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Show J Conservation and discipline saves energy DA Briefs The VA seeks to inform new benefits Reducing energy consumption isnt suns natural energy warm the inside air. In the kitchen, you can save think. With a little prior planmight ning youd be surprised at the savings energy by using small appliances for youll achieve both in energy and cooking small meals. An electric skillet, bake oven or toaster is convenient money. In the home, there are many ways and they use less energy than a foil-sizoven or broiler. to save energy and money. Here are a few of the best ways: Close off unoccupied rooms and Use a minimum amount of water shut off heat vents. in cooking and cover the pan. Foods Use ventilation fans for bathrooms cook faster, vitamin content is saved and kitchens, etc. sparingly, thev can as well as energy. Pans that entirely suck an entire houseful of warm air cover the heating element of the stove out in just an hour. .are more efficient and the Keep windows near, thermostats cover bn while food is keeping cooking helps closed tightly. Cold drafts from these too. Water boils more rapidly in a windows can keep your furnace work- covered pan. ing after the rest of the room has reached a comfortable temperature. When you want to know how. If you have an oil furnace, have fircheck the maintenance something cooking in the oven is agent your rates rate. Incorrect waste doing, turn on the oven light instead firing ing of opening the door. Oven temperafueloil. fall 25-7- 5 degrees when the door tures Wear warm clothing, its the best insulation of all. The average human is opened even briefly. being gives off more than 320 BTUs If you are baking one dish for a of heat an hour! Clothing that is made of woven fabrics can retain this meal, try to bake the entire meal. Or natural heat. (And getting cozy better yet, when you know you will be with a friend generates twice as much using the oven, plan ahead and cook ahead with the same oven heat. heat!) Close draperies and pull shades or Tomorrow nights meat casserole blinds down at night to further in- needs only a'bit of .warming if its sulate areas. During sunny days, keep baked with tonights macaroni and draperies and blinds open to let the cheese. as hard or as uncomfortable as you of ex-PO- Ws t Veterans service organizations and some 500 military unit associations are being asked to help the Veterans Administration locate 57,000 very special veterans. - TTic 57,000 are part of the 100,000 living American former prisoners of war who became potentially eligible for benefits' as the result of recent legislation. The administration already has the names of 43,000 former prisoners who have already qualified for compensation or pension. The prisoner of war health care benefits act of 1981 makes it easier for former prisoners, of war, held by the enemy for as short a period as 30 days, to establish entitlement to compensation for certain disahiliHc. These, veterans may now be compensated for certain psychological and nutrition- - related disorders regardless of when in their lifetimes they first appear. Eligibility for inpatient and outpatient medical care, on a priority lias is, now exists for all of war. The new law also provides that a veteran s captivity need not have been during wartime for these liberalizing benefits rides to apply. The. administration s concern with the special health problems of former prisoners of war stems from a joint study with the Department of Defense that found POWs whose confinement was characterized by starvation diets, lack of medical care and inhumane treatment have a higher incidence of physical and psychological disabilities. Former prisoners of war may have had difficulties establishing claims for benefits based upon service - connected disabilities because of inadequate repatriation examinations, the study points out. The largest group of former POWs is from World War II - 93,128. There are 3,844 from the Korean Conflict, 800 from World War 1 642 from the Vietnam-Er- a fighting and 80 from the USs Pueblo. Organizations cooperating with the administration are being asked to provide all pertinent itiformation on their POW members. The military serial number or VA claim number is especially important. The administration plans to contact all veterans identified in this manner to inform them of the details of the legislation and answer any questions they may have. The administration also is asking members of the public to inform any veteran they know of the new legislation. Veterans benefits counselors at all VA Regional Offices have derail on the law and will be happy to assist anyone having questions about it. teleTelephone directories list the numbers for Va offices, and toll-fre- e phone service to them is available in each state. ers ex-PO- ex-POV- V (ARNEWS) ed Thaw frozen foods the al way, in the refrigerator. When thawing on the kitchen counter top, frozen foods can add to the furnace heat load. In the refrigerator, the temperature of the. frozen food takes some of the load off the refrigerator motor as well as avoids heat loss in the room. Air drying of clothes versus using a dryer makes a difference too. In the winter, clothes can be