Attached is today’s COVID-19 Daily News Update issued by Hawaii State Department of Health.
There is a large amount of speculation regarding COVID-19, please rely on OFFICIAL sources for accurate information. We added a long term post on the maroon bar above titled “COVID-19 Information.” The post includes links to the Hawaii Department of Health, the CDC and the FEMA websites.
This photograph was taken on November 3, 2004 at the Eagle Vision dedication in the then-293rd Combat Communications Squadron backyard. In the photograph (L-R) are then-Colonels Stanley “Ossum” Osserman, Kathleen Berg, and Timothy Carrol.
Stan Osserman retired in 2014, with his last assignment serving as the Commander, Hawai‘i Air National Guard. In the mid 2000s, he served as the commander of the 154th Mission Support Group.
Kathy Berg retired in April 2009, with her last assignment being Mobility Assistant to the Director, J8, United States Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Earlier she served as the Mobility Assistant to the Director, J6, United States Pacific Command.
In civilian life, she was the Associate Director of the Curriculum Research & Development Group of the College of Education, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She held many positions at the university since starting in 1973.
Tim Carroll came to the Hawai‘i Air National Guard from the National Guard Bureau. He served as the Executive Support Staff Officer (ESSO), the predecessor to the current Directory of Staff position for about a year. After his September 2007 retirement, he returned to the Washington DC area where is worked as a contractor. Sadly, he passed away in December 2013.
Three great individuals who made important contributions to the Hawai‘i Air National Guard.
From the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced today it will commemorate Memorial Day this year with solemn wreath laying ceremonies.
Another offering is a new online memorial feature allowing the public to pay tribute to Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries across the country.
“This year, by necessity, will be different from past Memorial Day observances,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “While the department can’t hold large public ceremonies, VA will still honor Veterans and service members with the solemn dignity and respect they have earned through their service and sacrifice.”
Each VA national cemetery will conduct a brief wreath laying ceremony, accompanied by a moment of silence and the playing of Taps. In keeping with CDC guidelines to limit large gatherings, the ceremonies will not be open to the public.
Somewhat lost in the COVID-19 pandemic news is the fact that the 2020 Central Pacific hurricane season begins on June 1. The six month hurricane season runs through November 30.
Households should plan and prepare for hurricanes. The link above provide a general outline to develop an individualized family plan. The Ready.gov site has links to other important information.
Take time now to prepare.
Social Security beneficiaries might not receive much of a cost-of-living adjustment next year — and some say recipients might not get anything at all.
COLA is linked to the consumer-price index, which has suffered lately because of low oil prices. Based on the CPI data between January and April of this year, COLA for next year would be zero, according to Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. There are still five months until the administration announces the COLA for 2021, which occurs in October.
Thanks to Gordon Lau for submitting this article of interest
With demand for disinfectants higher than ever amid the coronavirus pandemic the president of Clorox said consumers should expect to see an improvement of inventory in stores this summer.
Watch Linda Rendle, President of Clorox, speak to “Good Morning America,” on May 11, 2020.
2020 Memorial Day services. Sad to report that Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and Governor David Ige’s ceremony at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery are cancelled. In talking to Ronald Han, Director the Office of Veterans Services, he said the ongoing COVID-19 requirement of social distancing restricts any events.
Hopefully, fewer COVID-19 restrictions will allow for a more traditional Veterans Day services.
75th Anniversary of the Victory in Europe. Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum hosted a webinar to honor the 75th Commemoration of the Victory in Europe on May 8, 1945. Special guest speakers included active duty Army National Guard Major General Suzanne Vares-Lum, assigned to Commander IndoPacific Command at Camp Smith Hawaii and retired Brigadier General Charles E. McGee, famed Tuskegee Airman and legendary aerial combat fighter pilot from World War II. Watch the video
Attached is today’s COVID-19 Daily News Update issued by Hawaii State Department of Health.
There is a large amount of speculation regarding COVID-19, please rely on OFFICIAL sources for accurate information. We added a long term post on the maroon bar above titled “COVID-19 Information.” The post includes links to the Hawaii Department of Health, the CDC and the FEMA websites.
The Hawai‘i Air National Guard and 15th Wing Active Duty Airmen from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam will perform a flyover throughout the Hawaiian Islands on Thursday, May 14, 2020, beginning at approximately 11:20 a.m. The flyovers will aim to fly above most of Hawaii’s large hospitals and major metropolitan areas in a salute to all frontline workers battling COVID-19, as well as those staying at home to “flatten the curve of transmission” of the virus.
The flyover will feature all locally based U.S. Air Force planes, including a C-17 Globemaster III, a KC-135 Stratotanker and a flight of F-22 Raptors, which will complete routine training sorties as they visit each neighboring island. These aircraft were already scheduled for these training flights, so the flyover is at no additional cost to the taxpayer. The flight path was coordinated with Hawai‘i State officials as well as members of the Federal Aviation Administration. The altitude of the flyover will vary between 2,500 and 3,000 feet above ground level.
From the Images of Old Hawaii website
On February 6, 1922, under the direction of 1st Lt William T Agee of the 4th Squadron (Observation,) construction began on the old 17th Cavalry drill grounds at Schofield Barracks in central Oʻahu. With 20 men, he started clearing away trees and undergrowth.
Within a month, they completed a landing strip. On November 11, 1922, it was named Wheeler Field in honor of Major Sheldon H Wheeler, former commander of Luke Field on Ford Island, who died in a plane crash on July 13, 1921.
Over the years, this Army airfield would be a point of several significant historical aviation events.
More photographs off the Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society website
We hope this finds you and your family healthy and that you are riding out these trying times as well as possible.
I have been receiving questions about Medicare coverage during the COVID pandemic. The CARES ACT addresses coverage issues and answers the following questions.
– Is COVID testing covered? Yes – it is covered by Part B Medicare. Copays and deductibles have been waived.
– If I have a Medicare Advantage Plan which has in network providers, am I still restricted to use those during the crisis or pay a surcharge? No – During a state of emergency, providers must charge only the in-network prices. Please double check with your drug plan if you have to use a network pharmacy during the emergency.
– Can I get extra drug supply during this period? Yes – Under the CARES ACT, plans are required to issue a 90 day supply of drug if requested.
– My doctor is calling patients or teleconferencing for patient visits. Are these calls covered by Medicare? Yes – Medicare has expanded telehealth coverage. It is covered under Part B. This is not limited to COVID related calls or to follow-up patients. Patients consulting with an MD for the first time are covered as well.
– If hospitalized for COVID, are my costs covered by Medicare? Yes, under PART A you will be covered. The amount of coverage may differ by plans
– If an approved the vaccine for COVID is offered, will Medicare cover the cost? Yes, the CARES ACT stipulates that Medicare will cover the vaccine’s cost under Part B.
Thanks to Randy Tom who shared this information with Retiree News. The information came from the Crown Care website, written by Dr. Eileen Hilton.
From the Business Insider website
The US military’s X-37B space plane is heading back into space in mid-May, and while the Air Force doesn’t often say much about the mysterious aircraft, the service’s top civilian outlined what it will be doing this time around.
“The Air Force’s Rapid Capability Office has combined forces with the Air Force Reserve Research Lab and now the US Space Force to execute a mission that maximizes the X-37B’s unique capabilities,” Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said during a webcast hosted by the Space Foundation on Wednesday.
Retiree News 