December 2017 focus by Christian Johnson

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

2017

December Family Focus Mission: Service Member & Family Support enhances and empowers the lives of our customers with consistently exceptional service & support.

Service Member & Family Support Phone: 1-800-658-3930 THE FOCUS IS FOR SERVICE MEMBERS & FAMILIES, VETERANS, RETIREES & SURVIVORS

IN THIS ISSUE

Understanding the “Forever GI Bill” The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, as it’s officially named, includes major expansions to the GI Bill, the first since the 2008 Post-9/11 GI Bill. At its core, the legislation lifts the 15-year expiration on using the GI Bill for tuition assistance, thus making it a lifetime benefit for all active military members and retroactive for veterans who retired after Jan. 1, 2013. But there are many other expansions to the bill, some of which affect Guard and Reserve members specifically. Most significantly for Reserve Component (RC) members, there are new avenues for attaining active duty status that count toward GI Bill benefits. Previously, only those called to active duty under presidential order for national emergencies were eligible, but the benefit now applies to other types of mobilizations as well. The crux here is there were deployment scenarios in which active-

component troops would accrue GI Bill credits, while the RC members working alongside them would not. “We work the same hours as active duty people doing the same job,” remarked one Marine reservist in a 2016 Stars and Stripes article. His deployment to did not qualify him and 300 others for education benefits. “The government is saying our sacrifice isn’t worth as much as it is for those on active duty. But we leave behind families and our civilian careers too.” Now, RC members called to active duty by a governor in response to an emergency or natural disaster (12304a) or when the DoD mobilizes RC members in support of a combatant command (12304b) are also eligible. This expansion of benefits retroactively applies to all RC members mobilized after Aug. 1, 2009, but payment for classes does not begin until after Aug. 1, 2018.

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Disclaimer: The announcements that appear on this page(s) or attached are intended to inform Soldiers, Airmen, veterans, and their families of special offers provided to Service Members, veterans and their families and are not intended to constitute an endorsement by the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard, the United States Army, the United States Air Force, or the Department of Defense. It is strictly intended to be used for informational purposes only.

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Nominate Your Employer Now Do you have the flexibility you need to succeed both at work and in the military? Just two months are left for you to nominate your employer for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest honor the Department of Defense gives to employers for supporting National Guard and Reserve employees. Lt. Col. Traci Earls of the Army National Guard nominated her company, Cargill, for a Freedom Award in 2017, and they won! What did she have to say about them? I feel honored to be a part of an organization [that] respects and supports those of us serving in the armed forces. Nominate your employer: www.FreedomAward.mil The nomination form takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. Just click "Nominate Employer" on the FreedomAward.mil homepage to share how your employer supports you and fellow military employees. Nominations must be submitted by Dec. 31, 2017. If you encounter any errors while submitting a nomination please contact osd.ESGRITSupport@mail.mil Or 1-800-336-4590 opt 3

Funeral Honors course - Fort Meade February 18 - 23 2018

Contact your Unit Readiness NCO or call MSG Mary Mallow at 605-737-6945 for more information.

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

VA Announces Application Process for New Veterans ID Card WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the application process for the national Veterans Identification Card (VIC) is now available for Veterans — yet another action honoring their service. This has been mandated through legislation since 2015 to honor Veterans, and today’s rollout of the ID card fulfills that overdue promise. Only those Veterans with honorable service will be able to apply for the ID card, which will provide proof of military service, and may be accepted by retailers in lieu of the standard DD-214 form to obtain promotional discounts and other services where offered to Veterans. “The new Veterans Identification Card provides a safer and more convenient and efficient way for most Veterans to show proof of service,” said VA Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin. “With the card, Veterans with honorable service to our nation will no longer need to carry around their paper DD-214s to obtain Veteran discounts and other services.”

The VIC provides a more portable and secure alternative for those who served the minimum obligated time in service, but did not meet the retirement or medical discharge threshold. Veterans who served in the armed forces, including the reserve components, and who have a discharge of honorable or general (under honorable conditions) can request a VIC. To request a VIC, Veterans must visit www.vets.gov click on “Apply for Printed Veteran ID Card” on the bottom left of the page and sign in or create an account. Veterans who apply for a card should receive it within 60 days and can check delivery status of their cards at vets.gov. A digital version of the VIC will be available online by mid-December.

