Retiree Newsletter

[darrels joy]

Retiree Newsletter
Nellis AFB Nevada

The Director:
On 1 December 2004, Col. Mort Orzen, USAF Ret. became Director of the Retiree Affairs Office. Under his leadership, we are upgrading the webpage at the Nellis AFB website to make it easier to access the assistance that the retiree office was created to offer. We are here to help you find answers for your VA, retiree pay or other questions.

New Office Location:
The Retiree Activities Office has moved to building 20, 99th Mission Support Squadron, room 138, adjacent to the Customer Service Area. Open hours remain 9AM to 3PM, Mon. thru Fri.

Nellis Gate hours/days:
Main Gate - 24 hours a day/seven days a week
Hospital Gate - 24 hours a day/seven days a week
Tyndall Gate - 0500 to 2100/seven days a week
Manch Manor Gate - 0500 to 2100/seven days a week
Hollywood Gate - 0500 to 2100/Monday thru Friday
Range Rd North Gate - 0500 to 2100/Monday thru Friday
Area II Gate - 0530 to 1730/seven days a week
VR - Maj Cullen
Editor?s note: These hours are subject to change due to holidays and security construction.

CONCESSIONS:
New Optometry Shop! New Optometry Center!
(Tricare now accepted along with many other insurances)
Can't get an appointment at the Base Hospital try Dr. Conrad Lochner at the BX.
Also available is a variety of new frames, and professionals on hand to explain every detail

MAIN STORE:
Date Event
March 18 Rimmel double Decker bus tour free make over.
March 18 Jazz artist Jeffrey Smith
March 24 to 27 Easter toy sale save addsional 50% off clearance toys 50%
Apr 8 Electronics? sale instant rebate up to 100 dollars
Apr 15 Furniture clearance instant rebate 50 to 200 dollars
May 6-7 Mothers day sale

CAR CARE CENTER:
During the month of April we have a wheel and tire sale that gives interest free and no payment until November. Also, a Castrol Oil sale, $3.00 dollars off per case, the entire month of April.

SHOPPETTE:
MILLER 18 PK $9.99 from $11.94
COORS 18pk $9.99 from $11.94
NEW CASTLE $9.99 from $24.95
Smirnoff Vodka $16.10 1.75lt from $18.10
POPOV Vodka $8.95 1.75 from $10.45
CROWN ROYAL $38.80 1.75lt from $42.80
Jack Daniels $27.89 1.75lt from
CHIVAS REGAL $24.95 750ml from $27.45
KELLOGS POP TARTS & CEREAL Buy one get one free

"CASE LOT SALE!!! NELLIS COMMISSARY "
Mark your calendars!
13-15 May, 8:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M.

You belong to best 'club' of all
Many grocery stores offer "savings cards" customers show at checkout to save on that week's specials. Don't you wish commissaries had a savings card? Well, they do! Your passport to savings is your I.D. card. You save a bundle on your overall grocery bill, not just on "loss leaders" advertised to lure you into a store. Commissaries sell at cost, saving you an average of 30 percent or more over civilian grocery stores -- even more on meat and produce! The 5 percent surcharge is not a profit or a tax. It pays for renovations and building new stores. A family of four shopping consistently at their commissary saves about $2,700 annually, and single shoppers save around $700.

Savings are "in the bags!"
Your commissary brings you average savings of 30 percent or more on name brand products every time you shop. Now you can help your commissary save money, too - on grocery bags. Rising oil prices have made the production of plastic bags more costly than paper bags. "Customers can help DeCA save millions of taxpayer dollars by switching to paper bags and eliminating double bagging," said Scott Simpson, chief operating officer for DeCA. In the coming months, DeCA will launch a campaign to encourage customers to switch to paper bags, and "just say no" to double bagging.

