Weekly Veterans & Military Newsletter ~ 21 February 2010


	KITCHEN TABLE GANG TRUST NEWSLETTER - 22 FEBRUARY 2010 Greetings from the Kitchen Table Gang Trust, 42922 Avenue 12, Madera, CA 93636-8866. If you are interested in sending a soldier or Marine a "care" packages, please visit our sister website at http://www.soldierpackages.org Please help keep us online --your donation helps! -o0o- Marines Sign Agreement With TAPS The Marine Corps Causality Assistance program has formalized its long-standing relationship with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) by signing a Memorandum of Agreement, which allows closer coordination between the two groups. TAPS was founded in 1994 and is recognized nationally as a leading provider of comfort and care to anyone who has suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of the relationship to the deceased or the circumstances of the death. For information on TAPS, visit the TAPS website at (http://www.taps.org/) www.taps.org or call the toll-free crisis line at 800-959-TAPS. For information about the Marine Corps Causality Assistance Program, visit the Manpower and Reserve Affairs website at (http://www.manpower.usmc.mil/) www.manpower.usmc.mil and click the link for Causality Assistance. Marines Issue New E-mail Policy A new Marine Corps policy prohibits chain e-mails. If a Marine Corps network user receives a chain e-mail and forwards it on, he is in violation of the order. If a user is found in violation of sending a chain e-mail, they will lose their network privileges and must complete a new Systems Authorization Access Request Form before they will have access restored to their network account. The user will also be required to complete the Department of Defense Information Assurance Awareness online training, the Personally Identifiable Information training class, the Phishing Awareness training and the Personal Electronic Device and Removable Media Storage training. Air Force Announces Jr. Officer Promotions The Air Reserve Personnel Center has announced the second half of fiscal 2009 line and non-line Captain and the second half of fiscal 2009 First Lieutenant promotions. There were 305 Air National Guard and 379 Air Force Reserve officers selected for promotion to Captain, and 284 Air National Guard and 216 Air Force Reserve officers selected for promotion to First Lieutenant. The complete (http://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100209-014.pdf) Captain and (http://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100208-092.pdf) First Lieutenant lists are available online. For more information on the promotion release, call the promotion board secretariat specialists at 800-525-0102. Army Command Launches Program The U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) has launched its AMC Job Swap Program. The program was developed in an effort to alleviate challenges that AMC will face in filling critical positions during the dozens of Base Realignment and Closure moves going on throughout the command. There is no vacancy being filled in a swap. Instead, two permanent AMC civilian employees, in similar or like jobs, switch positions and organizations. AMC employees can express their interest in swapping through the use of Army Knowledge Online at (https://www.us.army.mil/suite/page/607469) https://www.us.army.mil/suite/page/607469 . For more information on the AMC Job Swap Program, contact Tracie Harris at (256) 450-9080. Patriot Express Travel Routes Expanded Pacific-based Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines will soon have more options available for traveling to and from the United States beginning this April, with the re-routing of current Patriot Express flights and the addition of a third weekly flight. Patriot Express flights have been available for Japan-based members since October and in April the service will connect South Korea-based members. Additionally, four-legged family members can fly in the Patriot Express' pet spaces. While the service is targeted mainly toward servicemembers and families traveling on PCS moves, it is also open to members traveling on temporary duty and eligible for space-available travelers. Navy Hero Award Nominations On Sunday, May 30, 2010, CBS will televise Operation Heroes, a program that will honor one servicemember from each military branch, one firefighter, one police officer, and one civilian. This Memorial Day, prime-time broadcast will be hosted by Wayne Newton. Awardees will be recognized for choosing to put the safety, well-being, and lives of others before their own. Individual Naval Commands are encouraged to submit nominees for consideration via e-mail to the Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (point-of-contact YNCM SHAWN NEWCOSTE at (mailto:SHAWN.NEWCOSTE@NAVY.MIL) SHAWN.NEWCOSTE@NAVY.MIL ) no later than March 15, 2010. For more information, (http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/CE2C096D-6007-4A6D-B5C3-681F3E6AC62F/0/NAV10050.txt) read NAVADMIN 050/10. Beware of Spear Phishers Spear phishing is a highly-targeted phishing attempt. A phisher often will use the victim's name, organization, and even relevant jargon to make them think the e-mail is legitimate or that it came from a coworker or friend. Spear phishing on government systems is usually an attempt to gather information and intelligence. Spear phishers usually will attempt to make you open an attachment or Web link that will load malicious logic onto your computer. To make sure an e-mail is authentic, look for a digital signature. If you must open an attachment, do not enable macros. Double-check website addresses -- links should start with "https://", which denotes a secure connection. New Grenade Slingers Spotted Down Range Got a note from an avid reader who sends along (http://kitup.military.com/2010/02/new-grenade-slingers-spotted-down-range.html?ESRC.nl) this pic of the Rakkasans in Afghanistan sporting the new XM320 grenade launcher. Now the Army (http://defensetech.org/2010/02/01/oodles-of-grenade-guns-for-joes-in-2011/) announced the fielding of this bad boy with great fanfare last year, but we've been hearing complaints about the grenade gun from Joes in the field. Plastic parts that break, trouble with the side-loading opening, complaints about the large handle getting in the way...But we want the (http://benefits.military.com/reg/kitup/emailForm.do) straight gouge here folks, what do our readers think of the XM320 and how does it compare to the M203 it's replacing? New VA Facility in Florida' A ground breaking ceremony was held recently to announce a Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) grant award and start of construction of Operation Home Front, a new 28-bed, women-only supportive housing facility in Cocoa, Fla. for homeless female Veterans who have substance use and mental health disorders and their children. Operation Home Front will be the only female Veteran supportive housing in Central Florida that will provide a comprehensive array of integrated services including mental health, substance abuse, medical, housing, educational/vocational, financial, legal, spiritual, and post traumatic stress disorder services on site. -o0o- That's all for right now folks. Please help keep us online --your donation (however small) really helps! Charlie Taliaferro, Director THE KITCHEN TABLE GANG TRUST 42922 Avenue 12 Madera, CA 93636-8866