Special Articles:

Future US Military
Force Posture:
- Korea
- Pacific
- Europe
- Global

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 Sep 04
Medicare 2005 Rates  (Increase from $66.60 to $78.20)
Military Health Care Transition  (Civilians to replace military)
Medicare Special Enrollment Mailings  (Sign up or no TFL)
VA Informed Consent  (Patient participation in care decisions)
Commissary Coupon Use Update 01  (Internet coupons now accepted)
Veterans Presidential Choice  (Candidate's answers to vet questions)
Tricare: Region North  (Transition completed)
National Debt & Consumer Credit Update 01  (Only $24,734 & $6939 per citizen)
Tricare Pharmacy Copay for OHI  (Paper claim submission required)
Civil Air Patrol Wants Retirees  (Volunteer & paid positions)
National Cemetery Administration Update 01 (Opening of GA & MI cemeteries)
VA Burial Benefits  (Active Duty)
VA NBC Fees Payment  (Montgomery GI Bill eligibles)
Great Pond Recreational Facility  (NAS Brunswick ME)

Medicare 2005 Rates:  On 3 SEP 04 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the 2005 Medicare premium, deductible and coinsurance amounts to be paid by Medicare beneficiaries. For Medicare Part A, the program that pays for inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facilities and some home health care, the deductible paid by the beneficiary when admitted will be $912, up from $876 in 2004. The Part A deductible is the beneficiaries only cost for up to 60 days in a Medicare covered hospital. The monthly premiums for Medicare Part B, which covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment and other items, will increase from $66.60 to $78.20. The new premium reflects general growth in health care costs, higher payments to physicians and Medicare Advantage coordinated care health plans under the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), and building trust fund reserves. HHS officials reported that under the MMA, Medicare enrollees are benefiting from improved access to physician services, new preventive and health screening benefits, more Medicare Advantage plan choices, and better benefits and/or lower out-of-pocket costs in many Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare deductibles and premiums are updated annually in accordance with formulas set by law. By law, the federal government picks up about 75 percent of the cost of Part B benefits and the Part B premium covers the remaining 25 percent. However, the Part B premium increase may not exceed any beneficiary's cost of living adjustment in their Social Security check. For the great majority of beneficiaries, the Social Security cost of living increase is likely to be significantly greater than the premium change.

Contributing factors to the increase are:

     a. Increased cost of Medicare Part B benefits, accounting for about four-fifths of the higher benefit costs, is higher payments in Medicare's
         traditional plan. Most importantly, the recent Medicare law prevented physician payments from falling significantly. In 2005, payment rates          for physicians will increase by 1.5 percent, preventing a 4.5 percent reduction that could have threatened access to high-quality physician          services.

     b. Improvement in the Medicare Advantage program under the MMA. As a result, many beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage health           plans are expected to receive additional benefits including prescription drugs, more preventive care, and even dental and vision care, as well           as lower copayments that enable them to reduce their out of pocket costs. On average, the premium changes related to Medicare           Advantage are more than offset by reductions in out-of-pocket payments for Medicare Advantage enrollees.

     c. Increasing the reserves held in the Part B account of the Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund toward a more adequate           level.

     Two other MMA changes will help lower beneficiaries' out-of-pocket costs in 2005. First, the new Medicare law provides additional savings for Medicare beneficiaries by paying more appropriately for Medicare covered drugs and the administration of those covered drugs. Second, the new preventive benefits in Medicare will help beneficiaries cover the cost of screening tests for heart disease and diabetes, and will provide a "Welcome to Medicare" exam (including coverage for associated services) for beneficiaries entering the program. For more information on Medicare, go to  http://www.hhs.gov/news 

[Source:  http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/afretire/AF_Retiree_News.htm 8 SEP & NAUS Update 10 SEP 04]

