At Your Service
For and about Hawaii's militaryBy Gregg K. Kakesako
Sunday, July 22, 2001
Chief Warrant Officer Stephen F. Shultz, 545th Transportation Company, 45th Corps Support Group (Forward), was named the Transportation Warrant Officer of the Year for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps. Stephen Shultz of Schofield
named Army's ‘Transportation
Warrant Officer of the Year’Calendar and Deployments
For Your BenefitBy Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.comThe 21-year Army veteran, stationed at Schofield Barracks, will receive the award Friday at Fort Eustis, Va., during the Transportation Corps' Transportation Week activities. Shultz is receiving the award for his commitment to Army values and his management of the unit's two LSV-5s (logistics support vessels) that transport Army equipment throughout the Pacific.
The Marines are exploring the possibility of taking excess property on the south side of Andersen Air Force Base on Guam for training, Adm. Dennis Blair, Pacific Forces commander, said recently. The U.S. Defense Department owns 25 percent of Guam, including Andersen and several Navy installations.
Three nuclear attack submarines will be moved to the 212-square-mile island by 2003 to join the submarine tender USS Frank Cable, already berthed there. Currently, 700 Marines from Hawaii, Iwakuni and Okinawa are on Guam participating in an exercise.
The U.S. Defense Department has proposed a 4.6 percent pay raise for military personnel in 2002. Congress must approve it, and President Bush must add his signature, as well.
The proposed new basic monthly pay schedule for 2002 ranges from $1,105.50 at the lowest grade, E-1, to $11,141.70 in the upper general/admiral ranks.
For colonels and below, the upper monthly limit for basic pay would be $9,800.10. The raise, if approved, will be effective Jan. 1.
Susan Cotellesse, a volunteer with the Hawaii Army Reserve's 9th Regional Support Command, has been named one of the U.S. Army Reserve's volunteers of the year.
Since joining the 9th RSC Family Readiness Group in 1998, Cotellesse has logged over a thousand hours working to improve the quality of life for 9th RSC families.
Congress is considering legislation that would create a new Korea Defense Service Medal for people who have served there since July 1953, after the Korean War ended.
"(This) is long overdue," said Gen. Thomas A. Schwartz, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea. "Our service members have carried out this important mission for over 50 years. Many of them have several tours of service on the Korean Peninsula."
In a separate appearance before Congress, Schwartz said the 37,000 members serving there must either leave their families in the United States or transplant them thousands of miles away from home to live in cramped, dilapidated living quarters, many of them void of modern conveniences. He testified that more then 1,400 unaccompanied officers and senior NCOs live in inadequate quarters in Korea.
Schwartz said he will be seeking three types of pay incentives for military personnel in Korea: tax exemptions for their base pay, wider eligibility for the $150 hardship duty pay, and money to defray the costs of meals.
[CALENDAR]
July 23>> Army vs. Anheuser-Busch Truck Rodeo. 1 p.m., F Quad, Schofield Barracks. The event is intended to educate on responsible drinking. Static displays to focus on drinking responsibly. Demonstrations of vehicle skills. Public invited.
July 25
>> Welcome-home ceremony for soldiers who returned from six-month deployment in Sinai. Brig. Gen. William Caldwell, guest speaker. 11 a.m., Conroy Bowl, Schofield Barracks. Public invited.
July 31
>> "Uncommon Courage: Patriotism and Civil Liberties," a film on the Military Intelligence Service. Japanese Cultural Center, 7 p.m.
Aug. 11
>> Military Intelligence Service banquet. Hawai'i Convention Center, 11 a.m. Tickets: $35. Contact Bob Honke, 373-4146.
Aug. 16
>> "Uncommon Courage," a film on the Military Intelligence Service. Hawaii Public Television, 8 p.m.
[DEPLOYMENTS]
U.S. Navy (Pacific Fleet)Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf
USS Chosin (CG 65)
Western Pacific
USS Asheville (SSN 758)
USS Buffalo (SSN 715)
USS Columbia (SSN 771)
USS Chicago (SSN 721)
USS Santa Fe (SSN 763)
USS Los Angeles (SSN 688)
USS Frederick (LST 1184)
Hawaii area
USS Crommelin (FFG 37)
USS Kamehameha (SSN 642)
USS Hopper (DDG 70)
USS Ruben James (FFG 57)
USS Salvor (ARS 52)
U.S. Army
Malaysia, East Timor: 9th Regional Support Command, 25th Division
Bosnia, Kosovo, Germany: 25th Division, 9th Regional Support Command
Alaska, Kosrae, E. Micronesia: 84th Engineers
Thailand: US Army Pacific, 25th Division, 9th RSC
Johnston Atoll: 45th Support Group
Korea, Japan: Tripler Army Medical Center
Japan: 500th Military Intelligence
Korea: 411th Engineers
Pohnpei, Kosrae, Micronesia, Alaska: 84th Support Engineers
Vietnam: 25th ID
United Arab Emirates, Malaysia: Pacific Region Veterinary
Singapore: 9th RSC, 41st Separate Infantry Brigade
Hawaii National Guard
Japan: 298th Engineer Detachment, Army National Guard
[FOR YOUR BENEFIT]
Question: I received an e-mail from a company offering me a large sum of money in exchange for several years of my disability pension. Is this legal? Veterans be wary of fast
cash exchange for
disability pensionsAnswer: While technically legal, this practice is frowned on by Veterans Affairs since it is not in the veteran's best interests. A typical scheme works like this: A company persuades a veteran to give up his or her disability and/or pension checks for a specific period of time, in exchange for a lump-sum cash payment typically worth only 30 to 40 cents on the dollar. A recent example was a veteran who was contacted and offered $73,000 in return for his monthly benefit checks of $2,744 over the next 10 years. The total repayment by the veteran at the end of the 10-year period is estimated to be $256,293. This is an annual interest rate of 44 percent.
The idea of signing over pension checks in return for quick cash is a real concern because under federal law a veteran is not authorized to assign to a third party any benefits that are due to him or her. The only name that can be put on a benefit check is the veteran's. Companies have devised payment alternatives to avoid the law, such as having the check direct-deposited in a bank account identified in the contract, establishing a joint bank account with the veteran or establishing a post office box operated by the company.
The companies also protect themselves in the event the veteran dies during the repayment period by requiring a life insurance policy as collateral with the company designated as the beneficiary or, worse, having the veteran put up his house as collateral to secure the contract. Should the veteran die, the surviving family would be homeless.
For many unsuspecting veterans, these benefit buyouts could be financially devastating. If the buyouts are not illegal, they certainly border on loan sharking. These schemes seem to target the most financially desperate veterans, who are the most vulnerable. If you need money, consult a trusted and reliable financial expert.
Q: As a disabled veteran and unemployable, I heard that I might be eligible for a VA pension. Where can I get more details about this?
A: There are two types of VA pensions. A disability pension is a benefit paid to wartime veterans with limited income who are no longer able to work. A veteran may be eligible if discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions; served 90 days or more of active duty with at least one day during a war; has disabilities that prevent working a regular, full-time job; and has a countable family income below a yearly limit set by law. Income from all sources must be reported.
As an example, if you are a veteran with no dependents, your annual income must be less than $9,304; with a spouse or a child, not less than $12,186. The VA pays the difference between your countable family income and the yearly income limit. The difference is generally paid in 12 equal monthly payments.
A death pension is a benefit paid to eligible dependents of deceased wartime veterans. The eligibility requirements are basically the same as above, and the beneficiary must be the surviving spouse or unmarried child of the deceased veteran, and countable income is below a yearly limit set by law. When a widow or widower remarries, the pension terminates.
Eligible veterans and dependents who are entitled to VA pension or VA compensation could be eligible for housebound allowance. A veteran or surviving spouse who, because of their physical limitations, is unable to walk or travel beyond their home could be eligible for higher income limitations and additional benefits, depending on the type of benefit received.
