RAO Bulletin Update 15 July 2007 - Page 2
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:32 pm
Page 2
FLORIDA VET BENEFITS UPDATE 03: Gov. Charlie Crist on 11 JUL paid tribute to the military services with the ceremonial signing of four new laws passed in the Florida 2007 legislative session. Tammy Wise-Thrash attended the ceremonial signing of the law named for her son, an Army specialist who was killed in Iraq in 2003. The Robert A. Wise Military Protection Act increases civil penalties for unauthorized use of photos or other images of military members on commercial products. After Wise was killed, his picture was used on anti-war T-shirts, without his family’s permission. Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-Palm Beach Gardens, said hucksters have peddled phone cards and other products with photos of service members, preying on the patriotism of potential purchasers. The bill provides fines up to $1,000 per item for products depicting service members without family authorization. Brandon Hensler, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said there could be First Amendment problems if the law is selectively enforced. He said a person or family can protect names and images from commercial exploitation, but that use of news photos or other information “in the public domain” is protected in political demonstrations. Other new laws would:
- Extend need-based emergency financial assistance to service members and dependents for up to 120 days after members leave active duty, to help with housing and other living expenses as they return to civilian life.
- Provide a permanent hiring preference for veterans seeking jobs with state government. Previously, the veterans' preference could be used only once.
- Provide greater property tax relief for wounded veterans. Under the new law, a veteran with a combat-related disability would get a tax reduction in proportion to their disability classification. Rep. Stan Jordan, R-Jacksonville, said that under his bill, a veteran with a 75% disability would get a 75% cut in property taxes. The exemption applies only to veterans over age 65 who were Florida residents when they joined the service.
[Source: Pensacola News Journal ill Cotterell article 11 Jul 07 ++]
INDIANA VET INITIATIVES UPDATE 02: The Indiana Military Family Leave Act Public Law 151 is taking effect 1 JUL. The act will extend employment protections to Indiana resident family members in of military personnel. The law allows a relative of a military member called to active duty to take up to 10 days of unpaid leave per year from his job. The leave can be taken prior to deployment, during leave or after a tour of duty is completed. The law only applies to employers with 50 or more employees. Employees that are covered under the law must have worked for the business for 12 months, have worked at least 1,500 hours during the last year for the company and be a spouse, parent, grandparent or sibling of the military member, and must give their employers 30 days notice that they intend to take the leave.
A number of other measures that benefit past and present members of the Hoosier military will be enacted into law on 1 JUL that will:
- Give National Guard members priority placement in any employment or training program administered by the Indiana Department of Workforce Management.
- Enable all males aged 16-26 to register for the Selective Service at any branch of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Registering for the Selective Service entitles young men to various benefits, including access to student loans and eligibility for state or federal jobs. Indiana was one of only 12 states not equipped to handle Selective Service registration at the BMV. As a result, only 77% of qualified 18 year old men in Indiana are currently registered for the Selective Service. The BMV is required to have this system in place by January 2009.
- Extend the six year time frame that a National Guard member has to use their scholarship benefits if he or she is deployed into active duty.
- Establish employment qualifications for the Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
- Extend eligibility for resident tuition rates at a state college or university to all active duty soldiers stationed in Indiana and their dependents.
- Provide for honorary diplomas being awarded to Korea or Vietnam conflict veterans who were unable to complete their high-school education because of their involvement. the opportunity.
[Source: Indiana House Democratic Caucus 29 Jun 07 ++]
LCD SCREEN CLEANING: Last week I woke up from a nap to find my 3 year old grandson had found a Sharpie Permanent Marker pen on my desk and with it used my laptop LCD screen for a drawing board. I went to several places that sell computers and they could not tell me how to remove these black marks without damaging the screen. I subsequently mentioned the problem at the doctor’ office and the receptionist told me to try a Magic Eraser made by Mr. Clean and sold at WalMart. Following the instructions I wet a small part of the sponge like eraser and using single straight gentle stokes found to my surprise the black marks disappeared. I do not recommend this for general LCD cleaning for which there are many products available. I tried a couple of these more expensive products and they would not remove the marks. If you experience a particular difficult mark/stain to remove on your computer or TV LCD screen you might try a Magic Eraser. [Source: Editor, RAO Bulletin 10 July 07]
SILVER STAR: The Silver Star is the is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces and the third highest award given for valor (in the face of the enemy). Well-known recipients include: Lt. Col. Oliver North, Generals George S. Patton and Douglas MacArthur, Senators John Kerry and John McCain. The Silver Star honors service personnel who display exceptional valor while engaged in military combat operations against an enemy force. Personnel can also be honored for their service with friendly foreign troops in combat situations, even if the opposing force is one that the U.S. is not engaged in military conflict with. It also can be awarded posthumously. In 1944, four nurses became the first female recipients of the Silver Star. 1st Lt. Mary Roberts, 2nd Lt. Elaine Roe, 2nd Lt. Virginia Rourke, and 2nd Lt. Ellen Ainsworth (posthumous) were cited for their bravery in successfully evacuating the 33rd Field Hospital at Anzio, Italy on 10 FEB. They remained the sole female recipients until Leigh Ann Hester was awarded the Silver Star in 2005. Acts of heroism that earn a Silver Star, though not deserving of a Distinguished Service Cross or a Medal of Honor, must have been “performed with marked distinction.”
The Silver Star was first awarded in 1932 to replace the Citation Star, which had been pinned on the ribbon of a service medal and given for gallantry from the Spanish-American War to World War I. The U.S. military then allowed World War I veterans to apply to have the Citation Star converted to the Silver Star. Despite its name, the medal is mostly gold. Gold rays emanate from a tiny silver star, encircled by a golden laurel wreath and then a larger gold star. The pendant hangs from a ribbon striped in red, white and blue. An inscription on the back reads "For gallantry in action." The Silver Star is awarded to a recipient in person, and usually with a ceremony. A commander-in-theater with at least the rank of three-star general must recognize the recipient for acts of valor. The next lower in precedence award is the Defense Superior Service Medal. Any false verbal, written or physical claim to the Silver Star, by an individual to whom it has not been awarded, is a federal felony offense punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $10000 fine. [Source: About.com U.S. Military Rod Powers article Jul 07 ++]
OKINAWA AGENT ORANGE USE: According to a board ruling uncovered by Kyodo News the U.S. Board of Veterans’ Appeals found in 1998 that the hazardous chemical defoliant Agent Orange was most likely used in Okinawa, and ruled in favor of a former U.S. service member who sought compensation for prostate cancer he blamed on his work there in the early 1960s. The discovery comes as the Defense Department has still to confirm whether Agent Orange was stored or used in Okinawa during the Vietnam War that ended in 1975. In its ruling, issued on 13 JAN 98, the board concluded that “credible evidence sustains a reasonable probability that the veteran was exposed to dioxins while serving in Okinawa.” The board further said it was granting him service-connected disability compensation “for prostrate cancer as being the result of Agent Orange exposure” while in Okinawa between 1960 and 1961. It found entirely believable his testimony about the U.S. military’s mixing, storage and even use of Agent Orange in Okinawa at a time when Japan’s southernmost prefecture was still under the control of the United States, which used it as a strategic transport hub during the Vietnam War.
Agent Orange, a herbicide mixture containing the highly toxic substance dioxin, was sprayed by U.S. military aircraft over the southern portion of Vietnam from 1961 to 1971 to clear jungles and deny cover to communist fighters. It has since been blamed for numerous health problems, including various types of cancer and birth defects. The former service member, who worked as a motor transport operator on Okinawa Island but had never been to Vietnam, said in his testimony that while Agent Orange was mainly used to defoliate trees and shrubbery in lush war zones like Vietnam, “in Okinawa, we had other uses for it, particularly near base camp perimeters.” He said herbicides thought to include Agent Orange were sprayed from trucks or backpacks along roadsides, used for landscaping and also taken to the densely forested northern part of Okinawa Island to clear foliage to facilitate war game maneuvers there. Subtropical Okinawa’s heavy rainfall, he said, created a demand for non-water-soluble defoliants such as Agent Orange that would not just wash away with the next rain. He testified that personnel were not told or warned about the hazards of the herbicides that they were handling, nor were they issued any protective clothing”.
As recently as NOV 04, DoD stated that it has been unable to find any records of Agent Orange being used or stored on Okinawa Island during the Vietnam War era. The statement came in response to queries made in JUL 04 by then U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, a ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, who wrote to then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld requesting any information on the use or storage of Agent Orange on Okinawa. That was replied to by Gen. Richard Myers, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told Evans in NOV 04 that “records contain no information linking use or storage of Agent Orange or other herbicides in Okinawa.” Myers further said there was “no record of any spills, accidental or otherwise, of Agent Orange. Therefore, there are no recorded occupational exposures of service members in Okinawa to Agent Orange or similar herbicides.” The Board of Veterans’ Appeals ruling said that while the U.S military had been “generally unable to document the use of herbicides in Okinawa,” experts who attempted to verify specific dioxin exposure there “do not negate that possibility.”
