В May, 2014 robins.rao@gmail.com Building 767 (478) 926-0193 Open Monday вЂ“ Wednesday вЂ“ Friday 1300 - 1500 вЂ¦fromtheRetireeActivitiesOffice(RAO) The initial planning for the Robins AFB Military Retiree Appreciation Day (RAD), to be held on September 27, 2014 has begun. In addition to the RAD get-togethers where speakers provide much timely and vital information for our retirees, such as Base Agencies and Hospital Agencies, we are planning on holding a Veterans Job Fair on Friday, September 26, 2014. We are also going to try to hold a golf tournament on Sunday afternoon, September 28, 2014. Hosting and holding a golf tournament is labor intensive and the Retiree Activities Office needs your help. If anyone is interested in assisting with the golf tournament here on the base, please contact me via email at robins.rao@gmail.com. We have a new volunteer at the RAO. His name is Steve Davis and he is normally at the office on Wednesdays from 1300-1500. We now generally have the office open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during those hours. You may still contact me on my cell at (478) 284-9879 to make an appointment during other hours. Also, the Base Voting Office is sharing the RAO office and they are here on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, whatever you may need, come by, email (address shown above) or just give me a call at (478) 284-9879 and we will work with you at your convenience. вЂ¦CamelliaGardensMemorialService The annual Camellia Gardens Memorial Service - which pays tribute to deceased members of Team Robins - will take place May 22 at 10 a.m. in the tranquil garden across from the Horizons Event Center. A reception will follow at Horizons. The service, a moving, patriotic tribute to the departed, is a 38-year tradition. At the garden's entrance, a brick and mortar wall displays plaques with the names of more than 1,600 deceased military and civilian members from Robins honored in past ceremonies. To submit a family member, friend or co-worker to be recognized, contact Staff Sgt. Ronelda Charles at DSN 468-2821, commercial 926-2821, or ronelda.charles@us.af.mil by May 11. This year's ceremony is a project of the Team Robins Company Grade Officer Council and the base chapel. Tony Baumann, director of contracting at Robins, will provide the memorial address. All military should wear the uniform of the day; civilians should wear business attire. вЂ¦FSSHappenings Military Spouse Appreciation Daily Specials п‚· п‚· В At the Base Restaurant Bldg. 166 All Through May В STILL SERVING В В п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Mondays вЂ“ Garden Panini $2 Tuesdays вЂ“ Bowl of Fried Rice 95Вў Wednesdays вЂ“ Egg Biscuit 75Вў Thursdays вЂ“ Bowl of Grits 75Вў Fridays вЂ“ 32 oz. Beverage $1 Please present a Dependent ID Card to Receive Your Discount. First Friday п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· May 2 ~ 5 вЂ“ 6 pm Latin Night Heritage Club Calling all Club members... come out and enjoy yourselves" Food & DJ Entertainment Comm. 222-7899 or DSN 472-7899 MotherвЂ™s Day Lunch п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· May 11 ~ 10:30 am вЂ“ 2 pm Heritage Club Ballroom $23.95 Members / $25.95 Guests RSVP by May 6 Comm. 926-2670 or DSN 468-2670 ~ Tue. вЂ“ Fri. 10 am вЂ“ 3:30 pm Family Movie Night п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· May 16 вЂ“ 6:30 pm Base Theater Movie: The Nut Job $2 Includes: Popcorn & Drink Comm. 926-4001 or DSN 468-4001 Annual America's Armed Forces Kids Run п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Ages 5-13 May 17 Base Track Check in 8:30 am starts at 9 am Register at the Youth Center or online at www.americaskidsrun.org by May 14 For more information contact POC, Marvin Hawkins, at 497-6831 Yard Sale п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· May 17 8 am - Noon ODR Parking lot 478-926-4001 Pool Opens В В STILL SERVING В В п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Saturday, May 24 вЂ“ Monday, September 1 Noon вЂ“ 7 pm Closed for pool Maintenance on every Wednesday 478-926-4001 Team Robins Career Fair п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Friday, May 30 10 am вЂ“ 3 pm Heritage Club Ballroom Open to Base Access Personnel Only All Team Robins Members and Eligible Family Members Bring Your Resume Come Dressed to Interview Military Career Fair п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· Friday, May 30 10 am вЂ“ 2 pm Heritage Club Ballroom Open to Base Access Personnel Only Register at http://adobe.ly/nfweri Hundreds of jobs available and on-the-spot hiring by the Georgia Department of Corrections! Pizza Depot Birthday Party п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· June 3 11 am вЂ“ 1 pm Heritage Club Ballroom Comm. 926-0188 or 468-0188 Coming Soon - Robins Car Care Club and Woodcrafts Club п‚· For more information Call, Kent Jenkins at DSN 497-5915 or Comm. (478) 327-5915 Join us at the Wellston Lounge for Cocktails п‚· п‚· On Fridays ~ 4:30 - 8 p.m. Bldg. 543 located behind the Horizons Event Center вЂ¦fromtheStarsandStripes One-Stop Job Site for Veterans WASHINGTON вЂ” Aiming to streamline employment resources