"Do I have money to burn by not shopping my commissary?"
Here are a few everyday items nearly everyone uses, married or not: batteries; bottled water; cleaning supplies; fresh fruits and veggies; laundry products; light bulbs; microwave meals; nutrition bars and beverages; personal care items such as razors, shaving cream, toothpaste, vitamins, shoe polish and shampoo; over-the-counter medications; paper products; pet food and supplies; snack foods and sodas. Buy at your commissary and save -- use your hard-earned bucks on something else!
Ray

Clark County VA Locations:
Contacting the local VA can be a problem here because they are not easily found in the phone books so here are local locations with phone numbers.

Arville House, Day Treatment Center (702) 259-4646
1501 S. Arville St., Las Vegas, NV 89102

Las Vegas Business Center (702) 636-6375
2455 W. Cheyenne Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89030

Central Las Vegas Clinic (702) 636-6370
901 Rancho Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106

East Las Vegas Clinic (702) 636-6360
3131 La Canada St., Las Vegas, NV 89109

Henderson Clinic (702) 456-3825
Green Valley Pkwy. Suite 215, Henderson, NV 89014

Homeless Veterans Center (MASH) (702) 386-3124
940 W. Owens Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89106

Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital (MOFH) (702) 653-2215/2216
4700 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89191

North Las Vegas Clinic (702) 636-6380
916 W. Owens Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89106

Northwest Las Vegas Clinic (702) 636-6320
2410 Fire Mesa St., Las Vegas, NV 89129

Pahrump Clinic (775) 727-7535 or (702) 636-3000 Ext. 4842
2100 E. Calvada Blvd., Pahrump, NV 89048

Southeast Las Vegas Clinic, GI Center (702) 636-6350
4187 S. Pecos Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89121

Southwest Las Vegas Clinic (702) 636-6390
3880 S. Jones Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89103

Veterans Center [Not Available]
1919 S. Jones Blvd., Suite A, Las Vegas, NV 89146

West Las Vegas Clinic (702) 636-6355
630 S. Rancho Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89106

Survivor Benefit Plan Proposed Changes Updates:
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) introduced a new joint bill to address two remaining major Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) inequities.

S. 185, the Military Retiree Survivor Equity Act, would end the deduction of VA survivor benefits (paid when the member?s death is caused by a service-connected condition) from the survivor?s SBP annuity. It also would move up the 2008 effective date of 30-year paid-up SBP coverage, which now imposes undue financial penalties on ?Greatest Generation? SBP enrollees, to a 2005 implementation.

Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Dayton (D-MN) joined Nelson and Corzine as original cosponsors in this bipartisan effort.

?At a time when we?re asking for great sacrifices from the volunteer service members who protect and defend this nation, it?s more important than ever to uphold the commitments we?ve made to them,? Sen. Nelson said.

Survivors of members who die of service-connected causes are entitled to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) ($993 per month for a survivor without children) from the VA. The surviving spouse?s SBP annuity is reduced by the DIC amount. A pro-rated share of SBP premiums is refunded to the widow upon the member?s death, but with no interest. MOAA believes strongly that, if military service caused a retired member?s death, the VA indemnity compensation should be added to the SBP benefit the retiree paid for, not substituted for it. No survivors of civilian retirees who are also disabled military veterans and die of a military-service-connected cause must forfeit their purchased survivor benefits to receive DIC.

For members killed on active duty since November 24, 2003, a surviving spouse with children can avoid the dollar-for-dollar offset by assigning SBP to the children. But that forces the spouse to give up any SBP claim after the children attain their majority ? leaving the spouse with only $993 a month from the VA. There are about 53,000 survivors affected by the DIC offset.

The FY 1999 Defense Authorization Act authorized retired SBP enrollees who have attained age 70 and paid SBP premiums for at least 30 years to stop paying premiums, while retaining SBP coverage. But Congress delayed the effective date to Oct. 1, 2008 to save money. Members who retired after 1978 only have to pay 30 years, but tens of thousands of ?Greatest Generation? retirees who signed up for SBP as early as 1972 will have to pay premiums for up to 36 years. And they paid higher SBP premiums for almost two decades before premiums were reduced in 1990. By October of this year, a 1972 retiree already will have paid almost 20% more premiums than a 1978 retiree will ever have to pay.
http://www.moaa.org/Legislative/Arch.../28.asp#Issue1

Law increases Survivor Benefit Plan annuity for beneficiaries over 62, sets 'open season':
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 05 (NDAA 05) makes the biggest change to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) since the plan started in 1972. SBP is a program that let retirees choose to receive reduced retired pay so that their elected beneficiary can receive an annuity after the death of the retiree. Without SBP, retired pay stops when the retiree dies.

