President’s
Welcome
It is my honor to serve
as the 54th President of the
Northwest Florida Military Officers Association
(NWFMOA). Initially formed in 1959, the NWFMOA
Chapter has been an active participant in
matters affecting military personnel, their
families, and Veterans who live in our local
community. We pride ourselves on the fact, when
we hung up our uniforms, we didn’t stop serving.
My first introduction to
the NWFMOA Chapter was when I was assigned to
Eglin AFB as the 96th Air Base Wing
Commander, 2002-2004. I would attend the
Chapter’s monthly meetings and keep them
informed on what was happening at the base. This
was my first encounter with any Military Officer
Association of America (MOAA) Chapter. In
positions I held after leaving Eglin, I worked
very close with MOAA National and saw firsthand
their impact on protecting and securing military
benefits.
When I returned to Fort
Walton Beach area, I immediately sought
membership again in the NWFMOA Chapter. I was
ecstatic to be part of this group of men and
women who were making such a significant impact
in the lives of others. From their scholarship
program for graduating high school JROTC cadets
to commissary gift cards for junior enlisted
families, they were making a difference in our
community. Each of these programs continues to
grow each year, thereby impacting more people.
It is through the generosity of our members’
time, talents, and treasure, coupled with the
support of MOAA National and local entities, we
are able to do what we do as a Chapter.
As the 54th
President of the NWFMOA Chapter, I would like to
extend to you an invitation to check us out.
Google NWFMOA and look at our 5-star website, to
include our monthly award-winning newsletter,
The Defender. Make a reservation to join us
for our monthly lunch meeting…good food, great
comradery, and a guest speaker speaking on
topics of interest.
Our dues
are modest at $25 per year. For new members,
that covers the current year and the entire next
year. Please feel free to contact me at
president@nwfmoa.org for more information.
H2S (Here to Serve),
Fran Hendricks, Brig
Gen, USAF Retired
President, NWFMOA
May 26, 2023
Memorial Day…A
Time to Remember
On this Memorial Day
Weekend, please take time to remember those who
gave their lives while serving in the defense of
our great nation. They were fathers and mothers,
brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, Aunts,
Uncles, cousins, neighbors, and friends.
To all, they are heroes.
They were common folks, who lived
uncommon lives. Many, who we honor this weekend,
gave their lives far from home as they served to
protect us and to defend our freedoms.
It’s their service and sacrifice that we
remember.
In remembering them, I ask that you also
remember and pray for their families and friends
who mourn their lost every day.
When a revolution needed
to be waged and a Union needed to be saved,
these common men and women left their homes and
families and took up arms for the sake of
freedom and its defense.
From Bunker Hill to Gettysburg, from
Pearl Harbor, the beaches of Normandy and
Korea’s frozen Chosen Reservoir to the jungles
of Vietnam, the Cold War, Desert Shield/Desert
Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan, they stepped
forward and answered their Nation’s call.
Drafted or volunteered for duty, they
fought for a home they may never return to; they
fought for buddies they would never forget; they
fought for you, and they fought for me.
And while their stories maybe separated
by hundreds of years and thousands of miles,
their service and their sacrifice remind each of
us of the cost of freedom.
Freedom is not free.
It cost us our most precious treasure…it
costs us our loved ones.
This weekend, we come
together as Americans, to pray, to reflect and
to remember these fallen veterans, these heroes,
their sacrifices, and the sacrifices born by
their families and friends. There is an
inscription carved into the stone memorial at
the Omaha Beach Cemetery in France which sums up
why we celebrate Memorial Day.
It reads:
“To these we owe the highest resolve,
that the cause for which they died, shall live”.
Cemeteries across our Nation will adorn
the graves of these past Soldiers, Sailors,
Airmen and Marines with American flags, they too
are forever counted among our Nation’s heroes.
President John F. Kennedy said, “A nation
reveals itself not only by the men it produces
but also by the men it honors, the men it
remembers.”
While the Nation
remembers its heroes this weekend, I am proud to
be part of an organization that honors and
remembers their sacrifice every day through our
actions.
To our fallen Brothers and Sisters, rest
in peace for we have the watch.
