|
The
Signal Newsletter
Atlanta Branch, Commissioned Officers Association
of the U.S. Public Health Service
(representing members assigned to Atlanta-area federal agencies)
Vol 16, Issue 6
December 2006 |
TOP
ACOA Home
Calendar of
Events
Announcements
1. USPHS Flags and Desk
Top Flag Sets For Sale!
2. ACOA Uniform Store
3. CRUNCH and
RUN: OFRD Annual Physical Fitness Testing
4. USPHS Officer's Guide Available
Articles
1. ACOA Again
Participates in Helping to Build a House with “Habitat for Humanity!”
2. ACOA
Sponsors Successful Roadside Cleanup on October 13, 2006
3. 2006 ACOA Annual Fall Social
4. Montgomery GI Bill Use it or
Lose it!
5. The USPHS Associate
Recruiter Program
6. Healthy
Holidays : ‘Tis the Season to Stay Active!
Crunch and Run (OFRD APFT), Saturday,
December 16, Time: 0800. St. Pius High School Track. Contact: CDR Joseph Little at (770)
488-3339. Please note the time change!!!
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USPHS Flags and Desk Top
Flag Sets For Sale!
Own your very own PHS flag and show your Corps pride!
The PHS Flag,
seen here flying on the gulf coast during the Katrina response, is a 3 x 5 foot
flag made of high quality nylon material. The USPHS seal is printed on a
separate piece of material stitched onto each side so that the seal appears
correct from both sides of the flag. It has metal grommets for flying on a
wall-mounted or free-standing flagpole, which makes it appropriate for proud
outdoor display at your home. It is equally at home on your office wall and also
makes a great addition to carry with you on deployment!
The cost of the flag is $55, plus $5 shipping for a total cost of $60. If you’d
like to order more than one flag, please contact
LCDR Amanda Dunnick to determine shipping
costs.
In addition, we now have desktop flag sets available for the first time! These
desktop sets include two 4 x 6 inch flags: a US flag and a USPHS flag. The flags
are made out of a synthetic silk material on a black staff with a golden tip.
The set also includes a black base to hold both flags. This set would make an
excellent addition to your office or home, and would also make a great gift for
a fellow officer or civil servant. The PHS flag is not readily available in this
size, making this desktop set unique!
The desktop
set includes the US flag and the USPHS flag, at an angle to each side. The cost
of the two flag desktop set is only $20, plus $5 for shipping, but if you order
a full-size flag and a desktop set together, the shipping cost is still only $5.
There will be no additional shipping charge! Shipping charge for the desktop
flag sets alone is also $5, and it is likely that several can be sent for the
same shipping cost, should you wish to order more than one. Please contact LCDR
Dunnick if you wish to purchase more than one of either item to determine total
shipping cost.
For Atlanta-based officers, shipping is not required unless you
would like the items mailed to you. In addition, for members of the Atlanta
Branch of COA, there is a $5 discount on the purchase of full-size PHS flags and
a $2 discount on desktop sets. Membership will need to be confirmed for the
discount to apply. You must be a member of the Atlanta Branch of COA as well as
a member of the national COA organization for the discount to apply.
If you wish to purchase more than one of either item, please contact LCDR
Dunnick to determine total shipping cost. We make every effort to try to keep
shipping costs to a minimum. You may pay for the flags and desktop sets by
check. Please make the check payable to "ACOA". They can all be paid for with
one check. Please send your check to the following address:
LCDR Amanda Dunnick
CDC/OCCP
4770 Buford Highway Mailstop K-27
Atlanta, GA 30341
Again, costs are as follows:
USPHS 3x5 foot flag - $55 each
USPHS desktop flag set - $20 each
Shipping - $5 (flag or desktop set separately, or flag and desktop set combined)
Please note: This item is for personal use and not intended to replace
official USPHS flags as noted in Subchapter CC29.9 of the Commissioned Corps
Personnel Manual.
Thanks again for your interest in the PHS flag and showing your pride in the
Corps!
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ACOA
Uniform Store
Don’t forget that ACOA has a uniform sale and swap!
This is an important part of our fundraising efforts, so your contributions can
make a difference.
Contact us if you have uniforms and/or uniform
components (rank insignias, etc.) that you wish to donate or purchase at very
reduced rates. We also swap gently used shoulder boards. A full listing of the
current uniform shop inventory is available at
ACOA's website.
