U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association

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USAWOA News

 

USAWOA Life Member CW5 Todd M. Boudreau is the third Regimental Chief Warrant Officer of the Signal Regiment assuming the position at Fort Gordon, Georgia, on 28 January 2010.  See biography and photo. 2/4/10

 

Eagle Rising Room dedicated at the Army National Guard Readiness Center - see more. 2/2/10

 

Vice Chairman of the Board of the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation retires for the third time - Alfred E. "Al" Cox retired in December 2009 after six years of dedicated service on the Foundation's Board of Directors. He was presented an engraved glass Eagle Rising in recognition of his faithful and dedicated efforts to preserve the history and heritage of the Army Warrant Officer. The presentation was made to Al at his home in Fayetteville, PA on January 27th by Treasurer Ron Whalen on behalf of Al's fellow Board Members - see more. 2/2/10

 

2009 AMM Officer Professional Development briefing slides available for viewing and download - see more (some are large files; be patient while they download). 1/28/10

 

"Mentorship" - As professional officers we should be mentoring the influx of new warrant officers coming into the Corps and support the junior warrant officer deployed  in the War on Terror and those providing disaster assistance. One of the way you can provide mentorship is to join the Warrant Officer Forums on Warrant Officer Net and also sign-up for the weekly Warrant Officer Network (WO Net) Newsletter (see sample Newsletter). 1/20/10

 

USAWOA President Appointed CCWO of the ARNG - on January 11, 2009 CW5 Gary Nisker assumed the office of Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard with duty in the Office of the Director Army National Guard at the National Guard Bureau. 1/12/10

 

An uncertain future for shuttered Fort Monroe - Fort Monroe, VA was the birthplace of the Army Warrant Officer when on July 9, 1918 the Army Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery was authorized a total of 40 Warrant Officers to serve as masters, mates, chief engineers, and assistant engineers on each mine planting vessel. Although only one rank of Warrant Officer was authorized by Congress, in effect, three grades were created because of the varying levels of pay authorized for masters, 1st mates, 2nd mates, and corresponding levels of marine engineer personnel. The Hampton Roads Chapter of the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association is in the process of attempting to place items of Mine Planter Warrant Officer historical value in the Casemate Museum in the old Fort. See The Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) article (Courtesy ArmyTimes.com, Dec. 7, 2009) 12/30/09

 

Criteria and application forms for 2010-2011 USAWOA Scholarship Foundation Scholarships available.

 

Don Stivers’ Warrant Officer Print “LET GO!” - USAWOA offers the unique Warrant Officer art by the late contemporary military artist Don Stivers. One thousand prints were commissioned. Each bears the USAWOA logo, serial number, & the signature of the late artist's daughter . The artwork commemorates the birth of the Army Warrant Officer Corps: that being the July 1918 act of Congress founding the Army Mine Planter Service as part of the Coast Artillery Corps.  The act designated warrant officers to serve as masters, mates, chief engineers & assistant engineers of mine-planting vessels - see more.

 

For stories & pictures featuring Members, Chapters, & fellow Warrant Officers - see People in the News.

 

For issues and legislation supported by USAWOA - see Legislative Activities. See also Warrant Officer Pay Compression Chronology.

 

For Member Benefits and Services - see Member Services.

 

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Army, Defense, Government, and MWR News

 | See also Warrant Officer Recruiting and Retention |

| America Supports You | Support Our Troops | In Memoriam | Stories of Valor | Warrant Officer Net | USA.gov |

 

 

Laws Change for Military, Overseas Voters - Service members and overseas voters shouldn’t assume they automatically will receive ballots for the 2010 elections just because they have in the past - see more. 2/4/10

 

2010 census: especially important to military families - With about $400 billion a year in federal funds at stake, the 2010 census may prove especially important for the thousands of Army families who have relocated since 2000 as a result of Base Realignment and Closure, said a 2010 census media specialist. The larger the concentration of families in and around the installations that have experienced growth, the larger the support system has to be to accommodate them. Military families living in areas that have experienced significant growth may see the direct and indirect benefits of their participation in the census through, for example, larger schools, hospitals, roads, housing for elderly, and job training. States that have grown in population since 2000 could also gain congressional seats after the 2010 census - see more. 1/28/10

 

Zone Messages for FY10 Reserve Component CW3/CW4 and CW5 Promotion Selection Boards released - see more. 1/12/10

 

MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER 10-007 CY2011 FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY SELECTION BOARD ISSUED: [07 JAN 10]. This year the Army is allotted 4 training quotas at the FBI National Academy (FBINA).  The HRC will divide these quotas among MP commissioned officers, CID warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers, and MI commissioned officers, warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers.  The FIBNA is designed to provide instructions in law enforcement and related subjects including: forensic science, criminal law, behavioral science and management applications.  MP branch will convene a board in Jun 10 to select nominees for the training program for CY2011.  See the message for specifics. 1/12/10

 

Delay in Removing Social Security Numbers from Military ID Cards - see Stars and Stripes article. 12/8/09

 

Training with Industry: The Basics - In a November 2009 paper titled Talent: Implications for a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy by Casey Wardynski, David S. Lyle, and Michael J. Colarusso published by the Army Institute, economics expert Gary Becker was quoted as having said “education, training, and health are the most important investments in human capital.” One such way that the Army is currently investing in their officer human capital is through the training with Industry program. Training with industry falls under the Army advanced civil schooling program and provides a high level exposure to managerial techniques and industrial procedures within corporate America to competitively selected officers and non-commissioned officers. So why is it important for me? Read on. 12/8/09

 

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Awards and Decorations

 

U. S. Armed Forces Awards, Decorations, Campaign & Service Medals - order of precedence. 1/28/10.

 

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Commissary, Exchange, & MWR Newsjuh

| AAFES | Exchange Online Mall | USMC Exchange | USN Exchange | USCG Exchange |

| DeCA Commissary | Virtual Commissary | Army Moral, Welfare and Recreation |

 

 

Chance to Win $10,000 in BX/PX Gift Cards Nothing to Sneeze at - The Army & Air Force Exchange Service and Kimberly Clark, the maker of well-known daily essentials such as Kleenex and Huggies, are teaming up to give away ten $1,000 gift cards from Feb. 5-11. All eligible shoppers who visit their exchange during the contest simply need to fill out an entry form for a shot at a $1,000 AAFES shopping spree. It really doesn’t get any easier than this.” BXs and PXs across the globe, including facilities in Europe, the Pacific and Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, will have entry forms for the AAFES/Kimberly Clark “Spruce Up Your Space” sweepstakes. Winners will be selected on or about March 19, 2010. 2/4/10

 

Deadline for 2010 Scholarships for Military Children fast approaching - The Feb. 17 deadline for students to apply for the 2010 Scholarships for Military Children Program is fast approaching. All students interested and eligible to apply are encouraged to gather their materials and submit their applications as soon as possible. One of the materials needed includes an essay on the following topic: “You can travel back in time, however, you cannot change events. What point in history would you visit and why?” Applications are available in commissaries worldwide and online through a link at http://www.commissaries.com and directly at http://www.militaryscholar.org. Applications must be turned in to a commissary by close of business Feb. 17. At least one scholarship will be awarded at every commissary location with qualified applicants. Those eligible to apply for a scholarship are dependent, unmarried children, younger than 21 (23 if enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university) of active-duty, Reserve, Guard or retired military members; and survivors of service members who died while on active duty, or survivors of individuals who died while receiving military retired pay. 1/26/10

 

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Identity Theft/Scams/Phising

Deter. Detect. Defend. Avoid ID Theft

 

Top 10 SCAMS in 2009 - The Better Business Bureau on January 6, 2010 released a list of the top 10 scams and rip-offs of 2009. Not surprisingly, many scams sought to take advantage of people who were suffering under tough economic circumstances—such as the unemployed. Additionally, the use of free-trial offers to lock consumers into recurring credit and debit card charges was widespread online - see more. 2/4/10

 

FBI Warns of Bogus Haiti Online Donation Scams - The FBI is advising people to be careful when evaluating donation schemes related to the earthquake in Haiti as one security firm is seeing scam e-mail emerge - see more. 1/26/10

 

ATM Skimmers can steal your Identity - see ATM Card Skimming and PIN capturing Awareness Guide (Courtesy Commonwealth Bank) 1/26/10

 

Other Resources:

| http://www.ftc.gov/ | http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx |

 

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Pay, Allowances, and Insurance

(Military, Civil Service, Retirees, & Veterans)

 

President floats new concurrent receipt plan - As part of his fiscal 2011 budget request, President Obama again is asking to expand the number of disabled military retirees who are eligible for concurrent receipt of full veterans disability benefits and military retired pay - see more. 2/4/10

 

President to request 1.4% pay raise for 2011 - President Obama will seek a 1.4 percent military pay raise for 2011 as part of his defense budget request that will be unveiled Feb. 1, according to a point paper issued Tuesday by the White House. If approved by Congress, it would be the smallest annual military pay raise since the birth of the all-volunteer force in 1973, a reflection of the lingering recession’s dampening effect on wage growth and living costs. The next-smallest raise in the volunteer era was a 2 percent increase in 1988. [ Read More ] 2/2/10

