The two recipients of our 2026 Colonel William Frank Rawley Triangle Chapter MOAA JROTC scholarships are Za’Kiyah Dixon and Caleb Kohn. Both of these high school seniors share similar experiences in their JROTC programs. They performed hundreds of hours serving their JROTC units, their High Schools, and their communities. They had “A” averages all four years of high school, taking numerous Advanced Placement and Honors courses. Combined, they took 29 Honors courses and 5 Advanced Placement (college-level) courses. Additionally, they were both accomplished leaders of their JROTC units.

The Scholarship checks and certificates were presented by our guest speaker, Navy Captain Brian Tanaka, and our Chapter President Faith Junghahn. Each recipient received $1500.

Our first recipient was Za’Kiyah Dixon. Za’Kiyah is a member of the Beddingfield HS Army JROTC program in Wilson. She serves as the Commander of their JROTC Battalion and Commander of their JROTC competitive military drill team. She is also a member of the unit’s Raider Team. Za’Kiyah is the Senior Class President and the National Honor Society Vice President at Bettingfield HS. She is a member of the Student Government Association and a member of the Wilson County 4-H Club. Za’Kiyah is on the school’s Varsity Basketball team and before one of their games – in front of a cheering crowd – she took her Oath of Enlistment into the Air Force. Za’Kiyah has decided to attend North Carolina A&T University and become a cadet in the NC A&T Air Force ROTC Detachment. She plans to major in Kinesiology and minor in Food and Nutrition. In addition to our MOAA Scholarship, Za’Kiyah has been awarded the NC A&T Wilson Alumni Scholarship, the Louis Rainwater Scholarship, and the Wilmington Pure Platinum Scholarship. Her mother Kenyatta Dixon, her father Jesse Dixon and her brother Jessiah Dixon accompanied her to our presentation.

Our second recipient was Caleb Kohn. Caleb is a member of the Cary HS Navy JROTC program in Cary. He has served as their Operations Officer, Drill Team Commander, Logistics Officer, and Academic Team Commander. He participated on their Orientation and Athletics Teams and was the Commander of the Varsity Color Guard. Caleb is also a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. Last year, he was selected to participate in the Navy JROTC Area 6 Leadership Academy held at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. This was an intensive competitive course and Caleb finished in the top 10% of 170 cadets. Caleb will attend Regent University in Virginia and will major in Information Systems Technology. Caleb will be in their Navy ROTC Detachment on a Navy ROTC scholarship valued at over $500,000 plus a Regent University Merit Award Scholarship of $32,000. He intends to pursue a commission in Naval Aviation and become a pilot. Caleb’s mother Amy Kohn and his father Matthew Kohn accompanied him to our presentation.

Our guest speaker for the Scholarship Dinner was Navy Captain Brian Tanaka. Brian is the Commander of the North Carolina Piedmont Consortium Navy ROTC and commands the Navy ROTC detachments at NC State, UNC, and Duke. He is a native of Rochester, Minnesota. Brian is a 1996 graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. Captain Tanaka served as Commanding Officer of the USS MINNESOTA and completed deployments to the United States European Command and the United States Indo-Pacific Command. He also served as the Commanding Officer, Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific and Commanding Officer, Training Support Department Hawaii. He is retiring from the Navy in June after serving in the US Navy for 30 years.

Quite a few of us gathered to socialize, eat and drink at the ZincHouse Winery/Brewery, on April 8th.

It was a pay-as-you-go, casual event. The ZincHouse facility has grown substantially. It features beer from ZincHouse and other craft breweries, over 400 wines, bourbons...even a cigar bar for those so inclined (none of us were).

We met outdoors beneath a couple of propane heaters, but no none paid much attention to the temperature.

The one food truck (Empanadas and More from 5-9PM) and live music by Sterling Scott from 6:30 - 9PM made for a wonderful evening. If you missed out consider joining us next time. You won't regret it!

