The Navy Nuclear Weapons Bulletin is produced by the Association’s Board of Directors and is distributed free to NNWA members. Edited by: Sam Samsel

We are fast approaching our 21^st annual reunion in San Diego. Allen Maxwell has been very busy organizing another great NNWA reunion. In this issue of the Bulletin you will find all the reunion details so get your reservations and fees in early.

 At the business meeting in San Diego we will be electing five (5) members to the Board of Directors. Two (2) of the present Board members, (Mike Snyder our Historian and Ray Margeson the Webmaster); have volunteered to remain on the Board if the membership would like them to remain. I enthusiastically support their reelection to the Board. That leaves three positions to be filled. Anyone desiring to serve on the Board of Directors please let me or one of the other Board members know of their desires.

The 22 ^nd NNWA Reunion is being hosted by Bill Beard and will be held in Wisconsin Sep/Oct 2006. Bill will be giving a short presentation on his plans at the annual business meeting.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in San Diego. 

Jim Hambley

 Fellow Dragon Keepers, 

The Federal budget process is in full swing with a Congressional deadline for appropriations passage by the beginning of next fiscal year – October first. There is much more activity around current military operations than for veterans’ affairs. Here are a few more items that I think you may find of interest.

Tricare for Life (TFL) is under fire again.           A recent NY Times article made the case that the cost of TFL will burden the Defense budget in its decisions on choosing costs related to people vs. things. The debate has started – stay tuned for developments on this issue.

 Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) increases for next year’s retired pays, VA disability pays, Social Security etc. will be decided in October but are expected to be small following this year’s low inflationary rates.

 Veterans Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) was created in last year’s Defense authorization.           It will study benefits for veterans and their survivors for disabilities and death. It will evaluate eligibility laws and regulations, compensation rates and comparisons with the private sector.           VDBC first met on May 9^th and 10^th and must report to the President within 15 months of that date.

 The following Legislation has been proposed:

HR 2076 and S. 558 – phase out the 10 year disability offset for vets rated at 40% and lower.

HR 1594 – authorize chiropractic care under Tricare

HR 1462 – allow survivors of vets w/service connected deaths to retain VA DIC if they remarry.

HR 1220 – authorize annual COLA for disabled vets and DIC widows

 Third Tier Rx has been announced by DoD for more expensive medications. Three meds (Nexium, Teveten and Teveten HVC) will have a $22 copay added per 30-day supply if they are provided through TRRx or TMOP. If obtained outside of Tricare programs, the copay is the greater between $22 or 20% of the total cost.

 VA Budget. The current Administration’s budget input would require veterans to pay $250 to enroll in VA health care and a 214% increase in prescription co-payments for Pri 7 & 8 vets.           With VA health care expected to rise 10% in cost per year and funding going up at only 2.7% a year, it won’t take long for services to decrease and for the system to eventually break.

 BRAC has issued its recommendations for base closures but SECDEF has indicated that the actual closures will be significantly lower than BRAC’s initial input. Stay tuned for the outcome this Fall. POTUS must accept or reject all BRAC input by Sept 23. If rejected, BRAC can resubmit by Oct 20.           POTUS then has until Nov 7 to accept/reject for the final time.           BRAC terminates on Apr 15, 2006.           (Notes: (a) POTUS = President; (b) BRAC closures will complicate Space A travel and negatively affect commissary & exchange availabilities)

 Survivors Benefit Plan (SBP) Proposed Changes:

HR 808 would repeal the SBP-DIC offset requirement

HR 968 would change the effective date of SBP paid-up from Oct 1, 2008 to Oct 1, 2005.           This would designate any retiree at least 70 years of age with 30 years of paid SBP premiums as “paid-up” as of that date.           (Note – SBP started in 1972, but some former RFSSP members from before that date were converted over to SBP)

S 185 would do both of the above.

 Tricare Retiree Dental Program continues to grow.           Now in its sixth year it covers 750,000 retirees’ dental care needs. For info go to www.trdp.org or call at (888) 838-8737.

 VA Cemetery System will expand substantially. This will allow veterans who want burial in a national cemetery near their home a greater opportunity. The first 11 new cemeteries planned are:

 Pittsburgh                             Summer 2005                                         Detroit                    Summer 2005

 Atlanta                                   Late 2005                                              Miami                     Early 2006

 Sacramento                            Mid 2007                                               Bakersfield            Late 2008

 Birmingham                           Late 2008                                               Columbia               Late 2008

 Jacksonville                            Late 2008                                               Sarasota                Late 2008

 Philadelphia                            Late 2008

All veterans are guaranteed the following:

1. a) gravesite
2. b) opening and closing of the grave
3. c) headstone or marker
4. d) burial flag for the next of kin
5. e) Presidential memorial certificate
6. f) perpetual care

LDO/CWO members – I wouldn’t ordinarily promote a private business here, but the Mustang community, which never had “pride” items available before, now does at:           www.ldo-cwo-mustang.com           You can also Google “LDO CWO” and find several other interesting Mustang sites. Enjoy.

 Retired Navy Decal needed for your car?           They are sometimes available at Navy Exchanges but are not listed in the NEX catalog. You can get them from non-Navy sources at www.4armedforces.com or at (904) 396-7338.

 Feedback requested – do you find these brief bits of info on veteran/retiree information useful and informative? Let me know at NNWASO@ptd.net .

Thanks.

