CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
To submit a news brief, send an e-mail to 437aw.dispatch@charleston.af.mil. Make the subject line "NEWS BRIEFS." Submissions must be received no later than close of business the Friday prior to publication.
Spotlight
Assumption of command ceremony: An assumption of command ceremony is scheduled to be held here Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. for the standup of the 628th Air Base Wing. Assuming command of the new wing is Col. Martha Meeker under the order of distinguished guest Lt. Gen. Robert Allardice, 18th Air Force commander. The standup of the 628 ABW will reorganize Charleston AFB and Naval Weapons Station Charleston units in preparation for the standup of joint basing operations for both Air Force and Navy personnel at each base.
Retirement: The 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron will host a retirement ceremony for Master Sgt. Antonia Smith Jan. 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the Charleston Club. For more information, contact Master Sgt. Lisa Manigault at 963-4884.
New MPS phone number: In an ongoing effort to improve customer service, the 437th Force Support Squadron Military Personnel Section has developed a single phone number which will route all calls to the appropriate offices. For all military personnel issues, contact 963-0677.
Airman and Family Readiness Center events are held at Building 500 unless otherwise noted. To sign up for an event, call 963-4406.
Pre-deployment briefing: Families of Airmen deploying within the next 30 days can meet Tuesdays and Fridays from 2 to 3 p.m. The briefing gives information about deployments and tips for a successful deployment for Airmen and their families.
Reintegration seminar: There is a reintegration seminar held Tuesdays from 9 to 10 a.m. for Airmen returning from a deployment to help them reintegrate back into their family lives.
Educational opportunities: Schedule a half-hour appointment to meet with an expert one-on-one to learn how to meet educational goals Jan. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Step parenting: Learn how to understand blended family issues and common complaints from adults and kids Jan. 12 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Also learn the stages of adjustment, characteristics of a successfully blended family, household rules and discipline, establishing new traditions, and things to do and not to do. This is class is for couples only, no children please.
Electronics and children workshop: An interactive lunch and learn workshop is scheduled to be held Jan. 13 from noon to 1 p.m. Parents who want to learn more about the effects of the internet and electronic devices on their children, or simply figure out all the acronyms, will benefit from this informative workshop. A pizza lunch will be provided.
S.C. employment services: A representative from South Carolina Employment Services will be here Jan. 13 to meet with job seekers. Half-hour appointments are held from 10 a.m. to noon. Individuals seeking an appointment must register online before the appointment at www.scjoblink.org.
Budget to financial freedom: Learn how to budget finances to reach financial goals during a briefing Jan. 13 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Troops to Teachers: A briefing will be held Jan. 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. for counseling and assistance regarding certification requirements, routes to state certification, and employment leads in an effort to help eligible military members to transition to a new career as public school teachers in targeted schools.
Making a Good Marriage Better: Learn how temperament impacts a healthy marriage Jan. 14 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This class will teach how to define a healthy marriage and maintain it by developing communication, negotiation and conflict resolution skills. This class is for couples only, no children please. A light snack will be provided.
Free tutoring services: According to federal law, parents of students enrolled in a Title I School which has been identified as "in need of improvement," as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act, must be provided an opportunity to request free tutoring services or Supplemental Educational Services from one of the state-approved SES Providers. Charleston County Schools will pay $1,535 per student to an approved SES Provider to tutor eligible students in an afterschool, before-school, or Saturday school program. Services may be provided on the school campus, at the provider's site, or at home. To be eligible for services, students must be enrolled at one of the eligible Title I schools and must qualify for the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch program. For more information, contact Elsa Summers at 963-4406.
Around the base
AFSA Chapter 306 membership meeting: The next general membership meeting for Air Force Sergeants Association, Chapter 306 will be held Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. in the Charleston Club. Anyone interested in becoming a member is invited to attend. For more information, contact Master Sgt. Michael Bevins at 963-4647.
