Please join us at our Thursday, October 20th membership meeting, which will celebrate the 37th anniversary of  our chapter’s founding.  Our featured guest speaker is Brian McCauley, who will discuss the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.  Brian has entitled his talk:  “Why Ukraine?  The Historical Origins of Putin’s War,” and he will have a question and answer session afterwards.  Brian served for 34 years as a senior analyst and manager of analysis on Russia and the other states of the former Soviet Union at the Central Intelligence Agency.  In his final assignments before retiring in 2012, he served as briefer of the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) to a US Cabinet officer and then as Senior Reviewer of the PDB.  Since retiring, he has continued to work part time as a contractor.  He earned a BA in History from Pace University and an MA in Russian Area Studies from Georgetown University.  He and his wife, Jackie, grew up in the New York City suburbs and currently live in Arlington. 

The buffet dinner features a salad, three entrees, vegetables, and coffee, ice tea, or water. The dinner is free to all members and a guest of their choice.  To ensure adequate food, all members must RSVP to Melissa Kalner at mkalner77@gmail.com or call her at 703-819-1480 by Sunday, October 16th.  Please tell her your entrée preferences—chicken, beef, or salmon—for planning purposes.  A cash only bar is available from 6:00 to 7:15 pm.  Dinner will be served about 6:45, with the meeting beginning at 7:30.  Consumption of alcoholic beverages during the meeting is prohibited.  The celebration is at the American Legion Post 177, 3939 Oak St., Fairfax, Va.  Please support our AVVA rep Diane Ignatowski by bringing either a donation of paper towels or cash to assist the Lamb Center’s continuing effort to help the homeless, many of whom are veterans.