Military Health Care Transition:  In a Washington Post Article, the Pentagon announced that they will begin to replace thousands of uniformed health care personnel with civilian workers or contractors, as part of the overall Defense Transformation for the 21st Century Act proposed by Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. The overall goal of the Pentagon is to reassign service members to jobs that are directly tied to fighting wars and national security and either civilianizing or eliminating their prior positions. In the case of the Military Health System, the goal is to civilianize/eliminate up to 10% of the current FTEs. This plan will begin with the Navy in July 2005 as they review the some 6,000 medical positions determined to have no ties to readiness. The Army and Air Force are expected to begin their conversions in Fiscal Year 2006. The Pentagon expects this plan will save money in the long run by reducing the number of uniformed military health care workers, which will in turn reduce the infrastructure retirement obligations. There is also a belief that some of the positions being converted can be done more cheaply by civilians than by military service members. This transformation could bring considerable changes to the Defense Health Program and will most certainly affect the medical care provided to the 8.9 million active duty service members, retirees and their dependants. Concerns have been noted by military fraternal organizations regarding the impact that this will have on the proficiency of our military medical professionals who need retirees and family members to work on in order to maintain their skills. If their practice is limited to young healthy active duty service members only, how will the doctors maintain their competency? Also, DoD's track record in implementing changes to health care is not very impressive. The Next Generation of TRICARE Contracts proposed a multitude of changes with the belief that there would be cost savings: including a centralized referral and prior authorization computer system. At the start of the new contracts, the Pentagon's centralized computer system was not in place, the Managed Care Support Contractors were forced to improvise a manual process of faxing authorizations and referrals, and increasing their overall cost to the government in support of TRICARE.
[Source: NAUS Update 10 SEP 04]

Medicare Special Enrollment Mailings:  The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) has a provision that directly impacts certain Medicare-TRICARE dual-eligible beneficiaries. It eliminates the Medicare Part B surcharge for uniformed services beneficiaries who were subject to a higher premium (currently paying more than $66.60 a month) for enrolling in Part B during the years 2001 to 2004. Under the MMA, Medicare Part B premiums will be reduced for these beneficiaries to the regular monthly premium rate and beneficiaries will be reimbursed for any surcharges paid in 2004. These refunds will be provided in Social Security retirement checks. The legislation also provides the opportunity for uniformed services beneficiaries who are entitled to Medicare Part A but are not enrolled in Medicare Part B to enroll in Part B without a premium surcharge. These beneficiaries will be offered the opportunity to enroll in Part B during a Special Enrollment Period.

     Department Of Defense (DoD) Letter: Affected beneficiaries will be receiving a letter from the Department of Defense (DoD) regarding these
changes in the law. The DoD letter will give beneficiaries a heads-up that they will soon be receiving a Special Enrollment Period notice from the
SSA. This letter also explains that by law, beneficiaries who are entitled to Medicare Part A, whether based on age, disability, or end-stage renal
disease, must be enrolled in Medicare Part B to retain TRICARE eligibility. Dual-eligible active duty family members are not required to purchase Medicare Part B until their active duty sponsor retires.

     SSA Special Enrollment Period Notice: The SSA will mail a Special Enrollment Period notice in mid-September 2004 to uniformed services
beneficiaries who are entitled to Medicare Part A but are not enrolled in Medicare Part B. The notice will explain that the SSA enrolled the
beneficiary in Part B effective Sept. 1, 2004. The Part B monthly premium ($66.60) will automatically be deducted from Social Security retirement
checks starting Sept 1, or if beneficiaries do not receive a Social Security check, they will be billed the appropriate amount. The SSA notice
includes a form that gives beneficiaries the option to change their Medicare Part B effective date or decline enrollment. Anyone who refuses
Part B will be ineligible for TRICARE benefits. Beneficiaries will have 60 days after the date of the notice to complete and return the form if they
choose to change the effective date or decline Part B enrollment. If beneficiaries notify SSA that they are selecting an earlier month in 2004
as the start date for their Part B enrollment and would find it hard to pay the past months' premium amount in a lump sum, they should take the
completed form and the SSA letter to a local Social Security office (if they live in the U.S., Canada or Mexico) or U.S. Foreign Service Post for
processing and ask about alternative payment options.

     DEERS Registration: Uniformed services beneficiaries also must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) to remain eligible for TRICARE benefits. Beneficiaries may update their information in DEERS by visiting an identification card issuing facility or by contacting the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office (DSO) Telephone Center at (800) 538-9552. To find the nearest identification card issuing facility, beneficiaries may visit  http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl   For general information about TRICARE benefits, beneficiaries may call Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) TRICARE For Life at 1-866-773-0404 or visit the TRICARE Web site at  http://www.tricare.osd.mil  Additional information regarding the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L.108-173) is available at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/legislation/tricare.html  If beneficiaries have questions about enrolling in Medicare Part B, they may call SSA toll free, at (800) 772-1213 or visit any Social Security office.
[Source: MOAA Ben Info Update - SEP 04]

VA Informed Consent:  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Electronic Support for Patient Decisions initiative will be introduced at all 158 VA medical centers within a year. Customized software called iMedConsent will provide patients with information about treatment options and standardize procedures among clinicians. The program:

  * takes physicians step by step through the informed consent process;
  * displays detailed educational materials about risks and benefits of proposed treatments;
  * generates and stores consent forms, incorporates electronic signatures into records; and
  * imports information from patient records.

