JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Council Meetings Cancelled
The government's budget crisis - creating sharp belt tightening in all agencies - reached out and touched the Air Force retirement program in May. The annual Air Force Retiree Council meetings, scheduled at the Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Tx., were canceled. It is only the second year the council has failed to meet since its establishment in 1972. Realignment of meeting dates from fall to spring eliminated the year 2000 meeting. The council is the link between the retiree community and the Air Force Chief of Staff. It is comprised of 18 members, representing geographical areas in the United States and overseas. Current co-chairs are Lt. Gen. Steve Polk and former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rod McKinley. The Area XII member, representing Joint Base Andrews, Md., Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB), D.C. and Dover AFB, Del., is Chief Master Sgt. Chuck Lucas, Springfield, Va. He is a volunteer member of the Retiree Activities Office (RAO) at JBAB. Nearly 850,000 Air Force retirees and surviving spouses served by 105 RAOs are represented at the council table.
BRAC deadline nears
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure deadline is September 15. The 2005 BRAC law has more than 200 recommendations affecting some 800 locations and 125,000 people. The 2005 process was more about restructuring than it was about trimming excess capacity. It called for the department to look 20 years into the future and configure installations and capabilities to support that force. Some of the realignments are done while others are bumping up against the deadline. One of the latter is establishing the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, Md., along with a new hospital at Fort Belvoir, Va. Officials remain optimistic, but admit it is extremely complex. Joint basing is another outgrowth of the process. There are now 12 joint bases with all the facilities and infrastructure personnel becoming parts of the new organization. Included are Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., and Joint Base Andrews, Md. The process does not say how the missions will be accomplished and those involved must meld procedures from different services to make the process work. Officials expect these mergers will save money and organizations are being given time to operate together before efficiencies are evaluated.
Fee-free park dates
The National Park Service is waiving admission fees on selected dates this year and encourages all Americans to visit a national park. There's no better place than a national park for superb recreational opportunities, making them perfect places to enjoy beautiful land, history and culture, and nurture a healthy lifestyle, according to a NPS spokesman. There are 394 national parks throughout the country, offering easy and affordable vacations. Fee-free dates include: June 21 - first official day of summer; Sept. 24 - National Public Lands Day; and Nov. 11-13 - Veterans Day. Many national park concessions also offer discounts on fee-free days, saving visitors money on food, lodging, tours and souvenirs. For more information, go to http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.
The Retiree Activities Office is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Visit our office in room A-200A, 1535 Command Drive, call us at 301-981-2726, or e-mail us at rao@andrews.af.mil. Calling the office prior to visiting is recommended to ensure someone is on duty. The RAO also has a website at www.andrews.af.mil, click on ''Retirees" on the right side of the page. There you will find a wealth of information that might be of interest to you. Copies of ''Retiree Activities Corner" articles are online as well. Go to the retirees webpage and find information under the heading ''Newspaper Column."