May 2017

Volume 20, Issue 5

Active duty and retired members, spouses, widows, and families, please take time this month to reflect on your many years of dedicated service to our country. May is special to our E-9ers as we remember those no longer with us on Memorial Day, 29 May 2017, coincidentally, Bob Hope’s birthday, bless his heart.

Adding to trouble in the Middle East, now we anticipate

confrontation in the Pacific, where there’s a lot of tension and saber rattling going on and hopefully that’s all it is. I’m confident we are prepared for a dominant military response, but the real challenge is how we approach this on a diplomatic level as a first step to resolving this crisis. Pray for the safety of our troops in the Far East. The world is watching.

On local happenings, I attend the Aurora Chamber of Commerce

Defense Council monthly meetings to stay in touch with our military leaders and civilian business partners. The last two meetings were held at local contractor sites with excellent presentations on their ventures in support of various aerospace programs. Local military active duty and guard/reserve commanders also briefed on recent incentives. Buckley AFB will see some construction activity in support areas this summer, including more efficient vehicle entry access and relocation of delivery vehicle lanes.

If you use the Buckley AFB Pharmacy, you may have noticed that

prescription refills are now processed in about two work days. The staff and volunteers at the Buckley Pharmacy do a very good job under a high-volume customer workload, mostly retirees. I see this often because I’m at the Retired Activities Office desk at the pharmacy at least once a week. By the way, we could sure use a few more RAO volunteers to pull a three-hour shift once a week.

Don’t forget Mother’s Day, 14 May!

THE E-9ERS ASSOCIATION

NEXT MONTHLY MEETING

May 24, 2017

11:00 AM

Mr. Panda Restaurant 2852 S Havana St

Aurora CO

The E-9ers of Colorado

www.e9ers.org

www.e9ers.com

The E-9ers Officers The following officers of the E-9ers Association are interested in hearing from you and what suggestions that you may have to improve our group. If you have any thoughts that you would like to share, please give one or more of them a call. They would love to hear from you. President: Jerry Gamache 303-400-6752 sjgam@comcast.net Vice President: Tom Smola 303-683-5160 masmola@msn.com Secretary: Janice Kordek 303-366-4028 jkordek@comcast.net Treasurer: Ann Kelm 303-955-2514 kelmwoods@comcast.net Membership Director: Jack Hunter 303-797-3136 jackhunter@e9ers.org Program Director: Bob Olsen 303-503-4884 olsenb475@earthlink.net Social Director: Ann Kelm 303-955-2514 kelmwoods@comcast.net Sergeant-at-Arms: Cal Keil 303-755-8532 calkeil@aol.com Newsletter Editor: Andrew Grieb 303-204-3203 andrewgrieb@comcast.net

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN BY JERRY GAMACHE

E-9

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS

Articles and photographs are due to the Newsletter Editor by the 15th of each month for publication in the next month’s newsletter.

Articles will be reviewed and edited for content, grammar and spelling.

Photographs should be submitted in JPEG format and with original file names. Please do not rename files. Please, always submit names of people in pictures from left to right, front to back.

Submission of articles and photographs does not guarantee publication.

Thank you,

Andy Grieb

“As always, I am open to story ideas, pictures and more. (I’ll even entertain ideas about cartoons.) Let me know what you think!”

Military.com | 19 Apr 2017 | by Richard Sisk

President Donald Trump extended the Veterans Choice Act on Wednesday to set the stage for a push in Congress to expand the program and allow more access to private care for veterans.

Flanked by veterans at an Oval Office ceremony, the president signed the bill to extend the Choice program, which was to expire on Aug. 7, and allow the expenditure of the remaining $950 million in the program.

The Choice Card program allowed vets facing lengthy wait times at Veterans Administration facilities or living more than 40 miles from the nearest VA to seek care in the private sector. Those already in the program will not need to re-apply under the bill signed by Trump, VA officials said.

The new bill -- the Veterans Choice Improvement Act -- addressed a major complaint of veterans service organizations by directing the VA to cover co-pays and deductibles directly for private care rather than reimbursing veterans for paying up front.

Trump used the signing ceremony to renew many of the pledges he made on the campaign trail to reform the VA.

"I've been telling all of our friends at speeches and rallies for two years about the VA, how we're going to turn it around, and we're doing that," the president said.

"So this is called the Choice Program Improvement Act. It speaks for itself," he added. "This bill will extend and improve the Veterans Choice Program so that more veterans can see the doctor of their choice -- you got it? The doctor of their choice -- and you don't have to wait and travel long distances for VA care."

