FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR JUNE 2014

PRESIDENT PRESIDENTWEST JAX

FRA BRANCH 126 FLEET RESERVE HALL INC

JAMES J. THOMAS ALVIN D. ROBY

Phone 291-1575 Phone 264-6270

VICE PRESIDENT UNIT 126 PRESIDENT

HERMAN ELROD VERALYN THOMAS

Phone 655-2211 Phone 291-1575

SECRETARY BRANCH CHAPLAIN

MARTHA KLINIKOWSKI Vacant

Phone 221-7691 Phone 291-1575

TREASURER / EDITOR MEMBERSHIP

WILLIAM T. KULIER EDWARD H. GRIBBIN

Phone 771-5237 Phone 269-3845

ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO: FLEET RESERVE HALL, 7673 BLANDING BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32244-5111

HALL TELEPHONE (904) 771-2126 BRANCH WEB SITE:

JUNE 2014 EDITION

NOTICE: The items or opinions published in the Branch 126 Newsletter are those of the contributor of that particular article, and not necessarily that of the Editor, FRA Branch 126 Inc., or the Fleet Reserve Association.

JUNE 2014

Monday 02 June 1930 West Jax Board of Directors meeting

Wednesday 04 June 1930 Branch Board of Directors meeting

Saturday 07 June 1000 Joint Branch & Unit 126 Installation Ceremony (page 2)

Friday 14 June Flag Day!

Sunday 15 June Happy Fathers Day!

Thursday 19 June 2000 Branch meeting

Saturday 21 June Summer begins

July 2014

Wednesday02 Jul1930Branch Board of Directors meeting

Friday04 JulIndependence Day!

Monday07 Jul1930West Jax Inc Board meeting

Thursday17 Jul2000Branch meeting

Branch 126 Salutes Shipmates:

David P. Keller

Bobby L. Oakley

William L. Wischert

ofJacksonville, Florida for achieving 40 years of continuous membership in the Fleet Reserve Association. Bravo Zulu

Shipmates!

The Korean War Veteran’s Association meets at the Branch Hall at 1300 on the 4th Tuesday of each month. The POC is Shipmate Henry Moreland at (904) 384-2031.

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FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR JUNE 2014

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

JAMES J. THOMAS …….…291-1575

1. Branch elections were held at the Branch meeting of 15 May 2014 with result as follows:

President: ………...………………. James J. Thomas

Vice President: …………………... Jack Elrod

Secretary: …………………………..…Martha Klinikowski

Treasurer: ...…………………….….. Bill Kulier

Board of Directors:

Clinton Attebery Edward Gribbin Albert Peter David Pippin Al Roby Donald Rodely Donald Walsh Elmer Wine

2. A combined Branch & Unit Installation Ceremony will be held in the Branch Home starting at 1000 on Saturday, 07 June 2014. Branch and Unit members are encouraged to come out and show their support for the Shipmates and Ladies who stepped forward to fill the billets required to keep the Branch and Unit functioning for the rest of us.

3. The Shipmates of Branch 126 will host a dinner in honor of the newly installed Branch and Unit Officers. Dinner will follow the Installation Ceremony at the Olive Garden restaurant on Blanding Blvd in Orange Park, Fl immediately following the Installation Ceremony at 1100 or so.

This free dinner is a closed function for Branch & Unit 126 members and their significant other/driver.

Please remember that we have some Shipmates and Ladies who would like to attend our functions, but have driving issues. Give them a call and bring them along whenever possible.

4. As we approach the heat of summer here in Florida our Branch activities taper off to one a month. We are looking at being in an Independence Parade in July and going to the FRA SER Convention in August.

5. The FRA Southeast Regional Convention (SER) is normally held in August or September each year and we usually have a dozen or more Shipmates and Ladies travel out of town or out of state to attend. However, this year the convention will be right here in Jacksonville and hosted by Mayport Branch 291 on Friday and Saturday, 22 &23 August.

The Convention will be held at the Ramada Convention Center, 3130 Hartley Road, Jacksonville, Florida. This will be a great opportunity our Branch and Unit 126 members to attend a Regional Convention.

