In the Military
For and about Hawaii's servicemen and womenBy Gregg K. Kakesako
See also: For Your Benefit
Schofield leadership
changes set for summerCol. Rodney D. Anderson, head of the 25th Infantry Division's artillery unit, will relinquish his command to Col. Gary H. Cheek on June 20 at Schofield Barracks. Anderson's departure is part of a series of changes in leadership that will take place this summer at Schofield Barracks.
Also departing is Col. William R. Puttmann Jr., commander of U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. He will turn over his command June 19 to Col. David L. Anderson.
Changes at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter include:
>> Fort Shafter Military Police Battalion: Lt. Col. Gary L. Milner will relinquish command to Maj. Michael D. Blackwell on May 22.
>> Oahu Base Support Battalion: Lt. Col. Michael S. Warburton will relinquish command to Lt. Col. Thomas D. Webb on June 12.
>> 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment: Lt. Col. James C. Close will relinquish command to Lt. Col. Mark A. DeWhurst on June 18.
>> 25th Military Police Battalion: Lt. Col. John J. Daugirda will relinquish command to Lt. Col. Sabrina M. Sanfillipo on June 19.
>> 125th Signal Battalion: Lt. Col. Gerald B. Daniels will relinquish command to Lt. Col. Bevan R. Daley on June 20.
>> 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery: Lt. Col. Timothy J. Keppler will relinquish command to Lt. Col. Stephen M. Christian on June 21.
>> 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment: Lt. Col. Burdett K. Thompson will relinquish command to Lt. Col. Michael S. McBride on July 2.
Congress is now hoping to give the military its fourth pay raise, with the House settling on a 4.1 percent pay raise next year. Some midcareer officers and enlisted service members in hard-to-fill positions would receive raises of 5 percent to 6.5 percent.
The House approved the pay recommendation as part of a $383 billion bill outlining fiscal 2003 spending on personnel, weapons and other national defense requirements. The measure was approved 359-58 and sent to the Senate.
The Senate Armed Services Committee completed work last week on its version of the legislation, the defense authorization bill for the next fiscal year. The committee hopes to get its $393 billion measure, which includes the pay recommendation, on the Senate floor for a vote this month.
In addition to raising military pay, the House and Senate bills would reduce average out-of-pocket expenses for off-post housing to 7.5 percent from 11.3 percent, continuing an effort to eliminate such expenses by 2005.
Both bills include several bonus and incentive programs for recruitment and retention. The Senate bill would authorize "assignment incentive pay" of up to $1,500 per month to encourage service members to volunteer for hard-to-fill positions.
With 64 percent of sailors with less than six years in the service re-enlisting this year, the Navy plans to ease back on a popular program that gives cash incentives for specially skilled sailors who stay in. The program, known as Selective Re-enlistment Bonus, pays qualified sailors a bonus for every year they stay in the Navy instead of taking their training to the civilian sector.
The rise in retention rates so far this year is above the Navy's projected goal of 57 percent. More than 75 percent of midcareer sailors, those with six to 10 years in the Navy, have chosen to stay in as well.
Gregg K. Kakesako can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.
