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August 2017 Issue

Flint Hills Chapter News

Board

President: Wayne Converse (LTC, USA RET) First Vice President: Jonathan Snowden (Lt Col, USAF RET) Vice President for Membership: Tom Fryer (Lt Col, USAF RET) Legislative Affairs Officer: Patricia King (COL, USA RET) Secretary: Tara Pierce (MAJ, USA RET) Treasurer: Terry Davis (LTC, USA RET) Surviving Spouse Liaison: Diane Hepler

Quarterly Member’s Banquet

6pm, September 7th

Colbert’s At Colbert Hills Golf Course

Manhattan, KS

RSVP NLT 31 Aug to Terry Davis

[email protected] or

Buz Bruzina at 785-307-1000

Menu: Herb Roasted Chicken, Roasted Pork Loin Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Almondine, Sauteed Baby Carrots

Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding Mixed Rolls and Butter Iced Tea, Water, Coffee

Cost: $25.00 per person, Cash or check made payable to MOAA, Flint Hills Chapter

Guest Speaker: Mr. Tim Barr,

NBAF Program Manager Science and Technology Department US Department of Homeland Security

(see biography at page 2)

Save the Date: The next dinner meeting is scheduled

for 16 November. Location: Munson’s Prime, Junction

City, KS

Flint Hills Chapter MOAA Mission

The Flint Hills Chapter of

MOAA is a local associa-

tion of military officers. It

is an independent, non-

profit, politically nonparti-

san organization. On a

national level, with more

than 380,000 members

from every branch of ser-

vice - including active du-

ty, NG, USAR, retired,

former officers, and their

families - we are a power-

ful force, speaking for a

strong national defense,

representing the interests

of military officers at every

stage of their careers. In

the Flint Hills region, we

not only support the

MOAA mission, but in

addition seek to provide

local fellowship of active

duty, former and retired

officers who provide com-

munity service and assist

those currently serving as

they plan for an eventual

transition to civilian life.

Chapter Dues Reminder

As a reminder Chapter Dues help to support your local MOAA

Chapter to support Military offic-ers & their families. See our mis-sion statement for further details.

** Make checks payable to:

MOAA Flint Hills Chapter

1004 Brianna Court Manhattan, KS 66503

Mr. Tim Barr NBAF Program Manager

Science and Technology Directorate U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Mr. Tim Barr joined the Science and Technology Directorate within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in De-cember 2010. He currently serves as the Program Manager for the NBAF Project currently under construction in Manhattan, Kansas and the supporting NBAF Operational Planning activities. Mr. Barr has 25 years project management experience as a U.S. Army civilian with the U.S. Department of En-ergy, and now with DHS.

Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Barr provided project management support to Department of Energy (DOE) programs and projects, both as a DOE employee and as an employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Most recently, Mr. Barr supported the planning and execution of projects in DOE’s nuclear non-proliferation portfolio. These multi-billion dollar projects involved the planning and construction of facilities to convert plutonium removed from surplus nuclear weapons in to fuel for commercial nuclear reactors.

Mr. Barr is originally from McPherson, Kansas and is a graduate of Kansas State Uni-versity, holding a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Flint Hills Chapter MOAA News 2016 August 2017

1st Infantry Division Marks 100th Year with Monument

MG Joseph M. Martin, Commander of the 1st Infantry Division and CSM Joseph Cornelison, Division Command

Sergeant Major unveil the 1st Infantry Division’s 100th Anniversary Monument to kick of Victory Week on Fort Riley. The dedication was held at Victory Park next to division headquarters. The black granite monument fea-

tures the division’s centennial logo and was presented as a gift from the Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

August is here and almost gone. It means the Great American Eclipse is over, end of summer is near, school has started, and football is just around the corner. I hope many of you had the opportunity to attend some of the 1st Infantry Division Victory Week events on Fort Riley to help celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the 1st ID. We in the Flint Hills Region can take pride in “our” division and the men, women and family members who make up this great unit.

