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November 9, 2016

Federal Benefits Open Season

OPM logoAll current and retired Federal employees should have received an email from openseason@retireefehb.opm.gov. This email provides contact information to assist beneficiaries with the Open Season options.

This is the body of the email.

A New Day for the Civil Service
Federal Benefits Open Season

(Federal Employees Health Benefits and Federal Employees Dental & Vision Insurance Programs)
November 14, 2016 through December 12, 2016

This is the only notification you will receive regarding Open Season

It’s quick and easy to request health benefit changes and plan information.

+ Go to Open Season Online at https://retireefehb.opm.gov

+ Call Open Season Express at 1-800-332-9798

+ Write to us at:

FEHB Open Season Processing Center
P.O. Box 5000
Lawrence, KS 66046-0500

For General Open Season information, use Live Help to Chat or send a secure webmail message via https://retireefehb.opm.gov.

To view an Open Season Health Benefits Guide visit https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/plans.

For information on comparing health plans visit http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/compare-plans.

For more information regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s requirement visit www.irs.gov/uac/Questions-and-Answers-on-the-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision.

For information on the Federal Employees Dental & Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) visit the secure enrollment website www.benefeds.com or call 1-877-888-3337, TTY 1-877-889-5680.

For more information on Open Season or health care reform legislation, visit www.opm.gov/insure.

For information on Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov.

United States Office of Personnel Management

November 9, 2016

Marine Report Links Obama Vacation to Deadly Helo Crash

hmh-463-logoBefore the Obama family’s annual two-week vacation last December in Kailua, Hawaii, the Secret Service put in place a series of standard security measures, including a temporary regional flight restriction affecting Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, stationed less than five miles away at Kaneohe Bay.

But unlike past years, this year found HMH-463 in crisis.

The unit, the only squadron of CH-53E Super Stallion choppers based in Hawaii, was in a desperate struggle to claw back readiness after failing a maintenance inspection in September and contending with dwindling numbers of flight-worthy aircraft for pilots and aircrew to rack up badly needed flight hours.

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November 8, 2016

Tickets for Retirees – Armed Forces Classic

armed-forces-classic-logoI have about 20 tickets that I would love to offer to HING Retirees for the Armed Forces Classic this Friday, Veterans Day, November 11, 2016, at the Stan Sheriff Center. As of now, they have to be a HING Veteran, tickets are limited.

There are stipulations that come with these tickets, first come, first served:

1. They can get two tickets each, one of the attendees must be a HING Vet, the other can be a guest.

2. They must go to both games (first one is at 2pm)

3. They must wear a unit shirt, service shirt (Army or Air Force, or other), or a color of one of the teams playing (Red/White, Blue/Red, Green/White).

4. They will also have to call (733-4258) to reserve the ticket, Tuesday until 1400, Wed 0800-1500, Thurs 0800-1200.

5. For ticket pick up, they will need to come to HQ HING (3949 Diamond Head Road) to pick up. If they live on the west side or central, they can pick it up at my house at night. I live in Waipio.  

6. They will be sitting among other HING personnel and Active Duty members.

Mahalo,

MAJ Jeff Hickman
Deputy State Public Affairs Officer
State of Hawaii, Dept. of Defense
Office – 808-733-4258
Mobile – 808-779-8008
Web – http://dod.hawaii.gov/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/taghawaii?fref=ts
Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/132943157@N02/sets/with/72157652993022514

November 8, 2016

Check Six: November 2016 Kūkā‘ilimoku

Kukailimoku masthead

The November issue of the Kūkā‘ilimoku, the newsletter of the 154th Wing features:

+ 70th Anniversary
+ Mongo retires
+ 292nd CBCS clears debris
+ plus more

November 2016 Kukailimoku

November 8, 2016

Veterans Day: Discounts and Freebies

November 8, 2016

Special, Limited SBP Open Season Ends Soon

The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) is having a limited open season for retirees who fall in a very specific group.  The special SBP open season ends November 24, 2016, so read on to see if this applies to you.

Who Is Eligible?

This open season only applies to retired military members who:

  1. had been providing SBP coverage for former spouses, and
  2. the former spouse has since died, and
  3. the retiree wishes to provide SBP coverage to a subsequent spouse.

If you are eligible for this special open season, you should have been contact by mail.  However, there are many reasons why the notification may not have been received, including an incorrect address in Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) records, poor mail service, or just overlooking the notice.

Continue reading

Related:
Survivor Benefit Plan website

November 7, 2016

Turning 65? Watch this video on TRICARE For Life

Watch this to learn how to get started with TRICARE For Life.

November 7, 2016

Military Discounts: California Pizza Kitchen

cpk-veterans-day-3

Offer valid for veterans and active military only. Choose one entrée from our special Veterans Day Menu, dine-in only. No substitutions. Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion.

Please come in uniform or bring your military ID or other proof of service. Offer valid at participating locations; not valid at locations in Guam, airports, stadiums, the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas or international locations. Offer valid on 11/11/2016 only.

November 7, 2016

Foods High in Potassium for Heart Health

high-potassium-food

Getting the right high-potassium foods in your diet is essential for heart health. “Having the right amount of potassium is critical for the heart to beat properly,” says cardiologist John Day, MD, who specializes in heart rhythm disorders at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah. “If your potassium levels are too high or too low, the heart is at increased risk of a cardiac arrest.” Dr. Day adds that having enough potassium rich foods in your diet can help lower your blood pressure.

Including enough potassium-rich foods in your daily diet is important for a steady heart rhythm, too. One of the risk factors for atrial fibrillation — a common irregular heart rhythm — is not getting enough, or getting too much, potassium. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends you aim for at least 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day in your diet. This may be more than you are used to, as national surveys show that Americans average only 2,640 milligrams of potassium in our diets each day.

Some fruits, vegetables and nuts are higher in potassium than others. Read on to discover good sources of potassium for a healthy heart.

Learn more

November 6, 2016

Check Six – 2016: Post of the Guard

posting-of-the-guard

On Wednesday, November 16, 2016, the Royal Guard will conduct their annual posting of the guard at Iolani Palace.

The unit made its first public appearance on November 16, 1963 at Iolani Palace to commemorate King David Kalakaua’s birthday. The unit has posted the guard every year since. The Royal Guard appears at many public events honoring veterans and the U.S. military in Hawaii throughout the year.

Historically, the ceremonial Royal Guard recreates the troops who guarded Hawai‘i’s monarchy in the latter half of the 19th century. All members of this Hawai‘i Air National Guard ceremonial unit have some Hawaiian ancestry. Uniforms and accouterments worn by the unit are exact replicas of King Kalakaua’s Royal Guard. All commands are given in Hawaiian.

Col Walter "Papa" Judd

Hawai‘i Air National Guard’s Colonel Walter Foulke Judd, is credited with recreating the ceremonial Royal Guard unit, saving the ‘Iolani Barracks and early restoration of ‘Iolani Palace. The 1940 enlistee of the Hawai‘i Army National Guard’s Company K, 299th Infantry (Moloka‘i) served in World War II’s European Theatre as a decorated Army Air Corps navigator.

He was an original member of the new post-World War II Hawai‘i National Air Guard and a prolific writer of Hawaiian history. Known by many as “Papa” Judd, he passed away on November 20, 2000.

November 6, 2016

Off Track: These 12 restaurants serve the best Asian food in Hawaii

asian-foodFrom sushi to saimin and Korean barbecue to Asian fusion cuisine, the Hawaiian Islands are undoubtedly home to some of the best Asian food in the country – after all, Hawaii is home to various Asian influences and is closer to Asia than the rest of America. While there is no way to include all of the fantastic Asian eateries our islands have to offer, here are 12 of the highest-rated Asian restaurants throughout Hawaii, from Udon in Waikiki to sushi on the Big Island.

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November 6, 2016

Off Track: How the Molotov Cocktail Got Its Name

molotov-cocktailMo·lo·tov cock·tail
noun
a crude incendiary device typically consisting of a bottle filled with flammable liquid and with a means of ignition. The production of similar grenades was organized by Vyacheslav Molotov during World War II.

Alexander Dubček’s slate of liberalizations inspired the young while laying a framework for splitting Czechoslovakia in two. They also pissed off the U.S.S.R., and in 1968 Soviet tanks rolled into Prague, where they were met with a wave of rebellion.

Dubček preached nonviolence, but angry youths ignored him, moving to protect the city’s radio center, the communication hub of the resistance. As the tanks opened fire, the protesters did what civilians can when faced with a tank: They threw Molotov cocktails.

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November 5, 2016

Off Track: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sushi

sushiplatter

You probably eat sushi all the time—in restaurants or as takeout, and you might even make it at home if you’re ambitious—but how much do you really know about those little morsels? Whether you’re addicted to nigiri, maki, sashimi, hand rolls or the endless other varieties that now fall under the “sushi” label, knowing what it’s all about and how to eat it the right way will make it all the more delicious.

Here, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, owner of Morimoto sushi spots around the world and author of  Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, shares fun facts about the sushi tradition with The Feast, as he prepares to open his latest restaurant in Las Vegas.

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November 5, 2016

Commissary Sales Decline in 4th Straight Year

DECA SealThe agency responsible for running the vast network of commissaries on military bases said sales have declined for a fourth straight year, as Congress eyes line items to cut from the defense budget.

The Defense Commissary Agency said it earned $5.25 billion in sales in fiscal year 2016, down $258 million, or nearly five percent from last year. The agency received about $1.3 billion in appropriations for each of the last two years, said Kevin Robinson, a DeCA spokesman.

Sales exceeded $6 billion in 2012, which amounts to loss of more than $841 million since then, according to DeCA data.

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