In the Military
For and about Hawaii's servicemen and womenBy Gregg K. Kakesako
See also: For Your Benefit
Bush pressed to halt
dual veteran benefitsPresident Bush has been urged to veto the 2003 defense authorization bill if it passes with language granting full military retired pay to 80,000 disabled retirees who also draw tax-free VA disability compensation.
The Office of Management and Budget earlier this month, in a memo to the Senate Armed Services Committee, said proposals to allow "concurrent receipt" of both military retired pay and VA compensation for retirees with VA disability ratings of 60 percent or higher "is contrary to the long-standing principle" that no one can receive dual benefits for the same period of service. Also, it would raise mandatory federal spending by $18 billion over 10 years and "retirement accrual" costs for the Defense Department by $11 billion, forcing "tradeoffs with war-fighting capabilities."
The House already has passed a partial concurrent receipt provision. The Senate defense bill has similar language, but a different phase-in formula and an earlier start date, Oct. 1, 2002, vs. Jan. 1, 2003.
Two Schofield Barracks Black Hawk helicopters and six members of the 25th Division's 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment dropped more than 14,000 gallons of sea water earlier this month to keep a brush fire, started by a Kilauea Volcano lava flow, from reigniting.
The six 25th Division soldiers were part of the more than 175 county and federal firefighters and others called in to fight the $1.5 million blaze which burned more than 3,600 acres in Volcanoes National Park since May 17 and threatened a native rain forest.
Warrant Officer Brian Ozgowicz, one of the Black Hawk pilots, said the aviators were responsible for a "wedge" six miles long and three miles wide in the Volcanoes National Park. The helicopter's crew worked out of the Kilauea Military Camp, which is located next to the national park, and drew water from the ocean because "the nearest freshwater source was too far way."
Capt. Max Brosig, commander of the 2nd Battalion's C Company, said during the week of June 4-10, the air crews logged 57 hours of flight time, averaging about 35 drops a day which amounted to about 600 gallons of water.
Ozgowicz described the mission as "personally rewarding. It was a good chance to cash in all the training we have done and you see some positive response."
Brosig added "It was a good chance to work with outside agencies and to help the local community."
Chief Master Sgt. David Popp has been selected as the next command chief for Pacific Air Forces. Popp is now command chief for 16th Air Force at Aviano Air Base in Italy. He will replace Chief Master Sgt. Gerald R. Murray, who will become the chief master sergeant of the Air Force.
A miniature video camera was found Monday above a female restroom aboard the Norfolk-based destroyer USS Briscoe. The camera had cables leading to a television set in another part of the destroyer. It's not known how long the camera was in place or whether any tapes were made, the Navy said. A telephone repair technician found the camera cables and followed them to the surveillance equipment.
Moving Up
Pearl Harbor
>> Rear Adm. Charles Kubic, commander of the Pacific Division of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, will become the head of the Atlantic Fleet's First Naval Construction Division.
Hickam Air Force Base
>> Lt. Col. Eugene O'Nale assumed command of the 56th Air Operations Squadron relieving Col. Mark Greenwood.>> Col. Gail Wojtowicz assumed command of the 715th Air Mobility operations Group relieving Col. Richard Phillips.
>> Col. Lance Elliot assumed command of the Army Air Force Exchange Service Pacific Region relieving Col. Lester Chang.
>> Col. John Medeiros assumed command of the 15th Support Group relieving Col. Wayne Louis.
Ford Island
>> Capt. Barbara Boyer assumed command of Joint Intelligence Center-Pacific relieving Capt. Robert Weidman.
Gregg K. Kakesako can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.