Our next general membership meeting will be September 7 at Colbert’s Restaurant in Man-hattan. Please see the notice elsewhere in this newsletter on the particulars and get your RSVP in as soon as you can. We have an outstanding program in store for you on the latest and greatest with NBAF. I encourage all members to try and make this important meeting to stay abreast of what is going on at K-State and our community. I would also ask you bring along another former officer who is not a member and encourage them to join. For our retired members, a reminder that the Fort Riley Retiree Appreciation day will be held at Riley’s Event Center on Fort Riley. It will be held on October 20 with registration starting at 8:00 a.m. and the program starting at 8:30 a.m. In addition to an outstanding pro-gram, there will also be a health fair (you can get your flu shot and other inoculations), a county fair with information from numerous organization throughout the Flint Hills region, and a buffet lunch with Flint Hills Chapter member Steve Lambert as the lunchtime speak-er. Steve will be sharing his experiences as a Navy Blue Angels pilot. Our November meeting will also be our board election for 2018. All on the board have served for two years, and it’s time for some fresh blood to help move this chapter forward.

Please consider serving on the board. If you have questions on what it takes, you may con-tact me ([email protected]) or any board member. Participation is key to us being a suc-cessful chapter.

Never Stop Serving,

Wayne Converse LTC, USA (Retired) President, Flint Hills Chapter


mailto:[email protected]

Army ROTC

The Wildcat Battalion is just getting going this semester after completing another tremen-dous academic year this past spring. They started last semester with combat skills training their first weekend, followed by the junior cadets getting hands-on experience with the En-hanced Skills Trainer at Ft. Riley. The juniors further honed their skills with offensive and reconnaissance lane training, while all battalion cadets enjoyed the winter storm by com-pleting a land navigation course at Ft. Riley. Nine cadets represented KSU at the Bataan Death March commemoration at White Sands, New Mexico. The event consisted of a 26.2 mile course conducted either with (Heavy) or without (Light) combat gear. Participants from all over the United States compete to honor veterans of the Bataan Death March and those who were taken as Prisoners of War by the Japanese in the Philippines. Cadet Seeger placed 3rd and Cadet Baker placed 7th in the ROTC Heavy Division. Cadet Hoang placed 4th and Cadet Kirby placed 5th in the ROTC Light Division. Also, 15 cadets were selected to compete for to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB) at Fort Leavenworth. 12 Cadets earned the Gold Badge and 3 Cadets earned the Silver Badge, which can be worn by Cadets for the rest of their ca-reer in the US Army. The Pershing Rifles had their National Convention competition in Jacksonville, FL on 10 March. Although they did not place, the Color Guard and solo section received outstanding scores and feedback, and several of the Riflemen received individual awards. They also as-sisted in the dedication of the WWI Memorial Stadium. The stadium officially commemo-rates the service of 48 K-State students who lost their lives during World War I. On 8 April 17, they conducted a Fallen Soldier Memorial during the Little Apple Barbershop Chorus’s rendition of Taps. The Wildcat Battalion continued to get tremendous support from Fort Riley. Brigadier Gen-eral Patrick Frank, First Infantry Division commander and his Division Staff came out to conduct Physical Readiness Training with the Cadets. Their workout consisted of several iterations of tire flips, log sit-ups, pull-ups, 400 meter sprints, and log push-ups. The Cadets and First Infantry Division Soldiers were mixed into groups that allowed them to get to know and work with each other. General Frank also recognized the soon-to-be commis-sioned Second Lieutenants. On Friday, May 12th, the Wildcat Battalion and distinguished guests came together at the

spring semester’s commissioning ceremony to honor their newly commissioned Second

Lieutenants. The guest speaker for the event was Lieutenant General Paul E. Funk II, the

Commanding General of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood. The Oath of Office was admin-

istered by the Kansas State Army ROTC PMS, LTC Peter Gray.


