rapidfire
Spouses Convene
ASKBUD
T
he President’s on pending family legisla-
Currently Serv- tion; participate in market- I recently remarried and got my
ing Spouse Advi- ing focus groups; and raise new spouse a military ID card. Are
sory Council serves as an staff awareness of military there any other military-related
internal focus group to help family issues. things I need to take care of? I can
MOAA better understand Council members serve think of two: Arrears of Pay (AOP) and
the needs and issues facing a one-year term. the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). AOP
offi cers and their families. Pictured below are includes all unencumbered amounts
MOAA established (front row, from left) owed to a deceased servicemember. Servicemembers
the council in 2007, and Alison Buckholtz, Dale earn retired pay each day until they die and have the
since then councils have Hamby, Jill Estavillo, ability to leave the unencumbered amount to anyone
worked to refi ne and de- Kristy Kaufmann, and they choose. Unfortunately, some retirees never choose
velop MOAA publications Jean Melvin. (second row, or update their choice and allow the pay to go to some-
such as the Military Family from left) Mary Lee Ball, one they might not have wanted. At a recent confer-
Legislative Action Guide, Rebecca Siekman, Melinda ence with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Family Matters: A Per- Villagran, Zoe Trautman, (DFAS), DFAS indicated many retirees do not have a
sonal Inventory for Peace of Michele Nagorski, and current beneficiary for their AOP. (The Army had the
Mind, and the Post-9/11 GI Tanya Harencak. Not pic- highest percentage of up-to-date beneficiaries, at just
Bill eBook; provide input tured: Vicki Johnson. less than 80 percent.) If you don’t declare a beneficiary,
AOP is paid according to the Order of Precedence. This
formula would pay:
■ a beneficiary designated in writing, if received by
service before death;
■ a surviving spouse;
■ children and their descendants;
■ parents;
■ a legal representative; and
■ a person entitled under the law of domicile of the
deceased retiree.
— Capt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret., is director of MOAA’s
Benefits Information and Financial Education Department.
Miscellany: A Healthier Thanksgiving
NUTRITION
*
NOTES: A Thanksgiving menu usually includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy,
cranberry sauce, a vegetable casserole, and pumpkin or pecan pie. Many of these foods are high in fat and
salt, but it is easy to make them more nutritious by halving the amount of butter, substituting egg whites or pre-
pared low-fat egg products for eggs, and reducing sugar by one-fourth. Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, USPHS-Ret.,
D.O., provides healthy Thanksgiving recipes at
www.moaa.org/wellness. Click on Nutrition Facts.
*
APPLY NOW!
Did you know the MOAA Scholarship Fund is providing $9.1 million to more than 1,650 students from military
families for undergraduate education this year? Your children or grandchildren might be eligible to apply. Applica-
tions are being accepted now until noon (Eastern time) March 1, 2010, for the 2011-12 academic year. For eligibility
requirements and to download an online application, visit
www.moaa.org/education.
PHOTOS: STEVE BARRETT NOVEMBER 2009 MILITARY OFFICER 25
NNov_RF.indd 25ov_RF.indd 25 110/6/09 12:34 PM0/6/09 12:34 PM
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