November, 2006
The Internal Revenue Service 2006 annual limit on elective deferrals for Thrift Savings Plan contributions is $15,000. You are strongly encouraged to check your TSP year-to-date contributions under the "deductions" section of your Leave and Earnings Statement to ensure that your contributions do not exceed the limit prior to the end of the pay year. When the maximum contribution limit is reached, your employee contributions will be suspended for the remainder of the year. If you are a FERS employee, your agency matching contributions will also be suspended. (Employees over 50 years of age will still be able to continue participation in the TSP Catch-up program even if the regular employee contributions exceed $15,000.)
If you are under FERS, it is very important for you to ensure that you are making employee contributions throughout the entire year in order to avoid losing agency matching contributions. You may change your contribution election at any time via the ABC-C systems. The TSP fact sheet entitled "Annual Limits on Elective Deferrals" describes in detail the elective deferral limits and especially how it affects TSP contributions of FERS employees. You may view the TSP fact sheet entitled "Annual Limits on Elective Deferrals" at http://www.tsp.gov/forms/oc91-13w.pdf. Additional information is available online at https://www.abc.army.mil/. If you have questions, please contact a counselor at the Army Benefits Center - Civilian toll-free at 1-877-276-9287. Numbers for our overseas and/or hearing impaired customers can be found at https://www.abc.army.mil/Information/ABCGeneral/Information/ABCMenu.htm.
Open season for the stand-alone dental and vision program will be held November 13 - December 11, 2006. This is the same timeframe as the Federal Employees Health Benefit program (FEHB) and Federal Spending Account for Federal Employees (FSAFEDS) Program. Coverage will be effective December 31, 2006. The initial bi-weekly deduction will commence for the pay period beginning January 7, 2007. The 1st week of coverage, December 31, 2006 through January 6, 2007, will be free to enrollees.
Ten companies have been chosen to participate in the FEDVIP, seven dental and three vision carriers. There will be four national and three regional dental carriers. All of the vision carriers will have national coverage.
The total premium is paid by the employee and will be deducted pre-tax. The premiums for full-time and part-time employees are the same since the employee pays the full premium. The amount of the premium is based on the geographic region and zip code where you reside, not where you work. Plans will be available as self only, self plus one, and self and family. Enrollment and other information will be via OPM's benefits portal, BENEFEDS at http://www.benefeds.com.
The Office of Personnel Management implemented the use of the BENEFEDS portal to simplify the enrollment process by providing one central and secure place for employees to enroll in a FEDVIP dental plan and/or vision plan. Employees will only have to provide their demographic information one time to enroll in either the dental and/or vision insurance. BENEFEDS will also be used to make permissible changes in enrollment throughout the year and to update personal information for the program, such as a change in address.
The BENEFEDS Web site contains rates, plan comparisons, and other pertinent information on the FEDVIP. The requested methods for enrollment are the BENEFEDS portal, or call the toll free number 877-888-FEDS (3337) or TTY 877-889-5680. You cannot enroll via myPay, the Army Benefits Center-Civilian Web site or the ABC-C automated phone line.
All questions during open season should be directed to BENEFEDS. A different toll free number for customer service will be made available to employees after open season has ended.
Employees are encouraged to review their current FEHB plan or the plan being considered during the FEHB open season for coverage on dental and vision costs prior to enrolling in the FEDVIP. Employees are also encouraged to decide whether one, all or a combination of the FEHB, FSAFED or FEDVIP programs would be beneficial for the type of services needed by employees and their dependents prior to enrolling.
Employees currently on the rolls during the upcoming open season, but planning to retire after December 30th, should enroll during open season, registering as a current employee. The FEDVIP office will handle the transition of their FEDVIP into retirement.
Although you may not receive an actual enrollment card from the carrier, the carrier will provide you with a package of information or at a minimum, verification of your enrollment in the vision or dental plan.
Again, agencies are not involved in the administration or responsible for providing customer support for the FEDVIP, so please contact BENEFEDS for assistance.
(Part two of a two-part feature) In the October 2006 issue of the CP Bulletin, we discussed flexible spending accounts (FSA) in general, and the Health Care FSA (HCFSA) in some detail. In this issue, we'll take a closer look at the Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA).
