The Race Is On To Evacuate 22,000 Afghans By Aug 31. Withdrawal Deadline.
In a perfect world, according to defense officials, U.S. military aircraft would be able to get 5,000 Afghans out of the Kabul airport each day. But perfect is the furthest thing from the conditions on the ground in Afghanistan right now. After flights were grounded most of Monday, allowing troops to corral a crowd of desperate Afghans who'd stormed the airport hoping to board C-17 Globemasters, the Pentagon confirmed in the early evening that flights had resumed and that they are working on the logistics to get as many as 22,000 Afghan interpreters, their families and other vulnerable Afghans into the U.S. ― by Aug. 31.
100 Plus VA Medical Centers Implement Electronic Solution To Streamline Research.
The Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Research and Development transitioned all its research sites nationwide and its Central Institutional Review Board, June 30, to the IRBNet platform that will streamline research on behalf of Veterans. The move standardizes regulatory review across the nationwide system and is a major step in the evolution of VA research into an enterprise with uniform processes across all sites.
Southern Command Chief Says Speed, Effort Needed To Save Haitian Lives.
Speed is essential in saving lives during a disaster like the Haitian earthquake, and U.S. Southern Command is in the business of saving lives. Navy Adm. Craig Faller, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, said in an interview Tuesday night. A 7.2 on the Richter scale earthquake struck the southeastern area of Haiti on Saturday morning. Within 24hours, U.S. Southern Command had teams on the ground assessing damage and saving lives. The effort has continued non-stop - even as Tropical Storm Grace struck the affected area yesterday.
According to U.S. Capitol police, there is a suspicious vehicle near the library of congress. Suspect claims he has a bomb and has been live-streaming, US Capitol Police chief says. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said negotiators continue to try to come to a "resolution" with a man who says he has a bomb in a pickup truck. Manger said in a news conference near the Capitol that the suspect had been live-streaming and that officials have a "possible name" but added "we don't have much information about him at this time." Video has been posted on Facebook by the suspect, a law enforcement official tells CNN. CNN is not yet naming the suspect. A video that lasts about a half hour shows an individual from inside a truck, holding a canister that he says is a bomb and speaking about a "revolution."
So far, The White House is closely following events on Capitol Hill at this hour as authorities deal with a bomb threat. "The White House is monitoring the situation and is receiving updates from law enforcement," a senior administration official tells CNN. It is unclear if President Biden has been briefed. The Cannon, Jefferson and Madison office buildings have been evacuated. Police said there is a possible explosive device in a pickup truck outside the Library of Congress. Congress is not in session this week. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said it is assisting Capitol Police with the incident. Metro said its trains on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines are bypassing the Capitol South station due to the situation. Shuttle buses are being requested, and riders are expected to see delays on those three lines. This situation is still an ongoing investigation.
Retirees And Disabled Vets Due For Record Raise Next Year.
Military retirees and disabled veterans could see their monthly checks jump by hundreds of dollars each month in 2022, the largest increase since 1983.
The annual inflation-based Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA, soon will be determined by the government, and all the figures point to an increase of at least 6%, and maybe more, beginning in 2022.
That means that next year, military retirees will see their monthly retirement check increase, with the average monthly check going up by around $160. Veterans receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs also will see their monthly disability payments increase, with the average monthly amount increasing by nearly $100.
According to the Defense Department, there are around 1.87 million military retirees, with an annual average retirement payment of $30,265. The VA says nearly 5.1 million veterans receive disability compensation, with an annual benefit of $18,549.
The annual COLA increase is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is measured by the Department of Labor. That agency measures the costs of a select group of goods and services and compares those costs to the previous year. If there is an increase, retirees and many others receiving government benefits see an increase in their monthly payments for the upcoming year. If those costs go down, the government payments will remain the same in the upcoming year.
In 2021, costs for most goods and services have gone up much faster than they have in the past. The most recent data from the Department of Labor is showing a 5.4% increase from last year, and there are two more months left in the current fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.
So, unless there is a major turnaround of the economy, with prices dropping dramatically in the next month or so, next year's government payments should see a hefty increase.
The CPI is also used to determine federal employee retirement and social security COLA adjustments as well as other federal benefit programs, so the CPI increase will affect over 50 million Americans.
Next year's COLA is scheduled to be announced in early October. When it is, Military.com will have the latest information, including disability pay rates available to you.
IMPORTANT TO REITERATE: AFSA Delegates Vote to Approve 2021-2022 Legislative Platform, Open Letter, and Annual Resolution at 2021 Legislative Forum!