H2S,
Fran Hendricks, Brig Gen,
USAF (Ret)
President, NWFMOA
May 20, 2023
President's
Pen from the June 2023 Defender - NWFMOA’s
Role in Identifying and Recognizing Future
Military Officers
Looking back, May was the crescendo of Chapter
Member and local business donations to our
scholarship program, the culmination of many
months of coordination with the local schools,
review of scholarship submissions, interviews of
cadets, consensus of the selection committee on
scholarship award recipients, and finally, the
award of our Chapter’s Scholarships at the
annual scholarship luncheon. Dave Parisot and
his Scholarship Fund Committee comprised of Fred
Westfall, George Colton, Bob Allen, Karl
Eschmann, and Charles Farmer (Senior JROTC
Instructor at Niceville High School) made 2023
another outstanding year. As a committee, they
awarded nine scholarships totaling nearly
$30,000 to 8 JROTC graduating seniors and 1
College ROTC junior. Nearly 100 people attended
the Annual NWFMOA Scholarship and Awards
Luncheon where the cadets were awarded their
scholarships and the audience learned of their
outstanding academic and leadership
accomplishments. Local media was present and
covered the lunch for its news worthiness. The
Scholarship Fund Committee is commended for once
again raising the bar. I also commend them for
their dedication to attend each of the local
high school JROTC Awards events throughout the
month of May. Crisscrossing the counties we
serve, they ensured NWFMOA had a presence at
each of these important daytime or evening
assemblies of cadets and parents.
Also in May, I had the distinct pleasure to give
the Commissioning Address at the Commissioning
Ceremony of the AFROTC Cadets from the
University of South Alabama and University of
West Florida. The ceremony was held at the
National Navy Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola. A
fitting place to capture this historical
moment—where everywhere we looked was a reminder
of the sacrifices and successes of those who had
gone before us. Of the 16 cadets commissioned,
Cadet Blayne Johnson, the first recipient of our
then newly forged College ROTC Scholarship in
2022, was one of them. 2LT Johnson will now
report to NAS Pensacola for Combat Systems
Officer training.
One
line from my address simply stated, “Life is
about choices…You can be in the arena or in the
stands…Each of you has chosen to be in the thick
of it…I applaud your choice”. It was an honor to
witness them take the same oath we took, and I
am confident they will rise to the challenges
that await them. Looking into the eyes of those
eager and newly minted officers, you could see
our Nation’s future and it is in good hands.
Once
again, NWFMOA has made a difference. Through
your generosity, our Nation’s future is bright
because the bench we are helping to build is
deep with individuals willing to proudly serve
and protect our freedoms. Thank you to all for
your commitment to this important role of the
NWFMOA.
Never Stop Serving.
H2S
Fran Hendricks
President, NWFMOA
May 17, 2023
President's Pen from the May 2023
Defender - In Pursuit of 5 Stars
Well, it is that time of year again when
MOAA Chapters across the nation submit their
Levels of Excellence submissions. These
submissions are akin to a self-assessment of
what your respective Chapter did the past
year across several graded areas. In turn,
they are graded by a panel comprised of
Directors from the National MOAA Board.
Historically, the NWFMOA has done
exceptionally well and has been awarded
MOAA’s highest award, a 5-Star rating, as
recent as 2020. (We did not submit a
submission in 2021 due to COVID).
Our 2023 submission (covers 2022)
highlighted the many outstanding things the
Chapter did last year. Those highlights
included pursuing and receiving a MOAA
Community Outreach Grant for $4,000. We used
those funds, combined with $2.300 in
donations from Chapter Members, 3 Military
Affairs Councils, and the Eglin AFA Chapter,
to purchase 252 Commissary gift cards at $25
each for E4 and below personnel. The
Commissary gift cards were distributed to
252 active-duty Airman and Soldier families
by the Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and the
Army 7th Special Forces Group (A) First
Sergeant Associations and the Hurlburt’s
Airman, Family & Readiness Center to
purchase food at the base commissaries at
Thanksgiving.
We highlighted our advocacy efforts.
Those efforts included sending a letter to
the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs regarding their
inaccurate assessment of the Okaloosa County
Schools. We claimed this inaccurate
assessment directly impacts retention of the
military assigned to our local area or those
who have received orders reassigning them to
one of our bases. Additionally, we sent
letters to Senator Rubio, Senator Scott, and
Congressman Gaetz regarding the Child Care
needs at Camp Bull Simons. We applauded
their efforts to get involved in solving
this long-standing issue. This issue is both
a retention and quality of life matter
affecting primarily the 7th Special Forces
Group at Camp Bull Simons.
