-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! 001862. Peters inducted into Air Force Order of the Sword WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Hailed as a strong advocate and leader of the enlisted corps, Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters was formally inducted into the Air Force Order of the Sword in a ceremony Dec. 16 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Peters becomes the seventh recipient of the Air Force Order of the Sword, which is the highest honor and tribute that the enlisted corps can convey to an individual. "No secretary has been closer to the troops or understood their concerns better, and no secretary has battled more zealously before a sometimes reluctant Congress on behalf of our Air Force," said former Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Eric Benken, speaking before an audience of nearly 1,000 distinguished guests and enlisted members from throughout the Air Force. Current Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Jim Finch hosted the ceremony. The secretary was cited for his role in the Air Force's transition to an expeditionary aerospace force, his strong advocacy for increased pay and quality of life initiatives, and for a "proud and enduring identity." As secretary, he is responsible for ensuring the Air Force can meet its current and future missions, and oversees 700,000 men and women of the Air Force's total force and an annual budget of $71 billion. "Thank you so much for this tremendous honor," Peters said. "I am truly privileged to be standing before you. I can think of no honor that will ever mean more to me than the one bestowed." The secretary quoted Mark Twain, and said, "If you see a turtle sitting on top of a high fence post, there is one thing you can be sure of, he didn't get there on his own. "What's true of turtles is equally true of secretaries of the Air Force," he said. "I know I didn't get to the top of this fence post by myself. To everyone with whom I have shared the past three years, let me say I wish I could find an adequate way to express my admiration and gratitude for what you have done with me and for me. "Most of all, I am honored to receive this distinction from you, the enlisted men and women of America's Air Force, heroes of the first order, and a group of people you just can't fool," Peters said. "For 53 years, our enlisted men and women have been building the world's best aerospace force and I truly believe we 'ain't seen nothing yet.' You are truly the envy of the world." The evening's events included a demonstration by the U.S. Air Force Drill Team, and entertainment by the Air Force's Strolling Strings. The Order of the Sword is patterned after two orders of chivalry founded in Europe during the Middle Ages -- the Royal Order of the Sword and the Swedish Military Order of the Sword. Both orders are still in existence today. 001860. Financial responsibility valued asset WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Bank of America is saying "enough is enough" and taking action this month on delinquent government travel cardholders, terminating those accounts with balances more than 120 days past due. "Since the government travel card program was implemented in October 1998, the bank has written off about $8 million in bad debt owed by Air Force members," said Col. Greg Morgan, director, accounting, banking and comptroller support at the air staff. "(BOA has) been losing about $250,000 a month," he said. "That's the amount that Air Force members owe and never pay. The bank has been taking this loss but has decided to uphold the contract terms and exercise their option to terminate those delinquent accounts." The number of Air Force members who have accounts written off total less than 2 percent of the force's active cardholders, but the impact in terms of members' financial reputation and to the service is much higher, Morgan said. "We cannot stress enough that people need to take responsibility for their financial obligations. That's the bottom line," Morgan said. "Your financial reputation is critical. It can either help you or hurt you." It shouldn't be a surprise to those whose cards are being terminated, Morgan said. "The bank has notified people about past due balances, but they are no longer going to be lenient." BOA intends to suspend accounts at 60 days, cancel accounts at 120 days and report to credit bureaus at 181 days if the card balance is still unpaid. For those whose cards are terminated, the repercussions can be enormous. "The bank is not obligated to renew or issue them another travel card," Morgan said. "Also, the action will be reflected on their personal credit reports if amounts are left unpaid." The loss of the card can also impact the person's ability to conduct the Air Force's mission, Morgan said. "You may have a person who has had their card terminated and has to go (on temporary duty); that person will have to use personal funds to cover their expenses or else try to obtain a cash advance from the Air Force. Few bases even have cash available. "This is a serious concern for us," Morgan said. "One of the values we hold high in the Air Force is integrity first, and financial irresponsibility is a violation of this core value." Michael Weber, the service's government travel card program manager, said there are many options available to make it easy and convenient for people to pay their card fees in a timely manner. "The first thing is to file your travel voucher as soon as possible," he said. "The Air Force reimburses travel claims in a timely manner, but we cannot reimburse you until we receive a voucher. "We also have options available such as split disbursements where portions of the claim charged on the card is paid directly to the bank." Another option, he said, benefits those people who are on long TDY assignments. "You can arrange in advance to have monthly payments made to the card, including interim settlements." This can greatly reduce the likelihood of incurring late fees. Cardholders can also register on the Electronic Accounting Government Ledger System Web site by requesting a password from their card coordinator. EAGLS is a password-protected site that allows cardholders to access their account history. "By using this site, you can easily complete your travel voucher because it lists every transaction you have made, including payments," Weber said. Both Weber and Morgan said use of the card should be viewed as any other