[Above] Photos of Advocacy in Action – 2017: Dick Calta & Congressman Jim Renacci, Rod Hosler & Qais Roshan, Legislative Aide/Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Rod Hosler & Matthew Silver, Legislative Director/Congressman Warren Davidson, and Dick Calta & Congressman Bill Johnson
MOAA annually conducts “Storming the Hill” that allows MOAA council leadership an opportunity to visit Capitol Hill and meet with each state’s Senatorial and Congressional delegations to discuss key defense issues. This year, our Storming the Hill campaign urged legislators to repeal the harmful federal budget sequestration caps and correct a major financial penalty currently imposed on military survivors whose sponsors die of service caused conditions (SBP-DIC offset). The MOAA Storming the Hill took place on Wednesday 5 April, with a preparation briefing on 4 April and post-storming session on 6 April.
The Ohio Council of Chapters (OCC) was represented by Col. Dick Calta, OCC President, MSVC and OWRC member, and LTC Rod Hosler, OCC First Vice President and MSVC member. The Storming the Hill event, teamed council members with a member of the MOAA National Board of Directors, a member of the MOAA Nation Staff, or a member of one of MOAA’s Surviving Spouses, Currently Serving, or Spouse Advisory Committees. Our team included Col. Brian Anderson, who is well known to our chapter and Ms. Cathy Artino, Associate Editor of The Military Officer magazine.
Also, included in this overall program were presentations given by Dr. David J. Shulkin, the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Congressman Mike Coffman of Colorado a retired Marine Corps officer. The MOAA Col. Marvin J. Harris Communications Awards were presented, and our Central Ohio won 4-Star recognition for it’s newsletter; the Dayton Area Chapter won a 5-Star recognition for it’s website and a 4-Star for it’s newsletter; Ohio Western Reserve Chapter won a 4-Star each for it’s website and newsletter; and Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter won a 5-Star for it’s website and a 4-Star recognition for our newsletter. Well done for Col Pete Wilkinson, Central Ohio; CAPT. Terry Cooney, Dayton Area; LTC David Riegler and Mrs. Janet Oglesby, Ohio Western Reserve; and Mr. Bruce Bille and Janet Oglesby, Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter. There are 440 chapters and councils and only 87 received awards, and only four Ohio chapters and the council won awards. Other MOAA related briefings were presented as well. MOAA set up a field headquarters at the Crowne Plaza Old Town hotel, in Alexandria, VA that served as briefing, lodging and dining location. We walked everywhere on Capitol Hill (five legislative office buildings), and met with the two Ohio Senators and all sixteen Representatives or their legislative staffers, and received much positive feedback. The experience was extremely favorable, except for sore feet. Accompanying Dick was his wife Linda, and accompanying Rod was his wife and Chapter First Vice President former LT. Florence Hosler.
Click the links below to see the notes from previous years:
AIA 2022
AIA 2021