Lt Col Pete Warner began his career as an enlisted airman in 1978, first in the medical field as a medical laboratory specialist, then as an air traffic controller. Upon graduating Officer Training School and completing Undergraduate Missile Training, he was assigned to the 321st Strategic Missile Wing (SAC) as a missile launch officer.
Pete received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1985 from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. He completed his first Masters’ Degree in Aerospace Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1987. While attending Webster University in San Antonio, he completed a Masters’ Degree in Procurement and Acquisition Management in 2013 and an MBA, in 2016. Pete’s professional military education includes Non-Commissioned Officers Leadership School, Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College.
Subsequent assignments throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East in various levels of command culminated in his last assignment on the Air Staff at the Pentagon as Deputy Division Chief, Senior Leader Development. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 30 years of honorable service.
He is a life member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and recently completed a two-year term as President of the Stones River Chapter, Murfreesboro, TN. Pete currently serves as President of the Tennessee Council of Chapters (TN CoC) /MOAA. Additionally, he is a life member of the Disabled Veterans of America.
Pete, his wife, Sandy, and their daughter, Dani are considered transplants from TX and proudly reside in Winchester, TN.
MTC President's Letter
7/10/2024
Oops, I made a mistake last month! I noted the Korean War Armistice Day for June27th when it’s actually July 27th! (The Korean War started June 25th, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea, supported by the Soviet Union.) Sorry about that! It deserves our recognition this month and, more importantly, we should thank our Korean War veterans for their service in “The Forgotten War.”
We recognized Independence Day on July 4th, of course. This year marks the 248th anniversary of the official founding of the republic as an independent nation. Despite enormous challenges across the intervening years, we annually celebrate that audacious formal statement of independence. Today, it’s hard to imagine the courage of those representatives of many of the American people and remember that a successful outcome was never a certainty!
This month also recognizes the establishment of the “Buffalo Soldier” units after the Civil War in 1866. These units consisting of Black Americans served courageously in the West where they earned their popular name and through all conflicts until the mid-1950s when integration of Army units was finally achieved. The last Buffalo Soldier, Robert Dixon, died in 2023 at 101!
The Senate released its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on July 8th and the issues remain as reported in last month’s letter. We continue to urge you to use MOAA’s active advocacy program through its Legislative Action Center (at https://moaa.quorum.us) to make your views on important issues known! You can see the latest updates nationally at the following link: https://moaa.quorum.us/video/.
Our membership is at a steady level, but we still need to continue to recruit others. Please help us continue to serve our community and nation through staying strong as a chapter! Also, please pay your dues, if you haven’t done so, by sending a check to MTC MOAA at P.O. Box 50252, Nashville, TN, 37205-0252 or you can also bring a check or cash to our next lunch meeting at Old Natchez Country Club on 23 July.
Finally, we continue to have great presenters at our monthly meetings and have already filled in the schedule for the remainder of the year. Everyone greatly enjoyed Mrs. Susan Hunter’s very interesting presentation at our June luncheon. This month we will hear from Lt Col Pete Warner, USAF, Ret., President of the Tennessee Council of Chapters (TN CoC), on the Council and its focus for the year. We’re meeting at Old Natchez Country Club again this month on July 23rd at 11:30 am. I look forward to seeing you there!
Larry Cotton
CAPT, US Navy (ret.)
President
Congratulations & Best Wishes are in order!
Congratulations to COL Kirsten McFarland, USA who celebrated her promotion to 0-6 on 15 May 2024. You will remember that LTC McFarland spoke to our Chapter in November 2023 on U. S. Army Recruiting.
On 9 July 2024 she turned over her command of the Nashville Army Recruiting Battalion to LTC Michael A. Johnson, USA in a ceremony held at Austin Peay State University.
She is now enroute (literally) to the USAF Air War College. Following completion of that course, she will report for Brigade Command at the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) School at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO.
LTC Johnson will reside in Nashville, is a MOAA national member, and will be joining our Chapter in the future
In Process: MOAA Online Account Changes
7/13/2024
The modifications to the MOAA Website are still in process; however, you should now be able to login and validate your account. Please remember that your email address will be your new username and when you first login to the new application you may be asked to create a new password. If your first attempt at this update does not take, please try again.
The online dues payment portal is back in place and can be accessed by opening the MOAA website, clicking on “About MOAA”, then clicking on “Council and Chapters”.
The Legislative Action Center can be accessed by opening the website, clicking on “Advocacy” and then choosing the “Legislative Action Center” from the list on the left side of the page. Please visit the MOAA Legislative Action Center soon!
MTC Membership Updates
Welcome to the new members that have joined in the 2024 membership year: