RSO Notes is a periodic e-newsletter of the Army G-1, Retirement Services Office.
Read the RSO Note 2018-2
Once a Soldier, always a Soldier . . . a Soldier for Life!
Thanks for MSG Lelanya Watson for sharing this information.
From the National Institute of Health website
Strong, healthy relationships are important throughout your life. Your social ties with family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others impact your mental, emotional, and even physical well-being.
“We can’t underestimate the power of a relationship in helping to promote well-being,” says NIH psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Valerie Maholmes. Studies have found that having a variety of social relationships may help reduce stress and heart-related risks. Strong social ties are even linked to a longer life. On the other hand, loneliness and social isolation are linked to poorer health, depression, and increased risk of early death.
Georgiana Beckley Ahia Pang Downey, 97, of Waimea, formerly of Alewa Heights, Oahu, died December 1, 2017, at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Honolulu, she was a Hawaii Air National Guard retiree and member of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church.
Visitation 9:15-10:15 a.m. Friday (April 20, 2018) at Borthwick Mortuary Maunakea Chapel on Oahu. Celebration of life service at 10:15 a.m. Casual attire; no flowers. Luncheon to follow.
Survived by sister, Julia Ahia Cooley of Sun City Center, Fla.; daughters, Darlene Pang Montgomery of Waimea and Beckley Georgiana Pang; seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Special Thanks to Harvey Motomura, who sent in this obituary that appeared in the Hawaii Tribune Herald.
During the December 1996 UTA weekend, newly commissioned 2nd Lt Cyrus Lung assumed command of the 154th Security Policy Squadron. He recently returned from the ANG Academy of Military Science (AMS) where he received his commission. Prior to commissioning, he served in the 154th Civil Engineer Squadron.
Cyrus served as the commander for several years as a Traditional Guardmember. In civilian life, he worked as a engineer with the City & County of Honolulu. After retiring from the City, he took a full time position with the 154th Civil Engineer Squadron.
If you think you might end up caring for Mom or Dad in their twilight years, be aware of an issue that catches many caregivers off-guard: The big hit to your own pocketbook.
More than two-thirds of caregivers (68 percent) report providing financial support related to their role, according to Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 C.A.R.E. Study. A third spend at least 20 percent of their own monthly budget on caregiving-related expenses such as medicine and medical supplies ($273), food ($159) and personal-care items ($151).
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MSgt Peter Kali, a loadmaster with the 204th Airlift Squadron, passed away on Friday.
Special thanks to Gordon Lau for relaying this sad information.
The photograph is from MAJ Jeff Hickman‘s Facebook page.
Retiree News will post more information about services when it becomes available.
From the Hawaii Magazine website
The owner of Rainbow Drive-In reminisces about what makes the plate lunch so iconic.
Jim Gusukuma sits at a picnic table near Rainbow Drive-In, his board shorts still damp from his morning surf in nearby Waikiki. A line of customers is already at the takeout window, ordering plates of fried rice, loco mocos and buttermilk pancakes.
From The New York Times website
Still, preparing for an eventual demise — at least by drawing up a will — is a good idea. A will smooths the way for your heirs to inherit whatever you’re going to give them, saving time and money. Wills can also help you avoid tax pitfalls and feuding heirs. (Remember: The conflict at the heart of Dickens’s “Bleak House” is a generations-long lawsuit over an inheritance. No spoilers, but the case did not end well for anyone involved, over several generations, except the lawyers.)
Wills provide control over more than money. For people whose children are still minors, the will names guardians. If you haven’t written these decisions down, the government will make money and custodial decisions itself. You’ll be beyond caring by then, but why not do what you can ahead of time to see that the assets get distributed as you’d like?
Over 17 million people in the United States are actively taking care of their elderly parents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Providing that care can be vital, and it also can be expensive: A study by the Urban Institute found that out-of-pocket expenses can run $140,000 on average in families in which an elderly person has long-term care needs.
However, a few tax breaks might help. These aren’t the only ones that might be available to you, so consult with a qualified certified public accountant or financial planner for other options.
From the Task and Purpose website
Since the United States entered World War II, the Department of Defense has engaged in the systematic surveillance of other nations by air to glean valuable intelligence on weapons capabilities and military movements. These missions are quite dangerous and often ended in disaster, but the risks endured by these aircrews aboard the Pentagon’s beloved spy planes are often overlooked due to the sensitive nature of their assignments.
The most common knee surgery performed on people over 65 is repair of torn meniscus cartilage. The procedure is costly, at up to $10,000 a patient — and it’s also usually a waste, if not outright harmful.
“It’s known that this procedure is often done without strong evidence; I don’t think it’s well known that this is one of the most common surgeries in the U.S.,” said Martin Makary, a professor of health policy at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore and author of a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Surgery. “We not only described it, we looked at it in a population every American pays for (through Medicare). That’s a price tag and a context I’m not sure people have really calculated.”
From the Kiplinger Magazine website
Savvy husbands and wives spend a lot of time coordinating when to start taking Social Security to maximize their total benefits. But it’s just as crucial to plan for when that income is slashed after the first spouse dies. “Anytime a source of income is tied to the life of an individual, you need to look at the impact of mortality of that person,” says Paul Gaudio, a wealth planning strategist at Bryn Mawr Trust.
One silver lining in Social Security is that no matter which spouse dies first, the survivor keeps the higher of the two benefits. But you don’t get both, says Judith Ward, a senior financial planner for T. Rowe Price.
Early morning at Pearl Harbor’s Aviation Museum. Looking out on historic Ford Island Runway. So much history to explore, so many aircraft and exhibits. Free Combat Flight Simulator coupon and discount tickets online at https://t.co/lIe1wFbtb5 #PearlHarbor #aviation #Hawaii pic.twitter.com/g3VpktwBin
— (@PacificAviation) April 10, 2018