Palace Chase, Palace Front briefings: The new in-service recruiter, Master Sgt. Robert Denehy, will be conducting Palace Chase and Palace Front briefings at 9 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month in Building 503, Room 201. Air Force Instruction 36-3205 mandates that eligible Airmen who are seperating be informed about the benefits and opportunities available to them within the Reserve, such as cross training, continued service, retirement, education, medical insurance and promotion. For more information, contact Master Sgt. Denehy at 963-4499.
ID Registration: Persons over the age of 16 issued a Department of Defense identification card are required to register in the new Defense Biometric Identification System at the Visitor Control Center or the 437th Force Support Squadron Military Personnel Section, Building 503, weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and weekends at the VCC from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 963-7807.
437 MDG enhances patient services: The Charleston AFB clinic has recently enhanced its services in order to better serve TRICARE beneficiaries. The new service, FONEMED, is an after-hours nurse triage telephone line. This new triage line can be accessed by calling the normal clinic number 963-6880. All calls are automatically redirected to this service when patients call after-hours or on weekends and holidays. Once the call has been directed to the triage line, a live person will answer the call. Highly qualified nurses are staffing this service and will assist with taking proper medical actions. This telephone service is especially helpful for questions regarding appropriate home care, or for advice on appropriate actions to take for urgent conditions which cannot wait until the next duty day. The nurse triage telephone service cannot answer questions regarding lab results, prescription refills, on-going care or future appointments at the clinic. As always, for emergencies call 911. For any questions, contact, Capt. Merritt Brockman at merritt.brockman@charleston.af.mil.
Base ski shop now open: The base ski shop located in the Outdoor Recreation Center is now open. Rentals for skis, poles, boots, ski bibs, big feet, little feet, snow blades and snowboards are available. The shop stocks top brand names such as Salomon, Rossignol and Burton. All equipment can be rented by the day, weekend or week. Ski tuning and waxing of personal skis is available. Call 963-1732 for more details.
Base education fair: The base library and education center will co-host an education fair in the library Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information about all education center colleges and schools will be available. Prior registration is not required. The fair will be open to all military and family members. For more information, call 963-3320.
Paintball action: The Combat Zone paintball season begins at the Outdoor Recreation Center paintball range Jan. 23. The range will be open from 9 a.m. to noon. The field fee is $8, and the rental fee for a mask, marker and air cartridge is $8. For more details, call 963-1732.
Lambs Elementary School gate closures: Security forces personnel will no longer provide services at the Lambs gate between 4 to 4:15 p.m. effective Dec. 1. For any questions or concerns, contact Tech. Sgt. Chad Murphy at 963-8246.
ATM now located in Passenger Terminal: There is now an automated teller machine provided by Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union in the Charleston AFB Passenger Terminal, Building 164. Access to this machine is 24/7. For questions, contact Master Sgt. Maggorino Tamietti at 963-7007.
Airman's Attic in need of donations: The Airman's Attic needs household items, children's clothing to size eight, appliances, food and furniture. If anyone has items that have been gently used, consider donating them to the attic. Donations can be dropped off at Building 500 Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Betsy Crump at 963-4411.
Girl Scouting on Charleston AFB: Girls in grades four to six, or six to seven are eligible for membership in the Girl Scout troop on Charleston AFB. Meetings are held at Building 245 on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. for fun, learning badges and getting to meet other girls her age. Please contact Carolyn Kolva at 743-5020 for more information.
Charleston AFB clinic laboratory now accepting off-base provider orders: The 437th Medical Group Laboratory announced that lab orders from off-base providers for all eligible beneficiaries will be accepted. A copy of the lab's Test Requisition Form can be obtained by having the doctor's office contact the laboratory at 963-6982. A signed prescription or other provider laboratory request form with the required laboratory tests is also acceptable. All laboratory results performed at Charleston AFB will be faxed to the requesting provider upon completion. The clinic laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists to offer this new service. Contact Susan Young with any questions about this service at 963-6982.
