Naval Reserve Association Naval Reserve Association

The Professional Association Voice of the Navy Reserve 

Naval 

Reserve 

Association 

NEWS 

June 2007, Volume 54, No. 6 

Interview with 

the Secretary 

of the Navy

N AVAL R ESERVE A SSOCIATION 

C ORPORATE 

A SSOCIATES 

Premier Corporate/Association Team Supporting 

the United States Navy and Navy Reserve 

PLATINUM (TEN-YEAR) PARTNERSHIP 

IBM Federal 

SILVER (THREE-YEAR) PARTNERSHIP 

Military.com 

CHARTER MEMBERS 

Lockheed Martin 

The Boeing Company 

Gulfstream Aerospace 

USAA 

MBNA America 

JOINED IN 1999 - 2007 

Rosen Associates Management Corp. 

Aquila Group of Funds sm 

BB&T 

CACI International, Inc. 

Uniformed Services Benefit Association 

The Shaw Group Inc.

VISION OF THE NAVAL RESERVE ASSOCIATION 

The Premier Professional Organization for Navy Reservists, 

Committed to Supporting a Strong Navy and National Defense, 

While Providing Outstanding Service to Navy Families. 

Contents 

NRA NEWS June 2007, Volume 54, No. 6 

HEADQUARTERS STAFF 

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

RADM Casey W. Coane, USN (Ret) 

E-mail: exec@navy-reserve.org 

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES 

CAPT Tom McAtee, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: stratcom@navy-reserve.org 

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 

Bob Lyman 

E-mail: cfo@navy-reserve.org 

DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATION 

CAPT Ike Puzon, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: legislat@navy-reserve.org 

DIRECTOR, PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

CAPT Art Schultz, Jr., USN (Ret) 

E-mail: record.review@navy-reserve.org 

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP 

CAPT Art Schultz, Jr., USN (Ret) 

E-mail: memdir@navy-reserve.org 

MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANT 

Mark De Ville 

E-mail: membership@navy-reserve.org 

SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 

Linda Bautista 

E-mail: nranews@navy-reserve.org 

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 

Lee McAuliffe Rambo 

E-mail: admin1@navy-reserve.org 

FEATURES 

15 

OTHERS 

2 Corporate Associates Program 

19 2007 Spring Conference HIGHLIGHTS 

23 News Notes 

24 NRA’s New Life Members 

28 Protection for Service Member Funerals 

ON THE COVER 

INTERVIEW WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY 

“There is no question that the psychic rewards, if you will, in this job are greater than 

anything else I have ever experienced in my lifetime.” 

–– The Hon. Donald C. Winter 

DEPARTMENTS 

4 From the Editor 

6 President’s Message 

7 Guest Column 

8 Keeping Up 

9 Legislative Update 

10 Health Affairs 

11 Letters 

12 Professional Development 

14 Junior Officer Column 

22 Retirees’ Corner 

26 Membership 

27 District News Briefs 

30 Reservists in Action 

28 Mobilization Respite Leave 

28 Extra Social Security Benefits 

for Service Members 

29 Record of Past Wars Points to Future 

The Honorable Donald C. Winter is the 74 th Secretary of the Navy, sworn into office on 3 January 

2006. As Secretary of the Navy, Dr. Winter leads America’s Navy and Marine Corps team and is 

responsible for an annual budget in excess of $125 billion and almost 900,000 people. 

Naval Reserve Association NEWS (ISSN 0162-2129), authorized under PSM, Section 132.22, published monthly by the Naval Reserve Association, is a magazine devoted to the professional interests of the 

Officers of the United States Naval Reserve Association. Editorial and Executive Offices, 1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Telephone (703) 548-5800. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, 

and other mailing offices. Articles and letters appearing the Naval Reserve Association News do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Executive Committee of the Naval Reserve Association or the 

Editor, nor are they necessarily to be interpreted as official policy of the United States Navy or Naval Reserve Association. Rates: The Naval Reserve Association News subscription is covered by membership in the 

Naval Reserve Association. Membership is open to all commissioned or warrant officers and enlisted who are serving or have served honorably as members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Subscription 

price is $7.50 domestic. Single copy: 75 cents. Eligible non-members are not entitled to subscription rates. Photos or articles may be reproduced, providing credit is given to the Naval Reserve 

Association News. Postmaster: Send change of address to the Naval Reserve Association, 1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Printed in USA.

From the Editor 

Here is this month’s editorial thought: The Navy and the Marine Corps are 

arguing over the proper mix of the F-35B and F-35C buy. It boils down to this, 

the Marines intended all along to buy only the VSTOL F-35B variant. It will 

eventually replace all their AV8Bs and F/A 18s. What has surfaced within the 

last year or so is that this means the Marines intend to meet their commitment 

for carrier based squadrons with the F-35B. Was this a secret The Navy’s 

position is that the “B” is not compatible with carrier operations for a list of reasons and so they 

want the Marines to change their buy and get some “C’s.” A reduction of the U.S. buy of 

the vertical takeoff “B” model, of course, affects the purchase price for the foreign governments 

who are also buying the “B’s,” most notably our buddies the Brits. Being a retired fellow, I first 

learned of this in January at a retired flag conference. What struck me most was that this should 

have been decided a long time ago. Certainly, the carrier compatibility issues should have been 

laid to rest. Personally, I side with the Navy on the carrier piece (the difference in range, flight 

deck operation of the VSTOL while cat and trap are in the same cycle, and “bring back” are 

huge issues); but we understand that the Marines want the capability of operating from 

unprepared sites ashore, hence the lift fan aircraft. Both services seem to have issues of “the 

way we’ve always done it before.” Unfortunately, this issue is now out in the public press, and 

it isn’t a good Navy story. This issue will drive up the price and that we don’t need. 

One of the minor annoyances of the publishing business is that when something just misses 

a deadline, it will be almost two months before we can tell you about it. Such is the case for the 

Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony at the Navy Memorial here in Washington. This is a ceremony 

well-attended by curious civilians, foreign Naval Attachés, and shipmates. We were there, and 

we bring you RADM Buchanan’s remarks on page 30. The Memorial is featured here because 

your Association is meeting with Admiral Buchanan and his staff to forge a relationship 

between our two organizations. Stay tuned. 

Our guest column this month comes to us from U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and 

tells us how our Navy and our Navy Reservists are busy with defense of the homeland. The 

byline is shared by one FTS officer and one SELRES officer. That is the teamwork that we 

bring to the Navy and NORTHCOM. 

The Friday morning session of our recent conference in Crystal City featured a variety of 

speakers. CAPT Bill Overend, USN (Ret), presented a view of change and the climate to which 

your Association must adapt. VADM Cotton presented his view of what concerns the Navy and 

the Navy Reserve. Dr. Christine Wormuth, from the Center for Strategic and International 

Studies (CSIS), spoke of the changes necessary to make the Operational Reserve a sustainable 

concept. CAPT Fleming, USN, FTS, presented an overview of the Employer Support of the 

Guard and Reserve program. Our intent was to bring our attendees a variety of thought to 

stimulate further discussion. When one compares the Navy view with questions raised by CSIS, 

there is certainly room for that. 

Early in May, I was pleased to attend the Top Five Navy Reserve Sailor of the Year luncheon 

here in Washington. Your Association is a big sponsor of this event as we work closely with our 

Force Master Chief, Dave Pennington, to further his programs. The luncheon is a great event 

and AT1 Todd P. Brooks was announced as this year’s winner of a great selection process. All 

five candidates are truly eye-watering professionals, and we are proud of each of them. This 

year the MCPON, Joe Campa, is the sponsor of the annual All Services E-9 Golf Tournament. 

The Naval Reserve Association is coordinating sponsorship for MCPON Campa, and we will 

sponsor hole number one. 

As always, enjoy the read. 

Naval Reserve 

Association 

NEWS 

1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 

Tel: 703-548-5800 • Fax: 703-683-3647 

Toll Free Voice: 1-866-NRA-4-YOU (672-4968) 

Toll Free Fax: 1-866-683-3647 

E-mail: nranews@navy-reserve.org 

Home Page: www.navy-reserve.org 

EDITORIAL 

Editor: RADM Casey W. Coane, USN (Ret) 

Associate Editor: CAPT Thomas L. McAtee, USNR (Ret) 

Assistant Editor 

GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION 

Linda Bautista 

ADVERTISING 

Bob Lyman 

SUBMISSIONS 

Letters to the Editor are encouraged. They may be 

edited for length, style, and clarity. Mail to Letters 

to the Editor at NRA NEWS, or e-mail to 

exec@navy-reserve.org. Include your name, 

address, and daytime phone number for 

verification. Name may be withheld upon request. 

Articles – For guidelines on article submission, 

call or write NRA Headquarters, or E-mail 

nranews@navy-reserve.org. 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

NRA NEWS is part of membership in the Association. 

To join, renew your membership, or to report address 

changes, call or write NRA Headquarters, or E-mail 

membership@navy-reserve.org. 

Warm regards, 

Casey Coane 

National Executive Director 

4 NRA NEWS/JUNE 2007

NATIONAL OFFICERS 

President’s Message 

Conference Highlights and 

Enlisted Programs 

NATIONAL PRESIDENT 

CDR Joseph Quaglino, Jr., USN (Ret) 

E-mail: president@navy-reserve.org 

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE VP 

CDR Gary Barron, USN 

E-mail: barron@ca.rr.com 

NATIONAL VP-SURFACE RESERVE PROGRAMS 

CAPT Robert Stickney, USN 

E-mail: rwstickney@yahoo.com 

NATIONAL VP-AIR RESERVE PROGRAMS 

CAPT Douglas H. McDonald, SC, USN (Ret) 

E-mail: dmcdon8791@yahoo.com 

NATIONAL VP-BUDGET & FINANCE 

CAPT Stu Colby, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: glendalefingrp@aol.com 

NATIONAL VP-LEGISLATION & EDUCATION 

LT Marc J. Soss, SC, USN 

E-mail: smsoss@aol.com 

NATIONAL VP-MEMBERSHIP 

RADM Richard E. Young, USN (Ret) 

E-mail: dickyoung@4dv.net 

NATIONAL VP-MEMBER SERVICES 

CDR Marian Cioe, NC, USN 

E-mail: cioemar@aol.com 

NATIONAL VP-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

CAPT Larry Weill, USN 

E-mail: captweill@aol.com 

NATIONAL VP-ACTIVE DUTY PROGRAMS 

CDR Matthew P. Dubois, USN 

E-mail: mattdubois@earthlink.net 

NATIONAL VP-ENLISTED PROGRAMS 

VACANT 

NATIONAL VP-LEGAL AFFAIRS 

CAPT Christopher Morgan, JAGC, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: jagcaptsix@hotmail.com 

NATIONAL VP-HEALTH PROGRAMS 

CAPT Susan Labhard, NC, USN 

E-mail: susan@labhard.com 

NATIONAL VP-RETIRED PERSONNEL 

LCDR Joseph Golding, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: goldingjs@comcast.net 

NATIONAL VP-JUNIOR OFFICERS 

LT Steven Michaels, USN 

E-mail: ensignsting@yahoo.com 

NATIONAL TREASURER 

CAPT Bill Loockerman, USN (Ret) 

E-mail: wloockerman@aol.com 

NATIONAL CHAPLAIN 

VACANT 

NATIONAL HISTORIAN 

VACANT 

NATIONAL PARLIAMENTARIAN 

CDR Willard Stubbs, USN 

E-mail: willstubbs@cox.net 

For those who could not 

attend, I would like to share a 

few Spring Conference highlights. 

Delegates attending 

Thursday evening’s President’s 

reception were treated to 

musical entertainment by the United States 

Naval Academy’s Barbershop Quartet. 

Friday morning started with an outstanding 

presentation by VADM Cotton on the current 

Navy Reserve operational support activities. 

Dr. Christine Wormuth’s presentation 

summarized the findings of the two-year 

study conducted by CSIS on the future of 

the Guard and Reserve. She brought forth 

issues to be addressed for the future viability 

and survivability of Reserve Forces. On 

Saturday morning, we paid our respects to 

CAPT John Rice in a memorial service 

conducted by Chaplain Jensen. The highlight 

of the Conference was the awards luncheon. 

This year, we presented the greatest number 

of awards ever. Secretary Navas and VADM 

Cotton assisted in recognizing the outstanding 

performances of the recipients. 

In general session, the delegates voted to 

establish the new position of National 

Vice President, Enlisted Programs. This is 

a natural follow-on to the action taken at the 

Fall Conference elevating enlisted members 

from associate members to full membership, 

with voting rights. The responsibilities of this 

position are “to provide Enlisted Programs 

advice, counsel, and assistance to all 

national officers, especially the National 

President, and to all District Presidents. 

The VP Enlisted Programs shall chair the 

National Enlisted Programs Committee 

that shall make a continuing study of 

matters affecting, and of interest to, enlisted 

Navy Reserve personnel and advise the 

National Conference and/or the National 

Executive Committee concerning: (1) 

pertinent information and services 

concerning enlisted personnel to be provided 

to the general membership; (2) actions 

necessary or desirable in advocating, 

supporting, or opposing government policies 

and proposed legislation affecting Navy 

Reserve enlisted personnel; and, (3) actions 

to enhance and motivate enlisted Navy 

Reserve personnel membership and activity 

in the Association.” The search for viable 

candidates to fill this position has begun. If 

you or someone you know of wish to be 

considered, please contact us. 

