The Bugle a Veterans Recognition Committee Newsletter

ChairmanCOL Patrick J. Niemann

Compatriots,I thought we had a very goodVRC meeting at Fall Leadershipand addressed several issueswhich are covered in theminutes and elsewhere in theBugle. My thanks to the VRCmembers who were able toattend the meeting.

A major decision that wasapproved at the meeting was toallow VRC recognition to allNational Guard and Reservesoldiers with honorable serviceregardless of Title 10 dutyserved. Previously, 180 days ofTitle 10 duty was required. Thisdecision will enable many of ourcompatriots to now apply for aCertificate of Patriotism and beadded to one of the six VRCCorps.

One of my goals is to increasethe awareness of the VeteransCorps in all the State Societies

and encourage more eligibleveterans to submit applications forthe Corps. Currently we have twosocieties that have no Corpsmembers and six states with five orless members. Kudos to Indiana forhaving almost 20% (144) of theirmembership having received VRCcertificates. There are 26 societieswith less than 5% of their memberswho have received VRCcertificates. So clearly, there isroom for growth, and I ask allCorps members to assist inencouraging other eligiblecompatriots within their societiesto submit applications formembership.A very special thanks to those VRCcompatriots who are making amajor contribution to theCommittee. COL Gary Pettet, theVice-Chairman is reviewing theSharefile for the old militaryinformation forms submitted toNSSAR prior to the establishmentof the Veterans Corps. He has toconfirm that the compatriot is still

Vice ChairmanColonel Gary Pettett

2019 FALL LEADERSHIPThe Veterans RecognitionCommittee (VRC) met on Friday,September 19, 2019 at the BrownHotel in Louisville, KY. In thatmeeting the VRC approved twoimportant procedural changes toVRC policies.

First, the Committee agreed thatservice in the National Guard orReserves qualified an SAR memberfor an NSSAR Service Medal andrecognition with a Certificate ofPatriotism. This essentially removesthe Title 10, USC 38 barrier toNational Guard and Reserve service.Title 10 requires a service memberto have at least 180 days of activeduty with a branch of the ArmedService other than for training. TheDepartment of Defense uses theTitle 10 criteria to determine a servicemembers designation as a Veteranand thereby qualifies the individualfor other Veterans Benefits. On the

October 2019

Continued COL Niemann page 2

Continued Col Pettett page 2In This BugleListed on Page 2

Continued COL Niemann

Notify and help all of our Veterans registerfor their certificates and medals.

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The Bugle a Veterans Recognition Committee Newsletter

other hand, the VRC’s mission is tosimply recognize credible service andhas no bearing on determinations forVeterans Benefits. The Committeetherefore decided that credible servicein either the National Guard or Reservesdeserved recognition and would thenqualify the service member for anNSSAR Service Medal and Certificateof Patriotism. In all likelihood thiswould be for the Military ServiceMedal unless the service member’srecord show deployment on activeduty in a combat area. In those specialcases, the War Service Medal wouldbe the appropriate award.

Second, the VRC addressed the issueof recognizing the military service ofnow deceased SAR members. Thecandidate must be either a deceasedSAR member or a deceased servicemanwho became an SAR member thoughthe Memorial Application process. Thecriteria determining the nature of theapplicant’s military service will be thesame as that for any other applicant –proof of service (e.g. DD 214 or otherofficial documents) an honorabledischarge and, for the War Servicemedal, documentation of servicemedals/awards for combat deployment.As with NSSAR MemorialMembership, the deceased membermust be no more than one generationfrom the current generation.

These changes allow the VRC toconsider and recognize a morecomprehensive group of SAR memberswho have served their country in theArmed Forces.

COL Gary Pettett

In This BugleCOL Patrick J. Niemann page 1-2Colonel Gary Pettett page 1-2Cert's. Issued page 4Leadership - Fall page 3Links to the Corps page 4Military News page 2Veterans Day page 5VRC Comm. Members page 4Wreathes Across America page 5

Air Force NewsWASHINGTON ―House Armed Services Commit-tee Rep. Adam Smith on Thurs-day said he plans to take on whathe called the Air Force’s “trou-bling” procurement process forits Ground Based Strategic De-terrent, and that he favors a low-er number of modernizedICBMs instead of the new pro-gram.Smith, D-Wash., a powerfulskeptic of America’s giant nu-clear weapons budget, ques-tioned the need for the $63billion program, which is the AirForce’s replacement for theMinuteman III intercontinentalballistic missile fleet. He decriedthe likely award to NorthropGrumman, suggested the AirForce was biased in its favor andsaid he would look to review thematter through the 2021 Nation-al Defense Authorization Act.Smith said that Boeing ― whichhas a large presence in his homestate ― had declined his offer tointervene with the Air Force af-ter it announced it would not bidon the Air Force’s ICBM re-placement program.