We were active in the local
community. We manned a NWFMOA information
booth at the Duke Field Open House which was
celebrating their 50th Anniversary. We made
a stage presentation at the Fort Walton
Beach Chamber of Commerce First Friday
assembly. Over 300 Chamber members were
informed of NWFMOA’s mission and our
commitment to service. We expanded our
scholarship program to include two
University of West Florida ROTC junior or
senior cadets who graduated from one of our
local high schools and are on track to
commission. All totaled, we awarded over
$17,000 in scholarships to five outstanding
Cadets. We highlighted our Military Ball and
its importance to our Chapter.
2022 was a very good year for the
NWFMOA. With COVID restrictions in our
rearview mirror, we were once again pursuing
our mission with vigor and making a
difference in the lives of those presently
serving, those who have served, and those
who want to serve.
H2S,
Fran Hendricks
President, NWFMOA
April 20, 2023
President's Pen from the April 2023
Defender
Camaraderie is an
important component of our Chapter and has been
since our
establishment nearly 65 years ago. It is one of
the four components of our mission
tetrad and a major reason to be a member. This
past month on March 9th,
we had the
pleasure to be part of history
at the Air Force Armament Museum as Okaloosa
County celebrated the 50th
Anniversary of the repatriation of the Vietnam
POWs. Those honored included Brigadier General
George
“Bud” Day, (a former NWFMOA Member); Colonel
Richard Dutton, USAF Retired; Colonel
Keith Hall,
USAF Retired; Col Howard Hill, USAF Retired
(former NWFMOA Vice President); Colonel Ed
Hubbard, USAF Retired; Col Ron Webb, USAF
Retried; Lieutenant Colonel Dave Gray, USAF
Retired;
and Mr. Ken Frazer, former USAF Captain. This
event served as
our quarterly Officer Call.
Numerous NWFMOA
members served in key roles for the evening.
Chuck Merkel served as the evening’s historian
and moderator, giving all in attendance a
description of the Vietnam War period, the
atrocities
endured by our POWs, and
the courage, sacrifice and tenacity of those being
honored. Chaplain Tom Azar gave the
invocation. Fred Westfall was in attendance,
just as he was 50 years ago on the tarmac of
Clark Air Base, Philippines when the POWs made
their first stop after leaving
Hanoi,
Vietnam. Fred was a Captain then,
assigned to 13th Air Force. Honorary NWFMOA
Member, Jerry Williams, CEO Eglin Federal Credit
Union was a sponsor for this historic event.
NWFMOA Board Member Bob Allen and Past President
Elvira Chiccarelli serve as
volunteers at the museum and were there helping.
New NWFMOA Member, Col Kim Wintner (Air
Force Armament Museum Foundation Treasure) was
there, as were many, many other chapter members.
It was a great turnout for NWFMOA. And I had the
great honor to give welcoming
comments while wearing my Vice President of the
Air Force Armament Museum Foundation hat.
NWFMOA extends kudos
to Ted Corcoran, Fort Walton Beach Chamber of
Commerce (it was his idea to conduct this
event); Tom Rice, Magnolia Grill (Food); Voices
of NW
Florida; Props Craft Brewery (Beer);
Forever Warriors, Powered by First Step
Automotive; Docies Dock (Wine); Connect with
Flowers; Voices of Northwest Florida State
College; and the Eglin AFB Honor Guard. We are
fortunate
to live in a community that
is so supportive of those presently serving and its
Veterans.
Camaraderie sets us apart and was on full
display at this event. In addition to those
participating in the program, our members
showed up in large numbers to honor the POWs and
to engage the community. In the future when I am talking
with a perspective NWFMOA member about joining
our Chapter, I will add the happenings of this
evening to my arsenal of reasons I share. I
respectfully request you do the same.
H2S (Here to Serve),
Fran Hendricks,
Brig Gen, USAF Retired
President, NWFMOA
March 30, 2023 -
CALL to ACTION 23-03
A Call To Action:
Tricare for Life Fees and Cost
Sharing
Fellow NWFMOA Chapter Members,
If you haven’t
read Dave Parisot’s
Legislative Liaison feature in
the April Defender, I strongly encourage you
to do so. In the article you
will learn the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO) has made
two recommendations regarding
our Tricare for Life (TFL)
benefit. Both recommendations (if
enacted) would cost us
significant more money in fees
and deductibles to use our
earned benefit if
Congress doesn’t act to stop it.
CBO
Recommendation #1 (Fees)...We would
be required to pay an enrollment fee
of $575 (individual) or $1,150
(family) for TFL coverage.
CBO Recommendation #2
(Cost-Sharing)…We would be
required to pay a deductible
of $850. After the
deductible ($850) is met,
TFL would pay only 50% of
the next $7,650 in Medicare
expenses.
If
you agree this is wrong (as
I do) and want to join
MOAA’s efforts to have these
recommendations thwarted, I
respectfully request you
send the Act Now! message
that MOAA has drafted
regarding this topic to
Representative Gaetz,
Senator Scott
and Senator Rubio. You can
access the Act Now! message
to our elected leaders by
going to our website (nwfmoa.org)
and clicking on the take
action button on the bottom
of our page. Feel free to
make changes to the proposed
wording of the message. I
also recommend in addition
to your name at the bottom
of the Act Now! message you
add NWFMOA Member. We want
our elected representatives
to know we are advocates for
matters important to our
members and the military /
Veteran community we serve.
You can also click
HERE to TAKE
ACTION on this MOAA initiative.
Thank you.
H2S
Fran Hendricks, Brigadier
General, USAF (Retired)
NWFMOA President
March 30, 2023 - CTA 23-02
A Call To Action:
H.R.1413, The Expanding America's
National Cemetery Act
Fellow
NWFMOA Chapter Members,
MOAA National is advocating for
authorizing the transformation of a
VA-run national cemetery into the
next location that affords military
honors as Arlington National
Cemetery reaches capacity. This is a
long-term solution and needs our
support. Florida has the second
largest number of military retirees
– 210,073. We need to advise
Congressman Gaetz to protect the
benefit of in-ground burial with
full military honors for all who
plan for internment or inurnment at
a DoD managed National Cemetery.
I respectfully
request you go to the MOAA website’s
Advocacy page and send the Act Now!
message that MOAA has drafted
regarding this topic to
Representative Gaetz. If you want,
you can change the proposed wording
to your liking. I also recommend in
addition to your name at the bottom
of the Act Now! message you add
NWFMOA Member. We want our elected
representatives to know when NWFMOA
comes up on the net regarding an
issue important to our members and
the military / Veteran community we
serve.
Click
HERE to TAKE
ACTION on this MOAA initiative.
H2S,
Fran Hendricks, Brigadier General,
USAF (Retired)
NWFMOA President
March 3, 2023
Happy 108th
Birthday to the Navy Reserve
One hundred and
eight years ago today, the Navy Reserve was
formed in 1915 in response to the outbreak
of World War I. Fully constituted, it made
up nearly 84% of the Navy’s fighting force
during the war. Among its ranks were 5
future U.S. Presidents and 15 Medal of Honor
recipients. Since its inception, the Navy
Reserve has been part of every major war the
US has fought.
If you get a chance
today, raise a glass and toast the Navy
Reserve.
H2S,
Fran Hendricks
President, NWFMOA
February 28, 2023 - CTA 23-01
A Call To Action:
Major Richard Star Act
Fellow Chapter
Members,
Your assistance is needed.
Last year, the efforts of MOAA and their
partners in The Military Coalition came
close to having Congress enact the Major
Richard Star Act. That legislation is solely
focused on supporting 50,000 combat-injured
Veterans whose retirement pay is reduced by
the amount they receive for disabilities due
to combat. This is wrong and needs to be
righted. Undeterred and fully committed to
seeing the Star Act passed, MOAA and The
Military Coalition are again engaging
Congress and could use your help. They
simply ask each of us to contact our elected
officials and state our support. They have
made it very easy for us to make that
contact. Just use this link provided by
MOAA: contacting your senators and
representative TODAY . It takes less than 10
minutes to complete, and it will send a
letter directly from you to Senator Rubio,
Senator Scott, and Representative Gaetz. I
have sent my letters of support and
respectfully request you do the same. The
Major Richard Star Act is a necessary step
towards concurrent receipt for all.
To view the
conversation about this, click
HERE.
To send a letter to your representatives,
click
HERE.
H2S,
Fran Hendricks
President, NWFMOA
February 14, 2023
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For nearly 65
years, the Northwest Florida Military
Officers Association (NWFMOA), an
affiliate of the Military Officer
Association of America, has been making
a difference in the lives of Veterans in
the Okaloosa and Walton Counties. One of
its community outreach initiatives this
year was to partner Bob Hope Village
with Longwood Elementary School, whereby
second grade students made Valentines
and delivered them to the residents on
Valentine’s Day. This endeavor allowed
the students to express their
appreciation for the service and
sacrifices made by this Veteran
community and their families through the
gift of a handmade Valentine. The
students presented their Valentines to
the residents during the annual
Valentine Day Brunch at Bob Hope
Village.
