Intercom Photo and Article Submission Rules

The MOAACC Scholarship Corporation proudly recognized its 2026 scholarship recipients during the annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon held on July 21 at Colony Hall, Indian River Colony Club. This year, twelve outstanding students were each awarded a $7,000 scholarship, representing a total investment of $84,000 in their continued education. The recipients were selected from 28 completed applications following a highly competitive and thoughtful review process. Nine of the twelve recipients attended the luncheon in person, accompanied by family members and friends. For the three recipients unable to attend, a parent or family representative proudly accepted the scholarship on their behalf. It was an inspiring event that provided members an opportunity to meet these exceptional young scholars, hear about their accomplishments, and congratulate them as they continue their academic journeys. Led by Vice Admiral Don Hagen, USN Retired, the awards ceremony was outstanding, as always. Special thanks are extended to Dan Levy, Brent Baysinger, Mike Yaeger, Arnold Lim, and the entire Scholarship Selection Committee and Scholarship Corporation team for their dedication and hard work in making another scholarship year such a tremendous success. During the luncheon, Sam Ginsburg was also recognized for his generous and sustained contributions to the MOAACC Scholarship Corporation over the past several years. Sam, thank you for all you have done—and continue to do—to support the education and future success of our military families.  Since its founding in 1984, the MOAACC Scholarship Corporation has awarded more than $1.15 million in scholarships to 339 students attending 86 colleges and universities nationwide. This year’s luncheon was another proud example of MOAACC’s enduring commitment to service, education, and the next generation.