for people leaving the military, the government is creating an integrated website that can help job-seekers create resumes, connect with employers and become part of a database of veterans and their spouses for companies to mine for skills and talents. First lady Michelle Obama was announcing the launch of the new Veterans Employment Center (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs) on April 23, 2014 at Fort Campbell, Ky., during a special В В STILL SERVING В В veterans' jobs summit organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor. "Our service members haven't always had the time or information they needed to prepare their resumes, to plot their career goals, to meet with employers and get the jobs they deserve," the first lady said in her prepared remarks. Mrs. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill, have long been focused on the needs of veterans. The one-stop job-shopping tool comes amid an increase in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans as U.S. participation in those conflicts has ended or winds down. Unemployment among veterans who have served since September 2001 stood at 9 percent in 2013, about 1.6 percentage points higher than the overall civilian population. The website, ebenefits.va.gov, is the first online resource that combines information provided by a variety of agencies and employers. It will help veterans and military spouses build resumes, translate military skills into private-sector aptitudes and provide career and training data with the click of a mouse. Dakota Meyer, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and a Medal of Honor recipient, said the civilian and military worlds have a difficult time understanding each other. "It's something as small as in the military we call it a mission and in the corporate world they call it a project," he said. Meyer, who is working with the Chamber of Commerce Foundation in its outreach to veterans, said the government's launch of its integrated jobs website will help bridge that gap. "I was a sniper in the Marine Corps. How many jobs do you think the civilian world, the corporate world has for snipers? So how do you market that?" he said. "The tool will help translate your skills over to whatever the corporate world is going to understand. So being a sniper - leadership skills, discipline, integrity, whatever-it-takes attitude, personnel management. These are skills that any corporation is looking for." The Obama administration's most high-profile online tool, the HealthCare.gov site designed to enroll Americans in health plans, had a disastrous initial rollout last fall. But administration officials said Tuesday that they have tested the veterans site to ensure that it can handle the expected traffic and the various tasks it promises to carry out. Wednesday's announcement is part of a monthlong series of events marking the third anniversary of Joining Forces, the nationwide initiative that Mrs. Obama and Jill Biden created in 2011 to boost employment, education and health care for active-duty service members, military families and veterans. Biden, who will appear at Fort Campbell with Mrs. Obama, will also announce that the military spouses' employment program has enlisted 228 employers, up from the 60 companies that had made a commitment when the program launched in June 2011. UPS is among the corporations that have pledged to hire more veterans, recruiting 13,000 veterans in the past 12 months, said Lytana Kids, UPS vice president for workforce planning. That's about 8 percent of the parcel delivery company's overall hires, compared with 5 percent before. An integrated website would make that task even easier, she said. Ross Cohen, senior director of the veteran and military spouse employment program at the Chamber of Commerce Foundation, said it was easy for veterans to feel at a loss. В В STILL SERVING В В "Efforts like this one really make it easier to navigate toward a job," he said. вЂ¦fromtheVAOfficeofEconomicOpportunity Dear Colleague and/or Fellow Veteran, It has been an exciting day today. I am pleased to share with you some information about our newly launched Employment Center available on www.ebenefits.va.gov. The First Lady highlighted the Employment Center in her remarks today at a military and Veteran employment event in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Please click the following link to read the White House Press Release (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2014/04/23/obama-administration-launches-online-veterans-employment-center-one-stop). The Department of Veterans Affairs worked closely with our federal partners to develop the Employment Center, which is the single federal source for Veterans looking for new career opportunities in the private and public sectors, as well as Servicemembers transitioning to the civilian workforce, military spouses and dependents looking for employment opportunities, G.I. BillВ® beneficiaries transitioning from training to the job market and employers looking to connect with high quality applicants. This new site integrates multiple tools and resources for both job seekers and