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chaptersinaction Exchanging Ideas


Council leaders convened near the nation’s capital to share best practices and determine the most effective ways for chapters to evolve in the future.


M


OAA leaders and spouses from across the country participated in the 2016


Council Presidents’ Seminar in Al- exandria, Va., April 11-14, for almost a week’s worth of advocacy events and professional development they can use to enhance their chapters. On Tuesday, April 12, participants


reviewed important legislative issues MOAA had selected to highlight dur- ing the annual “storming” of Capitol Hill: protecting Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)-Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits for mil- itary widows and widowers from the military “widows tax” and rejecting disproportional TRICARE fee hikes and plan changes.


Storming the Hill Chair of MOAA’s Board of Directors Gen. Charles T. Robertson Jr., USAF (Ret), opened the briefing later that day by saying how important Storming the Hill is to the association. “In my humble opinion, [it is] the most important day of the year for what we do,” he said. “It gives us our chance to walk over to Capitol Hill, look our legislators in the eye, [and] ask them for their support on some issues that are critical.” He thanked the board of direc-


tors’ Government Relations Com- mittee; Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret), MOAA’s director of Govern- ment Relations; and Strobridge’s


team for all of their hard work in preparing for the event. Strobridge then took the stage and briefed the audience on the SBP-DIC offset and TRICARE fee hikes. The next day, more than 160


MOAA members — led by council and chapter leaders from almost


[MOAA] makes. ... This is a Congress that needed to see things in print.


“ What a difference


— Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), former chair, House Military Personnel Subcommittee and sponsor of H.R. 1594





every state and members of the as- sociation’s board of directors, staff, Surviving Spouse Advisory Com- mittee, and Currently Serving and Currently Serving Spouse advisory councils — stormed Capitol Hill. Hill-stormers provided their legislators with detailed informa- tional packets, which contained key takeaways, FAQs, fact sheets, and full-color pamphlets breaking down each issue — protecting SBP-DIC benefits for military widows and widowers from the widows tax and rejecting disproportional TRICARE fee hikes and plan changes — with comprehensive statistics for dispro-


online: For complete storming coverage, please visit www.moaa.org/storming. 46 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2016


On the road: This month, Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret), director, MOAA Council and Chapter Af- fairs, will visit chapter members in Tennessee. See MOAA Calendar, page 82, for dates.


portional TRICARE fee hikes and personal stories of families affected by the SBP-DIC offset. This year, MOAA planned a


robust social media campaign to inspire those who could not be present at the Capitol to contact their elected officials.


Appreciated efforts After a day of successful storming, participants convened for a formal dinner, during which keynote speaker Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), former chair of the House Military Personnel Subcommittee and sponsor of H.R. 1594, which would repeal the widows tax, recounted the scope of recent advocacy endeavors led by MOAA council and chapter leaders. “What a difference [MOAA]


makes,” he reflected. He praised MOAA’s activities on Capitol Hill earlier that day and expressed his thanks for the “information you pro- vided — the inserts that you gave us with graphs and charts.” He added, “This is a Congress that needed to see things in print.” He then highlighted MOAA’s ef- forts to preserve TRICARE benefits and repeal the SBP-DIC offset. After the speech, Robertson pre-


sented Wilson with a MOAA Scholar- ship Fund senior grant in his name. The $6,000 scholarship will be award- ed to a deserving student entering his or her senior year of college.


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