FORT LOWELL-APACHE CHAPTER

THE CHIEF SAYS

Hello Folks,

In the March, issue of our WOA Newsliner is a Membership Survey. Did you fill out yours? I hope so, it’s your Association and they need to know what’s important to you. Don’t let them down, fill out the survey and mail it off.

It’s that time of year, again, yep, Tax time. Did you get your copy of your 1099R tax statement from DFAS? No, don’t’ worry go to myPay.dfas,mil for a copy of your 1099R.

You’ve heard it before but I need to remind you again, we need your help in keeping our membership up. Please get out and recruit. Here’s a tip:

Wear a cap, tee shirt, or jacket with the USAWOA/Rising Eagle logo when in public. When people ask, “What’s that?” That’s you’re your opportunity to recruit. Need a Tee or Hat? Go to Mailto:mrschief@cox.net, our VP will deliver one to you at our next meeting

Just a reminder, please join Nancy and me at the Double Tree hotel on April 14^th, for a tour, dinner and a chance to mingle with friends. We hope to see you their. P.S. Harold & Gary, we miss you, please, come home. Ron

MEMORABILIA

Whether it’s a new golf shirt with the Rising Eagle, a mouse pad, Rising Eagle Belt Buckle just to name just a few items offered email mrschief@cox.net and our Veep will deliver your order at the next Chapter meeting.

CALLING ALL GOLFERS

If you know any golfers, remind them that we need them to play on 12 June at the famous Randolph Golf Course.

See Vin for details.

RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS IS EVERY MEMBERS JOB ONE

FLASH

All chapter members, their spouses and guests are invited to join us at the Double Tree Hotel for our next meeting on 14 April. Let’s all meet at 1800 at the Sales Office for the start of the facilities tour. Then we will go to our reserved seating where we can all order dinner from their extensive menu and hold our monthly Chapter meeting.

This will be our first chance to check out the home of the 2005 AMM.

CALENDAR

Membership Meeting Apr 14

Fort Lowell Founded May 12

Membership Meeting Jun 08

Third Annual Golf Tourney Jun 12

WO Corps Ball-Ft Rucker Jul 14

Membership Meeting Jul 14

Membership Meeting Aug 11

National Airborne Day Aug 15

Membership Meeting Sep 08

Membership Meeting Oct 13 2004 AMM-Virginia Oct 11-16

2005 AMM-Tucson Oct 24-28

(Subject to Change)

CHAPTER OFFICERS

President Ron James

520-219-3337 rjames3988@aol.com

Vice President/Editor Joe Gill

520-458-4099 joegill1@cox.net

Secretary Vin Baiocchetti

520-742-5302 vbaio@comcast.net

Treasurer Arthur Schmid

520-574-0399 cw3Art@aol.com

Historian                Leonard Wilfong

520-790-6198 len23@aol.com

(CUT ME OUT)

WEB ADDRESSES

USAWOA On-Line www.usawoa.org.

WO Scholarship Foundation www.usawoa.org/woasf.

WO Heritage Foundation www.usawoa.org/woheritage.

RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS IS EVERY MEMBERS JOB ONE

DEPLOYED MEMBERS

Two of our Chapter members are still deployed. Please remember them in our prayers and write them on happenings here on the home front via email from all of us.

     CW2 Scott Kirley

     scott.kirtley@us.army.mil

     WO1 Jeff Whitbeck

jeffrey.whitbeck@us.army.mil

ELECTION YEAR

Our Association’s National positions are filled through elections, held every two years. The members elected to these offices make up the Board of Directors for the USAWOA. Here is a list of all of the National Offices: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, plus Directors for the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-North, Mid-South and Western Regions. Please contact our Immediate Past President, CW5 (Ret) Dick Scalzo, at if you are interested in running for any of the Chapter and/or National Offices. Completed Nomination Forms and Resumes must reach Home Office by July 12 to be on the ballot.