(Continued on page 3)

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK BY ANDREW GRIEB

TRUMP SIGNS BILL TO EXTEND VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM

Welcome to May! Hopefully the April Showers brought your May flowers.

This month’s newsletter is full of VA stories. The reasons are quite simple. The VA is hot news right now and a lot is happening. For example, last month I reported that the new VA hospital, “Project Eagle”, is over 90% completed. I can honestly report that this month that is closer to 93%. There is a lot more news for us veterans, so I will let the professionals tell us all about it.

We do have one VERY long story this month regarding the MOAB strike in Afghanistan and the questions it has raised. I felt this was an important story for all of us to have.

As always, I am open to story ideas, pictures and more. (I’ll even entertain ideas about cartoons.) Let me know what you think!

2

Military.com | Week of April 10, 2017

Congress has not passed a defense appropriations bill on time in the past eight years. This inaction has forced the armed services to operate for months at the start of every fiscal year under restrained spending authority called a continuing resolution or CR. Gen. Mark A. Milley, Army chief of staff told Congressional members, "Candidly, failure to pass a budget, in my view both as an American citizen and chief of staff of the United States Army, constitutes professional malpractice." Read the full article in the Military Advantage Blog.

https://militaryadvantage.military.com/2017/04/service-chiefs-call-out-congress-for-professional-malpractice/

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 15, 2016. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

"Candidly, failure to pass a budget, in my view both as an American citizen and chief of staff of the United States Army, constitutes professional malpractice."

VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, the only holdover in the Obama administration in the Trump Cabinet and the only cabinet member to win unanimous confirmation in the Senate, said at the signing ceremony that the Choice extension was a precursor of "the great things that are to come to fulfill the president's commitments that he made to veterans."

Shulkin has said that he will present to Congress this fall proposals to overhaul the Choice program to give veterans more options for private care and better integrate the VA with the private sector.

(Continued from page 2)

PRESIDENT SIGNS CHOICE IMPROVEMENT

CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS BILL RESOLUTION: "PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE"

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Picture Right: President Trump holds up the Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act that he signed, Wednesday, April 19, 2017, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Military.com | Week of April 10, 2017

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched an innovative

program called Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health -

Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET). The new program

analyzes existing data from veterans' health records to identify those at

a statistically elevated risk for suicide, hospitalization, illness or other

adverse outcomes. Once a veteran is identified, his or her VA mental

health or primary care provider reaches

out to check on the veteran's well-being

and review their condition(s) and

treatment plans to determine if

enhanced care is needed. The program

began as a pilot in October and is now

fully implemented across VA.

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBER!

We want to welcome

Nicole McIntosh, wife of

Donald McIntosh CMSgt

USAF (Ret) , who joins

our organization.

NEW VA INITIATIVE AIMS TO SAVE LIVES

Military.com | Week of April 10, 2017

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is testing an exoskeleton

system that enables veterans with spinal cord injuries to walk again.

The ReWalk Exoskeleton equipment has motors at the hip and knee

region that give the user the ability to stand from a seated position.

With the assistance of a caregiver and the use of forearm crutches,

wearers bear weight through the bones in their legs, allowing them to

take steps without needing to contract muscles. Trials feature a 45-day

period of learning how to use the exoskeleton in a gym, followed by

another 45-day training period for home use. At the conclusion, the

medical center will put in a request to have the equipment ordered for

personal use at no additional cost. For more information, read the VA

VAntage Point Blog.

VA PROCESSES 5 MILLIONTH E-CLAIM

VA PILOTS EXOSKELETON SYSTEM

Military.com | Week of March 20, 2017

In February, VA's Veterans Benefits Management System

(VBMS) completed a key milestone, electronically processing its 5-

millionth claim. VBA processes nearly 100 percent of disability compen-

sation claims electronically through VBMS. The system allows claims

processors and power of attorney designees, nationwide, the ability to

instantly review close to 3 billion images related to veterans claims. In

the near future, VBA plans to expand its electronic claims processing

capabilities to include automation and digital VA appeal processing. For

more information, read the VA VAntage Point Blog.