Hundreds more former U.S. service members who were stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War have lodged medical compensation claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, citing Agent Orange exposure, according to information viewable online in the archives of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. But most cases have either been denied or sent for review on the grounds of insufficient evidence linking their illnesses to Agent Orange exposure. The various documents surface at a time when Washington and Tokyo are realigning the U.S. military presence in Japan following years of protests from Okinawans who have long complained about crime, noise and crowding associated with U.S. bases on the island since the end of World War II in 1945. U.S. bases occupy about 20 percent of Okinawa’s land area and have also been viewed as being a large part of the island’s environmental problems. Under the realignment, about 4,000 hectares of the 7,800-hectare U.S. jungle warfare training area in northern Okinawa, mentioned as a place where Agent Orange was sprayed, are due to be handed back to Japan. Kunitoshi Sakurai, president of Okinawa University who specializes in environmental engineering, expressed concern over the possibility of residual dioxin there, pointing out that the northern area is the source of most of Okinawa’s water supply. [Source: Marine Corp Times 9 Jul 07 ++]
IDENTITY THEFT UPDATE 08: Are you as safe as you think you are? Take the identity fraud safety test at www.idsafety.net. In 2006 identity theft affected 8.4 million Americans, resulted in $49.3 billion in losses, and cost victims an average of $587 in out-of-pocket costs plus 40 hours of their time to resolve. Of identified thieves 53% were known by their victims. Obtaining your personal information without your permission is considered identity theft. Use of that data to commit fraud or theft is considered identity fraud. Months or years and thousands of dollars are spent each year cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of good names and credit records. Identity theft results in lose of job opportunities, loans for education and weddings, housing, cars, or even arrests for crimes people didn’t commit. Despite the best efforts of many victims, skilled identity thieves gain access to their data through:
- Stolen wallets and purses.
- Stealing your mail or diverting your mail to another location.
- Rummaging through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as “dumpster diving.”
- Fraudulently obtaining your credit report.
- Obtaining information from the businesses in a practice known as “business record theft” (customer, employee, patient or student; bribing an employee who has access to your files; or “hacking” into electronic files).
ATM use can expose users to a practice known as skimming through equipage designed to obtain your card information. Equipage typically used is:
• False fronts on terminals with built in magnetic stripe readers.
• Hidden cameras to capture you entering your PIN with the information being transmitted to a nearby crook. Recent cases have Bluetooth transmission to a remote receiver
• Sniffing devices installed in ATMs that can capture the credit or debit card PIN and magnetic stripe information before encryption. These devices are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and can capture over 2500 credit card account numbers, expiration dates and CVV codes. The units which cost about $500 can operate continuously for 40 hours on a single 3V battery (6000 swipes) and are designed to erase all info with the press of a button by the user to avoid prosecution. .
Phishing is another instrument of identity theft. They scam you, often through email, by posing as legitimate companies or government agencies you do business with. Last year 73 million adult email users reported receiving more than 50 phishing emails during the year. Of these, 11 million reported clicking on the links provided in the messages and 2.42 million reported losing money because of phishing attacks ($929 million). Pay Pal and E bay are the top spoofed sites. Citibank is the primary bank target for phishing scams. The following guidance can be used to determine if a message is a phishing action:
1.) Does the email ask you to go to a website and verify personal information? Banks won’t ask you to verify your personal information in response to an email.
2.) What is the tone of the mail? Most phish emails convey a sense of urgency by threatening discontinued service or information loss if you don’t take immediate action.
3.) What is the quality of the email? Many phish emails have misspellings, bad grammar, or poor punctuation.
4.) Are the links in the email valid? Deceptive links in phishing emails look like they are to a valid site, but deliver you to a fraudulent one. Many times you can see if the link is legitimate by just moving your mouse over the link.
5.) Is the email personalized with your name and applicable account information? Many phish emails use generic salutations and generic information (e.g. Dear Customer or Dear Account Holder) instead of your name.
6.) What is the sender’s email address? Many phish emails come from an email address not from the company represented in the email.
7.) When in doubt type the valid web address of the alleged sender directly into your web browser. If you suspect an email to be phishing, don’t click on any links in the email. .
With Your Personal Information, Identity Thieves can Counterfeit checks or credit/debit cards on open accounts, Change the mailing address on your accounts, Open a new credit card, checking or wireless account, file for bankruptcy under your name, buy cars by taking out auto loans in your name, use your identity during an arrest, etc. Risk cannot be eliminated but it can be minimized by:
- Placing passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts.
- Using a Firewall and Virus Protection and Anti-Spyware Software.
- Securing personal information in your home.
- Asking about information security procedures in your workplace.
- Routinely ordering a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus. This can be done by phone at 1-877-322-8228 or online at www.annualcreditreport.com.
- Knowing when your bills should arrive and following up if they do not.
- Not giving out personal information on the phone, mail or over the Internet.
- Guarding your mail and trash from theft.
- Carrying only the identification information and credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need.
- Giving your SSN only when absolutely necessary.
- Being wary of promotional scams and keeping your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.
If you are a victim you can receive free and confidential assistance from trained counselors at 1-866-ID-HOTLINE. Your first 5 steps should be:
1.) Notify Credit Bureaus and review your credit reports.
2.) File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
3.) Contact the Fraud Department of Creditors.
4.) File a complaint with the FTC.
5.) Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
[Source: NCMA World Congress Briefing 22 Apr 07 ++]
TSGLI UPDATE 01: Service members who have suffered serious injuries resulting from their wartime service are reminded they can get financial help thanks to two congressionally legislated programs. Congress established the Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) program in 2005 in response to the experiences of some former and current military members who found themselves financially strapped after they suffered severe injuries during the war on terrorism. Coverage applies to active-component and reserve-component members. This program provides up to $100,000 per event, depending on [the type of] injury. All service members covered under the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program, whether active duty, reserve or National Guard, were enrolled for TSGLI coverage on 1 DEC 05. To date, the Army has paid out a total of more than $126 million under TSGLI, The TSGLI benefit has both retroactive and prospective aspects. The benefit is provided retroactively for service members who suffered severe combat-zone-related injuries between 7 OCT 01, and 1 DEC 05. The prospective aspect applies to service members with injuries received “any time, anywhere” from Dec. 1, 2005, forward. [Source: TSGLI Army Human Resources Command Chief Col. John Sackett 6 Jul 07 ++]
CBO MILITARY COMPENSATION REPORT UPDATE 01: The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have both endorsed a small improvement over the Pentagon proposed 3% military pay raise for 2008. Both agreed with The Military Coalition (TMC) that Congress hasn't yet eliminated the pay gap caused by decades of capping military raises below private sector pay growth, and bumped the 2008 raise to 3.5%. The House of Representatives went a step further, approving a plan to reduce the current 3.9% shortfall by one-half percentage point a year for the next five years. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported to the Senate Budget Committee on 29 JUN that the full compensation package for active-duty enlisted personnel increased by 21% between 2000 and 2006 and that the military-civilian pay gap is dwindling. This conclusion may be used by DoD to argue for increases in TRICARE costs, etc. The report also addressed the possibility of substituting cash for non-cash benefits like tax-free grocery allowances (while consolidating commissaries and exchanges), giving a tuition grant of $8,600 a year per student (while closing domestic schools) and “cafeteria style” health plans for active duty members’ dependents.
The CBO report questions whether there's any shortfall to fix. They say their pay comparisons put the average enlisted member in the top 25-30% of equivalent civilian workers' earnings. CBO also cites various studies that claim average enlisted pay actually amounts to $90,000 to $138,000 a year, once the cost of all military and veterans' benefits is added in. MOAA contends it is not unreasonable to compare military people's earnings with their private sector counterparts’, but hanging your hat on some arbitrary percentile leaves you at the mercy of whatever assumptions the budget analysts choose to make. Unknown is whether or not CBO comparisons take into account:
- The fact that large numbers of civilians can't meet mental or moral or other standards for military entrance?
- The military's up-or-out system that winnows out the less capable performers over the span of a two or three decade career?
- Comparison of military people to their true equivalents - people who spend their entire careers with a single company - or does it include the income-depressing effects of layoffs and other career interruptions among private sector workers?
If comparisons are going to be made by CBO they should use the transparency, clarity, and independence provided by the same measure of private sector pay growth that the government sees fit to use for every other purpose - the Employment Cost Index (ECI) measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. MOAA tracked military pay basic pay raises vs. ECI growth year-by-year since 1982, when military pay was last generally recognized as "reasonably comparable" with the private sector. And by that objective measure - even giving credit for extra raises "targeted" at specific grade and years-of-service combinations - cumulative military raises still lag cumulative ECI growth by 3.9%. As for trying to claim military pay comparisons should include the cost to the government of every military benefit, that's pure hogwash. The budgeters like to:
- Add up every nickel of the cost of military and VA health care and disability compensation, while completely ignoring the cost of those disabilities to wounded servicemembers and their families.
- Add up the cost of every PCS move, and refuse to recognize that those reimbursements only cover about 70% of the costs members incur in complying with government-ordered moves.
- Add up the cost of child care facilities and omit any reference to the overtime and deployment requirements that forced the troops to use that care.
