More Military Medical Records Exposed

Not just military, but dependant too. I hope none of you all are caught up in this.

Data security lapse affects almost 900,000
By William H. McMichael - Staff writerPosted : Friday Jul 20, 2007 15:38:36 EDT

The coded personal health care records of nearly 900,000 troops, family members and other government employees stored on a private defense contractor’s nonsecure computer server were exposed to compromise, the company announced Friday.

SAIC said the information, maintained under several health care contracts with the government, included combinations of names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birth dates and/or “limited health information in the form of codes.” It was stored on a single, SAIC-owned, nonsecure server in Shalimar, Fla., and was in some cases transmitted over the Internet in an unencrypted form. The information was exposed while being processed, the company said.

SAIC said a forensic analysis by top computer security experts “has not yielded any information that any personal information was actually compromised,” but added that “the possibility cannot be ruled out.”

Although SAIC announced the data breach Friday, the company acknowledged it has known about the problem since May 29, when U.S. Air Forces Europe notified SAIC that it had “detected an unsecure transmission of this personal information,” said SAIC spokeswoman Connie Custer.

However, SAIC had concerns about a potential problem even earlier. Two weeks before USAFE contacted the contractor, SAIC shut down the server “based on general concerns regarding the security of transmissions,” SAIC spokeswoman Melissa Koskovich said. SAIC confirmed that personal information had in fact been transmitted in an unsecure manner and stored on an unsecured computer.

Koskovich said the server has been shut down ever since. Neither she nor Custer knew the length of time over which the security lapse occurred, or when the company first began storing data at the site. “We’re working that now,” Custer said.

Storage of the data on an unsecure server is a violation of both SAIC and Defense Department policy, Custer said. Asked why an unsecure server was used to store the data, she said, “We’re trying to find that out. We’re doing an investigation.”

The Pentagon immediately expressed concern.
“We take this very seriously, and we’re taking all the steps necessary to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia Smith, who also confirmed the department’s requirement for secure storage of the data.

But Smith downplayed this particular instance, saying “the risk for compromise is low” and that “there’s been no evidence of compromise.”

SAIC Executive Vice President Arnold Punaro said the nearly two-month delay in announcing the problem was unavoidable.
“We regret that it took a little bit longer than we would have liked,” he said, but added the time was needed to make an “accurate assessment” of the extent of the problem.
“Our task force has been working literally around the clock,” he said. “It was a massive amount of data.”

Experts initially had to accurately assess exactly what data was on the server. Some, Punaro said, was no more than a piece of an individual’s record, such as an isolated medical appointment file. As such, all records had to be matched against government Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS, records, to determine how, with government permission, to contact individuals, he said.

FBI, Secret Service and other top computer experts were brought in to help analyze the problem, Punaro said.

SAIC said it is notifying about 867,000 individual records were involved. That includes 173,939 soldiers; 151,315 airmen; 96,925 sailors; 26,171 Marines; 10,415 Coast Guardsmen; 2,164 members of the U.S. Public Health Service; and 104 members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The remaining 406,000 are family members of those personnel.

The company has taken full responsibility for the lapse.
“We deeply regret this security failure, and I want to extend our apologies to those affected by it,” said chairman and chief executive officer Ken Dahlberg. “We are concerned about the inconvenience and risk of potential compromise of personal information this may cause. The security failure is completely unacceptable and occurred as a result of clear violations of SAIC’s strong internal IT security policies. We let down our customers and the service members whom we support. For this, we are very sorry.”

SAIC said the company is working with the affected agencies to “mitigate any potential inconvenience or harm” the security lapse may have caused. It has retained Kroll Inc. to help out those whose records were exposed affected. Kroll will operate an Incident Response Center with extended hours, information resources and credit and identity restoration services for any victims of related identity theft.

Those potentially affected will be provided the contact information by mail, Punaro said. All assistance will be provided at no cost to the government or affected persons.
The company’s internal investigation is being conducted using outside counsel to determine how the security lapse occurred. It also has placed “a number” of employees on administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome, it said.

For more information, go to http://www.saic.com/response.

