FEATURED ARTICLES AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Tuskegee Airman Honored During Ceremonial Brass concert
by Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

From right, retired Chief Master Sgt. Richard R. Hall Jr., an original Tuskegee Airman, retired Lt. Col. Montoria Hubbard, the Tuskegee Airmen Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James chapter president, and Col. Gina Humble, the 11th Operations Group commander at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., sing the Air Force song during a concert at The First Academy Faith Hall Jan. 14, 2012 in Orlando, Fla.  The U.S. Air Force Band Ceremonial Brass honored Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces, during their performance, playing a new work entitled "Red Tail Skirmish." (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AFNS) -- A member of the Tuskegee Airmen was honored during a concert by the United States Air Force Band's Ceremonial Brass Jan. 14 at The First Academy Faith Hall here.

Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Richard R. Hall, Jr., a Winter Park native, was attending Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans when he was called to active duty in 1942 to serve with the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces who trained in Tuskegee, Ala.  Serving during World War II in the Army Air Corps; these Airmen were subject to racial discrimination.  Despite these adversities, the Tuskegee Airmen -- proudly referred to as "Red Tails" or "Red Tail Angels" because of the distinctive crimson paint on the tail section of their aircraft -- trained and flew with distinction, receiving the Congressional Gold Medal for valor and performance.

The band's theme of the winter tour is "American Song and Cinema."  The tour features a new work commissioned by the band and dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen entitled "Red Tail Skirmish" by composer Bruce Yurko.

"Red Tail Skirmish" is a musical epic that depicts the tension, thrill and excitement of an aerial dogfight through a fast-paced work for the brass and percussion ensemble.  Following the work, Hall, Tuskegee Airmen Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr., chapter president Montoria "Tony" Hubbard and chapter recording secretary Judie Gilliam were presented score sheets for "Red Tail Skirmish."

A member of the "Red Tails," Hall was trained in munitions and aircraft maintenance.  He deployed to both North Africa and Italy during World War II.

Following the war, Hall was stationed in Ohio at the 332nd Fighter Wing at Lockbourne Air Force Base, which is now Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, serving under the command of then-Col. Benjamin O. Davis, another Tuskegee Airman.  Hall said he remembers the day Davis told them the military would integrate blacks into the service.

"Colonel Davis had us in the theater, the officers and senior enlisted," Hall said.  "He said, 'We're going to integrate and go to the Four Corners of the world.'"

Even though the military integrated, it took time for the Airmen to be accepted.  Hall said the unit flew an operation that called for them to fly from South Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.  The unit had to divert because they were not allowed to fly over Georgia or arm their weapons until they were across the Gulf of Mexico because they were black.

Hall soon found himself in another war zone, this time in Korea.  Hall was at Kimpo Air Base--or "K-14"--when the Airmen had to abandon the base, watching it burn as they took off.  After getting promoted to chief master sergeant, Hall continued to serve through the Vietnam War, when he retired in 1973.

Hall said many of those memories came back as he watched the Ceremonial Brass perform in front of hundreds.

"This was truly outstanding," Hall said.  "It brought back a lot of memories."  He said it was also a tremendous sense of pride to watch black Airmen perform in the band, something that wasn't possible when he first joined.

The band's program also featured a Glenn Miller Medley entitled "Miller Time," arranged by former Ceremonial Brass member David Bandman, a retired master sergeant.  The group also played a medley of works by film composer and former Air Force Band member John Williams entitled "Epic Themes."

This Ceremonial Brass is typically seen throughout the National Capital Region performing at more than 1,100 ceremonies each year, including large ensembles and buglers to perform in most outdoor ceremonial venues and the Ceremonial Brass Quintet for smaller indoor settings.

The origins of the Ceremonial Brass trace back to 1964 when The United States Air Force Headquarters Command Band was incorporated into The U.S. Air Force Band as a ceremonial unit.  It became an all-brass and percussion ensemble in 1985 and was renamed The Ceremonial Brass.

