MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA TRIANGLE CHAPTER P.O. Box 19861 Raleigh, NC 27619

VOLUME LI NUMBER 1 FEBRUARY 2014

DINNER MEETING

WEDNESDAY, 12 March 2014

Guest Speaker Ilario Pantano Assistant Secretary of the Division of Veterans Affairs

1830 SOCIAL, OPEN BAR; 1915 DINNER

Printable Reservation Form Inside

Reservations MUST Be Received by Friday, 7 March 2014

President’s Message

Dear Members,

Last month Joe Long and I attended the quarterly Council of Chapters meeting in Pinehurst, where we heard a very interesting and entertaining talk by Col. Peter Dotto (Ret) on the subject of membership recruiting. The major point of his talk was that MOAA is declining in membership and may disappear entirely if some changes are not made. Simply stated, the problem is we are still considered to be an officer retirement organization and the number of retiring military officers is declining precipitously. It could happen sooner than you might think due to the large gap in the number of officers who served between the end of the Vietnam War and the start of Desert Storm.

Col. Dotto said that our organization needs to make three major changes. First, we need to change from a “retirement organization” to a service organization. Many will say, “I thought we already did this,” but there is still a perception that we are retirement-oriented, and sometimes perception is more important than reality. Secondly, we need to attract younger members. We’ve heard this before, and the challenge is how to actually do it. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that younger people (30 to 50 year olds) are not typically joiners. Thirdly, we need to attract more former officers who, like myself, are not retirees. This is where we as individual members can make a difference. Think about the former officers you know among your friends and associates and ask them to join. Ken Tigges did this with me several years ago, and I have never regretted it.

John C. Loving President

Scholarship Fund Update Matt Segal

As you will recall in the last issue of the TriangleGram, we requested members consider small contributions to the scholarship fund to help replenish it so we can continue to award scholarships annually to deserving recipient as we have in the past. After awarding this year’s scholarships (totaling $2,250), the account balance was down to $1,700 - but with recent contributions totaling $530, we now have just over $3,000 in the Scholarship Fund. So let’s keep giving to reach our goal of $4,000 or more!

2014 Chapter Membership Dues Ken Tigges

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE DUE IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR. You can include your dues with your dinner reservation form for our March dinner meeting by sending a check to Matt Segal at the address shown on the reservation form, or use the new on-line method of paying your dues. See the information by Matt Segal. Remember that if you are a life member of MOAA National, chapter dues are still due. Annual dues are $25 (or $5 for spouses of deceased members). If you have a chapter life membership (which is no longer offered but was offered a few years back), you do not owe dues.

 If you do not have an email address and would like to have a paper copy of the TriangleGram, you MUST pay your annual membership dues. Please fill out the applicable information on the attached reservation form and send it to Matt Segal at the address shown.

Guest Speaker Mike Flynn

Ilario G. Pantano Assistant Secretary of the North Carolina Division of Veterans’ Affairs

We have a timely program for our March dinner. Our guest speaker is Ilario Pantano, Assistant Secretary of the North Carolina Division of Veterans’ Affairs. Make your reservations early to hear what our state government has in mind in this important area. Secretary Pantano’s bio sketch is included for your information. This should be an exciting evening.

In September of 2013 Mr. Ilario Pantano came aboard as the new Assistant Secretary for North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Pantano enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 and fought in the First (1991). He went on to become a sergeant and lead an elite Scout/Sniper team in support of UN Peacekeeping Operations in the former Yugoslavia. He earned his BA in Business in three years, at night, while working as a commodity trader for Goldman-Sachs. He went on to start interactive media businesses until he was an eyewitness to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the WTC. When the World Trade Centers collapsed, the building where Mr. Pantano worked (4 WTC) was also destroyed. Mr. Pantano rejoined the Marines and after seeking age waivers, he earned a commission in the US Marine Corps at the age of 32. He led a of Infantry Marines in the first fight for , in 2004. After receiving an honorable discharge, Mr. Pantano continued serving his community as a Sheriff’s Deputy, business consultant, Red Cross volunteer (Katrina) and a veterans’ advocate. He has produced films, written books and given speeches to raise money for several veteran’s charities, and has also been a candidate for the US Congress in North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District. Mr. Pantano has provided military commentary on Fox News, CNN, and MSBNC. His numerous articles, profiles and interviews have appeared in American Legion Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, WIRED.com, Soldier of Fortune, and TIME. His first book, Warlord: Broken by War, Saved by Grace, details his experiences in Iraq and his spiritual salvation through Christ. His second book is on the American Revolutionary War in the South and will be released in 2014. He is a competitive shooter and an IronMan Triathlete. His greatest achievements are his two wonderful sons and his marriage to his beautiful wife, Jill. He seeks to embody his life’s verse, John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Mr. Pantano’s desire to make North Carolina the most veteran friendly state in America is contagious. His drive to protect and honor our dedicated servicemen and women has provided North Carolina with a renewed sense of appreciation and pride in our national heroes.