 

Some Stop-Loss Payments Temporarily Halted - The Army and Air Force have temporarily stopped payments to Soldiers and Airmen who were held under stop-loss between September 2001 and September 2008 because a provision in the recently passed Defense Appropriations Bill makes fewer Servicemembers eligible.  The bill makes clear that troops who re-enlisted or extended their contract and collected a bonus while being held under stop-loss do not qualify for the compensation. The temporary halt will last until the Army gets a list of soldiers who received a re-enlistment or retention bonus while being stop-lossed. To learn more, go to: www.military.com/news/. 1/26/10

 

Mileage Reimbursements Drop for 2010 -Servicemembers and other government employees using their personal vehicles for official business generally will see a slight drop in mileage reimbursement rates in 2010 and a bigger drop if they are traveling on permanent change-of-station (PCS) orders. The new reimbursement rate for the official use of privately owned vehicles, 50 cents per mile, is 5 cents lower than the 2009 rate of 55 cents. Motorcycle mileage will be reimbursed at 47 cents per mile, also a nickel lower than the 2009 rate. To read more about this subject see the ArmyTimes.com story. 1/26/10

 

Benefits for Wounded Warriors - Men and women serving in the U.S. military who become disabled while on active duty on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs, are receiving "expedited processing" of disability claims from the Social Security Department.  Servicemembers can apply for and receive benefits even while receiving military pay. Visit Social Security's Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors webpage. The website has everything you need to know about Social Security and military service, including a link to apply for disability benefits online. 1/20/10

 

Tax Statements posted on myPay - Annual tax statements are being distributed to Service members, military retirees, annuitants and federal civilian employees who are paid by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service  (DFAS). The statements will be available electronically up to two weeks earlier to DFAS customers with myPay accounts. For a complete schedule go to www.dfas.mil. To read the article go to: www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/military_taxforms_121009w. 1/12/10

 

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Tricare, Medicare and VA Benefits

 

VA outlines efforts to fix GI Bill problems - Veterans Affairs Department officials tried Jan. 21 to convince a skeptical House subcommittee that its problems with paying Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are in the past. Roger Baker, VA’s assistant secretary for information and technology, said problems that delayed payments of the new education benefit during the fall semester have been addressed. [ Read More ] 2/4/10

 

VA to begin recovery of Post-9/11 GI Bill advance payments - The Department of Veterans Affairs is beginning the process of recovering advance payments made available during the fall 2009 semester to servicemembers who applied for education benefits. Active-duty service members were actually not eligible for the "advance" or partial payment on reimbursements owed veterans under the Post 9-11 GI Bill, according to VA officials. They said those service members who mistakenly applied for and received the advance payment may be asked to pay it back or return un-cashed checks -  see more. 1/28/10

 

White House Speaks to TRICARE Concerns - Among other similar claims, a column in the Wall Street Journal this week by former Senate Majority Leader (and Republican Presidential nominee) Bob Dole asserted that the Senate-passed national health reform bill would tax TRICARE for military families when delivered by a private-sector plan. A White House blog post strongly refutes this claim, asserting, "There is absolutely nothing in health reform that will affect TRICARE beneficiaries." To clarify further, there are two types of taxes at issue in the Senate health bill. One is an excise tax on individuals who have high-cost plans (the so-called "Cadillac tax"). The legislative language of the Senate bill specifically excludes TRICARE, TFL, and VA coverage from this tax. The other tax is an insurance provider fee that would be levied on all insurance companies in America, proportional to their share of the covered population. It appears that the Dole column was talking about the latter tax. As the WSJ column acknowledged, the proposed legislation would exempt all government entities from the tax. 1/26/10

 

DoD, VA realign disability ratings claims process - Soldiers being medically released from the Army will soon benefit from a more streamlined disability evaluation system, due to a program aligning the Department of Defense's and Department of Veterans Affairs' disability evaluations. Starting Feb. 4, Soldiers entering the Army's medical evaluation board will simultaneously apply for VA disability claims; those Soldiers already in an MEB will be grandfathered in and will not switch over to the new system. (see more) 1/22/10

 

TRICARE Video Counseling Can Help Military Families See "Eye-to-Eye" with Their Problems - From deployment worries to strained relationships to dealing with a tragedy, TRICARE is testing a new video counseling service to help military members and families see “eye-to-eye” with their problems. The TRICARE Assistance Program (TRIAP) is just one of several ways to get convenient, confidential help through a licensed behavioral health counselor. Services are available to any active duty service member (ADSM) in the United States, their spouse, and other eligible family members 18 years of age or older.  All that’s needed is a computer, Webcam and the associated software. TRIAP “visits” are unlimited and include assessments, short-term counseling and, if the TRIAP counselor determines more specialized care is necessary, referral to a more comprehensive level of care. Get details and get linked up to the appropriate TRICARE region at http://www.tricare.mil/TRIAP.

