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 May, 2014
robins.rao@gmail.com
Building 767
(478) 926-0193
Open Monday – Wednesday – Friday 1300 - 1500
…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.
…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.
…FSSHappenings
Military Spouse Appreciation Daily Specials
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At the Base Restaurant Bldg. 166
All Through May
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Mondays – Garden Panini $2
Tuesdays – Bowl of Fried Rice 95¢
Wednesdays – Egg Biscuit 75¢
Thursdays – Bowl of Grits 75¢
Fridays – 32 oz. Beverage $1
Please present a Dependent ID Card to Receive Your Discount.
First Friday
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May 2 ~ 5 – 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
Mother’s Day Lunch
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May 11 ~ 10:30 am – 2 pm
Heritage Club Ballroom
$23.95 Members / $25.95 Guests
RSVP by May 6
Comm. 926-2670 or DSN 468-2670 ~ Tue. – Fri. 10 am – 3:30 pm
Family Movie Night
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May 16 – 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
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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
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May 17
8 am - Noon
ODR Parking lot
478-926-4001
Pool Opens
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Saturday, May 24 – Monday, September 1
Noon – 7 pm
Closed for pool Maintenance on every Wednesday
478-926-4001
Team Robins Career Fair
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Friday, May 30
10 am – 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
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Friday, May 30
10 am – 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
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June 3
11 am – 1 pm
Heritage Club Ballroom
Comm. 926-0188 or 468-0188
Coming Soon - Robins Car Care Club and Woodcrafts Club
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For more information Call, Kent Jenkins at DSN 497-5915 or Comm. (478) 327-5915
Join us at the Wellston Lounge for Cocktails
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On Fridays ~ 4:30 - 8 p.m.
Bldg. 543 located behind the Horizons Event Center
…fromtheStarsandStripes
One-Stop Job Site for Veterans
WASHINGTON — 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
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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.
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"Efforts like this one really make it easier to navigate toward a job," he said.
…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. Bill®
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.
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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 “Incoming!”
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.
It’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 — 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:
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PTSD Coach Online: 17 tools with video coaches to guide you
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VA Mobile Apps for Mental Health
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Parenting
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Moving Forward
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Learn about VA’s mental health services
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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 VHA’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.
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…fromTRICARE
TRICARE Nurse Advice Line
Sometimes it’s hard to know when to seek medical help for urgent health problems. Having access to
a trusted medical professional at a moment’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 it’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 children’s health questions. If follow-up to the child’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.
…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.
Authorized third party requesters, e.g., lawyers, doctors, historians, etc., may submit
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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.
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.
The 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.
The 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 Center
(Military Personnel Records)
91 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.
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…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:
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May 1 & 15 June 5 & 19 July 3 & 17 August 7 & 21 September 4 & 18 October 2 & 16 November 6 & 20 December 4 & 18 …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 “The Voice
of the Enlisted.”
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.
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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.
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…WarnerRobinsSeniorCenter
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