CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
To submit information for news briefs, send an e-mail to airlift.dispatch@charleston.af.mil with subject NEWS BRIEFS. Submissions must be received no later than close of business Friday the week before publication.
Spotlight
The 437th Logistics Readiness Squadron will host a retirement ceremony for Chief Master Sgt. Stanley Walker May 26 at 10 a.m. in the Charleston Club. For more information, contact Master Sgt. Joseph Landreth at 963-5079.
Around the base
437th Communications Squadron golf tournament: The 437 CS will be hosting a shotgun-start golf tournament at Wrenwoods Golf Course June 12 starting at 7:30 a.m. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. Contact Senior Airman Nathan Lopez at 963-8230 no later than June 8 to reserve a spot in the tournament. Cost per person is $40 or $30 for Wrenwoods AAA customers. Multiple prizes will be awarded.
Education and Training Center closings: The Education and Training Center will close June 3 at 1 p.m. for a Community College of the Air Force graduation practice and all day June 4 for the CCAF Graduation Ceremony. All interested base personnel are invited to join the celebration June 4 at 2 p.m. in the base theater honoring the 131 graduates. A reception will follow in the Charleston Club. The complete list of graduates will be published in the June 5 edition of the Airlift Dispatch.
On-base colleges fall term registration: Term-five registrations for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Park University, Southern Illinois University and Webster University are currently underway and will continue until classes start. Visit the Education and Training Center, Building 221 on base, Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for registration. Term dates are from June 1 to Aug. 1. Contact the Education and Training Center at 963-4575 or 7201 for further details.
Trespassing notice: The Charleston AFB small arms firing range is located off Arthur Drive on Range Road near the munitions operations area and explosive ordnance disposal building. Do not trespass into the surface danger zones; they are identified by posted warning signs. Trespassing is not only illegal; it is dangerous because of gunfire. Personnel requesting entry into firing range impact zones must contact the security forces combat arms NCO in charge at 963-1121 or via e-mail at 437sfs.catm@charleston.af.mil.
Health care consumers council meeting: A health care consumers council meeting will be held May 28 at 1:30 p.m. in the Base Theater. The briefing will provide quality reports on hospital services, TRICARE, pharmacy, dental and health promotions. The council is committed to broadening beneficiaries' awareness about updates on health care benefits and services. The meeting is open to anyone eligible for military health care. For more information, call the base clinic at 963-6710 or 6706.
15th Airlift Squadron golf tournament: The 15 AS will be hosting a captain's choice, four-person team, 18-hole, shotgun golf tournament at Wrenwoods Golf Course. The tournament will be held June 5 starting at 7:30 a.m. The driving range and registrations open at 7 a.m. Cost per person is $35 with $22 allotted to Wrenwoods and $13 going to the 15 AS booster club. To sign-up, e-mail matthew.slupski@charleston.af.mil or see 15 AS Current Operations in Building 74.
Airman Battle Uniform headgear policy: The ABU patrol cap is the authorized hat with the ABU. ABU "Boonie" floppy hats are authorized in the area of responsibility. Exceptions to this policy include:
· Berets continue to be authorized for wear, with no change to current color worn by security forces, pararescue and combat rescue, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school, combat patrol and special tactics, combat weather and the Tactical Control Air Party.
· Campaign hats continue to be authorized for wear with no change to current color worn by Special Operations Command units, basic military training instructors and Defense Language Institute English Language Center instructors.
· Organizational caps are authorized for RED HORSE squadrons.
Lost and found: The 437th Security Forces Squadron investigations section maintains all lost and found items turned into security forces. Please telephone 963-3605 or 7266 if you have lost an item on Charleston AFB. As a reminder, in accordance with Air Force Instruction 31-206, security forces will generally not take custody of property, except for weapons, left with another installation agency, for example, luggage left by passengers at the passenger terminal or personal property left in or around the dorms, Base Exchange or the Commissary.
Mom and Tot Play Group: The Mom and Tot Play Group meets Wednesdays in the base Youth Center at 9:15 a.m. The play group is open to all mothers and their children. For more information, please contact Lauren Gonzalez at 819-6541, or via e-mail at lauren.gonzalez16@gmail.com. For Aubrey Arnold, call 405-924-2433, or contact via e-mail at aubarnold@gmail.com.
CAC Registration: Everyone with a common access card is required to register it in the new Defense Biometric Identification System located at the Visitor Control Center Mondays through Fridays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cards may also be registered at the 437th Force Support Squadron Military Personnel Flight, Building 503, Mondays through Fridays between 7:30 a.m. and noon. For more information contact Bob Trout at 963-3623 or George Kennedy at 963-7807.
Legal assistance change of hours: Hours for legal assistance have changed. All wills and health care powers of attorney will be completed by appointment only, excluding deployers. Appointments will be available Thursdays from 8 a.m. to noon. All other legal assistance, such as consumer affairs or divorce, will be held on a walk-in basis Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. for active-duty Airmen and from 1 to 3 p.m. for all clients, including active-duty members. For more information or to make an appointment, contact the legal office at 963-5502.
