Bulletin 23 – 01 (11 Jan 2023)
Sounding Taps
Virginia “Ginny” Bednarz
Sad to report that Ginny passed today. More information as it becomes available.
Lt Col (Ret) John Michael Grocki
https://www.ahernfuneralhome.com/obituaries/John-Michael-Grocki?obId=26756059#/obituaryInfo
Get Ready for Fort Liberty: The Pentagon Begins Changing Confederate Base Names
The Pentagon has started the process of renaming Fort Bragg and other bases, as well as ships and hundreds of signs and roads, as it plans to scrub ties to the Confederacy from all installations by the start of 2024….
NGB Touts Guard’s 2022 Natural Disaster Response During 2022, tens of thousands of National Guardsmen responded to natural disasters nationwide, according to the National Guard Bureau…
Sephanie at Poppin’ Smoke (Extracted from Stephanie’s latest email)
Take Advantage of Your Military Benefits in 2023
You’ve earned incredible benefits through your military service, and now is the time to use them! This year, I challenge you to do as many of the following as possible:
Vacation at a Military Resort or Recreation Area
The military has hotels, resorts, and other recreation facilities all over the world. Learn more about them here, including dozens of examples and links to reviews of specific properties.
Stay at a Military Campground
If you live or travel in your RV, military campgrounds are a fantastic option. Here are 12 of the best military RV parks for you to try this year!
Spend a Night or Two in Base Lodging
While traveling for leisure, you can stay in base lodging on a space-available basis. We’ve used this benefit extensively while driving across the country, flying Space-A, or simply to give us convenient access to an area we wanted to visit. Here’s how Space-A lodging works, plus our tips for getting a room at even the busiest facilities.
Use a Military Base’s MWR Facilities
Whether you live near a military base or stay at one while traveling, don’t forget that you can use facilities like the pool, tennis courts, golf course, marina, and outdoor equipment rental. At many bases, you can rent camping equipment or even an RV if you want to check out one of those military campgrounds!
Take a Military Space-A Flight
If you’re eligible to fly Space-A but have never tried it, 2023 is your year! Read our Quickstart Guide to Military Space-A Flights to learn everything you need to know, then give it a shot!
Buy Discounted Tickets Through a Base’s Information, Tickets, and Travel (ITT) Office
Get tickets to theme parks, shows, or other popular attractions from just about any military ITT office. You do not need an affiliation with the base, and some offices will mail tickets if you don’t live nearby. Just do a Google search for “[base name] ITT” to find a location and get your discounted tickets for everything from Disney World to London theater!
Calendar of Events: (New events are in BOLD)
Thu, 26 Jan 23 – Retiree Breakfast: Middletown**
Thu, 23 Feb 23 – Retiree Breakfast: Milford*
Thu, 30 Mar 23 – Retiree Breakfast: Middletown**
*0900 at Pop’s Family Restaurant, 134 Old Gate Lane, Milford
**0900 at the Athenian II Diner, 864Washington St, Middletown.
Help: Exploring the possibility of locating a restaurant in the eastern portion of the state for future Retiree breakfasts. Looking for one with a separate room that would hold 15 to 20. The New London Day recently had a supplement which covered restaurants/diners in this area. Several serve breakfast: The Vanilla Bean Café, Pompfret; Sunny Side Diner, Gales Ferry; New York Deli, Groton; Jakes Diner, New London and Olde Tymes Restaurant, Norwich. Please get back if you have any experience with these restaurants or any others in the area that would meet our needs.
New additions to the list
Groton Townhouse on Route 12 in Groton, before the Sub Base. We previously attended NGAUS military luncheons there. They treat you well and good food and reasonable. I believe they also give a military discount as it is a strategic place and plenty of parking. (Courtesy of Carol McKenna) We’ll be checking this out in the next couple of weeks.
The Hangry Goose, 11 Halls Rd, Old Lyme, 860.434.2227. They have a separate room and everything Hangry Goose (Courtesy of Kevin McMahan) We’ll be checking this one out also.
Download JAN 2023 Newsletter
DOWNLOAD JAN 2023 NEWSLETTER HERE: MAJ (RET) Perry’s JAN Newsletter 23-01
Honor Flight Connecticut
A Hub of the National Honor Flight Network
Honor Flight CT recognizes American veterans for their sacrifices and achievements by flying them to Washington, DC to see THEIR memorials at no cost. Current priority is chronological by conflict (WWII, Korea and Vietnam) with special consideration given to terminally ill veterans from all wars. Guardians fly with the veterans on every flight providing assistance and helping veterans have a safe, memorable and rewarding experience.
Please note: Veterans are only eligible once for the Honor Flight experience.
Your information MUST be exactly as it appears on your ID For Airline Travel (License, Passport, Govt ID):
DOWNLOAD THE HONOR FLIGHT APPLICATION HERE:Honor Flight – HFCT Vet App
Please submit this form to:
Honor Flight Connecticut
c/o Amy Casey
26 Copperstone Lane
Madison, CT 06443