Pictured (Left to Right): AFSA International President, Mike Carton, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman, Mark Takano, AFSA Legislative Committee Chairman, Dr. Jim Crissinger, AFSA Executive Director, Keith A. Reed
As you may be aware, from July 24 to 29, the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) hosted over 2,000 Airmen and Guardians and senior enlisted leaders of the Air and Space Forces at the 2021 Professional Education and Development Symposium (PEDS) in Orlando, Florida at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.
Chairman Takano making formal remarks at the 2021 Legislative Forum.
On Sunday, July 25, AFSA delegates convened to take part in our annual Legislative Forum with a member of Congress - where we made a formal presentation of our L. Mendel Rivers Award to House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, received an up-to-the-minute update from our Policy Advisor, Matthew Schwartzman, and voted on the AFSA's 2021-2022 Legislative Platform, Open Letter, and Annual Resolution.
This year's Legislative Platform saw a total of six modifications that were approved unanimously. In addition to an aesthetic change to the document, the following additions were made to modernize the Platform to address pressing issues in the field:
To ensure proposed military medical billet cuts, any other uniformed/civilian/contracted medical personnel reductions and/or military treatment facility downsizing, or closures are not implemented until DoD presents to Congress a thorough analysis of civilian care availability and plan to mitigate impacts on readiness and beneficiary care.
To monitor transition of MTF administration to DHA and secure a transparent analysis and report on access to care at the MTF level as well as beneficiary problem tracking and resolution.
To support DoD's encouragement for States to engage in immediate actions to fully implement military spouse licensure laws; to attain a baseline of getting military spouses a license in 30 days based on minimal documentation; to seek long-term solutions for reciprocity through compacts.
To increase USAF and military oversight of privatized and government owned family housing and barracks to ensure quality housing is provided, health and safety hazards are properly addressed, abated, and prevented, and utility rates are equitable.
To reverse trends in (and ultimately end) the national tragedy that is suicide among service members past and present and their families; to expand research into core causes, risk factors, and protective factors for suicide among veterans, caregivers, service members and their families; to pursue further legislation and funding for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as treatment of persistent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)/post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) for veterans through VA.
This year's open letter to Congress addressed pending legislation before the 117th Congress on toxic exposure - specifically, the COST of War Act of 2021 and Honoring ourPACT Act of 2021.
In short, the letter respectfully requests Congressional consideration of the following:
Expand a presumption of service connection to include K-2 vetarans
Ensure health care personnel and processors of claims have adequate training with respect to toxic exposure veterans
Provide for reevaluations of claims for compensation involving certain presumptions of service connection
Require consultation with congressionally chartered, membership-based Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) on select appointments to de jure advisory bodies that make determinations on presumptions.
To read the Open Letter in its entirety, please click here.
And, lastly, our Annual Resolution addresses one of the most important issues to our members - that of TRICARE beneficiary cost shares. In short, with the approval of the 2021 Annual Resolution, the AFSA will continue to urge decision-makers to:
Oppose future TRICARE fee increases.
Ensure any programmatic revision to TRICARE and its managed care support contract structure does not force beneficiaries to incur any additional costs.
Separate the costs of providing health care to TRICARE beneficiaries from the costs of ensuring readiness.
Improve the transparency of readiness funding.
Reprogram appropriate apportionments of funds from year-end savings back into the TRICARE program or to beneficiaries to lower their health care costs
To read the Annual Resolution in its entirety, please click here.
If you have any questions about any of the documents aforementioned, please reach out to AFSA's Policy Advisor, Matthew Schwartzman, at mschwartzman@hqafsa.org.
We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits.
The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.
Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.
For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.
Please Update Your Contact Information Today!
Dear Air Force Sergeants Association Member,
In order for the AFSA to effectively communicate with our members, it is essential to ensure we have your current and / or valid e-mail address. We are in the process of updating our records and need your help! Please take a moment to ensure that we have your most current mail and email address (no .mil's); and accurate membership listing information.
We've made it easy, as you can update your information in either one of three ways:
Call Member & Field Relations team directly at 800-638-0594 x 288 (Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST)
Email to: msvcs@hqafsa.org
Visit www.hqafsa.org and select the UPDATE button on the right
We thank you in advance for your support and prompt updates.
In sum, The "Active Bomb Threat" is still an ongoing investigation and our Military and Government Relations Team will keep you posted on the situation.
And that's the way it is for Thursday, August 19, 2021.
Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guard and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!
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