     Although the program is designed primarily to assist physicians, it also guides informed-consent discussions between doctors and patients. The goal of the informed consent process is to ensure that patients are knowledgeable participants in decisions about their health care. It generally requires that patients understand their choices through discussions of proposed treatments, reasonable alternatives to proposed care, risks and benefits of each alternative. The electronic support system is VA's latest use of technology to enhance patient care.
     For several decades VA has used electronic health records with its Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology (VistA), which allows health care providers to continuously update patient information, including lab tests and results, medications and diet. The electronic health record provides clinicians throughout the VA system instant access to a patient's complete record, including diagnostic images, medications and lab results. The information is available in inpatient, outpatient, long-term and home care environments. Patient records can also be accessed remotely, allowing, for example, doctors at the San Francisco VA Medical Center to promptly treat a veteran from Miami who seeks care while traveling in California. VistA has a dramatic impact on patient safety and health. Bar-coded medication administration for inpatients and robotic prescription preparation are achieving the highest rates of prescription accuracy. A clinical reminder system allows care providers to consistently deliver necessary health interventions.

[Source: VA News Release 3 SEP 04]

Commissary Coupon Use Update 01:  All 273 of the Defense Commissary Agency stores are now accepting computer-generated Internet coupons that meet the following criteria:

  * they must have a scannable bar code
  * they can not be for a free product, and
  * they can not be photocopied or facsimile-generated coupons.

     DeCA and other grocery retailers had stopped accepting home-printed coupons in SEP 03 as an interim measure while the grocery industry grappled with losses incurred because of their fraudulent use. Analysts estimated the grocery industry had lost millions of dollars from coupon fraud, which ultimately costs consumers in the form of raised prices to recoup losses. The agency's Web site,  http://www.commissaries.com  will re-establish links to Internet grocery coupon sites for the convenience of commissary shoppers.
[Source: Armed Forces News 3 SEP 04]

Veterans Presidential Choice:  Veterans have less than two months to make up their minds on who they want to represent them for the next four years. The candidate they choose should be one who will support legislation that will enhance benefits, eliminate present inequities, and prevent erosion of benefits. It is not an easy decision and both candidates' positions are in many cases being clouded by avid supporter's of the opposing candidate. The American Legion has taken a poll of the questions that veteran's would most like to be answered by each candidate. The top ten are listed below. The candidate's responses can be viewed at  http://www.impact04.legion.org/vote.php  

     (1) Do you support designating VA health care as a 'mandatory' item within the Federal budget?

     (2) Active duty military forces perceive an erosion of medical pay and benefits for retired forces. What actions will you take to preserve             benefits and protect the Veterans Affairs Medical system?

     (3) What changes will you support to Social Security to ensure its financial solvency?

     (4) Thousands of jobs have disappeared in the past four years as companies move operations to foreign countries. What will your             administration do to curtail this job drain and protect American jobs, especially for those who will leave the military in the near future?

     (5) What will your administration do to ease the spiraling cost of health care for all Americans?

     (6) What changes would you support for military health care, veterans health care or the TRICARE system?

     (7) Should all disabled military retirees be authorized to receive both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation?

     (8) Do you support a Constitutional Amendment to return to the Congress the right to protect the American flag?

     (9) Do you support veterans preference in the Federal workforce hiring practices? If so, what percentage of those employed should be             veterans?

     (10) Do you support Medicare reimbursement for VA?

     To learn more about each of the candidates visit  http://www.georgewbush.com and http://www.johnkerry.com   Information on each parties platform can be found at  http://www.impact04.legion.org/pdf/platform_rep.pdf   and   http://www.impact04.legion.org/pdf/platform_dem.pdf   Representation in Congress is also key in bringing legislation before the president that will benefit the veteran community.
      At  http://www.vote-smart.org  or http://capwiz.com/legion/home  you can find out your legislator's voting history on the issues you are most concerned about to aid in deciding if a change in representation is in order. With 26 million vets we should be able to have some impact on who gets into office to decide our fate. Your vote does make a difference. 537 votes decided the 2000 presidential election; that's one one-hundredth of 1 percent. By winning Florida, Bush captured all of the state's 25 electoral votes, taking his final electoral tally to 271 votes. Five more than his opponent's total even though he led Bush by more than half a million popular votes out of 105,405,100 votes cast nationwide.