hung to dry inside the house inside the bathroom or storerooms, if there is no rush to dry them. They will usually dry in a few hours and the moisture will be added to the otherwise dry air usually put out by most heating system. energy-economic- Cooking with pressure cookers or microwave ovens reduces cooking time, energy usage and heat buildup d in the kitchen. glass or ceramic dishes in the oven also help, allowing cooking temperatures to be set as much as 25 degrees lower than if metal containers are used, . Heat-treate- When, doing laundry, using the lowest temperature setting can have a major impact on energy savings, and there are many cleaning products on the open market that clean clothes as efficiently in cold water, as hot water. Even if you have to wash in hot or warm water, savings can still be made by using cold water to rinse. It takes. about 35 gallons of water to do a full wadi cycle, or about 16 gallons for each cycle. A hot wash and warm rinse requires about 25 gallons of hot water, phanging the rinse water to cold, which according to the Department of Energy will not affect the results of the wash, saves around 8 gallons of hot water per cycle. Also, for those of you that are living in the barracks there are things that you can do to help. Lately there has been much emphasis put on heat conservation in your rooms. By keeping your windows closed and turning off your heater when Ieavingfor work you can help cut fuel costs. To help remind soldiers living in barracks, 1SG Washburn has revised his room inspection sheet to include a few saving measures; My sheet has a place where I can note that the soldier either forgot to close their windows, turn off their heaters or their lights, he' said. Also, after using either the latrine or the television rooms, and there is turn out nobody else in the place the lights! These are just a few of the ways that you can help fight the energy crunch. - ' . zeroin finance managers Army on improved economies Getting the most for every dollar allocated to agement policies and practices, and develop tools the Army mission is just one goal in the plans of for managers at all levels to proceed with the apthe Comptroller of the Army. But its a goal with propriate programs ahd projects. the highest visibility. In light of President Reagans Examples of Army efficiency and effectiveness for national economic recovery. include the following: program - Energy Conservation. Over the past, seven efforts to conserve energy has reyears. Army-wid- e sulted in a cost avoidance of about $2.2 billion. In FY 81, the Army reduced overall energy consumption by 13.40 percent, as compared to baseline FY 73. This is equivalent to saving 6.6 million barrels investment. oil for a one-ye- ar of cost avoidance .of about- $343 Productivity capital Essentially, To achieve the goal. Army officials have establabor-savin- g this means million. and acquiring equipment lished an effort to build on current management -- on-goi- ng - Check group life insurance forms Soldiers enrolled in the governments increased group life insurance programs may want to submit new forms designating how the insurance is to be paid. Veterans Administration (VA) officials advise that unless a new form specifies how shares should be paid, an insurance claim will be based on the old form already included in the soldiers personnel records. "The Servicemens Croup Life Insurance (SGLI) and the Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) programs both increased Dec. 1, 1981 from $20,000 maximum coverage to $35,000 for active duty soldiers, reservists and veterans. Active duty members were automatically enrolled for the maximum coverage mi that date even, if they had reduced coverage or no coverage under the old rates. Officials explain the blanket enrollment of active duty soldiers assured that everyone who wanted coverage would have it. However, soldiers may withdraw from the program or reduce the amount of coverage at to their local any time bysubmittiiig DD Form-9- 3 and VA Form finance offices. SGLI may lie secured in increments of $5,000 for 75 cents. Under the new coverage, soldiers piay 15.25 monthly for the full $35,000 maximum coverage. Reservists who qualify for foil coverage pay the same rates as those, soldiers on active duty. The premium for part-tim- e SGLI coverage is $3.50 Retired for on insurance. the other hand, pay reservists, $35,000 yearly to according age. The VGLIs five- - year insurance plan is available only to SGLI holders who leave the military. The higher rates affect soldiers separating from the Army on or after Dec. 1. (ARNEWS) . 