Major General Jeanne M. Holm Awards

• May 2003
• January 2003
• May 2002
• February 2002
• December 2001
• December 2000
• August 2000
• Spring 2000
• January 2000
• 1999 Newsletters
• 1998 Newsletters
• 1997 Newsletters

Web Site: www.afwoa.org                                                Email: bgenrankin@msn.com

President: Brig. Gen. Karen Rankin, USAF Ret.

May 2003

    Ola! Welcome to Summer…or Spring for those of you in the colder climes. We in the South Texas Chapter of AFWOA are busily preparing for Reunion ’03 and enjoying Texas’ version of Spring, sometimes nice, sometimes rainy, and always variable.

    What an exciting time this is for us all! This is the 100^th year, the Centennial of Flight. We remember that occasion while we prepare for the events of our Reunion. Additionally, as I mentioned last quarter, we have quite deliberately set the Reunion dates so that our members can take part in the many celebrations that make up San Antonio’s Celebration of America’s Military. We are also working to remember the history of Women in the Air Force and especially our pioneers of the WASP. What a national treasure these ladies are! Recently, the National Headquarters of the Daedalians here at Randolph AFB inducted two of our local WASP into their organization. Finally!!!

    South Texas and your National Board enrolled AFWOA in the Texas Conference on Women, which will take place at the Austin, Texas, Convention Center on 1 October. We will mail information to all Texas members and will hold our South Texas chapter meeting in conjunction with the conference. This is an excellent way for AFWOA to become better known as we will appear on the conference website at www.txconferenceforwomen.org. Take a look at that site and come join us if you can. We will publish more information on this event in the July newsletter.

    I had a nice email from an OTS classmate earlier this week. Angelica Pilato is working with a friend in Michigan who is putting together a museum of military memorabilia in the local VFW chapter. There are looking for a woman’s uniform. If you have one that you would like to donate, please contact Angel at

apilato891@aol.com

    We are including in this issue a copy of the letter I sent to SECAF concerning the USAFA sexual harassment issue. I am pleased to tell you that he has taken AFWOA up on our offer to be of assistance. I will be meeting with Dr. Roche in May and will tell you about the meeting later in this newsletter. To my mind, this affirms the commitment we made in September 2000 to become more issue oriented.

    That catches you up on my news. I am looking forward to seeing you all at the Reunion in November.

Cheers!

<>Reunion Update: The 2003 reunion will be at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in San Antonio, November 7-9. The registration packet will be sent to all members in July. But here are the highlights:

    Friday, Nov. 7: Wanda Seals is putting together a tour of the Challenger Learning Center at Brooks-City Base to watch a “mission in progress.” Also, a visit to the famous Hangar 9. Then back to the hotel. Lunch is on your own, with free time until the Welcome Mixer that evening.

    If you had fun at the last Reunion mixer, Pat Murphy and Welda Smith promise even more fun this go-round.

    Saturday, Nov. 8: A day of seminars. Some of the topics we’re pursing include: MOAA to include Long Term Care Insurance; USAA Estate Planning/Senior Financial Planning; VA; TriCare; DoD Transformation.

    On Saturday afternoon there is a parade downtown in honor of the military. It will be a short walk from the hotel to a viewing place for those who wish to see the parade. Saturday evening is the banquet.

    Sunday, Nov. 9: Brunch and business session.

    That’s it in a nutshell. Hope to see you in San Antonio in November.

<>Lifetime Dues: We’ve received quite a few responses to the question of whether or not we should have lifetime dues. The Board of Directors has come up with the following suggested table, based on age:

    70-80 – $ 75

    60-70 – $125

    50-60 – $175

    40-50 – $225

    30-40 – $300

     We will vote on it at the Business Meeting on Sunday, November 9. For those who are unable to attend, please feel free to mail in your vote/comments.

<>Help Always Welcome: If you are interested in helping with the business of the organization, please let Karen Rankin know.

<>Requesting Records from NPRC: The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has an improved method of requesting documents from them with their new web-based application. Go to

    http://vetrecs.archives.gov

to access the application. The NPRC says they will be able to provide quicker service by eliminating the mail room processing time. Also, delays that occur when requesting additional information via snail mail will be minimized as the on-line application will prompt requesters to provide all essential information. The on-line request can be used instead of the Standard Form 180.

<>Reunions: The Burtonwood Association reunion is October 14-18, 2003, in Nashville, Tenn. The Association is named after RAF Burtonwood which the USAF ran from April 1942-June 1993. For more information, contact Richard Iwanowski, 4515 W. 55^th St., Chicago, Ill. 60632. Telephone: 773-767-1810.

