The White Falcon - 21.04.1978, Blaðsíða 1
Pay
Commission
recommends
changes to
President
Recommendations of the Presidents
Commission on Military Compensation were
presented to President Jimmy Carter last
week.
The President said he would give the
recommendations careful study but would
make no legislative requests based on
the study until January 1979.
Secretary of Defense Harold Brown
said, " The report... leaves no doubt that
the present compensation system can be
improved—improved in ways which are
likely to increase the return on the
taxpayer's dollar, improve our ability
to manage the Armed Forces, and enhance
overall equity for service members."
Secretary Brown has ordered a review
by military departments of the
commission's recommendations and will
propose legislation after a study of the
their review.
"I emphasize that such legislation
not only will take account of improve-
ments for the future, but will also
safeguard the legitimate expectations of
past and present members of the Armed
Forces," he said.
The recommendations include, as one
of the major provisions, a new non-
contributory retirement plan that
would do away with lifetime pensions
at the end of 20 years of military
service.
Under the proposal, eligibility for
retirement annuities could begin after
as little as 10 i years of service.
However, members serving 10 - 19 years
would not receive their first retire-
ment check until they reached the age of
62. Those who stay in for 20 - 29 years
would begin receiving payments at age 60,
and for those completing 30 or more
years retirement pay would begin at age
55.
Other recommendations of the pay
commission include extension of health
care, exchange and commissary benefits
to former service members after 15 years
of service, a deferred compensation
trust fund separate from the retirement
system and a section which would
prohibit retired military personnel from
receiving military retirement pay and
civil service salary at the same time.
In the proposed retirement plan,
military annuities and civil.service
annuities would be coordinated.
Under the new system, members who are
separated involuntarily after five years
of service and with less than 30 years
would receive severance pay. Those
persons who had served 10 or more years
would also be eligible for a retirement
annuity.
A service member who has begun his
second enlistment, or (in the case of
officers) continued past an initial term
of obligated service, or has entered the
fifth year of service would be permitted
to retire under under the old rules if
the new system is enacted. All others
would come under the new system.
The commission decided against recom-
mending the substitution of a salary for
basic pay and allowances and recommended
an annual increase in regular military
compensation equal to the average
per cent increase given to civil service
employees, as is now the practice.
The commission also voted to extend
travel-related entitlements to junior
enlisted service members.
Parent-teachers distribute
PTO Carnival proceeds
Money was the name of the game last
week as the A. T. Mahan Parent-Teacher
Organization voted to spend $5,863.48
of the 1977 PTO Carnival proceeds to
benefit the schools.
After extended discussion concerning
separate items requested by the schools,
the general membership voted to accept
the recommendations of finance committee
members Mrs. Dea Cole, PTO treasurer
Jack Collins, Mrs. Phyllis Kidder and
Alton Treadway.
Chief among the $2,303.20 allotted to
the upper school was complete or partial
funding of several special events, in-
cluding this year's junior-senior prom,
the spring band tour, the National Honor
Society reception and the 1978 gradua-
tion reception. The home economics de-
partment was granted $575 for equipment
and supplies while lesser sums were
voted for the science and mathematics
departments.
At the lower school, the major por-
tion of the $1,325 went for carpeting in
the old 'part of the building and for
floor cushions. Other items approved
were phonics and reading booklets and
music awards.
Each teacher on the A. T. Mahan
faculty also will receive $15 to be
spent as the teacher chooses for stu-
dent benefit.
Two $400 scholarships will also be
awarded this year to graduating seniors.
Attendance voting resulted in the up-
per school parents edging out the lower
school at this meeting. First prize of
$15 went to the junior class and third
prize of $5 was awarded to the senior
class. Miss Skebeck's sixth grade class
captured the $10 second prize.
Rabbi to conduct Jewish
Passover on base April 28
The Keflavik Jewish community is
slated to have its annual Seder on
April 28 at 8 p-m. at the Officers'
Club.
This service will be followed by Sab-
bath services April 29 at the Chapel at
10 a.m.
Rabbi John Rosenblatt, Naval Station
Norfolk, VA, will officiate at these
|prvices.
V Passover is the name of one of the
three principal religious feasts of the
Hebrew religion. The chief elements of
the festival are given in chapters 11
and 12 of the Book of Exodus, which
contains an account of the last of the
plaques sent by God to free the Isra-
elites from Egyptian slavery, namely
that of the first-born.
Passover was a memorial celebration,
as recorded in scripture: "This day
shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall cel<
brate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as
a perpetual institution" (Ex. 12:14).
