family readiness newsletter
DESCRIPTION
FRN_Issue18TRANSCRIPT
As the time to get your flu vaccine has approached, a surprising new report shows babies and toddlers seem to be getting protected better than the rest of us. Government officials claim that last year's flu shot won't shield you this year as there are two new strains of influenza which have begun circling the globe, but the updated vaccine appears to work well against them. A yearly vaccination now is recommended for nearly everybody. The only ones who shouldn't get vaccinated: babies younger than 6 months and people with severe allergies to the eggs used to make the vaccine. Flu specialists can't say how bad this winter's flu season might be. Influenza strains constantly evolve and some cause more illness than others. But strains from the H3N2 Family tend to be harsher than some other flu types, and a new H3N2 strain is included in this year's vaccine because it is circulating in parts of the world.
To read more about this year’s flu, go to: http://1.usa.gov/OtrjjL
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TRICARE beneficiaries have new pharmacy options available and accessible in the palm of their hand just by using TRICARE pharmacy contractor Express Script’s enhanced mobile application. The new additions let beneficiaries use their Smartphone to safely and securely manage their TRICARE pharmacy benefit. The updated app includes medication reminders and an account registration tool. The Express Rx mobile app gives beneficiaries access to their prescription information anytime, anywhere. Smartphone users can download the app for free by going to www.express-scripts.com/mobile or using services like the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace. The mobile-optimized pharmacy website is accessible at http://m.esrx.com.
T h i s y e a r ’ s f l u v a c c i n e
G u a r d s a g a i n s t n e w s t r a i n s
DISCLAIMER: THIS NEWSLETTER CONTAINS BOTH OFFICIAL & UNOFFICIAL INFORMATION. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE PURELY THE VIEWS OF THE WRITERS AND DO
NOT REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE 27TH ENG BN (C) (A) NOR OF THE U.S. ARMY. THE INCLUSION OF SOME UNOFFICIAL INFORMATION IN THIS NEWSLETTER HAS NOT IN-
CREASED THE COSTS TO THE GOVERNMENT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH DoD 4525.8-M, OFFICIAL MAIL MGT MANUAL.
Contents:
Articles of Interest 2
FRG Volunteering 4
Bragg, Battalion and Local News 5
Army Brat Information 8
NC Spotlight and Recipe 10
Calendar 11
Fort Bragg MWR Army vFRG My Army One Source Military One Source Military.com/Spouse TRICARE Crisis assistance: Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance concerning suicide or potential suicide can get help from trained consultants 24 hours a day, every day.
1- 800-342-9647
1 5 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 2 V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 1 7
A p p t o a c c e s s
t r i c a r e p h a r m a c y b e n e f i t s
Page 2 Articles of Interest
text at 838255. If you're unsure if someone close to you may be suicidal, you could at least talk through the situation with someone who understands and could share insight. Un-derstanding suicide and reversing its rising trend is
difficult. No training or information campaign will end all suicides, but for more information on the Military Crisis Line, go to the website at: http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ActiveDuty.aspx
F a m i l i e s c a n s u p p o r t
s u i c i d e s t a n d d o w n
There is something Family members military-wide can do, too, and it only takes a minute. Get out your smart phone and en-ter the information for the Military Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 Press 1, go to militarycrisisline.net, or
Suicide Prevention PSA for Military Families
http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/Resources/
Videos.aspx?v=RkQQVgjpsI8
B i g c h a n g e s i n s t o r e f o r
c o m m i s s a r i e s
charges and what the TDP would pay for. Dentists in the TRICARE net-work are not permitted to do that. Thus, beneficiaries should find out first if their dentist is part of the net-work. To find a list of providers or address other TRICARE Dental con-cerns, call the MetLife Dental Cus-tomer Contact Service Center at 1-855-638-8371 or visit the MetLife
TDP website at: https://employeedental.metlife.com/dental/public/EmpEntry.do
Recent changes in the TRICARE Den-tal Program (TDP) have left some military Families paying out of pocket. Many local dentists are not part of the new contractor's network, and though they may still "accept TRICARE," they will require a pa-tient to pay beyond normal cost shares. This may result in charging patients the balance between their
San Antonio and Virginia's Tidewater area, where DeCA will be testing Costco like "warehouse" style com-missaries.