We continue to seek new opportunities to 

be relevant to our enlisted membership. 

Master Chief Dean Johnson has joined our 

record review staff. For those that are not 

aware of the latest addition to our record 

review program, we now perform record 

reviews for enlisted PO1 thru MCPO. Last 

year, our Association supported and 

participated in the Navy Reserve Sailor of 

the Year program. Last year’s recipient, 

HM1 Dave Worrell – meritoriously advanced 

to Chief Petty Officer – was honored at our 

Fall 2006 Conference. We are continuing 

our participation in this year’s activities. 

We have recently joined with MCPON 

Campa in sponsorship of the Annual All 

Services E-9 Golf Tournament, to be held 

at Andrews Air Force Base. CAPT Jim 

Diehl, Greater Washington Area Chapter 

President, is working closely with CMDCM 

(AW) Jerry Featherstone on arrangements 

for the affair. 

Included in our vision statement is 

“providing outstanding service to Navy 

families.” Our current thrust is breaking 

new ground to find opportunities for 

expanding our support to our enlisted 

members and all Navy families. Having been 

viewed primarily as an officers’Association 

until recently, it takes time and effort to 

effect this CHANGE. But, working 

together, the task can be accomplished in 

the near term. I solicit your input of ideas 

and/or programs that can help move us 

forward in this endeavor and meet the 

challenges. 

Plan ahead to attend our next Conference 

in Chicago/ Oakbrook, Illinois, 4-6 October 

2007. 

Thinking of a vacation in Hawaii Start 

planning to attend our Spring Conference at 

the Hilton Hawaiian Village, 27-29 March 

2008. 

Joseph Quaglino, Jr. 

National President 


Navy Reserve: Vital to the Defense 

of our Homeland 

By CAPT A.J. Rizzo, NORAD and USNORTHCOM Navy Operational 

Support Officer, Reserve Forces Directorate; and 

CDR Russ Coons, NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs Directorate 

Guest 

Column 

Unpredictable. Fanatical. 

Adaptive. All are descriptive 

of an enemy that today seeks 

to attack U.S. citizens and 

interests while destroying the 

ever-growing global trend 

towards freedom and democracy. In the aftermath 

of the tragic events of 11 Sept. 2001, the 

men and women of the United States Northern 

Command (USNORTHCOM) are charged with 

operating in this ever-changing and uncertain 

security environment. 

USNORTHCOM’s area of responsibility is the 

continental United States, Alaska, Canada, 

Mexico, and the surrounding water out to approximately 

500 nautical miles. The command’s 

mission is to deter, prevent, and defeat threats 

and aggression aimed at the United States, its 

territories, and interests. A major aspect of that 

mission is maintaining dominance and control 

of USNORTHCOM’s maritime theater of 

operations, including the Atlantic and Pacific 

sea frontiers, the Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. 

littoral regions. Throughout history, our nation 

has turned to its Sea Services to protect its longstanding 

and diverse interests in the maritime 

environment. USNORTHCOM Navy Reservists, 

alongside their Active Duty counterparts, provide 

a large part of the expertise necessary to 

provide a comprehensive and ever-increasing 

level of maritime security for the homeland. 

Since USNORTHCOM’s establishment over 

four years ago, its Navy Reserve Component has 

been providing operational support for both 

day-to-day and contingency operations, primarily 

at USNORTHCOM’s Colorado Springs headquarters. 

Navy Reservists provide operational 

support in a variety of ways — as individual 

Reservists who volunteer to provide support 

via Active Duty for Training (ADT) or ADSW 

(Active Duty for Special Work) orders; as 

members of Navy Reserve units attached to 

USNORTHCOM; and as special organizations 

created to meet specific Combatant Commander 

taskings. 

Two Navy Reserve units, Headquarters Staff 

(HQ) Unit and an Intelligence Unit, support the 

homeland defense mission from USNORTH- 

COM headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO. 

“Homeland defense” is as broad in its definition 

as it is in its application. Navy Reservists assigned 

to the HQ staff unit reflect this reality in the 

diverse ways and the functional areas in which 

they serve. Navy Reserve HQ staff personnel 

have deployed as Individual Augmentees in 

support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) 

and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); served 

as director and staff of the Joint Information 

Bureau deployed to Palm Springs, CA, in 

support of former President Gerald R. Ford’s 

state funeral; functioned as USNORTHCOM 

command center directors; assisted in federal 

government preparations for the annual State of 

the Union addresses; and deployed in support of 

space shuttle launches. Navy Reservists were an 

integral part of USNORTHCOM’s response to 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as well as ongoing 

wildland firefighting efforts and border security 

missions. Navy Reserve HQ staff personnel have 

also supported USNORTHCOM in major 

exercises such as Ardent Sentry and Vigilant 

Shield and in more than thirty smaller regional, 

state, and local exercises. These exercises test 

USNORTHCOM battle staff and consequence 

management standard operating procedures and 

are critical to maintaining personnel and organizational 

readiness to conduct homeland 

defense and civil support missions. 

The USNORTHCOM Intelligence Unit 

provides operational support through the 

Intelligence Directorate in the form of operational 

intelligence and finished intelligence 

analysis. Our Navy Reserve intelligence officers 

and enlisted intelligence specialists are fully 

qualified Command Center watchstanders who 

provide analytical research, analysis, and intelligence 

product development in support of 

USNORTHCOM’s Joint Intelligence Operations 

Center, North (JIOC-N). With the ever-growing 

need for Individual Augmentees to serve in the U.S. 

Central Command Area of Operations in support 

of the Global War on Terror, it is no surprise 

that several of our Navy Reserve Intelligence 

Unit Sailors have been deployed overseas. The 

unit’s commanding officer is currently deployed 

to Afghanistan and three other members, a 

lieutenant commander, a chief petty officer, and a 

petty officer first class, are serving in Iraq. 

Cont’d. on page 26 

CAPT A.J. Rizzo 

has served as the Navy Operational 

Support Officer for the North American 

Aerospace Defense Command 

and the United States Northern 

Command since July 2006. 

Previously, CAPT Rizzo served as 

the Commanding Officer, Naval Air 

Station Joint Reserve Base New 

Orleans from July 2004 to July 2006. 

In addition, he has served as 

the U.S. Naval Forces Central 

Command Liaison Officer to Iraq 

as Commanding Officer, 

Strike Fighter Squadron 204. 

CDR Russ Coons, 

U.S. Navy Reserve, IMA for 

the Public Affairs Directorate, 

NORAD/USNORTHCOM PA. In his 

backfill role as Deputy Director PA 

for the past two years, CDR Coons 

has led the PA support staff during 

several major exercises and real-world 

contingencies including Ardent Sentry, 

Vigilant Shield, Able Warrior, 

two space shuttle launches media 

coordination, the small plane crash 

in New York City national press event, 

and President Ford’s funeral 

national media coverage. 

NAVY RESERVE FORCES SERVING 

AT NORAD AND USNORTHCOM 

Service Part- Full- Total 

Time Time (tour) 

Navy Reserve 30 20 50 

NRA NEWS/JUNE 2007 7

Ke e p i n g U p. . . 

with Current 

Information 

for 

Navy Reservists 

and 

Retirees 

By Tom McAtee 

3.5 Percent Pay Raise Proposed 

by House 

A House subcommittee made three 

significant changes in President Bush’s 

FY 2008 defense budget by approving a 

larger pay raise, increasing the number of 

Active-Duty personnel for all services, 

and once again rejecting administration 

proposals to charge higher fees for using 

TRICARE military health care. 

Color, Full Length Photos Return 

to Officer Service Records 

Bottom Line: All Navy officers will be 

required to have full-length color photo 

in their service record by 30 September 

2007. If you already have a full-length 

photograph in your record in your current 

grade, then you have met the new 

requirement. 

This latest policy regarding officer 

photo requirements, reversing a September 

2005 decision eliminating the photo, 

was outlined in a Navy message – 

NAVADMIN 103/07. 

No exact reason was given for this policy 

reversal, but the message does say the new 

requirement “will reemphasize the integral 

elements of military bearing and physical 

fitness to service professionalism.” 

Which means, the Navy wants to know 

what you look like in uniform. The 

message states that Navy or Defense 

Department facilities are “preferred 

locations” for getting the photos taken. 

Uniform for the picture will be service 

khaki and will be taken uncovered, 

showing officers in a full-length, threequarter 

pose with the left shoulder forward, 

toward the camera. Photographs (4X5) must 

be taken in front of a “flat background 

to provide sufficient contrast to highlight 

details of the uniform.” To identify the 

officer, a title board must also be visible in 

the picture and state the member’s complete 

name, rank, designator, Social Security 

number, and date the photo was taken. For 

now, the photo must be submitted affixed 

to a Navy Personnel 1070/10 form. 

DFAS Web Site and Contact 

Numbers 

Defense Finance and Accounting Service 

(DFAS) has returned to its original 

World Wide Web location of 

http://www.dfas.mil. The information 

available on the site, which includes 

topics such as military and civilian pay, 

retiree and annuitant pay, and vendor 

pay will remain current and relevant for 

the site’s visitors. Those who have 

bookmarked the old site address at 

http://www.dod.mil/dfas should update 

their browser with the new address. Other 

DFAS-sponsored on-line applications, 

such as myPay at https://mypay.dfas.mil, 

remain unaffected. Questions concerning 

specific pay account information should 

be directed to the servicing payroll office 

or to your normal customer service 

representative. Additional phone numbers 

and Web sites for sending e-mail to redirect 

your specific Navy pay inquiries are: 

- Military Retirees: 1(888) 321-1080 or 

https://ca.dtic.mil/dfas/s-retired/ 

ret-pay.htm. 

- Annuitants: 1(888) 321-1080 (U.S.) or 

(216) 522-5955 (Outside U.S.) or 

https://ca.dtic.mil/dfas/s-retired/ 

ret-pay.htm. 

- Military Former Spouses: 1-888-332- 

7411 or https://ca.dtic.mil/dfas/ 

s-garnish/garnishinquiry.htm. 

- Navy Active: Local personnel support 

det, 1(888) 332-7411 or Ask Military 

Pay at https://corpweb1.dfas.mil/ 

askDFAS/askMilPay.jsp. 

- Navy Reserve – Local Reserve 

personnel support det, 1-888-332- 

7411 or Ask Military Pay at 

https://corpweb1.dfas.mil/askDFAS/ 

askMilPay.jsp. 

IA Levels in Iraq to Remain 

Steady 

The Navy intends to hold steady its level 

of 13,000 Individual Augmentees in Iraq 

and elsewhere in Central Command. The 

Chief of Naval Operations told lawmakers 

he doesn’t “see anything in the future over 

the next two or three years that I’m able 

to predict that requirement to be raised 

dramatically higher.” 

SBP Is Not a “Golden Egg” 

for Children 

Electing spouse and children or children 

only for RCSBP or SBP will not create a 

“golden egg” for children. Beneficiary 

payment eligibility for children, in almost 

all cases, terminates when the child turns 

age 18 or age 22 in the case of a child 

enrolled full-time in a course of study. 

Additionally, to receive any annuity, the 

child must be unmarried. 

Solving a Missing Fitrep/Eval 

Problem 

If you are missing a FITREP/EVAL 

from your official service record and/or 

OSR (ESR)/PSR, the quickest way to 

remedy the situation is to call PERS-311 

at 1-901-874-3313/3347 or e-mail 

alfred.kirk@navy.mil. PERS-311 customer 

service personnel can tell you if the report 

is actually missing or if it has been 

returned to the reporting senior for 

correction. This is the preferred method 

of correction since the customer service 

personnel can talk to you directly and 

inform you what has to be done to get the 

fitrep/eval correctly represented in your 

record. 


Key Contacts for Pending FY-08 Legislation 

Legislative 

Update 

At this writing, the HASC – 

Personnel Subcommittee has 

marked-up the FY-08 NDAA 

bill, and the House is moving 

towards consideration of the 

NDAA. We are making progress 

towards several of our legislative goals. No TRICARE 

fees increases for retirees, Montgomery GIB 

transfer to VA authority, 3.5 percent pay raise, as 

well as other goals have made it past the first 

hurdle. We need your continuous involvement 

and support with your Congressional members to 

make these goals become law. The chart below 

shows the key members of Congressional contacts 

with the committees that have overall jurisdiction 

on our goals. Please make an effort to contact 

your members of Congress (if they are not 

one of these below) and have them support 

our legislative goals: (1) Reserve retirement 

changes; (2) No TRICARE fee increases at this 

time; (3) Transferring Reserve MGIB to VA 

authority; (4) Transition Assistance Benefits for 

Guard and Reserve, and other goals that are listed 

on our Web page. We have an excellent chance of 

achieving some of our goals – if you will engage 

your Congressional members. 

The next step in the legislative process is 

House consideration of the FY-08 NDAA and 

Senate consideration of the FY-08 NDAA. We 

have recently testified in front of the SAC-D 

appropriations subcommittee in strong support 

of acquisition of the C-40A for Navy Reserve 

squadrons. Include the C-40A in your appeal 

for Navy Reserve legislative goals. Find your 

Representative at www.house.gov and Senator 

at www.senate.gov. 

By CAPT Ike Puzon, USNR (Ret) 

Director of Legislation 


Health Affairs 

CAPT Susan Labhard, NC, USN, 

National VP for Health Programs 

Obtain Retirement Points, 

Paid Drill Credits, and CE/CME Credit 

On-Line through Swank HealthCare 

This month’s column was contributed by 

Charla Vinson, Account Executive Swank HealthCare, St. Louis, MO 

1-800-950-4248; cvinson@swank.com 

You may now access the 

medical training you need 

and receive drill credit and 

retirement points through 

the Internet with an 

approved Navy Reserve 

contractor – Swank HealthCare. 