financial obligation. "You pay your rent or car payment every month, this should be no different," Weber said. "These are charges that have already been reimbursed to the government traveler." If you are experiencing problems in making payments, Weber said, call the bank immediately and explain the situation. "This can go a long way toward alleviating and avoiding a potential problem later on," he said. Supervisors and card coordinators are also excellent sources to go to for assistance. "The travel card offers convenience and flexibility when you are TDY. It allows you the opportunity to pay for official expenses, such as lodging, food, and car rental fees, without having to carry a large amount of cash," Morgan said. "There are not many corporations that will issue a line of credit to a young individual with no past credit history, but the Air Force does and entrusts their people to fulfill their financial obligations," he said. 001861. New housing rates take effect Jan. 1 WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- New basic housing allowance rates take effect Jan. 1, with increases seen in the majority of housing areas while all other rates will remain stable. The new rates reflect a more than $400 million increase in funds added by the Defense Department and Congress for fiscal 2001. The new rates have increased in about 75 percent of the housing areas and will remain the same in remaining areas, said Maj. Shannon Averill, chief, Air Force pay and allowances. The rates reflect a continuing congressional intent to reform housing allowances to stabilize military members' out-of-pocket expense, according to Defense officials. The goal for fiscal 2001 was 15 percent median out-of-pocket expenses for service members, compared to nearly 19 percent last year. The secretary of defense has taken reform efforts a step further and announced his plan last year to reduce median out-of-pocket costs to zero by 2005, officials said. DOD made a conscious decision not to decrease BAH rates even though median out-of-pocket expenses in some areas were below 15 percent, Averill said. "It didn't make sense to raise out-of-pocket expenses by lowering BAH rates only to come back in the following years to buy it down to zero. This sends a strong message of commitment to our troops." The new rates are based on local median housing costs identified by Runzheimer Inc. during annual data collection. Rates are calculated from a median housing cost for a particular military housing area within 25 miles or one-hour commute (in traffic) to a duty location, according to Defense officials. Housing standards used to establish median costs were derived from affordable, adequate, quality housing where comparable civilians reside. Median housing costs were derived from a specific dwelling size rental cost with average utilities and renter insurance included. Additionally, data was collected from military housing offices, realtors, newspapers, magazines, and Web sites for each area. An out-of-pocket expense is applied to each median housing cost for each grade with and without dependents, regardless of location. "So the end result is a typical staff sergeant stationed at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., or at the air staff at the Pentagon, will pay the same for median out-of-pocket expenses," Averill said. "Runzheimer collects data each year to establish the median housing costs for the following year," Averill said. "Commanders are encouraged to engage with their military housing offices to ensure data submitted is representative of where we want our troops to reside." The approved fiscal 2001 BAH rates will be posted by Jan. 1 on the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Web site, http://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/pay/ and on the Per Diem Web site, http://www.dtic.mil/perdiem/. 001863. Kuwait C-130 mishap pilot receives Article 15 punishment LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFPN) -- The 314th Airlift Wing commander dismissed court-martial charges and recommended punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for the captain whose C-130 Hercules aircraft crashed at Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, in December 1999. Three people aboard were killed and seven were seriously injured in the crash. After reviewing the Article 32 investigating officer's five-volume, 831-page report on the incident, Brig. Gen. Paul J. Fletcher, the special court-martial convening authority, recommended Capt. Darron A. Haughn be punished under the Article 15 rather than face trial by court-martial on charges of dereliction of duty and negligent homicide. The general forwarded his recommendation for Article 15 action to Maj. Gen. George N. Williams, 21st Air Force commander. Williams is the general court-martial convening authority for the case and will ultimately determine what disciplinary action, if any, Haughn will receive. Under Article 15, Haughn could be formally reprimanded, arrested in quarters for 30 days, restricted to the base for 60 days, forfeit half a month's pay per month for two months, or he could receive a combination of these. Although the original charges have been dismissed, if Williams accepts Fletcher's recommendation, Haughn could still face court-martial if he elects a trial rather than non-judicial punishment, as is his right under the U.S. military justice system. Fletcher made his decision after analyzing the report of the Article 32 hearing conducted here Oct. 16 to 20. The investigating officer was Lt. Col. Gregory Pavlik, a military judge assigned to the Central Circuit at Randolph AFB, Texas. During the hearing, Pavlik inquired into the truth of the matters set forth in the charges, considered the form of the charges to ensure they were consistent with and conformed to evidence, and made recommendations as to the disposition of the case in the interest of justice, good order and discipline. The Article 32 report of investigation, which included comments from the defense, was forwarded to Fletcher Nov. 9. 