| * Letters: Included with this newsletter are several letters.
The first is a copy of a letter that Karen set to the new chair of DACOWITS,
Lt Gen Carol Mutter, USMC (Retired) on her selection to that position.
The second is the letter we received from Brig Gen Wilma Vaught, President
of WIMSA, about the theater chairs for Col. Emma J. Riley, USAF (Retired)
and Col. Elizabeth Ray, USAF (Retired). The third enclosure is a TRICARE
Fact Sheet from the TRICARE Management Activity.
* Treasurer’s Report: Response to dues has been excellent.
More than 50% of our members sent in dues last year. In addition, many
of our members were very generous with additional donations. Here’s how
we fared in 2002:
| Dues received: |
+ $4,660 |
| Donations received: |
+ $5,585 |
Expenses:
|
Printing:
|
$ 4,560
|
|
Mailing Services:
|
169
|
|
Postage:
|
486
|
|
Address Corrections/
Returned Mail:
|
100
|
|
PO Box Rental:
|
68
|
|
Bulk Permit Fee:
|
125
|
|
Board Travel:
|
143
|
|
Office Supplies:
|
66
|
|
- $ 5,717 |
The additional donations enabled us to meet our expenses. Now that we
have dues and can count on regular income, we anticipate returning to three
to four newsletters a year, plus the directory revision.
* WAF Directors Chairs at WIMSA: The theater chairs
for the WAF Directors have all been funded, thanks to the generosity of
all of you. We had an extraordinary response to our last appeal to push
the funding for the chairs. A special thanks go to Evaline Absalom and
Anna McKim, Martins Ferry, Ohio, for their generous donations to the Colonels
Riley and Ray chairs.
* AFWOA Awards: Our awards program with the USAF
Academy and AFROTC are well under way. Since 1980, we have sponsored the
Most Valuable Women’s Swimmer Award at the Air Force Academy, now called
the Col. Geraldine May Outstanding Swimmer Award (Woman). The 2002 winner
was Sarah M. Law, a repeat winner from 2001. Sarah was also named the Most
Valuable Female Athlete for the Academy Class of 2002.
Our first AFROTC awards, the Jeanne M. Holm
Leadership Excellence Awards, were presented to top cadets in each of the
AFROTC regions. Last year’s honorees were:
-
AFROTC Northeast Region: Cadet John R. Groth, Detachment 643, Wright State
University
-
AFROTC Northwest Region: Cadet Thomas J. Leyden, Detachment 440, University
of Missouri–Columbia
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AFROTC Southeast Region: Cadet James E. Tucker, Detachment 172, Valdosta
State University
-
AFROTC Southwest Region: Cadet Danielle K. Corral, Detachment 20, University
of Arizona
* Directory Being Updated: Our directory of members
is being updated, with anticipated mailing in April. Please let us know
if you have an email address–or if it has changed–as well as changes in
your snail mail address or other changes in your directory information.
Send updates to our post office box or directly to the newsletter editor,
by March 15th: Carol Habgood (email chabgood@world-net.net
).
* Reunion 2003: Yes, it’s welcome to San Antonio
in November. Our convention chairs are Wanda Seals and Carol Habgood. They
promise to pull out all the stops once again to make your visit with us
a memorable one. Bev LaFond did a super job lining up the Adam’s Mark for
us. Our convention registration packet will be sent to all members this
summer. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, feel free to contact Wanda
(whseals@yahoo.com) or Carol (chabgood@world-net.net).
Or by snail mail (addresses are in the directory.)
* VA Information: The VA has published the “25 Most Asked
Questions from Women Veterans” on their web site (http://www.va.gov/womenvet).
Topics include services available to women veterans, information about
gender specific services and employment options for women veterans. The
site offers women veterans direct access to the Center for Women Veterans.
* Elderhostel to Visit Normandy: Elderhostel is offering
a 12-night program to visit the Normandy area of France, site of some of
the most intense fighting during World War II. The program includes field
trips to the Airborne Museum, the D-Day Landing Museum, the Rangers Memorial,
and to Utah, Omaha, and British Beaches. A special highlight of the program
is the opportunity to meet French “eyewitnesses” who recall their experiences
of the German occupation, French resistance, D-Day landings, and the ensuing
fighting. There will also be an opportunity to visit the historic city
of Bayeau and the famed tapestry of William the Conquerer. Also,
there are excursions to Mont St. Michel, Deauville, and Honfleur. Monthly
departures from New York start in March. For more information, call toll-free
877-426-8056, or visit the Elderhostel website at http://www.elderhostel.org.
* AFA Awards: Karen Rankin was honored at the national convention
of the Air Force Association last September when she received the Exceptional
Service Award. The Alamo Chapter in San Antonio also received the Community
Partner Membership Achievement Award and the Unit Activity Award for Exceptional
Service in Community Relations. Karen recently completed her tour as president
of the Alamo Chapter, and was a driving force in the chapter’s success.
* Notifying AFWOA: Recently we’ve had mail returned with the
notation “Deceased.” We’re always sad to hear that one of our members has
died. In many cases, someone in the family notifies us when they receive
one of our newsletters. And in a few cases, we don’t hear anything until
mail is returned, and that may be more than a year after a death. When
updating your estate plans, why not include a list of organizations to
notify when you pass on?