[Source: Armed Forces News 3 SEP 04, +++]

Tricare: Region North:  DoD announced that on 1 SEP 04 transition to Tricare North has been completed. This affects eligible Tricare beneficiaries in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia. This transition completes the new North Region that began 1 JUN with the states of Illinois, Indiana, portions of Iowa (Rock Island Arsenal area), Kentucky, Michigan, portions of Missouri (St. Louis area), North Carolina, Ohio, portions of Tennessee (Ft. Campbell area), southern Virginia, western West Virginia and Wisconsin. The new structure enhances customer service, increases benefit portability, and improves access to care for beneficiaries Health Net Federal Services Inc. (Health Net), a government operations division of Health Net Inc., based in Sacramento, Calif., will provide healthcare services and support to the region's 2.85 million beneficiaries. The military community located within this region can obtain healthcare information by contacting Health Net at (877) 874-2273 or viewing their web site http://www.healthnetfederalservices.com  Those who are not in Tricare Prime, will have the opportunity to enroll. The online Health Net web site provides:

  * Information on enrollment and network providers;
  * Procedures for filing claims;
  * Contacts for Tricare assistance;
  * Individual's claim processing status and patient claims history;
  * Location of a Tricare service center (TSC) or access to the virtual TSC;
  * Various programs that allow beneficiaries to manage their own health care.

     Military treatment facilities (MTFs) in all Tricare regions remain at the core of the military health system. The Tricare Online Web site  
http://www.tricareonline.com  provides beneficiaries additional interactive tools and up-to-date, accurate information on a variety of health matters.
Tricare Online also includes a medical dictionary, the new "Rx Checker," to find drug-and-drug or drug-and-food interactions, an online health journal and more. For information on the Tricare benefit, beneficiaries can visit  http://www.tricare.osd.mil  or consult their service and/or local MTF. [Source: DoD News Release 31 AUG 04]

National Debt & Consumer Credit Update 01...Correction:  The National Debt on July 12, 2004, was $7,265,299,676,980.06. The U.S. population on July 14, 2004 at 8:59 am EDT was estimated to be 293,735,011. If you divide the National Debt of 7 trillion dollars by the number of men, women, and children, we each owed $24,734.20 on 14 July. Recent figures indicate we owe vendors on revolving credit, credit cards and the like, $2038.4 billion, or two trillion in consumer debt that we have to repay. Divided by the aforementioned population number indicates $6939.59 would have to be repaid per person if the debt were to have been evenly indurred by all U.S. citizens. To track at any given time the amount you owe you can get the latest figures on debt at  http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov   population at   http://www.census.gov  and consumer credit at http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19

  * Intragovernmental holdings, such as the Social Security Trust Fund make up 40% or approximately three trillion dollars of the National Debt
($3,044,908,289.853.89 ).
[Source: NAUS Update for 16 JUL 04 ++]

Tricare Pharmacy Copay for OHI:  On June 1, Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI) took over the TRICARE retail pharmacy program. Since that time, some beneficiaries have experienced continuing problems with reimbursement of copayments for other health insurance (OHI). If you are a TRICARE beneficiary who has OHI, you are eligible to have TRICARE reimburse your OHI pharmacy co-payments.
     You can get your OHI copayments reimbursed by filing a paper TRICARE claim (DD FORM 2642). Along with the claim form, you must enclose further documentation -- providing a copy of the pharmacy receipt on the pharmacy's letterhead or a billing form showing the:

  * Name of the drug
  * Strength (100 mg, 500mg, etc.)
  * Quantity (number of pills/doses)
  * Cost paid by your OHI
  * Amount you paid
  * Prescription number and date of fill
  * Days supply is not "required." However, if after calculating the supply, calling the pharmacy, etc.--and if days supplied can't be determined       based on the information, the claim is rejected.  * Prescriber's name or DEA #
  * Pharmacy's name
  * Pharmacist signature only if the claim is not printed on an "acceptable format" (pharmacy stamp, letterhead, etc.) If it looks like it was printed
     on a home computer (plain paper), then a signature is required
  * Receipts are OK, except your name needs to be on them.

