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Show Htftop Air Force Mews adds 16 personnel actions to online services IV2PF RANDOLPH AFB. Texas (AFPN) The Air Force's d total force military personnel flight recently added 16 new personnel actions that customers can access from any computer without having to visit the MPF. The new services, which range from a selective bonus calculator to a special-dutassignment application, were added Oct. 19 and take the virtual personnel MPF. fiight another step closer to becoming a Of the 16 new services, six are specifically targeted toward Guard and Reserve people. These improvements help the MPFs by reducing their workload while allowing individuals to take charge of their personnel information," said Chief Master Sgt. Deborah Fuqua. chief of knowledge management at the Air Force Personnel Center here. Ultimately, a fully fielded virtual MPF, or vMPF, will create a more accurate personnel system. "Being able to complete personnel actions from home will not only be less stressful, but will also save members valuable time," Fuqua said. Take for instance the retirement checklist. While users are not currently able to complete the checklist via the Internet, they will not waste time by actually going to the MPF just to pick up a checklist. "Rather than having to stop work, go to the MPF, and possibly stand in line, members can simply download the forms at their convenience," Fuqua said. "Saving time is essential, especially in these times where people are stretched thin in support of the ongoing national priorWeb-base- y full-servi- ce ities." Sections within the vMPF realm will not be cluttered with information not pertaining to the user. "The vMPF will be tailored to each user as that member logs on. An active-dutenlisted person will not even see a link for the Reserve survivor benefit plan because it's not relevant to them," Fuqua said. "This makes the vMPF personal to each member and hopefully user y friendly." The new services include: Department of Defense Form 214 worksheet Active-dut- y, Reserve and Guard users can review their DD Form 214 containing personnel information. While a DD Form 214 review is mandatory prior to separation or retirement, knowing what it says and keeping it current will make that review painless when it arrives, officials said. Information about how to update and change the information found within this worksheet will also be available. Selective bonus calculator Although re High-year-tenu- re E-- pre-applicati- Facts sheets are also available for those who plan to retire overseas. Customer feedback and request for assistance Guard and Reserve users will now form Active-duty. be able to request specific assistance and send customer feedback forms to the appropriate office responsible for the particular action in question. Enlisted promotion counseling Enlisted Reserve or Guard users may obtain information to assist them in making decisions concerning their promotion eligibility. This will also provide counseling on the various types of promotion opportunities. Officer promotion counseling Reserve and Guard officers are able to obtain guidelines and eligibility requirements for promotion. This application is solely a tool to assist members in managing their personnel information that would come under review by promotion boards. It does not replace the official promotion brief mailed to the member prior to promotion eligibility. Reserve component survivor benefit plan Reserve and Guard people can get information about the various aspects of the survivor benefit plan. It also provides users with a calculator to estimate the costs and benefits associated with the plan. Weight management counseling All Reserve and Guard people may obtain weight management information such as a height and weight chart. This service does not replace the official weigh-in- . Active GuardReserve program fact sheet For those Guard members considering AGR, this fact sheet provides essential information designed to give users an overview of the AGR program and highlights those points ment checklist. This service also provides counseling on all aspects of applying for retirement. Special-dutassignment application This service helps active-dut- y enlisted people navigate to the Special Category Assignment Guide on the airman assignments y site. Other services available through the vMPF include: Web Personal information Personalized awards and decorations display module Dependents remaining overseas Designated location move Early return of dependents Humanitarian application Enlisted overseas returnee counseling Reenlistment eligibility inquiry Exceptional family member program application CONUS isolated assignment program Initial separation and retirement briefing Joint spouse application, permissive PCS assignment Proof of service inquiryletter Sole surviving son or daughter information Point Credit Accounting Retirement System for Guard and Reserve members Selective reenlistment bonus inquiry for Guard and Reserve Future vMPF services will enable users to personally enter and change data within their personnel record. Those are expected to be available early next year. For more information about the vMPF, go to the Air Force Personnel Center Web page or call the AFPC Contact Center at (800) (Courtesy of AFPC News Service) 558-140- 4. Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Public Affairs The Air Force is taking steps to ensure j to ranks of staff sergeant, master sergeant i the promotions and chief master sergeant are not delayed because people are not able to attend the required enlisted professional mil- itary education courses because of current operations, per-sonnel officials said. The Air Force has temporarily delegated approval author- ity for promotion (to the aforementioned ranks) without EMPE completion to the director of personnel at the major , commands," said Lt Col. Jan Middleton, chief of promotion, - evaluation and separation policy at the Pentagon. "We are also waiving the maximum grade restrictions for those with waivers to attend PME in the higher grade." i Basically, this policy change allows commanders, on a case- basis, to request a temporary deferment of PME rank because of support of Operations to pinning-oprior ; Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, Middleton said. The MAJCOM personnel offices will be responsible for ' monitoring EPME completion within 12 months of sew-oor return from deployment, whichever is sooner, she said. i "Professional military education is critical to the success of our enlisted corps," said Senior Master Sgt. Carol Dock-! ery, chief of enlisted promotion and evaluation policy at the Pentagon. This modification does not diminish the importance of PME. In fact, staff sergeants will not be put into a supervisory position until they have completed airman lead- ership school." Middleton said she expects EPME waivers to be the excep- tion rather than the rule. ; j : will waivers be scheduled for EPME as "People granted f soon as they are available without negatively impacting the i ' mission," she said. , WASHINGTON , -- ; J ? by-ca- se ; n ? ; 5 i Parks extend free admission offer WASHINGTON (AFPN) To make it easier for deployed military people to take advantage of its offer of free admission to its amusement parks, officials at Anheuser Busch Co. Inc. have amended the offer. Under the original offer, active-dut- y people could visit specified parks an unlimited number of times through Dec. 31. Their immediate family, when accompanied by the servicemember, could visit one time free through Dec. 31. The offer now has been extended to May 31 for all deployed military people and their families. Parks included in the offer are SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., San Antonio and San Diego; and Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla., and Williamsburg, Va. Before Dec. 31, to receive free admission, active-dutpeople need only go to one of the designated parks and show military identification to receive a "passport" good through the end of the year. The immediate family, which includes the spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend, children, parents and grandparents, will receive free admission on the first visit. All other visits will be discounted 25 percent. eventually regulate mobile vehicles like the Mules and they'll have to meet stricter emission limits. According to Hart, the GEMs will get around Tinker for just pennies per mile. Designed for driving in and around city centers, small communities and large industrial sites, Hart said the GEM meets federal vehicle requirements and is certified to operate on roads posted at 35 mph or less. The GEM offers a driving range of up to 35 miles, can be licensed for public roads and the automotive type batteries fully charge in about eight hours. No special chargers are needed since it plugs into a standard 1 household outlet. Hart said the high profile GEM vehicle stands as tall as a mini-va- n and is highly visible in traffic. From inside, the view is panoramic with windows all around. The GEM has a front wheel drive system with steering, independent suspension and a regenerative braking system that feeds electricity back to the batteries during braking and coasting. Safety features include a safety glass windshield and wipers, high mounted brake and taillights, rear and side view mirrors, hydraulic brakes and safety belts. will by Brlon Ockenfels Air Force Print News y mitting, recovering or replacing a Social Security account wavier for extension or number card. This service provides active-dut- y extension request This serenlisted members with an application to create a mem- vice provides active-dut- y enlisted people with informaorandum for requesting an age 55 HYT wavier. tion and assists them in preparing a request for either a Retirement entitlement counseling Active-dut- y retirement or 4 separation HYT extension request users can get information to assist them in making retire- normally accomplished through the MPF. ment decisions such as place of retirement, entitlements Retirement checklist All active-dut- y for storage and movement of household goods, and more. and download people may complete the retirehigh-year-tenu- into pollution prevention by Staff Sgt A.J. Bosker - exception to policy. Age 55 Electric cars keep base plugged Operations won't delay enlisted promotions - the math is not done automatically, members can plug that may be of interest. their own information into the given formula and get a Conditional release of Air National Guard or Air realistic estimate of the money they are entitled to receive. Force Reserve enlisted Enlisted Reserve or Guard Best interest of the Air Force extension For the users can get a brief overview of the guidelines used to active-dut- y user who wants to extend their service with obtain a conditional release from their status. the best interest of the Air Force at heart, this service Request for Social Security information Links can help them create an official memorandum for sub- users to the Social Security Web site where they can find mitting a request for an extension of enlistment as an information, policies, publication and forms for sub- TINKER AFB, Okla. (AFMCNS) - Environmental