In the Military
For and about Hawaii's servicemen and womenBy Gregg K. Kakesako
See also: For Your Benefit
3 generals
confirmed by SenateThe Senate confirmed the appointment of Hawaii Army National Guard Col. Clarence M. Agena as a one-star general last week. He is now assistant adjutant general of state Department of Defense and commander of the Hawaii Army National Guard.
Also on the list of promotions approved by the Senate were Brig. Gens. William B. Caldwell IV, former assistant 25th Division commander and now senior military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense; and Antonio M. Taguba, a 1968 Leilehua High School graduate who is director of management and vice director of the Army Staff at the Pentagon. Both were elevated to the two-star rank.
The Spark Matsunaga Veterans Affairs Medical & Regional Office Center at Tripler Army Medical Center has been cited as one of the top four organizations in providing health care and benefits.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi said the Matsunaga Center received a perfect score of 100 in its Joint Commission accreditation survey this year, placing it in the top 2 percent of 7,000 public and private health care organizations in the nation. He said the center, which serves 130,000 veterans in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, also ranked first in the nation in keeping its veterans fully informed of their benefits in a national survey completed this year.
In a bid to boost U.S. presence in the western Pacific, the Navy this month based nuclear attack submarines in Guam. The Los Angeles-class USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) arrived at Pearl Harbor last week on its way to its new home port in Guam.
COURTESY JOURNALIST SECOND CLASS CORI RHEA / U.S. NAVY
The nuclear attack submarine USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) arrived in Pearl Harbor Sept. 27 for a port visit on the way to its new home port in Guam. This will be the first time the Navy has "forward deployed" an attack sub there.
This will be the first time the Navy has "forward deployed" an attack sub at the Pacific island. Until now, the Navy's Pacific Fleet attack subs were based at Pearl Harbor; Bangor, Wash.; and San Diego.
The City of Corpus Christi is the first of three subs the Navy plans to base in Guam. By moving the subs there, the Navy hopes to cut down the time it takes to sail across the Pacific.
The Congressional Budget Office this year said the plan offers an inexpensive way to double the number of days a sub can be "on station" in the Far East. The three subs based in Guam will be supported by the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), which is already based in Guam.
American Forces Press Service reports that a little-known pay measure, set to become law, could turn into a budget-busting problem for the Defense Department. If enacted, the legislation may cost the department about $58 billion extra over the next decade.
At issue is concurrent receipt, sometimes called "double dipping." Since the 1890s, Congress has prohibited the receipt of two pays for the same purpose. Currently, military retirees who receive Veterans Administration disability payments have their retired pay reduced dollar-for-dollar by the VA payment.
For example, if retired pay is $1,000 a month and the VA disability payment is $500 a month, the member receives $1,000 per month -- the entire VA payment and $500 in retired pay. Retired pay is fully taxable; VA disability payments are not taxed.
The concurrent receipt legislation, part of the fiscal 2003 National Defense Authorization Bill, would allow retirees receiving 60 percent disability or more to receive their full disability and their full retirement. Money spent on this would be better spent in developing war-fighting capabilities, argues the Office of Management and Budget
MOVING UP
Hickam Air Force Base>> Lt. Col. David Johnson has assumed command of the Pacific Air Forces Air Intelligence Squadron, relieving Lt. Col. YuLin Whitehead.
>> Lt. Col. Donald Derry has assumed command of the 15th Security Forces Squadron.
Gregg K. Kakesako can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.