     If you use a TRICARE network pharmacy you will be reimbursed the full co-pay in most situations. But if you use a non-TRICARE network pharmacy; you must first meet the annual TRICARE deductibles. After that, in most circumstances, DoD will refund the co-pay amount. Forms should be sent to: ESI, PO Box 66518, St. Louis, MO 63166-6518. For more information contact:

  * Retail pharmacy (TRRx): (866) 363-8779 or  http://member.express-scripts.com/dodCustom/home.do  
  * Mail order pharmacy (TMOP) (866) 363-8667) or  http://www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/tmop.cfm

[Source: MOAA Leg Up 27 AUG 04]

Civil Air Patrol Wants Retirees:  The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is playing a role in homeland security and is looking for senior members to join the effort. The auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force is a force multiplier in critical homeland security efforts. Members have excellent air/ground
observation and communications assets at their disposal to provide aerial reconnaissance, photography and transportation, disaster and damage
assessment, and other jobs. CAP performs missions for several federal government agencies. These include the departments of Defense, Justice,
Transportation, Treasury and Agriculture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Coast Guard; Federal
Aviation Administration, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Forest Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and state and local law enforcement.
     You don't have to be a pilot to join. CAP offers many avenues of volunteer service, including emergency services, training and mentoring for
cadets, and aerospace education. They also need volunteers for community outreach, media relations and administrative responsibilities. CAP has more than 1,700 squadrons throughout the nation. To locate the nearest to you go to  http://www.cap.gov  and click on "Cap Unit Locator". Before getting involved it is recommended you locate one or more squadrons near you and visit during their regular meeting time. All squadrons are different in personality and focus, so look for the one that most closely matches your interests. If interested in joining you can call 800-FLY-2338 and have a member info packet mailed to you, complete an online request form at  http://www.cap.gov  or download one in PDF format. CAP also offers civilian employment in a variety of fields. Most jobs are located at the national headquarters located at Civil Air Patrol NHQ/XPH, 105 South Hansell Street, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112 Fax: 334 953-9906. Occasionally CAP has job openings at other locations as well.
[Source: Armed Forces News 27 AUG 04 and  http://www.cap.gov ]

National Cemetery Administration Update 01:  The Department of Veterans Affairs which operates 120 of the 136 national cemeteries has named the new national cemetery in the Detroit area the "Great Lakes National Cemetery," and the one in the Atlanta area the "Georgia National Cemetery." Veterans with a discharge other than dishonorable, their spouses and eligible dependent children can be buried in a national cemetery. Other burial benefits include a burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate and a government headstone or marker - even if they are not buried in a national cemetery. VA, now in the midst of its largest cemetery expansion since the Civil War, operates 120 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico, 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites. More than 2.5 million Americans, including veterans of every war and conflict - from the Revolutionary War to the current war against terrorism - are buried in VA's national cemeteries on more than 14,200 acres of land. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at  http://www.cem.va.gov  or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at (800) 827-1000.

     Georgia: The 775-acre site Georgia site is located in Cherokee County approximately 40 miles north of Atlanta. Nearly 400,000 veterans and their families live within 75 miles of the site. Currently there are no open national cemeteries in Georgia. The two closest open VA national
cemeteries are Chattanooga National Cemetery, 118 miles away in Tennessee, and Fort Mitchell National Cemetery, 130 miles away in Alabama. The 110-acre initial construction phase calls for 17200 full-casket gravesites, 12000 pre-placed crypts, a 3000-unit columbarium, 765 sites for in-ground cremated remains and a scattering garden for cremated remains. The plan also includes construction of an administration and maintenance complex, three committal service shelters, a public information center with electronic gravesite locator and public restrooms, a cemetery entrance area, flag assembly area, memorial walkway and donations area and infrastructure elements including roadways, landscaping, utilities and irrigation. Construction is estimated to begin in late 2004 and burials are expected to begin by late 2005 in an initial burial site to allow burials while cemetery is under construction.

     Michigan: The 544-acre Michigan site is located in Oakland County, approximately 45 miles northwest of Detroit. Nearly 460,000 veterans and their families live within 75 miles of the site. Currently, the closest open VA national cemetery is Fort Custer National Cemetery, located 114
miles away in south central Michigan. The 22-acre initial construction phase calls for 6500 full-casket gravesites, 5200 pre-placed crypts, a 1700 unit columbarium and 1750 sites for in-ground cremated remains. The plan also includes construction of an administration and maintenance
complex, two committal service shelters, a public information center with electronic gravesite locator and public restrooms, a cemetery entrance
area, flag assembly area and infrastructure elements including roadways, landscaping, utilities and irrigation. Burials are expected to begin
during mid-2005 in an initial burial area, separate from the overall construction project to allow for burials to begin during construction of the cemetery. The cemetery staff will conduct initial operations from a temporary office, committal service shelter and equipment shed until the
construction is completed.