Since those early years, it has evolved into a 50-member organization consisting of world-class brass players, percussionists and a drum major.  The Ceremonial Brass represent all Airmen while standing on the tarmac for the arrival of heads of state; providing full-honors during state funerals; and, marching down Pennsylvania Avenue during presidential inaugural parades. (From Air Force Link)

Tuskegee Airman Laid to Rest at Arlington
by Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
Defense Media Activity

Members of the 3rd U.S. Army Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) escort the caisson carrying retired Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. during his burial ceremony Jan. 20, 2012, at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia.  Weather, an original Tuskegee Airman, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroic actions during World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes)

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- Family members, friends and fellow service members gathered Jan. 20 here to honor the life and contributions of an original Tuskegee Airmen.

Retired Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, 90, a member of the 302nd Fighter Squadron during World War II, received full military honors including an F-16 Fighting Falcon flyover by 113th Wing, an Air National Guard unit of Washington, D.C.  The ceremony coincided with the release of "Red Tails," a full-length feature film chronicling the challenges and victories of the Tuskegee Airmen.

"The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated heroes who gave so much for this country," said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Johnson, the 113th WG commander.  "It is an honor to perform a flyover for this brave American."

With World War II veterans like the Tuskegee Airmen entering their 90s, the numbers of these living history makers are dwindling.

During a time of racial segregation in America, the Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Army Air Corps' first black fliers, proved they were just as qualified as their white counterparts to fly in combat.

"Along with serving their country, they changed America," said retired Chief Master Sgt. John Patterson, the national 1st vice president of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.  "They made it easier for me, when I came along many years later, to come into the military and have opportunities. "

Weathers, a P-51 Mustang and P-39 Airacobra pilot, shot down two German planes in November 1944 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions.  Later, in 2007, he and 300 original Tuskegee Airmen were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal.  It is one of the highest awards in the United States.

"He was a part of the Tuskegee experience," Patterson said of Weathers.  "He went to the combat zone in World War II when there were no examples for blacks to look up to.  These gentlemen set the bar high and gave society someone to look up to."

Along with his legacy, Weathers leaves behind his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a host of family members and friends, and his wife, Jacqueline Moore-Weathers.

Moore-Weathers said her husband continued to encourage Airmen to reap all the benefits the military has to offer and fulfill their goals.

"He was very proud of being a part of the (Tuskegee Airmen)," she said.  "He was very proud of the accomplishments they were able to make.  After the war, he went about his life trying to create and participate in Tuskegee Airmen activities." (From Air Force Link)

AKO Issues ID Theft Warning
Stars and Stripes reports that Army Knowledge Online (AKO) is recommending that users monitor their credit card statements and change online passwords, especially if they used their Stratfor password with other accounts.  Hackers recently published hundreds of thousands of registered email addresses and Stratfor usernames online, along with thousands of credit card numbers.  If users find fraudulent activity on their credit cards, AKO recommended contacting one of the three main credit bureaus and submitting a fraud alert.  Stratfor is providing 12 months of identity theft coverage to all of its paid customers.

For more tips on avoiding financial and computer scams, visit the Military.com Money Center. (From Military.com)

Avoid Identity Theft
Here are some tips to avoid identity theft:

1. be careful what you post on social media;
2. beware of dumpster diving thieves who search through trash for bills or other personal information;
3. skimming involves credit or debit card information using a device when the card is processed during what appears to be a normal transaction;
4. beware of phishing attempts where the thief pretends to be a financial institution to trick potential victims into releasing their personal information; and
5. a change of address scam reroutes bills to another location to collect personal information.

Information about other ways to prevent identity theft and recover from it are available on the FTC's Identity Theft Website.

For more tips on avoiding financial and computer scams, visit the Military.com Money Center. (From Military.com)

Persian Gulf Claims Deadline Extended
The Department of Veterans Affairs has extended the presumptive period for Persian Gulf War veterans to file claims for undiagnosed illnesses.  The new deadline is Dec. 31, 2016.  The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 25-35 percent of veterans of Desert Shield/Desert Storm have undiagnosed and chronic multi-symptom illnesses, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and concentration problems.

For more information, visit VA's Gulf War Illnesses Website.

For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the Military.com Benefits Center. (From Military.com)

VA Loan Facts for 2012
VA Home Loans allow qualified buyers the opportunity to purchase a home with no down payment.  There are also no monthly mortgage insurance premiums to pay limitations on buyer's closing costs, and an appraisal that informs the buyer of the property value.  For most loans on new houses, construction is inspected at appropriate stages and a 1-year warranty is required from the builder.  VA also performs personal loan servicing and offers financial counseling to help veterans having temporary financial difficulties.  Although there is no maximum VA loan, lenders generally limit the maximum VA loan to $417,000.  See a list of VA Loan FAQ on Military.com.

Use your VA Loan in 2012 to buy or refinance with no down payment.  Find lenders today. (From Military.com)

VA Announces Changes to Emergency Care Payment Policy
WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today a change in regulations regarding payments for emergency care provided to eligible Veterans in non-VA facilities.

"This provision helps ensure eligible Veterans continue to get the emergency care they need when VA facilities are not available," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

The new regulation extends VA's authority to pay for emergency care provided to eligible Veterans at non-VA facilities until the Veterans can be safely transferred to a VA medical facility.

More than 100,000 Veterans are estimated to be affected by the new rules, at a cost of about $44 million annually.

VA operates 121 emergency departments across the country, which provide resuscitative therapy and stabilization in life-threatening situations.  They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  VA also has 46 urgent care units, which provide care for patients without scheduled appointments who need immediate medical or psychiatric attention.

For more information about emergency care in non-VA facilities, visit www.nonvacare.va.gov. (From VA NEWS)

Chinese Virus Targets DoD Common Access Card
By Andrew Tilghman
Staff writer
A Chinese-based cyber attack is targeting the Defense Department's Common Access Cards with technology that could steal information from military networks while troops and civilians work at their desks, researchers say.

The new cyber weapon apparently can get inside individual computers after users unwittingly open a standard PDF email file.  Once embedded, it logs the users' keystrokes to obtain personal identification numbers or codes associated with that card and user, according to AlienVault, a Silicon Valley-based cyber security firm.

"Basically, they are able to steal the PIN and then they can get access to whatever they want," said Jaime Blasco, the lab manager for AlienVault who published detailed technical information about the attack.

The attacks are a variant of a virus, or malware, known as "Sykipot" and date back as far as March 2011, Blasco said.

The new Sykipot strain specifically targets the technology used to support the Pentagon's CAC system and the emails seeking to spread it often are disguised as official military or government communications, Blasco said.

To lure defense workers to open the infected attachment, some of the emails have used information about new drone technology and pictures of unmanned aerial vehicles, he said.

The hackers behind the virus can access military systems only as long as an infected user's card remains logged into a system.

Pentagon spokeswoman Air Force Lt. Col. April Cunningham declined to comment on the details published by AlienVault.

"We are aware of reports regarding this matter and take these type of reports seriously.  However, due to operational security, we are not able to provide further details," she told Military Times.

Blasco said the virus is linked to a "command and control server" that appears to be based in China; some flaws buried deep in the code revealed Chinese language characters, suggesting that only a Chinese speaker would be able to launch it.

Defending against attacks using this technology is extremely difficult.  The best way to keep military networks secure is to train troops and civilian employees not to open any unfamiliar files or email attachments, Blasco said.

Many military officials are eager to begin widespread use of smart phones, tablets and other wireless devices, but cyber security experts' caution that such technology can be more vulnerable to cyber attacks. (From Air Force Times)

Miller: VA must act Quickly on Jobs Programs
By Rick Maze
Staff writer
Helping unemployed veterans and preparing for a possible flood of new veterans created by looming cuts in the active-duty force will be the top priorities of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, its Republican chairman said.

But Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., starting his second year as chairman of the 27-member panel that oversees the Veterans Affairs Department and veterans' employment and rehabilitation programs spread over several agencies, is not talking about more money for veterans to meet the growing needs.  Miller said.