It directed to God and was a sacrifi-
cial meal (cf. Dt. 16:1-8; 2 Kgs.
23:22-23).
Contact Rochelle Wheeler at 4162
evenings or A1 Adelman at 4288 days
so that arrangements may be made.
Family Services
Flea market
More than 50 different entries are
planned for the Family Services Flea
Market to be held April 29 in Hangar
885.
Supplying food and drink will be
such organizations as the Filipino-Am-
erican Association, Naval Security Group
Activity Wives, La Leche League, Base
ursery, Officers' Wives Club, Explorer
uts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
The Base Nursery, Windbreaker Wives
Club, Youth Center, A. T. Mahan Schools
^Jur
w
taking shape
and the Officers' Wives Club will par-
ticipate in a general classification.
Rides for children will be a special
feature, and will be sponsored by the
Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance De-
partment Avionics Division.
Individuals are scheduled to sell
tropical fish, custom-made jewelry,
crochet work, macrame, plant holders,
plants and general items—everything
from a pin to a pylon.
Ripple named Naval Station
1977 'Sailor of the Year’
Last week Torpedoman's Mate First
Class John L. Ripple was selected as the
Fleet Air Keflavik/Naval Station Kefla-
vik Sailor of the Year.
Based on this nomination, TM1 Ripple
will be a candidate for the Commander
Naval Air Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet,
Shore Sailor of the Year.
The Sailor of the Year selectee re-
ceived the following additional recogni-
tion: An engraved plaque, a dinner for
two at the Windbreaker Club, a 96-hour
liberty and a priority one in the En-
vironmental, Morale and Leave Program.
In addition to these special honors,
he also was presented with a $100
savings bond by the Officers' Wives
Club.
TM1 Ripple has served as the alcohol
treatment specialist for all Navy and
Marine Corps personnel and their de-
pendents since October 1976.
As the first ATS assigned to the
Naval Station, he developed an alcohol
abuse/alcoholism education program and
an identification, screening and out-
patient rehabilitation process within
a two-month period.
His short-term, live-in rehabilita-
tion program was effected June 3, 1977
when the Naval Station Alcohol Re-
habilitation Drydock was opened.
SUPERIOR SUCCESS CITED
TM1 Ripple accomplished these pro-
grams with a "can do" attitude even
in the absence of a Counseling and
Assistance Center director from August
through December 1977.
While undergoing cross-training at
Naval Air Station Miramar, CA, P01
Ripple was the first ATS to be invited
to attend the advanced counselor
course, also conducted at this loca-
tion. TM1 Ripple completed this ad-
vanced course in January 1977.
While at the Alcohol Training Unit,
San Diego, CA, his graduating class
selected him as honor man.
Having earned 49 semester hours of
college credits through off-duty study,
Petty Officer Ripple also completed an
Icelandic literature course offered by
the University of Maryland.
He attended the University of Cali-
fornia at San Diego 1977 Summer School
of Alcohol Studies.
In a further effort to keep abreast
of new alcholism treatment developments,
TM1 Ripple attended the 1977 National
Council on Alcoholism Forum in San
Diego, CA. He went to this conference
at his own expense while on leave.
An active member of the Northern
Lights Masonic Club, P01 Ripple was
elected president of this organization.
TM1 Ripple serves as an advisor and
assistant to the leaders of the base
Girl Scout Troop.
Petty Officer Ripple is accompanied
on his two-year tour at Keflavik by
his wife, Sue, and their daughter,
Mary Beth.
The 16-year Navy veteran is a native
of Pasadena, TX, and was selected as
the Commander Naval Forces Iceland
Petty Officer of the Quarter for the
period ending June 25, 1977.
His division officer, Lieutenant
junior grade Anne Lynch, states in his
original nomination for Sailor of the
Year that "Dedication to duty is a
popular military phrase applied to
many individuals. It is an intangible
concept that is best defined by en-
countering an individual such as TM1
Ripple. He has contributed much to
the military personnel and dependents
of Keflavik. I feel he is highly de-
serving of the recognition of his con-
tributions by representing the U. S.
Naval Station as its Sailor of the
Year...."
TMl JOHN L. RIPPLE--is congratulated by Captain Jack T. Weir, Naval Station
Commanding Officer, after he was named "Sailor of the Year" for Naval Station
Keflavik. TMl Ripple is attached to the Naval Station Counseling and
Assistance Center, Alcohol Rehabilitation Drydock.