After an extra year wait, caregivers of veterans who served during the Vietnam War or earlier can nowapply for support benefits for the first time.
Veterans Affairs officials announced the expected change in the Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Thursday afternoon after leaders officially notified Congress that the department’s information technology systems were ready for the new applications.
The move could give thousands of dollars in stipends each month to caregivers who for years have assisted elderly and infirm veterans without any financial assistance. Prior to today, only caregivers of veterans injured after Sept. 11, 2001, were eligible for the program.
While researching an upcoming article for a Retiree News post, we ran across a list of Hawaii Air National Guard officers from the early 2000s. There are many familiar names in all grades. Many of the then senior officers are now long retired. Younger officers became the leadership over the years while others left or transferred out of the HIANG for various reasons.
Today we feature the assigned majors. Overall, the HIANG had more lieutenant colonels and majors assigned because of the early influx of Air Force officers from the spin up of the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron and 204th Airlift Squadron. Ranks and unit designations listed are as of May 18, 2001.
List of HIANG Majors as of May 18, 2001
Previous Retiree News posts
List of HIANG Senior Officers as of May 18, 2001
List of HIANG Lieutenant Colonels as of May 18, 2020
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 a monthly newsletter today.
Today we feature the October 1982 Kūkā‘ilimoku issue. This issue includes the following stories:
* MSgt Benjamin Goo retires
* Groundbreaking for Hawaii Regional Operational Control Center (HIROCC)
* CAMS News & Views: lots of familiar names including James Yamamoto, Rudy Luat, David Snakenberg
* Engineering Squadron awards: Jeffrey Smith, Rodney Correa, Clifford Morikawa
* CAMS Outstanding Award winners
Family caregivers of loved ones with disabilities and chronic illnesses experience life transformations that are often unexpected. Their altered lifestyles, frequently resulting in dramatic changes to their personal identities, can last for many years, depending on their circumstances.
Being uprooted from their former selves over long periods of time can bring isolation and loneliness. And that can have negative physical and mental ramifications for both the caregiver and their loved one. How caregivers deal with their newly transformed lives, and how much assistance they may or may not get, can make a huge difference in their well-being.
Here are stories of three family caregivers and their isolation issues:
From the National Museum of American History
Since October 1892, countless schoolchildren across the nation have begun their school day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as a daily patriotic ritual. Few students, however, could tell you when the tradition began, or even who wrote the words that so many of them have memorized.
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. This issue includes the following stories:
* Pono Pantry opens
* Task Force Reserve’s participation in the ‘Defender Games
* 204th Airlift Squadron’s astronaut rescue mission
* 203rd Air Refueling Squadron’s discovery of S.O.S. in the sand
Review the entire October issue here
The 154th Wing Public Affairs Office staff continues to produce a world-class publication. The staff includes:
2Lt Deborah Kwan, Public Affairs Officer
MSgt Misti Bicoy
TSgt Tabitha Hurst
SSgt Orlando Corpuz
SrA Robert Cabuco
SrA John Linzmeier
SrA Roann Gatdula
154th Wing Public Affairs Office
360 Mamala Bay Drive
JBPHH, Hawaii 96853
Phone: (808) 789-0419
Email: 154wg.pa@us.af.mil
Congratulations to Orlando Corpus on his recent promotion to staff sergeant. Well deserved!
When do you need your estate plan to “go to work” for you? While you may think the right answer is “after I die,” the actual answer is “if I lose the ability to manage my own affairs.”
That means having the right kind of Durable Power of Attorney for Finance drafted and signed. A June 2020 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey found that only 28% of retirees have a financial power of attorney. And many people don’t understand that there are two types of these advance directives; each has very different purposes.
Knowing how both types work is critically important in this COVID-19 environment, just in case you contract coronavirus.
From the Consumer Reports website
You’ve probably seen plenty of news about cannabidiol (CBD) and marijuana in the past couple of years. People might consider them for similar reasons, but they’re not one and the same.
CBD, a compound in marijuana and hemp, provides no “high” and is typically used for anxiety, insomnia, and joint pain. It’s legal—to one extent or another—in almost all states and found in a variety of products, including coffee, candy, oils, tinctures, vape pens, cosmetics, and even water.
The spring/Summer 2020 edition of the Afterburner, Newsletter for Department of the Air Force Retired Personnel, is now available online.
The newsletter can be viewed by visiting the Air Force Retiree Services website. To do so, copy or type the following address into a new browser window:
https://www.retirees.af.mil/Library/Afterburner/
Scroll down and the new edition is under the banner for 2020. An archive of current and past issues are on the same webpage.
From the Frolic Hawaii website
Fried chicken sandwiches are so 2019. But chicken katsu sammies? That’s a game-changer. Imagine: Katsu that’s crispy on the outside and thiccc and juicy inside, paired with sweet-and-tangy katsu sauce and griddled burger buns or ultra soft Japanese white bread. We’re so there.
Earlier Retiree News post: Best chicken katsu: Our Top 5
From the Associated Press website
It’s impossible to tell without a test. Influenza and COVID-19 have such similar symptoms, you may need to get tested to know what’s making you miserable.
Body aches, sore throat, fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and headaches are symptoms shared by the two.
One difference? People with the flu typically feel sickest during the first week of illness. With COVID-19, people may feel the worst during the second or third week, and they may be sicker for a longer period.
“These are supposed to be the best years of my life,” says Matt, 64, an account manager for a telecom company in the suburbs of Denver (he prefers not to include his last name for this story). “I’ve been working like a dog for decades, got the kids through college, then saw my marriage fizzle. Now here I am, almost ready to retire, buy the convertible and start dating with a vengeance, and it’s all going up in smoke. Thanks a lot, COVID!”
This ire is going around as some boomers see their anticipated next stage of life evaporate as the pandemic continues to have the globe in its grip.
The number of cases of dementia in the US is rising as baby boomers age, raising questions for boomers themselves and also for their families, caregivers and society. Dementia, which is not technically a disease but a term for impaired ability to think, remember or make decisions, is one of the most feared impairments of old age.
Incidence increases dramatically as people move into their 90s. About 5% of those ages 71 to 79 have dementia, and about 37% of those about 90 years old live with it.
From the Hawaii Magazine website
From ‘Iolani Palace to Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park, Hawai‘i is well populated with gorgeous historical landmarks, and here are the best of the best, according to our 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Retiree News 