The first sign of trouble came when Dr. Barry Lindenberg, a cardiologist, received a three-page insurance form in January, demanding he get preapproval to prescribe one of the oldest known heart medicines.
His patient had been on the drug, digoxin, for many years. A mainstay of treating older patients with rapid rhythm disturbances, it was first described in the medical literature in 1785. Millions of Americans still use it every day, and many had long paid just pennies a pill.
“I wrote on the form: ‘ARE YOU KIDDING ME?’ ” said Dr. Lindenberg, who practices in Schenectady, N.Y.
What the cardiologist did not know then was that the price of generic digoxin was rapidly rising. The three companies selling the drug in the United States had increased the price they charge pharmacies, at least nearly doubling it since late last year, according to EvaluatePharma, a London-based consulting firm.
Continue reading http://ow.ly/znvFr
In early March, a photograph published showed The Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 1 Battalion-299 Infantry (Maui) went to Fort Lewis, Washington for training in September 1983.
A Hawai‘i Army National Guard retiree emailed in and identified the soldier next to Ed Cruickshank as Captain Dean Inouye.
Check the photography out again http://wp.me/p3639O-1dU
We all know that eggs have a lot of cholesterol. And cholesterol can cause heart disease. But eggs are also a good source of protein. They’re easy to make and delicious. So how many are too many?
Clyde Marvin Araujo, 72, of Orchidland Estates, Hawaii, an industrial hardware estimator for Honolulu Iron Works, owner of Clyde’s Cabinets in Ainaloa and a Hawaii National Guard veteran, passed away on July 5, 2014. He was born in Hilo. He is survived by brothers Albert, Lorrin, Louis Jr. and Gerald; and sister Paulette Soares.
Demand for Air Force spy planes, fighters and bombers from Eastern Europe to the Far East is spiking, and top generals say they’re scrambling to meet commanders’ needs as they struggle with shrinking budgets and keeping old planes flying.
Juggling those tasks comes as Air Force brass seek to move beyond the ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and establish their service as the Pentagon’s preeminent player. But some analysts believe the military would be better served if the Air Force focused on helping other services fight.
“Their primary role in the nation’s defense is actually not about air-to-air combat in sexy fighter planes,” Janine Davidson, a military analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Air Force pilot and Pentagon official, said in an e-mail. Instead, the Air Force should focus on tasks that help troops fight on the ground: spy planes, drones, medical evacuations, space and cyberwarfare, airlift and refueling.
Continue reading http://ow.ly/zlSsY
Happy Retirement Glenda! There was a retirement party for MSgt Glenda Buis at the Willows Restaurant. She will officially retire on October 31, 2014, but her last working day will be on July 31. But you will have a chance to attend her retirement ceremony on Sunday, October 5, 2014. More information forthcoming.
There was a retirement ceremony for MSgt Ramona Fujimoto during the July UTA weekend. Mona worked in the 199th Fighter Squadron from many years before moving to the then newly organized 203d Airlifts Squadron. Older retirees may remember her as she was Mona Kam, before she married Maj Gordon Fujimoto, a weapons systems officer from the F-4C Phantom days. Happy Retirement Mona!
Change of Command: LTC Pamela Ellison assumed command of the Hawai‘i Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion. Pam just returned from her National Guard Bureau tour. The former commander LTC Courtney Vares-Lum is now serving as the Executive Officer at the 103d Troop Command. Know both officer will do super jobs in their new positions!
There was a change of command ceremony at the 298th Regiment, Multi-Functional Training Unit (MFTU), Regional Training Institute (RTI) in April. Colonel Gary Littlefield became to commander, taking command from Colonel Suzanne Vares-Lum. During the ceremony, Maj Gen Darryll Wong awarded COL Vares-Lum a Legion of Merit for her work and achievements during her command tenure. Colonel Littlefield continues at this fulltime position at the United States Property & Fiscal Office. Colonel Vares-Lum is now serving as the Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff. Congratulations to both officers!
Thanks to these Retiree News readers who registered to “Follow Blog via Email”: William Hue
You can register to receive an email every time there is a new post. In the “Follow Blog via Email” section and press “Follow”. On the next screen, enter your email address and press ENTER. Shortly, you will receive a confirmation email to your address from WordPress.com. You acknowledge the email and you are a registered reader.
