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Retired Activities Office Bulletins

The following bulletins are furnished to ANA as important information to retirees by LT EMO Tichacek, USN (Ret) who is the Retired Activities Director in Baguio, P.I. and are used with his permission.  If you have questions about the articles, please direct them to the cited reference in the bulletin and NOT to ANA or LT Tichacek.

15 Aug 04
Servers Block Bulletin Updates (AOL to be purged from Bulletin directory)
CRSC Update 23 (DFAS payment schedule)
COLA 2005 Update 01 (Estimated at 3.4%)
GWOT Medal Update 02 (Qualifying areas)
VA Obligation to Help Vets
Candidates Respond to DAV Questions
Disability Retirement [DoD] Update 01
Vet Overseas Residency Considerations
Reserve Retirement Update 03 (Legislators need to be persuaded)
National Cemetery Administration
CSRS/FERS Retirement Planning Guides
Reserves Officer Recall to Duty (Have you formerly resigned your commission)
Kilauea Military Camp
Pentagon TV Channel

Servers Block Bulletin Updates: A number of email servers have installed filters or programs to prevent our Bulletin emailed from the Philippines from reaching their customers. This is the result of their efforts to reduce the amount of spam traffic being sent to their customers. The filters used vary in how they react to Bulletin messages and block it as a result of:

  * CONTENT: Certain key words or phrases contained in the text. (about 30% of servers)

  * RATE LIMITED: It exceeds a preset number of recipients sent the same message (Erols.com, Rcn.com, Whidby.net ,uswest.net, qwest.net,)

  * SIZE: It exceeds a preset number of bytes (Hotmail & Msn)

  * ORIGIN: It originated from a geographic location where many virus or spam messages originate or a combination of the above (aol.com,
army.mil, cs.com, netscape.net, wmconnect.com, angelfire.com, dtgnet.com, etc.).

     With most servers you are not informed that an incoming message has been blocked and in some cases there is no way for us to know you did not receive it. In many cases when a message is returned there is no way for to email you to let you know your Bulletin was blocked by your server. If it is returned two consecutive times our policy is to delete your email addee from the Bulletin directory. As an interim measure I have revised our directories to place affected addees in Hotmail address groups which we use for communicating with anyone caught up in this situation. This is a slow and cumbersome means to communicate and the number of addees I can send this way is limited. Our address book in Hotmail is now filled to its maximum capacity. If you receive this notice via our Hotmail server and have another email addee we can send the Bulletin to, request you provide it. If you no longer want to receive the Bulletin let us know. We have no problem receiving any message sent to the Philippine addee raoemo@mozcom.com and you are requested to continue to use it for any communications. This will avoid delays in responding to your queries. We check this server daily and only check the Hotmail server weekly.
     Returns from AOL users have reached such proportions that they can no longer effectively be handled. From the last Bulletin transmission AOL returned 700 of them as undeliverable. At present there are over 4000 AOL addees in the Bulletin directory after deleting over 1600 in the last year because of returned messages. AOL has incorporated a numerous criteria which reject the Bulletin. One is that if our email addee
raoemo@mozcom.com is not entered in their customer's address book the Bulletin can be rejected depending on the above mentioned variables.
Another is they have implemented filters that will automatically block messages that contain web site address which they have on their
suspect/virus/spam lists. Almost every Bulletin article contains a website address that potentially could cause a rejection. AOL has grown so large that they no longer concerned about losing the few customers who complain about blocked messages. Thus I am in the process of purging all AOL email addees from our address book after they have been returned the first time. If you do not want this to happen suggest you provide another email addee I can send to. Any alternate email addee you provide should not be: Airmail.net - Angelfire.com - Army.mil - CS.com - Core.com - Email.com - Erols.com - Netscape.net - Qwest.net - Sover.net - Uswest.net - Voyager.net - Wmconnect.com as none of these will consistently forward the Bulletin to their customers if received from our Mozcom server. If you need a free email server I have no problem sending the Bulletin to Yahoo - Hotmail - Juno or to hundreds of others that charge a fee provided the account has capacity to handle text messages up to 40k bytes. The Bulletin goes out on the 15th & 30th of each month so if you do not receive one you know what has happened. If you cannot provide an alternate email addee you can always read the last and previous Bulletins at  http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html  
[Source: Director, RAO Baguio 15 AUG 04]

