Military Life
A major retirement savings tool available to all service members and DOD civilians is the Thrift Savings Plan, and soon there will be a new way to save for retirement -- the Roth TSP, a senior Defense Department official said. The Roth TSP, which uses after-tax dollars, will
Health
A new mobile application developed by mental health experts combines behavioral therapy with satellite navigation technology to offer returning service members options for adjusting to the slower pace of life at home. An advertisement in New York City's Times Square showcases the new Positive Activity Jackpot
Health
Beginning this month, some National Guard and reserve members will need to pay dental premiums directly rather than through payroll deduction, a senior official of the TRICARE military health plan said today. A change to the TRICARE Dental Program means that payroll deduction for premiums is not
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Service members and Defense Department civilian employees who are eligible for the Thrift Savings Plan will soon have a new Roth option for retirement savings under the program, defense finance officials announced today. The change will allow participants to contribute after-tax dollars to the federal government-sponsored retirement
Focus
A state-of-the-art millimeter-wave system developed by the Joint Non-lethal Weapons Directorate gives warfighters something more persuasive than shouting but less harmful than shooting when dealing with potentially hostile crowds, Defense Department experts said during a recent demonstration. At a training area on Marine Corps Base Quantico
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Service members now will receive imminent danger pay only for days they actually spend in hazardous areas, Pentagon officials said here today. The change, which took effect yesterday, was included in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law Dec. 31.
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The Defense Department needs another round of base realignments and closures if the military is to retain its balance, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told the Reserve Officers Association that as the military cuts $487 billion
Focus
Air Force Col. Ginger Wallace, an intelligence officer, had a choice seat for President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech yesterday -- she listened to it live, as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama. Kathy Knopf, left, pins colonel's wings on her partner, Air force
Health
Navy medical researchers have expanded the knowledge of the bacterium that causes "travelers' diarrhea" and are in the early stages of clinical trials of a vaccine they developed for it. Recognizing the impact of travelers' diarrhea on military readiness, particularly when it affects deployed forces, the Defense
Health
A sophisticated prosthetic knee with a newly designed microprocessor is giving many wounded warriors with above-the-knee amputations the chance to return to active duty, military medical officials here reported. Wounded warriors who had such severe limb loss in the early days of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars
PCSing with Pets
Military moves can be tough on military families, especially if a spouse is deployed. It's hard enough to get the humans in the family ready for a big move, let alone a family pet. "Growing up as an Army ‘brat,' I moved every three years from state to
Operation Family Support
The military has a plethora of programs aimed at building resilience in service members and their families, but needs a better system in place to measure their success, a study has revealed. Commissioned by officials from the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, the Rand Corp.
Focus
Some military installations are consolidating and getting new names as joint basing becomes a reality. Twenty-six stateside military installations consolidated into 12 joint bases. They are: Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base became Joint Base Lewis-McChord, led by the Army; The Navy's Anacostia Annex and Bolling Air Force Base became
Focus
(Special to American Forces Press Service) - A Utah National Guard soldier today posted the best American finish ever in the biathlon at the Winter Olympics. Army Sgt. Jeremy Teela, a three-time Olympian, finished ninth in the men's 10-kilometer sprint on the first day of competition in the biathlon in Whistler,
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2009 - It's a scene that's played out in airports across the country numerous times in the past eight years: Families and servicemembers clinging to each other, either sad to leave or happy and vowing to never let go again. The emotion always is appropriate, but the location
Focus
North American Aerospace Defense Command officials are getting ready to track Santa Claus. The "NORAD Tracks Santa" Web site, http://www.noradsanta.org, features holiday games and activities that change daily. The site is available in seven languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese. On Dec. 24, the Web site will stream videos,
Focus
Satisfied that it's increased its ranks by about 20,000 soldiers and continues to meet its recruiting goals, the Army Reserve now is focused on recruiting more troops as they leave active duty to fill gaps at the mid-level ranks and in specific specialties. Army Brig. Gen. Leslie A. Purser, the Army