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

December 8, 2017 Honoring the deployed members of the

200th Engineer Company and their families Please wear a R.E.D. shirt to show your support! Soldiers and Airmen involve your civilian employers. To obtain a letter for your employer please contact the Family Assistance Center at 1-800-658-3930. Please share photos of your Unit or your employer participating to redshirtfriday.southdakota@gmail.com so we can share them on our social media sites. MAJ Lona Christensen

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

See next page for Registration Form!

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Tricare Update! If you are using TRICARE Reserve Select, TRICARE Retired Reserve and/or TRICARE Young Adult you MUST TAKE ACTION no later than 20 December 2017! You should have received a letter from the new contract company, Health Net Federal Services, LLC dated 18 November in regards to what service members MUST do to update their electronic funds transfer (EFT) or recurring credit card (RCC) payments. If you did not receive a letter contact Health Net Federal Services, LLC at 1-877-874-2273 to ensure your payment is setup and you and your dependents do not lose coverage. It is recommend that you visit the official Tricare Changes webpage at https://tricare.mil/changes and sign up for email or text updates by clicking here.

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Citizen Soldier For Life Program Joins the SDARNG It is with great excitement that SMFS announces the addition of a new program and more resources to Support our Service Members, Veterans and their families. The new program that is being introduced is the Citizen Soldier for Life (CSFL) program. The individuals that will work this program are called Career Readiness Counselors (CRCs). There are three CRC positions in South Dakota (Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Watertown). The CSFL program will compliment SMFS current resources by providing referral and or assistance through four approaches: financial literacy, transition assistance, career readiness standards and employment support. The program applies a modified Soldier for Life (SFL) concept to the National Guard. The SFL concept was developed and implemented across the Active Component, but was not a good fit for the reserve component. The modified SFL concept supports the unique needs of the ARNG Soldier by offering access to mandated financial literacy training and employment outreach and assistance.

The CSFL Program is new and still evolving and improving to affect gains in areas of personal readiness, resilience, unit readiness and increased retention. This proactive and expanded SFL approach, when applied to the ARNG in a way that meets the needs of ARNG Soldiers, serves to help improve financial literacy of the force, meet requirements of AR 600-81 for career readiness standards throughout the SLC, and reduce and avoid National Guard unemployment issues. Your Watertown CRC is Emy Hauck. In Emy’s Words, here is a little about her:

Your Sioux Falls CRC is Laura Allen. In Laura’s words, here is a little about Laura:

“I grew up on the east coast in the summers and South Dakota during the school years. Therefore my two favorite football teams are the Eagles and Vikings. Prior to coming to the Armed Forces Service Corporation I held employment in; Congress (DC), as a Police Officer (SD) and now a Licensed Professional Counselor (SD). I have a Masters in Mental Health Counseling and enjoy my "nerd" status of always striving to learn.

“I am originally from Iowa and I was active duty Army for five years stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado with the Group Support Battalion for 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). I have deployed to Iraq and I also served 15 months in the North Carolina National Guard. My MOS was a 35T- Military Intelligence Systems Maintainer/ Integrator. I was Airborne and I have a lot of stories about those days so if you want to chat sometime my door is open. I am excited to assist with any Career Readiness concerns you may have and I look forward to meeting everyone and getting the lay of the land here in the SDNG.”

