SPOTLIGHT EVENT

Please join us in honoring our Veterans at the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s Veterans Day Celebration on Monday, 10 November at 1000 am. Our program includes Progress Village Middle Magnet School and Orange Grove Middle Magnet School students, the Parade of Colors and our keynote speaker Vice Admiral Pybus, US SOCOM. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND JOIN US IN THE PARK!!

2014 UPCOMING EVENTS – FOR MORE DETAILS ON EVENTS LISTED BELOW VISIT

Visit our weekly newsletters and military events on our website! We will archive past newsletters for your reference and maintain a calendar of events that are listed each week in the newsletters.

The link for the newsletters is: Weekly Military Information, and the direct link to the events calendar is: Events Calendar.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WOMEN IN DEFENSE / NDIA / AFCEA / GSF SILENT AUCTION BENEFITING SOUTHEASTERN GUIDE DOGS PAWS FOR PATRIOTS PROGRAM

We are seeking your support for a joint holiday fundraiser to benefit the SGD Paws for Patriots Program. This event will be held on December 9, 2014 at The Centre Club in Tampa, FL. Your cash donation will directly benefit the SGD Paws for Patriots Program. Dr. Harris Silverman of The Eye Associates is a founding member of SGD and is working with our organization to raise money and awareness for this important cause. We also plan to hold a silent auction at our holiday event to benefit SGD’s Paws for Patriot Program.

Please visit our Auction Website at: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=pcqzjhnab&oeidk=a07e9h9q17214285936 for bidding, auction information, and announcements prior to the event. We thank you in advance for your support! For more information contact Denise Ennis at ennisd@pragmatics.com

The Greater Tampa Bay chapters of WID and NDIA have set the goal to raise $50,000 at this event to allow us to sponsor ten veterans to attend the 10-day training regimen. Dr. Silverman and The Eye Associates have pledged to match donations for the first $15,000! Your business will be featured as a supporter of the SGD Paws for Patriots Program at our holiday event on December 9, 2014! Any amount you can contribute would be appreciated and will go directly to sponsor training of a veteran. Following graduation from the training program, SGD will share photographs and biographies on each guide dog team that was sponsored through the funds raised at our holiday event. WID/NDIA is a 501(c)(3) entity; your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

The mission of the Paws for Patriots Program is to create and nurture a partnership between visually impaired or combat weary veterans and a guide dog, facilitating life’s journey with mobility, independence and dignity. SGD has been matching the visually impaired with guide dogs for over 30 years, and is accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation. SGD also trains and places exceptional dogs not suitable for guide work into careers benefiting veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). SGD dogs are trained to form a physical barrier between the handler and surrounding people, bringing a calming effect against perceived threats. They provide a warm, physical presence to help mitigate stress reactions. Gaining confidence from these dogs, veterans expand their lives, regain independence and re-integrate into their communities.

There are currently 80 combat veterans on the waiting list to attend class at SGD’s campus in Palmetto, Florida. I am writing to you regarding an opportunity to sponsor a veteran to come to the school and receive a veteran service dog. While the students are at the facility, they will each be matched with a guide dog selected just for them. SGD’s professional training staff will teach each student how to handle their veteran service dog. They begin by training on campus, and gradually move to residential streets, city streets, and even the Tampa airport. SGD’s support continues when they return home, to ensure their success as a team. SGD graduates report that having a guide dog allows them to walk confidently, to be more independent, and to enjoy more freedom. Caring for their dog restores a sense of rhythm, encouraging PTSD sufferers to emerge from withdrawal for exercise and the outdoors. This is all made possible through generous donations, and is available to our graduates at no cost. Information on the Paws for Patriots Program can be found here: http://www.guidedogs.org/apply/paws-for-patriots.

ABILENE AWARD

We are beginning to compile items for the 2015 Abilene Award so if you have any information you would like to provide please send that to me. As most of you are aware, the Tampa Bay area applies for the Abilene Award each year. This is a community effort to show that Tampa Bay supports the United States Air Force and MacDill Air Force Base. In an effort to eliminate that last minute scramble for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce to put together a great packet we thought it would be beneficial to compile items that could be used in the application on a quarterly basis.

Below are some examples of items we like to include in the submission packet – these would be for any events held in 2014:

1. PICTURES – pictures are essential for this application! Please forward pictures of any events you may have sponsored or been involved with that benefited MacDill – specifically active duty Air Force personnel. Each picture will need to have a short narrative explaining the event/program;

2. FLYERS/INVITATIONS – any flyers or invitations for events/programs. AGAIN, pictures are essential so please include pictures from these events/programs;

3. LETTERS – any letters you or your company have received from MacDill acknowledging your participation or sponsorship in an event/program;

4. NEWSPAPER ARTICLES – copies of newspaper articles that include the date and paper name.

FEDERAL DEFENSE BUDGET LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Thanks to Greg Lankler of Mercury for the below update – if you have any questions feel free to contact Greg at glankler@mercuryllc.com

Both the House and Senate are in adjournment until the November 4th elections, after which they will return for a lame-duck session of Congress. The House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Appropriations Act over the summer. The Senate was only able to move versions of both measures through the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, before political maneuvering in the Senate managed to stall both bills and prevent further consideration on the Senate floor. However, both bills are considered “must-pass” measures given military activities in the Middle East, making them a high priority for completion.