Under the new law, SBP annuitants will no longer have their benefits reduced from 55% to 35% of the base amount at age 62. After Apr. 1, 2008, SBP annuitants will receive 55% of the base amount elected, with cost-of-living adjustments, regardless of age. The base amount is the part of retired pay that the retiree elects to cover. The base amount can range from $300 a month to full retired pay.

This change is being phased in over the next three years. NDAA 05 will raise the minimum SBP annuity for survivors age 62 and older to 40% of the base amount covered as of Oct. 1, 2005; to 45% of the base amount on Apr. 1, 2006; to 50% on Apr. 1, 2007; and to 55% on Apr. 1, 2008.

Open enrollment period:
Because of this major change, Congress declared a one-year open season for retirees to elect SBP or increase their current coverage, running from Oct. 1, 2005 to Sep. 30, 2006. Following are possible open season elections:
? Retirees who are not participating in SBP will be able to elect it.
? Retirees who elected SBP, but are covering less than full retired pay as their base amount will be able to increase the base amount
? Retirees who have child only coverage will be able to add spouse or former spouse coverage to the child coverage and will be able to increase the base amount.

Retirees who want to elect or increase SBP coverage during the open season will have to pay a buy-in premium covering all the costs that would have been paid for the election if it had been made at the first opportunity to do so. Interest and any actuarial charges necessary may be added to this amount. The costs associated with the buy-in premium have not been determined, but they will be posted at http://www.dfas. mil and http://www.armyg1.army.mil/retire as soon as they are available.

Retirees who make an open season election must live for two years following the election for it to become effective. If the retiree dies before the end of the two-year period, the open season election will become void and all costs resulting from the new election will be refunded to the named beneficiary of the voided open season election.
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/RSO/echoes/05_Jan.doc

American Former Prisoners of War ? Benefits:
Over 21,000 POWs are receiving disability compensation for service-connected injuries, diseases, or illnesses.

For purposes of disability compensation, Congress has recognized that certain diseases are associated with a Former POW's captivity. These are called presumptive medical conditions, and if a former POW is diagnosed as having one or more of these conditions to a degree of 10% disabling, VA presumes that it is associated with the POW experience. The presumption of association is made for seven conditions regardless of the length of captivity:

Psychosis
Dysthymic disorder, or depressive neurosis
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis
Any of the Anxiety States
Cold Injury
Stroke and complications
Heart Disease and complications
If a former POW was interned for 30 days or more, the following additional diseases are presumed to be service-connected:
Avitaminosis
Chronic Dysentery
Helminthiasis
Malnutrition, including associated Optic Atrophy deficiency
Peptic Ulcer Disease
Beriberi
Cirrhosis of the Liver
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Pellagra and any other nutritional deficiency
Peripheral Neuropathy, except where directly related to infectious causes

More Information on Benefits
Two documents have been added to the amount of information for former prisoners of war. One is in the form of a pamphlet, the other a fact sheet. Both offer descriptions of benefits and services for Former Prisoners of War:
Former Prisoner of War pamphlet, KEEPING THE PROMISE, dated 10/5/04, 41KB.
The POW Fact Sheet, dated 10/5/04, 39KB.

Applying for Benefits
Former POWs can apply for Compensation for their service-connected injuries, diseases or illnesses by downloading, completing and submitting VA Form 21-526 (Veterans Application for Compensation or Pension) (PDF file, 130 KB).

The form can be delivered in person or mailed to the VA regional office serving the applicant's residence.

An electronic version of the form may be completed on the Internet at http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp.
In order to properly evaluate their health for purposes of disability compensation, former POWs should arrange for a POW protocol examination at the nearest VA Medical Center.
http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefit...OWbenefits.htm
Note: The VA is still looking for more than 10,000 former POWs who are not receiving disability compensation or other services.