Swank HealthCare is a leading distributor 

of on-line, accredited CE/CME (Continuing 

Education/Continuing Medical Education) 

courses and patient movie entertainment to 

military and civilian hospitals, clinics, and 

medical treatment facilities worldwide. 

Through a partnership with Health.edu of 

Texas Tech University Health Sciences 

Center, Swank distributes the educational 

courses to help medical staff meet licensure 

and regulatory requirements. 

The Web site is www.swankhealth.com. 

All Navy Reservists have been automatically 

registered to access the courses 24/7/365 

from any computer with an Internet 

connection. The Web site meets all security 

and accreditation standards, and all of the 

courses are free to Reservists because of the 

Navy Reserve’s contract with Swank. 

Among the many courses available on the 

Web site is the Navy Reserve’s “Health 

Promotions Basic Course #10502.” Nurse 

Corps officers must complete the course 

prior to performing the Periodic Health 

Assessment (PHA) SF Form 600, and the 

online access makes it simple and convenient. 

Swank HealthCare also distributes nearly 

500 Continuing Education courses for 

physicians, nurses, EMS staff, physical 

therapists, radiological technologists, 

dietitians, respiratory therapists and many 

other medical professionals. The courses are 

fully accredited by national and state agencies. 

At least 17 new courses are introduced every 

month. So, it is best to check the Web site 

often for courses that offer up-to-date medical 

training to help with the renewal of state 

licenses. 

Minimal computer requirements are 

required for viewing the courses on-line. To 

meet the needs of all learning styles, the 

courses are available in video and audio 

formats. Many of the courses also offer 

manuscripts. After testing on-line, you may 

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note, however, that the courses taken for drill 

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may be taken incrementally to accrue four 

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for non-pay IDT period. The limit for paid 

drill credit per fiscal year is 16 courses or 

hours, which is equal to four drill periods. 

After viewing the courses on-line, taking the 

tests, and printing your certificates, send the 

certificates to the Navy Operational Support 

Center (Reserve Center) Commanding 

Officer. Reservists performing incremental 

drills must also complete and include the 

NAVRES 1570/16 form. 

You may also receive retirement points for 

the Continuing Education courses. For the 

completion of every two or three CE/CME 

courses, you may obtain one retirement 

point credit. After viewing the courses 

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certificates, send the certificates and a memo 

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To: Navy Personnel Command PERS-4912 

5722 Integrity Drive 

Millington, TN 38054 

From: Your Name, SSN, and Unit 

Subj: Retirement Points 

Re: Enclosed you will find three 

completed course certificates 

for verification purposes. 

Provide a closing remark and sign 

your name. 

The maximum number of retirement 

points allotted per fiscal year is 90. 

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To begin taking courses on-line, visit 

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For additional program information or 

questions, call your Training Officer or 

Swank HealthCare directly at 1- 800-950- 

4248. 


Dear Captain McAtee, 

Thank you, Sir, for your prompt and 

informative response. I have found the NRA 

to be a terrific source of useful information. 

Being out here in the cornfields, the NRA 

News and the Navy Times are my major 

sources of Navy intel. My application for 

retired pay is just about ready to be submitted. 

Dear NRA, 

D.R. Uzarski 

Captain, CEC, USNR (Ret) 

I appreciate my military medical benefits 

and recognize them to be superior to retired 

civil service benefits. I also recognize that 

costs of medical care are escalating. I 

anticipate that some of these costs will be 

passed along to me and fully understand the 

reasons for that. I believe in the principle 

that the user of a service must be prepared to 

bear at least some of the cost . . . the alternative 

will be an unfair burden on others. 

Keep up your good work but let’s remain 

realistic in an expensive marketplace. 

Dear Admiral Coane, 

Alan Parker 

Captain, USNR (Ret) 

I will contact my Congressman concerning 

H.R. 1428 and S 648. Additionally, I will 

forward this on. I am also interested in 

other bills designed to reduce the retired 

pay timeframe. That is my biggest issue. 

Thanks. 

Dear Captain McAtee, 

C. D. Caldwell 

MAC (Ret) 

I recently learned that mandatory retirement 

age is now 62 instead of 60. Were I arguing 

that retirement pay must also be RAISED to 

62, my job just got easier. 

Also, while I know the NRA has argued 

hard to reduce retirement as low as 50, I do 

not know what the strength of the argument 

is. It is certainly not intuitive given projected 

spending issues by Congress. Truly I am not 

convinced it should be lower. I have 28 years 

active and reserve and am 51 years old. 

Douglas A. Johnson 

Commander, USNR 

Dear NRA, 

Your retirement legislative action as cited 

in paragraph #2 have been watered down 

since past efforts, and is weak. It is a shame 

that the congress, your staff, and this 

country still think of the reserves as a big 

“freebee.” Only reducing retirement for current 

reserves that are still active really slams the 

back bone of the MAJORITY reserves 

forces that served over the years and BUILT 

the force that is currently involved in conflict. 

AND then, to enable some to retire early with 

pay and not medical is disgusting! 

The whole concept should be seen for 

what it is. A Big rob-Peter to pay-Paul in 

which the government won’t have to shell 

out any real money towards it for quite a 

while. It sounds like a great gesture, but that 

is all it is . . . PR feel good . . . . 

Shame on anyone and everyone involved 

with this scam of an idea!! 

This “comprised” is an embarrassment! 

Dear Captain Art Schultz, 

W. C. Kurz 

Captain, (Retired) 

I had hopes for this Commission on the 

Guard and Reserve since it began. I even 

provided written comments on the earlier 

progress report release. 

I quickly scanned the current report on the 

Commission from www.cngr.gov. 

I see that the focus of the report has 

changed quite a bit since it was first 

announced. 

I searched the document by word string 

and found the following finds: 

a.. National Guard = 1,129 finds 

b.. Air National Guard = 49 

c.. Army National Guard = 61 

d.. Army Reserve = 25 finds 

e.. Air Force Reserve = 22 finds 

a.. Navy Reserve = 16 finds 

b.. (Navy Reserve found in two places in 

the body of the document p.36 and p.48 – 

both when listed along with other services in 

the text – the rest of the finds were in the 

Appendices). 

c.. Marine Corps Reserve = 8 finds 

d.. (Marine Corps Reserve found in two 

places in the body of the document p.36 and 

p.47 – the rest of the finds were in the 

Appendices.) 

e.. Coast Guard Reserve = 5 finds 

f.. (Coast Guard Reserve found in one 

place in the body of the document p.36 - the 

rest of the finds were in the Appendices.) 

Letters 

NRA News 07 

It seems the report has shifted its focus 

and is now directed largely at the National 

Guard and mentions the Reserve forces only 

at a high altitude. 

No mention of individual Navy Reserve 

unit types and their performance in Iraq such 

as the Reserve Seabees. They are performing 

in an outstanding manner – yet no mention. 

The National Guard is very important and 

no one denies that. But the Reserve Forces 

should have received much more detail 

especially in variation in budgets and manpower 

strength. 

I would have liked to have seen an analysis 

of the budgets during the era of the AVF 

breaking out spending on personnel, spending 

on procurement, and on O&MN spending 

within each service. 

That would show the impact of under 

funding the Reserve Forces. The word 

search for “spending” does not produce any 

info on spending on the Reserve Forces. 

The impact of the DoD drawdown is really 

not covered. The impact of the so-called 

“Peace Dividend” is not analyzed. The 

impact of reduced numbers of drill sites – 

closed due to BRAC – is not covered. 

Where we are today is largely a result of 

past policy and practices. 

This report is really a disappointment 

considering its earlier promise. 

I would be interested in reading the review 

of others. 


Larry G. DeVries 

Captain, CEC, USNR (Ret.) 

Sir, after working the night shift patroling 

the streets of Jefferson Parish here in New 

Orleans, I decided to take a chance and 

check to see if the results were out. To my 

surprise they were! I didn’t expect them to 

be out until sometime next week. I am excited 

by my selection and I hope to continue my 

service long into the future! I really 

appreciate you putting your personal touch 

on this by sending me this e-mail. And I 

know, you may rarely hear it but, I also 

appreciate your Leadership from the top. 

We have made great strides in taking 

care of our troops as it should be! Keep 

charging! 

John Gurba 

SBC(SWCC) 

Cont’d. on page 13 


Professional 

Development 

The Rosetta Stone 

for RFAS Codes 

translated into a four-digit code. These 

elements are displayed as follows: 

codes that are less restrictive. “AC” only 

asks for a designator match, while “AD” 

CAPT Larry Weill, USN 

National VP for Professional Development 

There are several factors that 

go into the decision making 

process when we apply for 

billets. Paygrade, designator, 

security clearance requirements, 

and drill site are only 

a few of the choices that we have to make 

before we push the button to ask for a 

particular billet. We also consider whether 

the billet requires NOBCs, specialized 

technical expertise or licenses, or maybe 

even the knowledge of a foreign language. 

But one of the things that we tend to gloss 

over is the RFAS code attached to each 

billet, which perhaps tends to confuse 

people more than any other single factor. 

RFAS is an acronym that stands for 

Reserve Functional Area and Sex code. 

The guidelines for deciphering RFAS 

codes can be found in COMNAVRESFOR 

Instruction 5320.1C, dated 6 February 

2003. This instruction publishes a full 

listing of grade, designator (or rating, for 

enlisted personnel), and NOBC/NEC 

substitutions, as well as gender restrictions, 

for the assignment of personnel to Drilling 

Reserve billets. 

The next question that comes to mind is 

that, since the RUAD (Reserve Unit 

Assignment Document) tells us the exact 

requirements for each billet, including 

paygrade, designator/rating, and required 

NOBC/NEC, why do we need RFAS 

code The reason is simple; because we 

cannot always find an officer or enlisted 

person who meets all of these criteria. So 

instead, we utilize the RUAD instruction 

to decide proactively which substitutions 

are the most acceptable for a given billet. 

The RUAD code for an officer’s billet is 

composed of three elements, which are 

Element Characters 

1 st 

1 st 

2 nd 2 nd and 3 rd 

3 rd 

Per the table shown above, the first 

character of a RFAS code discusses 

paygrade and describes which paygrades 

can be substitutes in which cases. It is called 

the “V” code, for “vertical” substitution. If 

the “V” code character of a RFAS code is 

a “1,” then, it requires an exact paygrade 

match, regardless of the paygrade of that 

billet. So you are looking to fill an O-5 

billet that has a “V” code of “1,” and you 

are a lieutenant commander, you’d better 

count on getting that next promotion before 

you put in your “Dream Sheet.” 

There are quite a few “V” codes that do 

not require exact paygrade matches. A “V” 

code of “G” describes a captain’s billet that 

will accept any captain or commander. 

The following codes of “H,” “I,” “J,” “K,” 

and “L” will accept any officer who is 

either one grade above or one grade below 

the prescribed paygrade, from commander 

on down to ensign. (There is a little more 

flexibility in the O-1 through O-3 paygrades; 

see the instruction for more info.) 

RFAS codes with the letter “M” apply to 

medical billets only. 

The second and third characters of the 

RFAS code pertain to the designator (and 

NOBC) substitution/assignment code. In 

other words, whereas the first character 

described the vertical substitution code, 

the second and third characters describe 

the horizontal substitution code. Of these 

codes, the most restrictive by far is the 

“AA,” which requires an exact match for 

both designator and NOBC. If you don’t 

meet both criteria, don’t bother asking 

for the job. There are other horizontal 

Authorized vertical (paygrade) substitution 

for the billet 

Authorized horizontal (designator) substitution 

for the billet 

Description 

4 th Gender code 

requires only the correct NOBC. Some 

other horizontal codes request that the 

officer is “in training” for a specific 

NOBC, while “TR” allows an officer 

with a “training designator” (e.g., 1165) 

to fill the billet. There are many of these 

general RFAS codes that specify the 

requirements for URL billets, and even 

more that address the requirements on a 

community-by-community basis. These 

codes also include information for LDOs 

and warrant officers. Review the instruction 

for more details or to look up your own 

status and eligibility. 

Finally, there is a fourth character in the 

RFAS code which is reserved for a gender 

restriction. This is a very simple character 

to decode: “E” stands for a male or female 

assignment, whereas “M” stands for a 

male-only assignment. 

This article has been geared towards 

officers’ RFAS codes. However, each 

enlisted billet on the RUAD also has a 

RFAS code and should be used to determine 

suitable “substitutes” in the same way as 

for the officer billets. The primary differences 

are that the enlisted codes discuss ratings 

and NECs instead of designators and 

NOBCs. Additionally, for the fourth 

character, there are some enlisted billets 

that specify a code “F,” which means that 

only females can be assigned to that billet. 

Make sure that you are familiar with the 

details of this instruction before you apply 

for a billet. This will save you the time and 

effort (and prevent you from wasting a 

selection choice) of applying for a billet 

that you cannot possibly fill. 


Cont’d. from page 11 


I’ll be extremely brief and to the point . . . 

I strongly believe that VADM Cotton has 

sold the “Navy” Reserve down the river! All 

he wants is a very small, elite program that 

won’t be able to meet the broader needs of 

the Navy in an emergency situation. 