    Sampson Air Force Base Veterans Association is holding its reunion Sept. 4-7, 2003, at the former Sampson AFB, now known as Sampson State Park, Romulus, New York. For more information, contact Ken Irish, 116 Lance Lane, Madison Heights, Va. 24572. Telephone: 434-528-5313. Email: KenCIrish@aol.com.

<>Thailand Vets: Marilyn Holmlund, Chandler, Arizona, has started a new web site about her experiences in Thailand. She’d like to get in touch with other women who served in Thailand, especially NKP. The web site is at:

http://members.cox.net/~mjh373/

<>New Members: We extend a warm welcome to our newest AFWOA members. Their full addresses are in the directory mailed with this newsletter.

    Mary Foreman, Henniker, NH

    Suzanne Gehri, Carmel, Calif.

    Britta Hebert, San Antonio, Texas

    Mary Mayer, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

    Jonelle Nabergall, Bradenton, Fla.

<>"Lost” in the Mail: Mail was returned as undeliverable for the following. If you know where they are, please let us know.

    Susan Baer, Silver Spring, Md.

    Ina Downey, Bolling AFB, D.C.

    Mildred Monroe, Edmond, Okla.

    Constance Murphy, Pocasset, Mass.

    Patricia Ravella, Columbia, Md.

    Pamela Round, San Antonio, Texas

    Valerie Sams, Niceville, Fl.

    Suzanne Scott, Castro Valley, Calif.

    Peggy Schissell, Monterey, Calif.

    Pauline Hacker, LtCol USAF Ret 3-20-02

    Katherine “Kitty” Young Hulings

    Laura Queen, Maj USAFR Ret, Aug 2002

    >Deborah Johnston, Macomb, Mich., is currently with the Peace Corps in Armenia.

    >Jean Driscoll, Denver, Colo., is an administrative assistant at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.

    >Marilyn Michaels, Honolulu, Hawaii, is a Labor and Employee Relations Specialist in Civilian Personnel at Hickam AFB.

    >Roseanne Greco, Bowie, Md., retired in January 2003 after more than 29 years service. She is now a contractor employed by Science Applications International Corporation. She had her retirement ceremony at the Women’s Memorial last Veterans Day with all the participants in the ceremony being women.

    >Kay Spannuth, Fairchild AFB, Wash., graduated from the College of Naval Command & Staff last June and is now the 92^nd Communications Squadron Commander at Fairchild.

    >Mary Parker, Yokota AB, Japan, is the new Fifth Air Force/LG (with dual-hat duty as 605^th Air Support Squadron Commander.) She reports it was a short notice move: notified on Feb. 3 and departed Kirtland AFB, N.M, on Feb. 14. But she’s excited about the new job.

    >Anne Krizanauskas, Mesa, Ariz., was inducted as a charter member in the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. Because it was the inaugural ceremony, it included people who served in the military when Arizona was still a territory. It included 26 Medal of Honor recipients. . .as well as Barry Goldwater. Anne says she is very humbled to be included with that august group.

    >Bonnie O’Leary, Aurora, Colo., spent half of January and February in Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Argentina. Also, the Antarctic, making it her seventh continent.

    >Vivienne Sinclair, Finland, sent greetings from Southern Spain, where she and her husband, Leo, live for 3 months a year to miss the coldest months in Finland. She enjoys returning to the Malaga Province every winter because she gets to speak Spanish every day. Vivienne says she remembers her best Air Force tour–teaching Spanish at the Air Force Academy in 1971-1974.

March 20, 2003

Dear Doctor Roche, [General Jumper]

We applaud your and General Jumper’s [Secretary Roche’s] recent statements and changes you have made to correct the history of alleged sexual assaults and rapes at the Air Force Academy.

We also agree that changes must be made in the climate and culture of the Academy, so women and men know what behavior will not be tolerated and that the system is prepared to respond to those who need help. We hope the on-going investigations will bring to the forefront more issues that you and General Jumper [Secretary Roche] can correct.

Our membership, which consists of more than 1,000 active duty, retired and former Air Force women officers, stands behind your policy of zero tolerance of assault or abuse of women. We offer to you the extensive expertise of our membership in many areas and stand ready to assist you in any way possible so that young women can serve in the Air Force proudly and productively.

We hope you will call upon us, if needed. We wish you great success in this important phase of Air Force history.

Sincerely,

Note: In response to this letter, Secretary Roche invited Karen to visit with him on May 13^th. AFWOA has made significant strides in national level recognition with that invitation and Karen’s visit with the Secretary of the Air Force.