The DCFSA does not pertain in any way to the medical expenses incurred by your dependents; medical expenses fall under the HCFSA. The DCFSA allows you to be reimbursed on a pre-tax basis for child or adult dependent care expenses (for qualified dependents) that are necessary to allow you or your spouse to work, look for work or attend school full-time.
A dependent for this purpose is based on the IRS definition for income tax purposes. Eligible expenses may be claimed for the care of an incapacitated adult (e.g., parent, grandparent, adult disabled child) who lives with you and qualifies as a dependent (if the employee is providing more than half of that person's maintenance for the year). Eligible expenses may be claimed on your dependent children under age 13 for child day care to include before and after-school care, seasonal care, etc. For example, let's say that this year you paid $3,000 for child care and expect to pay at least the same in 2007. You decide to enroll in a DCFSA in the amount of $3,000. For each pay in 2007, $115.38 will be deducted from your pay on a pre-tax basis. Unlike the HCFSA which is pre-funded, the DCFSA account must have enough funds to cover your reimbursement. In this example, your child care expenses would actually be about $115.38 for a two week period. Since that is the amount withheld biweekly for your DCFSA, you would be eligible to file for reimbursement on a biweekly basis. Or, can you choose to file your claim at the end or the year or at any time during the year when you wish to receive reimbursement.
You will have until March 15, 2008, to incur eligible expenses against your 2007 DCFSA account. You must file all claims for your 2007 DCFSA account by May 31, 2008.
Other important information on DCFSAs:
- You must have earned income for the year for your dependent care costs to be considered eligible.
- When determining your DCFSA amount, be realistic and conservative. If you do not have enough eligible expenses by March 15, 2008, the remaining funds in the account are subject to forfeiture. However, you can enroll or change the amount of your DCFSA if you have a "qualified" life event. For example, if you adopt a baby and will incur day care expenses, if you decide your school-age child will enroll in a summer care program, or it may be that you have a situation where you will no longer have care expenses. Check the FSA Web site for specific information on time limits, etc.
- For 2007, the maximum annual election for a DCFSA is $5,000.
- To view a list of services and expenses that are reimbursable under the FSAFEDS program, click on https://www.fsafeds.com/fsafeds/eligibleexpenses.asp.
- If you had an FSA account in 2006, you must reenroll during the open season if you wish to have an account in 2007.
- Before you enroll in a DCFSA, there are some important points to consider such as deciding between an FSA and tax credit, guidance about when your spouse is also eligible for FSAs or a similar benefit, etc. FSAs are not complicated, but there is important information that you should be aware of before you enroll. Please visit https://www.fsafeds.com to learn all you need to know about FSAs. If you are planning to retire or separate from federal service, or if you are anticipating a period of Leave Without Pay in 2007, please review the FSA Web site for detailed information.
Effective October 30, 2006, the Army Benefits Center-Civilian phone system allows employees the opportunity to reach a benefits counselor by pressing a "0" at any time during the call - without having to listen to all of the menu options first! Just in time for the open seasons, this improvement will make it much easier for an employee to reach a benefits counselor - as easy as ABC-C!
Recently the Office of Personnel Management issued final regulations requiring agencies to conduct annual employee attitude and opinion surveys. In addition to these agency-specific surveys, several oversight government agencies are entitled to survey Army employees periodically. Although what follows are brief descriptions of surveys Army employees might receive over the course of a year, it is by no means an exhaustive list.
- Army Civilian Attitude Survey - Army's official attitude and opinion survey of the civilian workforce. Sent electronically as a census to the entire civilian appropriated, non-appropriated and foreign national civilian corps, the instrument measures civilian employee job satisfaction, workforce morale, leadership perceptions, civilian human resource customer satisfaction, and National Security Personnel System program evaluation issues. The census method allows for command, region, installation, and, in many circumstances, unit levels of feedback. The Office of the Assistant G-1 for Civilian Personnel administers the survey.
- Federal Human Capital Survey - an OPM survey measuring whether current agency conditions are similar to those of highly successful organizations. The survey provides general indicators of how well agencies are running their human resources management systems, helps OPM assess agency progress toward "green" on the President's Management Agenda, and gives senior managers critical information for improving agency functionality.
- Consumer Assessment of Health Plan Survey - an OPM tool evaluating satisfaction with Federal Employee Health Benefits plans. The survey asks participants to rate health benefit plans on overall plan satisfaction, getting needed care, getting care quickly, how well doctors communicate, customer service, and claims processing.