COL Niemann from page 1

in good membership standing,document the service and print thecertificates. Vic McMurry processesall the current on-line applicationsand prepares the certificates. SteveMonez is our editor for The Bugle.COL David Thompson is the VRCSecretary. They are doing a fantasticjob and I am truly appreciative oftheir efforts.And to all my fellow compatriotveterans, thank you for your serviceto our great nation.

Yours in patriotism,PatCOL Patrick J. Niemann, USA, ret.Chairman, Veterans RecognitionCommittee

U.S. Army equipment officialssaid last week that theservice's new helmet system,with includes detachable faceand neck protection, saved asoldier's life recently inAfghanistan, blocking a brickthat was thrown by an angrymob.New Health Care for MilitaryActive-duty family members, retir-ees and their family members willhave a new option for health care inAtlanta: Tricare Prime provided byKaiser Permanente, the not-for-prof-it health care company considered tobe one of the pioneers of health-maintenance organization plans.Humana Military, the company thatoversees Tricare’s East Region, haspartnered with Kaiser Permanenteon a three-year pilot to provide Tri-care Prime to eligible residents with-in 40 miles of Atlanta.The new agreement, which will runthrough 2023, could be the first ofseveral similar arrangements as theDefense Health Agency explores

new ways to provide “value-basedcare,” defined as a health system thatpays providers based on perfor-mance, quality and value as opposedto volume.

New Health Care continued

COL Gary Pettett from page 1

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The Bugle a Veterans Recognition Committee Newsletter

Fall Leadership, President General Jack Manning is with l/r COL Peter Goebel, Robert Meyers,COL Peter Davenport, COL Pat Niemann

All five Services are represented at Fall LeadershipThank you all for your service to our country. Page 3 of 5

The Bugle a Veterans Recognition Committee Newsletter

Thanks Vic McMurry for continuing to print thecertificates for the Veterans Recognition Committee.We know this is a lot of work and you are muchappreciated. Thank you.

Victor G. McMurry

Vic reports:These are Final certificates printedand sent out for June 31, July 50,August 44, and September 28.These batches were mailed toNSSAR.

The Veterans Multi-Corps Recognition FormA Committee History

Veterans Recognition CharterVeterans Recognition President General's Guidance

SAR Medals and Certificates for Military ServiceDescriptions of the Six Veterans Corps

All Veteran Corps Compatriots listed by StatePast Bugles

Follow these links to the various areas of the VRC on our website

Notify and help all of our Veterans registerfor their certificates and medals.

The Veterans Committee leadershipteam at Fall Leadership. From Leftto right COL Gary Pettett, COLPatrick Niemann and Col DavidThompson.

Editor Steve Monez smonez1@gmail.com

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Veterans Recognition Committee 2019 Our members:

CHAIRMANCOL Patrick Jay Niemann USA (FL)VICE-CHAIRMANCol Philip Gary Pettett (AZ)SECRETARYCol David Edward Thompson (AZ)REGISTRAR GENERAL - EX OFFICIODouglas Thomas Collins (KY)MembersLtCol Walter Joseph Timoschuk III (TN)SFC James Claude Arnold USA (IN)SSgt M. Troy C Bailey , USAF – (OH)Dr. William Lee Baran (PA-AZ)LtCol Herman Charles Brown USMC – (VT)MAJ Bruce Alden Buehler USA (Ret.) – (AL)LTC Paul Robert Callanan USA (Ret.) – (MI)COL Peter M. Davenport USA (Ret.) (VA)LtCol Gary Owen Green (NC)LCDR David George Jessel USN (Ret.) (GA)CAPT Gregory Dean Lucas USNLt Col Stephen John Miller USAF (Ret.) (AZ)SGT Steven C. Monez , USA (AZ)Victor George McMurry USN (FL)SSgt Paul Ithel Prescott (Ret.) (GA)CW5 Kenneth Duane Roach USA (Ret.) (CT)COL David Roy Shaul USA (Ret.) (MO)LTC EuGene Charles Smith Jr (AR)Douglas Baird Stuart (MD)Stephen David Sullins (MO)CAPT Michael Ernest Weyler (Ret)USN (VA)

The Bugle a Veterans Recognition Committee Newsletter

Honor our Veterans every day especially on Veterans Day this November 11.

Attend a Parade. Visit a Veterans hospital. Thank every veteran with a hand shake.

Wreaths Across AmericaRemember all those that have given their all. Visit a National Cemetery and place a wreath

December 14.

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