VETERANS SERVICES CENTER SEEKS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS

Just a few hours of your time can provide valuable assistance to our Veterans and their families.

The Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) Volunteer Corps is seeking members in the community to support the new Veterans Services Center at JFTB in Los Alamitos.

The Veterans Services Center provides a centralized point of assistance to military Veterans and their families. The Center helps in every aspect of wellness, including mental health, financial, housing, education, employment, family assistance, and benefits.

The Center’s newly organized JFTB Volunteer Corps will assist Veterans and their families in the Center with information and referral resources.

For more information or to be part of the Center’s Volunteer Corps, please contact JFTB Public Affairs, (562) 795-2017.

Submitted By: LTC Tom Lasser

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ANG UNIT READY TO FIGHT WILDFIRES AND SAVE LIVES

7/2/2008 - MATHER AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. — Crews from the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing were certified to perform water bucket operations here Wednesday, becoming the only rescue unit in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard qualified to fight fires.

The certification is timely as it coincides with an early start to the fire season in Northern California, which is where the 129th RQW is based.

The aircrews and Pave Hawks have been on temporary duty here in support of Operation Lightning Strike - the California National Guard’s firefighting support mission. While the equipment modifications and required training were being accomplished, the unit has maintained a continuous alert posture for search and rescue and high risk medical evacuations.

The 129th Rescue Wing is the lead wing for HH-60G Pave Hawk water bucket certification efforts, according to Lt. Col. Steve Butow, 129th Operations Group Director. The training, equipment modifications, and certification process will lay the groundwork for other combat search and rescue wings to obtain water bucket certification. continue reading

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Date: Fri, 04 Jul 2008
Received From: ALFRED L LEIDY
Subject: Fw: July 4th posting on Sacramento MOAA website

This Original message
From: “Herbert P. Holeman, Ph.D.”
Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 11:44:35 AM
Subject: July 4th posting on Sacramento MOAA website

The Fourth of July is a special day for us. Illustrated on our website,
with this link
http://www.sacmoaa.org/

, are two examples worth viewing – The actions of baseball player, Rick Monday, at Dodger Stadium and that of 18,000 soldiers in a photo taken a long time ago.

Take a look!

Herb Holeman

MOAA Webmaster

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CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD TUITION BENEFITS STUDY

Due to federal requirements and our need to be ready for state emergencies, a strain is placed on our service members, their Families, and their employers.

In a December 2007 study conducted by the Military Department, 74% of the over 2,600 CNG members surveyed indicated that they would incur an additional service obligation to receive a state education benefit.

California is the only state that does not provide an educational benefit to members of its National Guard.

An education benefit will serve as an incentive and reward to our National Guard members and their Families for their service to the state by allowing them to achieve the goal of higher education without undue cost to the Family.

California has the smallest National Guard, as measured per capita of all of the states or territories. continue reading

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DON’T THROW THAT AMERICAN FLAG INTO THE TRASH!

Do you have a old and frazzled flag that’s laying around your office or home and you just don’t know what to do with it? Then send it to us! We will properly dispose of it according to federal laws.

Who are we? Visit our website at http://www.kitchentablegang.org for details about us and what we are doing to help veterans and our soldiers overseas, and giving proper respect for ol’glory.

The Kitchen Table Gang Trust will retire your tattered, worn out and frayed American flags with full honors! Anything else is desecration!

Just send your flags to the not-for-profit Kitchen Table Gang Trust, 42922 Avenue 12, Madera, CA 93638-8866 and we’ll dispose of your flags in a proper and dignified manner with full honors and dignity pursuant to the United States Flag Code Section 8K (PL93-344). The Kitchen Table Gang (formed over 16 years ago) is a “rag-tag” bunch of patriotic military types helping hospitalized veterans and our soldiers and Marines overseas with “Care” packages. continue reading

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HELP SAVE SAN FRANCISCO JROTC PROGRAMS

Captain Chuck Shea has been working hard to see that Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, JROTC, remains an active program within San Francisco public schools. The opposition is the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a majority on the San Francisco Board of Education. Fortunately there is Chuck and a growing number of organizations, students, parents, principles and teachers and others endeavoring to retain JROTC in city high schools.

They need help. Anyone and willing and able to support them with a financial contribution is encouraged to do so. The attached letter from Chuck and his back up material lays that out well.

Like it or not we all are painted with the same wide brush as we get lumped into the left-wing politics of that town. If you can assist, please do. It will help us all.

Don Hale, President,
Pacific Central Region, NLUS continue reading

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FULL SALARIES AND BENEFITS TO MILITARY MEMBERS

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday again went above and beyond the call of duty in providing full salaries and benefits to county employees serving in the armed forces.

State law requires the county to pay employees on active duty full benefits and the difference between their county salary and their military salary for only their first 30 days of service. The board today voted to extend the benefits and supplemental pay for as long as someone is assigned to active duty.

“These county employees are putting their lives and futures at risk so that we may remain free,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Paul Biane. “It is a small price for the county to pay to make sure they are also not putting themselves and their families at financial risk while serving our country.” continue reading

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VA REACHING OUT TO VETS WITH MORTGAGE PROBLEMS

WASHINGTON (June 12, 2008) - Many home owners have found it difficult recently to pay their mortgages, but quick intervention by loan counselors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has actually reduced the number of veterans defaulting on their home loans.

“VA is reaching out to veterans — both those who use our home-loan guaranty program and those who don’t take advantage of our guaranties — to keep people in their homes,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “I’m proud of our solid record of success in helping veterans and active-duty personnel deal with financial crises.”

Accounting for much of this success are VA counselors at nine regional loan centers who assist people with VA-guarantied loans avoid foreclosure through counseling and special financing arrangements. The counselors also can assist other veterans with financial problems. VA counselors have helped about 74,000 veterans, active-duty members and survivors keep their homes since 2000, a savings to the government of nearly $1.5 billion. continue reading

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