Spread the Word available electronically: An electronic version of the Spread the Word briefing is now available online at https://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/pubaffairs/word/word.asp. Briefing topics range from the assignment cycle and tempo banding to upcoming uniform changes and civilian hiring procedures. Questions can be sent to the Spread the Word team at ste.workflow@randolph.af.mil.
All classes and briefings sponsored by the Airman and Family Readiness Center will be held at Building 500 unless otherwise noted. If interested in signing up for an event, call 963-4406.
SC employment services: A representative from the South Carolina Employment Services will be here May 27 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.
Family 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 provides information on all realms of deployments and there will be tips for a successful deployment for both the Airman deploying and his or her family.
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.
MFLC Program: A Military Family Life Consultant is now available by phone at 609-8717, Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and available on weekends as well. The service is free and confidential with some restrictions and no kept records or documents. The consultant can also meet with Team Charleston Airmen on base or in a public setting such as a library or a restaurant. The consultant acts as a "life coach" in preventing issues from becoming problems and work with a wide variety of issues including relationships, anger and stress management, communications, parenting, work-related stress, decision-making skills, issues related to deployments and other "life adjustments."
Airman's Attic in need of donations: The Airman's Attic is in need of 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 Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Betsy Crump at 963-4411.
Airman's Attic needs volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help at the Airman's Attic located in the A&FRC Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to sort donations and assist customers. There is also a need for individuals who own a truck or a trailer to volunteer as delivery drivers. Volunteers are eligible to participate in the base Recognizing Achievement and Volunteer Excellence program, which provides monthly incentives based on the number of hours volunteered. For more information, call 963-4408.
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. Keep in mind that members must meet eligibility criteria and they must pay tax on any amount that is transferred into a Roth IRA for the year of the transfer. For more information, see the "Questions and Answers" on the TSP Web site or the TSP tax notice "Important Tax Information About Payments From Your TSP Account," available from the TSP Web site, www.tsp.gov, or by calling the Thrift Line at 877-968-3778.
More storage available: The recreational vehicle storage lot has available spaces for boats, campers or trailers not exceeding 30 feet in length for individuals living on or off base. The fee is $35 per month or $360 per year. For more information, contact the Outdoor Recreation Center at 963-5271.
Lower cost hearing aids available for military retirees: Naval Health Clinic Charleston is now participating in the Retiree At-Cost Hearing Aid Program. RACHAP makes hearing aids available at significantly reduced costs to retired military service members. The program is available for those who are under 65 years old and enrolled to a primary care manager at NHCC or to the 437th Medical Group. Those receiving 10 percent or more disability from the Veteran's Administration are not eligible for hearing aids through RACHAP. Anyone interested in obtaining a hearing aid through RACHAP should call the Naval Health Clinic directly at 743-3709. Those wishing to change their primary care enrollment to NHCC should call 800-444-5445 or visit the TRICARE Service Center at the Naval Health Clinic on Rivers Avenue. For more information on the services available at NHCC, go to www.nhchasn.med.navy.mil.
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 3-12.
Possible assistance for homeowners: President Obama introduced a comprehensive Financial Stability Plan and a critical piece of this effort is the Home Affordable Refinance Program. The program will give homeowners with loans owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac an opportunity to refinance into more affordable monthly payments. The consumer Web site, www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov, provides homeowners with detailed information about these programs along with self-assessment tools and calculators to empower borrowers with the resources needed to determine eligibility for a modification or refinance under the Administration's program. The Web site also allows borrowers to connect with free counseling resources to help with outstanding questions; locate homeowner events in their communities; find a handy checklist of key documents and materials to have ready when making that important call to their servicer as well as frequently asked questions from borrowers in similar circumstances and much more.
Myrtle Beach Military Appreciation Days: Myrtle Beach will honor active-duty and retired military service members from all branches with Military Appreciation Days, May 28 to 30. Visit the Military Appreciation Days Web site at www.militaryappreciationdays.com for a schedule and list of events.
Air Force Heritage Aire Celtic Ensemble 2009 tour: Free, public performances by the Air Force Heritage Aire Celtic Ensemble will be offered to audiences in the Charleston area beginning June 12 at 6 p.m. in Summerville at Hutchinson Square. Performance schedules with locations can be found at www.heritageofamericaband.af.mil/ensembles.
States offering bonuses for military deployments: Military members who have deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism may be eligible for cash bonuses in many states. Since each state manages its own benefit program, benefits vary from state to state. To take advantage of these benefits, links to state veterans affairs Web sites can be found at www.va.gov/statedva.htm. For questions, visit the legal office during legal assistance hours. Legal assistance is provided on a walk-in basis on Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. for members in uniform and 1 to 3 p.m. for all members of the Charleston AFB community.