Military retirement, health, disability, and other benefits have nothing whatsoever to do with pay comparability. They're essential offsets to all of the unquantifiable but extraordinarily arduous demands and sacrifices inherent in a multi-decade service career. They ought to be pretty clear to anyone who reads the front page of the morning paper or the lead story on the evening news. At least most members of 110th Congress seem to get it, even if the budget analysts don't. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 6 Jul 07 ++]
CONCURRENT RECEIPT STATUS: Last month, the Army recognized its 100,000th Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) applicant at an Army Personnel Command ceremony in Alexandria, VA. The CRSC program, initiated in 2003, has grown substantially over the past four years and effectively eliminates the offset for qualifying members with combat or operations-related disabilities. Members with 50% or greater non-combat disabilities are in the fourth year of a 10-year phase-in of Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP). Today, a little over 30% of all disabled retirees are eligible for payment under either the CRSC or CRDP programs. As of the end of FY2006 54,000 retirees were in receipt of some amount of CRSC and 199,000 were in receipt of some amount of CRDP. Disabled vets not yet eligible for concurrent receipt total 432k retirees (20+ years) with VA rating 10-40% and 138k Chapter 61 retirees less than 20 years. Both the House and Senate versions of the FY2008 Defense Authorization Bill contain provisions that would extend eligibility to some (House) or all (Senate) Chapter 61 retirees with less than 20 years of service who endured combat-related injuries. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 6 Jul 07 ++]
SSA RETIREMENT APPLICATION: In a few short months, the first of America's 77 million baby boomers will start applying for Social Security retirement benefits. That's about 10,000 boomers every day. If you're one of them, think about applying online. It's quick, easy and secure. Just visit www.socialsecurity.gov/applytoretire. Here you can:
- Apply for Retirement/Disability/Spouse’s Benefits
- Restart your incomplete application.
- Check your claim status.
You cannot use this Internet application to:
- Apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. However, you can begin the process of applying for SSI disability benefits for an adult or child by completing an online disability report at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability/
- Apply for benefits for children.
- Apply for benefits as a surviving spouse.
- Apply for the Lump Sum Death Payment.
- Apply for Medicare coverage only (e.g., you are working and do not intend to file for monthly retirement or spouse's benefits at this time).
For these non-Internet actions call 1(800) 772-1213 M-F 07-1900. If you are deaf or hard of hearing call the TTY number 1(800) 325-0778. If you have previously filed for Social Security disability and have been denied those benefits within the last 60 days, do not use the Internet application to file an appeal. If you are not sure whether you are still within your appeal period, call the 800 number for assistance before proceeding with your Internet application. If you want to use your local SSA office to apply at you can choose to have a representative help you when you do business with Social Security. SSA will work with your representative, just as they would work with you. If you are acting as someone's authorized representative to do business with the Social Security Administration, you must first complete Form SSA-1696-U4 (Appointment of Representative). This can be downloaded at www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ssa-1696.html. To review a comprehensive explanation of the 'Representative' process, refer to www.socialsecurity.gov/representation. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
VA 2007 SURVEY: The VA has asked VSOs and MSOs to pass the word that the VHA’s Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health (ADUSH) for Policy and Planning will soon be conducting the 2007 update of their national VHA Survey of Enrollees. The purpose of the survey is to provide information for its annual projections of enrollment, utilization, and expenditures. The 15-30 minute telephone survey provides information on veteran use of health services and is used in projecting the resources and services needed in developing the healthcare budget. The survey collects information on a random sample of 42,000 veterans enrolled in the VA system. Each Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) will have approximately 2,000 enrollees surveyed. The survey will begin on 8 JUL and will continue for 8 weeks. Your support in this survey will help ensure that VA provides its best care, where it is needed, when it is needed, and to those who need it. This is NOT a fishing expedition to get information on specific veterans. Your participation will benefit ALL veterans. If there is a need to discuss the survey or there are any questions, contact Anita Taylor or Crystal Elliott at 1(866) 922-7173. Previous survey reports are available at http://www.va.gov/vhareorg. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
NAVY BODY MODIFICATION POLICY: The Navy Uniform Matters Office has clarified what is acceptable for servicemembers regarding body modification. According to the Navy Uniform Regulations, any mutilation of the body is prohibited. The Navy Uniform Regulations Manual gives several examples of mutilation: (1) forking the tongue; (2) enlarged or stretched holes in the ears; (3) foreign objects under the skin that create a design or pattern; (4) intentional scarring; (5) intentional burns; and (6) dental ornamentation. Body piercings are prohibited while in uniform, working in any Navy-related capacity or while on any military property. Women, however, are allowed to wear one ball-studded earring in each ear. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
TRICARE MEMBER CHOICE CENTER: Express Scripts Inc., the company that runs the Tricare Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP), is implementing a new program for Tricare beneficiaries. Effective 29 AUG the new program will give Tricare beneficiaries access to a Member Choice Center (MCC), where live customer service representatives will assist in making the registration process easier. This new program will also reach out to physicians to make them aware that prescriptions can be filled through mail order. Tricare Management Authority will advertise the program to beneficiaries through various communication materials to include newsletters, websites, and military base publications. This communication effort will begin in late August and will run through the year and into early 2008. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
CELL PHONE PAYMENT SUSPENSION: The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has approved The Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 (S.1315), which includes a provision to suspend or terminate cell phone call-plan payments without penalty for deployed service members. They must be deployed overseas for 90 days or longer to be eligible. The provision is needed, says chief sponsor, Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) because deploying service members often have long-term contracts that are expensive to cancel. In addition to individual plans, the measure also would apply to group and family plans. It would not affect transfers within the United States. The bill will now go to the floor for a vote.
[Source: Armed Forces News 6 Jul 07 ++]
VET BENEFITS NEW YORK: The New York Legislature recently passed several measures to provide assistance to veterans and their families, according to Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, D-Endwell, chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Women Veterans:
* New York Military Family Relief Fund: Provides grants of up to $2,000 annually to members of the National Guard and their families if their military pay is 30% less than their civilian pay. Also provides monetary grants for those who sustained injury or died.
* Veterans' Geriatric Mental Health Act: Creates a demonstration program for older veterans and provides grants to mental health service providers. Also, establishes an interagency mental health planning council.
* Veteran Burial Fund: Provides grants to honorably discharged New York veterans who would like to be buried or interned in their own communities, rather than in a veterans' cemetery.
* Gold Star Parents Annuity: Awards a $500 annual annuity to gold star parents of deceased veterans.
* Eligibility for Veterans Homes: expands the eligibility for admission for veterans' spouses to conform to federal requirements that the marriage must have lasted for one year, rather than 10 years, prior to the spouse's application for admission.
The legislation awaits approval by Governor Eliot Spitzer. For additional info on New York state’s veteran benefits refer to http://www.veterans.state.ny.us/benefits.htm. To locate a New York VA office in your area refer to http://www.veterans.state.ny.us/ofcs.htm. [Source: Press & Sun Bulletin article 2 Jul 07 ++]
FUNERAL HONORS UPDATE 02: Every veteran is entitled under federal law to be laid to rest to the iconic strains of taps. But the number of military buglers is dwindling at the same time burials are increasing, forcing national veteran cemeteries, and organizations working with them, to come up with creative alternatives. South Florida is one of the busiest veterans cemeteries among 125 nationwide, averaging 73 burials weekly since it opened 1 APR. Only four buglers are officially on call there, and three of them also travel and perform with Florida's Army Band. Buglers, a generic term that encompasses musicians who play several types of horns including trumpets and cornets, once were a fixture in military life. But they have become more scarce as their routine duties were eliminated, so cemetery officials have lined up other options. The South Florida cemetery honor guards are equipped with a "ceremonial bugle". This is a $500 nickel-plated faux horn sold by a New York company that plays taps through a tape recorder hidden inside. It was developed in response to the bugler shortage and was considered a more respectful alternative to punching the button of a boom box. The military has purchased more than 3,500 horns since 2002. The committal shelter at South Florida, where services are held, also has a tape recorder loaded with taps that is discreetly lodged in the rafters and can be activated by remote control.
To fill the bugle gap civilians are stepping forward. Christina Encinosa, an Episcopal priest at the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Lake Worth, is part of an organization called Bugles Across America (BAA). Founded seven years ago by Tom Day, a Chicagoan who taught Army ROTC high school classes and has been involved in military drum and bugler corps since childhood, the organization has 5,200 volunteer horn players nationwide, with 256 in Florida, willing to play gratis at local military funerals. For additionl info on BAA and to request their services refer to http://www.buglesacrossamerica.org/volunteer.php. Few honor guard buglers play an actual field bugle, an instrument with no valves, but military regulations aren't specific. Day has heard taps played on a French horn.
Buglers once were part of all Army units, a job that included clerical duties as well as sounding calls that signaled wake-up time, flag raisings and lowerings, assemblies and the end of the day. But bugler positions were eliminated sometime between 1944 and 1950, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C. Bugle calls still regulate military life but now, at most bases, they are taped and played over a speaker system. The Department of Defense estimates there about 500 buglers in the armed forces today, with most performing in honor details when possible. They are stretched thin, as the ranks of World War II soldiers and sailors, who once numbered 16 million, die at the rate of about 1,200 a day. There were 96,797 deceased interred in national veterans’ cemeteries last year, according to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. This is the most on record since the VA took over the cemetery administration 34 years ago. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel Diane Lade article 3 JUL 07 ++]
PSORIASIS: Psoriasis is a common and chronic condition that usually causes patches of itchy, scaly and sometimes inflamed skin. Although they can appear anywhere, these patches -- called plaques -- are most likely to crop up on your knees, elbows, hands, feet, scalp, or back. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the fingernails and toenails are also affected in about 50% of cases of active psoriasis. The symptoms of psoriasis can vary a great deal depending on its severity, ranging from mildly annoying to truly debilitating. While the itchiness and pain can be unpleasant, some of the worst effects of psoriasis can be emotional. People with severe psoriasis sometimes are so overwhelmed by their condition and self-conscious of their appearance that they feel isolated and depressed. AAD estimates up to seven million people in the U.S. have psoriasis. That's about 2.6% of the population. Unfortunately, there isn't a cure. But there are many effective treatments that can help keep psoriasis under control.
