USCGCPOA.ORG                                                                   November 2016

In This Issue


Member Benefits:














Government Vacation Rewards



The Best prices on tactical, outdoor gear, athletic gear, eyewear and more.



Bellevue University, $1,000 tuition 
waiver 
to new students.



Use Discount Code Y653390 when
 making your reservation.
 


Use Discount Code Z802846 when
 making your reservation.



Our Sponsors:

USAA 
 

Documents:

*New

*New



    OPS Manual      

By-Laws     
  
 
 
 



  
  

  Recent Legislative Activity:






TMC Letter to HASC & SASC Concerning 



*PowerPoint Slides


 
 

 
  
  
   


 

Tricare Pharmacy Network Adds Walgreens, Removes CVS
tricare
   
   Walgreens will soon rejoin  Tricare's pharmacy network for users nationwide. 
 
   That means  Tricare users will now be able to fill their prescriptions off-base at Walgreens pharmacies without paying out-of-network rates, and CVS users will need to find a new pharmacy or pay unsubsidized rates for their medications.
 
   The change takes effect Dec. 1, officials said. It will impact all beneficiaries, including  Tricare for Life users and military retirees. The network will add about the 8,000 Walgreens stores and lose more than 9,600 CVS pharmacies.




Retiree Council Holiday Party Invitation
 
 
Date:  Sunday, December 18, 2016
Time: 4:00 - 6:30 pm
Place: Penthouse Lounge
Vinson Hall
6251 Old Dominion Drive
McLean, VA  22101
Ticket Price: E1 - E6 - $25.00
E-7 and above: $35.00






Retirees' Caregivers Guide Now Available 

  From VADM Stosz
   "The Coast Guard Retirees' Caregivers Guide is an invaluable ready reference for retirees, annuitants, family members and non-family caregivers (for example, hospital social workers and nursing home staff) who need information and advice during some of life's most stressful times. It was conceived from the personal experiences of Commander Bruce Russell, who then worked tirelessly to incorporate the ideas and input of the Capital Area Retiree Council to build a repository of links and resources that will be helpful to others. Managing illness, incapacitation or loss of a loved one are inevitable, often intimidating, responsibilities. I am certain that this Guide, with easy to understand definitions and relevant points of contact, will reduce anxiety and uncertainty to make the caregiver's role a little easier. It's meant for you, please use it and share it".

You can find it here...




     
 
   As the newest member of the National Veterans Day Committee, we're gearing up to pay our respect and represent the CPOA at the Memorial Amphitheater, Arlington National Cemetery.  We'll try to publish some photos of the event in the January issue of  The Chief.


 



MyVA Transformation
   
 
 
    You have heard a lot of talk about MyVA and the Transformation taking place at the Department of Veterans Affairs. To help communicate some of the progress, the VA created a short video that they want to share.  Please take 14 minutes to watch this video-- and feel free to share it with others. 





 
Book of the Month
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
 

  Decades before the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin lamented that English settlers were constantly fleeing over to the Indians-but Indians almost never did the same. Tribal society has been exerting an almost gravitational pull on Westerners for hundreds of years, and the reason lies deep in our evolutionary past as a communal species. The most recent example of that attraction is combat veterans who come home to find themselves missing the incredibly intimate bonds of platoon life. The loss of closeness that comes at the end of deployment may explain the high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by military veterans today.

 Combining history, psychology, and anthropology, TRIBE explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning. It explains the irony that-for many veterans as well as civilians-war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. TRIBE explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today's divided world.




Find Your Boot Camp Friends
   Interested to find old friends you went to Boot Camp with? If so, Together We Served has made it even easier.

   They have extended their unique "Also There" feature to find more members who were in Boot Camp at the same time as you. Even if they could not remember their training company or platoon, we can match you based on location and start month.
 
   All you need to do is enter whatever boot camp details you can recall and we will find other members who trained alongside you!
 
To obtain your Free Full Membership, please go to this special link only for CPOA/CGEA members. 
 
 Family of deceased Coast Guard members who wish to join CGTWS to create a Remembrance Profile for their loved one should email admin@togetherweserved.com .
 
  For more information on TogetherWeServed.com, please view their short informational video at: www.youtube.com/twsmilitarywebsites

  
 

Recently Retired?

 

  If you've recently retired and were using an allotment to pay your dues, there's a good chance you are no longer an active member. Please read these procedures for starting, changing, and stopping an allotment in Direct Access II/Retired Global Pay Self-Service.  
           
       
       
         

  

   Or just call the U. S. Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center 
 
1(800)772-8724
to talk to a pay technician 
  
Not receiving your magazine? 
  
  At most CG units, personal mail will not be delivered to the member...If you've been using a Coast Guard address to receive The Chief , please send us an  email  to ensure we get it changed and that you continue to get your magazine.  

  

 

 
Admin Notes: 
 

                   

  • Although our e-newsletter conforms to Coast Guard directives, we request that newsletter recipients provide their home email address to alleviate any concerns. Please click the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of this newsletter to make the change.     
  •  If, for some reason, you are no longer receiving The Chief, send an email to: cpoamembership@gmail.com 
  • Coast Guard National Retiree Website can be found at: