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ROA Weekly Newsletter for Feb. 25, 2009
LEGISLATION AND MILITARY POLICY UPDATES:
ROA Advocates with Senate Staff on Key Reserve Issues
In follow-up to the success of Mid-Winter's “Visit to the Hill,” ROA legislative director CAPT Marshall Hanson, USNR (Ret.), met with staff members from the offices of Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Topics that were discussed included early retirement, access to health care for gray-area retirees, and tax credits for employers of deployed Reservists.
EDUCATION UPDATES:
DEF Program Wrap-up: Defense Showstoppers
On Feb. 12, the Defense Education Forum and Foreign Policy Research Institute recently hosted a conference on Defense Showstoppers and the National Security Challenges facing the Obama Administration. This conference was held at the ROA headquarters building in Washington D.C. Check out the agenda, documents, and videos from this successful event.
 Visit the DEF Homepage
Conference Agenda & Speaker Biographies
Speaker Presentation Videos
How Will We Fight? (Roles & Missions)
At What Cost? (Procurement/Defense Budget)
Joint WarFare in the 21st Century
Who Will Fight For Us? (Personnel)
Brother, do you have a DIME? (Interagency)
Speaker PowerPoint Presentations
At What Cost? Mackenzie Eaglen, The Heritage Foundation
Towards a Balanced and Sustainable Defense-Frank Hoffman, Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities
March 5-6, Alexandria, VA, The Law and Catastrophic Disasters: Legal Issues in the Aftermath: This intense, interactive conference will use a table-top exercise, plenary sessions, and topic-oriented breakouts to identify legal problems, issues, and best practices in the context of three periods following catastrophic disasters: the "response period," "stabilization and re-entry," and "recovery and potential litigation." Details and online registration is available on the Institute for Local Government Studies Web site.
Institute for Local Government Studies Web site
Feb. 26-27, Fourth Annual Homeland Security Law Institute: Presented by the section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.
Download the program brochure (PDF)
Additional information and online registration
MEMBERSHIP UPDATES:
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
On Jan. 30, the ROA Executive Committee (EXCOM) met. The Balanced Budget Initiative, proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws regarding dues and elections and other topics were discussed.
See the EXCOM minutes
Balanced Budget Initiative briefed to EXCOM
National Staff Recommendations include recommended methods for achieving revenue enhancements and expense reductions to meet the balanced budget policy adopted by the EXCOM.
See the Balanced Budget Initiative recommendations
Annual national staff "View from the Hill" video available on podcast
The national staff's annual video report was distributed on DVD during the Mid-Winter Conference and will be shown during many Department Conventions, but for widest dissemination, we've made it available on iTunes for you as a podcast.
Click here to download 'View from the Hill' (iTunes)
 Membership Survey: Take It Today
There's still time to take the ROA membership Survey. Your voice counts, so we need your feedback!
Take the survey
A Message to ROA Members and Friends Concerning the Henry J. Reilly Scholarship
The Reserve Officers Association Executive Committee, with the unanimous concurrence of the Board of Trustees, has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend the activities of the H.J. Reilly Memorial Scholarship program. This decision was made in order to preserve and protect this significant benefit for members and their families for years to come.
Since 1982, members of ROA and ROAL have benefited from this scholarship; however, for the trust fund that supports the scholarship to survive into the future, action had to be taken today.
This temporary suspension is a result of the faltering economy and its effects on the scholarship’s investment fund. Like investment funds everywhere, the Reilly Scholarship fund lost over 30% of its value between October 2008 and January 2009. The ultimate consideration was that it would not be financially prudent for the future legacy of this scholarship to deduct funds today for either scholarships or administrative costs.
This is a temporary action and the scholarship will be reestablished at the appropriate time once the investment fund can sustain itself again. We will continue to ask ROA benefactors to contribute to the fund as we seek to rebuild its corpus. The Board of Trustees will continue to prudently manage the fund as a part of that same effort.
Thanks to all ROA members and friends for your understanding and continuing support.
COMMUNICATION UPDATES:
Highlighted on ROA's Web Site: Donate to ROA
Send your tax-deductible donations to ROA today. Your check will help ROA continue its financing of Civilian Patriot, Wall of Gold, and Planned Giving Programs.
Donate today!
Learn more about our programs
Great American Video of the week
Tune in to watch this week's Great American video: Triangle of Death. What happens when you take the year’s greatest military films - the high adrenaline combat films - the patriotic tear jerkers - the real world stories that sound too mind-boggling to be true and show them all in one place? The full film screening will be shown at the GI Film Festival, May 13-17, 2009, Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C.
Watch this week's video
Upload your videos on the Great Americans Web site
NEWS FOR CITIZEN WARRIORS:
- Obama Nominates Harvard Expert for Key Pentagon Post (Boston Globe)
- Rep. Brings TRICARE Experience to Hill (Military Times)
- National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of Feb. 17, 2009 (Defensenews.mil)
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Take Part in an Academic Survey for Veterans and Employers of Veterans
Veterans, If you have ever felt that you have not been valued by your employer for your skills and knowledge then help me inform them of your competence. Please fill out the following survey and help be help you.
Veteran Survey Link
Employers, If you are concerned for your employee who has served in the military then I invite you to fill out the following survey. Doing so will help verify the level of employer support we have for our service men and women.
Employer Survey Link
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EVENTS:
Defense Education Forum
To find out what DEF events are scheduled, Click Here
CIOR/CIOMR Mid-Winter Meeting
February 18-21, 2009
Brussels, Belgium
ROA 2009 National Convention
July 8-11, 2009
Marriott World Center
Orlando, Fla.
NETWORKING:
Want to network with fellow ROA members online? Check out these opportunities:
ROA on Facebook
ROA on LinkedIn
MyROA
THIS WEEK IN MILITARY HISTORY:
Feb. 23, 1945: U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Division raises the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them, and recorded the event. American soldiers fighting for control of Suribachi's slopes cheered the raising of the flag, and several hours later more Marines headed up to the crest with a larger flag.
Learn more
"No man has a right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere." - President Theodore Roosevelt
Please consider a donation to the Reserve Officers Association.
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