Greetings Eagle Chapter Members and Friends | |
Above at our first Fallen Defenders Families Reception in 2023, Mr./SES Timothy Gerald, HQ USAF Deputy Director of Security Forces honored us by being the keynote speaker for the families and unit personnel who were in DC for the formal recognition of the Defenders (TSgt Norton, SSgt McElroy, SRA Nathan) who had made the ultimate sacrifice and whose names were being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC. This year - there are five! Click on the image above or below to RSVP to attend the Defenders Fallen Families Reception. Thanks. | |
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Defenders we are about to enter the most active period of our annual calendar - and as you know - I'd have it no other way! :-) Please mark your calendars and come out and join us.
Our most important focus is on the five families who's loved ones will be recognized during Police Week by the National LE Officers Memorial. Now, we are working with the Defender unit project managers to aid the families in their decision to come to DC so we can shower our affection and appreciation for their loss. As we did last year, we will provide the family $500.00 to aid with their travel costs. The words of Chief Master Sergeant James Thompson, Senior Enlisted Leader 436th SFS at Dover states it better than any of us when he sent this message to me following our visit to Dover earlier this year.
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"John and I were in the same unit and served together in Iraq where he was killed. He and I served together on the Air Force Police Transition Team in Iraq. SSgt John Self's bunk was only 3 beds down from mine in our tent. We worked the same Iraqi police neighborhood in Baghdad. I would be honored if I could attend the ceremony and am looking to help in any way I can. Please let me know if there is a way I can attend or even have a role in paying tribute and honor to John, his family, or any of the other Defenders being dedicated.
My Service Dress is ready!"
CMSgt Joseph Thompson, 436th SFS Dover AFB DE
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Chief Thompson honors us with his words and I look forward to seeing him again at Bolling should his schedule permit him to join us at the Fallen Defenders Families Reception. See the article below.
Our donors, like many of you, make it possible for us to provide services to our Defenders and their families. If you would like to make a donation, please click here. Be sure to send remarks.
Thanks for all of you that help spread the wings of Eagle Chapter over Eagle Country (DC, DE, MD, VA and WV and beyond) to serve our Defenders, their families, and our military heritage!
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Very respectfully,
//Lee//
Elia C. (Lee) Chambers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Eagle Chapter Air Force Security Forces Association
PLEASE NOTE THE NEW ADDRESS BELOW
P. O. Box 334
Gainesville, Virginia 20156-0334
Email: chairman@afspaeagle.com | C: 571-302-0992
We published our previous newsletter February 2024.. Click here to go to our Resources page on our website to see our previous newsletters.
Eagle Chapter AF Security Forces Association membership is FREE to all AF Security Forces Association members who work or live in DC, DE, MD, VA, and WV. Email me for more information.
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Stone cutters Began Placing the Names of the Five Defenders on the Memorial in Preparation for Police Week 2024. | |
Last week, the Memorial Research team with the assistance of other staff, began placing engraving strips on the Memorial Walls. This is the first phase of the engraving process to ensure correct placement and spacing for the 2024 names. The names of the five Defenders are now available on the NLEOM website. See below. | Go to the National LE Officers Memorial Website to see where the stonecutters will place the names of our five fallen Defenders who will be recognized for 2024. | |
Again - Congratulations to the Commanders and Project Managers at the 28th Security Forces Squadron Ellsworth AFB SD, 90th Security Forces Squadron FE Warren AFB WY, and 19th Security Forces Squadron Little Rock AFB AR for making this recognition possible.
Click on the names below to surf out to the NLEOM website to see the fallen Defender's names who will be formally recognized on May 13th at the US Capitol. Mr. SES Timothy Gerald, Deputy Director HQ USAF Security Forces will read the names of the Defenders at the event at the US Capitol:
• Senior Airman David Heitkamp
• Airman Barry Holmes
• Staff Sergeant Charles Huskey
• Airman Trinity Reinhart
• Staff Sergeant John Self
Click here to join us in our appreciation of the Fallen Defenders Families Reception in the Arnold Suite, the Bolling Club at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling Washington DC.
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RSVP - FALLEN DEFENDERS FAMILIES RECEPTION - Click here to join us May 13 at 1330/1:30 PM in the General Henry R. "Hap" Arnold Suite, at the Bolling Club, Joint Base Anacostia Bolling Washington DC for a special reception lunch held to lavish our appreciation for their loss and the unit's hard work to make the recognition of the Defenders possible.
For the families traveling to DC for the recognition of their loved one by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, Eagle Chapter gives each family unit $500.00 to help offset their travel cost. As a token of our appreciation for the unit's hard work, we will also present $500.00 to the unit Booster Club/Defender's Association for the 19th Security Forces Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR, 28th Security Forces Squadron Ellsworth AFB SD, 90th Security Forces Squadron FE Warren AFB WY. Please RSVP to join us!
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RSVP: PENTAGON TOUR - DEFENDERS FAMILIES/UNITS POLICE WEEK May 13 1000
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Thanks to Pentagon Police Chief (and Eagle Chapter AFSFA Member) Woody Kusse and his Special Events Division - we're again providing a custom tour of the Pentagon for the Defender Families and Units who are coming to DC for the recognition of their fallen Defender.
Join us by clicking here or on the image. The image here is for the families and units who participated 2023.
The image top shows the families and Defender units that we hosted on the Pentagon tour in 2023.
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Welcome Home: March 29
National Vietnam War Veterans Day
Thanks to Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Gary Jones for helping us to remember this very special day. To our Vietnam War Vets - WELCOME HOME!
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 designates every 29 March to honor Vietnam War veterans. March 29, 1973, was the day the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) was disestablished. March 29th is also the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. In addition, on and around this same day Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war. It is a special day, indeed.
More than 58,000 Americans were killed and many thousands more were wounded and injured or determined to be missing. Eagle Chapter has long paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, through our annual washing of “The Wall.”
In one of the war's most profound tragedies, many of the men and women came home to be shunned or neglected — to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example. We must never let this happen again. Eagle Chapter leads the way to recognize the courageous men and women who served in the Vietnam war.
Some of you may have overheard a Vietnam Veteran greet another Vietnam Veteran with the phrase, “Welcome Home.” The phrase is to give the Veteran the welcome home he or she never received upon their return from the war. If you see a Vietnam Veteran, especially on March 29th, give them a big “Welcome Home.”
Below, Vietnam War Veterans Women's Memorial in Washington DC with Eagle's Trudy Hanna's wreath.
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Above Ranger James C. Pierce, National Park Service, himself an Iraq War Veteran who lost part of one of his legs during the Iraq War, joined Chief Jones and our awesome Boy Scouts of Troop 1778 and their families and friends in a previous Eagle Chapter Wall Wash. |
National Park Service Awards Eagle Chapter Two Days
- Join Us June 29th - August 31st •
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You can join Chief Jones, a Vietnam War Safe Side Veteran, who travels up from Charleston SC to join us with our awesome Boy Scout Troop 1778 Waldorf MD in our annual Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Wall Wash the last Saturday in June and August.
We start at 0630 on June 29 and August 31 with a Memorial Service to recognize the 111 Security Police/Defenders who are among the 58,000 fallen heroes whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.
Attendees: Be sure to wear closed toed shoes and appropriate clothing. Eagle Chapter will provide bottled water and snacks. We only cancel in the event of severe weather, electrical storm, etc. Otherwise - We'll see you then. We always make room for our active-duty members!
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Thanks Also to Our Other
Military Service and Corporate Donors
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American Legion Synepuxent Post 166 Ocean City MD - our longest serving sponsor.
Link
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BlinkinCo
Program Mgmt - Vulnerability Assessments - Insider Threat
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Chevo LLC.
A Washington Technology Fast 50 2023 Winner
Link
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Eagle Proud Warrior Coin/Eagle Chapter Coin
Your purchase of Eagle Proud Warrior Coin aid to offset our costs to Support ill or wounded Defenders who are med-evaced to Walter Reed Bethesda Maryland.
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Our Eagle Proud Warrior Coin - a gold brass, 3-D finish and the Eagle Chapter Coin (on back order), also gold brass finish (above), 'planted' on a Washington DC cherry tree during a Cherry Blossom Festival - both are available at the same price. Smaller Eagle Chapter coin image above shows the rear of the coin. The current Eagle Chapter Coin does show Air Force Security Forces Association.
The donation prices for both coins are $12.00 donation each plus shipping/handling. Can be shipped just in time for Christmas!
Example:
1 coin + shipping ($6.50) is $18.50.
2 coins + shipping is $30.50.
3 coins + shipping is $42.50.
4 coins + shipping is $56.50.
Contact Eric, our Eagle Exchange Manager, for more information.
Please send a check or money order to our PO Box. See below or go online and pay via secure PayPal. Click here to go there now. PayPal charges just under 4% fee. An example of an online donor sends $100.00, we pay the $3.38 cents PayPal fee, and the donor gets to expense the excess (less the coin(s) cost) for tax purposes should he/she chooses to do so. Our receipt provides the details. See your tax expert.
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Please Join Me in Greeting Two Members who Have Joined Your Eagle Chapter Board of Officers!
It is a great honor for me to introduce two distinguished, active-duty Defenders who have joined our board of officers. Lt Col Phil Ferris joined just after the first of the month (photo at left) in one of our toughest positions especially this time of the year. Phil is a member of our National LE Officers Committee. Lt Col Jessica Z. Wruck (photo at right) attended our March board meeting as an observer to see how the sausage was still being made. We didn't scare her off and as of yesterday, she is now your Eagle Chapter Secretary.
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Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Ferris is assigned to the Pentagon as the Air Force Concepts Branch Chief in Headquarters US Air Force A-5/7 Futures and Concepts Division. Phil joins Bryan, Ian and Lee on the Eagle Chapter NLEOM Committee. Phil has hit the ground running as the sponsor for our Defenders Family Pentagon Tour. Click here to see the rest of Phil's bio. | |  |
Lieutenant Colonel Jessica Z. Wruck is a Joint Sustainment Planner at the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia. If Jessica looks familiar, a few years ago, she was then Major Wruck and served as our Eagle Chapter Program Director back when she was assigned at Andrews. Ma'am, again welcome back. Click here to see the rest of Jessica's bio. | | |
Your current, March 2024, Eagle Chapter Board of Officers. The Officers in coyote tan are our Defender facing board members that often provide the face of Eagle Chapter to our Defender units and families. We need a Vice Chair Member Services! As of this writing we have new members that have not yet heard from us. Our Vice Chairs and I need help with Buddy Check outreach. You can help here. Call/contact me. | | |
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In late breaking board news, the board approved a committee recommendation to award Booster Club/Defenders Association the 647th Security Forces Squadron, Hickam AFB HI $250.00 in consolation for their hard work to nominate Airman Ware for recognition by the NLEOM. Though he was a line of duty death, NLEOM denied his application as not meeting the NLEOM criteria. While serving in Iraq, Airman Ware was off duty and shot by a fellow Defender. Though NLEOM denied our appeal, the Board agreed that the unit had done the hard work of coordinating with the family and agencies to nominate him. Their support deserved recognition.
Our chapter board meetings are open to all members. Contact Jessica and she'll send you the call-in information and send documents that the board will be reviewing on the call. Our meetings are a Zoom-like conference call.
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In closing, I'd like to share another feedback from one of our senior career field leaders -
Lee
I appreciate the update and THANK YOU AGAIN for you and your Chapter's leadership to recognize our Defenders at the NLEOM venue. Thanks also for taking care of Defenders as they deploy for mission or step up to the extra duty required at home. ... I always love it when AFSFA steps into the breech.
Thanks for your continuing support of our Defenders. I'm proud to be an Eagle Chapter member!
Brig Gen (Ret) USAF
To all members- we can't do this alone! Your membership, support and donations, especially, make it possible for us to serve. I look forward to seeing you at a future Eagle Chapter event. Again - come join us to celebrate our families on May 13 as your schedule permits - please click to RSVP:
• The Pentagon Fallen Defenders Families Tour at 1000
• The Fallen Defenders Families Reception at 1330 Arnold Suite Bolling Club, JBAB Washington DC with Mr. SES Gerald as our Keynote speaker.
A gentle reminder to our 2024 Police Week NLEOM Project Managers, this Friday, March 29 is the deadline that COPS need you and your families to register for 2024 Police Week. Click here for details. Please reach out to your families to encourage their attendance.
A special thanks to 11th Security Forces Commander, Lt Col Nicholas Mercurio for adding the Eagle Chapter Fallen Defenders Reception to Bolling's Police Week Observance. We look forward to working with your Police Week Project Officer. See you on May 13th!
Final thanks - COPS Chapter Chatter Page 28 to Virginia Concerns of Police Officer Survivor (VACOPS) President Betty Walker and VP Julie Stecco for your recognition in your national COPS magazine of Eagle Chapter AFSFA sponsorship of the Trauma of LE Training that we help to sponsor in December 2023. Thanks to our sponsor for making the coffee, tea, cookies and brownies service available to TLE attendees!
Very respectfully,
//Lee//
E. C. Lee Chambers
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer
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Donors can click the image above or click here. If you are sending a check, please note our new address. | | | | |
