Information you may find useful for the upcoming UTA
477th Fighter Group Key Leader Topics, January 2017
►CURRENT ISSUES/EVENTS
Air Force Marathon registration to open Jan. 2
If you missed registering for the sold-out 2016 Air Force Marathon, mark Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. EST on your calendar. That’s when registration will begin for the 2017 event.
DoD wants Trump to change Reserve training options
The Defense Department will encourage President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team to change the way some military reservists fulfill their mandatory weekend training. In an attempt to recruit and retain reservists in areas the military sorely needs, the Pentagon has been exploring more flexible options for training instead of the traditional one weekend a month.
Temporary change to 20-year letter process:
Due to a recent programming error in Points Credit Accounting System (PCARS), the system used to capture Guard/Reserve points, we have temporarily discontinued the issuance of Twenty-Year Letters. Members can still apply for retirement without having received the Twenty-Year Letter. We anticipate resuming the Twenty-Year Letter process in February 2017.
This error will cause a delay in the opportunity to make election concerning Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP). This error will not affect the 90-day timeline to make election. Once we have reached resolution and updating is restored, members will maintain the opportunity and the 90-day timeline to make election.
Government shutdown averted with spending through April
(Defense News) President Obama signed a temporary spending bill that keeps the government open and funded through April 28 and includes the Pentagon’s highest procurement priorities.
DATA VIZ: DoD Suicide Report
Although the year is not up, the Department of Defense's quarterly suicide report, from 2012 to July 29, 2016, indicates that suicide, within the United States Armed Forces, could be on a slight decline. The Air Force Reserve has the lowest number of suicides, at 40, since 2012.
HRPC helps set smart goals
Are you excited to start the New Year with new goals for personal growth and wellness, but don't know where to begin? the Human Performance Resource Center has a goal-setting worksheet you can use: http://hprc-online.org/blog/how-good-are-you-at-setting-smart-goals.
This time in history:
Jan. 7, 2005 – Col. Joseph Lanni, the 412th Test Wing Commander at Edwards Air Force Base, California, delivered an F/A-22 Raptor to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. That Raptor, the fifth built, formed the nucleus of the first operational F-22 squadron.
Jan. 11, 1944 – During a World War II bombing mission over Oschersleben, Germany, Lt. Col. James H. Howard was leading a P-51 Mustang fighter escort group, when numerous German fighters attacked. Not waiting for his group to reassemble, Howard attacked 30 enemy planes, destroying three and damaging several others. Even when three guns stopped working and his fuel tanks neared empty, Howard continued to protect the bombers. For his bravery, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
►MORE RESOURCES
• 477th Red Tail E-Review: http://www.477fg.afrc.af.mil/News/RedTailReview.aspx
• UTA Schedule: http://www.477fg.afrc.af.mil/Home/UTASchedule.aspx
• Early Bird Brief: http://link.defensenews.com/
• 477 FG Phone Directory_1 Aug 2016 (CAC Enabled): https://jber.eim.elmendorf.af.mil/OtherUnits/477FG/477%20FG%20QUICK%20REFERENCE%20STAFF%20DIRECTORY/Forms/AllItems.aspx
• JBER Life Magazine; http://www.jberlife.com/
• Airman magazine: http://www.airmanonline.af.mil/
• Military OneSource/HomeFront: http://militaryonesource.mil/
• Air Reserve Personnel Center: http://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/
• Air Force Association Scholarships: http://www.afa.org/AFA/InformationFor/Military/Scholarships