The Navy offers wonderful opportunities to contribute beyond the scope of a simple billet assignment. It’s easy to focus enough effort on pleasing a reporting senior to maximize one’s FITREP, but that’s duty inside the lifelines. I submit that your real focus should be on maximizing your contributions to the Navy and its Sailors, not just your career.

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It simply cannot be that we are this close to the end of another year. I don’t even want to think about holiday shopping and that probably means that I am behind as usual. The good news is that it is not too late to take advantage of the great AUSN items in our ship’s store. Go on-line and simplify your shopping.

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To strengthen America’s ability to meet the unconventional security challenges posed by the Cold War, in 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the U.S. Navy SEALs. Since then, thousands of young men, including my husband, have gone on to serve in one of our nation’s most highly trained tactical units — providing our leaders with a critical ability to respond to crises around the globe.

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At this writing, AUSN recently learned that the Pentagon leadership has increased the inpatient fees for TRICARE Standard. We have written letters to the Department of Defense and leadership in Congress expressing our shock and disagreement with these TRICARE Standard copayment increases.

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As the incoming National VP-Membership, I am awash with new ideas, broadsides, and entreatments! While I cull through organizational, new membership, and retention objectives, I would like to give you a sense of what I think will be key issues for Membership to address.

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When the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) issues you a challenge, you reply “Aye, aye, sir!” and get to work. The Virginia Class Program Office did just that in September 2005 when the then—CNO and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, told the Submarine Force that the Navy would build two Virginias in Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) if it could reduce its acquisition costs by 18 percent.

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Do you know what benefits to which you are entitled? Most are aware of the unlimited commissary and exchange privileges, medical (be sure and sign up for Part B when you become eligible for Medicare to continue your TRICARE coverage), 5% Veteran’s preference (10% if rated disabled) with almost all Federal, State, and local governmental agencies, but were you aware of the many forms of disability retirement, forms of disability pay, death benefits, life insurance, retirement, and long term or nursing homes, home loans, and Space-A travel?

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Shipmates, we here in District Three are looking forward to the commissioning of USS New York (LPD 21) on 7 November. More than seven tons of steel from the twin towers are part of her stem and the ship’s motto is “Never Forget.”

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A group from the AUSN Manchester Chapter sponsored a Navy Day at an American Defenders of New Hampshire baseball game held in historic Holman Stadium, Nashua, New Hampshire, on 14 August.

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Unfortunately, we are once again beginning to read about colleges banning ROTC programs from their campuses and learning that in a growing number of high schools across the nation, United States military history is being ignored or, in some cases, distorted.

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The “Credit Card Act of 2009” (the “Act” and H.R. 627) was signed into law on 22 May 2009. The Act amends provisions of the “Truth in Lending Act” and “Electronic Fund Transfer Act” and changes the way credit card companies treat their customers.

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In March, twenty-five Sailors and officers of Sealift Logistics Command Pacific’s (SEALOGPAC) five supporting U.S. Navy Reserve units spent two weeks on the beautiful island of Oahu, training to support operations throughout the SEALOGPAC area of responsibility.

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Since early last year, I have had the privilege of serving with some of America’s most distinguished and senior retired military leaders on the CNA Military Advisory Board, which produced two reports directly related to the recent MOAA/Pew/CNA Washington forum.

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