After you compete this short registration process, you get a notification email every time there is a new posting. The email has a quick teaser of the posting, along with tags that indicate how the posting relates to special topics/areas.
The Army has lost an initial Senate skirmish over a hotly disputed plan to take Apache attack helicopters away from National Guard units in a budget-cutting move that has infuriated governors and state military leaders.
The proposal, which would transfer dozens of the sleek Apache combat aircraft to active-duty units and give larger, multiuse Black Hawk helicopters to the Guard, has gotten high-level support at the Pentagon, including a visit to the Army’s aviation center at Fort Rucker last week by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
But the war-fighting arguments and billions of dollars in cost savings haven’t been enough to overcome lawmakers’ staunch support for their state units and their view that after 13 years of war, active-duty and Guard battalions must be interchangeable. Guard units deployed and fought in the Apaches in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they don’t want to give up their flashier ride in exchange for the Black Hawk, which is the military’s dependable workhorse.
Continue reading http://ow.ly/znf4R
One morning last week when I answered the phone, a woman at the other end of the line told me she was with the IRS and that I was being investigated. My immediate reaction was panic. But as the caller started telling me why I supposedly was in trouble, I quickly realized that scammers — not the IRS — were targeting me.
Before I recount the conversation, let me emphasize that the best course of action to take when a scammer calls is to hang up. Period. I stayed on the line out of professional curiosity. I hoped to gain more insight into the nature of the con that I could share with Kiplinger readers — and I did.
Here’s how I recognized the scam. http://ow.ly/yz6d2
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in this country. There are more than 795,000 strokes each year in the United States. Stroke causes more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease and most strokes occur in people over the age of 65 with the risk of having a stroke more doubling each decade after the age of 55.
The National Institute of Health developed a website to promote their campaign, KNOW STROKE, http://stroke.nih.gov/
Know the symptoms of stroke:
– Sudden NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
– Sudden CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech
– Sudden TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes
– Sudden TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
– Sudden SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause
Stroke strikes fast, so Call 911, and get to the hospital quickly!
Taken from the Retirement Readiness Now tips
Steve Berg, a retired Hawai‘i Air National Guard member who served with the then 169th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, provide these photographs to Retiree News. Special thanks to Steve for sharing these photographs
click on photographs to enlarge
The panoramic photo of the crowd in the hanger comes from Steve’s flickr account. To view his other photographs, go to http://ow.ly/zkRLu
Update: Steve mentioned he recently retired from Hawaii Pacific University where he taught mathematics for many years.
Did you know that the average adult consumes 200 calories more on Saturdays than on any other day of the week?
Get tips for unwinding without ruining your diet http://ow.ly/yNLOw
Paying for college is difficult at any age, but retirees have options to fund college that younger people don’t. People above a certain age can often qualify for tuition waivers, audit classes for free or register for affordable classes specifically for older students. Here are some of the ways retirees can qualify for free or low-cost college classes.
Continue reading http://ow.ly/yLVIz
Brigadier General Joseph Kim hosted the retirement ceremony for Brigadier General Stanley “Ossum” Osserman on July 13, 2014. The ceremony was in the new fighter operations compound at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. To view the program BG Osserman Program
Among the 500+ attendees were retired members of the Hawai‘i Air National Guard, and several members of the current Hawai‘i Army National Guard leadership. There were representatives from all our Congressional delegation, including comments by Col (R) Walter Kaneakua, describing Stan’s work during the startup of the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron. Walt now serves as the District Director for Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
Brig Gen Joseph Kim provided a narrative of Stan’s extensive civilian and military career. Many in the audience probably didn’t know the extent of his talents and skills. The ceremony continues with an American flag folding and the casing of Stan’s one star general’s flag.
Stan started his speech by recognized his wife Betty and his son Roger for their support through his years of Guard service. Betty was not at the ceremony, still in Tahiti supporting the Hokulea crew. Roger and his girlfriend just arrived back from Tahiti that morning.
During his speech, Ossum recognized Lt Col (R) Robert Konishi, who recruiting him into the HIANG. He acknowledged the presence of all the retired aircrew members he flew with over the year by asking them to stand – there were many. He thanked those who mentored and supported his during his career.
It was a great sendoff for an outstanding officer.