Psoriasis normally is the result of cell turnover. Normally, skin cells are constantly being formed deep beneath the surface of your skin. Over about a month, these cells are pushed up to the surface. The cells eventually die and flake off, revealing new skin cells. In people with psoriasis, the skin cells grow too quickly. Cell turnover can happen in a matter of days. Layers of skin build up, forming a whitish, flaky crust. Blood vessels increase flow in an attempt to nourish this skin, which leads to redness and swelling. The classic symptoms of psoriasis are reddened, inflamed skin with a whitish, flaky layer of dead cells on top. Although psoriasis usually appears as a skin condition, recent discoveries show that its real cause is a problem with the immune system. Your body naturally fights infections and heals injuries with blood cells that battle viruses or bacteria. Normally, these cells go to the site of infection or injury to help repair wounds and prevent infection. One byproduct of this normal process is inflammation (redness and swelling).
For reasons that doctors don't yet understand, the immune systems of people with psoriasis malfunction. One type of white blood cell - the B-cell - begins creating antibodies that destroy normal skin cells. Another type of white blood cell - the T-cell - begins overproducing a substance called cytokines. This overproduction turns off a signal that controls the growth of skin cells. Thus, psoriasis is considered an autoimmune disease - your own immune system malfunctions and attacks normal body tissues. Other autoimmune diseases include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Psoriasis of the skin or nails may look like a rash or fungus, but you cannot catch psoriasis from another person, give it to anyone else, or spread it from one part of your body to another by touch. Experts now know that if psoriasis runs in your family, your chances of developing it are higher. There are several different types of psoriasis. About 90% of all cases of psoriasis are plaque psoriasis, but other varieties include:
- Guttate psoriasis. This form of psoriasis usually affects children, teenagers, and young adults. It often appears after a bacterial infection, such as strep throat. Its typical symptoms are red, scaly, raindrop-shaped spots on the skin, usually over the abdomen, arms, legs and scalp. It can often clear up on its own without treatment.
- Pustular psoriasis. The typical symptoms of pustular psoriasis are pus-filled blisters on the skin. The blisters usually dry up, turn brown, become scaly and peel off. The lesions usually occur on the hands and feet.
- Erythrodermic psoriasis. Symptoms include red and scaly skin over large areas of the body. This condition can evolve from other forms of psoriasis or be triggered by psoriasis treatment. It can also be triggered by withdrawal from drugs such as corticosteroids (often taken for diseases such as asthma).
- Inverse psoriasis. In people with this condition, dry and bright red patches appear in folds of skin, for instance under the breasts, in the armpits, or on the genitals. This type of psoriasis can be exacerbated by obesity.
Psoriasis doesn't have any set way of progressing. It develops differently depending on the person. Some people may only have occasional and minor symptoms for their entire lives. Others may have to cope with severe symptoms on a regular basis. In most people, the symptoms come and go. Flare-ups might be brought on by some of the conditions mentioned above, such as dry weather or stress. Untreated, extremely severe psoriasis can be dangerous. Although it happens very rarely, if lesions cover enough of the body, the immune system can become overwhelmed. This increases your risk of developing serious bacterial infections. Be sure to see your doctor immediately if your psoriasis spreads to cover large parts of your body or if you show signs of infection, such as fever. Coping with psoriasis can be exhausting and frustrating. It's important to try to stay emotionally and physically healthy during treatment. [Source: WebMD article 26 May 07 ++]
TRAVEL IMMUNIZATIONS: Travel immunizations and vaccines can ensure better health on your trip and for years afterward. Even domestic travel may put you at risk if you go to an area with a high rate of certain infectious disease such as hepatitis A. Diseases that are rare in this country are still prevalent elsewhere. Check with your health care provider well in advance of any extended travel plans to see if any special immunizations are recommended. If vaccines are required, they can take as many as four to six weeks to take effect, and some may require more than one shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) divides vaccines for travel into three categories:
- Routine. These are the vaccines that the CDC and The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (AICP) recommend that all adults and children receive to protect them from infectious diseases here at home. You can check the schedule for yourself and your family by looking at the most recently updated schedules available at: www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule.pdf ; www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule-bw-print.pdf ; and www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm#chgs .
- Recommended. These are vaccines that the CDC recommends to protect you from diseases that could be present in other countries and to prevent the spread of infectious disease from one country to another. The recommended immunizations and vaccines vary based on the country, your travel plans once in that country, and your age and overall health. You can find a world map with recommended immunizations at www.cdc.gov/travel/vaccinat.htm.
- Required. International Health Regulations currently require only two vaccines for travel to specific parts of the world. They are Yellow fever for travel to certain parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South America & Meningococcal vaccination required by the government of Saudi Arabia for annual travel during the period of the Hajj
The CDC generally recognizes that if you are traveling to most industrialized nations, such as Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, your risk of exposure to infectious disease is no greater than it is here in the U.S. However, for those with certain health conditions, such as individuals with compromised immune systems, the risk can be greater no matter where you travel. If you know that you have an immuno-deficient condition, including HIV/AIDS, discuss your travel plans with your health care provider. More information about travel vaccines and compromised immunity can be found at www2.ncid.cdc.gov/travel/yb/utils/ybGet.asp?section=special&obj=hivtrav.htm.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding also have specific concerns and different recommendations when it comes to international travel and immunizations. Pregnant women or breastfeeding moms can find more information at www2.ncid.cdc.gov/travel/yb/utils/ybGet.asp?section=special&obj=pregnant.htm. Or check with your own doctor four to six weeks prior to traveling. And finally, what you do when you travel can increase your risk. The following activities can increase your exposure to disease and local infectious organisms: Visiting rural areas, zoos, farms, and other animal habitats; Hiking and backpacking; Staying with local persons; Extended length of stay. [Source: WebMD Medical Reference & CDC 30 Mar 07 ++]
SSA FUTURE BENEFIT ESTIMATE: Whether you plan to retire in 5 years or 25, it's good to know what you can expect to receive in Social Security benefits. You've probably heard that Social Security is in financial trouble, and the 2006 Social Security Trustees Report says that the Social Security Trust Fund has declined from 2005. SSA provides three different types of easy-to-use earnings calculators at www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm that will provide information based on present projections which assume the program will remain viable. They can show you the amount of Social Security benefits you can expect to receive based on your estimated income and the number of years you plan to work. The calculators will also show your disability and survivor benefit amounts if you should become disabled or die. When using the calculators you should be aware that:
• None of these calculators are linked to your Social Security earnings record. They use the earnings amounts you enter.
• All the calculators assume you have enough credits to qualify for benefits. They produce an estimate even if you do not actually have enough credits. Information on credit requirements can be found at www.ssa.gov/retire2/credits.htm.
• Calculator estimates will differ from those on your Social Security Statement if you use different assumptions. For example, if you had earnings last year, your Social Security Statement benefit estimate assumes you will have similar earnings for every future year until you turn 62. However, if in using the calculator you indicate you will stop working before the year you turn 62, the calculator estimates will not include earnings for the years after you stop working.
This website is also a good place to look for answers to questions about your annual Social Security statement, and to correct name or address changes, or incorrect information about your annual earnings. If you need a benefit estimate on someone else's record, such as your spouse or parent contact your nearest social security office or call 1(800) 772-1213. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use 1-800-325-0778 .If you are over age 25 and pay Social Security taxes on your income, you should receive a statement from the Social Security office every year about three months before your birthday. This statement includes:
- The adjusted gross income for every year you worked, and
- The current estimated amount of Social Security benefits you will receive when you retire at three different age levels, starting at age 62.
The longer you continue to work and pay into the Social Security system the more you can expect to receive in benefits once you retire. Of course, this assumes that Social Security will continue to pay benefits at current levels. [Source: www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm Jun 06]
VIETNAM WAR FACTS:
-- 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from 5 AUG 64 to 7 MAY 75.
-- 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam which represented 9.7% of their generation.
-- 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War
--58,148 were killed in Vietnam. The first man to die was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.
-- 75,000 were severely disabled of which 23,214 100% were disabled
-- 5,283 lost limbs & 1,081 sustained multiple amputations
-- Average age of men killed: 23.1 years. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21, 11,465 of those were younger than 20 years old, and 17,539 were married
-- Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. The oldest man killed was 62 years old.
-- As of 15 JAN 04, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War
-- 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged
-- 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served
-- 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome
-- Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups.
-- Vietnam veterans’ personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18%.
-- 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem.
-- There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group (Source: Veterans Administration Study)
-- Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison. Only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.
-- 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.
[Source: NM e-Veterans News 9 Jan 06 - Research accredited to Capt. Marshal Hanson, USNR (Ret.) & Statistical Source Capt. Scott Beaton]
VETERAN LEGISLATION STATUS 30 JUN 07: For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in the 110th Congress refer to the Bulletin attachment. By clicking on the bill number indicated you can access the actual legislative language of the bill and see if your representative has signed on as a cosponsor. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. A cosponsor is a member of Congress who has joined one or more other members in his/her chamber (i.e. House or Senate) to sponsor a bill or amendment. The member who introduces the bill is considered the sponsor. Members subsequently signing on are called cosponsors. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can also review a copy of each bill, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d110/sponlst.html. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills is letting our representatives know of veteran’s feelings on issues. At the end of some listed bills is a web link that can be used to do that. Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov who your representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. [Source: RAO Bulletin Attachment 30 Jun 07 ++]
Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RP
PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517
Tel: (760) 839-9003 when in U.S. & Cell: 0915-361-3503 when in Philippines.
Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net (Primary) & raoemo@mozcom.com (Alternate)
Web: http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html
AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member
FLORIDA VET BENEFITS UPDATE 03: Gov. Charlie Crist on 11 JUL paid tribute to the military services with the ceremonial signing of four new laws passed in the Florida 2007 legislative session. Tammy Wise-Thrash attended the ceremonial signing of the law named for her son, an Army specialist who was killed in Iraq in 2003. The Robert A. Wise Military Protection Act increases civil penalties for unauthorized use of photos or other images of military members on commercial products. After Wise was killed, his picture was used on anti-war T-shirts, without his family’s permission. Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-Palm Beach Gardens, said hucksters have peddled phone cards and other products with photos of service members, preying on the patriotism of potential purchasers. The bill provides fines up to $1,000 per item for products depicting service members without family authorization. Brandon Hensler, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said there could be First Amendment problems if the law is selectively enforced. He said a person or family can protect names and images from commercial exploitation, but that use of news photos or other information “in the public domain” is protected in political demonstrations. Other new laws would:
- Extend need-based emergency financial assistance to service members and dependents for up to 120 days after members leave active duty, to help with housing and other living expenses as they return to civilian life.
- Provide a permanent hiring preference for veterans seeking jobs with state government. Previously, the veterans' preference could be used only once.
- Provide greater property tax relief for wounded veterans. Under the new law, a veteran with a combat-related disability would get a tax reduction in proportion to their disability classification. Rep. Stan Jordan, R-Jacksonville, said that under his bill, a veteran with a 75% disability would get a 75% cut in property taxes. The exemption applies only to veterans over age 65 who were Florida residents when they joined the service.
[Source: Pensacola News Journal ill Cotterell article 11 Jul 07 ++]
INDIANA VET INITIATIVES UPDATE 02: The Indiana Military Family Leave Act Public Law 151 is taking effect 1 JUL. The act will extend employment protections to Indiana resident family members in of military personnel. The law allows a relative of a military member called to active duty to take up to 10 days of unpaid leave per year from his job. The leave can be taken prior to deployment, during leave or after a tour of duty is completed. The law only applies to employers with 50 or more employees. Employees that are covered under the law must have worked for the business for 12 months, have worked at least 1,500 hours during the last year for the company and be a spouse, parent, grandparent or sibling of the military member, and must give their employers 30 days notice that they intend to take the leave.
A number of other measures that benefit past and present members of the Hoosier military will be enacted into law on 1 JUL that will:
- Give National Guard members priority placement in any employment or training program administered by the Indiana Department of Workforce Management.
- Enable all males aged 16-26 to register for the Selective Service at any branch of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Registering for the Selective Service entitles young men to various benefits, including access to student loans and eligibility for state or federal jobs. Indiana was one of only 12 states not equipped to handle Selective Service registration at the BMV. As a result, only 77% of qualified 18 year old men in Indiana are currently registered for the Selective Service. The BMV is required to have this system in place by January 2009.
- Extend the six year time frame that a National Guard member has to use their scholarship benefits if he or she is deployed into active duty.
- Establish employment qualifications for the Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
- Extend eligibility for resident tuition rates at a state college or university to all active duty soldiers stationed in Indiana and their dependents.
- Provide for honorary diplomas being awarded to Korea or Vietnam conflict veterans who were unable to complete their high-school education because of their involvement. the opportunity.
[Source: Indiana House Democratic Caucus 29 Jun 07 ++]
LCD SCREEN CLEANING: Last week I woke up from a nap to find my 3 year old grandson had found a Sharpie Permanent Marker pen on my desk and with it used my laptop LCD screen for a drawing board. I went to several places that sell computers and they could not tell me how to remove these black marks without damaging the screen. I subsequently mentioned the problem at the doctor’ office and the receptionist told me to try a Magic Eraser made by Mr. Clean and sold at WalMart. Following the instructions I wet a small part of the sponge like eraser and using single straight gentle stokes found to my surprise the black marks disappeared. I do not recommend this for general LCD cleaning for which there are many products available. I tried a couple of these more expensive products and they would not remove the marks. If you experience a particular difficult mark/stain to remove on your computer or TV LCD screen you might try a Magic Eraser. [Source: Editor, RAO Bulletin 10 July 07]
SILVER STAR: The Silver Star is the is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces and the third highest award given for valor (in the face of the enemy). Well-known recipients include: Lt. Col. Oliver North, Generals George S. Patton and Douglas MacArthur, Senators John Kerry and John McCain. The Silver Star honors service personnel who display exceptional valor while engaged in military combat operations against an enemy force. Personnel can also be honored for their service with friendly foreign troops in combat situations, even if the opposing force is one that the U.S. is not engaged in military conflict with. It also can be awarded posthumously. In 1944, four nurses became the first female recipients of the Silver Star. 1st Lt. Mary Roberts, 2nd Lt. Elaine Roe, 2nd Lt. Virginia Rourke, and 2nd Lt. Ellen Ainsworth (posthumous) were cited for their bravery in successfully evacuating the 33rd Field Hospital at Anzio, Italy on 10 FEB. They remained the sole female recipients until Leigh Ann Hester was awarded the Silver Star in 2005. Acts of heroism that earn a Silver Star, though not deserving of a Distinguished Service Cross or a Medal of Honor, must have been “performed with marked distinction.”
The Silver Star was first awarded in 1932 to replace the Citation Star, which had been pinned on the ribbon of a service medal and given for gallantry from the Spanish-American War to World War I. The U.S. military then allowed World War I veterans to apply to have the Citation Star converted to the Silver Star. Despite its name, the medal is mostly gold. Gold rays emanate from a tiny silver star, encircled by a golden laurel wreath and then a larger gold star. The pendant hangs from a ribbon striped in red, white and blue. An inscription on the back reads "For gallantry in action." The Silver Star is awarded to a recipient in person, and usually with a ceremony. A commander-in-theater with at least the rank of three-star general must recognize the recipient for acts of valor. The next lower in precedence award is the Defense Superior Service Medal. Any false verbal, written or physical claim to the Silver Star, by an individual to whom it has not been awarded, is a federal felony offense punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $10000 fine. [Source: About.com U.S. Military Rod Powers article Jul 07 ++]
OKINAWA AGENT ORANGE USE: According to a board ruling uncovered by Kyodo News the U.S. Board of Veterans’ Appeals found in 1998 that the hazardous chemical defoliant Agent Orange was most likely used in Okinawa, and ruled in favor of a former U.S. service member who sought compensation for prostate cancer he blamed on his work there in the early 1960s. The discovery comes as the Defense Department has still to confirm whether Agent Orange was stored or used in Okinawa during the Vietnam War that ended in 1975. In its ruling, issued on 13 JAN 98, the board concluded that “credible evidence sustains a reasonable probability that the veteran was exposed to dioxins while serving in Okinawa.” The board further said it was granting him service-connected disability compensation “for prostrate cancer as being the result of Agent Orange exposure” while in Okinawa between 1960 and 1961. It found entirely believable his testimony about the U.S. military’s mixing, storage and even use of Agent Orange in Okinawa at a time when Japan’s southernmost prefecture was still under the control of the United States, which used it as a strategic transport hub during the Vietnam War.
Agent Orange, a herbicide mixture containing the highly toxic substance dioxin, was sprayed by U.S. military aircraft over the southern portion of Vietnam from 1961 to 1971 to clear jungles and deny cover to communist fighters. It has since been blamed for numerous health problems, including various types of cancer and birth defects. The former service member, who worked as a motor transport operator on Okinawa Island but had never been to Vietnam, said in his testimony that while Agent Orange was mainly used to defoliate trees and shrubbery in lush war zones like Vietnam, “in Okinawa, we had other uses for it, particularly near base camp perimeters.” He said herbicides thought to include Agent Orange were sprayed from trucks or backpacks along roadsides, used for landscaping and also taken to the densely forested northern part of Okinawa Island to clear foliage to facilitate war game maneuvers there. Subtropical Okinawa’s heavy rainfall, he said, created a demand for non-water-soluble defoliants such as Agent Orange that would not just wash away with the next rain. He testified that personnel were not told or warned about the hazards of the herbicides that they were handling, nor were they issued any protective clothing”.
As recently as NOV 04, DoD stated that it has been unable to find any records of Agent Orange being used or stored on Okinawa Island during the Vietnam War era. The statement came in response to queries made in JUL 04 by then U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, a ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, who wrote to then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld requesting any information on the use or storage of Agent Orange on Okinawa. That was replied to by Gen. Richard Myers, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told Evans in NOV 04 that “records contain no information linking use or storage of Agent Orange or other herbicides in Okinawa.” Myers further said there was “no record of any spills, accidental or otherwise, of Agent Orange. Therefore, there are no recorded occupational exposures of service members in Okinawa to Agent Orange or similar herbicides.” The Board of Veterans’ Appeals ruling said that while the U.S military had been “generally unable to document the use of herbicides in Okinawa,” experts who attempted to verify specific dioxin exposure there “do not negate that possibility.”
