The 2010 ACO Board for the Washington, DC Chapter:

President: CDR Ricardo Ramos
Vice-President: CDR Greg Bass (ret.)
Secretary: LTJG Laura Gallant
Treasurer: LCDR Jon Neuhaus

Executive Committee:
CAPT Mark Ablondi
CDR Mike Weaver
CDR Brian Parker
CDR Jim Crocker
LCDR Peter Siegel
LCDR Bill Mowitt
LT Eric Johnson
LTJG Matt Glazewski

Tom Brokaw and Cheryl Glang

CAPT Gerd & Cheryl Glang attended the TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Honor Guard Gala at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on Tuesday, March 31, 2009, representing the National Military Family Association and NOAA.

The event featured honoree Senator Jim Webb, keynote speaker Tom Brokaw, and master of ceremonies Kyra Phillips from CNN.  Other guests of note were Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Major General Mark Graham and M.L. “Buzz” Hefti.  The list of attendees also included surviving family members of soldiers and sailors who have given their lives in service to our country.

Information regarding TAPS can be found online at www.taps.org

NOFA grieves the passing of Donna DiFalco (Kenul) on October 4, 2008.

Donations in her honor may be sent to:

• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• International Myeloma Foundation
• Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
• ACO Scholarship Fund

Artist's rendition of a coral reef tank

Opening September 27, 2008, the Smithsonian’s Ocean Hall, developed in partnership with NOAA, is the largest permanent exhibit ever created in the world’s most visited natural history museum. Among the many notable exhibits will be:

• A 50-foot, life-sized replica of Phoenix, an endangered North Atlantic right whale living today
• 20-foot male and 36-foot female specimens of the elusive giant squid
• The six-foot Science On a Sphere®, which displays the Earth as viewed from 22,000 miles in space and shows moving satellite images
• A 1:100 scale model of the world’s largest ocean drilling ship, the Chikyu

For the latest on Ocean Hall, see http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/ocean_hall.

Once again the White House hosted an event for Military Spouses on Tuesday, May 6, 2008. A Garden Breakfast on the South Lawn of the White House took place this year and it was a beautiful sunny warm day. In his speech, President Bush thanked the spouses and families of all service members for their sacrifices and support. Approximately 1,100 spouses attended and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award was given to this year’s six recipients.

An email notice for this event was sent to members of the National Military Families Association (NMFA) who are current with their annual dues. NMFA also invited Cheryl Glang who serves on their Board of Directors and Cindy Bailey who is also serving on a special panel for NMFA. Jane Barnum who is finishing her second year as President of NOFA, DC, attended also. An invitation for this event is open to all NOAA spouses through NMFA membership.

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