2008 Goals

Well, it looks like already that I have almost accomplished one of my goals. I am about $225 away from maxing out my Roth. I have been contributing some money into the TSP also. So what is the next goal for the year. Well, my goal is now to save $10,000 in my retirement accounts. I am also getting prepare for a likely transfer possibly in January. I think it is going to happen this time and I will keep you updated in the process. I have been working hard these last few months. My unit is going to go through accreditation this September and I am pretty much getting it done. I have kicked somethings higher up for a little help and we will see where that goes. I hope that everyone will have a good week. Just think one more week to go and it is Memorial day, to honor or colleagues that have fallen!!!

When Pilots Just Cannot Hold IT!!

Well, I thought that this CNN article was very interesting and I have never heard of AMXD for pilots. So I thought I would share this article with you.

Where do fighter pilots traveling faster than the speed of sound go when they really need to "go"?
Until recently, the answer has been: into a bag.

But it's not a great solution. "Piddle packs" -- heavy-duty bags containing absorbent sponges -- have been blamed for at least two crashes over the years, and they're not always tidy.

A few years ago, after enduring years of complaints from pilots, the Air Force let it be known that it was looking for an answer.

A small medical equipment development company in Milton, Vermont answered the call.

"The DoD put out a list of projects they needed solutions for," said Mark Harvie, president of Omni Medical Solutions. "Bladder relief for pilots was one of the items on the list and we were looking for a new project," he said. That project turned into the Advanced Mission Extender Device, known in military jargon as the AMXD.

After four years of testing by the Vermont Air National Guard and the Air Force and about $5 million in government and private funds, AMXD is spelling relief for pilots aloft.

Under the old system, pilots routinely avoid liquids before taking off to prevent the unmentionable. But dehydration can make them more susceptible to the G-forces typically seen in fighter aircraft, Harvie said.

When nature's call becomes too pressing to ignore, a pilot has to fly and unbuckle the harness at the same time -- while using both hands to maneuver around in a seat to which he or she is virtually molded.

The aerobatic maneuver is even harder for female pilots.

On long or cold-weather flights, the amount of gear and clothing made the maneuver nearly impossible, and pilots would sometimes have no choice but to relieve themselves in their flight suits.

In the AMXD, a cup for a man and a pad for a woman is strategically placed before the pilot dons a flight suit.

An instructional DVD tells pilots: "When the time comes to urinate, unzip the flight suit, remove the hose.... The control unit will pump the urine from the cup to the collection bag, where it will be chemically gelled." See how the system works »

Pilots are free to think about other business.

Harvie said the reviews have been positive from pilots of both genders. "One woman had the device taken away after testing and was quite unhappy about having to return to the old method," he said.

"The AMXD worked as advertised. I believe it's a much better system and needs to be fielded ASAP," says an unidentified pilot in a testimonial on the instructional DVD.

The Air Force recently bought its first 300 systems for U.S. pilots around the world at $2,000 each.

There's room for expansion. The air service has more than 4,200 fighter pilots who fly planes that have no bathrooms, planes like the F-16, F-15, A-10 and the most advanced fighter, the F-22.

The system has already seen action in combat zones: Female helicopter pilots from the Netherlands used the system in Afghanistan.


Harvie said it's too early to know whether the device will become standard issue, but it has attracted plenty of interest. "The Navy and Army are starting to look at the system for ground troops and carrier pilots, and looking at a version for private-sector uses," Harvie said.

Harvie said the Belgian Air Force has bought the system for its F-16 pilots.

Helping Military Families With Debt!!!

Like most of you know, I am all for being debt free while being in the service of our beautiful country. There is a cool website that everyone needs to check out that will help you become debt free. It is called Bills.com, "Your One Stop Resource for Saving Money."

This website is not just for everyone it is for our service men and women. They have just kicked off an initiative called "Operation Debt Storm" that will concentrate on military debt relief. Their main goal is to help military members educate military families about debt problems and to annihilate debt. One of my favorite articles that they have is called "Debt Relief Boot Camp," which is full of information to help you get out of debt. They even use some military jargon in this article to make you feel right at home. Most importantly, they offer several debt consolidation service relief options. As most of you know I am in the medical field, and this website should lower your financial blood pressure enough so that you can fulfill your duty to the American people. Please get help and use this resource, so that all of us can stay healthy.

3.9% Pay Raise?

A House panel Wednesday backed a 3.9 percent pay raise for all military personnel next year, mirroring Senate plans to give troops a bigger boost than Pentagon officials had requested.

Members of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee included the money in their draft of the new defense authorization bill, which sets spending and policy priorities for the military in fiscal 2009.Defense officials had requested a 3.4 percent increase, equal to the index's inflation estimate. But earlier this month Senate lawmakers backed the 3.9 percent figure, indicating that both chambers will likely adopt the higher raise when they negotiate compromise legislation later this year.The House panel also announced plans to eliminate co-pays for preventive care procedures such as cancer screenings and cholesterol tests in an effort to encourage more Tricare patients to seek medical advice before serious problems occur.

Stimulus Money

Well, my money came through direct deposit on Friday. It wasn't as much as I expected, however, money is money. I didn't spend the money as the government wanted me to. Instead I invested in into my three mutual funds. So some of it went to US company stock. So, I have almost maxed out my Roth IRA for the year. Lets seen I have about $200 left to contribute for the year. So, what am I going to do once I have an extra $125 per month that used to go to the Roth IRA. I think we will put it towards my student loans. They are at 0% interest for another 2 years, however, I would like to get the balance down even further. I think I have less than $4,500 to go so I should get her done. So what is everyone else going to do with their stimulus check from the government?

Diehard Forum

I have been a reader of the Vanguard Diehards forum at Morningstar for a long time. However, there is a forum that reader can take a look at.IT a new forum that people there help each other with investment related discussions. It basically set up for vanguard investments however, they do talk some about Fidelity. Now the site does forbids so if you join don't rattle off political talk. I have received a lot of good ideas here about my vanguard mutual funds. I read it just about everyday to see what people have to say. It's at www.diehardsforum.org. So don't forget adding to that Roth IRA and you can get good advice becoming a new boglehead at that website.

Why we pay taxes

Wesley Snipes called on famous friends to vouch for him, highlighted his clean criminal record and even wrote the government $5 million in checks — all in an effort to convince a judge that his conviction on tax charges should cost him nothing more than home detention and some public service announcements.

None of it worked. The “Blade” actor was ordered to do hard time.

Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday for failing to file tax returns, the maximum penalty — and a victory for prosecutors who sought to make an example of the action star.

Snipes apologized while reading from a written statement for his “costly mistakes,” but never mentioned the word taxes.

“I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance,” Snipes said. He said his wealth and celebrity attracted “wolves and jackals like flies are attracted to meat.” He called himself “well-intentioned, but miseducated.”

Now, as military people we need to rememeber to pay taxes otherwise we can end up in jail.