Consignment Shop relocation: The base Consignment Shop has been relocated from Building 203 to Building 636. For more information, contact Marie Leydig at 963-3294.
After-School Care: Registration continues for the After-School Program at the Youth Center. This program is accredited and a leader in the community and is open to children ages 5 (and in Kindergarten) to 12. Transportation for after-school care will be provided from Hunley Park, Riverbend, Lambs, Fort Dorchester, Eagles Nest and Oakbrook elementary schools. Registration is accepted daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Shot records and leave and earning statements must be available at time of registration. Call 963-5684 for additional details.
Pharmacy prescriptions must be picked up within seven calendar days: Due to space constraints, filled prescriptions can only be stored in the pharmacy for seven calendar days before being returned to stock. If there are special circumstances and the pharmacy needs to hold a prescriptions a little longer, call the pharmacy at 963-6808.
Educational resources available: Parents of school-age children can access educational resources to support their child's math and reading skill development by registering for a free account at www.soarathome.org. For parents who are relocating, the site offers a test students can take on state learning standards and directs students to a tutorial that will improve their skills if needed. Student Online Achievement Resources cover skills in math, reading and language arts for students in grades 3 to 12.
Lost and found: The 437th Security Forces Squadron maintains lost and found items. Call 963-3605 or 7266 to inquire about a lost item. In accordance with Air Force Instruction 31-206, security forces will not take custody of property, besides weapons, left with another installation agency.
TSP transfers to Roth IRAs: Separated Thrift Savings Plan participants and active participants eligible for age based in-service withdrawals now have the option to transfer all or part of TSP withdrawal payments to a Roth Individual Retirement Account as well as to traditional IRAs or other eligible employer plans. For more information, see "Questions and Answers" or "Important Tax Information About Payments From Your TSP Account," available on the TSP Web site, www.tsp.gov, or by calling the Thrift Line at 877-968-3778.
Lower cost hearing aids available for military retirees: Naval Health Clinic Charleston is now participating in the Retiree At-Cost Hearing Aid Program. Anyone interested in obtaining a hearing aid through RACHAP should call the Naval Health Clinic at 743-3709. For more information on the services available at NHCC, go to www.nhchasn.med.navy.mil.
Officials Announce Homeowners Assistance Program Details: Defense Department officials announced this week the details for distributing $555 million available under the Homeowners Assistance Program. The program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in February, and is designed to partially reimburse those whose service to the nation has required them to relocate and sell their primary residence at a loss. Those eligible include active and former service members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. It also includes Defense Department and Coast Guard civilian employees and non-appropriated fund civilians. For more information, see http://hap.usace.army.mil.
Military Family Needs Assessment: Commissioned by Navy Cmdr. Quinn Skinner, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy, the Military Family Needs Assessment Web-based survey is available to all military and family members. During Year of the Air Force Family, the survey offers an opportunity to collect feedback directly from military members and families about what is working, and what is not, regarding military family education, support and overall adjustment during and after deployment. Information will be provided to policy makers and service providers as a complement to ongoing assessment efforts. The survey is voluntary, confidential and may be accessed at https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1253631402808.
Military Spouses Residency Relief Act: President Barack Obama signed into law Nov. 11 the MSRRA. The act amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide certain protections for military spouses with regard to residency, voting and taxation. Spouses will have the option to adopt the state in which they resided or the service member's state of residence. Under the act, military spouses will not lose the right to vote or register to vote in a state as a result of a military move. They could decide to register to vote at their new locations or keep their voting registrations in the old states, even if they don't plan to return. Another benefit is that a spouse will not have to change a driver's license or vehicle registration when moving to another state. Regarding taxes, a spouse will neither lose nor acquire a residence for tax purposes by entering or leaving a tax jurisdiction while accompanying a service member who is moving as a result of military orders, as long as the residence is the same for husband and wife. This applies to income taxes and personal property taxes. In some case, this means couples no longer will need to hire accountants specifically to work out paying income taxes or property taxes in multiple states. The entire law can be reviewed at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s111-475.