I have been married to Captain Jeffery Hauck for eight years, who is currently deployed and set to be home within a month! We have two dogs and three sons; Noah 14, Elijah 8 and Izaiah 5. They all enjoy outdoor fun, soccer and Tae Kwon Do. We are a very active family with a service history background. We cannot wait to keep on our family tradition of unconditional service to our family, community and country. “ Emy can be reached at 605-868-6269 or via email at Emy.Hauck@csfl.online

Laura can be reached at 605-357-2974 or via email at laura.allen@csfl.online

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Monthly Focus The Employment Support Program Is Here For You All current/previous National Guard service members and immediate family members have access to the National Guard Employment Support Program (ESP). This program was established in November 2016 to assist all current National Guard service members, National Guard prior service/veterans and their immediate family members in their search for better employment opportunities. In South Dakota, your ESP Program Support Specialist (PSS) is Mr. Scott MacDonald located in the Service Member & Family Support Directorate at Camp Rapid in Rapid City. As the PSS in South Dakota, he can help bridge the gap between the job seeker and the employer through providing employment assistance in the following areas: • • • • • •

Unemployed or under employed personnel looking to make their next career move Employment search technique advice for job seekers Resume/cover letter writing, interview preparation and translating military skills Referrals to other employment assistance agencies i.e., South Dakota Dept. of Labor, South Dakota State Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration, and other professional organizations Providing reference materials and information about job openings on the SDNG ESP web page http://sd.ng.mil/Careers/ESP/Pages/default.aspx Networking with other National Guard ESP Program Support Specialists across the country

As he did last year, Scott will be traveling out to each of the unit Soldier Readiness Process (SRP) and the 153rd ENG BN Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) events. He will be available at these events to talk with any soldier or immediate family member who would like to discuss employment search strategies and civilian career planning. Please see the attached schedule for the date and location. Event SRP SRP YRRP SRP SRP SRP SRP SRP SRP

Date 3-5 Nov 17 1-3 Dec 17 2 Dec 17 6, 7 Jan 18 19-21 Jan 18 9-11 Feb 18 2, 3 Mar 18 9-11 Mar 18 7, 8 Apr18

Location Sioux Falls Armory Watertown Readiness Center Highland Conference Center, Mitchell Camp Rapid, Rapid City Sioux Falls Armory Sioux Falls Armory Camp Rapid, Rapid City Sioux Falls Armory Camp Rapid, Rapid City

Please contact Scott MacDonald if you have any questions on employment support issues at: scott.macdonald.ctr@mail.mil or (605) 737-6011.

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

How Awesome is the Thrift Savings Program TSP? The Thrift Savings Program, commonly called TSP, is an awesome long-term savings resource for the military. TSP, is the Federal Employee’s Retirement Plan, designed to give federal employees the same retirement savings benefits that workers in the private sector enjoy with the 401(k) plans, only better! Here are the features of the TSP you should know:   

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Voluntary enrollment Automatic Payroll Deductions Contributions can grow as pre-taxation dollars or posttaxation dollars. Investment Funds Guaranteed Money Market (U.S. Treasury Securities Fund G) Account Security from Hacking or Identity Theft Sensitive to changes in a military member’s career changes Low Administrative Costs (2016, average net expense was 38 Cents per $1,000 invested) Name the beneficiary of your choice Awesome, educational, user friendly, website www.tsp.gov

Marli Erickson, Personal Financial Counselor for Eastern South Dakota, expanded on the features of the TSP at the AGR Seminar, held last September in Sioux Falls. All contributions are voluntary, but if you ask any senior military member they will tell you one of the biggest mistakes they made in their military career was NOT enrolling in TSP early. Here is a quote from CSM Schmitz, an attendee of the September workshop “I think that every new FTUS hire (AGR or Tech) should have a one on one with Ms. Erickson (or a PFC) within the first few months. The first thing most people think about is buying a new car (not everyone is content driving an old tan Malibu), when the first thing they should think about is putting 5% - 10% (this is key with the funds matching) away for retirement. Especially with the new BRS coming up, it is crucial that everyone understand how this system works and what they can gain/loose by starting right away vs. waiting 5 years.” Ask your PFC and they will provide you with the hard facts on the value of starting to save for retirement TODAY! There’s a formula they use called “The Time Value of Money” that can provide a forecast of your growth using the funds in the TSP. Your PFC has a calculator that does not lie about how valuable time is when investing for retirement, such as the TSP provides.

