EANGUS Members Qualify for a $500 Military Grant
EANGUS and Bellevue University invite you to take advantage of our “Partnership in Education”. This partnership offers all EANGUS members and their spouses a $500 Military Grant towards completing your degree at Bellevue University. As an EANGUS member, you already qualify. Just follow the link to the grant webpage and fill in your information. A Bellevue University Military Counselor will help you apply the grant and get started.
Get your $500 Military Grant here: www.bellevue.edu/eangus
Name the Slogan, Win a Trip to DC
The Federal Voting Assistance Program is seeking submissions for its slogan and poster contests to encourage absentee voting in U.S. elections by Servicemembers, their families and other citizens living overseas.Ý All U.S. citizens are eligible to enter, and the winning slogan and poster artwork will be featured on the program’s website, its 2012-2013 Voting Assistance Guide and other motivational materials. The winner for each contest and a guest will receive a trip to the nation’s capital. The deadline for submissions is April 8, and winners will be announced April 29. For more information, visit the Slogan Contest site at: http://challenge.gov/DoD/115-absentee-voting-slogan-contest and the Poster Contest site at: http://challenge.gov/DoD/116-absentee-voting-poster-contest
Casey: Families, Modernization Top Priorities
At a breakfast hosted by the Association of the United States Army on January 6, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said the three things that need to be protected in the Armyís budget are the size of the force, programs that support families and the serviceís efforts to modernize.Ý The Army has almost reached its goal of adding an additional 22,000 troops and plans to stay at approximately 569,000 Soldiers through the end of 2013.Ý After that date, the force would come back down to its earlier size of 547,000.Ý Maintaining the Army at this size is necessary for Soldiers to be able to rest and recover from their one-year deployments.Ý To learn more, please go to: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/01/army-Casey-end-strength-010611/
Program Cuts Let Army Keep Soldiers for Now
To meet Defense Secretary Robert Gatesí objectives, the Army has identified $29 billion in savings over the next five years that will allow the service to preserve its force structure in the near term. After 2013 the Army will begin to reduce the size of its active-duty force by 27,000 troops.Ý Until then, it will be able to maintain a force larger than 547,000.Ý Under Gateís plan the Army will cut 13,500 Soldiers in 2015 and another 13,500 in 2016 and end up with and end strength of 520,400.Ý To maintain this size and to accelerate the fielding of items needed in Afghanistan, the Army made funding cuts and identified redundancies in other areas.Ý In addition to maintaining force structure through 2015, the Army plans to invest its savings in improved suicide prevention and substance abuse counseling for Soldiers.Ý AUSAís President Gen. Gordon Sullivan is alarmed at the proposed troop cuts and feels the Army and its three components must remain near its total operational end strength of approximately 700,000.Ý To read this article in full, please go to: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/01/army-cuts-let-army-keep-soldiers-010611w/
DoD Officials Preparing Smaller 2012 Budget
The Pentagon in February likely will send Congress a fiscal 2012 budget blueprint seeking about $15 billion less than the $678 billion sought for 2011.Ý Since lawmakers and administration officials earlier this year began mulling ways to right Washingtonís fiscal ship, it has become increasingly clear that the defense budget will shrink.Ý Senate appropriators this year trimmed the administrationís 2011 defense request by $8 billion, with their House counterparts proposing a $7.2 billion reduction.Ý Several high-profile debt-reduction panels called for Pentagon cuts as large as $100 billion.Ý While a definitive topline figure remains unclear, sources indicate it could be about $663 billion.Ý To read this article in full, please go to: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/12/military_122010_2012-budget-rumors/
DoD Announces $150 Billion Reinvestment from Efficiencies Savings
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today a series of efficiencies decisions designed to save the Department of Defense more than $150 billion over the next five years primarily by reducing overhead costs, improving business practices and cutting excess or troubled programs.Ý Most of the resulting savings will be used by the four services to invest in high priority programs that strengthen war fighting capabilities.Ý The services will keep the savings they found to reinvest in the specific capabilities each service needs to support its war fighters.ÝÝÝ To read this article in full, please go to: http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14178
Health Plan Officials Work to Improve Efficiency, Care
As Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presses for a modest increase in health plan premiums for working-age military retirees to help offset rising health care costs, the head of the TRICARE Management Activity reported progress already made in improving efficiencies as well as the quality of health care services.Ý TRICARE officials have worked hard to manage the per-patient cost of health care.Ý TRICARE Prime, the managed-care option that covers all active-duty members and many retirees, costs the government $4,202 per beneficiary per year.Ý In their drive to balance cost considerations with other ìquadruple aimî priorities, officials are focusing heavily on preventive medicine.Ý AUSA is concerned with the proposal and will be watching closely to see just what is meant by ìmodestî increases.Ý To read this article in full, please go to: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62372
New TRICARE Dental Program Contract Awarded
TRICARE Management Activity announced its intent to award the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) contract to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of Bridgewater, NJ.Ý Dental care coverage under the new contract begins Feb. 1, 2010, following a 12-month transition period from the current contractor, United Concordia Companies, Inc.Ý New and enhanced benefits include increases in the annual maximum and the lifetime orthodontic maximum, accidental dental injury coverage, an additional cleaning for women during pregnancy, and much more.Ý Under the new contract, all enrollees will enjoy lower premiums in the first year.Ý More information about the TRICARE Dental Program is available at: http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/Dental/DentalProgram, and information about the TDP contract is available at: http://www.tricare.mil/TDPcontract.Ý To read this article in full, please go to: http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=459
Exchange Rewards Those Who 'Made the Grade'
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, military children, especially those with deployed parents, face unique stresses that often result in higher rates of school absenteeism and failure.Ý Keeping these unique challenges in mind, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service established an exclusive educational rewards program that continues to receive high marks from student and parents alike.Ý Now in its tenth year, the ìYou Made the Gradeî program recognized students who achieve a ìBî average or better with a benefits-filled booklet containing offers which include free food, video rentals and discounts on new releases at the Power Zone.ÝÝÝ Students who make the grade can also register for a drawing to win a savings bond worth up to $5,000 by completing and mailing an included entry form.Ý Military families can contact their local exchange for more information about ìYou Made the Grade.îÝ Contact information is available through the ìyour exchangeî link at http://www.shopmyexchange.com
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