Officers at CDC can donate uniform components by
sending them via interoffice to the mailstops listed below. Atlanta-based
officers outside of CDC can contact the representatives below for donation
instructions.
Male Uniform Contact:
LTJG Jasen Kunz: (404) 639-3419; MS F-05
Female Uniform Contact:
LCDR Tina Lankford: (770) 488-5171; MS
K-46
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CRUNCH and RUN: OFRD Annual Physical
Fitness Testing
Here is the remaining schedule for 2006 for the Crunch and Runs at the St Pius
High School track, located at Shallowford Road and I-85:
December 16 at 0800. Contact: CDR Joseph Little at 770-488-3339, or
JLittle@cdc.gov.
Have you been putting off taking the physical fitness test required for OFRD
readiness? Procrastinate no more! We anticipate that it will take less than an
hour for an officer to complete the three components of the fitness test, which
includes: 1.5 mile run/walk, push-ups, and crunches or the side-bridge exercise.
For more information on the OFRD physical fitness requirements, please visit:
http://oep.osophs.dhhs.gov/ccrf/physical.htm.
Officers should bring their own water bottles and towels or mats. Your scores
will go home with you, so feel free to use this as a practice or the actual fit
test.
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USPHS Officer's Guide Available
Soon
ACOA has received from national COA copies of the Knoben & Knoben
USPHS Officer's Guide: Protocol & Service Standards. The guide was published by
the Commissioned Officers Foundation in 2006 and a FREE copy was made for each
active duty PHS officer. ACOA will coordinate distribution of the
Officer's Guides to Atlanta area officers. You will receive an e-mail soon
with details on where you may pick-up your FREE copy. For those who are
not familiar with the PHS Officer's Guide, an article describing it written by
LCDR Paul Gagliano appeared in the
May 2006 COA Frontline. If you are located outside of the Atlanta area you
may wish to request a copy from your local COA branch or contact COA directly at
301-731-9080 or 1-866-366-9593..
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ACOA Again Participates in
Helping to Build a House with “Habitat for Humanity!”
On October 28, 2006, 13 Atlanta-based PHS officers provided
assistance in building an Atlanta Habitat for Humanity house for the second year
in a row. Each house is built over seven consecutive Saturdays with as many as
35 volunteers. This time we were involved with Day 2 of the build. Tasks needing
to be accomplished on Day 2 included: placing roof trusses, sheathing the roof
with plywood, installing the drip edge on the roof, covering the roof with
roofing felt, and installing all the windows and exterior doors. This work,
along with removing interior bracing, caulking windows floor joints, and
numerous other tasks, filled the day. Volunteers arrived at 7:50 a.m. and worked
until approximately 3:30 p.m., under the supervision of a Habitat for Humanity
house leader. Lunch was provided by the sponsor of the house. At the end of our
workday, the house leader stated that he was “very impressed with not only our
group, but by the total volunteer work group that day and by the amount of work
that was accomplished.” Everyone involved agreed that it was a personally
rewarding experience and that ACOA should look in to continuing to sponsor other
community service activities with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.
For more information about Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, see Habitat for
Humanity fact sheet,
Habifacts.
Left photo: (L to R) LCDR Vicky Scott-Lewis, CDR Kenneth Dominguez, CAPT
(ret.) Gary Noonan, LCDR Ali Danner, and CAPT Andy Dannenberg.
Right photo: (L to R) CDR Kenneth Dominguez, LCDR Vicky Scott-Lewis, CAPT
(ret.) Gary Noonan, and LCDR Ali Danner. Note: these pictures were taken at
the end of the day after many ACOA volunteers had already left.
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ACOA Sponsors Successful
Roadside Cleanup on October 13, 2006
Over ten officers and their family members participated in the one-mile roadside
cleanup, which was sponsored by the Atlanta COA on October 13, 2006. The
volunteers gathered at a local church on Saturday morning to remove roadside
litter along a one-mile stretch of Ponce De Leon Avenue, between Briarcliff and
Clifton Roads. This community service project has been accepted and sustained by
the ACOA as part of the Georgia Adopt-a-Highway program. ACOA contractually
agrees to clean up a section of roadway four times each year.
Left Photo: (L to R) CDR Sally Brown, CDR Nita Sood,
LT Michael Schmoyer (back), Lori Schmoyer, CDR Julie Magri, CAPT (ret.) Gary
Noonan (back), and CDR Bruce Tierney.