employers, including the Veterans Job Bank. For a step-by-step introduction to the site, watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWfhI-eSoWk) If you or someone you know is a Veteran, Servicemember, military spouse or a dependent who is either unemployed or looking for a different career opportunity, I strongly encourage you to check out the new Employment Center. Once on the site you will be able to use the Skills Translator to translate your military skills to civilian skills or skip directly to building a resume with the Resume Builder tool. Resumes created on the site will be available for viewing by both private and public sector employers who are specifically looking to hire Veterans. Please, visit www.ebenefits.va.gov and click on the Employment Center tab on the top navigation bar to create and post your resume. This will ensure that employers looking to hire Veterans like you have access to your resume online. If you are an employer who is interested in learning more about the valuable benefits of hiring a Veteran, military spouse or dependent, or connecting directly with these men and women, I also encourage you to check out the new Employment Center and create a free profile. The new Employment Center provides employers with the ability to make a hiring commitment, post jobs, and search a bank of posted resumes from verified Veterans, military spouses and dependents. If you need any assistance with this process, you can find contact information on eBenefits, under Contact Us. Curtis L. Coy Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity Veterans Benefits Administration U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Believe it! Mental Health Help is Here Albert Perna weighed 80 pounds when he was rescued from a Prisoner of War camp in Germany in 1945. В В STILL SERVING В В Today, he talks about having PTSD. When did he know? He and his wife were on a train, going to Atlantic City, when another train passed by. The noise of the train triggered unexpected memories for him and he dove for the floor, yelling вЂњIncoming!вЂќ At the time he needed help, although he was embarrassed for making a scene. Today, he is not embarrassed to tell you his story because he knows it may help other Veterans. Connect with Other Veterans Albert and other Veterans with PTSD are brave enough to step up and share their experiences in About Face. Learn how PTSD treatment helped turn their lives around. ItвЂ™s one of many ways VA is providing access to care for Veterans with mental health conditions. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, time to focus on PTSD and other mental health issues and help your buddies, our men and women Veterans in need. We turn to our peers for advice. Veterans hearing from other Veterans is especially useful in helping to break down the stigma associated with mental health issues and treatment. Make the Connection is another way for Veterans and their family members to connect with the experiences of other Veterans вЂ” and ultimately to connect with information and resources to help them confront the challenges of transitioning from service, face health issues, or navigate the complexities of daily life as a civilian. Make The Connection is an approachable online resource that links Veterans to personal stories from their peers, to VA resources and support, and to reliable information about mental health and resilience. Tools to Cope and Learn More Self-help tools build coping skills. Try these yourself in the privacy of your own home to learn ways to manage and more: п‚· PTSD Coach Online: 17 tools with video coaches to guide you п‚· VA Mobile Apps for Mental Health п‚· Parenting п‚· Moving Forward п‚· Learn about VAвЂ™s mental health services п‚· Understand more about PTSD Committed Caring Professionals All major VA facilities offer mental health care. Not sure if you are ready yet? Watch Considering Professional Help. Learn what to expect, hearing from others who have been there. Decide if you would benefit from professional help. To locate the nearest VA facility or Vet Center for enrollment and to get scheduled for care, Veterans can visit VHAвЂ™s website or one of the sites listed above. Immediate help is available at the Veterans Crisis Line or by calling the Crisis Line at 1-800-2738255 (push 1) or texting 838255. В В STILL SERVING В В вЂ¦fromTRICARE TRICARE Nurse Advice Line Sometimes itвЂ™s hard to know when to seek medical help for urgent health problems. Having access to a trusted medical professional at a momentвЂ™s notice is invaluable. The new TRICARE Nurse Advice Line (NAL) does just that. Starting April 25, 2014, all TRICARE beneficiaries in the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii can get health advice by calling the NAL, toll-free and 24/7. The NAL number is 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273). The NAL is a team of registered nurses who answer urgent healthcare questions. They give beneficiaries professional medical advice to help decide whether self-care is the best option, or they should see a healthcare provider. They will recommend if itвЂ™s ok to wait for care, or if beneficiaries should seek urgent