Read the full article at: http://www.military.com/fea-tures/0,15240,250458,00.html
C h a n g e s i n t h e t r i c a r e d e n t a l p r o g r a m
Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 17
One-stop web portal
enabling vets and service members to
access personal information & to carry out
tasks utilizing their benefits.
Commissary patrons may soon see a huge change in how they shop for groceries. According to an article by Tom Philpott, military Fami-lies might be ordering gro-
eBenefits, an online web portal that provides benefit-related resources and tools for veterans, Servicemembers and their fami-lies.
eBenefits is a one-stop web por-tal that enables veterans and Ser-vicemembers to access personal information and carry out tasks so they can use benefits. It’s easy-to-navigate format and topical options offer a more efficient system for managing eligible
benefits and accessing services from a single portal.
For details: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal
There are many benefits and services provided to military personnel and their Families. Yet accessing these programs, learning about requirements and effectively using the bene-fits that you have earned may require a good deal of effort, as well as a bit of patience.
To streamline the process, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have created
e B e n e f i t s s i m p l i f i e s r e s o u r c e & b e n e f i t a c c e s s
ceries online with curbside pickup by this time next year. In addition, a new smart phone app will enable military shoppers to in-stantly compare commissary and commercial supermar-ket prices. There is also big news for those stationed near large military installa-tions in area like San Diego,
Page 4 Battalion, FRG & Ft Bragg News/Information
Battalion Volunteer Orientation
BY APPOINTMENT
Contact: Kimberly Hughes, FRSA [email protected]
~ OCTOBER - DECEMBER FRG TRAINING ~ FRG CENTER GROUND FLOOR SOLDIER SUPPORT CENTER
CLASS DATE START TIME END TIME
ESSENTIALS 10/25 11/8
12/13
6:00 PM 9:00 AM 9:00 AM
8:30 PM 11:30 AM 11:30 AM
KEY CALLER 10/23 11/6
12/11
6:00 PM 9:00 AM 6:00 PM
7:00 PM 10:00 AM 7:00 PM
TREASURER 10/23 11/6
12/11
9:00 AM 6:00 PM 9:00 AM
11:00 AM 8:00 PM
11:00 AM
CARE TEAM
10/20 11/1 11/3
11/15 12/6
9:00 AM 6:00 PM 9:00 AM 9:00 AM 6:00 PM
11:00 AM 8:00 PM
11:00 AM 11:00 AM 8:00 PM
POWER-COURSE
(Essentials/Key Caller/
Treasurer in 1)
10/31 11/28
8:30 AM 8:30 AM
11:30 AM 11:30 AM
WEEKEND TRAINING
(All times are the same
for each date)
11/17 12/8
Essentials 8:00 AM Key Caller 10:45 AM Treasurer 12:00 PM
10:30 AM 11:45 AM 2:00 PM
Essentials
Key Caller
Treasurer
Online
Training
CHRISTMAS PARTY
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Contact Richele Ellicott at
Needed: Santa, Mrs. Claus,
Crafts, Cookies Decorators, &
more!