CRSC Update 23: The Defense Finance and Accounting Service this week updated the Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) information posted on its web site  http://www.dfas.mil  To access click on Combat Related Special Compensation under the Retiree and Annuitant Pay heading. Information concerning the entire CRSC Program is included in the Frequently Asked Questions. Public Law 108-136, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, effective Jan. 1, 2004, extended CRSC eligibility to retired members who have a combat-related disability rating between 10% and 50% by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Combat-related disabilities include disabilities that are the result of armed conflict, hazardous duty, or training exercises. Previously, a 60% or higher rating or a disability associated with a Purple Heart was required in order to be eligible for CRSC payments. Chapter 61 members retired because of a disability with less than 20 years of service are not eligible. Retirees who have applied to their branch of service and whose applications have been approved and forwarded to DFAS will be rocessed in the order in which they are received.
     DFAS reports that currently retirees receiving CRSC have been paid using the VA's veteran-only rates. CRSC legislation included provisions to increase CRSC amounts due to dependency status and/or receipt of Individual Unemployability (IU) or Special Monthly Compensation (SMC). A recently finalized data-sharing agreement between DFAS, the Military Services and the VA will now allow payment of these increased CRSC amounts to eligible retirees. These changes may or may not affect individual CRSC payments. The dates in the following apply to retirees whose dependency and IU statuses were confirmed by the VA as of 6 JUL 04. Those retirees whose dependency and IU statuses are confirmed after July 6, 2004, should begin receiving the recurring monthly increased amount with their August payment which is normally received on Sept. 1, 2004:

  * DEPENDENCY STATUS: Eligible retirees should have begun receiving the recurring monthly increased amount with their July payment, about 2 AUG 04 (for Direct Deposit payments) or no later than 12 AUG 04 (for hard-copy checks). Due to the Labor Day holiday, eligible retirees due retroactive amounts for dependency status should receive the retroactive payment no later than 7 SEP 04 (for a Direct Deposit payment) or no later than 14 SEP 04 (for a hard-copy check). Retroactive payments will only be made as far back as 1 JAN 04, the original effective date of this provision.

  * INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY: Eligible retirees should begin receiving the recurring monthly increased amount with their July payment, which is normally received on 2 AUG 04 (for Direct Deposit payments) or no later than 12 AUG 04 (for hard-copy checks). Due to the Labor Day holiday, eligible retirees due retroactive amounts for dependency status and/or IU should receive the retroactive payment no later than 7 SEP 04 (for a Direct Deposit payment) or no later than 14 SEP 04 (for a hard-copy check). Retroactive payments will only be made as far back as 1 JUN 03, the original effective date of this provision.

  * COMBAT RELATED SPECIAL MONTHLY COMPENSATION: For SMC, eligible retirees should begin receiving the recurring monthly increased amount no later than 6 OCT 04 (for Direct Deposit payments) or no later than 14 OCT 04 (for hard-copy checks). Eligible retirees due retroactive amounts should receive the retroactive payment at a date to be announced. Retroactive payments will only be made as far back as 1 JUN 03, the original effective date of this provision.

     DFAS officials remind eligible individuals that the monthly amount of CRSC payable cannot exceed the gross monthly amount of retired pay, regardless of dependency status, SMC or IU determination. For instance, if your current CRSC payment is already equal to your gross monthly amount of retired pay, no additional money is due. In addition to the DFAS web site, the updated information will be incorporated in the web site maintained by the Air Force Personnel Center's Disability Division. That division's CRSC officials noted that they have provided all names of those eligible for Special Monthly Compensation and Individual Unemployability to DFAS. Individuals requiring more information about CRSC should call the CRSC Branch at (210) 565-1600 or the AFPC Contact Center at 1 (800) 616-3775.

[Source: AFRNS August 10 AUG 04 Release No. 08-04-04]

COLA 2005 Update 01:  In the initial COLA 2005 article I reported the House passed HR 4175, which will provide a 1.7% cost of living increase for veterans disability compensation and pension if no changes are made by the Senate or the conference committee. This is a straight increase and has nothing to do with the 2005 COLA. As with all bills it must first go to a conference committee composed of House and Senate members to iron out any differences with the Senate's proposal before it goes to the president for signature. On July 22, the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) favorably reported a number of veterans' benefits bills. The Committee approved a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for veterans receiving VA disability compensation, as well as to surviving spouses and dependents of disabled veterans who receive monthly Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). The COLA is tied to any adjustment to Social Security benefits and is projected to be in the range of 3.4%. If approved the VA COLA will take effect on December 1 and be reflected in January 2005 checks.
[Source: MOAA's Leg Up 6 AUG 04]

GWOT Medal Update 02: The GWOT Expeditionary Medal is destined for service members who deploy to fight. It is currently under legal review at DoD and then it must receive formal approval and guidance to the services by Deputy Secretary of Defense. When completed the services will be authorized to issue the medals. The Pentagon in June released the following list of specific qualifying areas:

     1. LAND AREAS: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus, Diego Garcia, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey (East of 35 degrees east longitude), Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

     2. OFFSHORE: Arabian Sea (north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68 degrees east longitude), Bab el Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Aqaba, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Suez, Mediterranean Sea (east of 28 degrees east longitude), Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, and Suez Canal.

     Military personnel records will not be updated until this fall regarding eligibility. Vets must have served 30 consecutive days or 60
non-consecutive days in the above areas. Proof of service can consist of travel orders, letters of evaluation, or flight logs. Eligibility for the
award meets the Veteran of Foreign Wars criteria for membership. [Source: VFW Magazine AUG 04]

VA Obligation to Help Vets:  Military obligations lack conventional worker's compensation coverage. Instead, the VA is tasked with the
responsibility and assumes the obligation to help those who gave up their right to decline dangerous assignments. For any medical conditions that
result from these assignments and other chronic illnesses or injuries incurred during or worsened by military service vets are entitled to
disability compensation and medical care. A recent study showed that one in six troops returning from the war in Iraq may be at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental problems due to the psychological impact of war close to deployment, in the field, and after returning home. Although a significant number need or require help many do not seek treatment upon discharge. Fortunately, the door remains open for these vets and others as there is no time limit for them to seek help and submit a claim. Whether a vet's condition is the result of recent or long past duties the VA will accept a claim application. Each claim submitted is processed and answered with an explanation of why it was or was not approved. Once answered the vet has the right to appeal the decision if he is not satisfied with it and has some basis for appeal. Appeal with no new information will normally result in the same results. The VA receives more than 100,000 new disability compensation claims annually. Policies governing how it processes claims have become increasingly complex and time intensive because of court rulings that expand VA procedures. Also, the number of new claims submitted each year has increased. There are more than 60 steps in evaluating an initial claim and their may be a delay of 2-3 months to receive information requested of other federal agencies and private sources with medical records. Of the estimated 25.5 million vets alive, more than 14% have had an illness or injury officially declared "service-connected" and 9% of all veterans receive monthly payments from the VA. About 70% of initial claims are approved in whole or in part. However, the approval process takes an average of 205 days. The VA is incorporating two new ways to reduce it's time to process claims.

     1. A web-based system for filing claims. This enables vets to fill out their disability compensation, pension, and rehabilitation benefits claims
forms online and cuts the average time for claim processing to about a month. To use the online application systems go to http://www.vba.va.gov  or call (800) 827-1000. The online program:

  * Ensures medical examinations are consistent with the VA's standards for rating disabilities.

  * Makes referrals to other VA services such as vocational training.

  * Establishes a complete service medical record so no matter how far in the future a veteran decides to file a claim the need to request
military medical records from an outside source will not exist.

     2. Assignment of a Case Manager. Each veteran will be given the name and phone number of a case manager assigned to handle his/her claim. This will improve communication, speed service, and resolve misunderstandings. This veteran's service representative will combine the traditional jobs of :

  * Benefits Councilor (i.e. the person who initially accepts the vets application and gathers information).

  * Claims Examiner (i.e. the person who decides a medical problem's official connection with service a well as the nature and severity of the
disability and its financial compensation).

     For additional information on filing claims refer to  http://www.va.gov 
[Source: Navy Times 26 JUL 04 Veterans Advocate Alex Keenan  milretired@atpco.com ]

Candidates Respond to DAV Questions:  The Disabled American Veterans sent President George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry the following questions:

     1. Mandatory Funding for VA Health Care: Do you support a fundamental change in the manner VA health care is funded? If so, how would your administration ensure its implementation? If not, why?

     2. Disabled Veterans Tax: Do you support provision of concurrent receipt to veterans rated 40 percent or less and will your administration actively work to bring it about? Why or why not?

     3. Do you support elimination of the phase-in period for concurrent receipt? Why or why not?

     4. Making Veterans a National Priority: What specifically will your administration do to make veterans a national priority?

     5. Will your administration propose or support legislation to authorize VA to revise its premium schedule for SDVI to reflect current mortality tables?

     6. Will your administration propose or support legislation to increase the face value of SDVI?

     7. Will your administration propose or support legislation to authorize concurrent receipt of SBP and DIC?

     If interested, at  http://www.dav.org/voters/documents/president_views_on_dav_priority_issues.pdf  are posted the candidate's unabridged responses to DAV's questions.

[Source: Armed Forces News Issue 6 Aug 04]

Disability Retirement [DoD] Update 01:  Nearly one-third of the National Guard and Reserve troops presently returning from duty with illnesses or injuries wait more than four months to learn whether they'll be compensated under the military's disability system. Fewer than 10% of applicants receive the long-term disability payments they request. This is because the disability system measures fitness for duty, not the degree of one's sacrifice. Of Army personnel applying for disability pay 56% are leaving service with a one-time, lump-sum payment. Seventeen percent received nothing because they either were declared fit for duty or determined to suffer injuries unrelated to their service or due to negligence. An additional 17% received temporary disability payments that can be reviewed within five years. The military's disability system resembles workers' compensation and long-term disability in the private sector. It pays people when they have illnesses and injuries that are job-related. The military, however, looks at a much narrower set of circumstances than insurers or the Department of Veterans Affairs. It only evaluates ailments that make a soldier unfit for duty in his or her specialty. For example, can an infantryman still run? You can't be retired on pain claims alone because pain is unmeasurable and subjective. The more generous VA compensation system considers all service-connected medical conditions. Veterans who receive disability compensation from the military also can apply to the VA for disability pay. The military compensation is needed, however, to tide them over while waiting for the VA. The VA department recently was averaging 171 days to make initial disability decisions. When the VA's disability compensation kicks in, it usually replaces military pay. Recipients cannot benefit from both systems at the same time. [Source: Associated Press Article 2 AUG 04]

Vet Overseas Residency Considerations:  The decision to live overseas is a personal one and, if taken, requires vets to do without some of the benefits they would enjoy if living in the states. Vets need to know what to expect before they make the decision and decide if the advantages,
mostly economic, outweigh the disadvantages. It is not our government's responsibility to provide equivalent facilities overseas that are available
in the states. To live overseas the following factors could impact on you are your dependents:

  * There is no current legislation to delete the 30% tax leveled on U.S. source income of veteran alien citizen widows. This includes SBP,
pensions, interest, and social security but not DIC or widows pension.

  * Low income widows of vets are eligible for a VA non-taxable pension that will bring their total monthly income up to $600 if they have income
less than $600 monthly. Widows eligible for SBP which their husbands paid for over a 20-30 year period can be penalized for being in the program. In many cases alien widows would be eligible for the pension which would exceed their SBP net payment if allowed but they cannot. That is because the VA considers their SBP gross payment entitlement to the widow prior to the 30% offset to compute their total income. Thus an alien widow entitled to $600 SBP receives only $420 monthly vice the tax-free $600 VA pension.

  * Vets (unless disabled or retired from the military) and their dependents have no health care coverage available to them when they turn 65. Medicare is only applicable in the states and does not allow any claims for medical care reimbursement for care received and paid for overseas.

  * Disabled vets regardless of age can obtain local medical care for their service connected medical conditions under the VA Foreign Medical
Program [FMA]. In countries other than the Philippines they cannot receive medical care for non-service connected medical conditions which they could expect to receive at a VA facility in the states. In the Philippines they can only receive treatment at the VA OPC in Manila and then only within the limits that can be provided by that facility. Non-service connected conditions that require hospitalization or other treatments, medicines, tests not available in the Manila OPC is the veterans responsibility to obtain and pay for. Unless 100% disabled no CHAMPVA claim can be submitted.

  * No fix has been implemented under DEERS to provide Tricare Standard health benefits for widows of retirees who turn 65 and cannot sign up for Medicare Part B because of SSA's 5-year U.S. residency rule. Thus the existing Tricare Standard health care benefits they were receiving is
terminated when they most need it in their older years. With no Medicare Part B they are not allowed to sign up for Tricare for Life [TFL] even
though they are SS eligible under their spouse's account. At present DoD requires a letter from SSA stating they are not eligible for social
security benefits and SSA cannot do that because they are eligible if they move to the states for whatever period is required to meet the 5-year
residency rule. However, to move to the states they must obtain a visa. INS will not grant one if they cannot meet the minimum income and
sponsor requirements. DoD and SSA apparently cannot rectify this catch 22 situation set up by their conflicting regulations.

  * The VA home loan program is available for use in the states only.

  * Military retirees, their dependents and widows plus 100% rated disabled veterans are eligible for FPO/APO mail service use provided their
is a facility in their location to receive it at. Mail is limited to letters, magazines, newspapers, non-commercial personal cassettes, VCR's & CD's, boxes of blank checks, and medicine from a government pharmacy. Packages are not authorized and no single item can exceed one pound.

  * Space "A" air travel is available to retirees and their dependents if traveling with the retiree. In many areas facilitates and on base quarters to support retiree travelers is limited.

  * Commissary and exchange privileges are in many countries limited or not available to military retirees because of SOFA agreements required to maintain military establishments in those countries.

  * SECNAV instructions require a Naval Retiree Assistance Office (RAO) be associated with a U.S. military base to receive financial and material support from DoD. The instruction allows for "Independent" offices but they must be self-supporting. Unless some vet is willing to volunteer and establish an office in the geographic area he resides in and assume the associated financial responsibility of keeping it going, there is no assistance available for other retirees/dependents residing in that area if a overseas U.S. base is not located nearby. There is no program to
establish new offices or replace offices that have closed because of lack of resources/volunteers.

[Source: Various AUG 04]

Reserve Retirement Update 03:  The age 55 Retired Pay amendment to the 2005 NDAA was defeated. The White House and DOD opposed it and only two Republican Senator's [Snowe (R-ME) & Spector (R-PA)] voted for the measure. This change would have allowed 93,000 reservists currently aged 55 to 59 to retire with full benefits and restore parity between the retirement systems for Federal civilian employees and reservists. If veterans want the retirement age to be lowered they need to convince their legislators to cosponsor Sen. John Corzine's S. 1035 and Rep. Jim Saxon's H.R. 742 bills. If communications with congressional representatives prove to be ineffective on this and other veteran related legislation than the November election gives the opportunity to replace legislators with candidates who are more favorable to veteran issues.
[Source: Various AUG 04]

National Cemetery Administration:  On 11 NOV 1998, congressional legislation changed the name of the National Cemetery System (NCS) to the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). Today, there are 136 national cemeteries. VA, through its National Cemetery Administration, operates 120 of them. Two national cemeteries -- Arlington in Virginia and the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home in Washington, D.C. -- are still administered by the Army. Fourteen national cemeteries are maintained by the Department of the Interior. More than 3 million people, including veterans of every war and conflict -- from the Revolutionary War to the Operation Iraqi Freedom -- are honored by burial in VA's national cemeteries, which have a total of more than 14,200 acres of land from Hawaii to Maine and from Alaska to Puerto Rico. More than 300 recipients of the Medal of Honor are buried in VA's national cemeteries. Monuments and memorials recall the courage and sacrifice of Americans -- from Nathan Hale to "Edson's Raiders," Marine commandos who fought in the Solomon Islands' campaign during WWII. In November 2001, VA opened its 120th cemetery Fort Sill National Cemetery in Oklahoma. Currently, 60 VA cemeteries, in 34 states, are able to provide both casket and cremation burials for America's veterans and their families. An additional 23 provide burial for family members of those already buried and can also bury cremated remains.
     In 1999 and 2003, with the passage of two laws, Congress directed VA to establish 12 new national cemeteries. One of those is the Fort Sill
National Cemetery. The rest -- one in Alabama, two in California, three in Florida, one in Georgia, one in Michigan, two in Pennsylvania and one in South Carolina -- will be located near large populations of veterans who currently do not have access to burial in a veterans cemetery. In addition to providing a gravesite and a grave liner, VA opens and closes the grave, provides a headstone or marker, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a U.S. Flag, and perpetually cares for the grave at no cost to the veteran's family. To complement national cemeteries and expand burial options for veterans, VA assists states in building or improving state veterans cemeteries through its State Cemetery Grants Program. VA will pay for construction costs in exchange for states providing the land and operating the cemeteries. Fifty-five state veterans' cemeteries have been funded by VA grants in 29 states and Guam, and in 2003 they provided more than 18,000 interments. Today, more than 25 million veterans, active duty servicemembers killed in action, and some current and former Reservists and National Guard members have earned the right to burial in a national cemetery. Veterans with discharges "other than dishonorable," their spouses and dependent children are eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. For more information or to confirm eligibility, contact the nearest national cemetery or a VA regional office at 1-800-827-1000. Information also is available on NCA's home page at  http://www.cem.va.gov [Source: Military service coalition Newsletter JUL 04]

CSRS/FERS Retirement Planning Guides:  The 2005 CSRS and FERS Retirement Planning Guides are available to assist in understanding federal retirement. They simplify the retirement planning process; helping you calculate your annuity, warn you about possible reductions in your annuity, tell you how Social Security fits into the picture, and what to do about health and life insurance. In short, they contain everything you need to know to make your federal retirement a success. These 2005 CSRS & FERS Retirement Planning Guide are not Dot.com downloads or government handouts or pamphlets. They are in-print comprehensive and easy-to-understand planning guides that were written and edited by a veteran-team of federal retirement planning experts in the field. Key features and updates of the guides include:

  * A step by step guide to embarking on the retirement journey
  * A description of the new long-term care program, with explanations of potential traps for those close to retirement
  * A quick reference guide to benefits your survivors would stand to receive on your death
·  * A description of how Tricare-for-Life might replace FEHBP as your health benefits provider
  * Details on how to carry retirement and other benefits into retirement and how you can change those benefits after retirement
  * An easy to follow guide to understanding annuity statements
  * How the new TSP investment, rollover, withdrawal and other rules will affect you before and after retirement
  * Latest information on COLA rates and policies, payments to survivors and other benefit rates
  * The latest information on Social Security benefit rates and eligibility rules
  * The latest information on FEGLI, FEHBP, service crediting for retirement purposes and other vital retirement-related issues
  * How to calculate your annuity (with easy-to-follow examples)
  * Eligibility requirements
  * Different retirement types (regular, early, deferred, special disability)
  * Credit for military service
  * Cost of living adjustments
  * The effect of divorce on annuities
  * Social Security
  * The Thrift Savings Plan
  * Taking health and life insurance into retirement
  * Annuity taxes
  * Survivor benefits

     You can place your order at  http://www.fedweek.com/Publications/default.asp  and get a FREE Federal Employees Handbook on CD ROM shipped to you immediately. You may also call the order line at (888) 333-9335 to place an order for these retirement planning guides.

Reserves Officer Recall to Duty:  Officers who joined the Army Reserves through the ROTC program are obligated for four years of active duty and another four years in the reserves. They then will be in a voluntary reserve status until they turn age 50 and can be recalled to duty. If they do not want to be subject to recall they must formerly resign their commission upon termination of their eight-year obligation. There is
presently no mention of a commission resignation requirement in any enlistment contract or other document presented to them upon acceptance of a ROTC scholarship. The Defense Department has been taking numerous steps to keep enlistment up during the Iraq conflict, included issuing a "stop-loss" order that prevents soldiers from leaving the military when their obligations end and multiple deployments of guard and reserve units. [Source: Associated Press 9 JUL 04]

Kilauea Military Camp:  Kilauea Military Camp is a Joint Services Recreation Center located on the big island of Hawaii. The center features 77 conformably furnished cottages and apartments right in the heart of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park near the Kilauea volcano crater's edge. Cottages and apartments vary from one to three bedroom units. Selected units contain a Jacuzzi and kitchen. All contain a fireplace, cable TV, mini refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board. The facility has a café, general store, recreation lodge, meeting rooms, gas station, theater and chapel. KMC offers an array of activities inclusive of tennis, golf, biking, bowling, hiking, and guided island tours. It is open to all military and DoD ID card holders and their guests. Rates range from $46 to $120 per night for double occupancy. Reservations may be made up to a year in advance except during peak season at 428-6706 from Oahu, (808) 967-833 from mainland, email reservations@kmc-volcano.com  or by writing: Kilauea Military Camp, HQ Building 40, Attn: Reservations Office, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718. Other information and photos is available at  http://www.kmc-volcano.com  
[Source: RAO Los Angeles Newsletter Spring 2004]

Pentagon TV Channel:  The Department of Defense has established an informational TV channel to all military installations in the United States via domestic satellite, and overseas through the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. Broadcasting 7/24 the Pentagon Channel provides news and information programming from the Pentagon, the Military Services, and operational areas worldwide. More information is available at  http://www.pentagonchannel.mil  or by calling (703) 428-1200. To reach the 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve who live and work in communities across the country, often far from a military base, it will require a "grassroots" effort to request local cable and satellite providers to offer this service in their area. It is free to the cable/satellite provider. To find out your provider, log on to http://www.pentagonchannel.mil  enter your zip code and the telephone number of your cable or Direct TV company will be provided. Since DoD cannot actively solicit participation by these commercial companies, recipients of this update can help them out by requesting this TV coverage in their area. [Source: NAUS Leg Up 11 JUN 04]

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