rapidfire Benefits Brief

DEATH AND LOSS HAPPEN; it’s inevitable. We might have time to plan, or it might be a sudden loss that leaves us with immeasurable grief. Either way, death is never easy. A plethora of emotions can immo- bilize those grieving, which is why MOAA created the Survivor’s Checklist: First Steps for Moving On to ease survivors into the immediate actions necessary in the days, weeks, and months after a loved one’s death. This checklist-style brochure provides in an easy-

to-track timeline the contact information for the first agencies and institutions to notify upon the death of a servicemember or military dependent. It follows up with a list of other contacts to consider that are not as time-sensitive but nonetheless are important. Keep this checklist readily available alongside your

important papers. MOAA Premium and Life members can download the checklist at www.moaa.org/publica tions or call MOAA’s Member Service Center at (800) 234-6622 to receive a copy by mail. If you are not a Premium or Life member, upgrade your MOAA mem- bership to receive a copy of the Survivor’s Checklist and gain access to MOAA’s benefits and financial counselors when needed. — Cmdr. Katherine O’Neill Tracy, USN (Ret), is a deputy director in MOAA’s Transition Center

Miscellany: Best picks

SUMMER GREENS. Lettuce is a nutritious vegetable providing many nutrients including fiber, vitamins A and K, and minerals such as

potassium and iron. Though usually eaten raw, it also can be cooked and included in soups and stews. Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, USPHS (Ret), D.O., provides lettuce tips and recipes at www.moaa.org/nutrition. *RECORD YOUR SERVICE. StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative honors the stories of those who serve in the military and the families who support them. Learn about this NPR project or listen to other veterans’ stories at www.storyco rps.org/military-voices.

In Review

Modern American Snip- ers: From the Legend to the Reaper — on the Battlefield With Special Operations Snipers. By Chris Martin. St. Martin’s Press, 2014. $26.99. ISBN 978-1-250-06717-3.

Military snip- ers have received exten- sive press coverage

lately in books and movies, and now journalist Chris Martin off ers a helpful one-volume explanation of sniper employment, train- ing, equipment, and tactics used across the spectrum of military operations. Neither a memoir nor

an adventure tale, this is a comprehensive his- tory of current sniper operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with back- ground from Vietnam and Panama. Martin highlights the accomplishments of famous snipers like Carlos Hathcock, Chris Kyle, and others, but he focuses more on sniper team organization, use of intelligence, off ensive and defensive deployment, tips and tricks, and the rigor- ous selection and use of snipers in the Army Rang- ers, Marine Corps, and Navy SEALs.

20 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2015 He also describes sniper

employment in mountains, deserts, and urban areas; rifl es like the Knights Ar- mament SR-25 and the Barrett; as well as complex ballistics, confusing rules of engagement, and the snip- er’s critical roles of recon- naissance and surveillance.

Flying Warbirds: An Illus- trated Profile of the Fly- ing Heritage Collection’s Rare WWII-Era Aircraft. By Cory Graff. Zenith Press, 2014. $40. ISBN 978-0-7603- 4649-5.

Long after 1945, the combat aircraft of World War II still

attract legions of military history buff s and aviation enthusiasts. Aviation histo- rian Cory Graff presents a stunning pictorial history of the war’s most iconic combat aircraft, from the well-known Spitfi re and Focke-Wulf to the more ob- scure Messerschmitt rock- et-propelled Komet and the pudgy, cartoonish Russian Polikarpov I-16. Nineteen aircraft are

featured from the inven- tory of the Flying Heritage Collection Museum in Ev- erett, Wash. Color photos and crisp narrative show- case the aeronautical his- tories of these aircrafts. — William D. Bushnell

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK