Most of us are aware that Congress passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist individuals, as well as small and large businesses, directly affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The MOAA Financial Education Team of Lt. Col. Shane Ostrom, USAF (Ret), CFP® and Capt. Paul J. Frost, AFC®, USN (Ret) put together a summary of key provisions that will most impact the military and veteran community. To access that summary, click on this link.

Congratulations to us for repeating as MOAA communication awards winners in 2019. Our chapter was awarded a 5-Star COL Marvin Harris Communication Award for its website “www.cfmoaa.org”, and a 5-Star Award for its eNewsletter “Gram of Info” for 2019.

This is the seventh consecutive year we have received this distinction for our communications platforms. All of us may be justifiably proud.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Cape Fear Chapter was awarded a MOAA 5-Star Levels of Excellence Award. This is an extraordinary streak of achievement for the chapter.

Chapter President Ira Watkins will pin the 5-Star medallion on the Chapter colors awards streamer during the annual general membership meeting on 15 November 2019.

Congratulations to all!

If you are a Korean War Veteran or ever served in Korea and would like to revisit Korea on a vacation compliments of the Korean Government you need to read this and take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Dependents of Korea vets are also eligible.

The Korea Veterans Association (Seoul), started the program in 1975 which is now hosted

by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, by providing Korean War Veterans and

their families free hotel accommodations, bus tours of Seoul, Inchon and the DMZ, and all

meals in Korea. The Land of Morning Calm remembers and sincerely appreciates all veterans

who fought, protected and sacrificed in securing freedom and democracy for the Republic of Korea.

The Korean government is continuing to subsidize the veterans & family members/companion airfare for the 65th Anniversaries, in addition to already paying for hotel, meals and touring in Korea and will end the program in 2020 so don’t delay.

Please download information brochure and application form below.

We recently lost some of our long-serving USO volunteers due to age and/or medical limitations and we need young and enthusiastic folks to replace them. If you are tired of your sedentary life style, and wish to get out of the house and do something physical, worthwhile, self-fulfilling and fun please consider signing up as a USO volunteer – WE NEED YOU!

Getting more of our chapter members actively involved in service projects in support of our military and their families here at Fort Bragg helps promote chapter cohesion, esprit de corps, and a sense of purpose.

USO volunteerism is by no means new to our chapter, since the USO center at the Fayetteville Regional Airport opened in November 2011 a small number of our chapter members (11 to 14) have volunteered their services as USO stewards at the airport lounge. The number has remained relatively constant, with only 12 currently serving. Our goal is to get that number up to around 20 or 24 to embellish this chapter-sponsored endeavor.

The Fayetteville Airport USO Center is behind security on the second floor of the airport. The center is 100% operated by volunteers who have gone through the badging process and are dedicated to keeping the center open, available and a comfortable center for our traveling military and their families. At this time, the USO needs dependable volunteers who are willing to commit to at least two 4-hour periods per month serving in the center; you make your own schedule. There is also a dire need for volunteers to work at the Fort Bragg USO Center located in the Soldier Support Center at Fort Bragg.

If you are interested, please complete the initial steps at "http://www.volunteers.uso.org/ and then, email Brian Knight at Send e-mail to get your application process moving forward. Please let Brian know that you are a member of the Cape Fear Chapter, MOAA.

Congratulations to us for repeating as MOAA communication awards winners in 2018. Our chapter was awarded a 5-Star COL Marvin Harris Communication Award for its website “www.cfmoaa.org”, and a 5-Star Award for its eNewsletter “Gram of Info” for 2018. This is the sixth consecutive year we have received this distinction for our communications platforms. All of us may be justifiably proud.

The newly elected Cape Fear Chapter officers for the 2-year term beginning January 2019 were officially installed in a ceremony during the traditional biennial Installation Dinner held at the Fort Bragg Iron Mike Conference Center on 25 January 2019.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen Dana Atkins, President and CEO of the Military Officers Association of America administered the oath of office to: MAJ (Ret) Ira M. Watkins, President; MAJ (Ret) George Bond, 1st Vice President; COL (Ret) Richard Underwood, 2nd Vice President; LTC (Ret) Marty Williams, 3rd Vice President; LTC (Ret) Ralph W. Hinrichs, Jr., Treasurer; and, Mrs. Sara Ballard, Secretary.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Cape Fear Chapter was awarded a MOAA 5-Star Levels of Excellence Award. This is an extraordinary achievement of which all chapter members can be justifiably proud.

Chapter President Chavez will attend the MOAA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona in November 2018 to accept the 5-Star medallion on behalf of the chapter. Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to us for repeating as MOAA communication awards winners in 2017. Our chapter was awarded a 5-Star COL Marvin Harris Communication Award for its website “www.cfmoaa.org”, and a 5-Star Award for its eNewsletter “Gram of Info” for 2017. This is the fifth consecutive year we have received this distinction for our communications platforms. All of us may be justifiably proud.

The Cape Fear Chapter conferred Honorary Membership upon the Honorable Nat Robertson, Mayor of Fayetteville at the general membership meeting on May 26, 2017.

In the history of the chapter, honorary membership is a courtesy that has been extended to every Mayor of Fayetteville.

President Chavez presented Mayor Robertson with a framed Honorary Membership Certificate, an engraved chapter coin mounted on a coin lock, and a chapter hat as tokens of our appreciation and respect.

The newly elected Cape Fear Chapter officers for the 2-year term beginning January 2017 were officially installed in a ceremony during the traditional biennial Installation Dinner held at the Fort Bragg Iron Mike Conference Center on 20 January 2017.

