired Senior Master Sgt. Oscar Rodriguez, who was physically thrown out of a retirement ceremony in April after he attempted to deliver an unauthorized flag-folding speech. The speech Rodriguez intended to deliver at the request of the retiring airman included some references to God, and the group First Liberty Institute, which represented Ro-driguez, said his expulsion violated his First Amendment rights to freely speak and exercise his religion. The Air Force reviewed its rules governing the flag-folding portion of retirement ceremonies and decided the language

governing scripts was too restrictive. Under the new rules, an airman having a retirement ceremony, as long as at-tendance is voluntary, can have a script of their choosing read during the flag-folding portion. Editor’s note: And the MRFF insanity continues!

11

Passage of PATH Act Senate bill (S.185) awaits action following House ap-proval of the Promise for Antibiotics and Therapeutics for Health (PATH) Act. Similar legislation by an overwhelming bipartisan majority occurred in July 2015, as part of its 21st Century Cures Act. The PATH Act provides a mechanism for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review and approve new an-tibacterial drugs that address serious and life-threatening bacterial infections that are resistant to current treatments. This bill would make antibiotic development more feasible and help bring urgently needed antibiotics to patients. PATH has broad support from diverse group of stake-holders, including healthcare providers, antibiotic develop-ers, public health, and other veterans and military groups. We can’t afford to wait any longer. We have military ser-vice members, who are surviving combat wounds on the battlefield only to succumb to antibiotic resistant infections.

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13

This will will be a purely social group, meeting most likely

six times a year.

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Sponsored By: Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) SCC Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Hillsborough County Fire Res-cue

Agenda (TO DO & NOT TO DO at scene during emergency):

9:00 Doors Open, Vendor Walk (30 mins)

9:30 Welcome & The Pledge of Allegiance (15 min)

9:45 Crime Scene, HCSO, (15 min) before law enforcement arrives

10:00 Fire Safety, HCFR (20 mins) extinguisher use

10:20 Vehicle Crash, HCSO (15 min)

10:35 Medical Emergency, SCC Emergency Squad (15 mins)

10:50 Break (10 mins)

11:00 Disaster, CERT (15 mins)

11:15 Violence, HCSO (15 mins)

11:30 Refreshments & Raffle (30 mins)

12:00 Hands Only CPR & AED, HCFR (20 mins)

12:20 Residential Safety, ADT (10 mins)

12:30 Holiday Safety, HCFR (15 mins)

12:45 Lines Down/Power Outage, TECO (15 mins)

1:00 Event Conclusion & Thank-you