MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU - US Army Garrisons
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US ARMY GARRISON RHEINLAND-PFALZ
DECEMBER 2021 RETIREMENT
NEWSLETTER
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!!!
Here we are at the end of another year and what a year it has been.
Between COVID, some semblance of normalcy and, of course, our
Retiree Appreciation Day returning in 2021 has been a memorable
year. I hope that for the most of you it has been a good and safe year.
Although, I know that there are some reading this whom have lost a
loved one, friend, mentor and someone who meant the world. If this
is you, I pray that comfort will envelope you this Christmas season. If
you have family and/or friends here locally, I ask that you reach out to
them during the Christmas season. Have them over for a glass of
gluhwein or other beverage; maybe, have them over for a Holiday
dinner or to a local restaurant and enjoy the season. Of course, I ask
that you take a few minutes and remember our troops who cannot be
home with their families this Christmas. Remember them in your
thoughts and prayers and, if you know a family like this, please reach
out to them. I know from my own experiences while I was deployed,
my family had other families of deployed Soldiers over for the Holiday
season. Take a few minutes to pray for protection and safe reunions.
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It is because of you, our Retirees who set the standard, that we have
the freedom to celebrate our Holidays with family and friends. It has
truly been an honor and a pleasure to have served you, our
Retirees/Spouses and Surviving Spouses, during this year. I stand
ready to answer any of your questions/concerns, prepare your
Preplanning Guides, answer pay questions, not just through the
holidays, but also through the upcoming New Year 2022. Thank you
and I wish every one of you a happy and Joyous Christmas season.
As we prepare to wrap up 2021, I am proud to announce our last
Guest Contributor for this year. Many of you know him as he has had
an impact here in the KMC Retirement Community. He is a retired
CMSGT and former Director of the RAO in Ramstein. Yes, you know
whom I am talking about, Mr. James Barrante.
What does your Retiree Activities Office and the
Kaiserslautern Military Community Retiree Council do for
you?
First of all, who are we?
The Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) has two retiree
organizations: one Army and one Air Force that are mandated by
regulation/instruction to represent, support, help, and advise all
veterans, soon to be retirees, retirees and surviving spouses.
Due to the nature of our combined community here in Kaiserslautern,
the two organizations below work together to provide these services.
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The Rheinland-Pfalz Army Garrison has a Retiree Council appointed by
the Garrison Commander that meets regularly and works through the
Retiree Services Officer (RSO), a paid position on the Garrison staff.
The RSO is an advisor to the Council that consists of some 12-
appointed volunteers.
The 86th Airlift Wing has a Retiree Activities Office (RAO) whose
Director is a volunteer appointed by the Wing Commander and
operates from an appropriated funded office on Ramstein Air Base.
Volunteers staff it, totally, three days a week. The President of the
KMC Retiree Council--- thus working with both organizations appoints
many of these same volunteers.
Now – what do these volunteers do for you?
- We support the Air Wing and the Garrison by being the focal point
for issues that affect military and DOD retirees from all service
branches and their surviving spouses. If you bring up an issue or
concern, they will try to resolve it locally, providing appropriate
response and /or if necessary pass it up the Chain of Command for
resolution. We collect and promptly disseminate, via email, all the
information touching on retiree issues that comes from the Defense
Financial Accounting System (DFAS), Social Security Administration,
TRICARE, Mortuary Affairs, Casualty Assistance, Taxes, Residency
Problems, Veterans Affairs, Foreign Medical Program, Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center and any of our other service agencies.
The RAO provides a “Surviving Spouse Workshop” designed to
educate retiree spouses of the benefits due to them because of the
member’s service. We provide Pre-Planning advice to all Retirees and
their families, thereby, making it easier on the survivors. The RAO
provides a “Retiring in Germany” brief for people near retirement to
let them know what it means to be a permanent resident here. This is
an extra add-on to the Transition Assistance Program.
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That is just a little bit of what they do for the community. All
members are retirees from all the military services that includes
spouses, widows, and Department of Defense retirees.
If you would like to help, we would be delighted to have you join us.
Reach out to your US Army Garrison Retirement Services Officer at
06111-4354-11021; email: usarmy.rheinland-pfalz.id-
europe.mesg.garrison-retiree-svcs@army.mil or reach out to the 86th
AW RAO at 86aw.rao@us.af.mil. We are here for you.
$$$ MONEY FOR THE NEW YEAR $$$
I have included the new Social Security Payment Calendar.
