Retiree Activities Corner

Final Pay Arrangements

Retired pay that is earned, but not paid, in the final month of a retiree’s life goes to whoever is listed as the Arrears of Pay (AOP) beneficiary. Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will also contact this person for help with closing the deceased account. Anyone can be your AOP beneficiary. If you don't designate someone, it could cause undue stress and financial hardship for your survivors during an already difficult time. It can take many months to locate your survivors, identify who is legally entitled to your pay, and then make the payment. Fortunately, this situation is easy to prevent. You can establish or change your beneficiary at any time. To designate or change your Arrears of Pay beneficiary, complete a Designation of Beneficiary Information form (DD Form 2894). You can find this form at www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd2894.pdf. Sign and date the form and mail to DFAS, U.S. Military Retired Pay, P.O. Box 7130, London, Ky. 40742-7130 or fax to 1-800-469-6559.

70th Doolittle Reunion

The five surviving members of the original 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders plan to attend the 70th reunion of their World War II raid on Japan, April 17-20, at the U.S. Air Force National Museum, adjacent to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The surviving B-25 crewmembers are: Richard E. Cole, Thomas C. Griffin, Robert L. Hite, Edward J. Saylor and David J. Thatcher. For the first time, Chinese survivors, or members of their families who helped save some of the Raiders, will be special guests. Surviving crewmembers of the USS Hornet, the aircraft carrier from which they launched their attack, will also be present.

Two Retirement Campuses

For more than 150 years, veteran Airmen, Marines, Sailors and Soldiers have been welcome at the Armed Forces Retirement Home's two campuses. The sprawling campus in Northwest Washington, D.C., across from the VA Medical Center, and the new Gulfport, Miss., complex provides services and amenities rivaling those found throughout the United States. For those who meet the eligibility requirements, there are no initiation or registration fees. In Washington, residents have private, air-conditioned single rooms. Average room size is approximately 130 square feet plus a bathroom, shower and walk-in closet. Each resident has a single bed, desk, chair and reading lamp. Bed linens and towels are laundered by a contractor. Personal furnishings and small refrigerators are allowed. Each room is also wired for cable and telephone, which if desired, must be paid for by the resident. Smoking is permitted in designated residents‘ rooms and smoking areas. Non-smoking floors are available. At Gulfport, private, air-conditioned single rooms average 450 square feet plus a bathroom, shower and closet. Each resident has a bed, night stand, armoire, dining table with chairs, love seat and lounge chair. Personal furnishings, such as computers and microwaves, are allowed. Cable TV and telephone expenses are borne by the residents. Smoking is not permitted in the facility. Visit http://www.afrh.gov online or call 1 800 422-9988 for more information.

The Retiree Activities Office is open from 10 a.m.-3p.m. Monday-Friday. Visit our office at Colorado and D Street, call us at 301-981-2726, or email us at raoandrews.af.mil. Calling the office prior to visiting is recommended to ensure someone is on duty. The RAO also has a website at www.andrews.af.mil, click on "Retirees" on the right side of the page. There you will find a wealth of information that might be of interest to you. Copies of "Retiree Activities Corner" articles are online as well. Go to the retirees webpage and find information under the heading "Newspaper Column."