[Source: VA News Release No. 08-07-04 dtd 16 AUG 04]

VA Burial Benefits:  Regardless of whether the in-service death is due to combat, accident or disease, the following benefits apply:

  * Burial in a VA National Cemetery: Members of the armed forces and veterans, their spouses and dependent children may be buried in any of       VA's national cemeteries with available space. There currently are 120 national cemeteries across the nation and 83 have available grave       space. More information is available at  http://www.cem.va.gov  

  * Burial in a Non-VA Cemetery: Deaths of active-duty members are not covered by VA's financial burial allowance benefits, since the military
     services assist survivors with funeral expenses and the cost of burial in private cemeteries. If a family wishes to arrange burial in a non-VA
     cemetery, VA will provide a headstone or marker for the grave.

  * Burial in a State Veterans Cemetery: Although not a benefit provided by VA, burial in a state veterans cemetery is an option available in  many       states for those who die on active duty. Some states have residency requirements and may impose additional limitations.

  * Military Funeral Honors: Upon request, the Department of Defense will provide military funeral honors. This arrangement typically is made by       the funeral director. At least two uniformed service members fold and present the flag and play "Taps" by a recording or a bugler. Additional
     information about funeral honors is available at  http://www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil 

  * Military Burial Flags: In the case of in-service deaths, the Defense Department provides a U.S. flag to drape the casket or to be presented at a       memorial service. After the service, the flag is given to the next of kin.

  * Presidential Memorial Certificate Program: The service member's next of kin receives a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Additional
     certificates are available for other loved ones upon request to VA. The gold embossed parchment-style paper is inscribed with the service       member's name and bears the president's signature. It expresses the nation's gratitude for the deceased person's military service.

[Source: VANEWS-L 17 Aug 04]

VA NBC Fees Payment:  The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced in May 04 that VA will reimburse eligible veterans up to $2000 for National board Certification (NBC) fees for each first-time or retake assessment. NBC takes between one and three years to achieve and is the highest credential in the teaching profession. It is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that measures what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. Veterans must be eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill to participate. Additional information on the certification is available at  http://www.nbpts.org/candidates/become.cfm  or (800) 11TEACH. For information on the GI Bill access www.gibill.va.gov or call (888) GI-BILL-1. program is available at  http://www.homeloans.va.gov 
[Source: VFW Magazine AUG 04]

Great Pond Recreational Facility:  The MWR at NAS Brunswick ME has opened a four season recreational facility located 140 miles northeast of the air station at Great Pond and 50 miles south of the Canadian border. The 374-acre former "Dow Pines" facility offers quiet, rustic comfort that is ideally situated in the woods. The facility offers:

  * Wilderness campsites at $10/night year round.
  * 18-site campground with water and electric hookups for campers.
  * Five cabins that range from $70/night to $540/week depending on size. They come equipped with a kitchen, bathroom w/shower, two bedrooms,
      and a loft. Some cabins have a sleeper sofa or the staff will roll in a couple of beds to accommodate extra guests.
  * Bigelow Lodge from $90/night up to $750/week. Rooms include a kitchen, bathroom w/shower, two bedrooms, a loft, and two pullout couches
      for up to 12 guests.
  * Two Yurts (a strong weather proof tent that can be used year round). One Yurt ($25/night $180/week) is located on Great Pond while the other
      is only accessible by boat on King's Pond.
  * Pets on a leash are allowed at Great Pond with a $5/day charge payable upon registration.
  * Recreational Hall offering movies and games with a large stone fireplace that is used nightly by guests.
  * Sailboats, kayaks, motorboats, and canoes are available for rent along with skiing and camping equipment, bed linen and towels.
  * A small on site store that sells the bare essentials including bug spray, ice, wood, snacks, etc.

     The nearest town is an hour's drive (Bangor) and clear cellophane reception is only available in the middle of the pond. Authorized users can make reservations 12 months in advance at (207) 584-2000. When booking weekends you must book for both Friday and Saturday. Additional info is available at greatpondoac@rivah.net or  http://www.mwr.nasb.navy.mil  [Source: Shift Colors JAN-MAR 04]

HOME | ABOUT US | NAVAL AVIATION FORCES | EVENTS | SPECIAL ARTICLES