Right Photo: (L to R) CDR Kris Bisgard, CDR Sally Brown, Max Kiefer (back), CDR
Nita Sood, LT Michael Schmoyer, CDR Julie Magri, CAPT (ret.) Gary Noonan (back),
and CDR Bruce Tierney. Not pictured: CDR Jeff Bosshart.
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2006 ACOA Annual Fall Social
Submitted by CDR Craig Wilkins and CDR Jeff
Bosshart
ACOA hosted its second Annual Fall Social for Atlanta-area Commissioned Officers
on Saturday, October 20, 2006 at Maggiano’s Restaurant in Buckhead. This event
provided an occasion for officers, spouses, significant others and special
guests to meet socially, enjoy an excellent meal and foster esprit de corps. It
also afforded an opportunity to recognize special ACOA activities and events
that had occurred in 2006. A good time was had by all of the 55 persons in
attendance!
The highlight of the Fall Social was a keynote address given by CAPT Jerry
Farrell (USN, ret.), the Executive Director of the Commissioned Officers
Association (COA). CAPT Farrell has been the Executive Director of COA since
2001, and is also a Director of The Military Coalition, a consortium of some 35
uniformed services and veterans’ organizations representing 5.5 million members.
His remarks highlighted past, current and future COA activities and their impact
on policies that affect Commissioned Corps officers from a national and regional
perspective. CAPT Farrell gave an excellent presentation and provided insight
into some of the activities in Washington, DC that may affect the Commissioned
Corps.
Additional remarks were given by CDR Jeff Bosshart, the 2006 ACOA President,
about ACOA activities and accomplishments over the past year. During his
comments, he gave special recognition to officers involved in those activities
and to the many guests in attendance for their on-going support.
Special appreciation is extended to the ACOA Special Projects Committee (lead by
CDR Craig Wilkins and LCDR Amanda Dunnick) for their efforts in planning and
organizing this successful event, and to CAPT Austin Hayes, Director of CDC’s
Office of Commissioned Corps Personnel, and his staff for their continued
support of the local chapter.
ACOA is already planning the 2007 Annual Fall Social. Stay tuned to The
Signal and special emails as details become available.
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Montgomery GI Bill Use it or Lose it!
Submitted by CDR Larry Cseh, ATSDR
Recently I was reading an article in the Military Times about the Montgomery GI
Bill (MGIB). If you are like me, most of us (PHS Officers) probably forgot that
when we were filling out all those papers and forms that come with being called
up for active duty, we might have selected to participate in the MGIB.
The MGIB is named after the former Congressional Representative G. V. "Sonny"
Montgomery. Rep. Montgomery was known for his bipartisanship and strong advocacy
for our men and women in uniform. He served 35 years in the military before
running for Congress. He served in Congress for 30 years, and spent 13 of them
as Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. On May 12 of this year,
after a lengthy illness, he died in his hometown of Meridian, Miss. He was 85.
While our nation lost a great patriot, his legacy endures today.
The active-duty MGIB program provides up to 36 months of education benefits.
Participating service members take a $100 per month pay reduction during their
first year of enlistment to be eligible. These contributions are not refundable.
Benefits are payable for a 10-year eligibility period, called the delimiting
period. While proposed legislation could eventually extend or eliminate the
delimiting period, the 10-year clock currently starts upon discharge from active
duty.
Under the MGIB, you may receive the benefits for a wide variety of training,
including an undergraduate or graduate degree at a college or university, or a
cooperative training program. You may also take an accredited independent study
program leading to a degree.
If you're eligible, the MGIB provides up to 36 months of education benefits for:
College, Business
Technical or Vocational Courses
Correspondence Courses
Apprenticeship/Job Training
Flight Training
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the FY05 MGIB usage rate
for participating veterans who have passed their 10-year delimiting period was
71 percent. This MGIB usage rate is derived by dividing the number of veterans
who have received MGIB benefits by the number of all veterans who participated
in the MGIB, separated from active service, and are beyond their delimiting
period.
I was struck by the fact that nearly 30 percent of those contributing to the
MGIB never use their MGIB benefits! Additionally, of the 71 percent of veterans
that used their benefits, the average person used less than half (16.5months) of
their full benefits (36 months)!
If I told you that 29 percent of people contributing $1,200 to a 401K account
(like the Federal Thrift Savings Plan) never saw that money again — you might
find it unbelievable. Yet the present underutilization of the MGIB is tantamount
to this loss. This represents hundreds of millions of dollars of lost education
benefits. We can do better.