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Military.com | 22 Apr 2017 | by Oriana Pawlyk A week and a half ago, the most powerful conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal rolled out the back of a U.S. Air Force MC-130 special operations aircraft lumbering in the skies over Afghanistan. Marking its first-ever deployment in combat, the 21,600-pound GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) -- nicknamed "mother of all bombs" -- dropped from the cargo plane to a specific location in the Achin district in Nangarhar province in the eastern part of the country, where militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's branch Khorasan, or ISIS-K, had amassed in a tunnel complex. The strike killed at least 94 militants, a U.S. military official said, and reportedly two civilians, an Afghan parliamentarian told The Guardian. The bombing made headlines around the world as an example of American military might. Observers said it also sent a message to potential adversaries, such as North Korea, that U.S. commanders under President Donald Trump are more willing to deploy deadlier

weapons. Yet questions remain over the bomb's future use and cost. Experts have questioned MOAB's estimated price tag of $170,000. In terms of explosive yield, a B-52 bomb load can pack the same punch, if not more. And the Air Force has a limited supply of the munitions, which were built in-house with various pieces and parts shortly after the war in Afghanistan began in 2001. "It's basically a frankenbomb," one official said. Most Powerful, Not Biggest To be clear, the Air Force's Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, bomb is not the same as its GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP. As the name states, the MOAB is an air blast munition, intended to hit above a soft-to-medium surface, like a cave, with a penetrating air burst. The MOP, on the other hand, is a bunker buster bomb meant to take out hard, deeper-rooted areas such as bunkers. The MOAB weighs nearly 22,000 pounds, while the MOP is much larger at 33,000 pounds, so it's technically the biggest non-nuclear munition in the arsenal. But the former carries 18,000 pounds of explosives, equivalent to about 11 tons of TNT, compared to the latter’s 5,300-pound warhead. The MOAB ejects from the back of a cargo plane and uses fins for navigation. By comparison, the MOP is a GPS-guided munition designed for bombers like the B-2 Spirit and has never been used in combat. "The use of that weapon for that complex [area] is an outstanding idea," T. Michael "Buzz" Moseley, a retired Air Force general and the service's former chief of staff, told Military.com. The staff at Combined Forces Air Component Command "spend amazing amounts of time mitigating collateral damage and blast effect," he said.

(Continued on page 6)

AFTER US DROPS 'FRANKENBOMB' ON AFGHANISTAN, QUESTIONS LINGER

5

“...the Air Force has a limited supply of the munitions, which were built in-house with various pieces and parts…”

Made in the USAF The Air Force has said each MOAB costs roughly $170,000, which is relatively cheap compared to other munitions. But that figure is a historical unit cost generated in the mid-2000s, a defense official told Military.com. The official said an expert in the Air Force Research Lab, a key developer in the making of the MOAB, generated the value based on already existing parts, such as the bomb casing and metals. The Air Force also didn't pay for outside research since the service developed, built and tested the bomb. "These munitions were built in-house, so we don't have a standard procurement cost associated with them," according to Air Force spokeswoman Erika Yepsen. That means it wasn't part of a typical procurement program and thus its cost wasn't estimated in past Defense Department budget documents. Dynetics Contract The Pentagon contracted with Dynetics Inc., as previously reported by DefenseOne, to develop the bomb's grid fin technology -- controllable fins to accurately maneuver the bomb to within less than eight meters of the intended target. According to a 2014 report submitted to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Air Force Research Lab came to the Huntsville, Alabama-based company in 2002 with $35,000 to develop a concept for the "lattice fin" technology for the bomb. A spokeswoman for Dynetics on Tuesday said she couldn't comment on the work and referred questions to U.S. Central Command. When asked if the estimated costs included the fins, Air Force officials said they weren't sure. An auditor could appraise the per-bomb cost in the current stockpile, but officials said the precise number of MOABs -- reportedly 15 -- and their storage locations are classified. 'Not a Real Program' Todd Harrison, a defense budget expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., described MOAB as a "crash project" by the Air Force after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to develop a munition to target al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. "It was an adversary with uncertain tactics on unfamiliar terrain, so we were willing to try just about anything," he said. "The war did not go as expected -- we never thought we would still be there 15 years later with no end in sight -- and it turned into more of an occupation and counter-

(Continued from page 5)

(Continued on page 7)

A Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb is loaded onto a truck. Its explosive yield is about a third of the MOAB that was dropped on an ISIS tunnel complex in Afghanistan. But the MOP can penetrate concrete-hardened targets before detonating. (DoD photo)

UPCOMING SPEAKERS

May:

Aaron Termain the

Division Director of

the Veterans Community

Living Center at

Fitzsimmons.