or emergency care. There is always a live person on the line to answer health questions. The NAL has pediatric nurses to answer childrenвЂ™s health questions. If follow-up to the childвЂ™s care is needed or requested, the NAL will call back to check on them a few hours later. The NAL can also help beneficiaries find the closest medical care if they need it. When beneficiaries call the NAL, a representative checks their eligibility in the Defense Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Beneficiaries with an urgent health care concern or question speak to a registered nurse who asks the beneficiary a series of standard questions to recommend the next steps and give them best advice possible. The NAL can also make appointments at military hospitals and clinics for TRICARE Prime beneficiaries enrolled to those facilities. The appointment feature of the NAL is being phased in for Prime enrollees to military hospitals and clinics between April 25 and June 27, 2014. If you are a Prime MTF enrollee, please consult your MTF for the date you can use this feature of the NAL. Prime MTF enrollees can currently use the health advice feature of the NAL. Beneficiaries can still call their PCM or clinic for medical advice and appointments. The NAL is a new and easy option for beneficiaries to access care quickly at any time. To access the NAL dial 1-800TRICARE (874-2273) and select option 1. вЂ¦fromtheNationalPersonnelRecordsCenter The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), Military Personnel Records (MPR) is the repository of millions of military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans of all services during the 20th century. NPRC (MPR) also stores medical treatment records of retirees from all services, as well as records for dependent and other persons treated at Naval medical facilities. Information from the records is made available upon written request (with signature and date) to the extent allowed by law. Copies of most military and medical records on file at NPRC(MPR), including the DD Form 214, Report of Separation (or equivalent), can be made available upon request. Veterans and next-of-kin of deceased veterans have the same rights to full access to the record. Next-of-kin are the unremarried widow or widower, son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister of the deceased veteran.вЂЁвЂЁAuthorized third party requesters, e.g., lawyers, doctors, historians, etc., may submit В В STILL SERVING В В requests for information from individual records with the veteran's (or next of kin's) signed and dated authorization. All authorizations should specify exactly what the veteran (or next-of-kin) is allowing to be released to a third party. Authorizations are valid one year from date of signature.вЂЁ Information or copies of documents may be released from Official Military Personnel Files within the provisions of the law. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act provide balance between the right of the public to obtain information from military service records, and the right of the former military service member to protect his/her privacy. Please review these items for additional information. In all cases, you must sufficiently identify the person whose record is requested, so that the records can be located with reasonable effort.вЂЁвЂЁThe Standard Form (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records, is the recommended way to obtain copies of documents contained in your military records. If you have access to a printer, and the FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader Software is installed on your computer, you may download the SF Form 180 here. Please download both sides of the form as the back of the form contains important mailing addresses and instructions.вЂЁвЂЁThe Standard Form 180 is formatted for legal size paper (8.5" X 14"), please print that way if your printer can accomodate. If your printer can only print on letter size paper (8.5" X 11"), select "shrink to fit" when the Adobe Acrobat Reader "Print" dialog box appears. If you don't have access to a printer, SF 180's can be requested by calling: (314) 538-4261 (Army); (314) 538-4243 (Air Force); (314) 538-4141 (Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard). Requests for documents contained in military records can be done online at www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/ or may also be accomplished by written letter to the address sown below. Requests must contain enough information to identify the record among the more than 70 million on file at NPRC(MPR). Certain basic information is needed to locate military service records. This information includes the veteran's complete name used while in service, service number or social security number, branch of service, and dates of service. Date and place of birth may also be helpful, especially if the service number is not known. If the request pertains to a record that may have been involved in the 1973 fire at NPRC(MPR), also include place of discharge, last unit of assignment, and place of entry into the service, if known. Federal law [5 USC 552a(b)] requires that all requests