manage-men- t experts here are getting charged up about Tinker's new electric, vehicles, saying they'll operate for pennies per mile and help save the environment in the process. The new Global Electric Motor cars, or GEMs as they're called, are being added to Tinker's alternative fuels vehicle fleet and are the first a major automaker has sold in the United States. They are manufactured by a Daimler Chrysler subsidiary. The real gem here is the zero emissions and versatility of the models we've selected," said Geri Hart, pollution prevention chief. "We targeted this robust, vehicle to replace some of our small conventional utility vehicles affectionately known as Mules." The base purchased two- - and models, as well as short and long box utility vehicles to help people perform various tasks around base. Hart said the GEMs are the right tool now because the Environmental Protection Agency zero-emissio- ns zero-emissio- four-passeng- er TSP options require investors to do low-spee- d 10-vo- lt rack-and-pin-i- their homework RANDOLPH AFB, Texas (AFPN) With the first open seaThe Fixed Income Index Investment "F" Fund: The second son for the Thrift Savings Plan for servicemembers currently fixed income fund, the F Fund, is higher risk than the G Fund, under way, officials from the Air Force Personnel Center here but is still considered a investment because it is spread said that military people need to understand the enrollment over many generally stable investments. Putting money into process, the five different funds, bonus and special pay options the F Fund is an investment in the Barclays U.S. Debt Index and more. The TSP is a retirement savings plan. Fund, which tracks the bond market. A mathematical model This is a great program with the potential for servicemem- determines the amount in which this fund distributes investor's bers to accumulate a good sum of money by their retirement money among the various types of U.S. government, mortgage-backeand save on taxes now, but people must do their homework," corporate and foreign government sector securities. said Lt Col. David Zeh, chief of the contact cen ter here, "espeThe Common Stock Index Investment "C" Fund: One of cially since the first open season ends Jan. 31." three common stock funds, the C Fund invests in 500 of the Open season is the period during which people are allowed to largest companies in the U.S. and is considered the least risky designate into which funds their contributions will go. Two as stock investing goes. more open seasons will take place during the upcoming year: The International Stock Index Investment "I" Fund: This May 15 to July 31 and Nov. 15, 2002 to Jan. 31, 2003. fund, along with the S Fund, are new funds to the TSP and have Military people can initially contribute up to 7 percent of their little historical background data. The I fund provides coverage base pay. That percentage will increase to 10 percent by 2005. of stock markets in the 21 countries the Morgan Stanley CapiMilitary investors can also contribute all or part of bonuses or tal International stock index represents, which includes 915 special pay up to the federal limits $11,000 in 2002. companies, 23 industry groups within 10 economic sectors. e combat zones are The Small Capitalization Stock Index Investment "S" Fund: Military people serving in allowed up to $40,000 in annual contributions. While the Standard & Poor's index tracks 500 of the largest "It's really not as complicated as people may think, especially companies, this fund does just the opposite, but diversity is the for those who take a little bit of time to research, compare and key, officials said. It tracks small- - and medium-sizecompanies contrast," Zeh said. through the Wilshire 4500 index (the Wilshire 5000 minus People need to decide how much to contribute from their base the 500 companies in the S&P). Its medium is the Barclays pay, Zeh said. Contributions can range from 1 to 7 percent. Extended Market Index Fund which buys stocks of those comThe good thing about the contribution amount is that it is panies within the index that have market values more than $1 directly deducted from a member's taxable income so it lowers billion more than 3,400 stocks at the end of 2000. the amount Uncle Sam will take," he said. Once a person decides to enroll, he or she can access the Family support center financial management counselors Defense Finance and Accounting Service Web site at can provide investment information to interested people. http:www.emss.dfas.mil to establish an account. Once the contribution amount has been determined, it is time An alternate method of enrolling is to obtain a hard copy of for the airman to look at the five different funds, determine an the form from local finance offices, military personnel flights, acceptable risk and make the allocations. or family support centers. The initial election form is TSP-U-The five funds are: Once the Web version or form is filed, the account is The Government Securities Investment "G" Fund: This established. TSP officials will then mail the member a confirfixed income fund is known for being the safest investment of mation letter along with a personal identification number to the five funds since the only way it will lose money is by some access his or her account via the Web. The participant may then catastrophic event, such as if the federal government defaults make their contribution allocation. on its loans. But with low risk usually comes a lower interest For more information about the funds, people can go to the rate or rate of return. TSP Web site. low-ris- k d, tax-fre- d 1. hard-cop- y |