COL (Ret) Jeri Graham member of the MOAA Board of Directors administered the oath of office to: COL (Ret) Juan Chavez, President; COL (Ret) Stan Dodson, 1st Vice President; COL (Ret) George Blanc, 2nd Vice President; LTC (Ret) Marty Williams, 3rd Vice President; LTC (Ret) Dennis Franken, Treasurer; and, LTC (Ret) Don Gersh, Secretary.

As our nation observes the USO’s 75th anniversary of service to our nation’s military this year, it presents an opportunity for our Chapter to rededicate our efforts in support of USO activities here in Fayetteville and Fort Bragg.

The CFC Board of Directors has been exploring ways of getting more of our chapter members actively involved in service projects in support of our military and their families here at Fort Bragg with the goal of promoting chapter cohesion, esprit de corps, and a sense of purpose and self-fulfillment.

The only chapter members who are actively engaged in chapter activities on a regular basis are a small number who serve on the board of directors and special staff, plus a dozen or so USO volunteers. We have not had much success in encouraging the other 95% of our members to get involved other than attending an occasional meeting now and then. Other MOAA chapters have undertaken projects such as adopting a VA health facility or nursing home, a military museum, and the like, to get their members actively engaged in a chapter-sponsored endeavor.

USO volunteerism is by no means new to our chapter, since the USO center at the Fayetteville Regional Airport opened in November 2011 a small number of our chapter members (11 to 14) have volunteered their services as USO stewards at the airport lounge. The number has remained relatively constant, with only 12 currently serving. We would like to inject new energy into this program by perhaps increasing that number to 50 or more; not unrealistic when one considers that we have close to 300 members, plus approximately 250 spouses. (Approximately 50% of our current volunteers are husband-wife teams.)

The Fayetteville Airport USO Center is behind security on the second floor of the airport. The center is 100% operated by volunteers who have gone through the badging process and are dedicated to keeping the center open, available and a comfortable center for our traveling military and their families. At this time, the USO needs dependable volunteers who are willing to commit to at least 8 hours per month serving in the center. There is also a dire need for volunteers to work at the Fort Bragg USO Center located in the Soldier Support Center at Fort Bragg.

If you are interested, please complete the initial steps at http://www.volunteers.uso.org/ and then, email Beverly Jackson at Send email to get your application process moving forward. Please let Beverly know that you are a member of the Cape Fear Chapter, MOAA.

For the third successive year, the Cape Fear Chapter was awarded a MOAA 5-Star Levels of Excellence Award. This is an extraordinary achievement of which all chapter members can be justifiably proud.

Chapter President Chavez will be attending the MOAA Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia in October 2016 to accept the 5-Star Streamer on behalf of the chapter. Congratulations to all!

The Cape Fear Chapter conferred Honorary Membership upon Drew Brooks, Military Editor of the Fayetteville Observer at the general membership meeting on July 29, 2016.

Mr. Brooks was honored for his sustained outstanding support of the Cape Fear Chapter for the past three years.

President Chavez presented Drew with a Honorary Membership Certificate, plus an engraved chapter coin mounted on a coin lock as a token of appreciation.

Our heartfelt thanks are extended to the following chapter members who so generously contributed to the Global War on Terrorism Memorial fund drive. The chapter was successful in raising $25,000 in 6 months from personal donations, thus fulfilling its pledge to help fund a long-overdue and much deserved memorial to our military men and women who have sacrificed so much in the war against global terrorism since 9/11.

Contributors: Al Alvarez, Tim Atkinson, Rudy Baker, Eli Ballard, Matt Barker, Larry Bass, Ron Bean, Bill Bell, Dave & Tammy Beshlin, George Blanc, George Bond, Mark Boyatt, Bobby Breece, Charlie Brindel, Bruce Brown, Bob & Elizabeth Bunce, Steve Byrnes, Juan Chavez, Ken Chavis, Dave Cheney, Dan Connelly, Maria Cory, Jerry Croll, Tad Davis, Tom Delahunty, Stan Dodson, Tom Donnelly, George Dudley, Clark Ecklund, Ron Elrod, Carl Flanagan, Dennis Franken, Bill Freccia, Bob Garman, Don Gersh, George Glann, Tom Glockzin, Jeri Graham, Chris Grates, Mark Hayden, John Hazlett, Mac Healy, Sam Higdon, Ralph Hinrichs, Alex Hodges, Al Howe, Ike & Pat Isaacson, Carol Ivey, Frank Jaks, Tom King, Earl Klinck, Hank Larsen, Art Macaltao, Steve Mannell, Steve McDavid, Dan McNeill, Dot Miller, Joe Nagel, Tim Newton, Ron O'Brien, Chester Oehme, Charles Pimble, Rick Porter, George Quigley, Deogracia Quinones, Art Rodriguez, Al Rose, Dean Russell, Brian Scott, Ed Seemer, Jon & Casey Sheets, Tom Shipp, Henry Simpson, Arlie & Ingrid Smith, Bob Smoot, Phyllis Streit, Barry Swift, John Szoka, Harold Thacker, Earl Thieme, Ed Thomas, Robert Tiffany, James Volkmann, Dave Vroom, Bob White, Jim Wilde, Marty Williams, Emilie Williams, and Drew Ziegler.

For the third year in a row, the Cape Fear Chapter was awarded two Colonel Marvin J. Harris Communications Awards, one for its Website (www.cfmoaa.org) 5-Stars, and another for its Electronic Newsletter (Gram of Info) 5-Stars. All chapter members should give themselves a pat on the back. Way to go!