Air Force ROTC

Air Force ROTC Detachment 270 (KSU) is gearing up for an exciting new year, which started with a great finish to the spring 2017 semester. They commissioned a stellar class of ten brand new 2Lts this past spring. This group included seven pilots (two for Remotely Piloted Vehicles), one combat systems officer, one cyber officer, and one personnel officer. Most significantly, two of them (cyber and personnel) were Distinguished Graduates, rank-ing in the nation’s top 10% of USAF 2Lts. Continuing along the lines of excellence, the De-tachment had all of its sophomore cadets selected to attend Leadership Evaluation And De-velopment (formerly Field Training), which was a much higher selection rate than previous years (which still exceeded the national average). Detachment leadership took great advantage of new opportunities to train and prepare eve-ryone. This year, they gave cadets the opportunity to experience flight for the first time. The Civil Air Patrol lent one of their training planes to conduct orientation flights. The in-structor is one of Detachment 270’s cadre, Major Brad Caywood (an F-15E pilot). Orienta-tion flights provide the cadets an introduction to flight, that will inspire the pilots of tomor-row. The goal is to help reconcile the pilot shortage that the Air Force is currently experi-encing. The program has been set up to allow each cadet four hours to pilot and unlimited passenger flights The Detachment hosted some noteworthy speakers for their training events. First, they hosted Bridger General James D. Latham, a KSU graduate. During Vietnam, Gen Latham and his navigator were struck by anti-aircraft artillery and captured. After his release, he went on to several command positions, including the Thunderbirds. Gen Latham shared his military and commander experience with the cadets of Detachment 270, inspiring the Cadet Wing to appreciate the “small victories” in life. The second noteworthy speaker was Coach Bill Snyder. He focused on his 16 Goals of Success, and drew several parallels between them and the Air Force Core Values. Finally, the Detachment Commander, Lt Col Shawnn Martin, is retiring from the Air Force after nearly 28 years. Lt Col Martin, his wife, Erica and their two children plan on moving

back to their home in Minnesota. Lt Col Martin will be taking a job as a Ministry Coordi-nator.


SENATOR MORAN SPEAKS TO HEALTHCARE (page 1 of 2)

Dear MOAA Members:

The Senate has spent considerable time attempting to craft a solution to address the problems in our health system. Many people across our country have watched the proceed-ings with a mixture of curiosity, concern and apprehension for what this might mean for their families and loved ones. Unfortunately, the debate has produced a lot of misinfor-mation, partisan arguments and passionate disagreements. With this in mind, I wanted to take a moment to explain the votes I cast and why I supported or did not support the differ-ent reform packages offered on the Senate floor.

I, like many others, recognize we are in desperate need of healthcare reform. Health

insurance premiums continue to increase by double digit percentages each year, health in-surers are dropping out of counties and entire states at an alarming rate, and physicians and hospitals are constrained under the burdens of increased federal control of our health sys-tem. As both Republicans and some Democrats admit, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at-tempted to address many of our healthcare problems, but fell short of its goals too of-ten. While it has benefitted some Kansans, it has hurt too many families who now struggle to pay sky-high premiums and deductibles.

So now, in a position to make a mark on history and do something positive for the

people we serve by relieving the burdens of this law, we find ourselves at an impasse. Ra-ther than proudly presenting the American people with the kind of solution they have en-trusted us with developing, the Senate attempted to drag bad policy after bad policy to the Senate floor with reluctant and unenthusiastic support. It has become clear that while many of my colleagues share my commitment to repealing the ACA and replacing it with a better system, we disagree about how best to arrive at that point. However, one thing is for cer-tain: fixing a system with such a huge impact on our economy and millions of American families shouldn’t be done through backroom deals or closed-door meetings. This process was confusing to many Americans and sounded far too similar to then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s infamous words, “We have to pass it to find out what’s in it.”

Decisions made regarding healthcare have real consequences for Kansans and their

families. This fact weighed heavily on my mind as I analyzed the options being put forth in the Senate.

