Call to Order: Chief George Moses, President, called the July Meeting to order at 0700 in the Chief's Lounge, US Coast Guard Station Sacramento. Chiefs in attendance were: Baxley, Brink, Brooks, Carvelli, Cormier, Hegelein, Kearns, Konsesky, Kriske, Moses, Shaw, Saporito, Sullivan and Tolbert.

Guests: Bruce Barber, Manager of McClellan Branch of SAFE CU attended the meeting again this month and briefed that SAFE is doing well and he is pleased to be able to help the NCOA to set up a account to support their taking over the Medals program for NCOA Jr ROTC. Made known the SAFE is supportive of the McClellan Chief's Group and feel free to come in for help.

Approval of June Minutes: The minutes from the June 2010 meeting were approved as corrected.

Treasurer's Report: Chief Kearns gave the Treasurer's report.
Entertainment Books are due to arrive around July 26, 2010 and will be selling for $30.00.

Gathering of the Chiefs:Travis Chiefs reported that they thought the Gathering went very well.

NCOA/AFSA/VFW Update: Chief Sullivan informed Group that there will be an AFSA/NCOA Steak Night on Sep 3, 2010 @ $10 per plate with the proceeds going to the Coast Guard Memorial Fund. He also reminded us that the Annual NCOA Convention will be next week in Las Vegas, NV and that the Labor Day Telethon and the November Election. The donation of Towels for the Veterans Stand Down is getting closer and the Barrels will be posted in the McClellan BX soon and we need to collect at 500 towels, so if you have some good towels available and don't need them be sure and donate.

Honor Guard:
14 Aug 2010 Flag presentation in honor of a World War II Veterans 90th Birthday at Sutter Club
25 Sep 2010 Air Rescue Association Memorial Reunion, Embassy Suites 1900 Hrs

Note from Iris Taggart: Chief Moses read a Thank You note to the Chief's Group Honor Guard for their presentation at the Red , White and Blue Annual Flight in the old Bombers.

Coast Guard Memorial update: Master Chief Kriske informed the Group that the Memorial Fund has raised $42,000.00 and need $50,000 to start making the Memorial. See them if you would like to purchase a Brick, Memorial Coin or just Donate Cash.

Membership Comments: There were no additional Membership Comments.

Adjournment: Meeting was adjourned at 07:33

///Signed///
George Moses CMSgt USAF
President, McClellan Chief's Group

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
14 Aug 2010 Flag Presentation at the Sutter Club for WWII Veteran
25 Sep 2010 Air Rescue Association Memorial Reunion, Embassy Suites 1900 Hrs

Members in Good Standing 2010
Baxley, AW Bowler, B Brooks, K Brink, D Carter, C Carvelli, T Cormier, J Dahl, E Fears, K Graham, G Harris, J Hegelein, A Johnston, E Kearns, J Konsesky, R Marck, J Martin, B Moses, G Muller, F Saporito, J Shaw, P Stewart, G Sullivan, J Thrower, B Tolbert, W Wentz, T Zernicke

Members in Good Standing 2011
Marck, J

To just about everyone at Sacramento Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic at the former McClellan Air Force Base, George Moses is still "Chief".

"Chief is still my first name," Moses said with a smile. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1985 after 34 years, with the rank of chief master sergeant, the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force. Now 72, he has yet to quit serving.

For about 40 hours each week, Moses is director of the Retiree Activities Office on the first floor of the clinic. There, he and other volunteers help the families of veterans navigate their way through a sometimes dizzying process of paperwork and chain of command.

"A lot of people come here, most of them widows, and they don't have any knowledge about the process," Moses said. "They've never heard of a DD Form 214 (discharge papers), which is the first thing we need."

Moses joined the Air Force in 1950 after graduating from high school in New Britain, Conn. He was the senior enlisted adviser at several Air Force bases, including nearly eight years at McClellan, before he retired from active duty.

He and his wife, Rose, settled in Antelope. They have five grown children. Moses spent about 10 years as an account representative for Metropolitan Life. But military life still held an appeal to him and he sought a way to help at McClellan.

The need was obvious, Moses said. The Sacramento region is home to an estimated 144,000 military retirees and their families, the second-largest concentration in the nation.

"I feel the more good you do for other people, the more good comes back to you, " Moses said.

The problems he and his volunteers deal with on a daily basis cover a wide range. Last week, a Marine on his way to Iraq stopped in to get a commissary pass for his mother so she could take her grandson shopping while his father is away.

"He's not a retiree, but it doesn't make sense to send him all the way to Beale or Travis for something we do every day," Moses said.

Moses said the best part about his work are the 16 volunteers who work for him. They include Ines and Nelda Gonzales of North Highlands, who never served in the military but saw the office as a good opportunity to show support.

"There is no better boss," Nelda Gonzales said of Moses.

Moses said a surprising number of veterans and their families don't know about the services his office provides.

"Last week, I had a woman come in, her husband had just passed, but he told her if she ever had a problem to go to McClellan," Moses said. "She didn't even know that McClellan closed three years ago."

Moses has no plans to leave his volunteer post.

"The pay is good," he quipped.

Article by Sacramento Bee/Ralph Montano
Photo by Sacramento Bee/Sara Andrea Fajardo