Contact BVMC for any additions or other information. NOTE: Some Events Change in between our monthly mailing of the BVMC Calendar. Keep up to date with those changes using our web link: https://veteransmemorialcenter.org/upcoming-veterans-events/ or donnweaver2020@gmail.com for more information or to participate. 14 Jul – Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation Fun’Raiser, 4 th Annual Christmas in July, 1700-1900, Rising Tide Tap & Table, 523 Glen Cheek Dr, Port Canaveral, FL. Exclusive private raffle party, $100 raffle donation minimum, and VIP Tables available. Silent and live auctions, heavy appetizers, fun swag, cash bar and Cape Canaveral Lighthouse membership. 321-351-5052 or https://canaverallight.org/ 25 July— One Senior Place First Responders Appreciation Day 1100-1400 at 8085 SpyGlass Hill Road, Viera. DJ and Live Music, Sheriff Ivey as speaker, cool indoor seating. BBQ showcase and more. Call 231-751-6771 for more info. AUGUST 01 Aug — Kids Back to school Bash for Military and all kids. Parks and Rec at Mclarty Park Community Center, 790 Barton Blvd Rockledge. 1000-1400. Food trucks, vendors, games , full back packs for kids. 04 Aug — Coast Guard Birthday and Family Day Party (1000-1500) USCG Station Care Canaveral. Food and kids events for the USCG families and supporters. Thanks to AVET, MOAACC Good Deeds, BVMC , VFW 10131 Cape Canaveral and other vet orgs for support. 07 August— NVHS Annual Lost in America , Rescuing American Veterans facing homelessness Dinner. 1700-2100 Radisson, Cape Canaveral. Sold Out!! Thank you NVHS. 09 Aug — Annual Military Order of Purple Heart Recognition Ceremony at the BVMC Museum (1400-1600) with special recognition of 10 Purple Heart Recipients. Their stories of courage and sacrifice will be told. Quilts of Valor also presented along with recognition from several officials. Contact Donn Weaver for more information. SEPTEMBER 11 Sep — 25th Annual Commemoration of the attacks on America on 9/11/2001 sponsored by Club 1013 And BVMC. (1700-1830) In the new Park Amphitheater. Details in August. 12 Sep — Space Coast Honor Flight #4 of 5 2026 visits by veterans to see their monuments and memorials in Wash DC. Starts at 0400 hours at Melbourne International Airport Main Terminal with Welcome home set 2030 hours same evening. Come out and honor these veterans , some from the Korean War era and their Guardians that will travel with them. Many veteran organizations and community groups support this amazing program. MOAACC Good Deeds funds FIT ROTC Cadets and Veterans in the VA sponsored FIT Psych PhD program to serve as guardians throughout the year. Contact schf.org for more information and to sign up on the waiting list for both honorees and guardians. 6 Sep — Special Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Dinner and Celebration sponsored by the Vietnam Exhibit Project led by Ben Bydalek. Azon Temple , 1591 W Eau Gallie Blvd, Melbourne. Event starts at 1530. FREE Dinner 1630 -1730 with other events until 2000. VVA Chapter 1096 co sponsor. Contact Ben for more info. thenamwar@yahoo.com OCTOBER 03 Oct — JROTC Raider Challenge Meet #1 at BVMC Park and Amphitheater. (0630- 1230) 10 Oct — Medal of Honor BBQ , Craft Far, Specialty Car show, music, food trucks and more. Contact BVMC VP Don Pearsall for more information. (1000- 1600). 17 Oct — Space Coast Honor Flight #5 of 5 2026 visits by veterans to see their monuments and memorials in Wash DC. Starts at 0400 hours at Melbourne International Airport Main Terminal with Welcome home set 2030 hours same evening. Come out and honor these veterans , some from the Korean War era and their Guardians that will travel with them. Many veteran organizations and community groups support this amazing program. MOAACC Good Deeds funds FIT ROTC Cadets and Veterans in the VA sponsored FIT Psych PhD program to serve as guardians throughout the year. Contact schf.org for more information and to sign up on the waiting list for both honorees and guardians. 31 Oct — JROTC Raider Challenge Meets #2 at BVMC Park and Amphitheater. (0630-1230) NOVEMBER 07 Nov — Annual St Francis Hospice 5K Run for Veterans at the new Veterans Memorial Park Amphitheater and Plaza 0730- 1130. Includes vendors, awards, veteran pinning as SFH raises funds for their “ We Honor Veterans Program “ throughout the County all year. Details and registration in August. 07 Nov Third Annual Cape Canaveral Veterans Day Parade sponsored by VFW Post 10131. Starts and Ends near the Cape Canaveral City Hall at 1111 Hours until 1330. Includes music, vendors, food, and more. Sign ups and more information in August. 07 Nov — Second Annual VyStar MOACC Good Deeds Foundation Veterans Recognition Dinner 1700-2000 Fundraiser at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto as they recognize veteran organizations, projects and individuals who have made major contributions on the Space Coast 2025-26. Keynote Speaker is Rep Mike Haridopolos, with Clerk of Courts Rachel Sadoff as MC and Sheriff Wayne Ivey as Auctioneer. Sign up to sponsor tables or reserve seats at moaacc.org 08 Nov — Home Stretch 9th Annual 5K sponsored by National Veterans Homeless Support in the Eau Gallie Arts District with the start at 0800 hours. Sign up at https://runsignup.com/homestretch5k 11 Nov — Veteran Day Events at BVMC and many other locations in the county. Details in August. 14 Nov — JROTC Raider Challenge Meet #3 for District Championship at BVMC Park and Amphitheater (0630-1300) NOTE: State Championships on 12 Dec. DECEMBER 05 Dec — Annual Merritt Island Grand Illumination sponsored by CAMI and BVMC 1500- 2000 at BVMC Amphitheater Park and Plaza. More details in August.  19 Dec. — Wreaths Across America Ceremony at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery and other Brevard locations. CCNC 0800 - 1030 for family and friends, 1030 - 1100 to lay wreaths and 1100-1130 for the Ceremony at the Flag Assembly Area. Details in August. 2027 January 16 Jan — Annual Key Lime Pie Festival 1000- 2000 Veterans Memorial Amphitheater and Park. Details in August. Paid Event put on by the Originals Key Lime Pie Company of Cocoa Beach — sixth year at Please help us spread the word and advise of any new events.

DFAS Monthly Retiree Newsletter

Army Echoes is the U.S. Army's official newsletter for retired Soldiers, surviving spouses, and their families. It provides timely information on military retirement benefits, Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) updates, TRICARE and Medicare changes, VA benefits, DFAS pay matters, legislative and policy changes, and other programs affecting the retired military community. Its purpose is to help retirees and survivors stay informed, maintain access to earned benefits, and remain connected to the Army family. CLICK HERE for the latest edition. Typical topics include: Retirement pay and COLA updates Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) information TRICARE and healthcare changes VA benefits and survivor programs Retiree Appreciation Days (RADs) Military community news and resources Guidance for surviving spouses and families As of 2026, Army Echoes is transitioning to primarily digital distribution, with notifications sent through the retiree's DFAS myPay email account.

