HHC 56th IBCT FRG Newsletter is Here Now. Click to see
"Special Bulletin"
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New Arrowhead Newsletter for June 2009 is here
See all of the (June 09)"Dispatch" Magazine here
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Many of The "Good Links"(good links, more good links, and still more good links)at left are redundant, but there are ones behind each link that are only found there.
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Hints about using this web site:
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Christmas Party link is on left side panal now
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The First FRG Meeting at VFW Post 4695 in Hurst, Texas was held on Saturday 1/07/2009
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Did you know, that you can come to the monthly, 1st Saturday, FRG meetings at VFW Post 4695 (118 Harmon Rd in Hurst, Texas--Map) and have a Video Recorded that will posted on this website, so that your soldier can view your message in Iraq. There are many other benefits of being a part of the FRG. You can even help plan for our troops homecoming.
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Here is story worth reading from "News Week". It is a story about changing loyalties, and former enemy in Iraq who now works with our troops to eliminate Al Quida. (Click Here to Read)
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Guard Families Eligible for a Child Care Subsidy
National Guard families are eligible for a child care subsidy
during a family member's deployment. The National Guard
Bureau is reminding its members of the subsidy that went into
effect about five years ago.
Mike Conner, chief of program services for the bureau's
Family Program Office, said the Guard program grew out of one
designed for active component members. "There was an increased
need for child care on the (military) installation," he said.
"When the (wartime) deployments occurred, the day care centers
on the installations were already at the peak. This made it even
higher and the stress just increased."
This prompted a change to the program to allow active
component families to receive a stipend to use off-post child care
providers. Guard and Reserve members were later made eligible
as long as they were on Title 10 status.
"If you are deployed in Title 10 status and your spouse
is either working or in school fulltime, you are eligible for a child
care subsidy," Conner said. Recently, those on Title 32 active
orders were added to the eligibility list.
The subsidy program is coordinated through the National
Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies,
which approves applications and determines the amount paid as
part of the subsidy, which varies based on a number of factors,
not including rank.
So far, more than 1,100 Guard members have taken advantage
of the program. For more information, visit the Guard's
Family Program
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Reservist May Qualify for Early Retirement Pay
Department of Defense officials
here have issued new guidelines for early
receipt of retired pay for members of the
Reserve components. Instead of having to
wait until age 60 to receive Reserve retired
pay, eligible members may receive retired
pay prior to age 60 but not before age 50.
Under interim changes to Department
of Defense Instruction 1215.07, Service
Credit for Reserve Retirement, issued under
a law passed by Congress effective
Jan. 28, 2008, Reserve component members
are able to reduce the age at which
they are eligible to receive retirement pay
by three months for each cumulative period
of 90 days served on active duty in
any fiscal year. Under the new law, members
eligible to receive retired pay earlier
than age 60 must still wait until age 60 to
receive health-care benefits.
For more information see DoD Instruction
number 1215.07 on http://
www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corresp/
pdf/121507p.pdf
The VA Wants You - To Join Its Workforce
The Department of Veterans Affairs
is contacting severely injured veterans
from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
about coming to work at the VA. The VA's
Veterans Employment Coordination Service
has already been in touch with 2,300
such veterans, of whom 600 have expressed
interest in employment at the department.
The current workforce at VA is
30 percent veterans, the second highest
rate among cabinet departments after the
Defense Department. Nearly 8 percent of
VA employees are service-connected disabled
veterans.
But VA Secretary Dr. James B.
Peake wants to increase that percentage.
"I am proud of this effort," he said
in a press release from the VA. "VA
knows the true quality of our men and
women, and we should be a leader in employing
them."
The coordination service was
established one year ago to recruit veterans
to the VA workforce, especially those seriously
injured in the current wars. It has
nine regional coordinators working with
local facility human resources offices
across the country not only to reach out to
potential job candidates, but to ensure that
local managers know about special authorities
available to hire veterans.
For example, qualified disabled
veterans rated as having a 30 percent or
more service-connected disability can be
hired noncompetitively.
"Our team is spreading the message
that VA is hiring, and we want to hire
disabled veterans," said Dennis O. May,
director of VA's Veterans Employment
Coordination Service.
VA coordinators participate in military
career fairs and transition briefings and
partner with veterans organizations.
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Free Federal, Military and Family Guides
GovAmerica.org is offering 2009 Federal, Military and Family Guides for immediate download. These publications offer free
career, financial, consumer and family information written especially for the federal and military communities. Visit
www.govamerica.org to view a list of the 21 publications available for free.
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