The VA budget has increased dramatically in recent years, to stand at $122.2 billion for fiscal 2012, with a 2.5 percent increase in health care funding planned for 2013.

Miller said that should be enough if the money is managed properly.  As part of that effort, he spoke of trying to reduce excess layers of mid-level management and growth in VA headquarters - which he acknowledged, is a challenge.

"It's really difficult.  They will wait you out," Miller said in a Jan. 19 interview.

Cutting the staff at regional health care headquarters, reducing public affairs staffs and trying to make purchasing of goods more efficient are areas Miller will review for savings to pay for increases in other programs.  These ideas are likely to be discussed at a Feb. 9 hearing on the 2013 VA budget

While he has some criticisms of VA, Miller said he has a good working relationship with VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and expects to work closely with him on ways to improve programs.

Miller said he'll closely watch how VA implements the Vow to Hire Heroes Act, a comprehensive job training and transition assistance bill enacted into law late last year and designed to cut the ranks of jobless veterans.

"If this is not implemented in a timely fashion, it's not going to achieve the positive results we all expect," Miller said.  "I'm worried because of the bureaucracy of VA that takes forever to implement something.  I am not aware of anything that comes in on time."

The jobs programs are critical at a time when about 900,000 veterans are out of work, and when the unemployment rate for younger veterans who have served since the 2001 terrorist attacks stood at 13.3 percent in December, compared to a national rate of 8.5 percent.

The job market for veterans could get worse before it gets better, Miller said, because of the looming reductions in the size of the active-duty force driven by a combination of the end of combat operations in Iraq, reduction of U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan and budget-driving reductions in the size of the force.

"We have a surge [of veterans] coming … that I don't believe we are prepared for," Miller said.  "Until the economy turns and there are more jobs out there, we are going to be in trouble."

There are roughly 2.2 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including 624,000 who already have filed disability and benefits claims, and the number could rise as more combat vets leave the military,

Processing claims has long been a major headache for VA and veterans.  As of Jan. 16, the number of pending benefits claims stood at 885,409, two-thirds of them more than 125 days old.  The number of pending claims at the same time last year was 771,000, with only 41 percent older than 125 days.

"This is beyond unacceptable," Miller said, adding that it is particularly frustrating because "a lot of dollars and people have been thrown at VA" to address the problem, without results.

Asked if he thinks VA is ready for a major influx of new veterans, Miller at first said, "They'd better be."

But he then noted that VA has been slow to develop and implement mental health and suicide prevention programs and a congressionally mandated caregiver supporter program, which provides reason for concern.

"We, as a government, need to work to provide the care that is necessary," Miller said.  "That could be care for wounds that are visible, but certainly should be just as robust for wounds that cannot be seen." (From Air Force Times)

VA Providing Credit Monitoring to Misidentified Veterans
WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs is offering free credit monitoring to more than 2,200 Veterans whose personal information, including social security numbers, was posted on Ancestry.com following the mistaken release of data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

"VA places the highest priority upon safeguarding the personal information of our Veterans," said Jerry L. Davis, VA's chief information security officer.  "When lapses occur, we will immediately take prompt remedial action, such as notification."

The family history Website, which provides access to genealogical and historical information, had requested information from VA about deceased Veterans.  Under FOIA, VA is obligated to release requested records upon written request unless they may be withheld.  Therefore, VA provided the Website with the data on March 18, 2011.

On Dec. 13, 2011, after the information had been posted on the history website, VA learned that it included data about some living Veterans because some of the death reports provided to the Website were inaccurate.

"Fortunately, no personal health information was included in this data release," Davis said.  "Ancestry.com has worked with us and immediately removed all the information that we had supplied them."

There is no indication personally identifiable information of any Veteran has been misused.  However, VA is still notifying all potentially affected Veterans so they can be vigilant and take steps to protect against identity theft.  VA is also offering credit monitoring for one year at no charge to every Veteran whose name was mistakenly released and posted on the history website.