 

Other Resources:

| TRICARE Fact Sheets | MEDICARE Fact Sheets | VA Fact Sheets |

 

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Warrant Officer Recruiting and Retention

(Includes Bonus Information and Incentive Programs - Read top to bottom)

| Human Resource Command Officer Incentive Pay Webpage |

 

Army Warrant Officers Needed - The Army is looking for highly motivated soldiers, marines, sailors, and airman to fill its Warrant Officer ranks. Positions are open in all 45 specialties if you qualify. Soldiers with less than 12 years active federal service (AFS) are encouraged to apply. For active Army information, contact the Warrant Officer Recruiting Team at <www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/Warrant.htm> or DSN 536-0484, 0458. 0488, 0478, 0271, 1860. For Army National Guard Warrant Officer information see the website at  <www.1800goguard.com/warrant> and for Army Reserve Warrant Officer information and applications see the  website at <www.usarc.army.mil/retn/RTD/wo_oview.htm>.

 

Army Warrant Officer Recruiting Team Upcoming Visits - go to the USAREC WO Team Site, click on 'Warrant Officer Recruiting Site Quick Links' and select 'Briefing Schedule'. USAWOA encourages all serving Warrant Officers to support the effort to recruit the warrant officers of the future. Take time out to attend a briefing when it is in your area!

 

The Army officer/warrant officer Call to Active Duty (CAD) program  - This program is used to fill active component branch/functional area shortages (Army Competitive Category only) and is an opportunity for reserve component (RC) officers and warrant officers to serve in the active component.  The current CAD program includes RC LTs assigned to the IRR.  See the message for specifics.

 

MILPER Message No. 09-228 FY10 Warrant Officer Applications for Health Services Maintenance Technician (MOS 670A) issued: [06 OCT 09].  This message solicits applications for the FY10 Medical Service Corps Health Services Maintenance Technician warrant officer training program.  Please pass to all MOS 68A Soldiers. See message.

 

MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER 09-246 FY10 AVIATION CONTINUATION PAY (ACP) PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AVIATION REGIMENT (SOAR) ISSUED: [22 OCT 09].  This program applies to Regular Army aviation warrant officers IAW Title 37, Section 334, US Code.  Army Reserve, including AGR and mobilized reserve warrant officers, are not authorized to participate in this program.  The Army continues to offer the SOAR ACP program to include most aviation warrant officer primary military occupational specialties assigned to the special operations force in FY10.  See the message for specifics. 

 

MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER 09-246 FY10 AVIATION CONTINUATION PAY (ACP) PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AVIATION REGIMENT (SOAR) ISSUED: [22 OCT 09].  This program applies to Regular Army aviation warrant officers IAW Title 37, Section 334, US Code.  Army Reserve, including AGR and mobilized reserve warrant officers, are not authorized to participate in this program.  The Army continues to offer the SOAR ACP program to include most aviation warrant officer primary military occupational specialties assigned to the special operations force in FY10.  See the message for specifics.

 

MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER 09-247 FY10 AVIATOR CONTINUATION PAY (ACP) PROGRAM (TACTICAL OPERATIONS WARRANT OFFICERS (TACOPS - SQI I) ISSUED: [22 OCT 09].  This program applies to Regular Army aviation warrant officers IAW Title 37, Section 334, US Code.   Army Reserve, including AGR and mobilized reserve warrant officers, are not authorized to participate in this program.  The Army is offering an ACP for tactical operations warrant officer pilots - (TACOPS Off - SQI I) for FY10.  See the message for specifics

 

MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER 09-268 CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS (CSRB) PROGRAM FOR MILITARY INTELLIGENCE WARRANT OFFICERS ISSUED: [09 NOV 09].  This message continues the critical skills retention bonus (CSRB) program for select MI warrant officers from 1 Oct 09 to 30 Sep 10.  This program is for active duty warrant officers only.  AGR and mobilized reserve/national guard are not authorized to participate in the program.  This message extends the MI warrant officer CSRB program for retirement-eligible career warrant officers in specific MOS of 350F, 351L, and 351M with between 20 - 23 years active federal service, and who are fully eligible for continued service.  These warrant officers may request CSRB entitlement up to 25 years active federal service.  See the message for more information.

 

Other Recruiting and Retention Resources:

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For Current News in additional topic areas see index above.

 

 

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USAWOA Online 2/4/2010