I AM HOME

Yes, I did finally get back. It’s good to be back. I actually got back to Tucson on 12 Mar. I’m still trying to get used to the US again. I’m
planning on taking leave in April during the time on your next scheduled meeting. I have to go up Minnesota. I have also received PCS orders this week that will send me back to Minnesota on or about 25 August 04. So a lot of things will change for me this year.
Lyle-

RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS IS EVERY MEMBERS JOB ONE

WO UNIFORM CHANGE

It’s official. AR 670-1, 5 Sep 03, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia has been updated. Effective 09 July 2004 [to coincide with the 86^th Anniversary of the establishment of the Army Warrant Officer Corps] the Rising Eagle will be removed from the Army uniform and replaced by the WOs basic MOS branch insignia. In addition, the previously approved CW5 bar- a silver-colored bar, 3/8 inch in width and 1-1/8 inch in length, with a black line in the center of the bar will replace the current bar. The 'Coat Of Arms of the U.S.'
insignia on all service (saucer) caps will replace the large ‘Rising Eagle’ insignia effective 9 July 2004.

By 09 July 2006, the basic branch colors will replace the brown lapel facing on the blue mess dress uniform and the sleeve braid on the dress blue uniforms. New dress blue shoulder insignias will be available through approved sources including AAFES. The branch outside hatband colors will also replace the gold and brown hatband colors.

Retired officers are authorized, under prescribed circumstances, to wear either the currently authorized uniform or the approved uniform at the time of their retirement as long as it fits properly and is in good repair including accessories.

REUNION IN TUCSON

The 459th Signal Battalion (Vietnam) will be holding its first reunion in Tucson Arizona June 17 - 20, 2004. The reunion is open to all battalion members from all assigned companies/detachments, who served from 1962 to 1972.

For information, contact Howard Bartholf at 804-364-2603 or email at howard.bartholf@carotek.com

NEW CCWO FOR USAR

CW5 David L. Koch, AGR USAR has assumed the duties of Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Reserve. He is assigned to the Command Group at the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve, in Washington, DC. CW5 Koch comes to this assignment as Deputy Assistant Commandant and USAR Liaison at the Warrant Officer Career Center, Fort Rucker, AL. He has bee a member of USAWOA since 1998 and is a Past Chapter President. The leadership and membership of USAWOA wish CW5 Koch the best in his new assignment. CW5 Koch replaces CW5 Donald R. Garlow who served as the first CCWO of the USAR. He retired after some 39 years of military service which included assignment as the Senior TAC Officer as Reserve Component WOCS at Fort McCoy, WI and a tour at AR-PERSCOM in St. Louis, MO. CW5 Garlow has been a member of USAWOA since 1986 and is a Past Chapter President. The leadership and membership of USAWOA wish him only the best in retirement.

THIS AND THAT

ALARACT 030/2004 Army Message announced the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award winners for Calendar Year 2003. Twenty-five officers have been selected by their respective components: thirteen from the Active Army, six from the Army National Guard, and six from the Army Reserve. Among the active Army winners is CW2 Thomas K. Asselta, representing the U. S. Army Special Operations Command. He will receive a General MacArthur Bust and other recognition at an awards ceremony in the Pentagon sometime in May 2004

RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS IS EVERY MEMBERS JOB ONE

BRONZE STAR AWARDED

The SUV hit a wall because the driver was dead, shot in the head by a sniper. An AK-47 round pierced the passenger side door and gouged a chunk out of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Meyer Hoff’s right calf. Bullets were pinging into the truck from two or three directions. Meyerhoff was wearing his new vest with honest to God bulletproof plates for the first time that day. He turned to face his attackers and put the plates to the test. "I thought, let's see if this thing really works," said Meyerhoff, 55, of Valle Crucis, N.C. On that Sept. 3 morning, Meyerhoff, Capt. Juan David Pena, SPC. Travis Duarte and civilian Vernon Gaston were driving on a highway south of Baghdad to Babylon, scouting out a route for military mail convoys. The Army Reserve troops with the 461st Personnel Services Battalion out of Decatur, Ga., mapped out routes all over Iraq. Gaston, the driver, was a Kellogg Brown & Root contractor. "Our No. 1 priority is making sure the mail goes to the Army post offices in the safest manner," Pena said. The ambush, however, proved that mail carriers in Iraq face deadly threats to get troops their letters and packages. For their performance that day, Pena, Meyerhoff and Duarte will receive the Bronze Star with the "V" device for valor. Meyerhoff was awarded the Purple Heart in December.

MEMBER SURVEY

In the March NEWSLINER is your opportunity to tell USAWOA leadership how they’re doing [or not doing!]. Please suggest how they can “re-invent itself to meet the needs of the Warrant Officer Corps of the future.

Thanks to those members that have already responded. USAWOA is member-driven -- We listen.

RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS IS EVERY MEMBERS JOB ONE