Hundreds more former U.S. service members who were stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War have lodged medical compensation claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, citing Agent Orange exposure, according to information viewable online in the archives of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. But most cases have either been denied or sent for review on the grounds of insufficient evidence linking their illnesses to Agent Orange exposure. The various documents surface at a time when Washington and Tokyo are realigning the U.S. military presence in Japan following years of protests from Okinawans who have long complained about crime, noise and crowding associated with U.S. bases on the island since the end of World War II in 1945. U.S. bases occupy about 20 percent of Okinawa’s land area and have also been viewed as being a large part of the island’s environmental problems. Under the realignment, about 4,000 hectares of the 7,800-hectare U.S. jungle warfare training area in northern Okinawa, mentioned as a place where Agent Orange was sprayed, are due to be handed back to Japan. Kunitoshi Sakurai, president of Okinawa University who specializes in environmental engineering, expressed concern over the possibility of residual dioxin there, pointing out that the northern area is the source of most of Okinawa’s water supply. [Source: Marine Corp Times 9 Jul 07 ++]
IDENTITY THEFT UPDATE 08: Are you as safe as you think you are? Take the identity fraud safety test at www.idsafety.net. In 2006 identity theft affected 8.4 million Americans, resulted in $49.3 billion in losses, and cost victims an average of $587 in out-of-pocket costs plus 40 hours of their time to resolve. Of identified thieves 53% were known by their victims. Obtaining your personal information without your permission is considered identity theft. Use of that data to commit fraud or theft is considered identity fraud. Months or years and thousands of dollars are spent each year cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of good names and credit records. Identity theft results in lose of job opportunities, loans for education and weddings, housing, cars, or even arrests for crimes people didn’t commit. Despite the best efforts of many victims, skilled identity thieves gain access to their data through:
- Stolen wallets and purses.
- Stealing your mail or diverting your mail to another location.
- Rummaging through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as “dumpster diving.”
- Fraudulently obtaining your credit report.
- Obtaining information from the businesses in a practice known as “business record theft” (customer, employee, patient or student; bribing an employee who has access to your files; or “hacking” into electronic files).
ATM use can expose users to a practice known as skimming through equipage designed to obtain your card information. Equipage typically used is:
• False fronts on terminals with built in magnetic stripe readers.
• Hidden cameras to capture you entering your PIN with the information being transmitted to a nearby crook. Recent cases have Bluetooth transmission to a remote receiver
• Sniffing devices installed in ATMs that can capture the credit or debit card PIN and magnetic stripe information before encryption. These devices are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and can capture over 2500 credit card account numbers, expiration dates and CVV codes. The units which cost about $500 can operate continuously for 40 hours on a single 3V battery (6000 swipes) and are designed to erase all info with the press of a button by the user to avoid prosecution. .
Phishing is another instrument of identity theft. They scam you, often through email, by posing as legitimate companies or government agencies you do business with. Last year 73 million adult email users reported receiving more than 50 phishing emails during the year. Of these, 11 million reported clicking on the links provided in the messages and 2.42 million reported losing money because of phishing attacks ($929 million). Pay Pal and E bay are the top spoofed sites. Citibank is the primary bank target for phishing scams. The following guidance can be used to determine if a message is a phishing action:
1.) Does the email ask you to go to a website and verify personal information? Banks won’t ask you to verify your personal information in response to an email.
2.) What is the tone of the mail? Most phish emails convey a sense of urgency by threatening discontinued service or information loss if you don’t take immediate action.
3.) What is the quality of the email? Many phish emails have misspellings, bad grammar, or poor punctuation.
4.) Are the links in the email valid? Deceptive links in phishing emails look like they are to a valid site, but deliver you to a fraudulent one. Many times you can see if the link is legitimate by just moving your mouse over the link.
5.) Is the email personalized with your name and applicable account information? Many phish emails use generic salutations and generic information (e.g. Dear Customer or Dear Account Holder) instead of your name.
6.) What is the sender’s email address? Many phish emails come from an email address not from the company represented in the email.
7.) When in doubt type the valid web address of the alleged sender directly into your web browser. If you suspect an email to be phishing, don’t click on any links in the email. .
With Your Personal Information, Identity Thieves can Counterfeit checks or credit/debit cards on open accounts, Change the mailing address on your accounts, Open a new credit card, checking or wireless account, file for bankruptcy under your name, buy cars by taking out auto loans in your name, use your identity during an arrest, etc. Risk cannot be eliminated but it can be minimized by:
- Placing passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts.
- Using a Firewall and Virus Protection and Anti-Spyware Software.
- Securing personal information in your home.
- Asking about information security procedures in your workplace.
- Routinely ordering a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus. This can be done by phone at 1-877-322-8228 or online at www.annualcreditreport.com.
- Knowing when your bills should arrive and following up if they do not.
- Not giving out personal information on the phone, mail or over the Internet.
- Guarding your mail and trash from theft.
- Carrying only the identification information and credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need.
- Giving your SSN only when absolutely necessary.
- Being wary of promotional scams and keeping your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.
If you are a victim you can receive free and confidential assistance from trained counselors at 1-866-ID-HOTLINE. Your first 5 steps should be:
1.) Notify Credit Bureaus and review your credit reports.
2.) File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
3.) Contact the Fraud Department of Creditors.
4.) File a complaint with the FTC.
5.) Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
[Source: NCMA World Congress Briefing 22 Apr 07 ++]
TSGLI UPDATE 01: Service members who have suffered serious injuries resulting from their wartime service are reminded they can get financial help thanks to two congressionally legislated programs. Congress established the Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) program in 2005 in response to the experiences of some former and current military members who found themselves financially strapped after they suffered severe injuries during the war on terrorism. Coverage applies to active-component and reserve-component members. This program provides up to $100,000 per event, depending on [the type of] injury. All service members covered under the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program, whether active duty, reserve or National Guard, were enrolled for TSGLI coverage on 1 DEC 05. To date, the Army has paid out a total of more than $126 million under TSGLI, The TSGLI benefit has both retroactive and prospective aspects. The benefit is provided retroactively for service members who suffered severe combat-zone-related injuries between 7 OCT 01, and 1 DEC 05. The prospective aspect applies to service members with injuries received “any time, anywhere” from Dec. 1, 2005, forward. [Source: TSGLI Army Human Resources Command Chief Col. John Sackett 6 Jul 07 ++]
CBO MILITARY COMPENSATION REPORT UPDATE 01: The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have both endorsed a small improvement over the Pentagon proposed 3% military pay raise for 2008. Both agreed with The Military Coalition (TMC) that Congress hasn't yet eliminated the pay gap caused by decades of capping military raises below private sector pay growth, and bumped the 2008 raise to 3.5%. The House of Representatives went a step further, approving a plan to reduce the current 3.9% shortfall by one-half percentage point a year for the next five years. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported to the Senate Budget Committee on 29 JUN that the full compensation package for active-duty enlisted personnel increased by 21% between 2000 and 2006 and that the military-civilian pay gap is dwindling. This conclusion may be used by DoD to argue for increases in TRICARE costs, etc. The report also addressed the possibility of substituting cash for non-cash benefits like tax-free grocery allowances (while consolidating commissaries and exchanges), giving a tuition grant of $8,600 a year per student (while closing domestic schools) and “cafeteria style” health plans for active duty members’ dependents.
The CBO report questions whether there's any shortfall to fix. They say their pay comparisons put the average enlisted member in the top 25-30% of equivalent civilian workers' earnings. CBO also cites various studies that claim average enlisted pay actually amounts to $90,000 to $138,000 a year, once the cost of all military and veterans' benefits is added in. MOAA contends it is not unreasonable to compare military people's earnings with their private sector counterparts’, but hanging your hat on some arbitrary percentile leaves you at the mercy of whatever assumptions the budget analysts choose to make. Unknown is whether or not CBO comparisons take into account:
- The fact that large numbers of civilians can't meet mental or moral or other standards for military entrance?
- The military's up-or-out system that winnows out the less capable performers over the span of a two or three decade career?
- Comparison of military people to their true equivalents - people who spend their entire careers with a single company - or does it include the income-depressing effects of layoffs and other career interruptions among private sector workers?
If comparisons are going to be made by CBO they should use the transparency, clarity, and independence provided by the same measure of private sector pay growth that the government sees fit to use for every other purpose - the Employment Cost Index (ECI) measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. MOAA tracked military pay basic pay raises vs. ECI growth year-by-year since 1982, when military pay was last generally recognized as "reasonably comparable" with the private sector. And by that objective measure - even giving credit for extra raises "targeted" at specific grade and years-of-service combinations - cumulative military raises still lag cumulative ECI growth by 3.9%. As for trying to claim military pay comparisons should include the cost to the government of every military benefit, that's pure hogwash. The budgeters like to:
- Add up every nickel of the cost of military and VA health care and disability compensation, while completely ignoring the cost of those disabilities to wounded servicemembers and their families.
- Add up the cost of every PCS move, and refuse to recognize that those reimbursements only cover about 70% of the costs members incur in complying with government-ordered moves.
- Add up the cost of child care facilities and omit any reference to the overtime and deployment requirements that forced the troops to use that care.
Military retirement, health, disability, and other benefits have nothing whatsoever to do with pay comparability. They're essential offsets to all of the unquantifiable but extraordinarily arduous demands and sacrifices inherent in a multi-decade service career. They ought to be pretty clear to anyone who reads the front page of the morning paper or the lead story on the evening news. At least most members of 110th Congress seem to get it, even if the budget analysts don't. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 6 Jul 07 ++]
CONCURRENT RECEIPT STATUS: Last month, the Army recognized its 100,000th Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) applicant at an Army Personnel Command ceremony in Alexandria, VA. The CRSC program, initiated in 2003, has grown substantially over the past four years and effectively eliminates the offset for qualifying members with combat or operations-related disabilities. Members with 50% or greater non-combat disabilities are in the fourth year of a 10-year phase-in of Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP). Today, a little over 30% of all disabled retirees are eligible for payment under either the CRSC or CRDP programs. As of the end of FY2006 54,000 retirees were in receipt of some amount of CRSC and 199,000 were in receipt of some amount of CRDP. Disabled vets not yet eligible for concurrent receipt total 432k retirees (20+ years) with VA rating 10-40% and 138k Chapter 61 retirees less than 20 years. Both the House and Senate versions of the FY2008 Defense Authorization Bill contain provisions that would extend eligibility to some (House) or all (Senate) Chapter 61 retirees with less than 20 years of service who endured combat-related injuries. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 6 Jul 07 ++]
SSA RETIREMENT APPLICATION: In a few short months, the first of America's 77 million baby boomers will start applying for Social Security retirement benefits. That's about 10,000 boomers every day. If you're one of them, think about applying online. It's quick, easy and secure. Just visit www.socialsecurity.gov/applytoretire. Here you can:
- Apply for Retirement/Disability/Spouse’s Benefits
- Restart your incomplete application.