* New Members
We extend a warm welcome to our newest AFWOA members. Their full addresses
are in the directory supplement included with this
newsletter.
Jessica Bedell, Hanscom AFB MA
Bonnie Nowaczyk, Freeland MI
Darah Pieper, Hanscom AFB, MA
Josephine Pinkney, Odenton MD
Lynn Pratt, Schertz TX
Delories Verrett, Aurora CO
Sheri Wolfson, San Antonio TX
* News About Our Members
* Lorry Fenner, Washington, D.C., is serving a one year
fellowship with the U.S. Supreme Court. She’s in the Office of the Administrative
Assistant to the Chief Justice. This is the first time in the 30 year history
of the program that a military member has been selected. She pinned on
colonel last May.
* J. Darby Stacey, San Antonio, TX, is working for American
Airlines doing technical support for their website. As she says, she started
working for them seven years ago “on a fluke” and is still enjoying the
job today.
* Laura Jensen-Currie, San Antonio, TX, reports she is
either on an airplane, on the golf course, or in a classroom. In the past
year and a half, she has been to Europe and Asia three times and “done
every exciting thing China, Tibet and Nepal had to offer.” She’s president
of the Ladies’ Golf Association and the vice president for projects for
the San Antonio Fiber Artists. She’s taken courses in cooking, sewing,
quilting and flower arranging. She talked Madeline Chavis, Falls Church,
VA, into going on the Asia adventure, a grueling 19 days on every mode
of transportation, including a yak. In between travels, Laura still holds
the Ironwoman record for the most golf games played I a year. Last year
she played in the City of San Antonio tournament and tied for second in
her flight.
* Mary Staley, Arlington, VA, retired last year after
“22 wonderful years of adventure and challenge.” Last summer, she started
a three-year Master’s of Divinity program at Virginia Theological Seminary.
It’s 10 miles from the Pentagon so she doesn’t have to move.
* Karen Goodman, Londonderry, NH, is Director of Continuing
Education, Southern New Hampshire University – Nashua Center. She credits
her military experience with preparing her well for her new career. She
says the university has the number one Distance Education program in New
England and is one of the top three on-line MBA programs in the nation.
For more information about their courses or degree programs, you can check
out their web site at http://www.snhu.edu.
* Glenda Raichlen, Biloxi, MS, is deputy commander of
the 81st Support Group at Keesler AFB. Glenda extends this inviation: “Should
any AFWOA members be in the Biloxi area, please call, as I would love to
meet and treat you to a tour of the base.”
* Bonnie O’Leary, Aurora, CO, continues to recruit for
AFWOA at Buckley AFB. Last summer she attended the 50th reunion of the
Air Force Television Squadron in Hollywood, CA. She also held her birthday
party at WIMSA, only the second birthday party to be held there. She reports
that her cousins and friends came from 10 states and were impressed with
and touched by the memorial.
* Wanda Seals, San Antonio, TX, continues to substitute
teach in the San Antonio schools, that is when she’s not jumping on an
airplane to explore the world. Her big trip last year was to Taiwan, Singapore
and Malaysia for three weeks in June and July. She even took time out to
send email from the Taipei Art Museum in Taiwan. She’s now been to 78 of
the 313 countries listed with the Travelers’ Century Club. Her adventure
this year is to the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Belarus,
Ukraine and Moldava.
* "Lost" in the Mail
Our mail was returned as non-deliverable to the following. If
you know where they are, please let us know.
Angela Biggs, Schertz TX
Linda Benoit, Lackland AFB TX
Maudie J. Blondin, Lakewood CO
Connie Bradley, Boston MA
Blanchella Casey, Warner Robins GA
Stephanie Cornelius, San Antonio TX
Ellistene D. Curry, Mansfield OH
Mary Jane Davis, New Orleans LA
Linda L. Eisel, APO AP 96367
Paula Flavell, Vandenberg AFB CA
Pauline Hacker, Spokane WA
Jennifer Judd, Randolph AFB TX
Kristi Lowenthal, Colorado Springs CO
Betty Ryland, Gainesville FL
* Blue Yonder
Since our last Newsletter, we regret to inform you of the death of:
Grace M. “Maggie” Barth, LtCol USAF Ret 12-6-01
Mary Byrne, LtCol USAF Ret 4-7-02
Jane McElroy, LtCol USAF Ret 12-9-01
Mary Millian, LtCol USAF Ret.5-17-02
Marion Norby (2002)
Marjorie “Chris” Raynor, LtCol USAF Ret 4-25-02
Carolyn Boatwright Rice, Major USAF Ret 9-15-02
Amy Jo Smith, Major USAFRet 6-11-02
Sue L. Sweeney, Major USAF Ret (2002)
Vera Von Stein, Major USAFRet 1-3-98
Nena Zitinsky, LtCol USAF Ret (2002)
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REMINDER:
2003 DUES ARE DUE
Please take a few minutes to send your $10 dues to
AFWOA
P.O. Box 780155
San Antonio, Texas
78278-0155
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