Within the TSP Account you can choose funds. Civilian accounts would title these funds ‘Mutual Funds’. These funds reduce your risk in investing as they hold thousands of stocks which provide you with diversification. Yes, it’s the old saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket approach”. Technically the TSP funds are Index funds, which a PFC would be glad to provide you more information on. For simplicity TSP titles these funds: G, F, C, S and I. Do you want to create an investment plan that reduces your risk as you age? TSP has you covered with “Lifestyle” funds. PFC’s will advise you on how to determine which fund matches your age and risk tolerance in the stock market. The above Workshop attendee continued by saying “She also had some good retirement tips on how to “Diversify” my TSP as I exit the AGR Program and am no longer able to contribute to TSP. Her stance on diversity allowed security plus good opportunity for short and long-term growth.” Continued on next page

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Civilian providers of Retirement accounts typically have higher fees associated with their funds. TSP fund charges are extraordinarily reasonable. Civilian providers have established administrative fees to account for the cost of reporting the status of your account to the IRS. These fees can vary greatly and often are not reduced till your account has a value into the hundreds of thousands. The Thrift Savings Program does not charge your account a yearly fee, another awesome fact. While the AGR Workshop was in session, it was reported that a service member in our area was informed by TSP of an attempted security breach. Marli immediately reached out to TSP regarding their Online Security. Here is what Marli learned. A TSP participant has never lost a cent of their account values, nor have any ‘hacking’ attempts been successful in gaining your personal information. Now compare that to some recent headlines. TSP established a policy that all ‘hacking attempts’ are addressed by members of the board of directors. Civilian firms have designated fraud alert teams (employees) to assist you, TSP has a member of the board of directors assist you in confidential one on one communication on how to resolve the attempted hack. Security smart consumers should always access, accounts such as TSP, from their home computer and Wi-Fi locations they trust. Don’t use your laptop at an airports public Wi-Fi to check your TSP account balance.

You can enroll in the awesome TSP through myPay. Set up an automatic contribution to TSP and it will be documented on each LES you receive. A great start would be a 10% contribution of your base pay. As you gain rank, give you TSP a raise also. What a boost to your retirement savings when you deploy and receive additional income.

Both hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ designation which is a rigorous course of study and examination, in Financial Planning.

Here’s another testimonial from the AGR Workshop “I think a briefing like that (from any financial counselor) needs to be addressed at each Soldiers milestone years, initial training, 5-year mark, 10 year and 1 or 2 years prior to retirement. I think younger Soldiers don’t realize how important retirement planning is, but they need to be aware of their benefits, and to keep Soldiers reviewing it through their career rather than at the end like I did.”

605-496-5288

South Dakota has a Personal Financial Counselor dedicated to the military on each side of the state. Marli and Brian are both experts in all financial topics that benefit members of the South Dakota military. They hold phone conversations, face to face appointments and briefings. Their services are a benefit of your military service and no fees are ever charged to service members and their families.

Here is their contact information: Eastern South Dakota SD Army National Guard Marli Erickson, CFP®

PFC.SD.NG@zeiders.com

Western South Dakota Ellsworth Air Force Base Brian Bickett CFP ® 605-415-7519 PFC.Ellsworth.USAF@zeiders.com

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Honorably Discharged Vets Now Have Online Exchange Shopping Privileges *Purchases Improve Quality of Military Life*

By Chris Ward, Army and Air Force Exchange Service DALLAS, Nov. 14, 2017 Some 18.5 million honorably discharged veterans now have a lifetime benefit enabling them to shop online marking the first expansion of military exchange privileges since 1990. "The Exchange is honored to open its virtual doors to millions of deserving veterans," said Tom Shull, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's director and CEO, a Vietnam-era Army veteran. "There are many generations of service members who have not been properly recognized," he added. "This new benefit acknowledges their service and welcomes them home. This is something veterans can enjoy the rest of their lives."

Every purchase veterans make online will help to improve the quality of life for those who wear the uniform today, Shull noted, as exchange earnings support programs such as combat uniforms below cost, fitness centers, child development centers and youth programs on Army garrisons, Air Force outdoor recreation programs, school lunches for warfighters' children overseas and more. "This is a virtuous cycle," he said. "As a veteran myself, it is an honor to pay forward support to active-duty service members and their families."