Service members participating in the MGIB should be reminded of the present
10-year delimiting period, after which time their MGIB benefits are forever
lost. And they should be encouraged to make a plan to use this great benefit.
Participating service members need to remember, when it comes to MGIB — USE it
or LOSE it! For more information on the MGIB check out these websites:
GI Bill http://www.gibill.com
VA GI Bill Site http://www.gibill.va.gov/
Military.Com
http://education.military.com/money-for-school/gi-bill/learn-to-use-your-gi-bill
ABOUT
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/education/a/admgib.htm
NIH CC article
www.cc.nih.gov/rm/pt/GIBill.pdf
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The USPHS Associate
Recruiter Program
Commissioned Corps: The Few, the Proud…the Who?
Submitted by LT Aimee Treffiletti
What is the Associate Recruiter Program?
The Associate Recruiter Program (ARP) was established in July 2001 in response
to a growing need for health professionals nationwide and in the Commissioned
Corps. The current Associate ARP policy became effective on 3 April 2006 and can
be found at:
http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/CCPM23_1_6.pdf.
The goal of the ARP is to create a network of motivated volunteer recruiters
nationwide that can help attract and retain highly desirable, motivated, and
qualified professionals to the Corps. The ARP is administered by the Office of
Commissioned Corps Operations’ (OCCO) Division of Commissioned Corps Recruitment
(DCCR) in conjunction with the 11 professional categories. Though this program
is supported by a structure within OCCO, each category has Associate Recruiter
Leads (ARLs) that work with OCCO’s AR Coordinator to manage, administer and
maintain the program and coordinate recruitment activities in their respective
categories. The ARLs coordinate the activities for their category and provide
support to their Associate Recruiters.
What do Associate Recruiters do?
Associate Recruiters:
Work closely with the ARL to monitor staffing needs
that can be filled with Corps officers;
Inform colleagues and students in healthcare,
engineering, and information technology professions about professional
opportunities available in the Corps;
Draw on career experiences in the Corps to make
recruitment presentations that are augmented by ASH-approved printed and/or
video materials on professions in the Corps;
Serve as a preceptor and/or mentor to those in the
COSTEP or during internships and rotations; and
Pursue opportunities to attend ARC-approved national
or regional student/professional conferences and local schools/universities to
provide information on career opportunities as a Corps officer.
The AR must maintain a strong commitment and dedication to the mission, vision,
and core values of the Corps. ARs are more often than not the initial exposure
to the Corps for many prospective new officers.
What are the criteria for becoming an Associate Recruiter?
Potential ARs must meet specific eligibility criteria. ARs enrolled in the
ARP prior to the 3 April 2006 policy will not have to reapply; however, they
must adhere to policy requirements in order to maintain their status as ARs.
This includes documented participation in recruitment events and continual
training. New ARs accepted after 3 April 06 are held to the same requirement
standards.
An officer on extended active duty may serve within the ARP by meeting the
following criteria:
Maintain a strong commitment and dedication to the mission, vision, and core
values of the Corps;
Successful completion of probationary period with the Corps;
Receive an overall performance rating at the “D” or “E” level on most recent
Commissioned Officers' Effectiveness Report (COER);
No current or pending disciplinary action;
Meet the requirement of Basic Level of Force Readiness;
Completion of the Basic Officer Training Course and the Independent Officer
Training Course and awarded the Commissioned Corps Training Ribbon; and
Completion of AR introductory training (http://dcp.psc.gov/ARP_Materials.asp).
How do I become an Associate Recruiter?
A potential AR must submit the Associate Recruiter Enrollment Request form, two
peer references, and a supervisory reference. In addition, the potential AR must
complete an online AR introductory training. The forms and training are
available at the following website:
http://dcp.psc.gov/ARP_Materials.asp.
What are the requirements for maintaining status an AR?
An AR must meet the following requirements to maintain current status and
actively participate in the ARP:
|
1) Receive an overall performance rating at the “D” or “E” level on most recent
Commissioned Officers' Effectiveness Report (COER); |
|
2) Meet the requirement of Basic Level of Force Readiness; |
|
3) Participate in a yearly ARP Update and a minimum of one AR training within the
preceding 3-year period; and |
|
4) Participate in a minimum of two activities within a 12-month period from the
following list: |
| |
a)
Contact at least five separate potential Corps applicants or conduct a
presentation to a group of five or more individuals to talk about Corps
programs; |
|
b)
Spend a minimum of 4 hours staffing a recruiting booth at a national or
regional meeting of the recruiter's professional category association (in
uniform), e.g., American Dental Association, American Medical Association,
American Nurses' Association;
Precept and/or mentor a Junior
Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (COSTEP) participant,
Senior COSTEP participant, resident, or extern for a minimum of 1 month;
|
| |
c)
Visit a professional category school or local high school for a career day,
class lecture, or local student chapter meeting to speak to students about
opportunities in the Corps (in uniform) |
| |
d)
Visit a professional category
school to conduct a commissioning ceremony (in uniform). Protocol for the
ceremony can be acquired from OSG/OCCO/Division of Commissioned Corps
Recruitment (DCCR); and |
| |
e)
Other presentations or events
approved by the ARC. |
Who do I contact if I have questions?
