Author: guard7000

This year’s event was our best ever. Many thanks to those of you that assisted with our Charity Golf Event this year!   Special thanks to CW5 (Ret) Jon Wharton for his tireless efforts to make this event a great success.  In a time when many businesses were struggling to get back on their feet following months of COVID-19 related closures and capacity restrictions, Jon was able to amass an amazing amount of gifts and donations.  Every golfer took home a prize. We are so grateful to our Community Parter, Summit Aviation, that was our major sponsor this year.
This year we cleared just over $5000.  We plan to donate our proceeds as follows: Warriors Helping Warriors – $1500.00, Delaware Veterans Trust Fund –  $2000.00, and Friends of the Delaware Veterans Home – $1500.00. See you next year!

On May 17, we conducted our first Virtual ‘Our Community Salutes’ (OCS) High School Enlistee Recognition Ceremony. Tim Furlong of NBC10 served as our emcee, and our speakers included Delaware Governor John Carney, the Adjutant General of Delaware, Major General Mike Berry, and the Command Chief, U.S. Air Forces, Europe, Chief Master Sergeant Brion P. Blais. Their comments were part of a 1-hour program conducted by Our Community Salutes National that included comments by the OCS Founder, Dr Ken Hartman, DOD Service Chiefs Chiefs and a performance by singer Lee Greenwood. High school enlistees representing all Services participated.

On Sunday, November 3, one of our long-time members, BG (Retired) Terry L Wiley, was recognized by the Delaware Army National Guard as the 2020 Camp Honoree. Each year the DNG selects an individual who has distinguished himself in his/her military career, and in support of the military and/or community service after retirement. As part of the recognition, the National Guard Training Site at Bethany Beach will be named for BG Wiley for Training Year 2020. It will display his honorary promotion to Major General (State). Following his retirement after 32 years at DuPont, BG Wiley was selected as Delaware’s Assistant Adjutant General, (Army). After retiring from the Guard, he was appointed as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Delaware. He also serves as the Chairman of the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation, is a decorated Vietnam veteran, is active with his church, and with Boy Scout Troop 204. Congratulations General Wiley, and thanks for being a Soldier for Life, and for supporting AUSA.

On June 27, Larence Kirby, Executive Director, Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs, and Dave Skocik, President, Friends of Delaware Veterans received a check for $1,750 from the Delaware Chapter, AUSA from the Chapter President, COL (Retired) Gary Dawson. The donation was the proceeds of a May 17 golf tournament at Salt Pond Golf Club, Bethany Beach, and was the second event in two years by AUSA for the Trust Fund. Since 1950, the Association of the United States Army has worked to support all aspects of national security while advancing the interests of America’s Army and the men and women who serve.

The Delaware Chapter conducted its Eighth Annual ‘Our Community Salutes’ Enlistee Recognition Dinner on May 29th to recognize high school seniors joining one of the military services after graduation.

The ceremony was held at the Cavalier Country Club. A welcome reception featured light refreshments, sponsor tables and representatives from the VA, Red Cross, the USO and Military OneSource. After dinner, the program founder, Dr Ken Hartman, provided an overview of the program, followed by congratulatory remarks by BG Dave Fleming of the Delaware Army National Guard, and Larence Kirby of the Delaware Commission for Veterans’ Affairs.

Each year we select one high school counselor, nominated by recruiters, for the GEN Colin L. Powell Award; recognizing that individual’s efforts to connect service recruiters with high school seniors interested in beginning their career in the military. This year, we selected Stephanie Johnson of William Penn High School.

Each enlistee received letters of appreciation from the State House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees, and a letter signed by Senator Carper, Senator Coons, and Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester. Thank you to all of our sponsors, and those that made personal donations!!

The Army must regain its expertise in maintenance and sustainment as it prepares to fight on a fast-paced, austere and deadly battlefield, a panel of senior Army leaders said during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition.

Soldiers have seen their skills atrophy after more than 17 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they could rely on contractors and the safety of large, sprawling bases.

“We have raised midgrade officers and NCOs who didn’t know what a LOGPAC was,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis, the adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, referring to a logistics package. “So, we forced our units back into the field, and we throttled back on the high-speed training, as we perceived it, and we had sergeants major and colonels teaching what a LOGPAC is and what’s the field craft you have to go through.”

A unit that’s unable to sustain itself will quickly get bogged down on the battlefield, and that’s evident at the Army’s combat training centers, said Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Forces Command.

“If a unit doesn’t come in with the basic foundation of knowing their business and knowing sustainment, it will eat their lunch in terms of the operational tempo of their rotation,” she said, adding that Gen. Robert Abrams, who relinquished command of FORSCOM in October to lead U.S. Forces Korea, believes that “sustainment is training.”

Delaware Chapter
 Association of the United States Army


Members Meeting and Museum Tour 


 

Continental Breakfast, Chapter Update, Tour of the Air Mobility Command Museum,
and Overview of Aircraft on Display
 …………………………………………..


Saturday, October 27, 2018
 Air Mobility Command Museum
 Dover Air Force Base
 Time: 0930-Noon
Breakfast and Museum donation – $10.00

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Please RSVP by October 24, 2018
 

Checks payable to DE Chapter, AUSA
 Mail check and portion below to:



James C. Vavala
 2628 Longfellow Drive,
Wilmington, DE 19808-3710
 (302) 339-0025 or jcvav@comcast.net


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Sign-up for Delaware Chapter, AUSA Breakfast Meeting – 27 Oct 2018


Member / Guest Name_______________________________________________ Email _________________________________________________________ or,
Phone _________________________
 Number Attending ______ x $10.00 per person = Amount Enclosed $ __________


Bring a new member; they attend as our guest!

On Friday, May 18, 2018 the Chapter conducted its first Charity Golf event to raise funds for the Delaware Veterans Trust Fund. 60 golfers signed up but a steady rain prohibited players from venturing out as some tee boxes were under water.  The Golf Course offered a rain-check for all those that came out, and we distributed awarded prizes, awarded money to the 50-50 winners, and auctioned off some of the larger donated prizes.  Lunch was served early (10:30).

The Delaware Chapter held a Members luncheon following an orientation and tour of Ft Miles, a WWII Army Coastal Defense Fort in Lewes, on April 21, 2018. The tour included the coastal guns at the Fort and the interior of Battery 519.  Twenty-eight members and friends attended, and we presented a check for $100.00 to the President of the Ft Miles Historical Association, Dr Gary Wray. The photo is the group in front of the 16” gun, similar to those housed in one of the coast artillery bunkers at the Fort. This barrel was actually the middle gun on the #2 turret from the battleship U.S.S Missouri.