Page 5 Volume 3, Issue 17
Low-income Servicemembers with dependents may benefit from the Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) Pro-gram. FSSA is an additional food allowance some military Families may qualify for based on a member's household size and house-hold income. The program is available for Servicemembers stationed in the United States and overseas. Members may be eligible for up to $1,100 per month. Active component and Reserve Servicemembers on active duty meeting dependent and income-eligibility requirements on the Defense Manpower Data Center website may participate in the FSSA program. To apply, go to: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/fssa/ and fill out the web application. If you qualify, complete and print the appli-cation and bring the form to your local Army Community Services (ACS) office for further assistance. Once counseled by ACS, have your commander certify the form, then take the application to your local personnel office for final processing and forward-ing to DFAS. To learn more about FSSA go to: http://www.military.com/military-report/supplemental-food-allowance?ESRC=mr.nl
2012 USDA Gross Monthly Income Eligibility Standard
Monthly Income Limit Help
Household Size Lower 48 States Alaska or Overseas Hawaii
1 $1,180 $1,474 $1,359
2 $1,594 $1,992 $1,835
3 $2,008 $2,509 $2,310
4 $2,422 $3,027 $2,786
5 $2,836 $3,545 $3,261
6 $3,249 $4,063 $3,737
7 $3,663 $4,581 $4,212
8 $4,077 $5,099 $4,688
Each Additional Member:
$414 $518 $476
F a m i l y s u b s i s t e n c e s u p p l e m e n t a l a l l o w a n c e
Page 6 Battalion FRG & Ft Bragg News/Information
Contact BOSS at (910) 396-7751 to Sign Up! See the photo album “Upcoming Events” for more information. Activities with BOSS are open to Single Service Mem-bers Only.
Registration is now open for the following BOSS trips/events: 24 October & 28 November: Help Feed the Homeless from 1600-1830 Limited Volunteer Space Transportation Provided
~ B o s s ~
B e t t e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r s i n g l e s o l d i e r s
Page 7 Volume 3, Issue 17
CH Mitchell, our battalion chap-lain, is also here to listen and as-sist with you issues that arise, whether they are faith based or personal. All this is done with absolute confidentiality.
You can contact the Chaplain by calling (910) 709-2353 or (910) 396-HELP (4357).
Through the MFLC Program, licensed clinical providers assist service members and their fami-lies with issues they may face. Everything is confidential and no records are kept.
If you need to speak with our MFLC, call (910) 709-4100.
C h a p l a i n
m f l c
U.S. Army MWR History
Morale, welfare, and rec-reation programs did not exist from the founding of the Army in 1775 until the start of the twentieth century. During that 125 year plus time span there were unofficial and infor-mal forms of troop sup-port such as the trades-men who provided meals, clothing, laundering, and the trading posts which provided goods for pur-chasing. There was some limited Congressional
oversight es-tablished in 1876 over “Post Traders.”
The establish-ment of the Army “PX” or Post Exchange, by Headquar-ters, Depart-ment of the Army (HQDA) followed in 1895, with oversight per-formed by the garrison commander’s office and all profits were used to support recreational ac-tivities for the troops.
Please visit http://www.armymwr.com/commander/aboutmwr.aspx for more information.
Page 8 Army Brat News/Information
We are already into fall and it’s time to begin register-ing your children for Win-ter Sports.
Registration begins 2 Oct.
Basketball & Basketball Cheerleading Ages 6-18 Cost $40 Main Post & Linden Oaks
Learn to Play Basketball Age 5 Cost $20 Main Post Only
VOLUNTEER COACHES NEEDED!
Call (910) 908-2619 for more information
W i n t e r s p o r t s r e g i s t r a t i o n
It’s a SPOOKY Good Time at Tolson Pool. Come out on 13 October for a Pool Party and Dive in Movie of Ghostbusters beginning at dusk.
This activity is open only to ID Card hold-ers. It is FREE to attend!
Page 9 Volume 3, Issue 17
Fort Bragg’s Annual Oktober-fest has decided to quit holding its annual Oktoberfest celebra-tion each fall because of sharply declining attendance and revenues. The 11-day fes-tival lost money last year, said Fort Bragg spokesman Tom McCollum.
"The more money we lose on this," McCollum said, "the less opportunity we have to pro-vide other services" through the post's Morale, Welfare and
Recreation office.