The morning dawned cold. Well, cold for central North Carolina in mid-December. MOAA member Faith Junghahn, coordinator for the Fuquay-Varina area Wreaths Across America branch, stood at the rear gate of a trailer full of wreaths at the Wake Chapel Christian Church cemetery and again 90 minutes later at the Greenlawn Memorial Garden cemetery, facing the gathered group of hardy volunteers. These Volunteers came from a variety of organizations - a motorcycle club, Lowes home improvement employees, a girls' softball association, scouts, veterans organizations (including MOAA), and others. Some were there to honor and remember a veteran family member. All were there to honor area veterans who were interred in that cemetery with wreaths supplied by the organization. Not visible to the gathered volunteers were the silent supporters; businesses that purchased and donated boxes of wreaths and businesses that stored them at no cost when these wreaths were not silently paying tribute at the final resting place of a local veteran.

Learn more about Wreath Across America and how you can support them here:

Wreaths Across America website

MOAA Triangle Chapter Dinner Meeting - Friday, Nov 7th, 2025

Triangle MOAA hosted the NC Council of Chapters Annual Meeting Dinner on Friday, November 7th, 2025 at the NC State University Club. The MOAA North Carolina Council of Chapters Annual Meeting took place the following day here in Raleigh.

The event was very special as we hosted MOAA leadership from our headquarters in Alexandria, VA, and leaders from across the state to join us and break bread.

The opening ceremonies kicked-off at 18:00, led by Master of Ceremonies CDR Linc Smith, USN (ret), CWO4 Jay Garbus, USA (ret), and COL Herb Segal, MC, USA (ret).

Color Guard duties were ably performed by the Cary High School NJROTC Color Guard. CWO4 Jay Garbus, outgoing president of the NC Council of Chapters, welcomed attendees and delivered remarks.

The link below will lead you to the highlights of the opening ceremony, including COL Segal's moving invocation, recalling the heroism of Audy Murphy during World War II.

Of the 56 in attendance, COL Segal welcomed three new chapter members.

Our special guest was Lieutenant General Brian Kelly, USAF (retired). He spoke to the assemblage after dinner. His remarks are recorded in the link below.

November 8, 2025 Dinner Meeting Opening Ceremonies

It's not too late to contribute to the Scholarship Fund! Use this link to make your charitable contribution:

Scholarship Fund Donation (Tax Deductible) Enter Amount

LtGen Kelly's remarks

Our fall dinner meeting was truly a special event.

Un-typically, it was scheduled for a Friday because our chapter was the host for the annual meeting of the North Carolina Council of Chapters (NCCoC). Attendees in town for that Saturday meeting joined us Friday evening, swelling our attendance list.

Secondly, the bigger news is that MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen Brian T. Kelly, USAF (ret), was our speaker for the Friday dinner.

We had a nice turn out for our second-ever summer gathering at the ZincHouse Winery and Brewery on Wake Forest Highway, Durham, on June 11th. It was a bit sultry but cool drinks and warm comradery balanced the atmospherics for the those in attendance. A food truck on property provided delicious fare at a reasonable price.

Members participating will surely give the both the venue and the experience a "thumbs-up", and it seems like the perfect way to kick-off the summer.

This event is likely to become a staple in our annual social activities.

We had our best level of participation yet for the chapter's evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Bulls took on the Nashville Sounds, and won resoundingly 8-4.

From the well-appointed PNC Triangle Club overlooking home plate, we watched high-quality Triple-A baseball in air-conditioned comfort.

We had 21 members signed up for the event. The price of admission got us a well-appointed buffet and tickets for 2 drinks to go along with the entertainment out on the field. The ice cream bar was as busy as the bar serving alcohol at the opposite end of the PNC Triangle Club.

An unusual aspect of the game was when the visiting team ran out of pitchers in the bull pen and sent a catcher out to the mound for several innings.

Led by Triangle Chapter member Faith Junghahn, COL, USAR (ret) and her husband Alan Shaw, LTC USA (ret), volunteers laid wreaths at the graves of veterans at two cemeteries in the Fuquay Varina area. Faith is the area coordinator for WAA.

Chapter members Henry Scheller, CAPT USN (ret), Margie Scheller, CDR USN (ret), and Chris Froeschner LtCol USAF (ret) were among the Scouts, veterans' group members and others who participated in this annual event.

MOAA Triangle Chapter welcomed Grier Martin III, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at its dinner meeting, October 8, 2024.

The meeting was held at the North Carolina State University Club, where attendees enjoyed the delicious fare served by the Club catering staff.

After his introduction by Triangle Chapter President Herb Segal, Secretary Martin's remarks included reflections and observations on his military service in the Middle East, and his civilian service in the NC Legislature, the Pentagon and his current role.