Camp Pendleton Mustang Association looking for new members
The Camp Pendleton Chapter of the Marine Corps Mustang Association is looking for “Mustangs” — Marine officers with prior Marine enlisted service. The Marine Corps Mustang Association promotes the history and legacy of officers in the Marine Corps who have earned the distinction of Marine Mustang. Membership in the association is open to any qualified commissioned or warrant officer — active duty, reserve, retired or honorably discharged.

The Camp Pendleton Chapter meets the third Friday of each month at 1100 at Grandma’s Restaurant, 539 Vista Bella, Oceanside.

Contact CWO Anthony Perez, USMCR (Retired) at 562-947-6558 or at aperez103@charter.net for info.

Soul Harbingers MC block party benefits military families
Soul Harbingers MC is hosting its first annual Block Party on Saturday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Blackthorn Irish Pub & Grub, 3010 Clairemont Dr., San Diego. All proceeds will be donated to the San Diego Fisher House, an organization that assists military families.

Soul Harbingers is a veterans motorcycle club that accepts members from all branches of the armed services. Their passion for riding, love for country and brothers is what makes their family strong.

They are a motorcycle club and not a “buy a patch and ride” social group.

Apply now for an Operation: Renovation home facelift
Any and all active service members, reservists and veterans who own a home that is in disrepair, outdated, or not up to the necessary living standards as required by a disability is eligible to apply to be the recipient of REIG Construction’s free home renovation. To begin the application process, visit www.reigoperationrenovation.com/the-application/. The deadline for applications is Thursday, July 31, 2014. For those who make it through the initial review process, there will be a second steep to the application.

REIG Construction is a general contracting construction company in San Diego, specializing in making dream homes come true for its clients.

For more information, email info@reigoperationrenovation.com.

‘Star Spangled Babies’ brings baby showers to military families
Military parents-to-be often live far from their extended families and support systems due to deployments and frequent relocation. That’s why Operation Homefront hosts approximately 30 baby showers per year at locations around the country.

The Star Spangled Babies baby shower program, is in place to build morale by providing baby showers to our service members and their growing families. In most locations, the families who participate are of deployed service members, wounded service members, and other junior and mid grade service members and their families who just need that extra support for their new arrivals.

For more information, call Operation Homefront’s headquarters at 800-722-6098.

Correction
The photo of the incoming USMC commandant on page 16 of the June 15, 2014 issue was of General John Allen, not General Dunford. Our apologies for any confusion.

San Diego ships deploy for RIMPAC
The amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) departed Tuesday, June 17 for a deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).

Peleliu will participate in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), a large multinational naval exercise, as the command ship for the expeditionary strike group. Following RIMPAC, Peleliu will conduct a scheduled deployment to the 7th Fleet AOR as part of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11.

Peleliu and its crew of nearly 1,050 Sailors provides deterrence, promotes peace and security, preserves freedom of the seas, and provides humanitarian/disaster relief.  
The USS Ronald Reagan and Carrier Air Wing Two department from the Southern California operating area Wednesday, June 17, to participate in the biennial RIMPAC exercise scheduled June 26 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Reagan and its embarked Carrier Strike Group Nine command staff will work with 46 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel from 23 nations to exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces.

3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Change of Command
Maj. Gen. Steven W. Busby relinquished command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing to Maj. Gen. Michael A. Rocco in a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Tuesday, June 17.

Busby took command of the 3rd MAW Aug. 10, 2012, and is slated to become the director for Strategy, Plans and Policy for U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla.

Rocco previously worked as the director for Strategy and Plans Division under Plans, Policies and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps.

‘Military Days’ at Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
During the entire month of July, all military personnel—active and retired— with a valid military identification will receive free admission to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. In addition, up to six of their guests will receive 25% off their normal Tram fares.  According to Tram Vice President of Sales & Marketing Nancy Nichols, “For over a decade, we’ve offered this benefit every July. The Tram’s Military Days program is our way of saying ‘Thank you’ to the dedicated men and women of the United States armed forces, along with their friends and families.”
For more information, call 760-325-1391 or visit www.pstramway.com.

Pay caps are pay cuts
In this year’s defense budget, administration and Pentagon leaders requested a military pay raise of one percent. That’s 0.8 percent below private-sector pay growth, the second-lowest pay raise in 50 years, and a second consecutive year of pay caps. Like last year, Congress doesn’t see eye to eye on the military pay raise. The House rejected the administration’s pay cap in favor of a 1.8-percent raise, while the Senate supports the cap of one percent. Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) says once the military pay-cap proposals are accepted, they continue until they have wrecked readiness and retention.

Solving VA care-delay crisis too costly?
The Congressional Budget Office dampened some good vibes among lawmakers who rushed to solve the access-to-care crisis for veterans last week. The CBO estimates the cost of requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide non-VA medical care to any enrolled veteran who cannot get a VA medical appointment within 30 days, or who lives more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility, at a stunning $54 billion annually. However, despite the sticker shock,  House Veterans Affair Committee Chairman, Rep.  Jeff Miller (R-FL) said the he “is committed to paying for the reforms in a responsible manner that is fair to the taxpayers and to our veterans.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
Today, nearly 90 percent of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) workforce is comprised of volunteers who provide financial assistance and counseling, quick assist loans, education assistance health education and post-combat support, advice on how to budget for a baby, emergency travel assistance, disaster relief and thrift shops for Sailors, Marines and their families. For more information on NMCRS and the resources they offer, visit the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society website at www.nmcrs.org.

Comments

comments