Content Manager posted on September 01, 2009 00:15
September 2009 Navy
by Casey W. Coane
Because of publication deadlines, as we write this Congress is about to leave for the August recess. I hope that you are following our legislative reports, either on the web or through the legislative alerts that CAPT Puzon sends. As this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) works its way through Congress, we are very upbeat about the potential success of a number of our agenda items. CAPT Puzon is on the Hill every day working on your behalf. Reputation in the various Congressional offices and Committee rooms is an important thing and we enjoy a good one thanks to CAPT Puzon.
If you are retired, you have to depend on associations like ours to protect your benefits. And things like TRICARE for Life are always under assault.
From time to time, you see articles in Navy written by one of our interns. I am very proud of our intern program and you should be as well. Having a great program contributes to the overall reputation of the Association, and I can tell you at least three sister organizations now copy our program. Our interns are up on the Hill almost daily, attending hearings and writing reports. Some of you may know that one of our interns has been hired full-time by a sister organization. That certainly speaks well of the quality of people we bring into our program.
By the time many of you read this column, we will have concluded our conference in San Diego. Our next conference is also designed to take us to a part of the country with a large Navy presence – Jacksonville, FLA. Like San Diego, we have negotiated a great hotel rate, so start making plans now to join us. As we continue to make the transition to a more inclusive association, it is still the members at the conferences that shape the future by their committee work and votes at general session. Just as with legislation, your vote counts. So please join us.
This month, our feature is our second interview with VADM Debbink. We spoke on a number of topics and I think the interview clearly indicates his priorities for his second year at the helm. I believe it is fair to say that our Association has a great working relationship with his staff and with his help we are developing similar relationships with other parts of the OPNAV staff. Also, this month, we have another installment from CAPT Dave Mitchell as he continues to send us updates from Afghanistan. After his return, we will have at least one more article from Dave describing his experiences as he redeploys back to the civilian world. On page 22, we have a different article written by a self professed “left coast liberal” that I think you will enjoy. The lesson therein is what a wonderful Navy we have has seen through the eyes of someone not particularly predisposed to think so.
I just received a letter from FORCE Master Chief Ronney Wright thanking us for our support of his Top Five SOY luncheon (July issue of NRA News). We also attended the MCPON’s barbeque celebrating the four Sailors of the Year and their Chiefs “pinning” the next day at the Navy Memorial. For the thousands of people who visit the Navy Memorial Heritage Center each year, prominently displayed is the kiosk with the video history of each Sailor of the Year. Just as prominently displayed is the AUSN logo as one of the sponsors of that kiosk. This is all part of supporting our Navy and Navy Reserve and creating visibility for your Association. As always, enjoy the read.