June:

None scheduled yet

July:

None scheduled yet

AFGHAN BOMBING BRINGS QUESTIONS

6

insurgency operation than a counter-terrorism operation." Harrison said building the MOAB "was a quick turn effort to meet an urgent need and was not a real program. The Air Force acted as the system integrator, and they only built 15." Based in part on technology from Soviet-era intercontinental ballistic missiles, the MOAB was tested at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in 2003. But until last week, it had never been used in combat. To start building the bombs again, the Air Force "would basically be starting over" because many of the old parts probably aren't available and newer ones are, Harrison said. Re-starting production of the munition is unlikely, given its relatively low demand and higher anticipated unit costs due to a decade-and-a-half of price inflation and new design and testing. Psychological Operation Harrison added, "In some ways, the development and fielding of these bombs is a form of signaling and conventional deterrence. The fact that

these bombs exist and were developed quickly may give potential adversaries pause and complicate their decision making." Moseley, the retired Air Force general, agreed. Strategically, "You're looking for an effect for a wider area," he told Military.com. "Plus, the blast effect of the weapon itself ... also sends a certain psychological message to your opponent and enemies who are watching." Moseley, who commanded 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces between 2001 and 2003 -- at a time when the U.S. had forward-deployed the BLU-82B Daisy Cutter bomb (MOAB’s predecessor) -- didn't say why commanders chose to use the MOAB rather than the MOP to strike the ISIS cave in Afghanistan. "I don't know what the inventory is in theater ... for those class weapons, but there is a limited number of each" to begin with, he said. Cost may have played a role. The Air Force budgeted $572 million in research and development funding and $43 million in procurement funding for 28 bombs under the MOP program from 2009 to 2017, Harrison said, which comes to about $21.9 million per bomb. 'Many Munitions' Timing may have also been a factor, Moseley said. "What's the timeline to bring something else into theater relative to the effect they wanted to create at that particular time?" he said. Perhaps it's as simple as, "the situation on the ground, maybe everything was ready for an easy match to [using] this weapon," he said. Air Force officials also haven't spelled out why the MOAB was chosen over a B-52 Stratofortress, which according to Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at Middlebury College and self-described "arms control wonk," offers similar destructive power when carrying more than 50 750-pound bombs. Yepsen, the Air Force spokeswoman, said, "We have many munitions. We will use the appropriate ones for the appropriate targets."

(Continued from page 6)

AFGHAN BOMBING BRINGS QUESTIONS

7

"You're looking for an effect for a wider area," ... "Plus, the blast effect of the weapon itself ... also sends a certain psychological message to your opponent and enemies who are watching."

CALENDAR

May 2017 Cinco de Mayo ..................... 5/5 Kentucky Derby ................... 5/6 Victory in Europe Day .......... 5/8 Mother’s Day ..................... 5/14 Armed Forces Day ............. 5/20 May Meeting ..................... 5/24 Memorial Day .................... 5/29 June 2017 Flag Day ............................ 6/14 US Army Birthday .............. 6/14 Father’s Day ...................... 6/18 First Day of Summer .......... 6/21 June Meeting .................... 6/28

May - Happy Anniversary

Jim & Bobbe Pestana ..........................5/?? Billie & Karel Musslewhite......................5/1 Joe & Diane Joseph ...................... 5/1 (38) John & Dorothy Brown ................... 5/4 (66) Larry & Carolyn Cruz ..................... 5/5 (55) Vic & Nancy Keeton ....................... 5/5 (61) Billy & Lucille Peeples ................. 5/11 (15) Arthur & Rosemary Samson ........ 5/13 (56) Lewis & Carrie Winningham ........ 5/18 (18) Bill & Ann Kelm ............................ 5/21 (24) Mr. & Mrs William Frazier ....................5/23 Elmer & Kathy Denning ................. 5/23 (8) James & Linda Westensee .......... 5/23 (15) Clifton & Eileen Sonberg.............. 5/25 (43) Jack & Claudia Hunter ................. 5/29 (52)

May - Happy Birthday

Joe Joseph ..........................................5/?? Earl Severson ........................................5/1 Rae Wilson ............................................5/1 Janet Faubion ........................................5/2 Ed Hills ..................................................5/3 Cookie Trulsson .....................................5/6 Mary Kay Boyle .....................................5/6 Chuck LeDrew .......................................5/8

Claudia Hunter ...................................... 5/8 Janet Wheeler ....................................... 5/9 Barbara Dugan .................................... 5/10 Donna Yannutz.................................... 5/11 Neil Holmdahl ...................................... 5/12 Nils Trulsson........................................ 5/13 Betty Severson .................................... 5/17 Kenneth Ross ...................................... 5/17 Robert Ellis .......................................... 5/17 Elsie Howard ....................................... 5/17 David Colella ....................................... 5/18 Ed Chando .......................................... 5/24 Sandy Tomlinson................................. 5/24 Rose Brown ......................................... 5/24 Mike Bittle ............................................ 5/26 Peter Denlea ....................................... 5/27 Louise Walko ....................................... 5/31

The E-9ers Association

Andrew Grieb, Editor

PO Box 31261

Aurora CO 80041-1261

Phone: 303-204-3203

E-mail: andrewgrieb@comcast.net

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