“GREAT FASHION SHOW, LADIES.” The fashions from The Country Store and men’s fashions from Jos A. Banks were presented by our own ROWS models and narrated by Maureen Mottoleese, while her daughter Terri Abraham coordinated the show.  We owe a big hand and thanks to our models as they did a superb job.  The ladies were Gladys Jenkins, Nancy Corner, Darlene Nelson, Sally Saunders, Annette Go, Ruth Geel, and Jean Ford Murphy.  The men added a very special touch with their modeling.   They were John Smeltzer, Al Geel, Bill Walker, Brad Smith, and Steve DeLamater.  Pat Grillo surprised us dressed in his Dress Mess Uniform.  Each one of you added so much to make it a terrific show.  I have only heard nothing but praise and how good the food was.  The music added an even further touch of joy and put us in the right mood.  Thanks to Randy from the Temple of Music who furnished the digital piano for our pianist Rachael Bradshaw. 

Be sure to reserve NOW on your calendar for our Thanksgiving luncheon on November 13, 2003, with the Colonial Musicians and for our Christmas Dinner Dance on December 5, 2003, with Walter Noona and his Big Band, both at the Princess Anne Country Club.  We will not have a luncheon in December, just the Dinner Dance on Dec. 5th, and the Christmas Trip to New York on Dec. 8-11.  Jan. 8, 2004, will be our surprise birthday luncheon and our Valentine Luncheon will be on Feb. 12, 2004, at the Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club. 

There will only be one combined newsletter with both December’s and January’s events and news, so please put up your November and December newsletters in a safe place, that you may be able to refer to them for time and location of events. 

The lucky winner of our big October Fashionable Fifty-Fifty Raffle was Norma Gregory.   She carted away sixty-eight doubloons.

Mark your calendars for these ROWS luncheon meetings: 

• December, Christmas Dinner Dance with Walter Noona; Trip to NYC.
• January, Birthday Luncheon Surprise.
• February, Valentine Luncheon.

Roses
     Eileen Small
     Betty Mayetta
     Patty Leon

Get Well Cards
     Betty Mayetta
     Patty Leon
     Eileen Small
     RADM Linn Felt

Sympathy Cards
     Glenys Mary Mitchem

Memorials
     LtCol Winfred E. Mitchem, USA, September 30, 2003

Acknowledgements
     Davis Corner Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, in re Robert McGregor

Personal Notes of Thanks
     Sue Earl
     Patty Leon

We are happy to welcome the following new members to ROWS:

Rachel Bradshaw        2923 Seashore Pt.
    (Harold)     VB, VA 23454     431-8388

Mary Bordone             4509 Wishart Rd.
     Richard      VB, VA 23455    464-5629

Martha Weaver    432 West Plantation Rd
     (John H.)     VB, VA 23454   340-0685

Please note that the numbers “03-04” that appear above your name on the newsletter label indicate that you have paid your dues until May 31, 2004, when it will be time to renew your membership.

We have a total membership of 380 as of October 14, 2003.  Please encourage your friends and neighbors who are wives of retired officers to join us so that they too may enjoy the programs and the camaraderie.

What will it take to win an SBP?  SBP-upgrade bills are regularly introduced in Congress and usually attract significant numbers of co-sponsors.  (H.R. 548 currently has 275 so-sponsors, S.  451 has 39.)  But Congress has never passed a fix.  The answer is “Far more grassroots support than has been generated so far.”  The squeaky wheel does get oiled.  Contact relatives and friends in other states and ask that they get in touch with their congressman requesting - MOAA’s web site, http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills, makes it easy to send letters to Congress.  Click on any bill names and enter your zip code and generate a letter to send to your or any one else’s legislators.

Debate on Special Pays continues.  Administration would cut special pays for overseas troops.

DOD awards TRICARE Contracts:  Humana in the South, Health Net Federal Services in the North and TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp. in the West.  In spite of contract changes, the benefit structure will not change.

COLA Watch:  The Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained level in July.  The cost-of-living adjustment most likely will not exceed 2%.  The final COLA will be determined on or about Oct. 15.

Coalition testifies at hearing for expansion of Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) which governs the rights and responsibilities of all service members to return to their jobs with pay raises and restoration of other benefits as though they had never left the work place.  This pertains to Reserves who have been called up. 

DOD prepares to eliminate Nonavailability Statement with a long-awaited interim final rule titled “Elimination of Nonavailability Statement and Referral Authorization Requirements and Elimination of Specialized Treatment Services Program”.  This action is long overdue.

VA Health and Benefits:  In a surprise move, House appropriators and the full House cut $1.8 billion from the agreed increase of $3.2 billion despite a bipartisan effort to stick to the budget resolution led by Reps Chris Smith (R- N.J.), Lane Evans (D- Ill) and Rob Simmons (R- Conn).  With the nation at war and hundreds of injured troops eventually being transferred from military health care into the VA health care system, it’s imperative that the Senate honor the full $3.2 billion increase.

The House passed a bill (H.R. 2357) that establishes Chiropractic care as a VA benefit.  The Senate has not yet taken up this legislation.

We are in the midst of recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Isabel.  Thankfully, none of our midshipmen, faculty, staff, visiting Alumni or parents suffered any injuries.  However, the damage the Academy sustained from the 7.5 foot storm surge, particularly to our electrical and mechanical infrastructure, was significant.  We are still assessing the extent of damage, but believe full recovery will take months. 

Bancroft Hall, King Hall, the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, Dahlgren Hall, Ricketts Hall, MacDonough Hall and the Halsey Field House suffered minor water damage and have been restored to full operations.  Mitscher Hall and the majority of our academic buildings all received extensive water damage from flooding.  The basement labs in Chauvenet (chemistry) and Rickover (engineering) were among the hardest hit.  Hundreds of contractors and Academy personnel undertook a Herculean effort, working around the clock for 72 hours, so that we were ready to resume makeshift classes on Monday 22 Sep, and continue our mission to develop midshipmen into future officers for our Navy and Marine Corps.

We know many challenges await us as we progress to full recovery in the weeks and months ahead.  I am confident our Navy leadership will support us with the resources we require.  I ask for your support in being sensitive to the significant impact this storm had on the Academy.  Midshipmen, faculty, staff and contractors continue to keep our collective focus on our mission and overcoming setbacks caused by the hurricane.

Sincerely, 

VADM Rodney P. Rempt,

Superintendent