USO of North Carolina Support at RDU Meg and Matt Segal

As you all know, every year our Chapter makes a contribution to the USO of NC at RDU Airport. Many of you have used the USO at RDU when traveling, and you know how important it is. Some of you also volunteer there. Here’s a touching example of how the USO team pulls together on short notice to provide our troops with well-deserved support (see photos below).

On 29 Jan, we were notified that an aircraft was being diverted to RDU because of icy runways at MCAS Cherry Point, SJAFB Goldsboro, and Pope Field. It was a United Airlines chartered 747 bringing back 275 Marines from Afghanistan, and was scheduled to arrive at the charter runway (by UPS and FedEx) at +/- 2000. With only a few hours until arrival time, USO at RDU kicked into high gear, putting together a plan to handle this large group, who would be transported home to Lejeune the following day. Here’s what happened to make the Marine arrival “transparent”.

Vendors were contacted - several hundred subs were provided by Sheetz and Jimmy Johns, pizza was provided by The Original New York Pizza, and Golden Corral provided chicken wings, rolls and a few other items. Remember these folks when you need products they sell. Bottled drinks, chips, cookies and crackers were provided by USO at RDU. Hotel rooms had been graciously provided by United, and buses were made available to transport the Marines to the nearby hotels. We would have kept the Marines overnight at RDU, but as you can imagine, Marines in uniform carrying their weapons might cause a bit of a panic for regular travelers. It also would have been a major challenge for the airport to handle and store all of their bags. Instead, the National Guard Armory stepped up and arranged to store the gear overnight.

As the aircraft’s arrival time approached, USO volunteers braved the cold and mobilized to pick up the goodies, load them onto the buses, and bring welcome home banners to take to the charter runway. The aircraft touched down, the required brief Customs inspection was completed, and the bags were loaded onto the NG Armory trucks. Then finally, the Marines deplaned to a richly deserved heroes’ welcome, had some great chow on the buses to their hotels, got to take nice hot showers and sleep in comfort after a very long journey, and returned home to Lejeune in the morning.

This is just one of many examples of all that the USO at RDU does for our military, often on short notice. We also support Marines bused up from Camp Geiger most Tuesdays of the year, along with boot campers heading off to Basic from Raleigh MEPS. Last year, those Tuesday numbers alone amounted to almost 5,000 – all processed through RDU and sent on their way well-fed and smiling by the dedicated volunteers. Our support is critical to the mission, and something the Chapter can be proud of!

MOAA Triangle Chapter High School JROTC Scholarship Bob Penny The Triangle Chapter of MOAA presents college scholarships to local high school JROTC senior cadets each year. The total amount of these scholarships in 2013 was $2250.00: one for $1000.00, the second for $750.00, and the third for $500.00. This year we anticipate being able to increase the amounts per scholarship and possibly even add to the number of scholarships presented.

These funds come from the Chapter’s Colonel William Frank Rawley Scholarship Trust Fund which is supported by Chapter members through contributions.

The Triangle Chapter supports fourteen high school JROTC programs. Sanderson, Louisburg, N. Vance, and Broughton have Air Force JROTC units; Wake Forest, Millbrook, Enloe, Garner, Knightdale, Corinth Holders, Cleveland, and West Johnston have Army JROTC units; Clayton and Cary have Navy JROTC units. Those in BOLD have just been added this winter. To compete for these scholarships, applicants must meet the following requirements:  Be a high school senior projected to graduate at the end of the current school year from a NC high school in the Chapter’s geographical area.  Be enrolled in high school JROTC with the intent to enroll in a college ROTC program.  Apply for admittance to, and plan to attend, an accredited four-year college or university that hosts a Senior ROTC program. (Note: an acceptance letter for the scholarship recipient from a college or university with a Senior ROTC program must be submitted to the scholarship committee.)  Have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher.  Complete an essay of at least 150 words explaining their motivation for serving as an officer in the military.  Provide two letters of recommendation from school officials (one of which must be their school’s JROTC Senior Instructor). These MOAA scholarships are the primary way we interact with our community and show our support for future military leaders of all Branches. Your board members believe it is imperative to keep this program and make it even stronger. A goal would be to provide at least $4000.00 in scholarships each year to senior cadets in our local JROTC programs. To do that, we need members to continue to contribute. That can easily be done when you sign up for membership meeting attendance and meals. There is a line on the signup sheet for MOAA JROTC Scholarships. Please check it out and contribute if you can.