- Check your claim status.
You cannot use this Internet application to:
- Apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. However, you can begin the process of applying for SSI disability benefits for an adult or child by completing an online disability report at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability/
- Apply for benefits for children.
- Apply for benefits as a surviving spouse.
- Apply for the Lump Sum Death Payment.
- Apply for Medicare coverage only (e.g., you are working and do not intend to file for monthly retirement or spouse's benefits at this time).
For these non-Internet actions call 1(800) 772-1213 M-F 07-1900. If you are deaf or hard of hearing call the TTY number 1(800) 325-0778. If you have previously filed for Social Security disability and have been denied those benefits within the last 60 days, do not use the Internet application to file an appeal. If you are not sure whether you are still within your appeal period, call the 800 number for assistance before proceeding with your Internet application. If you want to use your local SSA office to apply at you can choose to have a representative help you when you do business with Social Security. SSA will work with your representative, just as they would work with you. If you are acting as someone's authorized representative to do business with the Social Security Administration, you must first complete Form SSA-1696-U4 (Appointment of Representative). This can be downloaded at www.socialsecurity.gov/online/ssa-1696.html. To review a comprehensive explanation of the 'Representative' process, refer to www.socialsecurity.gov/representation. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
VA 2007 SURVEY: The VA has asked VSOs and MSOs to pass the word that the VHA’s Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health (ADUSH) for Policy and Planning will soon be conducting the 2007 update of their national VHA Survey of Enrollees. The purpose of the survey is to provide information for its annual projections of enrollment, utilization, and expenditures. The 15-30 minute telephone survey provides information on veteran use of health services and is used in projecting the resources and services needed in developing the healthcare budget. The survey collects information on a random sample of 42,000 veterans enrolled in the VA system. Each Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) will have approximately 2,000 enrollees surveyed. The survey will begin on 8 JUL and will continue for 8 weeks. Your support in this survey will help ensure that VA provides its best care, where it is needed, when it is needed, and to those who need it. This is NOT a fishing expedition to get information on specific veterans. Your participation will benefit ALL veterans. If there is a need to discuss the survey or there are any questions, contact Anita Taylor or Crystal Elliott at 1(866) 922-7173. Previous survey reports are available at http://www.va.gov/vhareorg. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
NAVY BODY MODIFICATION POLICY: The Navy Uniform Matters Office has clarified what is acceptable for servicemembers regarding body modification. According to the Navy Uniform Regulations, any mutilation of the body is prohibited. The Navy Uniform Regulations Manual gives several examples of mutilation: (1) forking the tongue; (2) enlarged or stretched holes in the ears; (3) foreign objects under the skin that create a design or pattern; (4) intentional scarring; (5) intentional burns; and (6) dental ornamentation. Body piercings are prohibited while in uniform, working in any Navy-related capacity or while on any military property. Women, however, are allowed to wear one ball-studded earring in each ear. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
TRICARE MEMBER CHOICE CENTER: Express Scripts Inc., the company that runs the Tricare Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP), is implementing a new program for Tricare beneficiaries. Effective 29 AUG the new program will give Tricare beneficiaries access to a Member Choice Center (MCC), where live customer service representatives will assist in making the registration process easier. This new program will also reach out to physicians to make them aware that prescriptions can be filled through mail order. Tricare Management Authority will advertise the program to beneficiaries through various communication materials to include newsletters, websites, and military base publications. This communication effort will begin in late August and will run through the year and into early 2008. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 6 Jul 07 ++]
CELL PHONE PAYMENT SUSPENSION: The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has approved The Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 (S.1315), which includes a provision to suspend or terminate cell phone call-plan payments without penalty for deployed service members. They must be deployed overseas for 90 days or longer to be eligible. The provision is needed, says chief sponsor, Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) because deploying service members often have long-term contracts that are expensive to cancel. In addition to individual plans, the measure also would apply to group and family plans. It would not affect transfers within the United States. The bill will now go to the floor for a vote.
[Source: Armed Forces News 6 Jul 07 ++]
VET BENEFITS NEW YORK: The New York Legislature recently passed several measures to provide assistance to veterans and their families, according to Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, D-Endwell, chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Women Veterans:
* New York Military Family Relief Fund: Provides grants of up to $2,000 annually to members of the National Guard and their families if their military pay is 30% less than their civilian pay. Also provides monetary grants for those who sustained injury or died.
* Veterans' Geriatric Mental Health Act: Creates a demonstration program for older veterans and provides grants to mental health service providers. Also, establishes an interagency mental health planning council.
* Veteran Burial Fund: Provides grants to honorably discharged New York veterans who would like to be buried or interned in their own communities, rather than in a veterans' cemetery.
* Gold Star Parents Annuity: Awards a $500 annual annuity to gold star parents of deceased veterans.
* Eligibility for Veterans Homes: expands the eligibility for admission for veterans' spouses to conform to federal requirements that the marriage must have lasted for one year, rather than 10 years, prior to the spouse's application for admission.
The legislation awaits approval by Governor Eliot Spitzer. For additional info on New York state’s veteran benefits refer to http://www.veterans.state.ny.us/benefits.htm. To locate a New York VA office in your area refer to http://www.veterans.state.ny.us/ofcs.htm. [Source: Press & Sun Bulletin article 2 Jul 07 ++]
FUNERAL HONORS UPDATE 02: Every veteran is entitled under federal law to be laid to rest to the iconic strains of taps. But the number of military buglers is dwindling at the same time burials are increasing, forcing national veteran cemeteries, and organizations working with them, to come up with creative alternatives. South Florida is one of the busiest veterans cemeteries among 125 nationwide, averaging 73 burials weekly since it opened 1 APR. Only four buglers are officially on call there, and three of them also travel and perform with Florida's Army Band. Buglers, a generic term that encompasses musicians who play several types of horns including trumpets and cornets, once were a fixture in military life. But they have become more scarce as their routine duties were eliminated, so cemetery officials have lined up other options. The South Florida cemetery honor guards are equipped with a "ceremonial bugle". This is a $500 nickel-plated faux horn sold by a New York company that plays taps through a tape recorder hidden inside. It was developed in response to the bugler shortage and was considered a more respectful alternative to punching the button of a boom box. The military has purchased more than 3,500 horns since 2002. The committal shelter at South Florida, where services are held, also has a tape recorder loaded with taps that is discreetly lodged in the rafters and can be activated by remote control.
To fill the bugle gap civilians are stepping forward. Christina Encinosa, an Episcopal priest at the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Lake Worth, is part of an organization called Bugles Across America (BAA). Founded seven years ago by Tom Day, a Chicagoan who taught Army ROTC high school classes and has been involved in military drum and bugler corps since childhood, the organization has 5,200 volunteer horn players nationwide, with 256 in Florida, willing to play gratis at local military funerals. For additionl info on BAA and to request their services refer to http://www.buglesacrossamerica.org/volunteer.php. Few honor guard buglers play an actual field bugle, an instrument with no valves, but military regulations aren't specific. Day has heard taps played on a French horn.
Buglers once were part of all Army units, a job that included clerical duties as well as sounding calls that signaled wake-up time, flag raisings and lowerings, assemblies and the end of the day. But bugler positions were eliminated sometime between 1944 and 1950, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C. Bugle calls still regulate military life but now, at most bases, they are taped and played over a speaker system. The Department of Defense estimates there about 500 buglers in the armed forces today, with most performing in honor details when possible. They are stretched thin, as the ranks of World War II soldiers and sailors, who once numbered 16 million, die at the rate of about 1,200 a day. There were 96,797 deceased interred in national veterans’ cemeteries last year, according to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. This is the most on record since the VA took over the cemetery administration 34 years ago. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel Diane Lade article 3 JUL 07 ++]
PSORIASIS: Psoriasis is a common and chronic condition that usually causes patches of itchy, scaly and sometimes inflamed skin. Although they can appear anywhere, these patches -- called plaques -- are most likely to crop up on your knees, elbows, hands, feet, scalp, or back. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the fingernails and toenails are also affected in about 50% of cases of active psoriasis. The symptoms of psoriasis can vary a great deal depending on its severity, ranging from mildly annoying to truly debilitating. While the itchiness and pain can be unpleasant, some of the worst effects of psoriasis can be emotional. People with severe psoriasis sometimes are so overwhelmed by their condition and self-conscious of their appearance that they feel isolated and depressed. AAD estimates up to seven million people in the U.S. have psoriasis. That's about 2.6% of the population. Unfortunately, there isn't a cure. But there are many effective treatments that can help keep psoriasis under control.
