| 26th VIRGINIA MOAA CONGRESSIONAL APPRECIATION LUNCHEON - 24 JUNE 2011 |
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| MOAA Virginia Council of Chapters (VCOC) President Col. Sam Wilder, USA, Ret, presents award to Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.). THIS PHOTO BY MOAA PHOTOGRAPHER, STEVE BARRETT, was featured in story on MOAA website 27 June 2011. |
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| Virginia 7th District Congressman Eric Cantor (House Majority Leader), with VCOC Legislative Chair & 1st Vice President, Don Kaiserman, COL, USA, Ret. Photo courtesy of VCOC Public Affairs |
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| MOAA President, VADM Norbert Ryan, USN, Ret, speaks at 26th Annual Virginia MOAA Congressional Appreciation Luncheon June 24, 2011. Seated in foreground is COL Sam Wilder, USA, Ret, VCOC MOAA President. photo courtesy of VCOC Public Affairs |
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| Reception Table at the Capitol Hill Club was "staffed" by Sam Polan and VCOC MOAA treasurer, COL Victoria Revilla, USA, Ret. MOAA display (about Chapters) is in background. Cost of the luncheon was $35 per chapter leader/spouse or $45 for others. /photo courtesy of VCOC PAO |
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24 JUNE 2011
Virginia MOAA leaders hosted
Virginia Congressional Delegation
for lunch at the
CAPITOL HILL CLUB
in Washington DC
Over 120 ATTENDED
TWO AWARDS PRESENTED
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE
PHOTOS & INFO
See Documents at right, for chapters
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Virginia is the only one of MOAA's state councils to hold this type of event, and we have been doing so for 26 years.
Over 120 attended, including 10 of Virginia's 13-member Congressional Delegation. Senators Mark Warner & Jim Webb and 8th District Conressman Jim Moran did not attend because they were out of town. Mark Bruner attended for Senator Warner. Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) member-leaders from national, state and chapter level participated - representing Virginia's 18 MOAA chapters.
Virginia Council of Chapters (VCOC) President, Sam Wilder, COL, USA, Ret, thanked the Virginia congressional delegation for attending and for their accomplishments the past year concerning military, veterans, retirees and families. Specific items of thanks are listed in the program. Wilder also noted "This luncheon is an opportunity to express to our Congressmen our our deep concerns about the need to keep our national defense strong and to protect the healthcare for the men and women who serve and sacrifice for their country."
VCOC Legislative Chair, Don Kaiserman, COL, USA, Ret, pointed out that MOAA's legislative efforts are for all military of all ranks. The Virignia priority is to "strengthen the all volunteer force". A key objective is to preserve hard gained benefits of the past decades for active, national guard, reserve and retired military, giving recognition to the unique service and sarifice of the military Of particular concern are wounded warriors and TRICARE health benefits. Other top objectives involve the defense budget, end strength and ending the inequity of the offset of Militaryy Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
Each attending Congressman dined with MOAA constituents and was invited to speak briefly to the group, after being introduced by a MOAA Chapter leader in his district. Congressmen addressing the group commented on their bi-partisan support of Virginia's military people and military installations, but noted that they are not as in unison across party lines on all issues. Most mentioned the rising federal deficit and the need to limit spending as crucial concerns.
MOAA president, VADM Norb Ryan, USN, Ret, announced MOAA accepted a modest increase in TRICARE enrollment fees as a reasonable trade-off to get the far more important provisions in the law that explicitly acklowledge that career military people pay extraordinarily large premiums of service and sacrifice and that the percentage fee increase in any future year may not exceed the percentage increase in military retired pay.
MINUTEMAN AWARD TO SUZANNE WALKER. Each year VCOC recognizes a MOAA staff member for their outstanding support of Virginia chapters and chapter members. This year, the Minuteman award was presented to Suzanne Walker, LTC, USA, Ret of MOAA's staff in Alexandria. Walker is executive assistant to the MOAA president, as well as a key planner for MOAA conferences.
LEGISLATIVE AWARD TO ROB WITTMAN. VCOC President, Sam Wilder, presented the VCOC MOAA Outstanding Legislator award to 1st District Congressman Rob Wittman. The award is a stamp plaque with stamps selected to represent Congressman Wittman's service and interests.
HOST CHAPTER: MOUNT VERNON, VIRGINIA. Chapter President is Gary Hall, CAPT, USN, Ret. The chapter had twenty members scheduled to attend (8 of those are also MOAA staff members).
PROGRAM: The tri-fold program, provided at the luncheon, is posted in the "Document Library" on this web page (above right). Program includes info about priorities and items of thanks. Chapter introducers of Congresspersons are listed as well as stats of veterans and MOAA members by congressional district.
CHAPTERS SEND STORIES TO LOCAL MEDIA.
A template was provided so that chapters could replace the purple portions with chapter unique info and dash off a news release to their local military and civilian newspapers. The template is posted in the document library on this web page. VCOC had a goal for at least one reporter to attend. Five newspapers were notified and invited prior to the meeting (Daily Press, Richmond Times Dispatch, Virginian Pilot, Washington Post, Williamsburg Gazette), but no reporters attended. Please contact VCOC PAO, Melva Mallison, if you need/want any help with publicity.
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| 11th District Congressman Gerry Connolly, 3rd from right, pictured with some of his MOAA constituents. Mt Vernon was the Host Chapter for the Congressional Appreciation Luncheon. Photo courtesy of Mt Vernon Chapter, MOAA. |
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CONTACTS:
VCOC PRESIDENT:
COL Sam Wilder, USA, Ret
sdwilder1@comcast.net
(804) 530-1682
VCOC SECRETARY:
COL Jim Rose, USA, Ret
jimrose1@verizon.net
(804) 276-6775
RESERVATIONS:
VCOC TREASURER:
COL Victoria Revilla, USA, Ret
Victoria.revilla@us.army.mil
(804) 862-1162
VCOC
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE:
CHAIRMAN & VCOC 1st VP:
COL Don Kaiserman, USA, Ret
colonelsilverfox-i-@msn.com
(804) 740-4134
VICE CHAIR - NATIONAL:
COL Stu Williams, USA, Ret
shw13@worldnet.att.net
(703) 644-4126
SEE STU'S NOTES
IN DOCUMENT LIBRARY
FOR PUBLICITY:
VCOC PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER (PAO):
& VCOC 2nd VP, Chair Public Affairs
MAJ Melva Mallison, USAF, Ret
melvamaj@cox.net
(757) 596-5536
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| 3rd District Congressman Bobby Scott at table 3 with Portsmouth Area Chapter and other constituents. photo by VCOC PAO, Melva Mallison. |
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| Virignia MOAA Chapters may use photos from this web page (or their own photos) in news releases, newsletters and chapter website. Please credit the photographer.
The photos below are posted in slideshow format with thumbnails, including captions. To start the slide show, click on the center arrow below the large photo (arrow points right). To stop the slide show, click on the double verticle lines at center under the large photo. To save a photo for your use, right-click on the photo you want, and then use the "save as" command.
You may also contact VCOC PAO, or chapter photographer, to request an emailed copy of a particular picture.
Please provide your own chapter photos and quotes for this web page (include name of photographer and name of chapter).
We may later receive about five photos from the MOAA national professional photographer (of Admiral Ryan, the two award presentations, Host Chapter group & crowd).
/ M. Mallison, VCOC PAO
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