Our Chapter's broad mission is based on the same oath we took when we were commissioned - to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The more specific mission of our RMF Chapter parallels that of MOAA - to protect the earned benefits of the members of the uniformed services, their families and survivors and to advocate for a strong national defense. We care for one another in our Chapter. We care for those currently serving. We care for those who have served. We care for those who will serve. MOAA does the heavy lifting on legislation. We are 375.000 strong, all officers and former officers. who led while on active duty and now lead while no longer serving. There are 36 Veterans Organizations in the Military Coalition back in DC. MOAA Staffers chair or cochair most important committees. (Check themilitarycoalition.org). MOAA is the only Veterans organization singled out as the most-effective by "The Hill" newspaper.

Our Recruiting Officer is WO2 David Sharbutt, USMC (Ret). Dave is the best, most-productive recruiter in the entire MOAA organization. When we were building our Chapter's Slate of Officers for this year, we were short a 3rd Vice President. Dave voluntered, even though he lives in Whittier, 52 miles west of March Field. When MOAA started the 2009 Give Me Ten program, Dave said, I will recruit 100 new members for MOAA this year. We were skeptical. Our previous high had been 21 two years ago. Dave had recruited 100 before the end of February. He upped his goal to 200 members for 2009 and by the end of June, Dave had recruited 265 MOAA members, most of them the currently serving from all over SoCal - March ARB, Los Alamitos, LA AF Station, Long Beach, Camp Pendleton, Marine Corp Recruit Depot, San Diego Navy Base, Point Loma Sub Base, Miramar MCAS. Get Dave @ 562-693-2075 or dpsharbutt@hotmail.com. He will sign you up. All currently serving are given complimentary one-year memberships.

We are an active bunch with a major emphasis on Youth. We show the way with scholarships. In 2008, we donated two $25,000 designated scholarships to MOAA. One is the Brig Gen Arthur E. Exon Scholarship and the other is the Riverside March Field Chapter Scholarship. Gen Exon initiated our Century Fund Scholarships, challenging all to give at least $100 annually. We have raised more than $70,000 so far and awarded 3 $1,000 scholarships this year to local JROTC cadets from the 14 high schools we support. We are members of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce and active on the Military Affairs and the Economic Development Committees. We support the Riverside National Cemetery with donations and speakers on Memorial Day and Veterans Day and the Independence Day Annual Concert for Heroes. We support the Annual Salute to Veterans Parade with donations, personnel and a unit in the Parade. We support the Airman's Picnic at MARB. We support the USMC Toys for Tots collection.

Progress toward MOAA's legislative goals is can be seen at moaa.org. Every Friday, a Legislative Update is emailed to subscribers. Special alerts are sent via email when our action is needed to move a bill out of committee or to assist in a floor vote. We must watch out for our own issues. Remember, our mission is to care for the troops, their familes and survivors. Next come those who have already served. That includes all of us. If we don't do it, no one will do it. For the troops and their survivors: A pay raise of 3.4%. This will move their compensation closer to parity with comparable civilian jobs. No increase in Tricare fees. Do not have troops pay for the medical care guaranteed for themselves and their families. Get real on the DIC offset to SBP payments. The meager $60 DIC payment out of $1154 owed is an insult. The proposal to gradually increase this payment to $345 in seven years is a further insult. In California, while our Legislators are trying to dig our State out of the current fiscal crisis, there is one Assembly Bill, 351, that needs to be passed to protect JROTC programs throughout the State. This Bill would grant PE credit for JROTC, Band, Drill Team and Interscholastic Athletics. Urge your Assembly member to do it Now.

Our Chapter Board meets on the first Wed at 1830 at the Hap Arnold Club at MARB. To accomodate day workers and those who do not like to drive after dark, we host two meetings a month, a lunch at the Hap Club on the 2nd Friday and a dinner at AFVW on the third Friday. Our Newsletter, The Raincross (the symbol of the City of Riverside) is produced monthly by Editor Charlotte Johnson. If you would like to receive it by email, please let our Secretary know (ginnycanady@sbcglobal.net). That will save postage. We produce an Annual Directory of Chapter Members. We raise money for our worthwhile activities in several ways: Chapter dues: $20/yr for Regular members, $10/yr for Auxiliary members. Opportunity Drawings at our dinner meetings with a 50/50 split. Fund raisers at the Riverside Community Players. We rent the House at least twice a year and sell tickets for the performances. We serve complimentary social beverages and snacks for our patrons. If we sell 200 tickets, we earn $2,300.00 for our good causes. Our next theater party is Wed 15 July with "Kiss Me, Kate." Email MoaaMan@aol.com for reservations. Tickets are $20 pp to see Kate kiss. The next major event in CA is the MOAA 80th Anniversary Annual Meeting in San Diego 21-24 Oct 09. Visit MOAA.org for more info.

Since 1979, our Riverside March Field (RMF) Chapter has been the best and only Chapter in the entire area surrounding March Air Reserve Base, including Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, Menifee, Corona and the towns and villages in between. We are an equal-opportunity organization and take eligibles of any sex, any age, any branch of service, Regular, Reserve and National Guard. Eligibles include current and former commissioned officers and warrant officers of all seven uniformed services and their surviving spouses. We count 525 members on our rolls. We would like to include you, especially if you are not yet collectng an old-age pension. Like every non-profit organization, we need more younger active members to help carry on our good works. Our members are involved in organizations that support the communities in which we live and the neighboring military installations at March Air Reserve Base and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona. Join with us in service to others!