From the Kiplinger Magazine website
Everyone knows that preparing for retirement is front and center these days in America. An average of 10,000 people take the plunge into their golden years every day.
Commercials and print ads urge us to save more and get financially prepared for the big day. But are you prepared for those things that might be even more important than how much you accumulate toward retirement?
Here are a few tips on getting the most satisfaction out of your retirement years.
Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the White House VA Hotline, first launched in June as part of President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to reforming VA, is now fully staffed with live agents working to serve Veterans 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.
The hotline, which became 24-hour operational in mid-October, is now staffed by a team consisting of 90 percent Veterans or employees who have a Veteran family member, and is in response to Veterans’ requests to talk to agents who could relate to their experiences.
Pat Jardine Cruz, Roxanne Solidum Bruhn, Betty White, Bobbie Saguid and Cat Todd Awong. – Missy Romero photo
Academy Uncorked! Friendraiser for Scholarship
Sacred Hearts Academy recently presented Uncorked on its campus, treating guests to food, wine and entertainment. It was a fundraiser for scholarships.
Sacred Hearts Academy is the largest all-girls’ private school in Hawai‘i for students in grades pre-school (pre-kindergarten) to 12. The Academy was founded in 1909 by the Sisters of Sacred Hearts
Roxanne Bruhn retired from the Hawaii Air National Guard about two years ago. She started in aircraft maintenance, and moved on to positions in admin, personnel and finance. Her last position was with the Human Resources Office (HRO) handling Air Guard AGRs. Rocky now works in the Office of Veterans Service (OVS).
Related:
Sacred Hearts Academy
From the WebMD website
If you’re over 40, you may have noticed that it’s easier to gain weight — and harder to lose it — than it used to be. Changes in your activity level, eating habits, and hormones, and how your body stores fat all can play roles. But a few simple steps may help you slim down.
From the Air Force Times website
Lt. Col. Jason Heard, the commander of the Thunderbirds, has been relieved, the Air Force announced Wednesday.
Heard, who has led the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron since Jan. 6, was relieved by Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, commander of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Last week, we posted a photograph of Danny Blancaflor with Lionel and Charlie Calvin. A day later, Gordon Lau emailed this photograph of he and Danny Blancaflor. They were having a “catch-up” lunch in Washington State. Blanc lives in Port Orchard and Gordon in Bremerton.
Gordon started out in maintenance and later crewed on C-130s and C-17s with the 204th Airlift Squadron.
Special thanks to Gordon for sharing this photograph.
From the everyday Health website
You don’t know from tired until you’ve dealt with a condition like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As many as 98 percent of people with RA report energy-sapping fatigue, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Debilitating exhaustion is also common with conditions like fibromyalgia, depression, and, of course, chronic fatigue syndrome. Like rheumatoid arthritis pain, RA fatigue is a legitimate, real symptom, a common complaint that drives people living with these diseases to the doctor.
While you should discuss treatment changes that may improve your symptoms with your doctor, it is worth considering your own routine, too. As it turns out, a few little lifestyle changes can go a long way toward boosting energy levels and helping to ease rheumatoid arthritis symptoms for some people.
From the U.S. News & World Report website
You’ve heard it over and over – that it’s important to write out a will.
But what if you don’t? What’s really the worst that can happen?
Plenty, depending on your situation, the personalities of the people in your life – and on the estate laws that your state has on the books. If you don’t have a will, you may want to rethink that decision.
(Back, from left) Stephen Sasaki, Walter Kaneakua, Nate Lorenzo, Eda Kaneakua, Michael Sabas, (front) John, Jennifer and Naki Sabas. – Tony Grillo photo
American Patriot Awards
Navy League of the United States, Honolulu council hosted its 14th annual American Patriot Awards Dinner in the Coral Ballroom at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort, honoring retired General David A. Bramlett and Jennifer Sabas.
Walt Kaneakua was the first commander of the 203d Air Refueling Squadron. He came to the Hawaii Air National Guard from the Air Force. After retiring from the Guard, he flew with Aloha Airlines for a few years before the late Senator Daniel Inouye asked him to serve in his Honolulu office. Jennifer Sabas was the Chief of Staff. Walt remained with the senator for more than 10 years before the senator passed in 2012. Walt later served as the Area Director for Representative Tulsi Gabbard for a short time before finally retiring.
From the Military Times website
A half a century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they may be dying from a silent bullet — test results show some men may have been infected by a slow-killing parasite while fighting in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
The Department of Veterans Affairs this spring commissioned a small pilot study to look into the link between liver flukes ingested through raw or undercooked fish and a rare bile duct cancer. It can take decades for symptoms to appear. By then, patients are often in tremendous pain, with just a few months to live.
Supreme Court Leaves in Place Nebraska Funeral Protest Law. In 2006, Nebraska enacted a law that prohibits protests near a cemetery or church. The law was in response to continuing demonstrations by the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church at military funerals. The church challenged the law in the lower courts but lost those cases. By not hearing the case, the Supreme Court is leaving the law in place.
Steve Lum emailed that the Exchange will feature a gas discount December 17-24. There will be a $0.10 off a gallon of gas if you use your Military Star Card.
New Army Guard Magazine. The Army National Guard just started a new magazine – Citizen Soldier. The magazine features a wide range of articles in a great format. You can view the magazine online
When the 203d Air Refueling Squadron was starting up in the early 90s, there were many technicians hired from other states or coming off active duty. One of them was Daniel Rose. Dan was a great asset to the tanker unit was they worked toward declaring operational readiness.
Somewhere along the way, Dan brought in this stuffed bear from Alaska into his office area. From this 2005 photograph, you can see the bear towers over six feet tall. Use the top of the desk hutch in the background as a reference. It was always interesting when the IG teams showed up during inspections.
Maybe we can get a photograph of Lt Col Hank Kaufman’s stuffed mountain lion that was in his Guard office for a time.
From the TRICARE website
Webmaster Comments: TRICARE Standard is the current free medical coverage for retirees aged 60-65 that is directly affected by the changes described below. After age 65, you are enrolled in TRAICARE for Life, a free Medicare Part D coverage that is not affected by these upcoming changes.
On January 1, 2018, TRICARE Select will replace TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra. As a result, beneficiaries will notice improved coverage for preventive services with TRICARE Select. Preventive care helps you take command of your health and manage potential issues before you experience symptoms. This type of health care allows you to address health problems before they become life threatening. Examples of TRICARE-covered preventive services include cancer screenings and vaccines, in addition to well-woman and well-child exams.
From the WalletHub website
from the Embassy Suites’ website
To help military veterans find the best places in which to put down roots based on their status, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 17 key indicators of livability, affordability and veteran-friendliness. They range from share of military skill-related jobs to veteran income growth to availability of VA health facilities.