FOIA requires federal agencies to disclose requested records unless they may be withheld under specific statutory exemptions.  Under FOIA, VA was obligated to provide the Website with the name, social security number, date of birth, date of death, military branch assignments, and the dates of entry on active duty and release from active duty for deceased Veterans.

VA has launched an effort to determine why information about living Veterans was included in a database about deceased Veterans.  The error did not affect the VA benefits of any Veteran.  VA is committed to protecting Veterans' personal information and to improving information processing to avoid erroneous data.

Veterans who believe they may have been affected by this incident who have not been notified by VA may verify whether their information was involved by writing to: Department of Veterans Affairs, OIT Privacy Officer (005R1A), 810 Vermont Ave., NW Washington DC 20420, (Attn: Garnett Best).

Affected Veterans can request a free credit report for one year from one or more of the three national credit bureaus by calling 1-877-322-8228 or by visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

Information about this and other protections, including placing a "fraud alert" on credit accounts, is available by calling the Federal Trade Commission at its toll free number, 1-877-438-4338, or by visiting its Website, http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/index.html. (From VA NEWS)

House of Representatives returned to town
The House of Representatives returned to town this week; the Senate returns next week.  And then the drama begins.  Actually there was a good deal of drama here this week.  The House voted on the raising of the debt ceiling.  (Please see below) On the House's return hundreds of protesters calling themselves" Occupy Congress" first marched on Congress; then to the Supreme Court and finally in front of the White House.  Then what was thought of as an easy bi-partisan vote outlawing internet intellectual piracy blew up in the faces of both parties when popular internet sites protested.  There was not much new on military personnel issues this week but even if there had been from now and until November most media will focus on the Presidential race.  We assure you that we will work to keep you informed about news and events of particular importance to all of the enlisted family. (The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA))

The VA's Office of Inspector General Releases Downloads of its 2011 Reports
This week the VA's Office of Inspector General released downloads for the 10 most read reports of 2011.  Below you can find several important and influential reports. Top 10 VA OIG Downloads for 2011

What are people who are interested in veterans' issues reading these days?  Last year the VA OIG's Internet site registered over 1 million hits, with most visitors reading and downloading our audit, health care, and investigative reports.  We issued over 300 reports in 2011 on VA's delivery of health care and benefits to America's veterans covering a broad range of subjects-from issues of special interest to Congress, the VA Secretary, and veterans such as mental health and disability benefits to our ongoing inspections of VA medical centers, clinics, and regional offices.  Last year our reports made over 1,500 recommendations to VA on how to improve services to veterans and can help VA achieve over $6 billion in efficiencies.

Here are the top 10 reports downloaded from our Internet site last year:

1) Review of Combat Stress in Women Veterans Receiving VA Health Care and Disability Benefits [Click for report.]

2) Audit of 100 Percent Disability Evaluations [Click for report.]

3) Administrative Investigation, Improper Locality Rate of Pay, Office of Information & Technology, VA Central Office [Click for report.]

4) Implementing VHA's Mental Health Strategic Plan Initiatives for Suicide Prevention [Click for report.]

5) Administrative Investigation, Improper Academic Degree Funding, Improper Detail and Failure to Cooperate with an OIG Investigation, OI&T VA Central Office [Click for report.]

6) Administrative Investigation, Misuse of Position, Abuse of Authority, and Prohibited Personnel Practices, Office of Information & Technology Washington, DC [Click for report.]

7) Alleged Poor Quality of Patient Care, Marion VA Medical Center, Marion, Illinois [Click for report.]

8) Oversight Review of Dental Clinic Issues, Dayton VA Medical Center, Dayton, Ohio [Click for report.]

9) Review of State Variances in VA Disability Compensation Payments [Click for report.]

10) Audit of Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Programs [Click for report.]

You can now follow the VA OIG on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VetAffairsOIG or sign up to receive our RSS feeds or e-mail alerts on our Website at http://www.va.gov/oig/default.asp. (The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA))

Money from the VA Means Fewer Homeless Vets
Below please see a local news article that shows how a national program works on the streets.  VA Secretary Erik Shinseki has made ending veterans homelessness one of his primary goals and one can see that the effort is paying off.