- Customer Satisfaction Survey - an OPM instrument assessing satisfaction with services provided to customers. It includes nine service quality dimensions that measure customer satisfaction and relate to organizational effectiveness and financial performance. The dimensions cover access, courtesy, knowledge, timeliness, reliability, choice, tangibles, recovery, and quality.
- Merit Principles Survey - a Merit Systems Protection Board survey measures the "health" of federal civil service systems over time. The survey tracks a variety of federal workforce issues. Recent survey areas covered include intent to stay, work motivation, workforce quality, productivity, performance management, fair treatment, prohibited personnel practices, job satisfaction, training, and employee selection.
- Status of Forces Survey - Civilians - a Defense Manpower Data Center product measuring attitudes and opinions of DoD civilians by component that is administered twice a year. The most recent SOF-C included items on work life satisfaction, satisfaction with leadership and management, retention and commitment, preparedness, performance management, personnel services, and awareness and other perceptions relating to NSPS.
These and other ad hoc surveys provide management with the workforce feedback necessary for informed decision making. Although participation is most always voluntary, you are urged to complete them as official business.
The Department of Defense is in the early stages of designing the National Security Personnel System for the Federal Wage System (FWS) employees. The Program Executive Office (PEO) for NSPS is looking at design options for classification, compensation and performance management for DoD's FWS workforce.
"Although we haven't determined a conversion schedule for FWS employees, now is the time to begin the design process," said Mary Lacey, NSPS program executive officer. "Having completed the first phase of the Spiral 1 implementation, our next step is to start the design phase of the FWS."
PEO officials will meet with the unions this week as part of continuing collaboration obligations regarding the design of NSPS for FWS workers. According to Lacey, "We will brief the unions on the highlights of the proposed design options and look forward to working with them and to getting their input into the design of the system."
Including FWS employees in NSPS will link performance to the overall mission; tie pay to performance; hold both supervisors and employees accountable for performance management; and provide a unified performance management and recognition system for the DoD civilian workforce.
The design approach is similar to the process previously used in designing the system for General Schedule employees. To begin the design process, the PEO established a planning team and working groups consisting of line managers from organizations with large numbers of FWS employees. Initial meetings, which occurred in June and July, resulted in the development of an overarching strategy, identifying high-level issues, and exploring various design options. In August, the PEO contacted the unions to solicit their ideas on how they could be involved in the design process.
The PEO also met with the Federal Managers Association to solicit their input on design options.
"No decision has been made on the design or implementation schedule for FWS," said Lacey. "NSPS continues to be an event-driven process, and is inclusive of all our stakeholders, including employee representatives."
The Civilian Human Resource Agency-Europe (CHRA-E) held a combination NSPS supervisor's course and leadership conference in late September. Lisa Lessard, CHRA-E regional director, opened the conference by encouraging the group to be interactive and to ask the tough questions during the conference.
The focus of the conference was the administration of performance management for CHRA-E personnel and how to advise customers on NSPS related issues. The principle guest speaker for the conference was Mary Rodriguez, CHRA Southwest regional director. Ms. Rodriguez provided valuable insight from lessons learned from their experiences under NSPS. She provided a great deal of information on how the mock pay pool process was carried out and the lessons learned. This proved to be one of the most informative and useful portions of the conference. Steve Wooley, deputy director, Civilian Assistance and Re-Employment Office, spoke about how NSPS would affect the priority placement program (PPP).
During the conference Brigadier General Dennis Via, commander, 5th Signal Command, paid a visit and presented Certificates of Appreciation to members of the CHRA-E team and USAREUR civilian personnel directorate (CPD) representatives. The certificates were in recognition of recent restructuring efforts where CHRA, CPD and management officials worked very closely to bring about needed transformation within the command.
Via spoke on the success of the transformation and the great spirit of cooperation that existed between 5th Signal Command and the entire personnel community during the process.
In the beginning of the process, it was believed that several employees would be displaced. Their management team worked with the personnel community in a collaborative effort to reduce the impact of the restructuring. The early and continued senior leadership involvement, coupled with the effective use of reduction in force avoidance tools, resulted in no U.S. employees being separated. The RIF avoidance tools included freezing vacancies, early PPP registration, management of overseas tours and management-directed reassignments. Via pointed to this as an example that other organizations should follow in the future.