29-82- 86 Common task SQT update Soldiers whose MOS has no skill qualification test (SQT) can now look forward to something new. Starting during December 1981, these soldiers, along with National Guard and Reserve soldiers, began taking the Common Task Skill Qualification Test (CTSQT). The CTSQT consists of tasks which apply to every soldier in skill levels one through four. The tests rate soldiers on. common basic skills, offiexplain U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) cials. test was available last year, soldiers will prothis year. If ah SQT has not been developed for bably take one again the CTSQT. Soldiers working outside will take their JttOS, soldiers technical SQT for their PMOS for record. their PMOS will take the The CTSQT will not be used in personnel management programs. The defiemphasis is on identifying and eliminating common task training ciencies. Two new field manuals contain the common tasks which make up CTSQT. These new manuals, titled Soldiers Manual of Common Tasks, were distributed to units worldwide in May 1981. They are which covers skill level one, and FM 21-Field .Manual (FM) 21-which covers skill levels two, three and four. Some of the common tasks soldiers must be able to perform are chalcamouflaging themselves and their individual equipment; using man-mafeatures and terrain natural lenge and password; identifying on a map; and usingfirst aid techniques, including Cardio-PulmonaResuscitation (CPR). Like the SQT, the CTSQT is organized into three Skill Component (SC), Hands-o- n Component (HOC), and Job parts Site Component (JSC). Sixteen tasks are covered, but some of these are so important that they are also contained in certain SQTs. tests. The common-tas- k SQT does not replace the MOS-specif-ic Generally, all soldiers at skill levels 4, who wont take an MOS specific test between September 1, 1981, and November 30, 1982, will take CTSQT. AuCTSQT will be administered from December I, 1981,. through adand gust 31, 1982. A new CTSQT will be developed every year scheministered from December to August. Units will be required to dule all eligible soldiers for testing during this period. For more infor-mation the program, soldiers should contact their local training standards officers. Commanders, will announce the training and test sites for their soldiers as this information becomes available. ARNEWS) If an MOS-specif- ic 3, 2, de ry - MOS-Specrf- ic MOS-specif- ic 1-- on and productivity improvement programs under the umbrella of Economies, Efficiencies and Management Improvement (EEMI), which is counterpart to a recently established DoD management improvement program. The pipgram aims to bring Army-wid- e initiatives to bear upon areas for improved management; Success of the program is tn be measured in terms of auditable resource savings or cost avoidance to be incorporated into the planning, programming and budgeting system by program and appropriation. By pursuing and applying this two fold retrenchment. Army commanders will be enabled to program and budget for critical activities that otherwise would remain unaccomplished. The programs impact would be felt in matters of readiness, effectiveness and total-Arm- y goals. Expressions like maximum return on resources expended" are uppermost in the minds of manag- ers throughout the Army. They are constantly faced with a complex environment characterized by competing requirements, resource constraints, and rapid advances in technology. Their initiatives in this dynamic arena center on improving the quality and timeliness of program performance, increasing productivity, controlling costs, and mitigating the impact of limited dollars, manpower, and other resources. The Armys approach includes value engineering, the commercial activities program, acquisition initiatives, program restructuring, and the integration of program review, audit surveys, and IG results into the decisionmaking at varying levels of command. A recent white paper on Army Initiatives to Improve Economies and Efficiencies stresses a heightened sense of managerial control and commitment if the Army is to continue its efforts to improve efficiency, conserve resources and en- hance productivity. These efforts include measures to reduce inefficiencies and waste, improve man Impact aid thereby creating productive workforce. Translated to cost figures, it means that the fiscal Installation Realignment. During the past capital investments of some $50 mil- three years, six installations have undergone relions how an annual savings of $41 million which alignment either to reduce overhead or to accomwill accrue throughout the economic life of the modate a revised mission. The resultant savings new equipment. These results also include a one- totaled 1,563 military and 224 civilian manpower time savings of 1,554 man-year- s. Investments of spaces. The initial costs of the actions were offset million $238 programmed throughout FY 87 are by the manpower savings in FY 79. Some $30 milexpected to save an estimated $568 million and lion in savings resulted annually, beginning in FY. The resultant effectiveness is 4,725 man-year- s. .89. One of the headquarters realignments occurred in the sense that commanders are be- within the Comptroller of the Army farrujy itself. ing allowed to reinvest the savings into other pro- The US Army Finance and Accounting Center (Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind.). Here, the centers ductivity, improvements. personnel requirements of 5,000 back in the mid-fiftisaw a reduction to less than 2,650 in 1981 -Value Engineering. This management techniall while incurring a the increase in que, using function analysis, seeks to identify and What figured in the remove unnecessary costs from parts, services, its functional responsibility. workload was handle extra the centers to ability maintenance, and