I voted against the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BRCA) because it was not a

good solution for Kansans and would have put access to care at further risk. I voted in favor of a repeal of the ACA with a two-year deadline to replace the law because I believe that two years of a full legislative process with hearings, expert witness testimony and a free ex-change of ideas and amendments could have lead us to a much better solution. When that failed, I voted in favor of the Health Care Freedom Act, a pared down version of the previ-ous repair bill, in order to allow an opportunity for the House and Senate to hold a confer-ence to find a better solution than either legislative body had been able to produce previous-ly. That, too, failed.


SENATOR MORAN SPEAKS TO HEALTHCARE (page 2 of 2)

I recognize that this simply was not the right approach to fixing our healthcare sys-

tem. In addition, the original bill crafted in the Senate – the BCRA – failed to fully repeal the ACA or address the driving forces behind the rising costs of healthcare. Passage of this bill would have put our stamp of approval on policy that left far too much government in-trusion in our healthcare system without providing the relief that so many Americans are expecting. We must find a better solution than either the House’s bill or the Senate’s BCRA to fix our health system. The Senate will now move toward an approach that includes hold-ing hearings in the relevant committees and attempting to find real fixes to the problems that vex our healthcare system.

To learn more about how the ACA was directly impacting Kansans, I visited all 127

hospitals in our state, met with patients, providers and healthcare experts, and held town hall meetings in each of our 105 counties to hear Kansans’ thoughts on healthcare solutions they think would help them and their families. I remain committed to finding solutions that work for all Kansans – those many families whom the ACA has failed, as well as those who have benefitted from the law.

As I said in May, when it was announced that the Senate would be drafting its own

healthcare bill, we need to put the full legislative process to work. This will allow us to de-velop solutions that reduce government involvement in Americans' healthcare decisions, keep rural hospital doors open, maintain safeguards for preexisting conditions, protect the elderly and those with disabilities, and lower costs for all Kansans. States must once again be given flexibility to address their individual patient populations, as they are in a better place to understand their needs than the federal government.

Regardless of where we begin, we must end with a solution that puts all Americans

back in charge of their healthcare. We can do better if we put politics aside, allow the full legislative process to work, and fulfill the promise we have made to the American people.

I am grateful for the opportunity Kansans have given me to serve them in the Unit-

ed States Senate. Please let me know if I can be of service to you or your family in the fu-ture.

Very Truly Yours Jerry Moran


Visit our Flint Hill Chapter website at: www.kansasmoaa.net/flint%20hills.htm

Visit the Kansas Council of Chapters website at: www.kansasmoaa.net

http://www.kansasmoaa.net/flint%20hills.htm

http://www.kansasmoaa.net


CHAPTER HAS MOST INFORMATIVE APRIL MEETING

The Flint Hills Chapter held its 2nd Quarter meeting on April 19 at Munson’s Prime in Junc-tion City. Threatening weather kept some of our membership at home, but those in attend-ance were treated to a great buffet dinner, fellowship with other members, and an outstand-ing presentation by our guest speaker. We also welcomed several new member to our chap-ter. To honor the 1st Infantry Division’s 100th Anniversary, we were fortunate to have Dr. Rob-ert Smith, Director of Museums at Fort Riley, as our guest speaker. Dr. Smith had a great

presentation on the division’s history which was full of interesting stories and vignettes. Did you know that the 1st ID once had its own dog? Or that it has an official wine? Or that it once ran a circus? All in attendance left with new knowledge about “our” division since

it was officially organized on June 8, 1917.

Rags: 1st Division 1st Division Wine: The 1st Division Circus War Dog Chateauneuf-du-Pape

FLINT HILLS CHAPTER

MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Last Name: First Name: MI: Spouse Name: Grade: Service: Birth Date: Active Duty: Reserve: NG: Retired: Mailing Address: Email Address: Phone Number: Member of National MOAA: Yes / No Signature: Chapter Annual Membership Dues: $25.00

** Make check payable to: MOAA, Flint Hills Chapter

Send checks to: 1004 Brianna Ct Manhattan, KS 66503

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