ATOMIC VET'S INFO:
In the late forties, all through the fifties, and into the early sixties the United States exploded many nuclear devices into our atmosphere. Information regarding these tests was formerly classified which made it difficult for many vets to pursue claims against the government. Much has now been declassified and is available. If you are a vet who has had even one exposure to atmospheric testing of nuclear devices you may be eligible for a service connected disability, or in some cases a lump sum settlement of $75,000.00 from the Department of Justice. Macular degeneration has now been recognized as a possible cause and effect of ionizing radiation exposure. If you are an Atomic vet looking for advice on how to proceed with a claim Richard U. Conant [health permitting] can get you started in the right direction. Richard was very active in pursuing veteran entitlements related to radiation exposure for many years and is a wealth of information on the effects of radiation exposure to vets as a result of his extensive research over the years to file claims. He is an Atomic vet himself, visually challenged, and a survivor of some cancers. He can be reached at rucon1@juno.com. The following web sites can also provide useful info on the subject:
* National Association of Atomic Veterans www.naav.com
* Atomic Veterans of America www.angelfire.com/tx/atomicveteran
* Atomic Veterans History Project www.aracnet.com/~pdxavets
* VA Ionizing Radiation Information www.va.gov/IRAD
* VA Project 112 www1.va.gov/SHAD/

http://www.ussvicb.org/rao.html#14

Title 38--Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief :
CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
PART 4--SCHEDULE FOR RATING DISABILITIES
4.1 Essentials of evaluative rating.
4.2 Interpretation of examination reports.
4.3 Resolution of reasonable doubt.
4.6 Evaluation of evidence.
4.7 Higher of two evaluations.
4.9 Congenital or developmental defects.
4.10 Functional impairment.
4.13 Effect of change of diagnosis.
4.14 Avoidance of pyramiding.
4.15 Total disability ratings.
4.16 Total disability ratings for compensation based on unemployability of the individual.
4.17 Total disability ratings for pension based on unemployability and age of the individual.
4.17a Misconduct etiology.
4.18 Unemployability.
4.19 Age in service-connected claims.
4.20 Analogous ratings.
4.21 Application of rating schedule.
4.22 Rating of disabilities aggravated by active service.
4.23 Attitude of rating officers.
4.24 Correspondence.
4.25 Combined ratings table.
4.26 Bilateral factor.
4.27 Use of diagnostic code numbers.
4.28 Prestabilization rating from date of discharge from service.
4.29 Ratings for service-connected disabilities requiring hospital treatment or observation.
4.30 Convalescent ratings.
4.31 Zero percent evaluations.
4.40 Functional loss.
4.41 History of injury.
4.42 Complete medical examination of injury cases.
4.43 Osteomyelitis.
4.44 The bones.
4.45 The joints.
4.46 Accurate measurement.
4.55 Principles of combined ratings for muscle injuries.
4.56 Evaluation of muscle disabilities.
4.57 Static foot deformities.
4.58 Arthritis due to strain.
4.59 Painful motion.
4.61 Examination.
4.62 Circulatory disturbances.
4.63 Loss of use of hand or foot.
4.64 Loss of use of both buttocks.
4.66 Sacroiliac joint.
4.67 Pelvic bones.
4.68 Amputation rule.
4.69 Dominant hand.
4.70 Inadequate examinations.
4.71 Measurement of ankylosis and joint motion.
4.71a Schedule of ratings--musculoskeletal system.
4.73 Schedule of ratings--muscle injuries.
4.75 Examination of visual acuity.
4.76 Examination of field vision.
4.76a Computation of average concentric contraction of visual fields.
4.77 Examination of muscle function.
4.78 Computing aggravation.
4.79 Loss of use of one eye, having only light perception.
4.80 Rating of one eye.
4.83 Ratings at scheduled steps and distances.
4.83a Impairment of central visual acuity.
4.84 Differences between distant and near visual acuity.
4.84a Schedule of ratings--eye.
4.85 Evaluation of hearing impairment.
4.86 Exceptional patterns of hearing impairment.
4.87 Schedule of ratings--ear.
4.87a Schedule of ratings--other sense organs.
4.88a Chronic fatigue syndrome.
4.88b Schedule of ratings--infectious diseases, immune disorders and nutritional deficiencies.
4.88c Ratings for inactive nonpulmonary tuberculosis initially entitled after August 19, 1968.
4.89 Ratings for inactive nonpulmonary tuberculosis in effect on August 19, 1968.
4.96 Special provisions regarding evaluation of respiratory conditions.
4.97 Schedule of ratings--respiratory system.
4.104 Schedule of ratings--cardiovascular system.
4.110 Ulcers.
4.111 Postgastrectomy syndromes.
4.112 Weight loss.
4.113 Coexisting abdominal conditions.
4.114 Schedule of ratings--digestive system.
4.115 Nephritis.
4.115a Ratings of the genitourinary system--dysfunctions.
4.115b Ratings of the genitourinary system--diagnoses.
4.116 Schedule of ratings--gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast.
4.117 Schedule of ratings--hemic and lymphatic systems.
4.118 Schedule of ratings--skin.
4.119 Schedule of ratings--endocrine system.
4.120 Evaluations by comparison.
4.121 Identification of epilepsy.
4.122 Psychomotor epilepsy.
4.123 Neuritis, cranial or peripheral.
4.124 Neuralgia, cranial or peripheral.
4.124a Schedule of ratings--neurological conditions and convulsive disorders.
4.125 Diagnosis of mental disorders.
4.126 Evaluation of disability from mental disorders.
4.127 Mental retardation and personality disorders.
4.128 Convalescence ratings following extended hospitalization.
4.129 Mental disorders due to traumatic stress.
4.130 Schedule of ratings--mental disorders.
4.150 Schedule of ratings--dental and oral conditions.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/w...38cfr4_03.html

