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Prevent Identity Theft
identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United
States, affecting more than 10 million Americans. To address this
problem, MOAA now sponsors Identity Guard, an identity theft
protection service that will alert members to potentially fraudulent
activity.
Perpetrators of identity theft secure your personal information—e.g.
Social Security number—and use it to fraudulently establish credit.
Identity theft can have a significant impact on active and retired
military personnel due to frequent relocations and deployments and
the use of Social Security numbers as identifiers of personnel and
their family members.
To learn more and receive a special member discount, visit
www.identityguard.com/moaa or call (866) 208-2662.
Help for Disabled Soldiers
Retired Army Sgt. James Sides was a flight medic in Iraq last
year when his helicopter crashed. He suffered a stroke, collapsed
lung, and broken bones and was in a coma. When he awoke, his family
didn’t know what to do.
“One phone call was all it took to find the answers,” Sides says.
Sides called a new Army program that will make it easier for
severely disabled soldiers and their families to tap into services
available through the military and the VA. The Disabled Soldier
Support System, or DS3, helps wounded soldiers find the information
they need.
Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee says ds3 will help “ensure that
no soldiers fall through the cracks” as they recover from their
wounds and transition to the next stage of their lives and careers.
Brownlee says he hopes DS3 will serve as a model for the other
military services; in the meantime, the Army program will help all
severely disabled servicemembers, regardless of their uniform.
DS3 will serve as a clearinghouse for services available through DoD
and the VA, giving soldiers a starting point for help with
financial, medical, vocational, and other needs, as well as the
benefits they qualify for.
The program is reaching out to the nearly 200 soldiers from the
Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts who have been classified as
“seriously wounded” with lost limbs, debilitating injuries, or
blindness. Officials also hope to help soldiers or retired soldiers
who believe they are not getting the assistance they deserve. Visit
ds3’s Web site at www.armyds3.org
or call (800) 833-6622 for more information.
Health Beat
TRDP Reaches Record Numbers
The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) entered its sixth year
of operation with a record 750,000 retired servicemembers and their
families looking to the program for affordable dental care. Operated
since 1998 by Delta Dental of California, the program offers low
monthly rates based on single, two-person, and full-family coverage.
Recent enhancements include an increase in the annual and lifetime
orthodontic maximums; a shortened enrollment commitment; a single,
12-month waiting period for 50 percent of the allowed amount for
coverage of crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontics; and an
expanded national dentist network for additional cost savings.
Delta also has improved several tools to make enrollment and
customer service with the TRDP easier. Its Web site allows enrollees
to verify their eligibility and review up-to-date benefits
information, such as how much of their annual maximum they have
used. Subscribers also can review processed claims, reimbursements,
and payments made to their dentist and print new ID cards. And with
Delta’s new, automated voice response system, enrollees can check
their eligibility and request a list of network providers. For more
information, visit the Web site at www.trdp.org or call Delta
toll-free at (888) 838-8737.
Sights and Sounds of Nashville
MOAA is gearing up for its 2004 Convention in Nashville, Tenn.,
Oct. 13-17. Join your fellow members for educational business
sessions and seminars, informative speakers, and exciting exhibits.
And enjoy a barbecue dinner, a performance at the Grand Ole Opry,
and tours of President Andrew Jackson’s home and the Belle Meade
Plantation.
MOAA has reserved a block of rooms for attendees at the Renaissance
Nashville Hotel. For reservations, visit
www.renaissancehotels.com
or call (800) 327-6618. See you in Nashville!
AirVenture and Away!
Where can you find the world’s largest general aviation show?
Visit the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wis., during the last week in
July, and you’ll find some 775,000 visitors, 12,500 airplanes flying
into the airport, 2,500 show airplanes, 4,500 volunteers, and 40,000
campers.
Not only can you watch showcase-flying during the weeklong event,
July 27-Aug. 2, but you also can see a variety of aircraft, ranging
from the Spirit of St. Louis to a Stealth fighter, the Concorde, and
some of today’s top military flying machines. You can choose from
more than 500 forums conducted by aviation leaders and NASA
researchers or visit some of the 700 exhibitors. Kids can build
their own rockets, fly simulators, and meet aviation legends. Also,
the “Make-A-Wish” event allows children to fly in an antique Ford
Tri-Motor with Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, USAF-Ret.
MOAA members should visit the Federal Pavilion’s NOAA-SARAST display
booth and fill out the MOAA member sign-in book. For more
information about the air show, visit
www.airventure.org.
Jerry Coleman, the only former Major League Baseball player to
see combat in two wars, has been the radio voice of the San Diego
Padres for 32 years.
You were a Marine Corps pilot in World War II. How did you end up
flying?
After Pearl Harbor, the principal gathered all the boys in the
senior class to hear about different military options. These two
naval aviators came in with gold wings like that and I thought,
“That’s it! That’s what I want to do.”
You flew 57 combat missions in dive bombers. You were 19 and your
gunner was 18. You talk about some green peas!
But that’s just the way it was back then. I certainly wasn’t the
only 19-year-old up there.
You returned and played second base for New York Yankees teams
that won the World Series five consecutive years.
We had a lot of great players and nobody really cared about records.
Winning was the whole thing.
You were 27 when you were called back to active duty to fly in
the Korean War. How was it different?
I remember being more aware of my own mortality. We were all older.
They needed experienced pilots right away and didn’t have time to
wait for new ones to be trained.
When you returned to the Yankees after Korea, you weren’t the
same player anymore. Any regrets?
I played in six World Series championships with the Yankees, but the
one thing I’m most proud of is my time in the service. Those were
the defining years of my life. — Robert Newell
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