Valentines
for Vets was first enacted in 1996 by
General Ron Fogleman, Air Force Chief of
Staff, and was intended to support the
Department of Veteran Affairs weeklong
National Salute to Hospitalized
Veterans. Today, the VA has expanded the
salute to the entire month of February
and has renamed it, National Salute to
Veteran Patients Month.
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The NWFMOA invites everyone to recognize a
Veteran’s service and sacrifice especially on Valentine’s
Day. To view additional pictures, click on the picture
to the right or
HERE.
The Air Force
Enlisted Village also posted a nice article on
their website. The contents of that
article are below.
Valentines for Veterans Visit Bob Hope
Village
by Taylar
Banks
The Military
Officers
Association of
America (MOAA)
and Longwood
Elementary
partnered to
bring Valentines
for Veterans at
Bob Hope
Village.
Shalimar,
FL (February 14,
2023) - With
markers,
pencils,
crayons, and
glue sticks in
hand,
second-grade
students from
Longwood
Elementary
happily created
Valentine’s Day
cards with
woodland animals
not knowing the
impact they
would soon have.
With pep in
their step, the
students proudly
walked over to
the Bob Hope
Village Commons
with smiles on
their faces and
Valentine’s Day
cards in their
hands.
The
students were
immediately met
with applause
and cheer from a
ballroom filled
with Bob Hope
Village
residents
awaiting the
young artists.
Happily,
the children
disbursed their
hand-made cards
and chimed in
with
conversations
with residents
who are retired
military
surviving
spouses or
couples. There
were 125
beautiful
Valentine’s Day
cards made by
the students and
twenty-five
children
delivered them
to Bob Hope
Village. “The
kids had a blast
even walking
here,” said Lisa
Jones, assistant
principal of
Longwood
Elementary.
Northwest
Florida Military
Officers
Association
(NWFMOA)
coordinated the
Valentine’s Day
event partnering
Bob Hope Village
with Longwood
Elementary for
Valentines for
Veterans, an
annual event
first enacted in
1996 by Gen. Ron
Fogleman, Air
Force Chief of
Staff, and was
intended to
support the
Department of
Veteran Affairs
weeklong
National Salute
to Hospitalized
Veterans.
NWFMOA
consists of 230
members and has
been making a
difference in
the lives of
veterans in
Okaloosa and
Walton counties
for sixty years.
According to
Brig. Gen. Fran
Hendricks, USAF,
Ret., and
president of
NWFMOA, the
organization is
made up of all
military
branches that
never stop
serving. “We
assist all ranks
of those who
have served and
are currently
serving, and we
hold a soft spot
for surviving
spouses,”
Hendricks said.
Valentine’s Day
love was felt
everywhere in
the Bob Hope
Village ballroom
thanks to NWFMOA
and Longwood
Elementary. All
residents could
talk about were
the hugs and
cards they
received from
the students.
“We can’t
thank MOA enough
for choosing us
to be part of
Valentines for
Veterans,” said
Bobbi Jo
Dominguez,
Director of Bob
Hope Village.
“Love is in the
air today thanks
to MOA and
thanks to the
Longwood
Elementary
second graders.
We have big love
for our friends.
H2S
Fran Hendricks
President, NWFMOA
February 13, 2023
President's Pen from the March 2023
Defender
As
I pen this first
address as President, I feel it’s
only appropriate that I use this
space to honor one of our recently fallen
members, Colonel Doug Hardin
(pictured
below).
I first met Colonel Hardin and his wife Carol in
July 2002 when I took
command of the 96th
Air Base
Wing at Eglin. Colonel Hardin had the position I
was assuming several
commanders prior. Colonel Hardin and I became
quick friends, and I sought out his counsel from
time to
time on matters impacting the wing.
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When I returned to the area after
retiring from
the university, Doug was one of the
first
individuals I contacted. I was looking
to get involved in various
organizations, and he
was key to paving the way for me. All
told, we served together on NWFMOA, Air
Force
Association Education Foundation, and the
Emerald Coast Military Affairs Council.
To
say he was a fireball would be an
understatement. Everything he was
involved with, he
was all in. His infectious personality
and superb leadership skills quickly
inspired all
around him to want to do more.
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When
Col Hardin commanded the Air Base Wing at Eglin,
it had a 4-digit
designation. Then Air Force
Chief of Staff, Merrill McPeak, put out an edit
that all wings had to have a numerical
designation of
historical relevance to the Army Air Corps or
Air Force. He
even provided a list of available wing
designations. On that list was the 96th.
