From the Military Times website
Trump has just put his signature on a new law that will bring significant changes to education benefits for service members, veterans and their families.
The legislation known as the “Forever GI Bill” garnered strong bipartisan support in Congress, passing unanimously in both the House and Senate.
Here are 10 things you should know about the new GI Bill benefits.
LTC Walter Cheshire served as the Hawaii National Guard’s Inspector General. He retired in March 2008. The photographs above are from a presentation ceremony hosted by MG Robert G.F. Lee, the Adjutant General.
He recently provided Retiree News with this update.
I just left Oahu last night. We maintain a home in Makakilo and I was over working on it. Rest of time we are living in Oregon.
I get your retiree updates. They are great. Thanks. I especially liked seeing the old Hawaii new Hawaii photos. Wow things do change!
My oldest son is starting his second year at UH Manoa with a USAF 4 year scholarship. He is a computer science major. My 4 oldest boys are all in civil air patrol and the two oldest are Spaatz (cadet Colonels). My second son may follow the first at UH, or go to USAFA. We’ll see next year.
We maintain a home in southern Oregon (near Medford), where we spend most of our summers. Because we home school, we catch a hop every year from Travis to Hickam and spend 4-6 months on Oahu.
Not working currently, but sometimes I can be found around the island being an Uber/Lyft driver – I have met so many great people.
Great getting an update from Walt!
The Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) provides:
+ Increased security for your personal information – no personally identifiable information is contained on the magnetic stripe or barcode.
+ Unique Member Identifier — Department of Defense assigns an electronic data interchange personal identifier (EDIPI) that allows VA to retrieve the Veteran’s health record.
+ A salute to your military service – The emblem of your latest branch of service is displayed on your card. Several special awards will also be listed.
+ Accessibility – Braille “VA” helps visually impaired Veterans to recognize and use the card
+ Anti-Counterfeiting – Microtext helps prevent reproductions
The VHIC is issued only to Veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system.
From the Health Day website
Millions of Americans are juggling working and raising a family with taking care of an older relative.
If you’re facing this situation, it can be hard to figure out the best use of your time and energy for caregiving, while also meeting other home and family obligations.
Julian Rilveria, 84, of Mililani, passes away peacefully on June 30, 2017, in Wahiawa. He was born in Waialua, Hawaii to Sergio & Shaderia Rilveria. He graduated from Leilehua High School in 1951, played football and was in the ROTC. He served 16 years in the Hawaii National Guard in the Military Police unit and in the 3rd Missile Battalion as a master sergeant.
Survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Lillian Yokolina Rilveria; sons; Clinton (Valeria), Glen (Kathy) and Wallace; daughters; Abigail (Gilbert) Caravallo and Leanna Nisa. Brothers; Pedro (deceased), Alfred, Domingo, Rudy and Willy; sister; Elaine Layugan. He was also blessed with eighteen grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandson along with many nieces and nephews.
Visitation: 8:30 am; services: 10:15 am; burial: 11:00 am on Saturday, August 19, 2017 at Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary, Makai Chapel, Waipio, Casual attire.
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends.
Ten Years Ago….
+ 150th Aircraft Control & Warning Flight looks to the future
+ 154th Security Forces Squadron competed in the International Air Mobility Rodeo
+ 154th Medical Group members supported Jump Start and the Medical Innovative Readiness Training
The August 2007 issue of the 154th Wing’s newsletter, the Kūkā‘ilimoku, featured these stories and more
Read more: August 2007 Kukailimoku
From the This Day in Aviation website
Not long after Charles A. Lindbergh had flown solo across the Atlantic Ocean, James D. Dole, founder of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (HAPCO, now the Dole Foods Company, Inc., Westlake Village, California) offered a prize of $25,000 to the first pilots to fly from Oakland Field, Oakland, California, to Wheeler Field, Honolulu, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. A $10,000 prize was offered for a second-place finisher. There were 33 entrants and 14 were selected for starting positions. After accidents and inspections by the race committee, finalists were down to eight.
From the PBS website
Medicare and Social Security are of critical importance in enabling older Americans to age in good physical and financial health. To support these broader goals, “Ask Phil” is expanding its mission.
Where to start? I am so glad you asked! I have written what seems to be countless stories and received thousands of questions from readers about facets of what I call successful aging. I wish that success meant that we’d all live forever and avoid stormy weather during our journeys. Of course, it does not.
Lt Col Henry Kaufman became the commander of the 154th Maintenance Squadron (154 MXS) during a change of command ceremony held August 6, 2017. Colonel Joseph Harris, commander, 154th Maintenance Group officiated the ceremony held at at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Kaufman takes command from Lt Col Zachary Chang.
As the commander of the 154 MXS, Kaufman is responsible for the maintenance of the 154th Wing’s F-22 Raptor, KC-135 Stratotanker, and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, in partnership with active duty counterparts from the 15th Wing.
Kaufman is a Traditional Guardmember who works for the Federal government.
Hawaii Air National Guard photos by Senior Airman Orlando Corpuz
From the Military.com website
The first thing you’d see if a nuclear bomb exploded nearby is a flood of light so bright, you may think the sun blew up.
Wincing from temporary blindness, you’d scan the horizon and see an orange fireball. The gurgling flames would rise and darken into a purple-hued column of black smoke, which would turn in on itself. As a toadstool-like mushroom took shape, the deafening shock front of the blast would rip through the area — and possibly knock you off your feet.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that the two-month pilot phase of the new White House VA Hotline that began in June has demonstrated that Veterans calling the hotline respond best when their calls are answered by fellow Veterans and others with first-hand experience on their issues.
As a result, VA announced that it will target highly qualified Veterans to staff the hotline going forward, instead of contracting the service to a third-party vendor, and is hiring additional VA personnel to complete the planned move to a 24-hour operation.
“The message we’ve heard loud and clear is Veterans want to talk to other Veterans to help them solve problems and get VA services,” said VA Secretary David J. Shulkin. “We’re taking steps to answer that call.”
This decision will delay the full-time stand-up of the 24-hour service by two months, to no later than October 15, in order to ensure the hiring and training processes are complete.
Until that time, the hotline’s current pilot program service is available to receive calls from Veterans from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
During the August UTA weekend, Brig Gen Ryan Okuhara presented Brig Gen Stanley Osserman, Retired, his Air Force Distinguished Service Medal.
Although Osserman retired in 2014, his medal nomination package became victim to personnel system. Through the hard work of several staff members, the package was revived and approved.
Among the retirees present were Kathleen Berg, Braden “Mongo” Sakai and his wife Momi, Erik Wong and Galen Yoshimoto.
Great photos by TSgt Andrew Jackson
From the everyday Health website
Those stevia and sucralose packets may help sweeten your coffee without adding to your carb count, but could they be sneakily hurting your health as well? A new review, published in July 2017 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, suggests they might be.
Researchers at the University of Manitoba looked at 37 studies on artificial sweeteners published between 1979 and 2016, which included more than 400,000 participants combined.
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