James J. Thomas

FLAG SALES

Al Peter …………..……. (904) 777-0781

Johnny Johnson…………(904) 771-1736

All Nylon and the Cotton Bulldog flags have sewn stars & stripes while the other Cotton flags have printed stars & stripes. We have the following flags in stock.

3x5’ Nylon Flag---$21.00

4x6’ Nylon Flag--- $30.00
5x8’ Nylon Flag--- $40.00
3x5’ Cotton Flag Set-- $15.00
3x5’ Nylon POW/MIA Flag---- $ 25.00
8x12’ Nylon Flag ……………………… $120.00

We now have the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard 3x5 Flags in stock for $22.00
Contact Shipmate Johnny Johnson or Al Peter to purchase a Flag.

TRICARE beneficiary bulletin. With the spring allergy season in full bloom, TRICARE wants to remind beneficiaries that select over-the-counter medications are available to them at no cost.

The DoD's Over-the-Counter Medication Demonstration Project allows TRICARE beneficiaries to get OTC medications from retail network pharmacies and TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery at no cost.

Beneficiaries must get a prescription from their doctor for most of the medications covered under the OTC Demo. Covered drugs include allergy medications Cetirizine and Loratadine under the brand names Zyrtec© and Claritin©.

For more info about the OTC Demo, go to tricare.mil/otcdemo. The online formulary search tool, allows TRICARE beneficiaries to see which prescription medications TRICARE covers and determine the applicable cost.

Have Health Questions? Call the TRICARE Nurse Advice Line

Sometimes it's hard to know when to seek medical help for urgent health problems. Having access to a trusted medical professional at a moment's notice is invaluable.

The new TRICARE Nurse Advice Line (NAL) does just that. Starting April 25, 2014 all TRICARE beneficiaries in the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii can get health advice by calling the NAL, toll-free and 24/7.

The NAL number is 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273).

We ThankHelen J of Portland, ME for her generous donation to our news letter fund.

We appreciate your continued support!

IN MEMORY OF OUR DEPARTED SHIPMATE

Shipmate AQC Francis F. Fox, USN, retired, age 86, an FRA member since 1965, reported to the Staff of the Supreme Commander on 8 February 2013.

We were notified of his passing by email from his son via the Branch web site.

Shipmate PNC Francis R. Roberts, USN, Retired, age 77, an FRA member since 1976, reported to the Staff of the Supreme Commander on 13 April 2014.

He was predeceased by his wife of 57 years and is survived by 2 daughters, a brother, a sister, 3 grand children and 2 great grandchildren.


The Shipmates of Branch 126 extend their condolences to Shipmate Jon A. Anderson ofVilonia, AR. on the passing of his wife.

Navy Spouse Evelyn K. Anderson, age 73, passed away on 15 May 2014.

May our prayers calm these Perils on the Sea as she arrives to our Eternal Father.

The Branch and Unit 126 Memorial Day Service was held in Jacksonville Memory Gardens Cemetery in Orange Park, FL on Sunday, 25 May 2014.

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FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR JUNE 2014

Pictured is Branch President Thomas at podium. Seated are: guest speaker CDR Odeen L. Tyre, USN, retired, Naval Science Instructor, Ridgeview HS, NJROTC; Unit President Veralyn Thomas, Shipmate Bill Kulier and Branch Secretary Martha Klinikowski.

Standing in the rear is Navy Bugler MU3 Benjamin Stewart who played TAPS. The Navy Firing Squad is not pictured.

The Color Guard cadets under the direction of Shipmate/Naval Science Instructor

1st Sgt Thomas J. Lewnes, USMC, retired, are pictured on page 5.

The Ceremony lasted about 45 minutes. We had warm weather with a slight breeze and

no rain. We thank Deborah and Jane Winn for the food we enjoyed in the Hall after the ceremony.

Additional photos of this ceremony can be viewed at www. Jacksonville.com. They were taken by a photographer from the Jacksonville Times Union newspaper crew that attended this event.