But, don’t fret! MWR is still holding the Annual Volskmarch and Festival at Smith Lake.
Come out for at non-competitive 5K/10K hike along marked trails. Bring your dogs out in their cos-tumes for a contest, and don’t forget to bring some cash in order to taste that great German Cuisine.
O k t o b e r f e s t C a n c e l e d
A n n u a l v o l s m a r c h & f e s t i v a l
s c h e d u l e f o r 2 0 o c t o b e r
H a l l o w e e n p o o l p a r t y
C a r o l i n a b a l l o o n f e s t 3 9
Page 10 Recipe and Calendar
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion (about 1 medium) 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small) 8 ounces extralean ground beef 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced to-matoes, undrained 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (such as Budweiser) 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Directions:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crum-ble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt; cook 1 minute. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through beer) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and sim-mer 15 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 5 minutes. Stir in juice.
B e e f a n d b e e r c h i l i
U n d e r 3 0 0 c a l o r i e s p e r s e r v i n g
Nutrition: Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Amount per Serving: Calories: 261 Calories from fat: 20% Fat: 5.7g Saturated fat: 2.1g Monounsaturated fat: 2g Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g Protein: 18.3g Carbohydrate: 30.3g Fiber: 8.3g Cholesterol: 30mg Iron: 3.7mg Sodium: 799mg Calcium: 74mg
visitors at the Statesville Regional Airport.
There’s also entertain-ment, food, and a kids fun zone, but the main attraction here are the balloons of all shapes and sizes that you see glowing and rising dur-ing a mass ascension.
There’s nothing quite like the sight of dozens of hot air balloons ascending into the sky at dawn or dusk, and every October in Statesville, the Carolina Balloonfest brings that incredible and rare sight to thousands of
October 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
Classroom
Training Holidays
5-8 October (F-M)
Columbus Day
FRG
BN: 9 October Steer-
ing Committee Meet-
ing
30 October - Battalion
Trunk or Treat in the
battalion parking lot
from 4-6 pm
57th: 16 October -
FRG Meeting BN
FRG /Unit Act iv it ie s &
corps training hol idays
Page 11 Volume 3, Issue 17
Family Readiness
=
Mission Readiness
www.facebook.com/27thenbn www.armyfrg.org
station. Since one of the goals of the
FRG is to support the military mission
through provision of support,
outreach, and information to family
members, certain FRG activities are
essential and common to all groups,
and include member meetings, staff
and committee meetings, publication
and distribution of newsletters,
maintenance of virtual FRG websites,
maintenance of updated rosters and
readiness information, and member
telephone trees and e-mail distribution
lists.
The 27th Engineer Battalion Family
Readiness Program is established to
provide activities and support to
enhance the flow of information,
increase the resiliency of unit soldiers
and their families, provide practical
tools for adjusting to military
deployments and separations, and
enhance the well-being and esprit de
corps within the unit. The activities
emphasized will vary depending on
whether the unit is in pre/post
deployment, deployed, or in a
training/sustainment period at home
2 7 t h e n B N ( C ) ( A )
Fa m i ly R ea d i ne s s P rog r a m
27th EN BN (C)(A) Senior Advisors
and FRG Leaders
BN Advisors: Richele Ellicott Amparo Pinos [email protected] HHC FRG Leaders: Vacant [email protected] FSC FRG Leader: Christine Bennett [email protected] 264th FRG Leader: Yolanda Latiff Vanessa Blevines [email protected] 161st FRG Leader: Vacant [email protected] 57th FRG Leader: Kristen Shockey [email protected] 618th FRG Leader: Stephanie O’Sullivan [email protected] ——————————
Battalion Commander: LTC Michael Ellicott Phone: 396-2001 Battalion SM: CSM Josue Pinos Phone: 396-2001 ——————————
FRSA: Kimberly Hughes Office Hours: M-F 8 to 5 Phone: 396-8980