The Naval Reserve units that I knew when 

I retired were far ahead of what I read about 

today. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the 

support of leadership then either. Insofar as 

unit integrity and unit call-up . . . the Navy 

and Naval reserve were not forthright about 

plans and policy. As far as I know, there were 

no plans for unit call-ups, only individual 

mobilization (except rare circumstances). This 

despite claims to the contrary from our 

leadership. I don’t believe that VADM Cotton 

could pull off a full unit mobilization today. 

I’m truly disappointed in the study and 

justification for the path we are headed 

down. Too bad, we probably won’t be around 

to see our leadership pull a McNamarra act 

and admit “we made a mistake.” 

Dear Lieutenant Michaels, 

Frank Siftar 

Captain, USNR (Ret) 

I just read your article on billets in the 

March issue of NR News. Thanks for the 

information on RUAD’s. As a CO of two 

reserve units these past four years, I am 

well aware of how useful some RUAD’s 

are, but also mindful that many RUAD’s 

change daily, and are not really centrally 

managed via a singular database. 

I write to you, however, because of my 

recent experience trying to find a billet 

and enter a new unit. I was limited to 2 CO 

tours as an O-4, so as my last tour was 

ending, I began to look for billets in Units 

in the DC area. I began by asking my 

NOSC to provide me with RUAD’s from 

the DC NOSC. They were unable to. I 

contacted both BUPERS and New Orleans 

to obtain a list of O-4 billets that were 

open. They could only provide a master 

list of billets, but could not link them to 

NOSC locations. I then contacted the DC 

NOSC, again with no luck – primarily 

because they wouldn’t or couldn’t return 

my calls. A personal visit was disappointing 

because they couldn’t provide me with the 

RUADs. So I then asked for the POM’s of 

the units. They pointed me to a box of 

notebooks, which I dug through and found 

several units that looked promising. After 

photocopying the applicable pages, I 

began cold-calling CO’s of units, following 

up with an e-mail of introduction with 

my Reserve resumé. Unfortunately, only 

about 1/3 of the unit CO/XO’s responded. 

For about three months, I tried to tactfully 

contact CO’s or their staffs without seeming 

pushy or desperate, but I knew that going 

IAP for too long was not a good thing. 

Finally, a unit Admin Officer called me 

and asked if I was still available. I jumped 

at the chance and now have a billet with 

CO MSC HQ 106 in DC. 

It’s good to be in a unit now, but I feel 

that the Reserve community let me down. 

There are several great databases of 

manning information out there, but they 

are all geared towards a certain audience, 

and that audience isn’t the Sailor – it’s the 

bureacracy. All it would take is for RESFOR 

to consolidate these reports (RUAD, 

Manning Reports, NOSC/RUIC’s) to 

make a master open billet list by paygrade 

and geographical region/NOSC. 

I will likely submit a Policy Board issue 

on this, but was wondering if you had any 

insight into this process (or lack of) 

Calvin Foster 

Lieutenant Commander 

[Response to LCDR Calvin Foster’s letter 

by CAPT Larry Weill, NRA National VP for 

Professional Development ] 

Calvin, 

Hello. Your e-mail was forwarded to 

me, as I am the NRA’s Professional 

Development person. 

Yes, you were the victim of both ignorance 

and incompetence. Unfortunately (or 

perhaps fortunately), this kind of incompetence 

was not systematic, but the result 

of several “players” within your system 

who decided not to act on your behalf. 

Unfortunately, this happens way too much 

within our world, as people tasked with 

managing people tend to care for only 

their immediate charges. My only feedback 

to you personally is that it does not sound as 

though you were asking the right people 

within each organization to handle your 

issues. 

First of all, the NOSC, most certainly, 

CAN show you the RUAD for each unit. 

Letters 

NRA News 07 

But you really need to go to the 

Manpower/N1 people in the NOSC and 

start there. If they tell you that, as 

Manpower, they don’t have access to their 

own RUADs, grab them by their throats 

and give them a good shake or two, 

because that’s nonsense. Their RUADs are 

their biggest responsibility; they MUST 

have access to them! They may not want 

to print them all out for you, as they do 

have private data on them, (they may 

want you to go through the unit CO), 

but they certainly can access them. 

Next, you talked about hitting BUPERS 

and New Orleans for a list of open O-4 

billets. Well, yes, I suppose you could try 

that. But it’s a little bit like calling 

President Bush to ask him if there are any 

federal job openings in Washington. You 

simply don’t need to do that; they are way 

too high up the food chain. If you couldn’t 

find out anything at your own NOSC, 

(talking to the other unit COs before a 

PB4T is a great time to do this sort of 

thing), find your NOSC Officer Recruiter, 

(yes, you do have one), and get a list from 

him/her. If he/she gives you a hard time, 

your next step is the REDCOM N1. They 

will definitely be able to steer you in the 

right direction. 

Regarding your final suggestion about 

tying all databases together, YES!!!, what 

a concept! (We’ve all been screaming for 

this for years.) I, for one, would simply 

like to see NSIPS talk to RHS; but, hey, 

what do I know. I can only say that there 

are a lot of archaic databases that are out 

there; and true, they are often operating in 

the blind. The IT folks are working on this, 

and solutions are coming. In the meantime, 

though, just keep plugging away, 

and follow-up, follow-up, follow-up 

each telephone call you make. Sometimes 

these unit COs are busy. Sometimes they 

are deployed and not even reading their 

civilian e-mail accounts. Only by going 

back again and again, and sometimes 

hitting their XOs, can you manage to elicit 

an answer. Sorry, I wish I had a better 

solution for you on this last point; but it’s 

the best I can do. 

If I can be of further assistance, please 

do not hesitate to e-mail. 

CAPT Larry Weill 


Junior Officer 

Column 

U.S. Navy Terms 

LT Steven Michaels, USN 

National VP for Junior Officers 

Some time ago, when I joined 

the Navy, I was immediately 

confronted with a variety of 

terms and acronyms that are 

uniquely “Navy” in nature. 

Navy acronym lists are long 

and relatively easy to find. Instead, this 

article will focus on a few of the more 

common terms that can be defined as Navy 

slang. Radio communication in the early 

twentieth century was sent with a sort of 

“Navy shorthand” since radio traffic, being 

limited by bandwidth, required shortened 

forms of words to convey the intent of long 

messages. What follows are just a few of the 

more commonly used terms that you are 

likely to see in today’s Navy. 

ADSEP: ADministrative SEParation – 

Involuntary separation from the Navy due 

to circumstances which are not deemed 

dishonorable. 

ALCON: ALL CONcerned – Used to 

denote a message intended for a group of 

relevant recipients. 

BZ: Bravo Zulu – A naval signal used by 

seniors to praise subordinates for a job “well 

done.” 

In the U.S. Navy signal code, used before 

codebook ACP 175, “well done” was 

signaled as TVG, or “Tare Victor George” in 

the U.S. phonetic alphabet of that time. With 

ACP 175, the 2-flag signals were organized 

by general subject, and the last signal on the 

“Administrative” page was BZ, standing for 

“well done.” This was spoken as “Baker 

Zebra” until 1956 when the Navy adopted 

the international phonetic alphabet. Then, 

BZ finally became “Bravo Zulu.” 

CHENG: CHief ENGineer – Other than 

the ship captain and CDO at sea, this is the 

job you want if you don’t like to sleep much. 

FORAC: FOR ACtion – Used to denote 

urgency in action to the recipient of a 

message. Do it NOW! 

SEPCOR: SEParate CORrespondence – 

Refers to information that can be found at 

another source. 

UNREP: UNderway REPlenishment – 

Taking supplies from the supply ship by 

maneuvering alongside and passing lines 

between the two vessels. Stay sharp and 

don’t get hit by the cat ball. 

This last one comes with a true story from 

a retired Navy captain who wishes to remain 

anonymous: 

UNODIR stands for UNless Otherwise 

DIRected. Since it is often easier to get 

forgiveness than permission for an action, 

UNODIR can be very useful. The trick is 

timing. A real example: 

When I was a young LTJG in my first 

squadron, we were headed to Vietnam on an 

attack carrier with a stop at Pearl Harbor for 

an ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection). 

I was the Assistant Maintenance/Material 

Control Officer (in addition to my flying 

duties). Late one night, I was called to my 

squadron CO’s stateroom and given a direct 

order. “Get those blasted Buddy Stores off 

this boat before we sail from Pearl!” (D-704 

Buddy Stores are in-flight refueling tanks 

which can be carried on a weapon station of 

our aircraft to give fuel to other aircraft 

through a retractable hose/drogue). While 

our aircraft could do this job, our Skipper 

hated the mission (which was a primary 

mission for the airwing’s A-3 squadron) and 

didn’t want to be stuck doing it. The Skipper 

was very direct about this, and I knew I’d get 

murdered if I questioned the order. After the 

only possible response I could give under the 

circumstances (“Aye, aye, Sir!”), I retreated 

to figure out how to do this. Consulting 

the official IMRL (Individual Material 

Requirements List), it was clear that our 

squadron was required to carry a certain 

number of Buddy Stores with us. I was 

clearly “between a rock and a hard place.” 

I went to see my mentor, an AIMD (Aircraft 

Intermediate Maintenance Department) 

officer. He was an AMDO (Aviation 

Maintenance Duty Officer) “Mustang” who 

literally wrote the book on aviation 

maintenance when he was stationed at 

NAVAIRSYSCOM for many years. He 

drafted for me a concise message to the 

Pacific Fleet controlling authority for Buddy 

Stores (COMFAIRLEMOORE) complaining 

about various (minor) problems we were 

having with them, and stating that 

“UNODIR” we would off-load them at Pearl 

FFT (for further transfer) to the depot for 

repair. He instructed me to take the message 

to COMM after 5 PM California time on 

Friday and to send it by ROUTINE 

precedence. This would guarantee that it 

would not be received at the class desk office 

until after secure on Saturday (meaning it 

wouldn’t get read until Monday morning). 

Our ship sailed late Saturday afternoon. By 

the time the class desk received the message, 

got peeled off the ceiling, and sent back a 

PRIORITY message directing us not to 

off-load, the ship was about 600 miles west 

of Pearl headed for Vietnam. The Mustang’s 

ploy worked like a champ! 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING! The Skipper 

called me in to find out how the Buddy 

Stores “went away,” and I told him that it was 

a highly technical matter involving “detailed 

maintenance procedures.” He chose not to 

delve any deeper. I got a dandy FITREP out 

of that cruise and that incident may have had 

something to do with it! 

DISCLAIMER: Use “UNODIR” very 

discretely. 

Until next month, I wish you fair winds 

and following seas. 

LT Michaels is open to ideas for future 

articles so e-mail him at: 

ensignsting@yahoo.com 

His dwell is greater than 1 (one). 


Interview with the 

The Honorable Donald C. Winter 

Editor’s note: We interviewed Secretary Winter in his Pentagon office in early May. The Secretary was most 

generous in giving us an hour out of his busy schedule, and we thank him for that. 

NRA: Mr. Secretary, you have 

been at the helm for sixteen 

months now. What is your 

assessment of the strengths and 

weaknesses of today’s Navy 

Secretary Winter: I have to 

say it’s different from what I’ve 

experienced in my past; and 

coming on board here, it has 

been very much a learning 

experience and an opportunity 

to take a really hard look at a 

very large, very complex 

organization. In general though, 

if I were to point out one strong 

point, I think first of all that the 

men and women of the Navy 

are just absolutely fantastic. I 

am truly amazed, blown away, 

by the quality of the people 

that we are bringing into the 

Navy. I have visited the MEPS 

[Military Entrance Processing Station] and met some of these 

kids. I have also been into some areas that are very challenging, 

whether it’s Djibouti, the North Arabian Gulf, on the ground in 

Iraq, or even in the Pacific. Just the general attitude that you get 

from all of these Sailors is fantastic. It really is; and I would put 

our young Americans up against any other cross section that you 

would find anywhere in the United States or, for that matter, 

anywhere else in the world. 

NRA: Yes, sir. How about the other side of the coin What 

troubles you 

Secretary Winter: Well, I’m spending a lot of time working 

acquisition issues of late. And, that’s not just because I started at 

the letter “A” and got stuck there, but because it is more of a 

perception that it is an area that we really need to work on. I think 

that it is a little bit unfortunate that we got into a mode of 

thinking that we could not do certain things in acquisition and 

that we had to rely more and 

more on contractors for things 

that I believe are really best 

done by the Navy, things that 

are inherently Navy functions. 

NRA: We have touched on 

shipbuilding so let me ask 

directly about that program. 

The CNO’s plan to create a 

sustained shipbuilding program 

that the yards can count on 

makes a lot of sense to us. 

Nonetheless, the recurring 

Congressional arguments over 

big carrier versus smaller 

carrier; the cost of the 

Zumwalt; the rising cost of LCS 

which caused you to intercede 

and ultimately cancel a contract; 

all seem to be significant 

obstacles to the 313-ship future 

Navy. How do you see this 

sorting out How will we afford tomorrow’s Navy 

Secretary Winter: Well, you’ve got several issues embedded in 

there. First of all, some of these debates, if you will, big carrier – 

little carrier, I read about that in the press; but I don’t see that in 

the building. It isn’t a topic of the moment. I think there is 

actually a greater degree of support for the shipbuilding program 

that has been laid out – the thirty-year plan – than people realize. 

