LEGIS L AT I V E S URGE NEEDS G R A S S R O O T S S URGE 8 JU LY 2 0 0 9 OUTofSYNC 5 Understanding FRA’s 13 Reserve Sailor of the 29 Memorial Day Principle Program Year Continues Navy Observances & FRA Tradition MESOTHELIOMA You don’t have to ght this alone. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with, or died from asbestos related lung cancer or mesothelioma, we may be able to help you get monetary compensation from the asbestos companies. With over 65 years of collective experience in asbestos litigation, the professionals at Bergman Draper & Frockt welcome the chance to provide you with the highest quality representation and the individual attention you deserve. Call for information and a free consultation. The Northwest’s Leading Asbestos Litigation Firm 614 First Avenue 3rd Floor We accept cases Seattle, WA 98104 throughout the 206.957.9510 United States and 888.647.6007 Toll Free www.bergmanlegal.com Canada July 2009 Volume 88 Number 7 1 Featured 12 FRA TOD A Y JULY 2009 JULY 18 OUT OF SYNC Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, has become the signature “wound” of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Learn how DoD is diagnosing and treating this debilitating injury. Departments 2 COMMUNICatIONS 5 NED PerspeCTIVE Understanding FRA’s principle program 8 6 SHIPMATE FORUM 8 ON & OFF CAPITOL HILL Legislative Surge Needs Grassroots Surge 16 MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Outreach and awareness 29 26 NeWS frOM the BraNChes 28 ESSAY CONTEST What Memorial Day Means to Me 29 MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCES Honoring those who died in service to the Nation 31 LOOKING FOR… 33 Taps 35 REUNIONS 36 LA FRA NEWS Message from RPSC Larson LOYaltY, PROteCTION AND serVICE FRA IS A CONGRESSIONALLY ChartereD, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZatION ON the COVer ADVOCatING FOR CURRENT AND FORMER ENLISTED MEMBERS OF THE Traumatic brain injury (TBI) inhibits normal brain U.S. NAVY, MARINE CORPS AND COAST GUARD ON CAPITOL HILL. FOR function, making it difficult for TBI victims to pay MORE INFORMatION ON THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP, PLEASE VISIT attention and creating a sense they are “out of WWW.FRA.ORG OR CALL 800-FRA-1924. sync” with the world around them. COMMUNICatIONS 2 NATIONAL OFFICERS/BOARD OF DIRECTORS National President Donald Mucheck, L. Mendel Rivers Branch 50 National Vice President Gary C. Blackburn, Vallejo Branch 8 Joseph L. Barnes, Navy Department Branch 181 National Executive JULY 2009 JULY Y A Finance Officer Paul Rigby Truth or Consequences Eileen Murphy Junior PNP Lawrence J. Boudreaux, Hangtown Branch 275 FRA TOD NEWS TRAVELS QUICKLY. We have cable news stations dedicated to noth- REGIONAL PRESIDENTS ing but headlines rather than in-depth reporting. In a second one can New England Paul F. Loveless, Jr., Pinetree Branch 156 post an update on Facebook and have it read by their entire network of Northeast James E. Brown, Staten Island Branch 226 friends. Twitter is dedicated to providing news updates to individuals’ East Coast Ray E. Santee, Virginia Beach Branch 166 followers in 140 characters or less – directly to a cell phone and in an Southeast John E. Sutton, Mayport Branch 290 instant. It only takes a second to send an e-mail to everyone in your North Central Robert A. Melson, USS Indianapolis Memorial e-mail address book. Branch 130 There are some advantages to these instant communications tech- South Central Donald Larson, Corpus Christi Branch 94 Southwest Charles F. Tompkins, James Hunter Branch 47 nologies. Interested in FRA News? Subscribe to NewsBytes by e-mail- West Coast Nathan “Joe” Nash, Silver Dollar Branch 192 ing [email protected] and get a news summary every Friday. Want Northwest Donald L. Bordwell, Dungeness Branch 174 instant updates? Follow FRA on www.twitter.com/frahq. Interested Nat’l. Parliamentarian PNP Robert G. Beese, Orange County Branch 175 in communicating with your elected officials about vital issues? Go to Nat’l Chaplain Tom Whitaker, B. Duke Woody Branch 147 www.fra.org and visit the Action Center. There are also some serious disadvantages to online news sources. ACTIVE DUTY ADVISORY COUNCIL For instance, with an increase in satirical websites that post made-up Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West news to be humorous, hundreds of false stories are making their way Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlton Kent around the Internet. Those who appreciate the humor of satire often Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles Bowen will e-mail articles from those sites to friends with outrageous head- lines and joke copy. But if people receive these e-mails and believe them RESERVE ADVISORY COUNCIL to be true, it can cause problems. I receive hundreds of e-mails for- Force Master Chief of the Naval Reserve Ronney A. Wright warded to me from concerned shipmates who are furious about an e- USMC Reserve Force Sergeant Major Kim E. Davis mail reporting a push by the administration to change a policy like the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Force oath taken by military personnel, a move to alter a monument or even Jeffrey Smith restricting free speech. Some of these e-mails were originally started in jest, others were started to be inflammatory and defame. FRA TODAY MAGAZINE Because of the incredible rise in false information being cited as Publisher FRA truth, websites are available to help people discern fact from fiction, Managing Editor Eileen Murphy like www.snopes.com. They handle fact-checking and post the truth Contributing Editor Lauren Armstrong Contributing Photographers PRPEC Paul Gunther, about stories. To use the site, enter a phrase from the e-mail in the NVSO Christopher Slawinski search box and look up the facts. Design and Art Direction Last week alone I received over fifty e-mails claiming things that FIREBRAND, Alexandria, VA www.firebrandstudios.com were simply not true. One in particular was forwarded to me from Design Director Scott Rodgerson twelve different people who were all urging their friends and family to Production Manager Sandy Jones join them in trying to stop a new policy from being enacted. Although FRA TODAY (ISSN 0028-1409) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY FRA, 125 N. WEST ST., their information was false, their passion and intentions were true and AleXandria, VA 22314-2754. A member’S SUbscription is covered BY THE member’S strong. This left me wondering about how effective an e-mail campaign annUal DUes. Periodicals postage paid at AleXandria, VA and additional OFFICES. PUblication OF NON-SPONSORED advertising IN FRA TODAY DOES NOT could be if it was based on fact and focused at a positive outcome. We CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE FRA OR ITS representatives. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: MEMBER SERVICES, FRA, 125 N. WEST ST., ALEXANDRIA, must utilize new technology to advance serious legislative issues based VA 22314-2754. FRA TODAY IS PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL CURRENT AND on positive, informed and clear communication. FRA needs support FORMER ENLISTED PERSONNEL OF THE U.S. NavY, MARINE CORPS, AND COAST GUARD. ELIGIBLE NON-MEMBERS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO SUBSCRIPTION rates. EstablisHED from shipmates by way of e-mail campaigns to encourage people to 1 NOVEMBER 1923. TITLE REGISTERED WITH U.S. Patent OFFICE. join and maintain membership in the Association. FRA Administrative HEADQUarters: 125 N. WEST ST., ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314-2754 Please join in FRA’s grassroots campaign and increase and retain PHone: 703-683-1400, 800-FRA-1924 • FAX: 703-549-6610 • E-Mail: [email protected] www . fra . org membership by making sure everyone in your e-mail address book is up on a most important (and serious) news flash — FRA must main- VolUme 88 NUmber 7 tain a strong membership base. Eileen Murphy is the Director of Marketing and Communications and serves as the Managing Editor of FRA Today. 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