Carl Prine, Investigative Reporter Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Published: Sunday, July 21, 2013

An ongoing nationwide survey found that almost 76 percent of American military veterans don't know that delaying enrollment in a special Medicare program can trigger punishing late fees.

And 16 percent of vets wrongly believe they don't need to worry about Medicare, largely because government employees or their buddies misinformed them, according to Milwaukee-based 65 Incorporated, a Medicare consultancy.

“This is really important for veterans to understand: If they don't sign up for Medicare Part B at age 65, and they're no longer working, they could incur a 10 percent penalty on the premium for every month they delay, and this lasts for the rest of their lives,” said 65 Incorporated founder Diane Omdahl, a registered nurse who helps retiring vets transition to post-work health care coverage.

Social Security's Medicare Part B covers medically necessary services such as

Testing of M9 replacement to start next year
Jul. 27, 2013 - 6:00AM
By Lance M. Bacon, Air Force Times staff writer

There is good news for airmen eager to replace the M9 service pistol: Final approval for a replacement program is expected at any time, which means testing and evaluation of a variety of pistols could begin early in 2014.

A three-year test and evaluation of commercial off-the-shelf contenders will determine the best pistol to replace M9s and the concealable M11s. The plan, developed in conjunction with the Army, has received the thumbs-up at the Pentagon, said Daryl Easlick, the modular handgun systems project officer.

The plan not only passed, it came through with no operational capability changes, a rare feat for any acquisition program.

That is not to say the program is without challenges. The House Armed Services Committee, in reports leading up to the June 14 passage of its 2014 defense bill, urged the Army to scrap the competition and simply upgrade the M9.

Security forces: One strike and you're out
As security forces competition gets tougher, AF loses patience with mistakes
Jul 26, 2013 - 6:00AM
Air Force Times article by Stephen Losey, staff writer

Competition for security forces jobs is getting tougher, and the Air Force no longer has any patience for screw-ups.

Security forces airmen are increasingly bearing the brunt of the cash-strapped Air Force as it attempts to reduce its enlisted ranks through date-of-separation rollbacks. Between 2004 and 2007, about 11 percent or 12 percent of airmen separated under rollbacks were security forces. But beginning in 2010, that percentage started to rise, until they represented about 18 percent of all rollbacks in 2012, and in the first round of 2013 rollbacks in May.

About the same time, security forces became increasingly overmanned, and have been at 105 percent capacity for the last three years. Chief Master Sgt. Stephen White, the enlisted career field manager for security forces, said in a July 12 interview that the security force’s retention rate also is about 124 percent of what the Air Force wants it to be.

Security forces BEEF up engineers' capabilities
Posted 7/31/2013 Updated 7/31/2013
by Airman 1st Class Emily A. Bradley 36th Wing Public Affairs

7/31/2013 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Trainers from the 736th Security Forces Squadron paired up with the 36th Civil Engineer Squadron in a unique training opportunity to increase expeditionary skills of the prime Base Emergency Engineer Force, or prime BEEF, July 29 on Northwest Field.

The purpose of the training was to increase the 36th CES Airmen's abilities to respond to global threats and provide them with the most up-to-date tactics and procedures used in deployed environments.

"This training will help our Airmen survive in dangerous situations and in high-threat environments like Afghanistan," said Master Sgt. Jacob Tefteller, 36th CES readiness NCO in charge. "Another benefit is the Airmen who learned these skills can pass the knowledge to others in our squadron."