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FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR JUNE 2014

The West Jax Fleet Reserve Hall Inc

President’s Corner

Al Roby ………………………264-6270

1. The Medical Equipment locker:We have many wheel chairs loaned out with a few available for check out at this time. These are high demand items so please be sure to bring them back as soon as you are done with them. We also have a good supply of canes, crutches, potty chairs & assorted equipment to loan out.

MEMBERSHIP

Edward Gribbin …….…….269-3845

Branch 126 Membership

Branch 126 Membership

Membership on 30 Apr 2014 is …… 403

New Members………………………...0

Reinstated Members……………….….0

Terminated Members………………….7

Transferred Members……………….1

Deceased Members………………....2

Non payment of dues……………….4

Members Past due…………………...... 6

Shipmates due to renew membership....15

Transferred out:

1. AFCM Anthony Stramanino, USN, retired

Deceased Shipmates:

1. AQC Francis F. Fox, USN, retired

2. PNC Francis R. Roberts, USN, retired

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FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR JUNE 2014

VA Travel Allowance Update 15 ► - Here are the general rules as to who gets reimbursement for VA appointments and how it works:

  • If you are 30 percent or more service-connected by the VA.
  • If you are less than 30 percent, then the treatment you are receiving must be for a service-connected condition.
  • If you receive a VA pension, Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits.
  • If you are traveling in relation to a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam.
  • Veterans with an annual income below the annual VA pension rate (determined by a means test).
  • The current allowable reimbursement amount is 41.5 cents per mile. There is a $3 deductible for each one-way visit, or $6 for each round-trip visit. Upon reaching $18 in deductibles or six one-way (three round) trips, travel payments made for the balance of that particular month will be free of deductible charges. A waiver of these deductibles is given to eligible veterans with low income.
  • You must have an appointment to be eligible for travel pay. Visits that are solely for obtainingpharmaceuticals or lab tests are not considered appointments. If you have separate appointments on the same day at the same location for medical different conditions, you can only receive one travel pay for the day.
  • Travel reimbursement is not solely given for appointments at the Veterans Affairs' Regional Medical Centers. If you travel to a VA clinic and you meet the requirements as laid out above, you are eligible for travel reimbursement.
  • You qualify for special mode transportation (Ambulance, Wheelchair van etc.) if you meet one of the first 4 eligibility items on this list and:

a.Your medical condition requires an ambulance or a specially equipped van as determined by a VA clinician, and

b.The travel is pre-authorized (authorization is not required for emergencies if a delay would be hazardous to life or health)

c.It is your responsibility to apply for any VA travel benefits. You can go back normally 30 days to claim any travel reimbursement.

d.You should be able to obtain the travel form at any VA facility or You can complete one online and download it at .

  • You have the option to direct deposit the reimbursement in your banking account.[Source: Apr 2014 ++]

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DoD 2015 Budget Update 01 ► HASC Rejects Proposed Cuts

In the first official congressional action on the Pentagon’s proposed 2015 budget, House lawmakers have rejected proposed cuts in housing allowances and commissary funding, as well as an overhaul of the Tricare system that would increase out-of-pocket costs for some beneficiaries. But members of the House Armed Services Committee’s personnel panel remained noticeably silent on the Defense Department’s proposed 1 percent basic pay raise for troops next year, opening the door for another smaller-than-expected pay boost in January. And the lawmakers also signaled that they want service members to play a role in deciding what pay and benefits cuts they’ll see in the future, proposing a study that would ask troops to rank their benefits in value and importance — for example, whether they value health care and bigger paychecks over retirement pay and housing allowances. Top Pentagon officials had spent the last two months arguing that the pay and benefits changes are necessary to help contain growing personnel costs, which threaten to overwhelm funding for readiness and modernization as long as the mandatory, automatic budget cuts known as sequestration remain in effect.

Branch President James Thomas presented a Certificate of Achievment with an FRA medal & ribbon to cadet Noah Von Almen during a May 2014 Awards Ceremony at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

NJROTC cadets Colton Braddy, Staeven Faviano, Jordan Williams and Exavier Demeyere from Ridgeview High School presented the Colors at our Memorial Service on 25 May 2014..

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