Mr. Steven Wooley, deputy chief, Civilian Assistance and Re-Employment division, DoD Civilian Personnel Management Service, conducted priority placement program briefings during the last week in September. During his visit, he conducted a workforce briefing for displaced employees in Friedberg and also presented a combined displaced/non-displaced workforce briefing in Hanau.
His visit coincided with the quarterly career program manager's meeting hosted by USAREUR civilian personnel directorate. Mr. Wooley was invited as the guest speaker. His topic was "Taking Care of People" and his briefing addressed the role of the priority placement program in rebasing as well as other tools available for management to use such as VERA/VSIP to help reduce the impact of reduction in force.
Mr. Wooley also briefed the CHRA-Europe region leadership team at a conference set up to deliver the NSPS for supervisors course and discuss performance management and job objectives in an NSPS environment. This timely visit afforded the leadership team an opportunity to hear Mr. Wooley's presentation on the impact of NSPS on the PPP.
In addition to the high volume of non-displaced PPP registrants, the number of registrants in the displaced employee programs is starting to increase as a result of global rebasing in Europe. Accordingly, Mr. Wooley's visit provided an excellent opportunity for a PPP seminar and informal discussion with our HR personnelists who routinely work with counseling, registering, and managing the PPP. Through the use of the CHRA audio bridge we had theater-wide participation, both with the HR personnelists in the Seckenheim/Heidelberg area and via teleconference with the remaining CPACs in the CHRA-Europe region.
What do dropping eggs and bouncing balloons have to do with developing teamwork strong enough to develop - and agree to - the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart's new mission and vision statements? Quite a bit! These exercises and others demonstrated the importance of operational leaders working together to accomplish one overall goal for the entire military community. "This was a great opportunity for us to work together as a team to plan for the future of our garrison," stated Col. Kenneth G. Juergens, U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart commander.
Facilitated by Alan Cole, chief, Civilian Human Resource Agency-Europe, human resource development division (CHRA-E, HRDD), the event on August 23-24, 2006, quickly set the tone for insightful and focused strategies designed to stimulate creative thinking and foster community spirit as the 20 senior Garrison leaders evaluated their roles in the future of the community.
"Creative thinking is very important in jump-starting the development of sound concepts and ideas necessary in forming mission and vision statements," explained Cole.
The group studied and critiqued mission and vision statements ranging from companies such as Ben and Jerry's and Disney to DoD and non-DoD federal agencies. The result culminated in statements that clearly expressed what the USAG Stuttgart is about: its people.
"CHRA-E, HRDD was the boost we needed to achieve our goal. I am more than pleased with their training support of our mission," added Juergens.
The Army Incentive Awards Board is requesting nominations for the following two Department of the Army Awards:
- Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. The Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service is the highest award that may be granted by the Secretary of the Army to career Army civilian employees who have performed exceptional achievement or service. For further information about this award, go to: http://cpol.army.mil/library/mer/awards/decs.html.
- Secretary of the Army Award for Valor. The Secretary of the Army Award for Valor may be granted by the Secretary of the Army to civilian employees who perform an act of heroism or sacrifice, with voluntary risk of personal safety in the face of danger. For further information about this award, go to: http://cpol.army.mil/library/permiss/5496.html.
- Further information has been disseminated in DA message: 191946Z OCT 06. http://cpol.army.mil/library/mer/secarmy-msg.html
- Signature by the Major Army Command commander on DA Form 1256.
- Equal Employment Opportunity certification as required in AR 672-20, par 2-2.
- Biographical information, to include employment history and previous awards.
- Proposed citation consisting of 50 to 60 words highlighting specific achievement.
- Electronic photograph of nominee suitable for inclusion in the program booklet.
- Verification that the nominee will be available for the ceremony.
The deadline for submitting nominations for presentation at the Secretary of the Army Awards ceremony is December 29, 2006. Approved awards will be held for presentation at the Annual Secretary of the Army Awards ceremony scheduled in March 2007. Nominations will be forwarded through Major Army Command channels to the Executive Secretary, Army Incentive Awards Board, ATTN: DAPE-CPS-ES, Room 2C453, 300 Army Pentagon, Washington, DC 203l0-0300. Major Army Commands will set their own suspense date.
The Association of the United States Army held its annual conference and symposium at the Washington D.C. convention center October 9-11, 2006.