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As many of you know, this year is the largest COLA Increase in many
years of roughly 5.9 percent. All of the pay dates for Retirement and
Disability will remain the same, and for Social Security, please refer to
the Social Security Payment Calendar.
KMC RETIREE COUNCIL
Our KMC Retiree Council President, LTC (RET) Benjamin Strange issued
the following to all Retirees who are members of the KMC Retiree
Council. “Due to the heightened COVID situation and after more
consideration, I am not in favor of conducting our quarterly meetings
until when it is safer to do so.” If any of you have any ideas, please
contact LTC (RET) Strange.
JUST FOR RETIREES RADIO SHOW
The next Just for Retirees Radio show will be aired on 15 December
2021 from 1500-1600 on AFN Kaiserslautern. I did have some
questions that were passed to me before the last radio show and I
want to say thank you for that. If you have questions/comments or
concerns, you can email me at erik.c.thomsen2.civ@army.mil or go
onto the AFN Kaiserslautern Facebook page and ask your question and
the Staff and management will pass those along. Mark your
calendars, invite some friends over, have a beverage and gather
around the radio.
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COVID UPDATES
The following was sent to me by the LRMC Chief Medical Officer who
stated the following: “Because we have been called on to execute in
short order the pediatric Pfizer vaccines (5-11yo) and have to
administer over 3500 doses before we reach the Christmas holidays,
we have committed all resources to getting this accomplished. We
are referring all requests for booster vaccines down to Ramstein.
They are having walk-in booster events for both Moderna and Pfizer
on the following days (this information is available on our LRMC
Facebook page as well):
The 86 MDG will be offering the following walk-in COVID-19 booster
vaccine lines at Bldg. 2116 in December 2021:
Moderna: Dec. 3, and Dec. 17
Pfizer: 1 - 4 p.m. on Dec. 3 and Dec. 17
For those who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna
COVID-19 vaccine primary two-dose series, the following groups are
eligible for a single COVID-19 booster shot six or more months after
the initial series:
. 65 years and older
. 18 years and older with underlying medical conditions
. 18 years and older who live in long-term care settings
. 18 years and older who work or live in high-risk settings.
Once we get through all the pediatric Pfizer vaccines, we
hope to start our normal Friday vaccine events in the New Year for
boosters, 3rd doses of immunocompromised and those wanting their
primary series.”
MORE INFORMATION FOR FEDERAL RETIREES
We still have our Federal Retiree checklist and contact list; but I
received a new pamphlet entitled “Applying for Death Benefits under
the Federal Employees Retirement System.” For your copy of this, the
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Federal Checklist and the US Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Pre-
Planning Guide, just email me or call me. My contact information is
on the back cover.
ROLL CALL INFORMATION
A great place to hang out, grab some awesome coffee and get
together with your friends in a safe and peaceful environment.
When the weather is great, enjoy the outdoor tables. Either way,
Roll Call is every Monday at 1700 and Saturday at 1000.
DON’T BE LATE FOR ROLL CALL, SOLDIER!!!
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DATES TO REMEMBER
04 December: 1000 Roll Call, Café Rhema, Landstuhl
06 December: 1700 Roll Call, Café Rhema, Landstuhl
09 December: 0900-1500 Baumholder Office
11 December: 1000 Roll Call, Café Rhema, Landstuhl
13 December: 1700 Roll Call, Café Rhema, Landstuhl
15 December: 1500-1600; Just for Retirees Radio show
18 December: 1000 Roll Call, Café Rhema, Landstuhl
23 December: 0900-1500, Baumholder Office
24 December: CHRISTMAS EVE Office closed
25 December: CHRISTMAS DAY Office closed
30 December: Office Closed
31 December: NEW YEAR’S EVE Office closed
01 JAN 2022: NEW YEAR’S DAY Office closed
8|P ageMay each and every one of you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and we
will see you in 2022!
Please feel free to contact our office at any time with questions,
issues or concerns. We are here 24 hours a day/7 days a week for
YOU, THE RETIREE!!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!!!!!
9|P ageYour Post Retirement Services Officer for USAG Rheinland-Pfalz:
Erik Thomsen/Dale Vogel
Bldg. 3245 Room 217 Kleber Kaserne
Kaiserslautern Military Community
Cell: 0611 143 541 1021
Email: usarmy.rheinland-pfalz.id-europe.mesg.garrison-retiree-
svcs@army.mil
Webpage: https://home.army.mil/rheinland-
pfalz/index.php/about/directorates-support-offices/directorate-
human-resources-dhr/post-retirement-services-program
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