Do we want to challenge certain elements of it – sure. Are we 

going to go ahead and look at options to make the next cruiser 

nuclear powered instead of conventional – definitely. Those are 

the things that we should be looking at. But nobody is challenging 

the basic construct that we’ve got. That said, I think that we 

need to take a real hard look at what it is really going to take to 

do what we want. Do we have complete, realistic, and executable 

plans and budgetary allocations We are still trying to make sure 

that that is the case. We have seen on the LCS program, as you 

have noted, some cost escalations there. We need to see how 


much of that is lead ship dependent and how much is generic 

associated with the actual [ship] class that we are building. 

We are going through that process. I don’t think that it is going 

to be a terrible disruption to the thirty-year plan. If we have to 

make adjustments, we will; and oh, by the way, those adjustments 

can come on the financial side as well as the build-rate side; but 

we need to keep everything as current and as credible as possible. 

NRA: You have spoken about the mismatch between the pace of 

change and the long life span of Navy ships. That really struck me 

when I first read that because we deal with that issue more than 

the other services. How do we balance that 

Secretary Winter: I think that part of that is recognizing up front 

that we are going to have to modernize these vessels over that 

long lifetime. The hull might be fine for thirty, forty, fifty years; 

but when it gets to the combat systems, this is a very evolving 

world. What we have today in terms of weapons systems, 

communications, radars is likely to change. How do we anticipate 

that and make it easy to change That gets into the design aspect, 

and it gets into the ways that we set up contracts and develop the 

coupling between the contracts and the design elements. One 

very good example is the push for open architectures on the 

information technology side. We want to be able to get new 

capabilities and plug them in without having to redo an entire 

system. The commercial world is doing this all over the place and 

getting huge leverage out of it. 

NRA: We have mentioned this, but perhaps not directly, and that 

is how do you see the Navy structuring itself to maintain the 

capabilities that we will probably need for tomorrow and at the 

same time fielding the capabilities for this land war that we have 

to support 

Secretary Winter: We have three priorities in the Navy right 

now, one of which is prosecuting the Global War on Terror. The 

second is taking care of our wounded warriors, and the third 

priority is preparing for an uncertain future. Uncertain in the 

sense that we are not sure what type of adversary we are going to 

have to deal with in the future or where they might be. So far, I 

think that we have been able to deal with all three of those 

priorities fairly effectively. We have a very engaged Navy, and we 

are being well treated in the budgetary sense consistent with that. 

The Supplementals have to a great extent taken the [funding] 

issue away. The issues, in terms of the ongoing fight, whether 

it has to do with the direct operational costs or the reset and 

recapitalization associated with losses and wear out are being 

dealt with in the Supplementals; and, as a result, we have done 

quite well in maintaining our ability to position for the future. 

NRA: That was frankly going to be the next question. As you 

look at the out years, you think that the resetting of the Army 

forces is essentially going to be taken care of in the 

Supplementals and our ability to build the 313-ship Navy will 

not be impacted 

Secretary Winter: That has been the case so far, and I see no 

reason to expect great change in that. 

NRA: Mr. Secretary, our aviation programs took about a one 

billion dollar mark in the ‘08 POM cycle. Are we being sort of 

forced to rob from Peter to build ships for Paul 

Secretary Winter: No, and I don’t think that it is a billion dollars 

this year. It is across the FYDP [Future Years Defense Plan] first 

of all. Second of all, a lot of that is forced upon us because of 

where we are in the JSF program. We’re trying to move JSF along 

as fast as we can, but we are committed to the fly before you buy 

principle here. We are not going to buy until we have gone 

through the development process. That said, we are obviously 

having to buy Super Hornets as a filler there. And, one last thing 

that I would just add is that you have to look at the program in the 

total sense, including what the Supplementals are providing us. 

NRA: Recently, it has come to light in the public press that the 

Navy and the Marine Corps are still arguing a bit about the 

numbers in the F-35B and F-35C buy. It strikes me that we are at 

a point in time when we really need to get that settled before we 

drive up the price of both aircraft. 

Secretary Winter: First of all, and again, this is a question of 

how it has been reported in some places. This is not an issue of 

whether we do or do not support STOVOL [F-35B] or the CV 

variant [F-35C]. The answer is yes, we support both of them. I 

could not conceive of a situation where we did not have both of 

them. We are going to make sure that both variants are developed 

and produced in sufficient quantities. There are questions as to 

what is the right way to deploy these assets, and they both have 

their advantages and disadvantages. The STOVOL works well 

with the big deck [amphibs]; the CV variant needs cats and traps. 

At the same time, the CV variant has got better legs and greater 

capability. What’s the right mix That’s going to be a topic that we 

are going to be dealing with this year, and it is at the top of the 

list for myself, the CNO, and the Commandant. We will work 

through that. In the meanime, it really doesn’t impact anything at 

all that is going on in the JSF program. 


NRA: Mr. Secretary, I come from the P3 community, and what 

I have seen us do with that aircraft is continually take its replacement 

and push it to the right year after year until we created such 

a crisis that we had to eliminate the Reserve community to keep 

the Active Duty force flying. We see the same situation developing 

with our C-9 fleet which average 36 years of service. How can we 

break the cycle of shifting problems to the out years until the 

tipping point overwhelms us 

Secretary Winter: I think that the model is the thirty-year 

shipbuilding plan. We need to develop a similar plan for aircraft. 

We need to lay in a plan for the entirety of the air component. It 

can’t be just a Super Hornet, JSF issue. It has got to include all of 

those aircraft elements. The idea is to lay this all out the way that 

we do for ships. 

NRA: I have asked you a few questions that I would call “hardball” 

– so how about something easier 

Secretary Winter: A softball 

NRA: Exactly. What is it about our Navy today that puts a smile 

on your face 

Secretary Winter: Oh, I’ll go back to the Sailors and their 

families. That is another aspect to traveling around, meeting the 

families, and seeing the level of support that we are getting now. 

We want to make sure that it continues, and what I try to do at the 

public appearances that I make is to thank the families for what 

they are doing. When you see the system work and you see the 

families gather together and provide whatever is needed, that’s 

great. Whether it is on deployment or on return, it is really a great 

experience. I’ve got to tell you that there is no question that the 

psychic rewards, if you will, in this job are greater than anything 

else I have ever experienced in my lifetime. 

NRA: Let’s turn to some Reserve issues. As you know, the Navy 

Reserve is being integrated into the greater Navy, and we applaud 

Admiral Mullen and Vice Admiral Cotton for moving us in that 

direction. A byproduct of this integration seems to be the 

elimination of most Reserve hardware units and the creation of 

manpower pools to support the Navy. This is a different approach 

than that taken by the other services for their Guard and Reserve 

Components. Why the difference 

Secretary Winter: First of all, we have one Navy; and it’s not 

Active and Reserve; and it’s not surface and submarine and air; 

it’s one Navy. I think that it’s become pretty clear that is the most 

effective way that we have for providing the resources and 

capability that our nation is looking for us to provide. We can’t 

have a Reserve fleet of ships that are Reserve ships. We don’t 

want to have a second grade capability. It has all got to be part of 

one integrated activity. The same is true of the air component. 

The same is true of all the combat support and combat service 

support elements. It is one integrated capability. We don’t have a 

Guard, never have had; and I doubt very much that we ever will 

have a Guard. We do have a Reserve; and it provides a very real 

capability that helps us deal with surges and the unanticipated, I 

should say, shift in capabilities that are needed. Whether that has 

to do with having a Navy Reserve medical unit at Landstuhl or 

having Seabees out at Al Anbar, or what have you. It provides that 

extra flexibility. That doesn’t mean that necessarily we need to 

have dedicated equipment for those purposes. In fact, it is much 

better if we have the Reservists using the same equipment, part of 

the same Navy as the Active. I think that is the real nexus of the 

issue. 

NRA: I certainly understand what you’re saying; and for all of 

the years that I have been associated with the Reserve program, 

maintaining up-to-date equipment has always been a challenge. 

Now that the Navy has embraced its Reserve and is integrating 


the Reserve, we are moving away from equipment. You mentioned 

Seabees and the medical corps; but you didn’t mention the people 

who drive fighter aircraft because they are going away; and it 

concerns us because that surge capability is going to be lost, and 

those are awfully skilled individuals that won’t be coming into the 

Reserve program. 

Secretary Winter: Well, we need to have the ability to flex there; 

but, again, I don’t want to get to two levels of equipment and 

capability. There has got to be one air component. There is one 

set of aircraft that we are going to have in the Navy. We may have 

Reservists flying. We may have Active Duty flying. We still want 

to have all aircraft have the same capabilities with the same level 

of maintenance and the same level of operational availability. 

NRA: Let me pose one more Reserve-specific question. The 

country has certainly needed our Reservists, and they have 

responded magnificently. Nonetheless, we have concerns that the 

“operational Reserve,” operating under a formula of one or 

more years active duty out of six, is not sustainable. The 

Chairman of the Commission on the National Guard and 

Reserves, Arnold Punaro, has said that the Guard and Reserve 

are breaking. We note that the Navy Reserve missed last year’s 

recruiting goals and is now offering bonuses for officers and 

enlisted that have never been offered before. Is there a correlation 

here and are we breaking 

Secretary Winter: I don’t believe we are breaking. I think that all 

the indicators that we have, whether it’s the surveys that we do, 

whether it’s retention and enlistment rates, and even the recruiting 

rate – they all look pretty good. We have a very different situation, 

I think, than the Army, for example, which is using their Reserve 

in a much more intense manner. By the way, these are guidelines. 

It’s not that we want to plan that we are going to use the Reserve 

one year of every five or six years. We don’t want to go past that 

point. I’m not sure that we have paid enough attention in the past 

to Reserve recruiting. To a certain extent, there has always been a 

little presumption that the Active Duty will go and become prior 

service Reserve, and it all just kind of flows that way. I think that 

some of the issues that you referred to in terms of low recruiting 

numbers were, in fact, traceable to higher retention in the Active 

Component. The last numbers that I saw for Reserve recruiting 

were at ninety-nine percent of goal. You can argue that the Navy 

missed their numbers again, but ninety-nine percent is not a bad 

number; and if we are able to actually do that on a consistent 

basis, I think that we’ll do fine. I have to tell you, if I can go back 

to the visit that I made two weeks ago to the MEPS in Michigan, 

it is really interesting that the recruiting command is starting to 

talk to Reserve issues in a unique manner and really tailor some 

of them to the groups that they are trying to recruit from . . . . I 

think that the net of it is that we are going to do just fine. There 

are great opportunities out there. 

NRA: Shifting gears a bit, Mr. Secretary, I have been concerned 

for some time now that the Navy seems to have a much more 

“arms length” relationship with its military service associations 

than the other services do with theirs. What can we do as an 

association, and what can you do as the leader of the Department 

perhaps to bridge that gap 

Secretary Winter: I’m not sure that I would use the term “holding 

at arms length,” I will suggest that it is not easy working with all 

of the associations. In part, that is because there are so many of 

them. It is a much more fractionalized community than what I have 

seen, for example, on the Army side. AUSA is the Army association, 

and you get a very tight relationship there because of that; and it 

is a lot easier to figure out how to deal with that. It is a bit more 

difficult for the Navy because there are so many organizations. 

NRA: Most or our audience are 

Navy Reservists, officer and enlisted, 

is there a final message that you 

would like to impart to those folks 

Secretary Winter: Well, I’ll just say 

that I appreciate their support and 

their service and the support to the 

Service that their families provide. 

In the case of the Reserve community, 

I probably need to add that we 

appreciate the support of their other 

employer. That is something that I do 

worry about in terms of making sure 

that the message gets out as to the 

value of what the Reserve community 

is able to provide to our Navy and our 

Nation. 

NRA: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. You 

have been more than generous with 

your time, and we look forward to 

getting your message out. 


2007 Spring Conference 

HIGHLIGHTS 

Friday – President’s Reception 

Friday – Opening Session 

Saturday – CAPT Rice Remembrance 


Saturday Awards – presented by the Hon. William Navas, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (M&RA); 

VADM John Cotton, USN, Chief of Navy Reserve; and CDR Joseph Quaglino, Jr., NRA President. 

(L to R) CDR Gary Barron, NRA Executive VP and 

VADM John Cotton, Chief of Navy Reserve 

National President’s Award – 

CDR Richard Reinheimer, USN (Ret) 

National Award of Merit – 

CAPT Thomas J. Caulfield, USNR (Ret) 

National Award of Merit – 

CAPT Carol Culbertson, USN (Ret) 

H I G H L I G H T S 

Lee W. Douglas Literary Award – 

CAPT John Lynn Shanton, USNR (Ret) 

Junior Officer of the Year Award (Drilling Line) – 

LCDR Curtis L. Michel, USN 

Junior Officer of the Year Award (Drilling Staff) – 

LTJG Justin B. Doster, SC, USN 

Junior Officer of the Year Award (FTS Line) – 

LCDR Casey J. Casad, USN 


Junior Officer of the Year Award (FTS Staff) – 

LCDR Joseph E. Banks, SC, USN 

(L to R) CAPT Susan Labhard with 

Junior Officer of the Year Award (Bea Ratner) – 

LCDR Rebecca Pate, NC, USN 

Congressman Bill Chappell Award – 

Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Six One - VR-61 (C-9) 

Congressman Bill Chappell Award – 

Fleet Logistics Suport Squadron Five Nine - VR-59 (C-40) 

Congressman Bill Young Award – 

Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Five One - VR-51 (C-20) 

CNATRA Reserve Flight Instructor of the Year – 

LCDR Samuel N. Parmarter, Callsign “Scrammy” 

Training Squadron EIGHT SIX (VT-86), Training Air Wing SIX, 

NAS Pensacola, FL (Award cosponsored by NRA and 

L-3 Com Vertex Aerospace) 

RADM Phil Smith Award – 

Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Six Two - VR-62 (C-130) 

CNATRA Active/Reserve Integration Excellence Award – 

Training Squadron TEN (VT-10), Training Air Wing SIX, 

NAS Pensacola, FL (Award cosponsored by NRA and 

L-3 Com Vertex Aerospace) 

H I G H L I G H T S 


Retirees’ Corner 

TRICARE Retiree Dental 

Program (TRDP) 

LCDR Joseph Golding, USNR (Ret) 

National VP for Retired Personnel 

The TRICARE Retiree Dental 

Program (TRDP) was the 

first and only dental benefits 

plan created by Congress 

especially for Uniformed 

Services retirees and their 

family members. It is administered by 

Delta Dental of California. This article 

will outline the rules that determine 

eligibility, coverage of benefits, cost, 

choosing a dentist, and instructions on 

how to enroll in the program. 

