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HOWGOZIT #3
15FEB07
MEMORANDUM FROM VADM DUNN
This is a third howgozit for all ANA Wing
Commanders and ANA Squadron Commanding Officers and
Membership-At-Large. It would be much appreciated were you to
pass this on to all your members.
ANA news
continues to be good. While we are still experiencing the pains
of reestablishing, we’re making good progress. What’s more, we
continue on our mission.
While we have
had only a little more than one month of the "New ANA",
membership renewals are looking good and membership is on an
upswing, albeit slower than we would like. We hope all you
recruiters, and that means all of you, are out there beating the
bushes. It’s memberships that will sustain us. We cannot
continue to rely on appeals such as that made by Admiral
Holloway late last year. While that appeal was well received
and produced vital "seed" money, we cannot continue to go to
that well and simultaneously maintain a viable organization.
Beyond money and
memberships, we’ve received a number of reports that tell us
more and more of our squadrons are doing well, active in their
communities spreading the good word about Naval Aviation. Even
previously moribund squadrons are coming to life. Good on all
of you. Special kudos go to Captain Ernie Snowden and his
efforts with the Washington-Anacostia Squadron. A highlight is
that on March 6 he has arranged a squadron luncheon at the
Army-Navy Club featuring Admiral Holloway and Rear Admiral Bruce
Clingan, Director Air Warfare, N88.
That luncheon
with Rear Admiral Clingan is just one way where your temporary
leadership is continuing to work at reestablishing contacts with
senior key active duty Naval Aviators. That’s one of our
priority efforts and the sense is we’re making good progress.
More details on that effort in subsequent howgozits.
Meanwhile, we’ve
been making progress on other fronts as well.
We have now a signed a contract with Howard
Associates to provide administrative support. Among other
things, they will handle membership applications and renewals
for us. Their address is at the bottom of this howgozit.
By-laws for the new ANA have been reviewed
by our legal counsel, approved by our temporary board of
directors, and promulgated to all wing and squadron commanders
by e-mail. If you didn’t get a copy and want one, please let us
know.
Among other things, the by-laws call for a
vote by the membership for a more permanent board of directors.
The required election will be conducted concurrently with the
next issue of Wings of Gold. In that spring issue there
will be a tear-out sheet ballot. Details will be covered in a
future howgozit and in the spring issue of Wings of Gold
itself. Suffice for now to say we’re organizing the election in
this fashion to save the cost of a special ballot mail out.
As for other communications, until our
website gets back up, we will be depending very much on e-mail.
That means two-way e-mail as we need to hear from you at least
as much as you may need to hear from us. It also means that we
must make special effort to reach out to those members and
prospects who may not have e-mail. I ask your special attention
to that.
Finally, I’m sure you know our active duty
naval aviation forces are running at
max throttle. When they are back home they understandably want
and need to spend time with their families. But even so, with
all the experience and talent we have in our ANA squadrons I’m
sure you can find time to use all sorts of events, media and
stratagems to let them know how much we appreciate and support
them. That, after all, is one of the best thing we “old guys”
can do for the young people following in our footsteps.
Lastly, some recent news to ponder.
“As the Iraq war nears its fourth anniversary, the Navy must
compete for funds with the Army and Marine Corps, who get top
priority because their personnel and equipment have been
stretched thin.”
“The Navy is as busy as ever, its carriers launching air
strikes in Afghanistan and Iraq, its destroyers chasing pirates
off the Horn of Africa, its frigates halting suspected drug
runners in Latin American waters, its amphibious assault ships
ferrying Marines and Special Forces to the Middle East and
elsewhere.”
“The aircraft carrier John
Stennis and its Strike Group are headed west to provide support
for U.S. and coalition forces operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet
and will support Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom,
be prepared to take part in Horn of Africa operations, and
conduct Maritime Surveillance Operations (MSO). Coalition forces
conduct MSO under international maritime conventions to ensure
security and safety in international waters so that all
commercial shipping can operate freely while transiting the
region.”
“The USS John F. Kennedy
was decommissioned on March 23 after nearly 40 years of
service.”
“The Air Force
and Navy each will receive six F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at
$2.6 billion. Continued research and development for the F-35 is
set at $3.4 billion in fiscal 2008.
The Navy will
receive 24 F/A-18E/F Hornet jet fighters at $2.4 billion and 18
E/A-18G Growler aircraft at $1.3 billion. The Growler is the
electronic warfare variant of the Hornet.
Shipbuilding
will receive $14.4 billion under the request for a CVN-21
next-generation aircraft carrier, a Virginia-class sub, an
amphibious assault ship and a logistics ship. The program funds
three littoral combat ships and will continue funding for two
DDG-1000-class destroyers and another amphibious assault ship.”
“In the coming months, the Navy’s PMA-263 acquisition program
office intends to hold a full and open competition to fill the
requirement for a small, tactical unmanned aerial system (UAS),
to be utilized by both the Navy and Marine Corps. Experience
with this size of UAS in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global
War on Terror has validated the need for this capability. This
small UAS is expected to provide persistent intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance support for tactical level
decisions and unit level defense, and protection for Navy ships
and Marine Corps land forces. The draft request for proposal is
expected to be released this fall.”
“Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 1st Class Robert Reyes,
along with 13 other formerly enlisted sailors Navywide, received
his CWO bars as part of the Flying Chief Warrant Officer Pilot
program. Ten candidate pilots and four candidate naval flight
officers (NFO) were selected for the 2006 trial run of the
program, and 10 candidate pilots and six candidate NFOs will be
chosen in 2007.”
Best regards,
VADM Bob Dunn, robtdunn@aol.com
Captain Dutch Rauch,
svwindmills@erols.com
1446 Waggaman Circle
McLean, VA 22101
Captain Zip Rausa,
zip@anahq.org
WINGS OF GOLD
2133 Freda Drive
Vienna, VA 22181
Membership applications and renewals:
Association of Naval Aviation
2550 Huntington Ave, Suite 202
Alexandria, VA 27303
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