From the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website
In January 1991, members from all five military branches joined a coalition to push out Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait for Operation Desert Storm.
During January 2021, VA will profile these Veterans in a series of stories for Desert Storm’s 30th anniversary.
More than 2.2 million U.S. service members served during the era and an estimated 694,550 deployed to the Gulf. An estimated 1.68 million Veterans from that era are still alive.
From the Star and Stripes website
Space Force service members will soon get lapel pins and service badges to wear on their Air Force dress uniforms to better distinguish the branches.
Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, the senior enlisted leader for Space Force, unveiled a lapel pin and service badge for service members of the military’s newest branch to display on their Air Force uniforms.
When we set out to create Knoji, our goal was simple: we wanted to provide shoppers with a transparent, community-driven hub for sharing honest, verified information. We meticulously weed out spam, bots, and other unreliable sources, ensuring that consumers can trust any review they read. Continue reading
Go to their home page or directly to their military discounts page
Retired General Erik Shinseki visited the Hawaii National Guard headquarters on October 2, 2007.
He had retired as the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army in August 2003. His military career began as a second lieutenant graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1965. In 2008, President Barack Obama nominated Shinseki to serve as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In 2014, evidence emerged that some facilities had covered up and misrepresented wait times, and Shinseki resigned.
In the photograph (left to right) are Rex Jones, Joe Penn, General Shinseki, and Galen Yoshimoto.
This Kiplinger article provides a detailed summary of state taxes on retirement income, real property, every-day purchases, and more. The article points you to special state tax breaks for seniors. There is a summary for the 10 most tax-friendly and the 10 least tax-friendly states for retirees.
In case you missed it. The following links are to some of posts with the most views in 2020. Some posts are carryovers from previous years.
New ID Cards Being Issued for Military Family Members, Retirees The Department of Defense will transition to these new cards over the next five years.
Myths and Facts About Shingles Many older people experience shingles, a painful rash with blisters.
The 2021 Medicare & You Handbook Is Out The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) update information about Medicare annually. The handbook is published in several versions.
OPM Services Online provides links that retirees can do things like updated mailing addresses, change direct deposit financial institutions, report annuitant deaths.
From the Wired Magazine website
When you look at photos of Americans during the 1918 influenza pandemic, one feature stands out above all else: masks. Fabric, usually white gauze, covers nearly every face. Across the country, public health experts recommended universal mask wearing, and some cities ordered residents to wear them under penalty of fine or imprisonment. The Red Cross made thousands of cloth masks and distributed them for free. Newspapers published instructions for sewing masks at home. “Make any kind of a mask … and use it immediately and at all times,” the Boston commissioner of health pleaded. “Even a handkerchief held in place over the face is better than nothing.”
The Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG) held a Summer Bash fund raiser at the now closed Pipeline Cafe in Kakaako. There was a sellout crowd at the event on August 27, 2006. Among the attendees were Taison Tanaka, Carol Orr, and Duke Ota.
Taison now serves as the Property and Fiscal Officer in Kapolei. Carol is the Command Chief for the 154th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Duke now serves as the HIANG Director of Staff and was promoted to brigadier general last week.
From the Popular Mechanics website
The U.S. Air Force’s secret new fighter jet, which it designed, built, and tested in just one year, will feature some kind of artificial intelligence copilot—a trusted computer algorithm that human pilots can rely on to assume critical tasks in the air.
That’s according to Will Roper, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, who in September shocked the world when he revealed the surprise existence of the service’s new, mysterious Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter.
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. The first issue came in September 1957 and continues as an e-newsletter today.
Today we feature the December 1969 Kūkā‘ilimoku issue. This issue includes the following stories:
* “Help Keep Our Parks Clean” barrel community service project
* 154th USAF Dispensary expanding, 19 positions added
* Promotions – includes Fred Takara, Leslie Mizumoto, Galen Yoshimoto, Clessen Apo
While the shingles infection is more common in people over 50, anyone who’s had chickenpox can get it, even children.
Stanley “Ossum” Osserman‘s effective date of promotion to brigadier general was September 13, 2008. Governor Linda Lingle officiated his promotion ceremony in the governor’s ceremonial room on October 20, 2008. After his military retirement in 2014, He became the Director / Hydrogen Implementation Coordinator, HCATT Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies.
Among the many guests that day were Stephen and Kathleen Berg.
Steve retired for the 169th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron. Dr. Stephen Berg taught mathematics at Hawai‘i Pacific University for years before retiring.
Kathy served in the Hawai‘i Air National Guard for her entire military career. Her last assignment was as the Mobility Assistant to the Director, J8, United States Pacific Command. In civilian life, Dr. Kathleen Berg was the Director, Curriculum Research & Development Group at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa.
For several years, the then-154th Support Group had a monthly training bulletin. It covered national and local topics of interest, promotion lists and some fun topics. The link below takes you to the:
December 2000 issue of the 154th Support Group Training Bulletin
Many Americans dream of a long, well-deserved retirement. And with increasing lifespans, the prospect of spending 20-30 years in retirement is within the realm of possibility for many people. While spending more time in your golden years sounds ideal, it also requires careful planning when it comes to finances. After all, you want your money to last as long as you do, right?
Retiree News 