vPC-GR notifications, early receipt of Reserve Retired Pay, June UTA support, SGLI Premiums decrease, CEI Updates, TRS Published May 30, 2008 ARPC NOTAM 042 -- Commanders-vPC-GR E-MAIL NOTIFICATIONS LAUNCH MAY 30 - Air Reserve Component Airmen (including ANG members) will begin receiving e-mail notices May 30 when pending vPC-GR transactions have been assigned to them for their coordination or approval. The daily e-mail will inform them of the type and number of actions required. Airmen should check their profile on the vPC-GR Dashboard and ensure their e-mail addresses and notification preference settings are correct. EARLY RECEIPT OF RESERVE RETIRED PAY - Effective Jan. 29, 2008, a new law approved early receipt of Reserve retired pay for some members of the Ready Reserve who perform specific types of service. We haven't received DOD guidance, but the following is what we know to date. This law is not retroactive to any periods of service before that date. The statute allows credit for specific kinds of tours - involuntary mobilization, voluntary MPA tours supporting a contingency, and some ANG federally supported tours supporting natural disasters - of at least 90 aggregate days within a fiscal year to allow Airmen to bring forward the date on which they are eligible to receive Reserve retired pay by three months. To help identify qualifying tours, order publishing authorities should ensure proper statutory authorities are included on orders and encourage Airmen to maintain copies. As DOD releases guidance, we will update our information to the field. However, if Airmen performed 90 days of active duty service since January of this year, and are approaching age 60, they should contact ARPC to determine if their tour qualifies them for an early retired pay effective date. JUNE UTA SUPPORT -- The Contact Center will provide service two UTA weekends in June. Counselors will assist customers June 7, 8 and June 21, 22 and can be reached by calling 1-800-525-0102 (preferred) or DSN 926-6528. Saturday hours are 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. MT and Sunday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. MT. SGLI PREMIUMS DECREASE -- Effective July 1, 2008, the SGLI premium rate will be decreased from the current level of 7 cents per month per $1,000 of coverage to 6.5 cents per month per $1,000 of coverage. This will decrease the premium rate for a service member with the maximum coverage of $400,000 from $29 to $27 a month. The premium includes an additional $1 per month for Traumatic Injury Protection coverage (TSGLI), which is mandatory and added automatically. For information visit the ARPC Web site, http://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=8313#C ANNUAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION REVIEW -- All Airmen in the Ready Reserve, whether the Air National Guard or the Air Force Reserve, are legally required to update CEI annually. Airmen failing to do so could face administrative action or a charge of dereliction of duty. Accessing the self-service application at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/Guard-ReservePortal only takes a few minutes. Updated CEI provides Defense officials visibility of who can be called up for active military duty without jeopardizing the civilian forces responsible for safeguarding our country. TRICARE RESERVE SELECT - TRS offers coverage comparable to Tricare Standard and Extra and features open enrollment, increased availability to survivors, and no activation requirements. Tiers, service agreements and differing premium levels are no longer elements of the program. The only restriction is that Selected Reserve members eligible for the Federal Health Employee Benefits program, or currently covered under FEHB, may not participate in TRS. Monthly premiums are $81 for servicemembers and $253 for member-and-family coverage. Reserve members can find out more about TRS and download the information through "My Benefits" portal at www.tricare.mil. Additional information is available on the "Entitlements" Web page at www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/entitlements. //signed// ERIC W. CRABTREE, Brig Gen, USAFR HQ Air Reserve Personnel Center Commander