Excitement for the new benefit has been building for months, AAFES officials said, thanks to social media shout-outs from Mark Wahlberg and Marcus Luttrell, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Richard Rawlings and other celebrities. As a result, they said, more than 255,000 veterans verified their eligibility for the benefit before its official Nov. 11 launch. To verify eligibility and begin shopping, Veterans can visit : https://www.shopmyexchange.co m/veterans

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Service Member and Family Support Honors MSG Kristi Palmer for Dedication and Service On Sunday, Nov 5th Service Member and Family Support staff had the privilege to honor Cricket for a lifetime support to many of our Family Support Programs. Cricket has blessed so many with her service and we THANK her for 27 plus years of Service to the South Dakota Army National Guard.

The comments below were presented to Cricket by Lead Child & Youth Coordinator, Taryn Broomfield. I’ve had the privilege of working with Cricket as a volunteer on the youth side of things for 7 ½ years now - and a privilege it is. Whether she’s serving as Youth Camp director, leading a group of elementary kiddos at the youth symposium, or training the Youth Council in team building activities, she is so at home and loved by the youth, as well as the adults around her. Everyone knows Cricket - not only has she impacted the lives of so many kids, but she’s also a trusted mentor and

friend. If you haven’t seen her in action, you’re missing out. She has no problems with standing on a table and leading campers in song or having an important discussion with a teenager about the choices they’re making. She just has a way about her and her passion for working with youth definitely shows. Thankfully for us, she’s still on board to volunteer after all these years. As mentioned earlier, Cricket was the first youth coordinator with Family Programs, those are big shoes to fill. I also want to acknowledge that she helped lay the framework for a few of the things we still do today within the Youth Program - such as the SDNG Youth Council and Youth Camp. Not to mention all her contacts in the community. Like I said before, everyone knows Cricket and that she’s a great asset to any team.

She’s dedicated, humble, hardworking, and quite the multi-tasker. Cricket has essentially been a volunteer within the Family Programs realm since 2001. For that

we are blessed. Going back to Youth Camp, Cricket’s first camp was in the summer of 2001 at Camp Rapid with 26 campers. Fast forward to 2017, and this summer we had two camps with a total of 189 campers - and Cricket is still here.

She has been an integral part of Youth Camp for 16 summers and continues to have the ability to connect with kids of all ages. At our last camp, we had a 14-year-old who just wasn’t feeling the camp experience and didn’t want to interact with anyone. By the end of the week, he was talking to Cricket and thanked her. That speaks volumes. And so it goes with kids, peers, community members, family, friends and co-workers alike - we all know that Cricket is good stuff and we are so glad to have her. When I asked my 8- year-old about Cricket, he said she’s cake mixed with pie and candy - nothing but sweet. Cricketyou live your faith and you show us that life is good. Thank you for everything. I know this is a celebration of your retirement from the Guard, but it’s not a retirement from volunteering with the things you love - you are always welcome to join us.

DECEMBER FAMILY FOCUS

Did you know? The Transition Assistance Advisor (TAA) Program serves Active and Reserve Component service members of ALL branches of the military AND Veterans who have dedicated themselves to serving our nation, often at great personal sacrifice. The programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principal role is to provide direction to Reserve Component service members so that they can secure all benefits, entitlements, and services earned through their military service with the compassion of someone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been there. You may not need assistance at this time, but you may have a friend or family member that could use some assistance.

Common services provided are: -

Requesting Military Service records Enrollment into the VA Healthcare Counseling on Education Benefits Supporting deploying and returning units Employment Tricare State specific benefits Navigating local, state and federal programs

I am a current service member in the SDARNG, an OEF-Afghanistan veteran, former full-time Soldier, education counselor and will put to use my skills and relationships to ensure your needs are met. Contact your TAA today at 605-737-6669 or christian.m.johnson.ctr@mail.mil

December Family Focus

Service Member and Family Support South Dakota National Guard 2823 W. Main St, Rapid City SD 57702

1-800-658-3930 We

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