April 2022 President’s Pen Article
Our next Chapter meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at the Lilydale Pool and Yacht Club. Our guest speaker will be CAPT (Ret) Frank J. Michael. CAPT Michael is a 30 year Navy veteran and aviator and serves as the Program Director for Council and Chapter Affairs for MOAA. Our chapter receives a visit from MOAA every three or four years so it will be good to hear from national. Social hour starts at 5:30 pm with dinner at 6:30. Sign up and cost information is contained in the newsletter. I ask that you let Tom Maxwell, tmax42@comcast.net, your dinner choice ahead of time so that the restaurant knows the number and type of meal to prepare.
We have two more chapters meetings this year on July 12, 2022 and September 13, 2022. I hope to see you at one or all three of our chapter meetings. At our July meeting our guest speakers will be two retired Naval officers, both Naval Academy graduates, and proud Minnesotans, David Bruns, and J R Olson, CDR (Ret) USN (J R is a MCMOAA member). They are authors of 11 novels that are contemporary military thrillers. I believe that you will enjoy an enlightening evening.
I was recently learned additional information about Folds of Honor that I wanted to pass on. Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to the families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States armed forces. In Minnesota, there is a shortage of applications for available scholarships. I would appreciate it if you would let families know that this type of scholarship is available to those qualifying.
The month, MCMOAA is participating in MOAA’s Advocacy in Action. The focus is on getting support for 3 legislative initiatives through discussions with the offices of our 8 Minnesota Representatives and 2 Senators. Issue 1 if Concurrent receipt for combat injured service members (H.R. 1242 and S.344). This measure has good bipartisan support and needs help to get it across the line. Issue 2 is affordable Mental Health care for TRICARE beneficiaries (H.R. 4824). This bill has limited sponsorship and needs support to gain other sponsors. Issue for is a 4.6% military pay raise. This is in the President’s proposed budget and needs support to keep it on track. Please contact your senators and representatives to help with these initiatives. MCMOAA.org has more detail on all of these measures and also provides an easy way to contact your congressional delegation.
Thank you for your continued membership in MCMOAA and MOAA.
Tim Kennedy
