MILITARY ID CARD RENEWAL UPDATE

Military Retirees who are home bound or have difficulty traveling may renew a military ID card by mail through the JRB, Naval Air Station, (Carswell) Ft. Worth, TX. 

The person must provide:  (1) a Doctor’s letter stating the difficulty of travel or homebound status.  (2) A notarized 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 photo from the shoulders up of the person. (3) Statement of current height and weight and clear return address, so that the ID card section can make certain the new card will be sent to the right person.  (4) The old ID card.

Local Legislative Activities

Greeting the Troops is the Greater Dallas Chapter's on going Service Project. Call

Glenn Wamble
(972) 437-2345 home
 (214) 796-6327 cell

EVERY 4TH TUESDAY - D/FW AIRPORT

On the prior Friday before we go out to greet the troops, after 2100, call 972-574-0392 for a recorded announcement stating the expected arrival time of Saturday’s military R&R flight, and the arrival terminal and gate area.  This is usually the new international terminal “D”.

Call the number again early n Saturday morning and before you leave for the airport to re-confirm arrival time and gate area.  They are subject to change, especially the arrival time.  Plan to arrive at D/FW a half hour before the troops arrive.

Usually just before the troops come out of the customs door a USO coordinator will identify family members who are meeting an arriving “Trooper” and place the family at the front of the line; and behind them the veterans are invited to move up behind the families. 

When you enter D/FW, enter through a public (not a tolltag) gate.  You will be given a free parking pass atr the military aircraft arrival area.  When you leave D/FW exit through a public gate.  Park on the arrival level in the parking lot across from the terminal gate area to which the troop aircraft will arrive.  You will enter the parking area from the left lane of the roadway.  Security does not ticket cars “Greeting the Troops”, even in the one or two-hour parking areas.

If you have it, wear something related to your military service, or current military groups you are in now, or just patriotic, or casual.  Bring along the kids, the troops like to see the children!

Call Glenn Wamble
(972) 437-2345 home
 (214) 796-6327 cell

David Briggs (past president) is the 2008 VP Legislative Executive Committee Officer.  David has made our voices heard in Dallas and in Washington, D.C.  The first step was identifying  our members by their congressional districts and in that way being counted by our elected officials. 

See the article below printed in Military Officer and on MOAA's National Website.

Chapter Activities  New Approach

Field Reports
Texas Chapters Organize Postcard Campaigns

Members of the Greater Dallas Chapter and Lone Star (Texas) Officers Club Inc. have stepped up their legislative efforts this election year. For the past several months, both chapters' leaders have printed postcards to distribute at chapter meetings. The postcards contain messages urging representatives to support legislation that would help military members and their families. Members fill in their name and address and sign the cards, which are collected at the end of each meeting, sorted by congressional district, and mailed to Texas legislators.

"I came up with the idea after I spoke with a congressional staff member who told me they weren't really tracking veterans' issues because they weren't getting any complaints," says Greater Dallas Chapter President Col. David Briggs, USA-Ret. "Because of that, the staff member had concluded there weren't many veterans in their district."

Briggs and the chapter's vice president and legislative chair, Lt. Col. Nicolo A. Santangelo, AUS-Ret., realized they needed to mobilize members and make sure their voices were heard, so they launched a three-pronged plan to increase legislative activism: In addition to mailing postcards, chapter members respond to legislative alerts sent via e-mail and also make an effort to visit with their congressional representatives when they are in their home districts." We're trying to make it as easy as possible for members to participate in the political process, and it seems to be working," says Santangelo.

                                          - November 2006