The Federal Services division of Delta 

Dental of California is under contract with 

the Department of Defense and administers 

the TRDP. The program offers: 

Comprehensive coverage for the most 

commonly needed and sought-after dental 

services with the full scope of benefits 

available after only 12 months; 

The choice to visit any licensed dentist 

in the service area; and, 

Affordable monthly premiums deducted 

automatically from Uniformed Services 

retired pay. 

Eligibility. 

The following individuals are eligible to 

enroll in TRDP: 

A member of the Uniformed Services 

who is entitled to Uniformed Services 

retired pay; 

A member of the retired Reserve/ 

Guard, including those in the “gray area” 

who are entitled to retired pay but will not 

begin receiving it until age 60; 

A current spouse of an enrolled member; 

A child of an enrolled member, up to 

age 21 (to age 23 if a full-time student, or 

older if disabled before losing eligibility); 

An unremarried surviving spouse or 

eligible child of a deceased member who 

died while in retired status or while on 

active duty; 

A Medal of Honor recipient and 

eligible family members or an unremarried 

surviving spouse/eligible family members 

of a deceased recipient; and, 

A current spouse and/or eligible child 

of a nonenrolled member with documented 

proof the nonenrolled member is: (a) eligible 

to receive ongoing comprehensive dental 

care from the Department of Veterans’ 

Affairs; (b) enrolled in a dental plan through 

employment and the plan is not available 

to family members; or (c) unable to obtain 

benefits through the TRDP due to a current 

and enduring medical or dental condition. 

It should be noted that former spouses 

and remarried surviving spouses are not 

eligible at this time. 

Coverage of Benefits. 

An overview of coverage under the 

TRDP can be found on their Web site. 

Delta Dental will pay different percentages 

for each benefit during the first 12 

months of enrollment. There are additional 

services available after 12 months of 

continuous enrollment. Deductibles and 

maximums are also listed. The benefit 

year runs from 1 May until 30 April. 

Covered benefits are subject to certain 

limitations. More information can be found 

in the benefits booklet. 

Cost. 

Monthly premium amounts will vary 

depending on where the member lives and 

the number of family members he/she 

enrolls. Premium rates change slightly on 

1 May of each year. It is federal law that 

monthly premiums to the TRDP be 

deducted automatically from retired pay. 

Dentist Network. 

Delta Dental offers a dentist network 

with over 90,000 locations nationwide. 

These dentists have agreed to prenegotiated 

fees and will submit all the claims for the 

member. If a member goes to an out-ofnetwork 

dentist, Delta Dental pays the 

same percentage of covered services but 

cannot guarantee that dentist’s fees. The 

member will be responsible for paying the 

copayment plus any difference between 

the program allowed amount and the 

dentist’s billed charge. The member can 

visit any licensed dentist in the service 

area which covers anywhere in the 50 

states; Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; U.S. 

Virgin Islands; American Samoa; the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas; 

and Canada. 

Enrollment. 

Enrollment in the TRDP is voluntary. 

Each new member must enroll for a 

minimum of 12 consecutive months. 

After the initial 12-month period, the 

member is eligible for the full scope of 

benefits and will continue his/her enrollment 

on a month-to-month basis. There is 

a grace period of 30 days from the initial 

enrollment date during which time the 

member can rescind his/her agreement 

provided he/she has not used any of the 

program services during that time. 

A member who retires from Active Duty, 

National Guard, or the Reserves, and who 

enrolls within 120 days after retirement is 

eligible for a waiver of the 12-month 

waiting period for the full scope of benefits. 

Those who retire and don’t want a gap in 

coverage should apply one month prior to 

their retirement date. There is a two-month 

premium prepayment that is required to 

ensure adequate coverage for the member 

and his family. Once the mandatory 

allotment is established, any unused portion 

of the prepayment will be refunded to the 

member. 

There are three ways to enroll in the 

TRDP: on-line, by telephone, or by mail. 

Coverage begins on the first day of the 

month following the acceptance of the 

application and the two-month premium 

prepayment. The enrollment can be verified 

after the first of the month on the Web site. 

For more information, call the TRDP 

toll-free at 1-888-838-8737 or visit the 

Web site www.trdp.org. 


News Notes... 

U.S. DIPLOMATS RETURNING FROM 

IRAQ WITH POSTTRAUMATIC 

STRESS DISORDER 

U.S. diplomats are returning from Iraq 

with the same debilitating, stress-related 

symptoms that have afflicted U.S. troops, 

prompting the State Department to order a 

mental health survey of 1,400 employees 

who have completed assignments in Iraq. 

800,000 1_2pg4c copy 12/4/06 5:38 PM Page 1 

TROOP SURVEY HAS GENERAL 

PETRAEUS CONCERNED 

The top U.S. commander in Iraq said that 

he was “greatly concerned” by a recent 

survey that found many troops in Iraq 

would not report a member of their unit for 

killing or injuring an innocent civilian. 

Gen. David Petraeus called for a 

“redoubling of our education efforts” to 

identify potential abuses among soldiers, 

saying, “We can never sink to the level of 

the enemy.” 

WAR’S COST NEARS 

$500 BILLION 

For some, fighting in Iraq is worth any 

price. But opponents say it’s too much. The 

war in Iraq will soon cost more than $500 

billion. That’s about ten times more than 

the Bush administration anticipated before 

the war began four years ago; and no one 

can predict how high the price tag will 

grow. 

EIGHTEEN AIR FORCE CADETS 

EXIT USAFA OVER CHEATING 

Fifteen cadets have been expelled and 

three others have resigned in a cheating 

scandal at the Air Force Academy. Thirteen 

more cadets have been placed on probation, 

and there was insufficient evidence to mete 

out any punishment to nine other who were 

under investigation. 

How much protection is enough 

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MARINES TO STOP INFORMING 

FAMILIES OF WAR DEATHS 

DURING THE MIDDLE OF NIGHT 

The Marine Corps will no longer wake 

up family members in the middle of the 

night to inform them of a killed or missing 

Marine after complaints that support 

services, such as religious or psychological 

counseling, were unavailable during the 

late evening time frame. 

DOD EMPLOYEES DELINQUENT 

ON TAXES 

The Pentagon’s top personnel official 

has chastised the Defense Department’s 

civilian work force for having the worst 

delinquency rate for paying federal income 

taxes compared with other federal agencies. 

David Chu, Undersecretary of Defense for 

Personnel and Readiness, sent the scolding 

memo, dated 2 May, to top military and 

civilian leaders, urging DOD employees to 

set a better example. 


New Life Members 

From 1 October 2006 

CAPT Esther Kay Alexander, NC, USN 

CDR Robert B. Amidon, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Michael J. Andrew, USN 

CAPT Robert D. Atkisson, USNR (Ret) 

OSC David M. Balestreri, USN 

LCDR Richard C. Baltierra, MSC, USN 

LCDR Gerald R. Baum, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Gian L. Berchielli, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Geoffrey A. Blackman, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT F. A. Blence, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

LCDR George S. Blome, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

CAPT John H. Boelens, USNR (Ret) 

CDR William K. Bott, MC, USN 

DKCM Charles E. Bradley, USN (Ret) 

SW1 George Robert Levi Bradshaw, USN 

EM2 Dale Breeding, USN 

CDR H. T. Bressler, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Peter S. Brightman, DC, USN 

SKCM Julius E. (Gene) Brown, USNR (Ret) 

ABCM Joseph P. Butler, USN 

CWO4 John D. Byrd, USNR (Ret) 

MA1 Richard G. Call, USN 

CDR Kevin M. Callahan, USN 

CAPT Polly M. Capansky, USN 

CAPT J. Richard Carling, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Kevin R. Carney, USN 

BU1 John F. Carrier, USN (Ret) 

CAPT George L. Cava, USN 

CDR Nicholas A. Chames, DC, USNR (Ret) 

OS1 Craig Marshall Collins, USNR (Ret) 

HTCM Denney Lee Conley, Jr., USN 

CAPT Susan G. Cooksey, NC, USN (Ret) 

CDR George J. Corcoran III, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Paul Keely Costello, JAGC, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Alan W. Cummings, USNR (Ret) 

RADM Marshall E. Cusic, Jr., MC, USN 

LT Edward Dambach II, USN 

CDR Ladonna L. Darks, NC, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT R. Michael Dash, MSC, USN 

LT Margaret Elizabeth Dean, USN 

CDR David D. Diamond, USN 

CAPT Kenneth T. Dickerson, USN 

CDR Arthur F. Dickinson, USNR (Ret) 

CWO4 Nestorio L. Domingo, USN 

LCDR Don Doolin, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Michael Lawrence Douglas, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Charles E. Downton III, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT James D. Dubuar, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Mark Stephen Dunnagan, USN 

CDR Julius W. Eickenhorst, DC, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Paul M. Engle, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Richard P. Erickson, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Roland P. Fawthrop, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

CDR George O. Fellers, CEC, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Joseph W. Fields, USN 

LCDR Christopher A. Fiesel, USN 

CDR Lawrence P. Flynn, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT William H. Frankenfield, USNR (Ret) 

CDR McMurray Gaines, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

PO1 Kenneth D. Garner, USN (Ret) 

AO2 Jason C. Gaver, USN 

FORCM Chris Glennon, USN (Ret) 

CAPT John R. Goetz, MC, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Freeman R. Goodrich, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Mark L. Graff, USN 

CDR Shane A. Gray, USN 

LT James Terrance Green, USN 

CAPT Isadore Halzel, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Christopher M. Hand, MSC, USN 

CAPT John P. Hanlin, SC, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Muriel D. Harding, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Charles T. Haworth, USNR (Ret) 

AK2 Robert Earl Hayes, Jr., USN 

CAPT Jack R. Haynes, MSC, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT John P. Heffernan, MC, USN 

YNCS Ralph Henry Hensley III, USN 

CAPT Paul T. Hilf, USNR (Ret) 

CDR George W. Holmes, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Richard B. Hooper, SC, USNR (Ret) 

PO1 Thomas G. Howard, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Kenneth L. Hudson, SC, USN 

CAPT Thomas H. Hutchinson, USNR (Ret) 

CWO4 Howard E. Jackson, USNR (Ret) 

LT Dora N. James, MSC, USN 

CAPT John F. Joslin, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Philip L. Kirstein, SC, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Dan R. Klingler, USNR (Ret) 

CDR John K. Larson, USN 

CAPT Mark L. Leavitt, USN 

LCDR Richard M. Locke, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Arthur F. Loeben, Jr., JAGC, USN (Ret) 

CDR Richard F. Loman, Jr., USN 

LT Kristen Loupassakis, USN 

LCDR Daniel B. Lucas, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR David E. Ludwa, SC, USN 

LCDR Bruce E. Luetschwager, USN 

CAPT Michael L. MacWilliams, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Lawrence M. Maher, USNR (Ret) 

CDR David W. Maibaum, SC, USNR (Ret) 

LT Robert J. Malinic, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT James P. Marra, MC, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Robert S. Martin, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Sam C. Masarachia, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Diane S. Mattern, NC, USN 

CAPT Charles E. McManus, MSC, USN 

CAPT Malcolm J. McPhee, Jr., USN 

CAPT Theodore G. Meeker, JAGC, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Richard H. Miller, CEC, USNR (Ret) 

CDR John Kyle Misuradze, USN 

LCDR Brian Thomas Montgomery, USN 

CAPT Mary V. Moon, NC, USN 

LT Cynthia Jo Moore, USN 

Ms. Mary P. Morony 

ENS Glenn Edward Mowder, USN 


through 31 March 2007 

CDR John Tholfsen Mullen, USN 

CDR Jeffrey Allen Murr, SC, USN 

CAPT Robert C. Murray, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Marcus K. Neeson, USN 

CAPT Deborah M. Nelson, NC, USN (Ret) 

CAPT Betty A. Nelson 

CAPT John G. Newby, MC, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Robert T. Newell, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Gary D. Noble, USN 

CDR Sean P. O’Connor, USN 

LT James Michael Ogle, USN 

CWO2 Edward W. Olson, USN 

LT James A. Palcich, USNR (Ret) 

YN1 Guy Joseph Palumbo, USN 

CAPT James F. Parr, USNR (Ret) 

ENS Andrew Kenneth Patterson, USN 

CDR Mark C. Patterson, USN 

CAPT Ralph E. Penny, USNR (Ret) 

LTJG Richard K. Perez, USN 

CDR Leroy W. Perry, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Daniel R. Pionk, SC, USN 

LCDR Jeff D. Pizanti, USN 

CAPT Gregory R. Pohl, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Nathan F.S. Porter, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Donald C. Powers, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Edward B. Quinn, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Lance W. Raffe, USN 

LT Ruben Ramos II, USN 

CDR Michael R. Rein, USN 

CDR H. Michael Reisenauer, USNR (Ret) 

LT David Allyn Rewkowski, USN 

LCDR Michael David Ringo, USN 

CAPT Charles R. Roots, CHC, USN 

LT Todd Edward Salvig, USN 

CAPT Floyd T. Samms, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Gary T. Satterfield, USNR (Ret) 

EN3 Angelo Scalo, USN 

CDR Richard Frank Schaller, USNR (Ret) 

LT Adam H. Schwinn, MSC, USN 

CDR Frank Martin Sciortino, USNR 

CAPT John G. Scoble, USNR (Ret) 

LT Bret Arthur Sealey, USN 

CDR Scott C. Seeberger, USN 

CDR Thomas K. Seely, MSC, USNR (Ret) 

OS1 Alan Leroy Sinsel, USN 

ENS Michael R. Slevin, SC, USN 

CDR Robert A. Smalley, USNR (Ret) 

LTJG Jae S. Smith, USN 

CDR Jon A. Smith, USN 

CWO4 August B. Smith, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT William H. Sorensen, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR Wallace G. Spitt, USNR (Ret) 

CWO2 Gary Stallcup, USN 

CAPT William A. Steele, USNR (Ret) 

LT Joseph S. Stees, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Juan Girard Stone, USNR (Ret) 

NRA MEMBERS! 

