Army News Clips

Soldiers and Families Could Face Cuts in Base ServicesSoldiers and their Families on Army posts around the country could see cutbacks in trash pickup, lawn mowing and other services as the military tries to hold down non-war spending while escalating the fight in Afghanistan. As total defense spending rises, the portion of the Army budget dedicated to running its bases is down 20 percent this year. Budgets for individual bases are not yet final, and proposed cuts vary in size and can be as much as 40 percent at some major installations. To learn more about base funding, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/Cutbacks.

TRICARE Introduces New Benefit
TRICARE introduced several new programs recently to include the TRICARE Assistance Program (TRIAP), which provides short-term professional counseling assistance. TRICARE's new Extended Care Health Option (ECHO), which provides benefits for eligible Family members diagnosed with extraordinary physical or psychological conditions. For information about TRIAP and other behavioral health resources, visit the TRICARE Mental Health Resources Center. For more information on TRICARE's new dental program and pharmacy benefits, visit the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Program website at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/ADDP and the TRICARE Pharmacy Program webpage at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/TRICARE.

Vets, Homeless Dogs Paired, and both Benefit
Pets2Vets pairs homeless pets with combat veterans, law enforcement/emergency personnel, and those affected by post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Pets2Vets was started by an Air Force senior Airman who, after returning home from Iraq, struggled with his own experience. He went to a pit-bull rescue facility and adopted a puppy. Through his own success, he started the group. This group has made two or three matches a week since October. The group’s objective is to assist our nation's heroes and their Families with rehabilitation through pet therapy, save sheltered pets from being euthanized by providing them with homes, and to raise public awareness of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To learn more about this group, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/VetsDogs.

Operation Homelink
Operation Homelink provides refurbished computers to the spouses or parents of junior enlisted (E1-E5) U.S. deployed service members, enabling email communication with their loved ones deployed overseas. To date, the nonprofit organization has partnered with corporate donors to link 3,200 deployed Soldiers with their Families using Internet-friendly computers. Regardless of where computers are sent, they are provided to units that are scheduled to deploy overseas in the next 90 days. Operation Homelink does not accept individual requests for computers. For more information, visit the Operation Homelink website at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/OperationHomelink.

Nominate a Dad
Nominate a Dad for the 2010 National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) Military Fatherhood Award. National Fatherhood Initiative will be accepting nominations for the 2010 Military Fatherhood Award, presented by Lockheed Martin, starting on Tuesday, January 19th at 12pm, but NFI will only be accepting the first six hundred nominations. To learn more, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/NominateDad

Walt Disney World celebrates the U.S. Military in 2010
As Disney Parks ask “What Will You Celebrate?” and invite guests to turn their personal milestones into magical Family vacations in 2010, America's military personnel will have more reasons to celebrate: Special offers on theme park tickets and accommodations. For information, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/WaltDisney.

Source: Army One Source Family News