Silicon Valley Chapter Military Officers Association of America Volume XII Issue 9 The Bulletin Oct 2015 OFFICERS, BOARD, AND CHAIRS PRESIDENT: Lt. Col. Mike Sampognaro USAF Luncheon Program 408-779-7389 1st VP: Lt. Col. Jay Craddock USAF 650-968-0446 15 Oct 2015 2nd VP: CWO5 Robert Landgraf USMC 408-323-8838 Secretary: COL Warren Enos AUS 408-245-2217 Treasurer: CAPT Lloyd McBeth USN 408-241-3514 Past President: CAPT Paul Barrish USN 408-356-7531 DIRECTORS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS Auxiliary Liaison vacant Chaplain Chaplain Fred Tittle USMC 609-802-3492 Commissary/Exchange Advisory CDR Ralph Hunt USN 650-967-8467 Friends-in-Need (FIN) Program CDR Al Mouns USN 408-257-5629 Programs Lt. Col. Jesse Craddock USAF 650-968-0446 ROTC CWO4 Patrick Clark USA 831-402-8548 Membership/Recruitment CWO5 Robert Landgraf USMC 408-323-8838 Scholarship CAPT Paul Barrish USN 408-356-7531 Travel (Space-A Advisory) CDR V.A. Eagye USN 408-733-3177 Web Master Lt Col Mike Sampognaro USAF 408-779-7389 Veteran Affairs Lt Col Neil Miles USAF 408-929-1142 Development Officer Colonel Gregory F. Jones CAPT Gil Borgardt USN 650-342-1270 Sargeant-at-Arms CDR Ralph Hunt USN 650-967-8467 Commander, 129th Rescue Wing Chapter Outreach CWO5 Robert Landgraf USMC 408-323-8838 CALMOAA, Legislation & Navy League Liaison LCDR Tom Winant USN 650-678-7120 Personal Affairs CAPT Robert French USN 650-363-1188 Social Hour: 11:00 AM The Chapter Board meets at the Moffett Air Traffic Luncheon: 11:45 AM Control Tower, Moffett Federal Airfield Luncheon is $26.00 Bulletin Editor Lt. Col. Mike Sampognaro, USAF See Back Page for Reservations Form and Directions “The Bulletin” is published 11 or 12 times annually P.O. BOX 2, Moffett Federal Airfield, CA 94035 Please direct all correspondence to above address CALENDAR OF EVENTS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE (RAO) 1 Oct Board Meeting 11:00 AM Bldg 587 on Wescoat Court, 650-603-8047 15 Oct Luncheon 11:00 AM 5 Nov Board Meeting 11:00 AM 19 Nov Luncheon 11:00 AM PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE SVC WEBSITES Our Chapter website is www. October, we are now about a month away from a busy siliconvalleymoaa.org, a shorter November luncheon with election of new officers and our 50th as a link is www.svcmoaa.org. You MOAA Chapter. We have a great speaker coming in from MOAA can also get to it from the na- Natonal with valuable information about benefits. tional MOAA site: Put the cursor By the way, I had a question from a member at the last luncheon over Chapters and select Chapter about the Space A resort benefits for a surviving spouse. The Locator, CA, then Silicon Valley answer, it depends on the resort. I checked a few resorts and a Chapter. From there you may link over to our primary website surviving spouse is welcome at some. We will have to check with above. Our home page has links our November speaker for more information. for The Bulletin and eBulletin. B mike NOMINATING COMMITTEE ACCEPTING RESUMÉS TRICARE FOR LIFE None of the fifty attendees at July’s extraordinary luncheon meeting SERVICE will forget the 9/11 survivor’s thrilling story or the Craddock’s 70th Anniversary tribute. Capitalizing on that enthusiasm, the Board For assistance, contact the activated a Nominating Committee to propose a slate for next year’s Wisconsin Physicians Service Board of Directors. www.tricare4u.com Officers, directors, and committee chairs enjoy camaraderie and a 866-773-0404 chance to move our Silicon Valley Chapter forward. Board members capitalize on a lifetime’s experience, knowledge, and skills to manage REPORTING DEATHS Chapter activities. Certain Board members have assumed several jobs. Members can report the death of The work is satisfying and, for those interested, can be a stepping-stone a retiree locally through the to state or national MOAA service assignments. Retire Activity Office (RAO). Closer to home, arranging monthly programs, soliciting funds and The phone number is awarding scholarships, monitoring legislation, and publishing a Bulletin 650-603-8047 require certain organizational skills and, occasionally, technical (word- You can also notify a MOAA processing) ability. Accordingly, the Nominating Committee has several member’s death to: goals: (1) Prepare a slate of officers for the 2016 Board of Directors. (2) MOAA, Attn: MSC, Identify and attract new Board members. (3) Emphasize a leadership 201 N Washington St, track to minimize musical chairs before elections. Some current Board Alexandria, VA 22314-2539. members fill several jobs because they are intrigued by the challenge; Or: Call 1-800-234-6622 but dying should not be the easiest way to leave the Board. A prior Or: E-mail: [email protected]. Bulletin editor served for decades before retiring from the Board. Notify SVC-MOAA by phoning To be sure that your Silicon Valley Chapter remains vibrant