By Jim DesJardin, LTC, USA (Ret), Chairman, MOAACC Student Affairs At our May luncheon, the MOAACC’s Student Affairs Committee had the honor of hosting and recognizing fourteen outstanding young men and women who have earned appointments to our nation’s Military Academies or received Senior ROTC scholarships. Their achievements reflect exceptional academic performance, leadership ability, physical fitness, and a strong commitment to serving our nation, their schools and their communities. These students exemplify the Scholar-Athlete-Leader (SAL) model emphasized by our Military Academies and Senior ROTC programs. Collectively, they have excelled in the classroom—many maintaining GPAs of 4.0 or higher—while also demonstrating athletic excellence through varsity sports participation, team captaincies, and individual athletic accomplishments. Most importantly, they have shown the character and leadership potential required for one of the most demanding and honorable professions in our nation: military service. The luncheon was well attended by community leaders, including Superintendent Dr. Rendell, members of the School Board, parents and friends of the honorees, and many MOAACC members. Each student received an MOAACC Certificate of Excellence and an MOAACC Challenge Coin. The presentations were made by Chapter President Rosa Reich, Superintendent Dr. Rendell, and Donn Weaver, President of Good Deeds. The following students were honored: Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School – Rylan Reyes, appointment to the United States Air Force Academy Eau Gallie High School – Thomas Good, appointment to the United States Air Force Academy; T’Mari Bowe, appointment to the United States Air Force Academy Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School – Preston Ratliff, Senior ROTC Scholarship to the University of Miami Melbourne Central Catholic High School – Joseph Colombo, appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point Merritt Island High School – Nathan Oglesby, Senior ROTC Scholarship to Auburn University; Garrett Hall, Senior ROTC Scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Haley Underwood, Senior ROTC Scholarship to Georgia Military College; Ryan Gregorie, Senior ROTC Scholarship to the University of South Florida Rockledge High School – Ausha Daniels, Senior ROTC Scholarship to Georgia Military College Satellite High School – Thor Kopenkoskey, appointment to the United States Air Force Academy Viera High School – Luke Rodgers, Senior Air Force ROTC Scholarship to Purdue University West Shore Jr./Sr. High School – Pleasant Lewis, Senior ROTC Scholarship to the University of South Florida; Jacob Fine, appointment to the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School  These students are entering a profession pursued by fewer than one percent of their peers nationwide. Their accomplishments demonstrate what can be achieved through hard work, perseverance, leadership, and a commitment to service. MOAACC proudly congratulates each of these future leaders and wishes them continued success as they begin their journeys of service to our nation.

By Jim DesJardin, LTC, USA (Ret),  Chairman, MOAACC Student Affairs

Gold Bars Earned: Seven Florida Tech Cadets Commissioned as Army Officers

MOAA’s signature legislative effort, Advocacy in Action (AiA), once again highlighted the power of coordinated advocacy—with the Cape Canaveral Chapter at the forefront!  This year, Florida combined in-person engagement on Capitol Hill with a strong statewide virtual network, proving effective advocacy is about amplifying voices everywhere.

Dav Chapter 32 members and their family are invited to gather at Melbourne Orlando International Airport (1 Air Terminal Parkway, Melbourne, FL) for the next Space Coast Honor Flight Welcome Home Celebration, where we come together to honor local veterans returning from their unforgettable day in Washington D.C. , visiting the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice.

MOAACC member named Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine Student of the Year

September 14, 2025

The INTERCOM is the MOAACC monthly news magazine published since 1974. It has won many MOAA National Newsletter Awards most recently the 2024 Col Marvin J. Harris Communication Award. Since 2005 it has been available on our website as well as the printed version. It is filled with news, information and articles of interest to… The post The Intercom appeared first on (MOAACC) Military Officers Association of America Cape Canaveral Chapter, Inc.

Are you receiving the MOAACC Five Things e-Newsletter? Every alternating Monday, we email our Five Things e-Newsletter to chapter members to keep them up to date on legislative issues affecting veterans, the military, and families; what we are doing in the community for veterans, the military, their families, and students; and events for our members. … The post MOAACC Five Things e-Newsletter appeared first on (MOAACC) Military Officers Association of America Cape Canaveral Chapter, Inc.