for records and information be submitted in writing. Each request must be signed and dated. Mail the SF 180 to the appropriate address listed on the back of the Form. Written letters may be mailed to: The National Personnel Records CenterвЂЁ(Military Personnel Records)вЂЁ91 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. Generally there is no charge for military personnel and health record information provided to veterans, next-of-kin, and authorized representatives. If your request involves a service fee, you will be notified as soon as that determination is made. Response time varies dependent upon the complexity of your request, the availability of records, and our workload. Over the past several years, the NPRC has had its funding and staff levels severely cut by Congress. It is not unusual for records request to take over 180 days. Please do not send a followup request before 180 days have elapsed as it may cause further delays. В В STILL SERVING В В вЂ¦VABriefing&Assistance FREE VA claims and benefits briefings provided by Retired CMSgt Norton and Retired CMSgt Rodriguez. They are held in building 941 (behind the Heritage Club) on the dates shown below. These briefings are designed specifically for active duty, guard, reserves, retirees, spouses, widows of vets and prior military. Widows may very well be eligible for VA benefits, but are not aware of it. Each individual gets personalized assistance with a claim from beginning to end. You are not left on your own to prepare or submit the claim...we provide all of the forms, etc. Here is the schedule for 2014: п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· п‚· May 1 & 15В June 5 & 19В July 3 & 17В August 7 & 21В September 4 & 18В October 2 & 16В November 6 & 20В December 4 & 18В вЂ¦fromVeteransOrganizations TREA Eagle Chapter 94 Just as freedom can only be protected through eternal vigilance, so it is with the promised health and welfare benefits of all enlisted military personnel; past, present, and future!. The leaders of The Enlisted Association and our legislative staff in Washington, D.C. cannot fight alone -- we need your help and support through your membership to safeguard the benefits promised to us while serving. You can join the fight and stand side by side with The Enlisted Association by contacting the Warner Robins local chapter, Eagle Chapter 94 by phone at (478) 284-9879 or email at rdelaney46@gmail.com. You may also check out our Chapter 94 Webpage at www.trea94.org, or join us for our monthly meeting held at Old Times Buffett on Russell Parkway at 7 PM on the second Thursday of the month. We also generally get together the last Saturday of the month for breakfast at The Golden Corral (or other local restaurants.) Membership is open to all Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve personnel as well as honorably discharged veterans and, of course, Military Retirees from all services. Annual Membership dues are $30 and 3-year membership is currently $55. We do offer a life membership at $400 ($420 each quarter for 10 quarters.) If you are interested in finding out more about TREA: The Enlisted Association, Chapter 94, visit www.trea94.org or contact any of the chapter officers listed on that website. We are truly вЂњThe Voice of the Enlisted.вЂќ VFW Post 6605 To apply for VFW Post 6605 membership, simply come by the Post at 1101 Corder Road, Warner Robins and fill out a membership application with a copy of your DD Form 214 (you must have served in a warzone to be eligible) and a check for your annual membership dues-$29.00 per year. В В STILL SERVING В В Effective 1 Jan 2014 the membership fee will increase to $38.00 per year. Lifetime memberships are available depending on your age. For additional information contact VFW Post 6605 at (478) 922-2154. VFW Post 6607 Are You Missing Out? The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is just one of several veterans support organizations that is fighting to protect our earned and deserved benefits. Your VFW has paid lobbyist that represents us in front of congress at least twice a year to voice veterans concerns. Our Post has a state accredited claims agent and a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) available to assist in filing claims and other related issues. Your VFW POST 6077 in Hawkinsville, on 255 Lower River Road is trying to increase our numbers and keep the largest veterans organization in the world strong and recognized. Strength in numbers is what we need when our representatives go to DC. Your VFW Posts needs your help. If you are a VFW member that recently relocated to the area, or would like to renew your membership or would like to be a member, come over and meet fellow comrades. Bring your DD-214 (must have served in a campaign and be honorably discharged) along with your annual membership fee of $35.00 per year and we will help complete the application process. For More Information phone 478 934 9238 or email charglofarm@bellsouth.net or stop by at our Monthly meetings at the address mentioned on 3RD MONDAY of each month. В В STILL SERVING В В вЂ¦WarnerRobinsSeniorCenter В В STILL SERVING В В В В В STILL SERVING В В В В