with the Membership Chair–see more programs on last July’s model, contact a member of your listing on front page of The Nominating Committee to express your interest. Our phone numbers are Bulletin. B in the masthead on this Bulletin’s cover. Better yet, email one of us: CDR Al Mouns, USN, Chairman, [email protected], CAPT Paul Barrish, Thought For The Month USN, [email protected], CAPT Lloyd McBeth, USN, " Once a month, try something you don't think [email protected], CDR Ralph Hunt (USNR) you'd be good at. You can find [email protected], CWO5 Robert Landgraf, USMC, such happy surprises." [email protected]. Dianna Agron ____________________________ SOURCE: Nominang CommiQee - 2 - OCTOBER SPEAKER hours from the time of notification to the rescue of the airmen. Combat Rescue Officers (CROs) of the A California Air National Guard four engine Wing's 131st Rescue Squadron had been providing C130J Super Hercules from the 146th Airlift Wing in personnel recovery support for Combined Joint Task Port Hueneme, California on July 19, 2013 banks left, Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) during their quickly loses altitude, and drops a line of fire deployment to the region. retardant over trees in the mountains above Palm Incident reports of the Air Guard fighting fires Springs. The 146th was activated July 18 to support appeared in greater numbers beginning as early as CAL Fire and other agencies on the Mountain fire mid-2013 and continue to the present. On one and other potential wildfire activity throughout the occasion nearly a dozen aircraft and crews from both state. And since that time the Air Guard has been the California Air and Army National Guard battled deployed to fight fires almost continuously wildfires across Northern California, specifically the throughout the western states. American, Swedes and Rim fires. The two C-130J The chapter’s October luncheon speaker will be air tankers were assigned to the Rim fire and both Colonel Gregory F. Jones, Commander, 129th Rescue aircraft were equipped with the Modular Airborne Wing, California Air National Guard, Moffett Federal Firefighting Systems II (MAFFS) and were capable Airfield. He will provide a wide-ranging description of discharging 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant of Air Guard activities and trends which could along the leading edge of a fire in less than five include perspectives from Washington, D.C. and seconds. Sacramento as well as details of recent dramatic To date, 129th Rescue Wing is credited with operations at home and abroad. Prior to assuming his saving the lives of more than 1,000 people. From current position, Colonel Jones was attached to Office arid deserts and snow-covered mountain tops to of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, urban and rural settings, 129th Rescue Wing air Manpower and Reserve Affairs as the Department of guardsmen can reach any destination by land, air or Defense Liaison to the National Science Foundation. sea. Equipped with MC-130P Combat Shadow On August 18, 2015 elements of the 129th Rescue aircraft, HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and Wing responded to a call from the Coast Guard and Guardian Angel teams (PJs and CROs), the 129th planned to fly to a point 900 miles West of San Rescue Wing conducts combat search and rescue, Francisco in an effort to rescue a seriously injured and the rescue of distressed persons aboard ships, man aboard a commercial vessel. In such a case lost or injured hikers, and medical evacuations. highly skilled pararescuemen would parachute into A graduate of the University of Southern the ocean, board the ship, stabilize the patient, and California and the Air War College, Colonel Jones return the man to safety. Last year Lt. Col. Daniel has extensive executive management and command Lapostole, a 129th HH-60 helicopter pilot and May flight experience. His deployments in small part luncheon speaker, told members about a young include support of Operations Desert Shield, Noble family with a child suffering from a life threatening Eagle, and Joint Forge. "No matter what the medical condition while sailing some 900 miles environment or the circumstances, our Air southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. For the Air Guardsmen always rise to the occasion," he says. "In Guard, the rescue was successful and for the Wing it every rescue our Air Guardsmen perform, they live was save number 1,007. up to the Air Force Rescue motto: 'That Others May In late March 2015 129th pararescuemen were Live.' " involved in the rescue of two Saudi Arabian airmen _________________________ from the Gulf of Aden after their two-seater F-15 SOURCE: 129TH Rescue Wing fighter jet crashed. An HH-60 helicopter flying from Djibouti, where the U.S. maintains a major regional base, recovered the two Saudi airmen at approximately 5:20 p.m.