Armed Forces News Issue: Friday, November 5, 2004 FEDweek is the largest information resource in the federal government with now over one million weekly readers. To Subscribe, Go to http://www.fedweek.com/subscribepopup.htm
Valued Added Service to Our Readers: Federal Job Search http://www.fedweek.com/content/cc/index.php Job Bulletin Board http://www.fedweek.com/content/cc/index.php Unlimited Internet Access for as low as $10.90 http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/294969084/3/148/0/ Our Readers Will Get Special Discounted Travel Rates Including, Airfare, Hotels, RV's, Car Rentals, and Special Weekend Getaways--Anywhere in the world http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/294969084/3/339/0/ In This Week's Issue *********************************************************** 1. NDAA Increases Active Duty, Retiree Benefits 2. NDAA Brings New Reserve Component Benefits 3. NDAA Falters on Concurrent Receipt Fix 4. AF Official Explains Longer Deployment Cycle 5. FRA Publishes Navy RIF Survey 6. BRAC '05 to Support Transformation 7. Anthrax Vaccination Program Pauses 8. Eyeglasses Become Liabilities in Combat 9. Laser Eye Surgery Becoming More Commonplace 10. Recent Military Promotions https://www.perscomonline.army.mil/select/R_LtcAmed04.htm 11. The Brand New 2005 Retired Military Personnel Handbook Just Published--Only $9.95! http://www.fedweek.com/rmph.htm *********************************************************** 1. NDAA Increases Active Duty, Retiree Benefits President Bush signed the $420.6 billion fiscal 2005 National Defense Authorization Act Oct. 28. Features: eliminates the 36 percent Survivor Benefit Plan age 62 offset over a period of three and a half years; accelerates concurrent-receipt payments for retirees rated 100 percent disabled (but see third item); funds a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for service members; eliminates average out-of-pocket expenses for housing by increasing the basic allowance for housing; makes permanent increases in hostile fire/imminent danger pay to $225 per month and in family separation pay to $250 per month; raises Army and Marine Corps end strength by 20,000 and 3,000, respectively; allows the base realignment and closure process to move forward; and eliminates a statutory ceiling on privatization of housing, which allows DoD to leverage public money with private contractors to build and renovate military housing. 2. NDAA Brings New Reserve Component Benefits The fiscal 2005 defense act (previous item) provides for up to 90 days of Tricare coverage for Reservists and their families who are mobilized. It also authorizes 180 days of transitional Tricare health benefits for Reservists, active-duty members and their families after separation from active duty. In addition, members of the selected reserve earn a year's eligibility for Tricare for each 90 days of service in a contingency. The act also authorizes a reserve-component educational assistance program tied to the Montgomery GI Bill. Assistance rates vary, depending on the length of active-duty service, starting with 40 percent for service of 90 days to one year, jumping to 60 percent for one year to two years, and topping out at 80 percent for more than two consecutive years. 3. NDAA Falters on Concurrent Receipt Fix Although the fiscal 2005 authorization act provided concurrent receipt restitution to some 14,000 military retirees, the act excluded another 30,000 or so. At issue is a centuries-old law that - until previous concurrent receipt legislation began to bring equity - required all military retirees awarded disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs to forfeit $1 of retired pay for each $1 of compensation received. The '05 NDAA authorizes full concurrent receipt for the 14,000 with a 100 percent disability rating, effective January 2005, by canceling a 10-year phase-in period set by earlier legislation. The 30,000 who were excluded are retirees rated 100 percent disabled because they are "unemployable." They must continue the 10-year phase-in. Also awaiting relief are thousands of other military retirees, including those rated at less than 60 percent non-combat-related disability and those who were medically retired with less than 20 years service. 4. AF Official Explains Longer Deployment Cycle Brig. Gen. Steven Hoog, Aerospace Expeditionary Force Center commander, explained how the recent extension from 90-day deployments to 120-day deployments is working. The new schedule offers greater stability for commanders and a reduction in transportation requirements because Airmen are swapping out three times instead of four during the year, General Hoog said. With the deployment-length change to the AEF cycle, which began Sept. 15, Airmen now get four extra months at home. "We go for 120 days now (every) 20 months," said Hoog. "In terms of your life back at home, the turmoil has actually decreased because now you have a longer cycle (of down) time." Troops in certain Air Force specialties, however, are deploying for 179 days, but because they are not trained for their specific task, their deployments are expanded by two to two-and-a-half months of training before deploying. 