January 2021
A Message From Our President
 Greeting Chiefs,

Finally, 2020 is behind us, and we can now hope for a brighter 2021.

Considering the challenges we all faced in 2020, I am proud of our members and Chapters who adapted and overcame many challenges. Our Chapters stood up and provided families with much-needed supplies during the COVID-19 shutdowns. Your actions and leadership strengthens our relationships and show that our CPOA and CGEA take care of our Coast Guard family no matter what the challenge. Bravo Zulu!

Hopefully, we can put the COVID-19 virus behind and look forward to convening our next convention in Muskegon / Grand Haven, Michigan, this coming August 2021. We want all participants to have an opportunity to enjoy the festivities during the Coast Guard Festival and celebrate the 231st birthday of the Coast Guard. 

Additionally, we will be installing our national officers and celebrating our newest Gold Life Time members. More information can be found in the January issue of The Chief and on our website.

A huge thank you to the Coast Guard Foundation for all of their support to Coast Guard families impacted by wildfires, hurricanes, and home fires in North Carolina. With great pride, I send a thank you to the Mobile, Southeast Connecticut, Cape May, Sun Coast, Yorktown, and Vice City Chapters who volunteered to process and approve relief applications for CPOA Headquarters to process for payment. Additionally, thank you to Randy Reid, our Executive Director, for the nearly 200 checks he immediately mailed, totaling over $300,000. We are grateful for this partnership and for being able to assist in the distribution of funds.
 
In closing, I want to thank each of you for what you do for CPOA and CGEA. Our membership level is at an all-time high, and we continue to grow because of what you do. I am humbled and grateful to serve as your President.  


BMCS Jon Ostrowski (Ret)
National President
Here's How Troops Will Repay Suspended Payroll Taxes in 2021
Most military members will spend the next year repaying payroll taxes that were not withheld from their paychecks over the last four months of 2020, due to a temporary exemption put in place by President Donald Trump.

That change was made through an executive order that suspended the collection of Social Security payroll taxes from September through December. That meant most troops received a slightly larger paycheck during that time. But the executive order didn’t eliminate the tax.

Instead, it delayed it temporarily, with repayment set for 2021. A new law approved by Congress this month and signed by Trump Dec. 27 aims to lessen the pain by spreading repayment of those four months of taxes over the 12 months of 2021.
Our Scholarship Season Is Now Open!


CAPTAIN CALIENDO COLLEGE ASSISTANCE FUND (CCCAF) SCHOLARSHIP

The CCCAF, assists dependent children of CPOA/CGEA members in defraying expenses incurred at an accredited university, college, or vocational school of acceptance. 

Applicants participate in an essay contest, with the subject having been selected at the CPOA/CGEA Annual Convention. A Committee consisting of CPOA and CGEA members reads and scores all submitted essays. Three grants will be awarded to the individuals submitting the top entries.

1st. $5,000
2nd. $2,500
3rd. $1,000


WALTER GORE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The purpose of the Walter Gore Memorial Scholarship is to assist members of the CPOA/CGEA in defraying expenses incurred at a university, college, or vocational school of acceptance.

Two grants up to $500 each will be awarded to the individuals submitting the top two essays.


Amazon Smile

If you're shopping on Amazon, please remember to "Smile" for us!

 Book of the Month:
Red Crew
Red Crew is a first-hand account of U.S. Coast Guard anti-smuggling operations during the early years of the nation's maritime war on drugs.

Jim Howe describes his experience as the executive officer of a specialized drug-hunting crew that sailed in then-state-of-the-art "surface effect ships," a small flotilla of high-speed vessels pressed into the drug war on short notice.

In the early 1980s, South Florida and the Caribbean were awash in illicit drugs, with hundreds of smuggling organizations bringing huge loads of marijuana, and later cocaine, into the United States.

To fight this epidemic, the Reagan administration led a massive effort to disrupt shore-side gangs while bolstering interdiction activity at sea. To increase the number of days at sea for each surface effect ship, a "multi-crewing" concept was employed, with four teams of sixteen sailors--the Red, Blue, Green, and Gold Crews--rotating among three hulls.

Through its first-person narrative, Red Crew offers a rare glimpse into the day-to-day pressures, challenges, failures, and successes of Coast Guard cuttermen as they carried out complex and dangerous missions.

Red Crew provides a unique historical view of the early days in the Coast Guard's war on drugs, and is the only book-length history of the diminutive, one-of-a-kind surface effect ship fleet.
Not receiving your magazine? 
 If you've recently retired and were using an allotment to pay your dues, there's a good chance you are no longer an active member. Please read these procedures for starting, changing, and stopping an allotment in Direct Access II/Retired Global Pay Self-Service. 


If you've PCS'd or moved, please let us know where you are with our change of address form.
New Pay and Allowances
to Help You Through COVID-19

Several new pay and allowances are now available to members and their dependents.

These entitlements are part of the overall military effort to support our members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please contact your local SPO to determine your eligibility for these new pay and allowances.

The CPOA USAA Credit Card
  • Use the card that shows your pride in the mission and programs of the CPOA.

  • Save on annual and foreign transaction fees.

  • Show your pride with an exclusive card design.
When Isolated At Home, Reconnect With Old
Service Friends
These unprecedented times are contributing to a higher level of anxiety, particularly among our Veteran population. The constant flow of often discouraging news, along with a reduced ability to mingle with others to keep spirits up, makes it difficult for some to maintain their morale. TogetherWeServed, a military heritage community website and home to over 1.9 million U.S. Military Veterans, wants to help.

A secure virtual base for Veterans

During a Veteran’s military service, their base, ship or shore station is place to call home – a safe haven to share in the company of some of the finest men and women with a mission in common. Together We Served (TWS) aims to replicate that same spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood in its own “Virtual Base” website.

With its membership containing only active serving and Veterans, TWS provides a secure platform for all Veterans to engage with other Veterans on a level that is simply not possible in most social networking environments.

 
To obtain your Free Full Membership, please go to this  special link only for CPOA/CGEA members. 
 
 Family of deceased Coast Guard members who wish to join CGTWS to create a Remembrance Profile for their loved one should email admin@togetherweserved.com.
 
 For more information on TogetherWeServed.com, please view their short informational video at: www.youtube.com/twsmilitarywebsites
Recently Retired?
If you've recently retired and were using an allotment to pay your dues, there's a good chance you are no longer an active member. Please read these procedures for starting, changing, and stopping an allotment in Direct Access II/Retired Global Pay Self-Service. 
  
  Or just call the U. S. Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center 
 
1(800)772-8724
to talk to a pay technician 
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Coast Guard National Retiree Website can be found here.
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Mailing Address:
U. S. Coast Guard CPOA/CGEA
5520-G Hempstead Way
Springfield, VA 22151