Welcome to the Federal Trade Commission: Your National Resource for Identity Theft
How can someone steal your identity? Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.
If you think your identity has been stolen, here's what to do now:

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.
2. Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.
3. File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.
4. File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you.

For more in-depth information on recovering from identity theft and help with specific problems, read Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft.
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft

Veterans? New ID Cards Help Battle Identity Theft:
WASHINGTON ? With identity theft as the major fraud reported by Americans in 2003, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has designed a new identity card for veterans that will safeguard confidential information.
?The new identification card ensures veterans? personal information is protected,? said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. ?It also helps prevent the theft of important benefits and services from veterans that they earned by their service to our country.?

The card, formally known as the Veterans Identification Card (VIC), will have veterans' photos on the front and identify them as enrollees in the VA's health care system. The card includes the words ?service connected? under the photo if the veteran has a service-connected disability.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation. The Federal Trade Commission listed identity theft as the number one fraud reported by consumers in 2003. Requests from veterans and their congressional representatives were instrumental in bringing about these latest changes.

?The new VIC ensures the security of veterans' personal information as well as ensuring that only eligible veterans receive the benefits and services they?ve earned,? said Kristin Cunningham of the business office for VA?s health care system.

Veterans should request the new card at their local medical center. Processing will take five to seven days once eligibility is verified. VA hopes to complete the conversion to the new, safer card by mid-November. The existing cards will remain valid until veterans receive their new cards.
http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/Pres...net.cfm?id=892

Bills to allow pre-tax insurance payments introduced:
Senator John Warner (R-VA) and Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA) have reintroduced their bills (S.484 and H.R. 994, respectively) that would allow certain insurance premiums to be paid with pre-tax dollars.

The bills would affect active and retired service members and survivors who pay Tricare Prime enrollment fees, Tricare Standard supplement insurance premiums and Tricare dental premiums.

The bills would also allow federal retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) premiums with pre-tax dollars. This "premium conversion" plan deducts premiums from paychecks before federal and state income taxes are calculated.

This saves the beneficiary anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of the premium cost in taxes, according to calculations by the Military Officers Association of America.