Please direct your questions to your category’s ARL regarding activities in the
program and category specifics.
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Healthy Holidays : ‘Tis the
Season to Stay Active!
Submitted by Lauren Williams, CDC Healthy
Lifestyles
We all know how busy the holidays can be. With all of the shopping that needs to
be done and parties to attend, we are bound to face a great deal of stress and a
few opportunities for overeating. By making sure you include some form of
physical activity into your day, you can help counteract the effects of holiday
eating and stress.
It is important to set realistic goals for yourself. You may need to adjust your
regular exercise regimen to accommodate all of the demands of the holiday
season. If there are days that you cannot stick to your regular exercise
routine, aim to exercise for at least half the time that you normally would. It
is much better to get in a little bit of exercise than to skip it all together.
It takes as little as 30 minutes of exercise a day to provide significant health
benefits, including lower blood pressure, lower resting heart rate, and improved
mood, to name a few.
If you find it hard to fit in 30 minutes of exercise each day, you may be happy
to know that the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and CDC agree that
breaking your exercise regimen into smaller increments is as beneficial as one
continuous workout. In order to be effective, each increment should be no
shorter than 10 minutes in duration. On days that you must exercise in these
increments, aim for 3 sessions a day. Before you know it, you will have gotten
30 minutes of exercise into your day!
If possible, aim to burn 100 calories during your 10 minute bouts for a total
burn of 300 calories for the day. Listed below are a few ways to burn 100
calories in 10 minutes:
- Jog for 10 minutes at 6 mph
- Jump rope
- Cycle at 13 mph
- High impact aerobics
- Circuit weight training
- Step up and down on a 7-inch bench (30
steps/minute)
These values are based on a 130 pound woman. If you
weigh more, you may burn more calories and if you weigh less, you may burn less
calories.
I would like to offer some additional tips for staying healthy and active during
the holiday season:
Enlist a friend to exercise with you. By
exercising with a friend, you may find exercise to be more enjoyable and may
find it easier to stick with your exercise plan. Being accountable to someone
else may also help you be more consistent with exercising.
Prioritize your time. If you have a hard time sticking with an exercise
program or making time for exercise, you may need to formally schedule it into
your day. Just as you schedule meetings and other important events, put it on
your daily calendar.
Try an exercise video. Videos are inexpensive and very useful when you don’t
feel like going out to exercise. You can find a video for almost any form of
exercise and for any level of fitness.
Relieve stress with stretching or yoga. The stress of the holiday season can
take its toll on us – both mentally and physically. Relax your body and mind by
taking a yoga class, or if you cannot make it to a class, take at least 15
minutes for yourself to stretch and de-stress. Make sure you relax your mind
while you focus on stretching the entire body.
Create new traditions with family and friends. Instead of holiday food and
beverage being the center of your celebration, invite your friends and family to
go on a day hike at Stone Mountain, or head to Centennial Olympic Park for
outdoor ice skating. If your celebration must include food, try taking a walk or
playing a game of touch football afterwards.
Exercise for energy. In addition to the stress that can come with the
holidays, we can also become physically worn down from all of the events of the
season. Instead of loading up on caffeine to get you through the day, try
exercising to give you needed energy.
Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can have many negative effects on your
body. Being even slightly dehydrated can not only lead to fatigue, but can also
affect the body’s ability to regulate body heat.
Anticipate roadblocks and make a plan for coping with them. There may be days
when you don’t eat so well and/or you don’t have time to exercise. Don’t let a
slip in your diet and exercise plan keep you from staying on track. Promise
yourself that you’ll do better tomorrow.
The staff in the Lifestyle Fitness Centers is ready
to help you stay fit and healthy during the holidays. Be sure to stop by anytime
between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, for assistance. We look forward
to seeing you!
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