AG-1 CP had an impressive exhibit that featured programs and initiatives our organization is engaged in, to include NSPS, BRAC, Recruitment, Training and Development initiatives, and information on the recent establishment of the Army Civilian Corps and Creed. The exhibit was staffed by subject matter experts in the respective areas to answer questions from attendees.
Also during AUSA, two events were held on October 11th for Army civilians, the Army civilian professional development seminar and the Army civilian luncheon. Ms. Darby led a panel on Civilian Transformation during the professional development seminar.
Learn the language you need - now! Rosetta Stone has joined forces with the U.S. Army to offer our language learning programs to all Army (active and reserve), National Guard and Department of the Army civilians. Rosetta Stone's Web-based foreign language training is available through Army e-Learning, 24 hours a day anywhere in the world - at no cost to individual Soldiers or commands. If you are already registered for the Army e-Learning program, you automatically have access to these courses when you log in to the program. If you have not registered, click on the following link to access the Army e-Learning AKO portal page to register.
Use the power, speed and effectiveness of Rosetta Stone's acclaimed immersion-based language program to learn Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Farsi, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew, Pashto (spoken in Afghanistan), Russian, Thai and Turkish as well as our 17 other language products.
To begin your FREE foreign language training, go to the Army e-Learning homepage via AKO ( http://www.us.army.mil). Once in AKO, click on Self Service, then My Education to access Army e-Learning.
Six staff members of the North Central Civilian Personnel Operations Center successfully graduated from the CPOC's mentor program on September 28, 2006. The goal of the mentor program is to develop and coach staff members who demonstrate leadership potential and aspire to future leadership positions. This formal program is protégé-driven with a focus on building interpersonal and leadership skills through a year-long journey.
Protégés build these skills largely through personalized relationships with their mentors who guide them through a variety of self-development activities. In addition, participatory workshops are presented throughout the year involve self-assessments, role playing, problem solving, mock interviews, and formal presentations. By working closely with their mentors, the protégés learned skills that have enabled them to build relationships and better equip them to become successful leaders.
The graduating protégés were recognized at a breakfast ceremony and each received a graduation certificate for their commitment and dedication to the program. Their mentors, a cadre of NC CPOC leaders, were also recognized at the ceremony with certificates of appreciation for their participation in the program.
Leslie McGlothlin, Northeast Civilian Personnel Operations Center operations manager, has been recognized by the Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Women's Program as Supervisor of the Year. Leslie was recognized on August 23, 2006 for her on-going efforts to encourage women to further their education via traditional or non-traditional means. The CPOC provides numerous developmental assignments and promotion opportunities for women.
Additionally, Leslie was praised for actively mentoring and encouraging her staff members to grow and develop technically and professionally while inspiring them to reach new and higher standards.
On September 13, 2006, Ms. Melinda McMillon Darby, assistant G-1 for civilian personnel, appointed Ms. Jeannie A. Davis, chief, policy and program development division, as the civilian human resource career program 10 proponent. In this role, Ms. Davis will manage the CP-10 career program, including defining developmental needs, refining requirements and providing assistance to improve all aspects of the civilian human resource management system. She will facilitate functional training course design, manage the CP-10 portion of the Army Civilian Training Education and Development System plan, and assess recruitment strategies.
by Melissa Stahl, Army War College Public Affairs Office Published in Banner Online, an online publication for the U.S. Army War College and Carlisle Barracks
Change is the means to the end: improvement. In today's globalized world there is high demand for change as the needs of people, nations and missions evolve more quickly than ever. The U.S. Army War College is seizing an opportunity for improvement with the creation of a new position.
"This position will aid civilian students with job placement. The goal is to have their future position lined up for post-graduation," said Morgan. Morgan will not only serve as an advisor for the civilian students, but will be an instructor for the Department of Command, Leadership and Management.
Morgan will be able to help students on an individual basis and on a large scale level as well she said.
"Developing the best possible civilian work force will allow for many things in the Army, one of which is flexibility. Flexibility will improve the Army's ability to meet diverse and changing needs. The Army's concerns today lay with more than one theater of support, ranging from Southeast Asia to Europe," said Morgan. "Change is necessary to best defend our nation."
Morgan has served in human resource management positions the U. S. and Europe. Prior to this assignment, Morgan was the Civilian Resource Regional director in the Pacific Region, at Ft. Richardson, Alaska. Morgan has received the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, among many other awards.