 Yours in service,

Chuck Weber

Service Officer

“A Request From the Historian
We’re still seeking to identify as many men and women as possible who worked in the Navy Nuclear Weapons Program.  Please bring your old cruise books or copies of the W Division pages, copies of orders where a team went to school together, photos of NW’s in which the men are identified, etc.  They make great conversation pieces in the hospitality room and will aid the cause.

Donations to the NNWA memorabilia collection are gratefully accepted.  If you don’t know what to do with that old piece from the weapons program you still have hanging around, share it with your friends by donating it.

Thanks,

Mike Snyder, Historian 

SECRETARY REPORT                        

              Much has been happening as we prepare for our revisit to “Dago” where perhaps remnants remain of the old SWUPAC / NWTCP.         For many of us, it was an asylum, even a sanitarium, from where, after considerable and often hectic blending and shaping, we were expelled to the fleet as a temporary, meddlesome intruder to an existing system… secretive, strange and untouchable.

 Under the very able guidance and instruction of our NNWA President, we have been making changes and improvements to our Bylaws and general operating procedures.         Some, such as Bylaws, have been promulgated in the January 2005 Bulletin. Others will be discussed at the reunion business meeting and promulgated after they are finalized. For example, we are in process of moving our archives, and certain of our “working” records, from hard-copy (paper) filings, to compact discs (CDs).         This is expected to improve the security and ease of storage, and will also significantly reduce the costs and efforts involved in the maintenance and transporting of our records and reports.         It is hoped that our use of this technology will also enhance the coordination and understanding of the Board as they work to maintain and improve our NNWA.

  We had approximately 175 mailings since February ’05 (Bulletins, Membership cards, and new member packets), and over 350 separate mailings of Membership cards to those with e-mail service.

See you in San Diego

Sam 

Treasure Report

The treasurer Message

Frank Kelly

Greetings; First, Let me as the treasurer and the keeper of the membership roster welcome the new members who have joined our organization since the last Bulletin. We have had a very active year. We now have 525 members on the NNWA membership roster. 474 regular members, 38 life members and 13 associate members. Currently 189 members are in the arrears with their dues (18 since 01, 29 since 02, 57 since 03, 85 since 04). If you are unsure if your dues are paid up to date and receive your Bulletin by mail, the date on the colored sticker on your Bulletin shows the month and year through which your dues are paid. If the year is 01, 02, 03, 04, your dues are delinquent. If you receive your Bulletin electronically and wish to know when your dues are due log onto our web site:  www.navynucweps.com.  Click on members roster, go to your name, the last column on the right tells you the date that your dues are paid thru. Some of our members find it convenient to pay several years in advance. This can save you postage and the treasurer lots of time. Past policy has been to drop members who are three years or more in the arrears. This is an effective policy mostly due to the expense of mailing Bulletins and reunion information. However with the military close down of our program and no new prospective membership on the horizon, we as an association need to make a collective effort to ensure that these members are afforded every opportunity to upgrade there membership dues. Please assist us in doing so.         If any member is in contact with someone who is delinquent, please remind him or inform the Board of extenuating circumstances, which may suggest special consideration. Lets play the mistake game. Every one review the membership roster and the web-site members roster to ensure that we have your correct name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. If you are moving make sure that we have your new address. Submit corrections to Frank M Kelly, 1087 Frank Kelly Road, Society Hill SC 29593 phone number 843-378-4026 or e-mail fmkelly0001@aol.com

                                           New and reinstated Members

Alex L. Darby III                Peter M. Smith                            Robert G. Malone

Darrell B. Allison               Antonio E Juarez                 Peter J. Benedict

William L. Eck                   Lawrence A. Rothrock         William A Schuster

Thomas L Stephens         James H. Spence                         Kevin M. Wensing

James P. Crowley

                                                     NNWA Financial Report

                                              9/15/2004 thru 5/25/2005

Income

Balance Brought Forward                                     17,345.27

Dues                                                                              2,960.00

New Members                                                                   455.00

Logo Sales                                                                          73.00

NNWA Hats                                                                         76.00

Total                                                                              20,909.27

 Expenses

Attorney Fee                                                               150.00

Ball Caps                                                                 1,700.00

Deposit 2005 Reunion                                                300.00

Historical Upkeep                                                        300.00

Incorporation Fee                                                          25.00

Misc                                                                                     126.20

Operating Expense                                                      300.00

Web Site Accounting                                                   108.24

Total Expenses                                                         3,009.44

Balance on Hand                                                     17,899.83

Just a reminder to everyone that we have some awesome patches, lapel pins, and vinyl decals for sale at very reasonable prices (only Association members may purchase these items). All are available with either the NNWA or the KEEPERS OF THE DRAGON logo.

   Also, we have finally found an acceptable supplier for Ball Caps, also with each of the logos. They are now on sale, and going fast, so get yours now instead of waiting for reorder.

Check our website often for all these items (and for other interesting or important information). (Specify desired logo for all items ordered).

                Caps……………..$10.00 each (includes shipping)….$8.00 each if bought in person

          Lapel Pins……….$2.00 each (includes shipping)

          Patches………….$5.00 each         + $1.50 shipping for up to 5 patches

          Decals…………..$3.25 each         (includes shipping)

Send check or money order (made out to NNWA) (DO NOT SEND CASH) to:

 Frank Cantrell

2772 Greenville Hwy

Liberty, SC 29657