New Online Triangle Chapter Dues Payment Option Matt Segal

Effective immediately, there are now 2 ways to pay your Triangle Chapter dues annually, but to do so you must understand the following:  National dues for MOAA are paid as they are currently and have nothing to do with this new program, although they can be paid to National MOAA on their site in a separate area.  Triangle Chapter dues for surviving spouses ($5 per year) cannot participate in the online payment program at this time.  Triangle Chapter dues can be paid as you currently pay them (mailing in the check to Col. Segal with the form at the end of each TriangleGram). Or you can use the new option by going to the National MOAA website and following prompts until you get to “Payment of Triangle Chapter dues”. You will need to fill in your payment information and must pay using a credit or debit card.  FYI, the dues year is from January to December each year.  It is each member’s responsibility to track whether they have paid their dues each year. If, for example, you think you may have paid twice, check your records to determine if that is the case. MOAA is providing this new service at no cost to the Chapter. On the 5th of each month, they will provide us with a list of who has paid (annual dues to the Chapter are $25 currently) and transfer the funds into our bank account. Payment for dinners, contributions to the scholarship fund, etc. will still be paid as they always have been, by mailing in the TriangleGram’s last page to COL Segal.

HOW TO RENEW: 1. Go to the MOAA (National) website (MOAA.org). 2. On the page that appears, there is a title line in red near the top. Click on the word “Chapters” (a drop down menu will appear, but just click on the word “Chapters”). 3. The page that appears after step 2 will have a green box on the right that says “Pay Your Chapter Dues”. Click on the box. 4. The next page will ask you several questions under the words “Getting Started” to identify the chapter you are in (Triangle Chapter). After you identify the Chapter continue to the next page and identify yourself as a “Regular Member” where it says “Dues Category”. 5. Continue through the process. One of the fill in’s asks for your MOAA number – if you don’t have it, don’t worry, just continue populating the rest of the information. Congratulations-you have renewed!

Pictures from the 8 January Dinner Meeting Ken Tigges

Triangle Chapter Officers and Committee Chairs

Officers

President CPT John C. Loving, USA 919-618-5545 (H) [email protected]

1st Vice President CDR Edgar Dean Block 919-500-9567 [email protected]

2nd Vice President COL Bob Penny 919-847-2453 (H) [email protected]

Secretary LTC JoAnn Harrington, USA 919-790-8066 [email protected]

Treasurer COL Matthew R. Segal, USA 919-632-4964 (C) [email protected]

Committee Chairs

Immediate Past LtCol Joseph (Joe) H. Long 919-380-9205 (H) [email protected] President

Legislative COL Michael Flynn, USA 919-847-9695 [email protected]

Public LTC Ken Tigges 919-781-5610 [email protected] Relations

Personal Affairs and Vacant Survivor Assistance

Newsletter LTC Ken Tigges 919-781-5610 [email protected]

Membership COL Herbert (Herb) Segal, USA 919-845-2686 (H) [email protected]

ROTC Awards COL Bob Penny 919-847-2453 (H) [email protected]

Chaplain LTC Tracy Maness, USA 919-781-1098 (H) [email protected]

Sunshine Kay Stockett 919-788-0300 (H) [email protected]

Legal Advisor CAPT David D. Lennon, USN 919-846-7400 (H) [email protected]

Scholarship COL Bob Penny 919-847-2453 (H) [email protected]

Historian Vacant

Auxiliary Vacant

USO Support Ken Tigges 919-781-5610 (H) [email protected]

TRIANGLE CHAPTER OF MOAA

March Dinner Meeting

Wednesday, 12 March 2014 North Carolina State University Club

1830 Social (Cash Bar), 1915 Dinner ****************************************************************** Guest Speaker Ilario Pantano Assistant Secretary for North Carolina Division of Veterans’ Affairs

****************************************************************** RESERVATION FORM

COL Segal must receive your reservation by Friday, 7 March 2014

Entrees, number: Cajun Seared Pork Loin Chops ___, Cider BBQ Glazed Chicken ____

Please reserve_____ Meals at $25.00 each

2014 DUES

Active Duty, Former, or Retired Officer $ 25.00; Widow $ 5.00; Dues Amount $_____

Contribution to the JROTC Fund: $______

TOTAL REMITTED $______

Member’s Name______

Name(s) of Spouse and/or Guest(s) ______

E-Mail address ______

******************************************************************** FOR MEMBERS WITHOUT AN EMAIL ADDRESS

I, (print) ______, do not have an email address but wish to receive the paper TriangleGram. I have enclosed the 2014 dues payment of $25.00, Widow $5.00

Signature: ______

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

Make checks payable to MOAA/TRIANGLE CHAPTER

Mail to COL Matthew Segal, 111 Gingergate Drive, Cary, NC 27519-5855

QUESTIONS: Please call COL Matthew Segal at 919-632-4964