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Based on a one-day shelter and street census taken in January by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), from 2010 to 2011the number of homeless veterans dropped by 12 percent nationally.

Cathy ten Broeke, Minneapolis-Hennepin County coordinator to end homelessness, said the drop could be attributed to the resources being poured into veteran homelessness from Washington, DC.  The VA has housed more than 33,000 veterans in the past 2 1/2 years by expanding eligibility for vouchers that qualify them for Section 8 housing.

A joint VA/HUD program combines a voucher with intense support for mental health or substance abuse needs.  Veterans pay 30 percent of their income for rent, and the voucher covers the rest.  Each voucher costs the government on average $6,500 a year, plus $4,148 in case management services.  The program's cost has been estimated to be less than the costs of emergency rooms, jails or homeless shelters.

Most of the veterans being served are from the Vietnam era, but the drawdown of forces from Iraq and Afghanistan is likely to tax the system and require applying the lessons learned.  "This is not going away soon," Ten Broeke said.  "The prevention of these new veterans from having the same kinds of issues and falling through the same kinds of cracks is really key."

Estimates in Hennepin County indicate that 19 percent of homeless single adults are veterans. (The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA))

Medicare/TRICARE Cut Looms
Legislators began to trickle back into Washington this week, and they face a full plate in 2012.

A long term debt reduction plan remains the most divisive and elusive issue, and it will likely dominate the proceedings of the 2nd session of the 112th Congress.

If Congress can come to a debt reduction agreement this year it can stave off the automatic debt reduction trigger - sequestration - that would lead to massive cuts in defense spending, and almost certainly disproportionately whack the military community with the brunt of spending cuts.

In the more immediate future Congress will need to pass a long-term "doc fix" without which Medicare/TRICARE payments to doctors would be cut by more than 27%.  The current extension expires at the end of February.

Now's the time to kick off your 2012 grass roots advocacy efforts by sending your legislators a MOAA-suggested message asking them to pass a long term "doc fix" and protect access to health care for military families and retirees. (c) 2011, The Military Officers Association of America. Used with permission.

DFAS and Your Tax Documents
Defense Finance and Accounting Service has released the electronic and postal delivery schedule of 2011 tax statements for military servicemembers, military retirees and annuitants.  Delivery began in mid-December and continues through January with all customers receiving their W-2s and 1099Rs by January 31.

Most online tax statements will be available on DFAS' myPay site a week or more before delivery via mail.

2011 tax statement myPay and USPS mail schedule:

Form/Document	Date Available on myPay	Dates Mailed VIA USPS
Retiree Account Statement (RAS)	12/4/2011	12/19/2011 - 1/10/2012
Retiree 1099R	12/15/2011	12/19/2011 - 1/10/2012
Annuitant Account Statement (AAS)	12/14/2011	12/19/2011 - 12/31/2011
Annuitant 1099R	12/14/2011	12/19/2011 - 12/31/2011
Active Duty Air Force, Army, Navy W-2	1/24/2012	1/24/2012 - 1/29/2012
Reserve Air Force, Army, Navy W-2	1/6/2012	1/6/2012 - 1/9/2012
Marine Corps Active & Reserve W-2	1/16/2012	1/19/2012 - 1/21/2012
Military VSI/SSB W-2	Not available via myPay	1/4/2012 - 1/5/2012
Savings Deposit Program 1099INT	1/21/2012	1/21/2012 - 1/22/2012

(c) 2011, The Military Officers Association of America. Used with permission.

Copyright (C) 2011, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), all rights reserved. Part or all of this message may be retransmitted for information purposes, but may not be used for any commercial purpose or in any commercial product, posted on a Web site, or used in any non-MOAA publication (other than that of a MOAA affiliate, or a member of The Military Coalition) without the written permission of MOAA. All retransmissions, postings, and publications of this message must include this notice.