Morgan is a native of Tennessee and a graduate of Dillard University in Louisiana. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Human Relations, and then a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Oklahoma. Morgan and her husband, Larry, a retired Soldier, have one daughter.
It is with regret that the South Central Regional Director's Office announces the death of Sue Bolding, who died unexpectedly on September 21st. Sue was a budget analyst in the director's office and had been serving as the acting chief of the Management Support Office for the South Central Region at the time of her death. Sue began her federal career with the Tennessee Valley Authority and later transferred to the U.S. Army Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. She joined the South Central Civilian Personnel Operations Center shortly after it opened in 1997. Sue was a loyal, dedicated Army civilian employee and was well liked and respected by all her co-workers throughout the South Central Region. She will be greatly missed.
The Department of the Army Incentive Awards Board is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2006 Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award. The winners, Mr. and Mrs. Harry and Sharon Rideout, are recognized for their patriotism and humanitarian contribution to members of the United States Armed Forces. The Fisher Distinguished Humanitarian Award is jointly sponsored by the United States Military Departments (Army, Navy and Air Force) to emphasize the contributions that Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher contributed to the members of the Armed Forces. The responsibility of the award is rotated between each military service department. The Department of the Air Force is the sponsor for the 2006 award ceremony. Congratulations on the selection of Mr. And Mrs. Harry and Sharon Rideout. The Rideouts were honored at an awards ceremony at the Pentagon, Hall of Heroes on October 26, 2006. Honorable Michael W. Wynne, the Secretary of the Air Force, hosted the ceremony.
Most of you may already be aware but wanted to send out a more formal announcement about the change in duty assignments in the Army National Security Personnel System program management office. Effective October 16, 2006, Carole Johnson was assigned a variety of NSPS program responsibilities but will no longer be the Army's program manager. She will be the lead for such things as GAO Reviews, COTR and workload associated with NSPS Performance Management/Position Description support Contracts.
Donna Riney will be the acting NSPS program manager while the PM position is being recruited.
Taken from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Web site
In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of reverence for America's veterans.
Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation's highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as "Armistice Day."
Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was "the War to end all wars," November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Sixteen and one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died in service, more than 292,000 in battle.
Armistice Day Changed To Honor All Veterans
The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Ala., in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized "National Veterans Day," which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. The event was held on November 11, then designated Armistice Day. Later, U.S. Representative Edward Rees of Kansas proposed a bill that would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In 1954, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhower signed proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day. Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan in November 1982. Weeks' local parade and ceremonies are now an annual event celebrated nationwide.
On Memorial Day 1958, two more unidentified American war dead were brought from overseas and interred in the plaza beside the unknown soldier of World War I. One was killed in World War II, the other in the Korean War. In 1984, an unknown serviceman from the Vietnam War was placed alongside the others. The remains from Vietnam were exhumed May 14, 1998, identified as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, and removed for burial. To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.
A law passed in 1968 changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.
Additional information on the history of Veterans Day, the Veterans Day National Committee, the national ceremony, a gallery of Veterans Day posters from 1978 to the present and more can be found on the Internet at http://www.va.gov/vetsday/.
The holiday season kicks off later this month as Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 23rd this year. For those who are interested, a search on the Internet will result in numerous Web sites that post history, games and other fun nuances about the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. The following facts about Thanksgiving were taken from the Thanksgiving World Web site at http://www.thanksgivingworld.com/thanksgiving-trivia.html:
- The first Thanksgiving celebration can be traced back to the Plymouth Pilgrims in the fall of 1621.
- The first Thanksgiving feast was held to thank the Lord for sparing the lives of the survivors of the Mayflower, who landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. The survivors included four adult women and almost forty percent children.
- The Wampanoag chief Massasoit and ninety of his tribesmen were also invited to the first thanksgiving feast. Governor William Bradford invited them for helping the Pilgrims surviving and teaching them the skills of cultivating the land.
- The celebration in 1621 lasted for three days and included games and food.
- The president to proclaim the first 'National Day of Thanksgiving' in 1789 was George Washington.
- Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, campaigned to make Thanksgiving a National Holiday in 1827 and succeeded.
- Abraham Lincoln announced Thanksgiving to be national holiday in his proclamation on October 3, 1863.
This section of the bulletin is dedicated to providing information regarding retirements, promotions, deaths, etc. of those in our civilian personnel community. If you have information of this nature you would like included, please contact the editor at the address below.