5. FRA Publishes Navy RIF Survey The Fleet Reserve Association has published results of a survey concerning a proposed Navy reduction in force of 40,000 officers and enlisted personnel over the next six years. Excerpt of results: 69 percent believe the RIF will affect their careers and 60 percent believe it will have a negative impact on their ability to perform their duties; 62 percent say hiring civilians for shipboard slots will negatively affect their morale; 65 percent state that their government housing ashore is not adequately maintained, while 61 percent say their work spaces are adequate. Influences on their re-enlistment decisions were: promotion potential - 21 percent; spouse/family support - 29 percent; pay and benefits - 30 percent; and pride in serving their country - 20 percent. Factors mitigating against re-enlisting were: Op tempo - 39 percent; lack of promotion opportunity - 34 percent; insufficient pay and benefits - 17 percent; and inadequate spouse/family support - 10 percent. Visit http://www.fra.org/surveys/index.html. 6. BRAC '05 to Support Transformation The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiative differs from previous rounds because it will directly contribute to the Defense Department's transformation goals, a top DoD official said on Oct. 25. Raymond DuBois, principal DoD deputy for installations and environment, said that BRACs conducted between 1988 and 1995 closed 97 military bases and realigned 57, leaving an estimated 23 percent excess infrastructure. Joint warfighting has proven to be the coin of the realm when confronting terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq, said DuBois. So a key component of 2005 BRAC consideration, he explained, involves weighing an installation's military value in view of joint operations. In addition, any new base closures would take into account the need to maintain a military "surge" capacity to deal with potential future threats, Dubois emphasized. Final 2005 BRAC recommendations will be presented in the spring. 7. Anthrax Vaccination Program Pauses The Department of Defense is reviewing a preliminary injunction issued Oct. 27 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia regarding the department's anthrax vaccination program. The injunction, which did not question the safety and effectiveness of the anthrax vaccine or DoD's immunization program, centered on the Food and Drug Administration's procedural issues, stating that additional public comment should have been sought before the FDA issued its final rule in December 2003. The ruling is similar to a judge's injunction issued in December 2003. At that time DoD paused the vaccination program pending clarification of the legal issues. That injunction was lifted roughly two weeks later. DoD will again pause giving anthrax vaccinations until the legal situation is clarified. The department remains convinced that the anthrax immunization program complies with all the legal requirements and that the anthrax vaccine is safe and effective, said officials. 8. Eyeglasses Become Liabilities in Combat The military services are recognizing that eyeglasses can be a battlefield liability. Eyeglasses break and fog up when subjected to the rigors of combat, like jumping out of airplanes, diving underwater or crawling through dirt and sand, said Army Lt. Col. Scott Barnes, an ophthalmologist at the Warfighter Refractive Eye Clinic at Fort Bragg, N.C. Contact lenses may be impractical substitutes in combat zones because of dirt, grime and lack of convenient hygiene facilities. On the other hand, laser eye surgery may eliminate the need for eyeglasses. Barnes said he would like to provide laser eye surgery for anybody who wants it, but limited time and resources force him to give priority to troops most likely to see combat. All the services offer laser eye surgery, although rules vary about who is eligible for it and what military jobs qualify. 9. Laser Eye Surgery Becoming More Commonplace In 2000, the Defense Department began allowing individuals who had received two common forms of laser eye surgery to enter the service with a medical waiver. Today, the Navy and Marine Corps permit laser refractive surgery for all warfare communities, and officials said Navy surgeons have performed more than 10,000 laser procedures to date. Meanwhile, the Army's first Warfighter Refractive Eye Clinic at Fort Bragg has conducted about 16,000 of the surgeries since commencing operations in May 2000, said an official. And the Air Force Warfighter Photorefractive Keratectomy Program became active at the end of 2001. Qualified Airmen can get the surgery at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Texas; Travis Air Force Base, Calif.; the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.; Keesler AFB, Miss. ; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. In addition to photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, the other most common type of eye surgery offered is laser in-situ keratomileusis, or LASIK. 