procedures while also maintainof the advanced systems. computer acquisition ing the required quality and performance. Savings, Uniform for the Now, Joint Military Pay example, says the paper, have increased from $173 million in FY 77 to $396 in FY 81. Over the past five years, System - Army saves $40 million per year. Seventy-fiv- e personnel spaces were saved by the replacethe total savings amounts to more than $1.2 billion. For the same period, comes ment of seven old computers. to $15.60 for each dollar invested. year . -- 1979-81 self-perpetuating es near-threefo- ld retum-on-investme- nt As these and other actions proceed toward Methods and Standards. Methods studies and their expected results. Army finance officials will standards developed under this program have sulted in $18.5 milium in savings during FY 81. re- . be concentrating on enhancing performance mea- surement and program accountability Criteria. Theyll also be working to minimize redundancy and Commercial Activities Program (formerly unnecessary duplication within programs. Activities called Commercial and Industrial-Typ- e Newly devised or discovered practices that sustain func- the overall effort will be highlighted and incorpor-ate- d CITA). This practice of converting into wider application throughout the Army, tions to outside contracting has realized a cost adofficials. a million over of the to $110 say government vantage three-yeperiod. A favorable impact on Army readiness occurs whenever a cost study ensues, since all military personnel spaces are diverted Working from feedback from all echelons of from the activities regardless of the final decision and from proven manager oversight, the command on a given project. From FY 79 to September and monitors analysts involved in the effort expect 1981, this program has resulted in the saving of to .their sharpen improve the accur3,775 civilian spaces, with the concomitant diverof and assure the validity .of criacy measurements, sion of 1,300 military spaces to fill critical and indicators. effectiveness teria -- in-hou- se ar cost-trackin- g, a real dilemma Do states have a legal right to charge tuition for the children of military families residing on federal property? This is the question before the court in deciding the issue of Federally Provided Impact Aid. Impact Aid allocated federal funds to assist local school districts who have lost revenue because of hew or expanded federal activities. Fiscal Year (FY) 1982 budget cuts in Federal Impact Aid subsidies amount to at least $261 million, and several states. and their local school districts are prepared to charge tuition for the public education of military family members. The program for the states stems from the exemption of federal property from state and local taxation. Some local districts depend on such taxation as their principal source of education funds. Without federal reimbursement, either in the form of real property taxes for land federally occupied or impact aid, local districts are left with a reduced tax base. Various school districts across the nation have informed military families that tuition fees will be imposed during school year 1981-8- 2 if adequate federal impact aid funding is not provided by Congress. The Secretary of Defense hast stated that he is determined that no soldier, sailor, airman or marine will be forced to pay tuition for the public school education of his or her dependents, ami that the administration intends to pursue appropriate legal action wherever tuition charges are imposed. On Oct. 30, 1981, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against the Fairfax County (VA--) School Board and the Commonwealth of Virginia, challenging the tate statute that authorizes the county to im pose tuition charges on the parents of military dependents living on Fort Belvoir and attending Fairfax county schools. Several congressional 'members have requested that the appropria- tions committees allocate impact aid funding to local school districts in a manner that will ensure that the cost of educating the children of military personnel is satisfied. However, congress has yet to act on the distribution of impact aid. Congress has reimbursed states financially burdened as a result of federal activities for over 150 years. In 1950, federal assistance was consolidated into the i mpact aid program under the Commissioner of Education. At that time, 1,172 schoob districts were eligible for assistance to support 512,000 federally connected children with an average contribution per pupil of $106.82. By 1978, 4,368 school districts were eligible for assistance with more than 23. million federally connected children and an average contribution of $862.00 per pupil. The average varies by school district and type of dependent. The Army is working , closely with the office of the Secretary of Defense on this issue. Servicemembers who receive tuition bills should forward them to the local installation service representative designated for this purpose. According to Dugways Kitzi Keetch who is a member of the is being downTooele County School boaid.the question of impact-ai- d played. "It isnt even under consideration for Tooele County, Kitzi said. We know its illegal." - t |