Colonel Hardin, as a lieutenant had served in
the 96th,
before it had
been deactivated. He quickly responded to the
Chief’s call and secured the 96th
designation for Eglin. The
significance of the 96th
dates from its inception as a Bomb Group during
World War II and its role in the
Vietnam War.
The B-52
that resides at the Air Armament Museum, was
secured during Colonel Hardin’s time as
commander of Eglin. He also served as crew
member on that bird during Vietnam.
As we perform community outreach with the First
Sergeants in 96th
Test Wing or when we drive pass the
Air Armament Museum, let’s give a tip of the cap
to one of our very own, Col Doug Hardin and his
enduring legacy.
For additional pictures of Col Hardin, click
this link:
http://nwfmoa.org/files/hardin/album/
H2S (Here to Serve),
Fran Hendricks, Brig Gen, USAF Retired
President, NWFMOA
February 10, 2023
50th Anniversary Salute to Okaloosa County
Vietnam POWs Returning Home
On Thursday, March
9th, from 1730 to 1930, our community will
gather at the Air Force Armament Museum and
honor five Vietnam POWs who call Okaloosa
County home on the 50th Anniversary of their
release from captivity. I respectfully
request our Chapter come out and partake in
the celebration. One of the POWs to be
honored, Brig Gen George “Bud” Day, was a
NWFMOA Member. At least two of our Chapter
Members (then Capt Fred and Jan Westfall)
were on the tarmac at Clark Air Base,
Philippines in 1973 when the just released
POWs made their first stop after departing
Hanoi. This will also be our Officers
Call for the quarter so please join us.
H2S
Fran Hendricks
President, NWFMOA
January 16, 2023
MOAA Florida
Council of Chapters Training Seminar
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I recently had the
pleasure to attend the MOAA Florida Council of
Chapters (FCoC) annual training seminar in
Orlando, Florida.
MOAA Chapters from throughout Florida and
surrounding states attended the two-day event.
Pat Kluever, President of the FCoC served
as Master of Ceremonies for the training
seminar. Presentations from MOAA National senior
officials included the following topics: MOAA
Update; Surviving Spouse; Chapter Affairs;
Legislative Affairs; and the MOAA Foundation.
The FCoC Board gave presentations
regarding its State-wide Membership Campaign and
the 2023 Convention.
This was the first time I attended this
annual training seminar and found it to
both very informative and engaging. I
had numerous conversations with MOAA
National staff members, MOAA Board
members, FCoC Board members, and
Presidents from Florida MOAA chapters.
We shared best practices and lessons
learned. I even found the opportunity to
engage the MOAA Chairman of the Board,
Lt Gen Gary North, USAF (Ret).
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In addition to
telling Gen North a little bit about the
NWFMOA Chapter, I planted the seed for him or the MOAA
President, Lt Gen Brian Kelly, USAF (Ret), to
visit our chapter in 2024 and partake in our 65th
Anniversary (60th affiliated with
MOAA). I received an early commitment that one
of the two will be there.
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On Friday
evening, MOAA National hosted Dinner and awarded
various chapters their LOE awards. While we
didn’t receive a LOE award, I was happy to see
our very own Don Panzenhagen be recognized with
a FCoC Leadership Award for his work as the Area
Vice President for our region. I was equally
honored to be called forward and accept a FCoC
Leadership Award for Michael Griffith for his
work as our Chapter President. We will make the
presentation to Mike at the February Chapter
luncheon. Also, at our February Chapter luncheon
we will be joined by CAPT Frank Michael, USN
Retired. CAPT Michael serves as the Program
Director, Council and Chapter Affairs at MOAA
National and will update us on MOAA’s recent
legislative successes and what initiatives MOAA
is presently undertaking to further safeguard
our benefits. Please plan to attend the February
NWFMOA Chapter meeting on February 2 (Ground Hog
Day) at 1130, Fort Walton Yacht Club.
H2S (Here to Serve),
Fran Hendricks, Brig
Gen, USAF Retired
President, NWFMOA
Be a MOAA
Advocate
Advocacy for
our causes is as simple as A, B, and C.
See below on how to learn more about the
latest issues and then how to tell your
congressional representative about your position
on the subjtct. MOAA has been very
successful
when its members get active in contacting their
representatives.
Sign up today!!!
Click here
for the sign-up instructions
OR
Click here to go directly to TAKE ACTION.
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