10. Recent Military Promotions Army FY04 Lieutenant Colonel, RC, Army Medical Dept. (AMEDD) Selection Board Results https://www.perscomonline.army.mil/select/R_LtcAmed04.htm 11. The Brand New 2005 Retired Military Personnel Handbook Just Published--Only $9.95! http://www.fedweek.com/rmph.htm Plus...Everone who orders the 2005 Retired Military Personnel Handbook will receive a FREE Special Report: Preserving Your American Dream. Here's a partial look at this special report's table of contents: Investments Strategies for the Months Ahead Keep Your Balance With Bonds Taxing Matters and Tips Cash Flow Go on Scam Alerts and Identity Theft Retirement Planning With a Safety Net Education Reform Acts Protecting Your Property and Loved Ones For Retirees and Pre-Retirees Reinvestment Rules Estate Planning ***************************************************** Dear Armed Forces News Reader: For 2005, The Retired Military Personnel Handbook has been COMPLETELY REVISED AND EXPANDED AND IS STILL ONLY $9.95! The Retired Military Personnel Handbook is now in its sixth year and has been distributed to military installations and federal government agencies all over the world! It is specifically written for all military personnel and retirees and their families and is designed to guide you through every aspect of your retirement, explaining what benefits you may qualify for and how to get them, as well as providing a context for making many of the important decisions that lie ahead. Here's a look at just some of what's NEW in the 2005 edition: TRICARE Plus program--A complete, down-to-earth explanation of the eligibility requirements and the covered benefits Federal LTC Insurance program--Contains the eligibility, benefit choices, and premium considerations, including how the program differs for active employees versus retirees, tax considerations and other aspects of the program Tax Policies--The latest information affecting your retirement accounts, estate tax treatment and long-term care premiums New Retirement Lifestyle Information--Including how to evaluate continuing care communities and nursing homes Incapacity Planning--New important information on protecting your heirs Pay and Benefit Policies--The latest on COLAs, health and life insurance, Medicare and Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Defense Department programs, and a look at key legislative initiatives affecting retirees Important Points of Contacts--Just updated points of contact, benefit rates, addresses, tax treatment of annuities, status of important legislation and other vital material The new SGLI family coverage option--What it will cost you and what it will provide Survivor Benefits--The latest information on survivor benefit policies and rates Moving in Retirement--Special considerations for those moving in retirement PLUS, COMPLETELY REVISED INFORMATION ON: Retired pay and benefits--how the latest changes affect you and your family Disability retirement--qualifying, compensation, implications Medicare and Social Security benefits--eligibility and requirements Re-employment with the Government--the veterans' advantage Financial planning--maximizing your military retirement income Taxes in retirement--minimizing your tax burden A plain-English explanation of TRICARE for Life--what it does and doesn't cover, eligibility rules and how to make in prescription drug policies The new Senior Pharmacy Program--who is eligible, and how you can use it to save money on your prescription drugs Tricare dental benefits--what's covered and what's not VA health benefits--eligibility and facilities Survivor benefits--spouses and family members, divorce VA retirement compensation--types and how much Life insurance--USGLI, VSLI and other Government plans Other VA programs--assistance with loans, income, education, etc. And much, much more! "The 2005 Retired Military Personnel Handbook gives you the absolute latest information available on your military retirement and is a perfect tool to be used as a reference guide whether you are just nearing retirement or are already retired." Don Mace Publisher, Armed Forces News http://www.fedweek.com/rmph.htm Special FREE Special Report to Our Readers: Everyone who orders the 2005 Retired Military Personnel Handbook will receive a FREE Special Report: Preserving Your American Dream. Here's a partial look at this special report's table of contents: Investments Strategies for the Months Ahead Keep Your Balance With Bonds Taxing Matters and Tips Cash Flow Go on Scam Alerts and Identity Theft Retirement Planning With a Safety Net Education Reform Acts Protecting Your Property and Loved Ones For Retirees and Pre-Retirees Reinvestment Rules Estate Planning ***************************************************** *********************************************************** HOW TO GET "The 2005 Retired Military Personnel Handbook It's Available only at FEDweek! Go to http://www.fedweek.com/rmph.htm or see Below. *********************************************************** The 2005 Retired Military Personnel Handbook is only $9.95 (plus $4 s&h) and you can place your order online at http://www.fedweek.com/rmph.htm under our Military Interest section. You may also call our 24 hour toll-free order line at (888) 333-9335 and place your order or send your order with payment ($13.95) to: FEDweek, PO Box 5519, Glen Allen, VA 23058. *********************************************************** Don't Forget to Ask for Your FREE Copy of "Preserving Your American Dream When You Place Your Order! (This offer is only good while inventory lasts) Armed Forces News 11541 Nuckols Rd. Suite D Glen Allen, VA 23059 Publisher, Don Mace Website: http://www.armedforcesnews.com Published weekly by Armed Forces News, LLC * A 100% VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS ** [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are subscribed to armedforcesnews as [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
