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MILITARY OFFICER
MAY 2012 $4.75 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MOAA | ONE POWERFUL VOICE®
WWW.MOAA.ORG
STRIKING BACK MOAA and DoD
witnesses clashed at a hearing on health care 31
GO FOR BROKE
Japanese-Americans served with valor in World War II 50
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that ‘Service- members are taught to act first and think later’ is simply not true 99
“ To write
percent of the time.
—Maj. Vincent M. Ryder, USAF-Ret.
”
Military spouses have a consistent ally in their pursuit of career development: MOAA 56
4/4/12 8:26 AM
Kudos for Activism As MOAA members know from reading “Striking Back” [Washington Scene, May 2012], MOAA Government Relations Di- rector Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF-Ret., recently testified [at a] House Armed Ser- vices military personnel subcommittee hearing on defense health care programs. Strobridge is doing a commendable job serving as MOAA’s “tip of the spear” in ad- vocating our retirement medical benefits in front of congressional committees. I was especially impressed by the fol-
lowing excerpt from the article: “Noting defense leaders’ pledge not to
impose retirement changes for currently serving people, Strobridge said, ‘If keeping faith means no changes for today’s troops on retirement, it’s breaking faith to raise their retirement health fees by $2,000. It’s the same as a $2,000 retired-pay cut. And if it’s breaking faith to change the rules for someone with one year of service, it’s dou- bly so for those who already completed 20 or 30 [years].’ ” … We all have to remember to stand be- hind our MOAA leaders, such as Colonel Strobridge, during MOAA’s upcoming calls for emails and letters to our elected repre- sentatives on this important matter. —Lt. Col. Paul M. Jones Jr., USAF-Ret. via email
Finally a military magazine, Military Officer, is up front with being disgusted with those who want to take away what we veterans were promised and earned. I am proud of you editors. Keep up the good work. Don’t back off. Keep telling it like it is. —Lt. Col. Tony Weissgarber, USAF via email
Culture Shock I believe you have placed some very use- ful information in [“Culture Shock,” May 2012], and I thank you for it. However, the
16 MILITARY OFFICER JULY 2012
second-to-last entry of the “Forewarned is Forearmed” inset piece is misleadingly in- accurate. To write that “Servicemembers are taught to act first and think later” is simply not true 99 percent of the time. Of course, combat personnel react to combat situations based on extensive training, and this might appear to be “acting first” (without thinking). In reality, the “think- ing” for such life-threatening situations is “built in” to the servicemember’s mind in advance so that it has become necessarily a (life-saving) habit. I assure you, the other 99 percent of the
time (when servicemembers are not in a life-threatening situation), we do think. Even when following orders. —Maj. Vincent M. Ryder, USAF-Ret. via email
Proving Their Mettle The May issue … contains a detailed ar- ticle [“Proving Their Mettle”] about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, one of the most decorated units in U.S. Army history. At the end of April, the Illinois MOAA Council [of Chapters] was invited to and attended the Nikkei WWII Veter- ans Tribute honoring the Chicago-area nisei soldiers, 45 of whom attended, most from the 442nd. Their bravery was truly commendable, particularly since their families had been displaced to internment camps at the start of the war. The guest speakers were U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Maj. Gen. James Mukoyama Jr., the first officer of Japanese descent to com- mand a U.S. Army Division. —Lt. Col. John DeReu, USA-Ret. via email
As a charter Life Member of MOAA and a veteran of World War II, it is upsetting to me to see so many errors and omissions in the historical record as are included in … “Proving Their Mettle.” …
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