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BU3 George Karl Swatzbaugh III, USN 

CDR Keith Lawrence Taylor, CHC, USN 

LT Douglas James Thacker, USN 

LCDR George Theodore, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT James R. Thomas, USN 

CDR Helen V. Thompson, MSC, USN 

CAPT Robert F. Urso, USN 

LCDR Edward M. Vargas, USN 

CDR Michael A. Varias, USN 

CDR Ward Wages, Jr., USNR (Ret) 

CDR Jeffrey L. Wagoner, USN 

CDR Elaine K. Walker, NC, USN 

CDR Michael J. Ward, USN 

CAPT Jack G. Ward, CEC, USNR (Ret) 

CAPT Kent L. Washburn, USN 

LCDR Michael J. Wautlet, USN 

LCDR James Scott Weldon, USN 

CDR David D. Welter, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Laudius Wilkes, USNR (Ret) 

LCDR John W. Willoughby, USN (Ret) 

CAPT George R. Wilson, MC, USN (Ret) 

CDR Charles R. Wilson, USNR (Ret) 

CDR Bernardo R. Yabut, USNR (Ret) 

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Membership 

RADM Richard E. Young, USN (Ret) 

National VP for Membership 

Ithink most NRA members are 

aware that our Association has 

gradually been losing dues paying 

members over the last ten years or 

so. The good news is that our rate 

of loss is less, significantly less, than many 

of our comparable sister organizations. 

Still, unless we turn our membership 

numbers around, sooner or later, we will 

have to start cutting budget and program. 

Let me use year 2006 as an example. 

During this last year, we added some 635 

new dues paying members. Not bad, not 

bad at all. 

But, during that same year we had some 

278 NRA members pass away. 

Then, add to that 278 loss another 1081 

NRA members who did not renew their 

one or three year memberships. Granted, 

some of these will rejoin, as some simply 

forgot or didn’t get around to it. But the 

end result is that our net loss of dues 

MEMBERSHIP – 

The Numbers Count 

paying members for the year 2006 was 

724. 

Now, there are three things that can help 

correct this net loss. First, we can get 

fewer members to die. I say that with 

tongue in cheek, but at the same time, 

maybe we should launch an Associationwide 

effort to get our members to take 

longer walks, get in better shape, quit 

smoking (it’s never too late). Might extend 

the life of a few of us. 

Second, we can get more NRA members 

to renew their memberships. Our NRA 

Staff does an excellent job in getting close 

to 70 percent to renew, without any need 

for local chapters to get involved. But for 

those who don’t respond after a series of 

communications from National, that is 

where the local Chapters can do so much 

good. That personal phone call, that gentle 

but firm reminder from a friend, a 

neighbor, can significantly help. Each 

Chapter President has on his/her NRA 

Web page the tools and information for 

his/her Chapter, and the information is 

totally current. 

Lastly, and where the NRA National 

Membership Committee is exerting much 

of its energy, is to get more Navy 

Reservists to join the NRA. Since we have 

added enlisted Navy Reservists to full 

membership in the NRA, our potential 

membership pool has drastically 

increased – from approximately 85,000 to 

over 250,000. 

So, we have no shortage of potential 

members. We (yes, all of us) have simply 

got to go out and tap that potential 

membership base. And if each of us goes 

out and gets just one to join this year, we 

would easily turn our membership numbers 

around. 

In next month’s issue, will cover what 

came out of the Membership Committee 

and other committees/general sessions on 

membership at the April 2007 NRA 

Spring Conference. Meanwhile, go find 

that one new member. And make sure you 

are listed on the application form as that 

new member’s sponsor. That is the only 

way we can measure if these general 

appeals have any effect. 

Questions, 

comments, 

holler – 

dickyoung@4dv.net 

Guest Column – Cont’d. from page 7 

To determine our capabilities to deter, prevent, and defeat threats and aggression against the U.S. and Canada, Admiral Timothy 

Keating, former Commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, chartered a uniquely manned and highly qualified group of 

Reserve Component personnel known as the Joint Integrated Command and Control for Maritime Homeland Defense Operations 

(JICM). Led by the Project Test Director, Captain Steve Sharkey, a Selected Reservist from Colorado Springs, the JICM group is 

currently evaluating USNORTHCOM tactics, techniques, and procedures related to our nation’s command and control structure 

for the maritime homeland defense mission. The project has been underway for over a year and a half and has been run exclusively 

by U.S. Navy Reservists. A joint test and evaluation (JT&E) project would normally be jointly staffed with Active Duty personnel 

from each Service; however, with operational demands restricting the immediate availability of Active Duty personnel and 

the maritime nature of the test project, the Navy Reserve personnel afforded a unique solution. 

“Navy Reserve officers were the perfect match for this project. Reserve personnel could begin work immediately, compared to 

the Active Duty side where personnel assignments could take months,” said Sharkey. “The other advantage in using Reservists is 

that they bring a wealth of experience to the team that wouldn’t be obvious by a cursory look at their designator. I was able to 

handpick a team with considerable nonmilitary talents with direct application to our project.” 

Today’s Navy Reserve remains ready, responsive, and relevant, actively contributing to the defense of our homeland, as evidenced 

by USNORTHCOM Navy Reservists who are making maritime domain awareness the newest tool in America’s arsenal. 


District Presidents Council 

REPORT 

District 

News Briefs 

Did you know that some months, more Association members die 

than join We have to reverse this trend if we are to survive. 

Many organizations are facing a similar fate – today’s nearly 

instantaneous communications, the Internet, e-mail, and text 

messages have replaced libraries, letters, and meetings. As our lives 

get busier, it’s harder to dedicate travel time for an event when 

information can be had in seconds. Fewer than one percent of our members come to 

our conferences. If you’ve never been to one, let me invite you to make plans now 

to attend an NRA conference. Why 

Nothing can replace face-to-face communications. If you haven’t met the tireless 

staff that works on your behalf at NRA Headquarters, you should, if only to say 

thank you in person for their hard work. Our Association has the lobbying power 

of 22,000 voters on Capitol Hill, and we make a difference in legislation that 

affects your career, your benefits, and your retirement. But we don’t just make up 

legislative ideas; they come from members like you – at our conferences. Besides, 

our next two conferences are in the great cities of Chicago and Honolulu – something 

for everybody. 

Okay, down to business. Presidents of the NRA’s eleven Districts met 27 April at 

the Naval Reserve Association’s Spring Conference in Arlington, Virginia. They are 

your frontline leaders, and many are making decisive steps to implement change and 

improvement at the District and Chapter level. 

Commander Kevin Hayes, Fifth District, researched and presented a number of 

initiatives to revitalize our membership. Key to revitalization is recruiting – led by 

RADM Young, our National Vice President for Membership, we are making solid 

gains. Many formerly inert chapters are coming back on-line. CAPT Jim Diehl has 

moved out smartly with the Washington, DC Chapter, leading the country in new 

memberships. Congratulations and thank you! 

Other best practices include District and Chapter newsletters, as well as e-mail 

communications. You can work with Art Schultz at Headquarters to craft an e-mail 

“blast” to your members on demand using our mail servers. Some Chapters have 

their own Web site. Speaking of Web sites, have you seen our new look Check out 

http://www.navy-reserve.org – there’s a wealth of information available at your 

fingertips. 

Many Chapters use raffles and other fund-raisers to generate resources for meetings 

and events. Participate and contribute. 

Build and maintain a relationship with your local U.S. Congressional delegation. 

Meet with your local Recruiting District, NROTC, NJROTC, and sister military 

associations. Help to establish reasons for junior officers to get involved. 

Help build an audience and ask for Professional Development seminars in your 

District. We have proposed three in the months ahead – in Chicago, Kansas City, and 

Houston. We’re still working out details, so check the Web site for the latest. 

Lastly, make a commitment to dedicate some time to helping your Association. 

We’re all busy; we all have competing priorities. But a secret I’ve learned is that if 

you make a commitment, then tell others about it, you’ll often find a way to follow 

through. Once you start participating, I think you’ll find that your fellow members 

are the type of people you’d want to spend time with anyway. You’ll be doubly 

rewarded for your efforts. Thank you for your service to our nation, our families, and 

our Association. 

CAPT G. Mark Hardy III, USN 

Chair, District Presidents Council 

NAVAL RESERVE ASSOCIATION 

DISTRICT PRESIDENTS 

FIRST DISTRICT 

CAPT William S. Joransen, USN (Ret) 

E-mail: wsjor@weathereye.com 

THIRD DISTRICT 

CAPT Lance R. Mauro, SC, USN 

E-mail: lmauro58@yahoo.com 

FOURTH DISTRICT 

CDR Edward “Andy” Yeaste, USN 

E-mail: eyeaste@packagingcorp.com 

FIFTH DISTRICT 

CAPT G. Mark Hardy III, USN 

E-mail: nra@gmhardy.com 

SIXTH DISTRICT 

LT Louise Anderson, MSC, USN 

E-mail: louise.anderson@bellsouth.net 

EIGHTH DISTRICT 

CAPT Larry W. Roy, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: lwroy@prodigy.net 

NINTH DISTRICT 

CAPT Merton D. Nason, USN (Ret) 

E-mail: imaginason@msn.com 

ELEVENTH DISTRICT 

LCDR David M. Bradley, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: bradsmgtd@msn.com 

TWELFTH DISTRICT 

CAPT David Epstein, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: davidepstein@sbcglobal.net 

THIRTEENTH DISTRICT 

CAPT Marshall A. Hanson, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: pacnwmailbuoy@juno.com 

FOURTEENTH DISTRICT 

CAPT Gayle Lau, JAGC, USNR (Ret) 

E-mail: laug004@hawaii.rr.com 

FIFTEENTH DISTRICT 

CAPT George Westwood, USN 

E-mail: gwestwood@earthlink.net 


LT Marc J. Soss, SC, USN 

National VP for Legislation & Education 

Protection 

for Service Member Funerals 

On Monday, 29 May 2006, President Bush signed 

into law the Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes 

Act (“Heroes Act”). The Heroes Act prohibited 

individuals from conducting demonstrations at a 

cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery 

Administration and Arlington National Cemetery. A violation 

of the Heroes Act would be classified as a misdemeanor. 

However, many service members felt the law did not go far 

enough. 

On 10 December 2006, President Bush rectified this problem 

by signing into law the Respect for the Funerals of Fallen 

Heroes Act (the “Act”). The Act amends Chapter 67 of 

Title 18, United States Code by adding a new Section 1388, 

prohibition on disruptions of funerals of members or former 

members of the Armed Forces. The Act prohibits any individual 

to disrupt a deceased service member’s (current or former 

member) funeral. The prohibition applies to any funeral 

(including those not located at a cemetery under the control of 

the National Cemetery Administration and Arlington National 

Cemetery), begins 60 minutes before and ends 60 minutes 

after said funeral, includes any noise or diversion that disturbs 

the peace or good order of such funeral, and is within 300 feet 

of the funeral location. A violation of the Act will result in a 

fine, imprisonment (for not more than one year), or both. 

Mobilization 

Respite Leave 

On 18 April 2007, David S.C. Chu, Undersecretary of 

Defense for Personnel and Readiness, announced a 

new compensation plan for Active Duty and Reserve 

service members. Under the plan, Reservists will earn 

administrative leave for war-related deployments or mobilizations 

in excess of the Pentagon’s policy (one year every five years) for 

time spent at and away from home. The plan provides Reservists 

with: (1) one day of administrative leave per month when 

deployed for more than 12 cumulative or consecutive months in 

any 72-month period; (2) two days of administrative leave per 

month when deployed for more than 18 months out of 72 months; 

or (3) four days of administrative leave per month when deployed 

more than 24 months out of 72 months. 

The plan applies to deployments and mobilizations under way 

on, or commencing after, 19 Jan. 2007, and dates back in time to 

7 Oct. 2001. Service Secretaries “may include other deployments 

or mobilizations” if they choose to expand on the basic policy. 