Psoriasis normally is the result of cell turnover. Normally, skin cells are constantly being formed deep beneath the surface of your skin. Over about a month, these cells are pushed up to the surface. The cells eventually die and flake off, revealing new skin cells. In people with psoriasis, the skin cells grow too quickly. Cell turnover can happen in a matter of days. Layers of skin build up, forming a whitish, flaky crust. Blood vessels increase flow in an attempt to nourish this skin, which leads to redness and swelling. The classic symptoms of psoriasis are reddened, inflamed skin with a whitish, flaky layer of dead cells on top. Although psoriasis usually appears as a skin condition, recent discoveries show that its real cause is a problem with the immune system. Your body naturally fights infections and heals injuries with blood cells that battle viruses or bacteria. Normally, these cells go to the site of infection or injury to help repair wounds and prevent infection. One byproduct of this normal process is inflammation (redness and swelling).
For reasons that doctors don't yet understand, the immune systems of people with psoriasis malfunction. One type of white blood cell - the B-cell - begins creating antibodies that destroy normal skin cells. Another type of white blood cell - the T-cell - begins overproducing a substance called cytokines. This overproduction turns off a signal that controls the growth of skin cells. Thus, psoriasis is considered an autoimmune disease - your own immune system malfunctions and attacks normal body tissues. Other autoimmune diseases include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Psoriasis of the skin or nails may look like a rash or fungus, but you cannot catch psoriasis from another person, give it to anyone else, or spread it from one part of your body to another by touch. Experts now know that if psoriasis runs in your family, your chances of developing it are higher. There are several different types of psoriasis. About 90% of all cases of psoriasis are plaque psoriasis, but other varieties include:
- Guttate psoriasis. This form of psoriasis usually affects children, teenagers, and young adults. It often appears after a bacterial infection, such as strep throat. Its typical symptoms are red, scaly, raindrop-shaped spots on the skin, usually over the abdomen, arms, legs and scalp. It can often clear up on its own without treatment.
- Pustular psoriasis. The typical symptoms of pustular psoriasis are pus-filled blisters on the skin. The blisters usually dry up, turn brown, become scaly and peel off. The lesions usually occur on the hands and feet.
- Erythrodermic psoriasis. Symptoms include red and scaly skin over large areas of the body. This condition can evolve from other forms of psoriasis or be triggered by psoriasis treatment. It can also be triggered by withdrawal from drugs such as corticosteroids (often taken for diseases such as asthma).
- Inverse psoriasis. In people with this condition, dry and bright red patches appear in folds of skin, for instance under the breasts, in the armpits, or on the genitals. This type of psoriasis can be exacerbated by obesity.
Psoriasis doesn't have any set way of progressing. It develops differently depending on the person. Some people may only have occasional and minor symptoms for their entire lives. Others may have to cope with severe symptoms on a regular basis. In most people, the symptoms come and go. Flare-ups might be brought on by some of the conditions mentioned above, such as dry weather or stress. Untreated, extremely severe psoriasis can be dangerous. Although it happens very rarely, if lesions cover enough of the body, the immune system can become overwhelmed. This increases your risk of developing serious bacterial infections. Be sure to see your doctor immediately if your psoriasis spreads to cover large parts of your body or if you show signs of infection, such as fever. Coping with psoriasis can be exhausting and frustrating. It's important to try to stay emotionally and physically healthy during treatment. [Source: WebMD article 26 May 07 ++]
TRAVEL IMMUNIZATIONS: Travel immunizations and vaccines can ensure better health on your trip and for years afterward. Even domestic travel may put you at risk if you go to an area with a high rate of certain infectious disease such as hepatitis A. Diseases that are rare in this country are still prevalent elsewhere. Check with your health care provider well in advance of any extended travel plans to see if any special immunizations are recommended. If vaccines are required, they can take as many as four to six weeks to take effect, and some may require more than one shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) divides vaccines for travel into three categories:
- Routine. These are the vaccines that the CDC and The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (AICP) recommend that all adults and children receive to protect them from infectious diseases here at home. You can check the schedule for yourself and your family by looking at the most recently updated schedules available at: www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule.pdf ; www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule-bw-print.pdf ; and www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm#chgs .
- Recommended. These are vaccines that the CDC recommends to protect you from diseases that could be present in other countries and to prevent the spread of infectious disease from one country to another. The recommended immunizations and vaccines vary based on the country, your travel plans once in that country, and your age and overall health. You can find a world map with recommended immunizations at www.cdc.gov/travel/vaccinat.htm.
- Required. International Health Regulations currently require only two vaccines for travel to specific parts of the world. They are Yellow fever for travel to certain parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South America & Meningococcal vaccination required by the government of Saudi Arabia for annual travel during the period of the Hajj
The CDC generally recognizes that if you are traveling to most industrialized nations, such as Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, your risk of exposure to infectious disease is no greater than it is here in the U.S. However, for those with certain health conditions, such as individuals with compromised immune systems, the risk can be greater no matter where you travel. If you know that you have an immuno-deficient condition, including HIV/AIDS, discuss your travel plans with your health care provider. More information about travel vaccines and compromised immunity can be found at www2.ncid.cdc.gov/travel/yb/utils/ybGet.asp?section=special&obj=hivtrav.htm.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding also have specific concerns and different recommendations when it comes to international travel and immunizations. Pregnant women or breastfeeding moms can find more information at www2.ncid.cdc.gov/travel/yb/utils/ybGet.asp?section=special&obj=pregnant.htm. Or check with your own doctor four to six weeks prior to traveling. And finally, what you do when you travel can increase your risk. The following activities can increase your exposure to disease and local infectious organisms: Visiting rural areas, zoos, farms, and other animal habitats; Hiking and backpacking; Staying with local persons; Extended length of stay. [Source: WebMD Medical Reference & CDC 30 Mar 07 ++]
SSA FUTURE BENEFIT ESTIMATE: Whether you plan to retire in 5 years or 25, it's good to know what you can expect to receive in Social Security benefits. You've probably heard that Social Security is in financial trouble, and the 2006 Social Security Trustees Report says that the Social Security Trust Fund has declined from 2005. SSA provides three different types of easy-to-use earnings calculators at www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm that will provide information based on present projections which assume the program will remain viable. They can show you the amount of Social Security benefits you can expect to receive based on your estimated income and the number of years you plan to work. The calculators will also show your disability and survivor benefit amounts if you should become disabled or die. When using the calculators you should be aware that:
• None of these calculators are linked to your Social Security earnings record. They use the earnings amounts you enter.
• All the calculators assume you have enough credits to qualify for benefits. They produce an estimate even if you do not actually have enough credits. Information on credit requirements can be found at www.ssa.gov/retire2/credits.htm.
• Calculator estimates will differ from those on your Social Security Statement if you use different assumptions. For example, if you had earnings last year, your Social Security Statement benefit estimate assumes you will have similar earnings for every future year until you turn 62. However, if in using the calculator you indicate you will stop working before the year you turn 62, the calculator estimates will not include earnings for the years after you stop working.
This website is also a good place to look for answers to questions about your annual Social Security statement, and to correct name or address changes, or incorrect information about your annual earnings. If you need a benefit estimate on someone else's record, such as your spouse or parent contact your nearest social security office or call 1(800) 772-1213. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use 1-800-325-0778 .If you are over age 25 and pay Social Security taxes on your income, you should receive a statement from the Social Security office every year about three months before your birthday. This statement includes:
- The adjusted gross income for every year you worked, and
- The current estimated amount of Social Security benefits you will receive when you retire at three different age levels, starting at age 62.
The longer you continue to work and pay into the Social Security system the more you can expect to receive in benefits once you retire. Of course, this assumes that Social Security will continue to pay benefits at current levels. [Source: www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm Jun 06]
VIETNAM WAR FACTS:
-- 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from 5 AUG 64 to 7 MAY 75.
-- 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam which represented 9.7% of their generation.
-- 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War
--58,148 were killed in Vietnam. The first man to die was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.
-- 75,000 were severely disabled of which 23,214 100% were disabled
-- 5,283 lost limbs & 1,081 sustained multiple amputations
-- Average age of men killed: 23.1 years. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21, 11,465 of those were younger than 20 years old, and 17,539 were married
-- Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. The oldest man killed was 62 years old.
-- As of 15 JAN 04, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War
-- 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged
-- 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served
-- 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome
-- Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups.
-- Vietnam veterans’ personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18%.
-- 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem.
-- There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group (Source: Veterans Administration Study)
-- Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison. Only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.
-- 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.
[Source: NM e-Veterans News 9 Jan 06 - Research accredited to Capt. Marshal Hanson, USNR (Ret.) & Statistical Source Capt. Scott Beaton]
VETERAN LEGISLATION STATUS 30 JUN 07: For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in the 110th Congress refer to the Bulletin attachment. By clicking on the bill number indicated you can access the actual legislative language of the bill and see if your representative has signed on as a cosponsor. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. A cosponsor is a member of Congress who has joined one or more other members in his/her chamber (i.e. House or Senate) to sponsor a bill or amendment. The member who introduces the bill is considered the sponsor. Members subsequently signing on are called cosponsors. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can also review a copy of each bill, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d110/sponlst.html. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills is letting our representatives know of veteran’s feelings on issues. At the end of some listed bills is a web link that can be used to do that. Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov who your representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. [Source: RAO Bulletin Attachment 30 Jun 07 ++]
Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RP
PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517
Tel: (760) 839-9003 when in U.S. & Cell: 0915-361-3503 when in Philippines.
Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net (Primary) & raoemo@mozcom.com (Alternate)
Web: http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html
AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member
, FEB 07 (-0.3), MAR 07 (0.