COMMUNITY AND LOCAL BASE - POST NEWS

JANUARY

Following event information provided by the Langley/Fort Eustis Warrior Publication

Literary High Tea at the Carrot Tree Jan. 25/2012 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Cole Digges House (circa 1720), 411 Main Street

Enjoy a delightful high tea featuring; Silk Sachet Teas; Scones & Biscuits; Petite Quiche; Tea Sandwiches; Dessert Plates, and more.  Please join us on Wednesday, January 25th at the Cole Digges House (circa 1720), 411 Main Street.  Reservations recommended.  Seating is limited.  Call for pricing and more information.  757-988-1999.

Cabin Fever Concert Series at the Yorktown Freight Shed Jan. 26/2012 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Wipe the winter blues away as local musicians engage and interact with audience members.  This week's entertainment will be provided by Doug Dunn Group (Jazz).  Sponsored by York County.  Yorktown Freight Shed, 331 Water Street.  Free tickets required.  Tickets available beginning January 3rd at the Parks & Recreation office and at Riverwalk Restaurant.  Call for more information.  757-890-3500.

Yorktown Wine Festival
Village Events, Ltd. is proud to host the 2011 Yorktown Wine Festival "The Best of Virginia in Yorktown" on Jan. 28th, 2011 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm at 400 Water Street.  Come to Yorktown's famous Riverwalk Landing and sample some of the Commonwealth's finest wineries.  Enjoy opening ceremonies with the Fifes and Drums of York Town and then fine art, food and entertainment!  Rain or shine.

For ticket information contact Don Willis, at 757-877-2933, or e-mail villageevents@cox.net.  Please visit our Please visit our Website at www.villageevents.org

Febuary

Following event information provided by the Langley/Fort Eustis Warrior Publication Literary High Tea at the Carrot Tree Feb. 1/2012 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Cole Digges House (circa 1720), 411 Main Street

Enjoy a delightful high tea featuring; Silk Sachet Teas; Scones & Biscuits; Petite Quiche; Tea Sandwiches; Dessert Plates, and more.  Please join us on Wednesday Feb. 1st at the Cole Digges House (circa 1720), 411 Main Street.  Reservations recommended.  Seating is limited.  Call for pricing and more information.  757-988-1999.

Yorktown Wine Festival
Village Events, Ltd. is proud to host the 2011 Yorktown Wine Festival "The Best of Virginia in Yorktown" on Feb. 4th, 2011 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm at 400 Water Street.  Come to Yorktown's famous Riverwalk Landing and sample some of the Commonwealth's finest wineries.  Enjoy opening ceremonies with the Fifes and Drums of York Town and then fine art, food and entertainment!  Rain or shine.

For ticket information contact Don Willis, at 757-877-2933, or e-mail villageevents@cox.net.  Please visit our Please visit our Website at www.villageevents.org

Cabin Fever Concert Series at the Yorktown Freight Shed Feb. 9/2012 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Wipe the winter blues away as local musicians engage and interact with audience members.  This week's entertainment will be provided by Little Bit of Swing (Swing and 50's and 60's hits).  Sponsored by York County.  Yorktown Freight Shed, 331 Water Street.  Free tickets required.  Tickets available beginning January 3rd at the Parks & Recreation office and at Riverwalk Restaurant.  Call for more information.  757-890-3500.

Yorktown Wine Festival
Village Events, Ltd. is proud to host the 2011 Yorktown Wine Festival "The Best of Virginia in Yorktown" on Feb. 11th, 2011 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm at 400 Water Street.  Come to Yorktown's famous Riverwalk Landing and sample some of the Commonwealth's finest wineries.  Enjoy opening ceremonies with the Fifes and Drums of York Town and then fine art, food and entertainment!  Rain or shine.

For ticket information contact Don Willis, at 757-877-2933, or e-mail villageevents@cox.net.  Please visit our Please visit our Website at www.villageevents.org

CONTENT DISCLAMER
Although every effort is made to verify the information contained on this web site, neither the editor nor the RAO staff can guarantee the accuracy of information received from outside sources.

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