Example: LT John Smith is mobilized for active-duty service 

on 1 Feb. 2006 and demobilized on 1 May 2007. LT Smith would 

be eligible for 15 days of administrative leave for his service (one 

day for each of the 15 months served on mobilization orders). 

This leave will be in addition to all other leave he accrued during 

the period. If the mobilization were extended beyond 18 months, 

LT Smith would earn 2 days of administrative leave for each 

month exceeding his 18-month on orders. 

Under current military compensation policy, honorably 

discharged or retired service members may request a lump sum 

payment for up to 60 days of unused accrued leave. Service 

members are also not allowed to carry more than 60 days of 

accrued leave from one fiscal year to the next. An exception to 

this rule applies when a member serves at least 120 consecutive 

days in an area that qualifies for hostile fire or imminent danger 

pay. Under the exception, a service member can carry over up to 

120 days of regular leave at the end of the fiscal year. 

Extra 

Social Security Benefits 

for Service Members 

Enacted on 10 January 2002, under Public Law 107-117, the 

Defense Appropriations Act directly impacted Section 

229(a) of the Social Security Act. Section 8134 of the law 

eliminated, for all years after calendar year 2001, the 

special extra earnings that had been credited to Active Duty military 

service personnel dating back to 1940. The extra earnings had been 

used to assist service members in qualifying for Social Security and 

increase the amount of his/her Social Security benefits. 

For military service between 1978 and 2001, the special extra 

earnings will be credited as an additional $100 in earnings, up to a 

maximum of $1,200 a year, for every $300 in active duty basic pay. 

Service members who joined after 7 September 1980 will only be 

eligible for the additional earnings if they completed at least 24 

months of active duty or his/her full tour. For military service 

between 1957 and 1977, the special extra earnings will be credited 

as an additional $300 in earnings for each calendar quarter the 

service member received active duty basic pay. 

Military service (including attendance at a service academy) 

between 1940 and 1956 will be credited with $160 a month in 

earnings, subject to the following requirements: (1) honorable 

discharge after 90 or more days of service; (2) release from service due 

to a disability or injury received in the line of duty; or (3) application 

for survivor benefits when the service member died while on active 

duty. Eligibility for the special extra earnings will not apply after 

1956 if the service member is receiving federal benefits based on the 

same years of service. 


Record 

of 

Past Wars 

Points to Future 

After World War I, there was the now familiar 

clamor to bring the troops home quickly. 

America was in such a hurry to withdraw 

fully to its isolated continent that a separate 

peace treaty was made with Germany to 

insure that the United States would not be 

involved in any ongoing trouble between Germany, France, 

and England resulting from their Versailles peace conference 

settlement. 

In return for signaling its deep desire to stay out of further 

conflict with Germany, which after all had been defeated only 

with America’s help in World War I, America was rewarded a 

generation later with a much more awful rematch with 

Germany under Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. After this most 

destructive war in history, which included Germany, Italy, and 

Japan in World War II, America learned from its previous 

experience and kept military bases in Germany, Italy, and 

Japan to make sure that there would not be another Hitler 

waiting in the wings after we went home. 

Sixty-two years later, we still have military bases in 

Germany, Italy, and Japan; and we have not had any military 

conflict with any of these nations who are our allies now. 

Next came the Korean War, and we followed the same 

pattern. Fifty-four years later, we still have military bases in 

Korea; and, so far, there has been no resumption of the war 

there. 

At some point, the memory of our success formula begins to 

fade even though the ongoing examples continue to exist for 

our education. When the first Gulf War occurred, we withdrew 

as fast as possible and then had to resume the conflict a decade 

later as the situation was still not stabilized. If we really want 

to avoid future conflicts, perhaps, we should be asking ourselves 

how long can we stay in Iraq instead of how soon can 

we leave 

Perhaps we should listen to the suggestion of the current 

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who apparently knows 

our history better than some of us when he suggests that we 

have military bases in Iraq so that we could stabilize the overall 

situation without being regularly exposed to domestic conflicts 

there. 

We have spent 62 postwar years in Germany to make sure 

CAPT Robert L. Bell, JAGC, USNR (Ret) 

Past National President 

that there is not another Hitler waiting in the wings to stage a 

more destructive second rematch with America and its Allies. 

Why are we so reluctant to invest time in Iraq when it is in the 

middle of a much more serious situation Hitler did not obtain 

nuclear weapons, although he was very close when he was 

finally defeated. 

Now, we have Iran next door to Iraq, feverishly enriching 

weapons grade uranium with hundreds of dispersed centrifuges 

to make sure that its nuclear weapons program cannot be taken 

out in a single strike. As this is going forward in Iran at breakneck 

speed while Iran is under international sanctions, the 

President of Iran continues to preach that the Holocaust never 

happened although he thinks that it is a good idea to destroy 

Israel as he repeatedly states that Israel should be wiped off 

the map. 

The Iranian President also does not like the movie 300 as it 

portrays Persia [Iran] in a bad historical light as being 

involved in a war of foreign conquest (which it was!). The 

truth hurts, especially when a leader who has aggressive ambitions 

wants his nation to be portrayed as basically benevolent 

until he has enough time to complete his preparations for war. 

The President of Iran wants to make the Holocaust his original 

idea as it did not occur yet according to him, but it is a very 

good idea according to him. 

There is obviously another Hitler waiting in the wings who 

is far more dangerous, armed with nuclear weapons, than the 

first Hitler who fell just short of acquiring nuclear weapons 

toward the end of World War II in Europe. According to the 

next Hitler who is waiting in the wings, it is not correct to 

blame Hitler for the Holocaust as it did not happen yet. There 

is some validity in his opinion as nuclear weapons will make 

the gas chambers look considerably less destructive as nuclear 

weapons can kill much more massively and quickly with no 

survivors. 

The final question is do we really want to make sure that 

there is not another Hitler waiting in the wings or have we just 

stayed in Germany, Italy, and Japan for 62 years because these 

are good places now with nice people, great scenery, and good 

food Are we willing to recognize that another Hitler can 

come from a different place and be even more dangerous than 

the first Hitler 


Reservists in Action 

Blessing of the Fleets, 14 April 2007 

Remarks by RADM Buchanan 

Good afternoon and welcome to the United States 

Navy Memorial and the Naval Heritage Center and 

thank you for joining us today to witness a timehonored 

tradition . . . the Sixteenth Annual Blessing 

of the Fleets. I am delighted you could be here. 

We are extremely pleased that many of you from out of town 

have joined us here in Washington, DC, for the National Cherry 

Blossom Festival, the Cherry Blossom Parade 

and the Blessing of the Fleets. I hope your visit 

to our Nation’s Capital has been enjoyable and 

that this ceremony will be a memorable event for 

all of you. 

The Navy Memorial was dedicated here on 

Pennsylvania Ave, America’s Main Street, 

halfway between the White House and the United 

States Capitol on 13 October 1987. For the last 

twenty years, the United States Navy Memorial 

Plaza on which you are seated and the Naval 

Heritage Center to my left have been dedicated 

to honoring 

the men and 

women of the 

United States 

Navy and all the 

Sea Services – 

past, present, 

and future. 

The maritime 

heritage that 

has been created 

by those serving 

at sea is absolutely critical to our country. As an 

island nation, we are dependent on and recognize 

the absolute importance of maritime freedom. 

The granite sea upon which you are seated is a 

100-foot diameter map of the world. Two types of 

granite were used, Laurentide dark granite from 

Canada, which depicts the water, and Deer Isle 

light granite from Maine, which represents the 

land masses. As our Naval attachés who are 

present today appreciate, all of the nations of the 

world are dependent on the freedom of the seas to 

support themselves and to enable trade between 

all other countries around the world. 

Today, 90 percent of the world’s cargo moves around the world 

by container ship. Our ability to get many of the products we 

use every day — clothes, food, cars, oil, equipment, etc. — is 

highly dependent on the safe passage of those container ships. 

As the words on our International Fountain say, “The seas of the 

world that divide us unite us.” The men and women from around 

the world who defend our seas are responsible for ensuring 

those seas are open and free. The history of our nation’s Navy, 

Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine has created 

a rich and illustrious maritime heritage that makes all Sailors 

proud. 

Unlike other memorials in Washington, DC, the United States 

Navy Memorial is a living memorial where we honor the men and 

women of the United States Navy who have served, are serving, 

and will serve. Our mission is to highlight the 

importance of the people who serve in uniform. 

You can have the most modern ships, aircraft, 

submarines, and weapons systems in the world, 

but without quality men and women to operate 

them, they are virtually useless. Our enduring 

symbol is that statue to your left: The Lone Sailor. 

Like our Sea Service personnel have done for 

centuries, he is standing watch over the waters of 

the world. Sailors are known throughout the 

world; they represent their nation, patrolling the 

waters of the world, keeping the seas free. 

We invite 

you to visit the 

Naval Heritage 

Center after 

the ceremony, 

learn more 

about the Navy 

and our special 

operations 

community, 

register in The 

Navy Log – 

the free National Registry of Sea Service, and 

taste some Navy bean soup prepared by Navy 

culinary specialists from the White House. 

Today, we will Bless the Fleets and then charge 

the fountains to bring them to life for the new 

season. There are many different fleets around the 

world – military, commercial, and private. In 

blessing all the Fleets of the World, regardless of 

which country they may be from or their type, we 

pray for a safe journey by all mariners whenever 

they go to sea. If you were to check on the origin 

of the Blessing of the Fleets, you would find it 

started in Europe, and it was a ceremony to bless the fishing fleet 

as they embarked on their maritime adventures. It is a time of 

celebration, reflection, and hope. 

Following the Blessing Prayer, we will “charge” our fountains 

and pools. The vial bearers from the United States Navy 

Ceremonial Guard will add water provided by United States Navy 

ships and the fountains will come alive. 

Thank you for enjoying this wonderful day with us. 


Reservists in Action 

RADM Coane Addresses Long Island 17 th Annual Mess Night 

By CAPT Chuck Haunns 

On 13 April 2007, at the 

Officers Club of the 

U.S. Merchant Marine 

Academy, Kings Point, 

NY, the Long Island 

Chapter of the Naval 

Reserve Association held its 17 th Annual 

Mess Night. The featured speaker was 

RADM Casey Coane, Executive Director 

of the Naval Reserve Association. Rear Admiral Coane gave a 

stirring, often humorous, and at times very emotional presentation 

of “why we serve.” He recounted incidents, both past and present, 

to which all present could relate. The Rear Admiral concluded by 

assuring the members of the mess that our future is in the hands 

of the finest Sailors and Marines, and that our heritage continues 

to be upheld with “honor, courage, and commitment.” Others 

present were the President of the Mess, LCDR Bill Kempner, 

NYNM; and the VP, LCDR Joshua Litman, USNR (Ret). Also at 

the Mess Night, RADM Casey Coane and VADM Joseph Steward 

congratulated and presented CAPT Chuck Haunns, NYNM, with 

an NRA Global War on Terrorism certificate. 

Top photo: (L to R) RADM Casey 

Coane, USN (Ret); VADM Joseph 

Stewart, US Maritime Services, 

(Supt of USMMA); CAPT John Nash, 

USNR (Ret); and CAPT Wally 

Stevenson, USNR (Ret) 

Left photo: (L to R) HMCM Emanuel 

Ratner, USNR (Ret) and CAPT John 

Nash, USNR (Ret) 

Left photo: 

RADM Coane 

(left) and 

VADM Stewart 

(far right) 

presented 

CAPT Haunss 

(middle) with 

NRA GWOT 

certificate. 

Conversation with the Nation 

(L to R) All New York Naval Militia: CAPT Bill 

Higgins, CDR Art Mc Cormick, CAPT Chuck 

Haunns, RADM Vincent Leibell, COL Dave Peake, 

LCDR Nick Valhos, and LCDR John Dew 

On 23 March at the New York Athletic Club, the 

Naval War College sponsored a Maritime 

Strategy Conference entitled, “Conversation 

with the Nation.” The interactive format 

focused on the increasingly complex and 

challenging global environment. Among the 

distinguished speakers was ADM Mike Mullins, USN, Chief of 

Naval Operations, who addressed the thousand ship Navy concept. 

Other topics included legal, historical, and environmental 

considerations. A lively “Q and A” followed each presentation, 

and members of the New York Naval Militia were active 

participants. 


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• Guaranteed repairs at over 2,300 certified repair locations nationwide for as long as you own the vehicle. 

• 96% of our members with USAA Auto Insurance renewed last year. 

» Visit usaa.com to get a quote or call 800.862.6909 for more information. 

You or your spouse serve in the military Parents ever been members See if you can join USAA. 

1Average annual dollar savings based on countrywide survey of new policyholders from 9/1/05 to 8/31/06, as compared to their previous carriers’ rates. Savings may not be available in all locations, all policies or all companies. Savings do not apply to MA or NJ. 

2Not available in AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IA, MD, MN, NC, ND, NE, NM, SC, TX or VA. Must be insured five years with USAA and have no accidents for past five years. Restrictions apply. • Use of the term “member” does not convey any legal, eligibility or ownership rights. 

• USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its affiliates. • United Services Automobile Association, USAA Casualty Insurance Company, USAA General Indemnity Company, Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Company and USAA County Mutual 

Insurance Company, San Antonio, TX. • Eligibility and underwriting restrictions apply. Eligibility may change based on factors such as marital status, rank or military status. © USAA 2007. All rights reserved. 1635:23585

Naval Reserve Association Naval Reserve Association

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