Ftiruaiy ?C01 Thrift Savings Plan getting new provisions KANDOI.I'II Al li.'lcxas (Al TN) IVdrral civilian employees will lind for investment when the next 'I'll rift Savings I'lan open season May V. thanks to the recently new prtuuilies s approved Consolidated Appropriations Act lor I iseal Year L'OOl and Public Law H (; 1. iMiring the open season, eniployees may increase their investment contribution, enroll in two new funds, rollover money from qualified trusts, and new and rehired employees may enroll in 'I SI' without waiting for the normal open seasons. Flections made the 'I SP open season will be effective no earlier than July 1. " This is an excellent opportunity for their retirement to increase employees in income." said Christine Watkins, employee relations specialist for the Benefits and Entitlements Service Team at Randolph. "We have been eagerly awaiting the new changes and are excited about the benefits." Employees in the Federal Employees Retirement System will be able to invest an additional 1 percent of their salary not to exceed 11 percent each pay H'riod while those under the Civil Service Retirement System can invest an additional 1 percent of their salary, not to exceed (i percent each pay period. Employee contribution limits will continue to increase by 1 percent each for year until they reach for CSRS in fisFKKS and cal 2005. In fiscal 2006, the limits will be lifted entirely. This change does not lift the Internal Revenue Service imposed dollar maximums that apply to all retirement savings programs like the TSP. The dollar cap for 2001 is $10,500. Additional contributions will not affect government contributions. CSRS employees do not receive government nt contributions and FERS employees will continue to receive an automatic percent of salary regardless of whether they invest anything. FERS employees will continue to receive matching contributions of up to an additional 4 percent for those investing 5 percent 1 or more of their salaries. Employees can invest in two new funds, making a total of five funds to choose from. Employees can invest in securities index the index fund. fund, fund and the two new index stocks funds, capitalization index fund index fund. and to rollover money desiring People from qualified trusts may do so based This transacon Public Law 106-36will done be tion directly with the Fedd 1. eral Retirement Thrift Investment Board. The board is in the process of developing a new form and additional information will be released within the next few months. also eliminates Public Law 106-36- 1 the waiting periods for newly hired and rehired employees to contribute into TSP. FERS or CSRS employees appointed before July 1, will have the opportunity to make a TSP contribution election during the May to July open season. Employees appointed on or after July 1, will have 60 days Agents save Air Force $16 million by Lois Walsh Air Armament Center Public Affairs ECLIN AFB. Fla. (AFPN) Three Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents returned more than $16.5 million to the Air Force recently, and were presented Defense Department outstanding achievement awards Jan. 30 for their efforts. Special agents Alex Keechlc, Susan Chandler and Scott Corbitt received the awards from Maj. Gen. Michael Wiedemer, Air Force Materiel Command director of requirements, and Glenn MacTaggart, assistant United States attorney, western region, during an AFOSI Region 1 detachment commander's conference here. The OSI trio, all based in Texas, were singled out for their investigative efforts in a case of fraud against the Air Force. In 1984, the San Antonio Air Logistics Center at Kelly AFB, Texas, awarded a contract to a private firm worth $2 billion to construct a command, control and communications air defense system in Saudi Arabia. The contract was administered by the Air Force on behalf the Saudi Arabian government. An audit conducted by the Defense Contract Audit g Administration indicated the contractor was and providing false claims. Through the special agents' investigative efforts, more than $16.5 million was returned to the Air Force, the largest civil settlement recovery ever obtained for the government. "AFMC has $20 billion in contractual actions a year," Wiedemer said. "It helps our contractors within the over-billin- Aircraft, from page 1 Unlike some programs that promise to get a student a license, the Embry-Hiddl- e H program is a fully accredited and authorized college course that goes above and beyond the basic knowledge required for the tests and the oral and practical exams. "There are a lot of organizations that are out there willing to teach the test and have mechanics come in and teach all the answers to the test, then arrange them to go to their own DME to do the inspection," Johnsen said. The Hill AFB 5-d- ay translation from military to civilian. There have been incidents back east where the FAA has pulled licenses because individuals have gone through one of those programs." Individuals can also qualify for just one part of the license. For example someone could take the airframe part or the powerplant portions if that is all that person was qualified for. ht Tactical Aircraft Maintenance Technicians or crew chiefs have the most weather outlook Mostly to partly cloudy 349 High 249 Low Partly to mostly cloudy ments Service Team's upcoming newsletter. Additional information can be found on the TSP home page at www.tsp.gov or the BEST homepage at www.afpc.ran-dolph.af.milDPCBESTmenu.ht- under what's new. TSP is not available to uniformed ser- vices members at this time and a specific Air Force office has not yet been identified to manage its military TSP program. In the interim, military members can obtain information on enrollment and participation in TSP at www.tsp.gov, under "uniformed services." (75 ABW and 388 FW leadership will grant a y pass if we go 45 days without a DUI.) one-da- Squadrons that have been DUI-fre- e for more than 12 months are: 388th Logistics Support Squadron, 388th Range Squadron, 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron, 75th Communications Squadron, 75th Operations Support Squadron, 729th Air Control Squadron Current as of Feb. 12. Airmen Against Drinking and Driving 586-AAD- D (586-223- 3) likelihood of being qualified for both A and P license. To qualify for both This quarter's class is already full, but the quarter beginning March 19 licenses a person needs 30 months of will have more classes available and more instructors. All students are experience. "We do not guarantee the student required to take the General Aerowill pass the exam or the oral and pracnautics and Applications and Aircraft tical test," Johnsen said. "We're not Electrical System Theory courses, here to kill anyone or grunt them out. before continuing further into the proWe're here to help them get their gram. licenses so they can work in the aviAviation maintenance personnel ation world as quickly, efficiently and eager to enhance their knowledge and skills should contact Embry-Riddlproper as possible." Classes are limited in size to insure on base at Ext. or Johnsen at active at the airport. interaction. e student-instruct- 392-900- or 2 ivvnv.airfield-ops.hill.af.miloswAveath- er ft F71 329 High 24Q Low tion. This provision applies only to employee contributions. Agency contributions will continue to be based upon current open season waiting period schedules. Information about these benefits and the appropriate procedures to follow will be published in the Air Force Personnel Center Benefits and Entitle- Hill AFB PUIDW Report Date of last DUI: Feb. 7, 2001 Days since last DUI: 8 Air Force to know there is someone out there looking to make sure the signed contracts have integrity." Wiedemer said that OSI is the agency that provides the integrity. "You are part of the network that make it easier for the commanders to work and make great things happen," he said. While presenting Department of Justice coins to the award winners, MacTaggart expressed his appreciation for the dedication shown to complete this investigation which began in 1997. "There is no more appropriate a forum for recognition than this gathering of OSI leaders from across the country," MacTaggart said. These three agents really are the best examples of what the OSI can do for the Air Force and the American people they set a work ethic you want to emulate." For Scott Corbitt, the recognition is just part of doing his duties. "The OSI can leverage different agencies within the Air Force to bring a positive resolution to a situation," Corbitt said. This could have easily turned into an international incident." Corbitt realizes that it took a concerted effort to recover the funds for the Air Force. "We had a tremendous recovery, a great team and investigation, all the way from the contracting folks in San Antonio through the U.S. attorneys," he said. This is a great example of what we can do to preserve the integrity of acquisitions we are responsible for on behalf of our allies." (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service) FAA is trying to crack down on this because some lack the experience in from the effective date of their appointments to make a TSP contribution elec SL 369 High 269 Low 34Q High 25Q Low 369 High 249 Low Partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy Partly Mostly cloudy with snow late cloudy