Retiree Corner

  • Published
  • By Denis Miller
  • Director, Retiree Activities Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  The Retiree Activities Office is located in the Malmstrom AFB Clinic near the east entrance. Depending on volunteer availability, the office is manned Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If no one is there, you can leave a note on the door or call us at 731-4751. We are here to help the retired community or at least aim them in the right direction. Join the monthly meetings the second Thursday of each month at the Elkhorn Dining Facility. New members are always welcomed.

When the music stopped
At military theaters, the National Anthem is played before the film program begins. At Iraq's Ballad Airport, U.S. service members watch movies in a large auditorium. Chaplain Jim Higgins was at one such event. Midway through the anthem, the music stopped. Silence reigned supreme. No one moved. The music re-started, but again it stopped at the same point. You could hear a pin drop. Suddenly, a lone voice was heard, then a dozen. Quickly the room was filled with a thousand voices..."And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." Chaplain Higgins said "The Nation should know the caliber of our young men and women serving on foreign shores."

We agree.

TRICARE
If you are new to TRICARE and eager to learn about your health care benefits or an old hand who wants to know the latest changes, TRICARE University is the place to go. TRICARE University offers free online courses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at www.tricare.mil/tricareu. To take one of the courses, go to the website and click "online training". Of the different courses online, the TRICARE Public Course provides the quickest and easiest way to get a general overview and basic knowledge of TRICARE programs.

On another note, TRICARE recipients will see no increase in their premiums next year if Congress approves that provision of fiscal 2011 defense budget request, as expected.

FitFamily Program
Air Force Services Agency officials invite military retirees, certain disabled vets, and their families to join the FitFamily program as part of the Year of the Air Force Family. The program is a goal-incentive program that empowers families to take charge of their lifestyles and make healthier choices. The program offers innovative ideas, resources and activities for Air Force families to improve their family's health and fitness habits. For more information, go to www.usaFitFamily.com.