001858. Renew suicide prevention efforts during holidays by Lt. Col. Mark West Air Education and Training Command Behavioral Health Sciences RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- As we approach the holiday season, we move into an appropriate time to renew our efforts to help prevent suicides among our families, friends and co-workers. Suicide is not only a tragic loss of life, but it is disruptive to the surviving members of the military community. Each suicide commonly affects at least six other people intimately. While we can often understand and deal with suicides after they occur, we can also likely prevent a substantial number of them. The holidays are filled with opportunities to reach out to those who show signs of distress. Those signs include increased alcohol use, anger, irritability and withdrawn behavior. Some common underlying factors in some Air Force people who have taken their own lives since 1997 were relationship problems, substance abuse and legal trouble. As a community, we have multiple support structures with a common goal of early identification and referral of those at risk. The local behavioral health and family advocacy units in your base hospitals and clinics are excellent resources for suicide risk detection and prevention. I encourage everyone to exercise leadership through increased vigilance and the promotion of a caring, supportive environment for our Air Force family during this holiday season. Please go the extra mile to foster a sense of belonging and increase opportunities for social contact; social connections help save lives. We can all do our part to take care of our Air Force families. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service) 001857. Air Force announces selections to major RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The Calendar Year 00B Major Central Selection Board for Line, Judge Advocate General, Chaplain, and Biomedical Sciences Corps selected 1,815 captains for promotion to major. A list of those selected will be released Dec. 20. The selection board, which convened here at the Air Force Personnel Center, Sept. 18 to 29 considered 2,461 officers. The entire list will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Center home page, www.afpc.randolph.af.mil, no later than 2 p.m. CST, Dec. 20. The results of the 2000 board follows: Selection statistics in-the-promotion zone for major: -- Line: 1,620 selected from 1,841 considered for an 88 percent select rate -- JAG: 45 selected from 54 considered for an 83.3 percent select rate -- Chaplain: 16 selected from 20 considered for an 80 percent select rate -- BSC: 87 selected from 102 considered for an 85.3 percent select rate Selection statistics above-the-promotion zone for major: -- Line: 37 selected from 420 considered for an 8.8 percent select rate -- JAG: 4 selected from 8 considered for a 50 percent select rate -- Chaplain: 1 selected from 4 considered for a 25 percent select rate -- BSC: 5 selected from 12 considered for a 41.7 percent select rate The entire list will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Center home page, www.afpc.randolph.af.mil, no later than 2 p.m. CST, Dec. 20. (Courtesy of Air Force Personnel Center News Service) 001856. Sergeant gives brother gift of life by Airman 1st Class Chris Uhles 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- Philosopher, poet, and novelist George Santayana once said "The family is one of nature's masterpieces." To protect those masterpieces, some people will give up just about anything. Staff Sgt. Harry Fisher is one of those people. Fisher, a videographer with the 49th Communications Squadron Visual Information Center, is recovering from donating a kidney to his older brother who suffers from mebranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, a disease that caused his kidneys to shut down. In what many are calling a heroic effort, and what he tries to downplay, Fisher underwent a kidney-removal procedure called laparscopic nephrectomy. The new procedure, which has been performed only a dozen times in New Mexico, leaves the donor in much better shape, said Barbara Morgan, pre-transplant coordinator for Renal Medical Associates in Albuquerque, N.M. The previous method meant the donor would be hospitalized at least nine days, Morgan said, and would be out of work for six to 10 weeks. With this new procedure, donors can leave the hospital after three or four days and return to work in less than six weeks. The effects of losing this major organ are minimal, Morgan said. "A person can live a very healthy and normal life with only one kidney. In fact, there are many people who are even born with only one kidney." "I don't feel any different, just sore," Fisher said. "All I had to do was lie there and let them take the kidney. The real heroes are the people that surround me: my wife, who had to take care of everything while I was recovering, and my coworkers, who had to pick up my slack in my one-deep position. Those are the people who did something, not me." Fisher's supervisor disagrees. "It was his sacrifice that was great," said Tech. Sgt. Alex Ray, Visual Information superintendent. "Whatever we can do to support him in this is small potatoes compared to what he did." Fisher's brother's kidney began to fail earlier this year and a donor was needed. Fisher volunteered one of his kidneys and he turned out to be a perfect match. In fact, the doctors were surprised at how close a match Fisher was. Morgan explained the uniqueness. "Each candidate for donation is probed and prodded. No stone is left unturned. We have to make sure there are no underlying diseases that could put the kidney at risk later on. "Each candidate has to be very healthy," Morgan said. "They get several physical exams, lab tests and a CAT scan to ensure the kidney will function properly. The closeness in types Harry and his brother were are usually only found in identical twins." Did that help in Fisher's decision process? "There was no question," Fisher said. "I didn't even give it a second thought. It's my brother. Giving him the kidney gave him a second chance at doing what he wants in life. He's got a wife and two kids. Now he's got a whole new life. I had no hesitation." Fisher also explained being in the Air Force helped him make the decision. "All those times I've had to deploy with the Air Force were not necessarily something I wanted to do, but I knew I had to do it and move on," Fisher said. "That really helped me in my decision." Fisher said he was "a little nervous about the surgery," but knew his brother would do the same for him. "The weirdest thing about the whole ordeal was walking into the hospital and surgery room completely healthy, and leaving hurt," Fisher said. "But I'd do it again in a heartbeat." (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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