1) NDAA Outlook: It is expected that the Senate will try to bring its version of the NDAA to the floor for consideration after the election. However, the leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have instructed their staffs to begin informal talks (“pre-conferencing”) on the NDAA. The purpose of these discussions is to see if a compromise agreement can be reached on this measure in the event the Senate has to move directly to consideration of a final agreement in lieu of first passing its own version of a NDAA. Debate in either chamber of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for military operations in Iraq and Syria could impact the ability to reach a final agreement on an NDAA, and would certainly delay passage into the Holidays.

2) FY15 Defense Appropriations Outlook: The leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have also instructed their staffs to begin pre-conferencing on the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Appropriations Act. Unlike activities associated with the NDAA, it is expected that the compromise agreement on this legislation would be the foundation of an omnibus appropriations bill funding the government for FY15. It is likely this would be one of the last measures approved before the Congress adjourns. Passage of an omnibus appropriations prior to adjournment of the Congress will depend highly on whether or not Republicans gain a majority in the Senate on election-day. A block of conservative House members is pressing the House Republican leadership to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR), postponing passage of FY15 appropriations until the next Congress convenes. If the Senate flips, these members believe the Republican majority in the House will get a better deal in negotiations with a Senate under Republican control. If this happens, it would have a significant impact on the Federal government’s ability to award any new contracts or make other program changes while the government is funded at fiscal year 2014 levels under a CR.

Greater clarity on the events described above will not be likely until after the November elections. Stay tuned…

2014 UPCOMING EVENTS – FOR MORE DETAILS ON EVENTS LISTED BELOW VISIT

Visit our weekly newsletters and military events on our website! We will archive past newsletters for your reference and maintain a calendar of events that are listed each week in the newsletters.

The link for the newsletters is: Weekly Military Information, and the direct link to the events calendar is: Events Calendar.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CENTCOM ANNUAL PICNIC – 10 OCTOBER

The coordinator for the CENCTOM Annual Picnic is looking for volunteers to help at the annual picnic to enable more CENTCOM personnel to enjoy the picnic. Link below has more details. http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/5660462800113

MACDILL AFB 6^TH MEDICAL GROUP BOOSTER CLUB – DONATIONS NEEDED

The 6th Medical Group Booster Club is looking for local business donations to be used in connection with their Holiday Celebration Party at the Holiday Inn, 700 N. Westshore Blvd, Tampa FL on Friday December 12, 2014. All items donated will be used as door prizes for the individuals who attend the party or to help supplement the cost of the event. Donors will be recognized on the back of the holiday party program as well as during the event as members are awarded with the prizes.

Each year a holiday party is held at MacDill to celebrate the holiday season, encourage esprit de corps, and boost morale. MacDill Air Force Base provides medical support to our active duty, retired military and their families. All donations will reflect the strong ties with the Tampa Bay community. Although this is an unofficial function, it will enable military and Department of Defense civilian employees and significant others an evening dedicated to the simple joys of family, friends and the holidays.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact SrA Yarely Jerez at (813) 828-9254 or SSgt Love at (813) 827-9168. Donations can also be sent to mailing address 6 MDG, 3250 Zemke Avenue, MacDill AFB, FL, 33621-1607.

ABILENE AWARD

We are beginning to compile items for the 2015 Abilene Award so if you have any information you would like to provide please send that to me. As most of you are aware, the Tampa Bay area applies for the Abilene Award each year. This is a community effort to show that Tampa Bay supports the United States Air Force and MacDill Air Force Base. In an effort to eliminate that last minute scramble for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce to put together a great packet we thought it would be beneficial to compile items that could be used in the application on a quarterly basis.

Below are some examples of items we like to include in the submission packet – these would be for any events held in 2014:

1. PICTURES – pictures are essential for this application! Please forward pictures of any events you may have sponsored or been involved with that benefited MacDill – specifically active duty Air Force personnel. Each picture will need to have a short narrative explaining the event/program;

2. FLYERS/INVITATIONS – any flyers or invitations for events/programs. AGAIN, pictures are essential so please include pictures from these events/programs;

3. LETTERS – any letters you or your company have received from MacDill acknowledging your participation or sponsorship in an event/program;

4. NEWSPAPER ARTICLES – copies of newspaper articles that include the date and paper name.

Debbie Miller