This benefit has been extended to current Federal employees who participate in FEHBP since 2000 and is already available to employees of the vast majority of large private sector firms. ...(Air Force Retiree News)

Volunteers:
There is a growing problem here at Nellis AFB. The large lack of volunteers. The base will have trouble meeting the needs of the retiree community and assisting the active duty force to fulfill its mission in a timely manner without help. As Hospital Commander Col. Alley put it ?I could not fulfill my mission without the volunteer workforce in place at the hospital.? A large number of our retiree and spouse volunteers work many hours due to a shortage of volunteers. For these volunteers, it?s a labor of love that they all do gladly asking nothing in return.

To all retirees and spouses ? Please think of all the assistance that was there available to you during your years of service. If you needed the Red Cross, volunteers were there. The Library was there for reading and computers for your family. The retiree office was there to answer questions when you retired. The pharmacies are there to issue your medication. Volunteers at these and other activities need your assistance to keep operating.

We need your help. Please, give us 3 to 4 hours a week. Contact the Retiree Affairs Office at 702-652-8712 to check where volunteers are needed now.

You are the Eyes of the Eagle!
Since the September 11 attacks, preventing terrorist attacks has been on everyone?s mind. Life in America has changed since that infamous day--the Department of Homeland Security was created, the Patriot Act was passed and a constant flow of threats is being reported in the media.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) has been fighting terrorism for a long time and understands that terrorist acts are simply not spontaneous activities that ?just happen.? Rather, they require careful planning and are rehearsed in advance. Investigations into the September 11 attacks, the Khobar Towers bombing, the attack on the USS Cole and many other significant terror attacks revealed the terrorist conducted surveillance, planned their attacks, and rehearsed their operations well before carrying them out.

The September 11 attacks showed that the US is not immune to international terrorist attacks within the CONUS. These perpetrators lived in our cities and communities, patronized local businesses and integrated into of our everyday way of life. Yet not enough people were able to recognize the planning activities and contact the right people to prevent the tragedy. Since April 2002, Eagle Eyes programs have been put in place by OSI units at Air Force installations and deployment locations worldwide.

Unfortunately, there is a limited number of OSI Special Agents and Security Forces members combating terrorism against USAF personnel, assets and operations. OSI created Eagle Eyes for the USAF to encourage Air Force personnel and ordinary citizens to notify authorities when they see something suspicious. You know best what activities and which people belong in your neighborhood. Your trained eyes and ears are a significant weapon in the war on terror. In this way, Eagle Eyes can be thought of as an Air Force-focused, ?neighborhood watch.?

However, Eagle Eyes is different from a neighborhood watch program, because most people know criminal behavior when they see it. Airmen and citizens don?t need to be taught that purse snatching, a shooting or robbing a local business is a crime that needs to be reported. On the other hand, the stages of terrorism planning are not common knowledge. Therefore, the Eagle Eyes program includes a clear, concise, 7-item list of terror-planning activities to be aware of.
? Surveillance is usually the first step of an attack used to determine the viability of a target and decide a method of attack. This may be recognized as someone observing, photographing, sketching, or note taking near a facility or base.
? Elicitation is an attempt to obtain official information without the proper authority or need to know. In the case of Eagle Eyes, this information pertains to security related information.
? Tests of Security are attempts to identify the security procedures in place or used in an emergency response. It encompasses attempts to test, penetrate or circumvent security including acquiring uniforms, badges or identification cards.
? Acquiring Supplies provides the equipment necessary to conduct the attack. These supplies can be vehicles, explosive components, military gear, and a variety of other equipment to be used for the attack. Supplies may be purchased, stolen or obtained under fraudulent pretenses.
? Suspicious Persons are those conducting these activities and who may seem out of place on the base, in neighboring businesses or housing areas, or generally in the vicinity of the target or the supplies.
? Dry Run is the last step of the pre-attack phase in which the attack is rehearsed. This involves the attackers moving into position, checking the timing of patrols, traffic signals, work schedules, etc. without actually committing the terrorist attack.
? Deploying Assets is the beginning of the attack phase when supplies and personnel are moved into place. It is also the last chance to alert security personnel of the pending attack.

Past Eagle Eyes reports have resulted in critical counterterrorism investigations by OSI, FBI, CIA, and many local law enforcement agencies throughout the world. When you observe any of these activities, the USAF needs you to report them immediately to the OSI (652-3433) or the Security Forces Law Enforcement Desk (652-2311) any time of the day or night.
You are the Eyes of the Eagle!
James S. Mehta, Maj, USAF Commander

The New TRICARE Retail Pharmacy program falters, but quickly back on track.
On June 1, 2004, the TRICARE Retail Pharmacy (TRRx) program began providing nationwide prescription services for TRICARE beneficiaries in the United States and its territories through an expanded network of more than 53,000 retail pharmacies. Several hours after implementation, the program began experiencing software issues, causing delays in claims processing.

Express Scripts Inc. (ESI) aggressively narrowed down the cause of the problem associated with the TRRx claims, and on June 2nd, the problem was identified and remedies applied. As of 2 p.m. today (EDT) over 138,000 TRRx claims had been processed. While some rejections continue to occur, they appear to be the type that would be anticipated, such as eligibility rejects related to data inputs for beneficiary identification or duplicate rejections as a result of the disruption in service. With a focus on providing beneficiaries with their medications, ESI quickly implemented contingencies through coordination with their network pharmacies.

There has been some confusion among pharmacies and beneficiaries regarding the required documentation to have a prescription filled.

Beneficiaries need only provide their uniformed services identification card to get a prescription filled. While the TRICARE retail pharmacy information card is not required, it will assist pharmacies in routing the prescription claim to ESI. The TRICARE retail pharmacy information card was sent to current users of the retail benefit; however, if beneficiaries did not receive a card, one can be printed from the TRRx Web site http://member.express-scripts.com/dodCustom/home.do.

For more information about the TRICARE Retail Pharmacy (TRRx) program, interested parties may visit the Web site above, or visit the TRICARE pharmacy Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/. Beneficiaries without website access may call the TRRx Customer Service Center at (866) DoD-TRRX, (866) 363-8779. Please note that callers seeking general information may wish to delay their call to allow the call center, which is experiencing heavy volume, to assist callers with immediate prescription needs.

TMA apologizes for any inconvenience this unexpected disruption in services may have caused. We have confidence that the tremendous amount of effort from ESI and other contractors has rectified the problem.
http://tricare.osd.mil/news/2004/news0413.cfm

For Casualty Reporting (Death) of a Retiree:
The Air Force CASUALTY ASSISTANCE KIT comes courtesy of Air Force Retired Senior Master Sergeant H. K. "Hal" O'Leary of Grants Pass, OR 97528-0088.
Air Force Casualty Assistance: 1-877-353-6807
http://www.amra1973.org/images/RETIR...ECHECKLIST.pdf
The Purple Heart has a CASUALTY ASSISTANCE KIT Created by Stephen Cobb, USA Colonel (Ret.) that has been referenced by the Army.
Army Casualty Assistance: 800-626-3317
www.purpleheart353.com/casualty-assistance.rtf
The Navy and Marine Corp use a different CASUALTY ASSISTANCE KIT.
? Navy Casualty Assistance/Family Liaison: 800-368-3202
? Marine Corps Casualty Assistance: 800-847-1597

http://buperscd.technology.navy.mil/.../CACO/CACO.pdf
Local families may call the Nellis AFB Casualty Assistance Office direct at 702-632-9428. For more information and assistance contact the Retiree Affairs Office at 702-652-8712.

Newsletter Disclaimer:
This newsletter is prepared for the Retired Military community located in the area of Nellis Air Force Base for the sole purpose of informing and advising the retirees of news and existing plans, policies and events.
This is an unofficial publication of the Nellis AFB Retirees Affairs Office. It is written, edited and published for the convenience of the local Military Retiree population. Information and comments herein do not represent the position or opinion of the DOD, USAF or the 99th Air Base Wing. Editorial effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information herein however no absolute guarantee of accuracy can be given or should be assumed.
The Editor: Joy Miller, Spouse of SFC USA Ret.