ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE   

R 271837Z MAY 03 ZYB MIN ZYW

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//

TO NAVADMIN
BT

UNCLAS //N00000// 
NAVADMIN 139/03

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/-/MAY//

SUBJ/GOOD NEWS YOU CAN USE UPDATE//

RMKS/1.  THIS IS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF MESSAGES ABOUT NAVY
QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT SAILORS
AND THEIR FAMILIES.
    - A PREMIUM RATE REDUCTION FOR BOTH THE BASIC SERVICE MEMBERS'
GROUP LIFE INSURANCE (SGLI) AND FAMILY SGLI WILL TAKE EFFECT ON 1
JULY 2003.  THE NEW RATE FOR BASIC SGLI COVERAGE WILL BE 6.5 CENTS
PER $1,000 OF COVERAGE (A SAVINGS OF NEARLY 20 PERCENT OVER THE
PRESENT RATE!).  RATE REDUCTIONS FOR FAMILY SGLI WILL VARY ACCORDING
TO THE AGE OF THE INSURED SPOUSE.  IT IS VITAL THAT SAILORS PROPERLY
DESIGNATE BENEFICIARIES AND ENSURE THE DESIGNATION FORMS ARE SIGNED
BY BOTH THE SAILOR AND A WITNESS.  INCORRECT DESIGNATION OR MISSING
SIGNATURES CAN DELAY THE PAYMENT OF SGLI.  FOR FAMILY SGLI, DUAL
MILITARY COUPLES MUST REGISTER EACH OTHER IN THE DEERS/RAPIDS SYSTEM
PER NAVADMIN 281/01.  SEND QUESTIONS TO ASCM MIKE STAMBAUGH AT (901)
874-4309/DSN 882 OR E-MAIL SCOT.STAMBAUGH@NAVY.MIL.
    - THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN (TSP) OPEN SEASON IS HERE AGAIN.  THE
CURRENT TSP OPEN SEASON WILL EXPIRE ON 30 JUNE WITH ANOTHER TO
FOLLOW FROM 15 OCT TO 31 DEC.  TSP IS A SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT PLAN
SIMILAR TO A CIVILIAN 401K THAT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL TAX DEFERRED
RETIREMENT INCOME.  YOU DON'T PAY FEDERAL (AND, IN MOST CASES,
STATE) INCOME TAXES ON YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS OR EARNINGS UNTIL YOU
WITHDRAW THE MONEY; USUALLY AT RETIREMENT, WHEN YOU WILL LIKELY BE
IN A LOWER TAX BRACKET.  ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAKEN OUT OF YOUR
PAYCHECK BEFORE INCOME TAXES ARE CALCULATED.  THIS BEFORE-TAX
CONTRIBUTION MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO PAY LESS INCOME TAX EVERY
YEAR BECAUSE YOUR TAXABLE INCOME IS MADE SMALLER BY THE
CONTRIBUTIONS.  DURING 2003, YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE UP TO EIGHT PERCENT
OF YOUR BASIC PAY.  IN ADDITION, YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE UP TO 100
PERCENT OF ANY BONUS, SPECIAL, OR INCENTIVE PAY YOU RECEIVE AS LONG
AS YOUR TOTAL TSP CONTRIBUTION FOR THE YEAR DOES NOT EXCEED $12,000.
THIS RULE IS DIFFERENT FOR THOSE IN A COMBAT ZONE.  THE COMBAT ZONE
EXCLUSION RULE ALLOWS FOR A TOTAL YEARLY INVESTMENT OF $40,000.  ALL
CONTRIBUTIONS AND EARNINGS FROM TSP ARE YOURS TO KEEP, WHETHER OR
NOT YOU MAKE THE NAVY A CAREER.  ENROLLMENT FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT
YOUR LOCAL FLEET AND FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER, PSD, SHIP'S PERSONNEL
OFFICE, RESERVE CENTER, OR ONLINE AT WWW.TSP.GOV.  COMPLETE THE FORM
AND TURN IT IN TO YOUR SERVICING PAY OR PERSONNEL OFFICE.  YOU MAY
ALSO ENROLL ONLINE THROUGH THE MYPAY WEBSITE AT WWW.DFAS.MIL/MYPAY.
- THE FISHER HOUSE PROGRAM SUPPORTS MILITARY FAMILIES IN THEIR
TIME OF NEED.  ESTABLISHED IN 1990 BY ZACHARY AND ELIZABETH FISHER,
THE PROGRAM PROVIDES TEMPORARY AND CONVENIENT LODGING AT A
REASONABLE COST ($10 PER NIGHT) FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF PATIENTS
RECEIVING TREATMENT AT MOST MAJOR NAVAL MEDICAL TREATMENT
FACILITIES.  IN 2002, THE NAVY FISHER HOUSE PROGRAM SERVED OVER 790
FAMILIES AT THREE LOCATIONS:  BETHESDA, MD;  PORTSMOUTH, VA; AND SAN
DIEGO, CA.  SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT, THE FISHER HOUSE PROGRAM HAS
BEEN A HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR THOUSANDS OF MILITARY FAMILIES.  FOR
INFORMATION OR RESERVATIONS CALL:  NNMC BETHESDA AT (301) 295-5334;
NMC PORTSMOUTH AT (757) 953-6889; OR NMC SAN DIEGO AT (619) 532-9055.
    - DRUG USE IN THE NAVY IS ON A THREE YEAR DECLINE.  THE FIRST
HALF OF FY-03 RESULTS ARE IN.  CONTINUING THE TREND FOR THE FIRST
HALF OF THE LAST THREE FISCAL YEARS, THE NUMBER OF TESTS
ADMINISTERED HAS RISEN DRAMATICALLY, FROM 450,000 IN FY-01, TO
515,000 IN FY-02, TO 577,000 THROUGH 31 MARCH OF THIS YEAR.  WHILE
THE NUMBER OF TESTS HAS GONE UP, THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE RESULTS HAS
CONTINUED ITS DOWNWARD TREND, FROM 3,472 IN FY-01, TO 3,231 IN
FY-02, TO 2,722 SO FAR IN FY-03.  ALONG WITH THE NAVY'S PREVENTION
TRIAD OF LEADERSHIP AWARENESS, RANDOM URINALYSIS, AND PREVENTION
EDUCATION, THE NAVY COMMUNITY AND ITS MENTORS HAVE CULTIVATED A
HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOUNGER SAILORS ARE MAKING SOUND,
VALUE-BASED DECISIONS REGARDING DRUG USE.  THE LATEST INFORMATION ON
EFFECTIVE PREVENTION EFFORTS, BEST PRACTICES, AND NAVY ALCOHOL AND
DRUG ABUSE AWARENESS (NADAP) CONFERENCES IN FLEET CONCENTRATION
AREAS IS AVAILABLE AT
HTTP:/NAVDWEB.SPAWAR.NAVY.MIL.WEB.SPAWAR.NAVY.MIL.
2.  PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR EXAMPLES OF OTHER INNOVATIVE QOL EFFORTS AND
PROGRAMS.  I'LL SPREAD THE WORD IN FUTURE MESSAGES.
3.  OUR POC IS ENS MARK CORBLISS AT (901) 874-4220/DSN 882 OR
E-MAIL:  MARK.CORBLISS@NAVY.MIL.
4.  RELEASED BY VADM G. L. HOEWING, N1.//
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