Clifford Naleiilima Barroga, age 75, of Pearl City, passed away on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at Queen’s Medical Center- West. He was born in Honolulu and was a retired Xerox Corporation technician and a Hawai‘i Army National Guard Veteran.
He is survived by wife Cynthia; daughters Rhonda (David) Matthews and Kelly Collins; grandchildren Hunter, Chloe, Grace and Easton; sister Joanna and brother Samuel.
A private service was held.
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends.
The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to put away our differences in the interest of peace on earth, goodwill toward others, etc., etc., and kick back with a great Christmas movie, a filmmaking tradition that dates back to the 1898 film Santa Claus. In that one, Santa slides down a chimney, stuffs some stockings, and promptly disappears into the ether; the whole film runs just over one minute long.
Air Mobility Command (AMC) officials recently met with more than a dozen companies to figure out how the Air Force could use privately owned refueling aircraft to take on certain missions, freeing up USAF tankers for more training and operations.
The command on December 17 brought together 14 companies and 40 total participants at Scott AFB, Illinois, to discuss the possibility of contracting out “boom-type air-to-air refueling” for training, test and evaluation, foreign military sales and fighter refueling missions, according to an AMC statement.
From the This Day in Aviation website
22 December 1949: North American Aviation, Inc., test pilot George S. Welch made the first flight of the YF-86D Sabre, 50-577 (c/n 164-1, at Edwards Air Force Base, in the high desert of southern California.
Based on the F-86A day fighter, the F-86D (originally designated YF-95) was a radar-equipped, rocket-armed, all-weather interceptor. Its first flight took place only nine years after the first flight of North American’s prototype NA-73X, which would become the famous P-51 Mustang fighter of World War II. This was an amazing jump in technology in just a few years.
From the Hawaiian Airlines website
One may still notice the iconic phrase on a bumper sticker or T-shirt decades after big-wave surfer, voyager and lifeguard Eddie Aikau made a lasting impact as a legendary waterman. While the saying has become recognized in local vernacular amongst kama‘āina (locals), visitors who seek out Hawai‘i to enjoy its unique land and seascapes coupled with a unique culture represented by the “Aloha Spirit” throughout the Islands quickly learn that Aikau embodied that quintessential approach to life.
In an ironic twist, it was Aikau’s selflessness in attempting to paddle to Lāna‘i via surfboard to get help for fellow crewmembers who had capsized while aboard traditional Polynesian Voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa (Guiding Star) that ultimately led to his demise in March of 1978. The ensuing search for Aikau was the largest air-sea rescue venture in Hawai‘i history, but he was never seen again.
21 December 1964. First flight of the General Dynamics F-111A “Aardvark”, American medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft with variable-sweep wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and automated terrain-following radar for low-level, high-speed flight. pic.twitter.com/a3TgoqD4xx
— Ron Eisele (@ron_eisele) December 21, 2018
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was a supersonic, medium-range interdictor and tactical attack aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic nuclear bomber, aerial reconnaissance, and electronic-warfare aircraft in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the United States Air Force. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also ordered the type and began operating F-111Cs in 1973.
The F-111 pioneered several technologies for production aircraft, including variable-sweep wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and automated terrain-following radar for low-level, high-speed flight. Its design influenced later variable-sweep wing aircraft, and some of its advanced features have since become commonplace. The F-111 suffered a variety of problems during initial development. Several of its intended roles, such as an aircraft carrier-based naval interceptor with the F-111B, failed to materialize.
USAF F-111 variants were retired in the 1990s, with the F-111Fs in 1996 and EF-111s in 1998. The F-111 was replaced in USAF service by the F-15E Strike Eagle for medium-range precision strike missions, while the supersonic bomber role has been assumed by the B-1B Lancer. The RAAF was the last operator of the F-111, with its aircraft serving until December 2010. (Wikipedia)
From the Air Force Magazine website
President Donald Trump on December 20 established the US Space Force as America’s sixth military service, one of the most significant changes in Air Force history and a milestone in America’s exploration and militarization of the cosmos.
The Space Force is the Pentagon’s first branch of the military solely dedicated to organizing, training, and equipping personnel to operate and protect military space assets like GPS satellites. It sits within the Air Force and draws on much of the service’s existing bureaucracy, while aiming to create its own culture and structure to prioritize and tackle space in new ways.
From the This Day in Aviation website
20 December 2004: The 20th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, the last operational squadron in the United States Air Force flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, was inactivated. The squadron’s F-4F fighters were sent to The Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona.
Military Retirees, Annuitants and Former Spouses:
The December 2019 Retiree Newsletter is now available online. It contains important information about the refreshed, more mobile-friendly myPay, performing a pay account checkup, verifying SBP coverage on your RAS, and helpful tools on the R&A website. We also have a downloadable PDF version of the newsletter you can share with friends.
Roldan Aguinaldo Agustin, 49 of Ewa Beach Hawaii passed away on December 4, 2019. Born to Angel Pascual Agustin and Aida (Aguinaldo) Agustin in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte Philippines on October 6, 1970. He was a Metal Inspector for the Federal Government and a United States Navy Veteran. He retired from the Hawaii Army National Guard in 2014.
Roldan is survived by his mother, Aida Agustin; brother, Graham (Heather) Agustin; aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be on Thursday December 26, 2019 at Valley of the Temples Mortuary. Visitation will be at 9:30 am with service to begin at 11:00 am. There will be a burial to follow at 2:00 pm at Valley of the Temples Memorial Park.
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends.
Roldan began his military service in the U.S. Navy, enlisting in 1988. Sometime around 1995/96, he enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard as a 68J Aircraft Armament and Missile System Repairer. He served with the Company B (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance/AVIM), 193rd Aviation.
In 2000, he converted to a 67T, now 15T UH60 Blackhawk Aircraft Mechanic. He later served with Company D, 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation as a UH-60 Helicopter Technical Inspector until his retirement in July 2014.
Roldan deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 with Company B (Aviation Intermediate Maintenance (AVIM)), 193rd Aviation. In 2011, he deployed again to Kuwait with Company D, 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation.
Special Thanks to SFC Duke Takasawa for sharing Rolden’s military history.
The 154th Wing commander, Col Dann S. Carlson announced that CMSgt Carol C. Orr is the Wing’s new Command Chief. Chief Orr has served in many positions within the Hawaii Air National Guard during her 33 year service tenure. Congratulation Chief Orr!
As Command Chief, she is the senior enlisted advisor to the Wing Commander on all issues regarding the wartime readiness, morale, welfare, professional development and proper utilization of more than 1900 Airmen. She manages the Chiefs’ Council to improve and inform the enlisted force, is the functional manager for subordinate units’ Group Superintendents and First Sergeants, and advocates enlisted issues through the State Command Chief Master Sergeant.
Chief Orr is a second generation Guardmember. Her father, Richard Kashiwabara, retired from the then-150th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron after a long career.
Retiree News will post Chief Orr’s official biography when it becomes available.
Chief Orr replaces CMSgt Michael Gabster, who is transitioning into retirement. Retiree News recently posted some photographs off the HIANG Facebook page. Thank you for your service and Happy Retirement Chief Gabster!
Webmaster Comment: a very late post
You thought you’d conquered life’s biggest financial milestones, including paying your kids’ college tuition, financing your eldest daughter’s wedding, and building up a nest egg for yourself. But now another challenge looms ahead: figuring out how to pay for your parents’ long-term care.
A quick look at the numbers shows how big this challenge really is. A 2019 Genworth study pegs the national median cost of an in-home health aide at $52,624 per year. And if one of your parents needs more advanced care in a nursing home, that could set you back in excess of $102,000 per year. Perhaps even more troubling is how quickly these costs are rising. A private room in a nursing home today costs 57% more than it did in 2004. If that trend continues, it’s tough to know how much you’ll ultimately spend to get your parents the care they need.
Once you’ve exhausted the conventional options of Medicaid and Veteran Aid, it’s time to get creative. Try peeking under these four rocks to raise cash to pay for your parents’ long-term care.
Retiree News 