DoD, States Work To Help Military School Kids

If the Department of Defense gets cooperation from the states on this, it could make PCS transitions as it relates to schools a little easier. Let's hope that the states get on board.

DoD, states work to help military schoolkids
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer Posted : Friday Jul 13, 2007 17:09:43 EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In hopes of making school transitions easier for military children, the Defense Department and the Interstate Council of State Governments have developed a “compact” agreement dealing with issues children face during their frequent moves.


Defense officials will now seek legislation in the 54 states and U.S. territories to carry out the compact, said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, at the annual conference of the Military Child Education Coalition here. More than 600 educators and other youth-serving professionals attended.


Schools operated by the Defense Department serve a small percentage — about 12 percent — of military school-age children, according to defense officials. The other 88 percent attend civilian public schools, charter schools, private schools or are home-schooled.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children addresses such issues as:


*Education records and enrollment. For example, if a child has successfully completed kindergarten in one location and moves, he should be eligible for first grade at the next location, even if the new district requires children to start kindergarten at an older age.


*Placement and attendance. One example is how deployment-related absences are considered. One mother who took her child out of school in San Diego to meet the father’s ship received a letter of truancy from the school, said Laurie Crehan, regional quality of life liaison for the Defense Department’s state liaison office.


*Graduation requirements, such as giving consideration to students who transfer during their senior year, for example.


If states accept the compact and pass laws and policies related to it, Crehan, said, there are provisions to form state councils to resolve issues from district to district, and for an interstate council that will look at other issues that need to be addressed.

Considering Going To School While Your Spouse Is Deployed?

One of the biggest things the spouse of a deployed service member has to consider is what to do with his or her time while their loved one is deployed. Certainly, having nothing to do with your time will make the deployment seem longer. If you're working or chasing kiddos around, you've got your hands full for sure.

Maintaining a house, a family, finances, cars... all of this seems like it would take a considerable amount of time. But what if you find yourself in a situation where you have the time and nothing to do? Have you considered continuing your education? Thinking about picking up a few college hours? Are your children old enough to take college courses?

Almost every state offers in-state tuition prices for military members and their families. That makes for incredible cost savings. Then consider the specific military scholarship programs available to service members and their families. I'll list a few here and also put them on my side-bar for easier access.

First, you have to choose a school. Internet or on campus, it all depends on your personal preferences and the time and resources you have to spend on it.

Then you have to complete the appropriate year Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This can usually be accomplished online, unless you just like the old pencil and paper version better. Usually, when the FAFSA gets submitted to the school/schools you have chosen, the schools will apply on your behalf for State funded financial aid, such as grants, lottery money, etc.

"The Military Scholarships For Children Programwas created to recognize the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community."

The National Military Family Association's Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program awards scholarships to "spouses of Uniformed Services members (active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, and survivors) to obtain professional certification or to attend post secondary or graduate school."

The purpose of the Armed Forces Children's Education Fund is to be able to financially assist the educational needs of the surviving children of the U.S. Military men and women who lost their lives on or after October 7, 2001, the commencement of Afghanistan operations, as part of the global war on terrorism defined as "Operation Enduring Freedom".

America Supports You links to several service specific scholarship programs for children and spouses as well.

Additionally, FastWeb is an awesome resource for nation wide scholarships and it's search utilities can be customized to suit your individual qualifications for scholarships; i.e. field of study, local area scholarships, internships, minority scholarships, etc.

So, why not rack up a few college credits? It's a great way to occupy your/your children's time and it's likely to cost little or nothing. Good luck!

For Military Families with Pre-K Aged Kids

I came across this and thought it would be something some folks might to keep an eye on. Good luck. :)

Report: All military kids need pre-K programs

By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 11, 2007 17:28:47 EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — All states should make all military children eligible for state-funded pre-kindergarten programs, according to two advocacy organizations for pre-K education and for military children.

Eligibility requirements vary among the 39 states that have state-funded pre-K programs. As states expand their programs, some base eligibility on income. But regardless of eligibility requirements, military families should have access, said Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now, a public education and advocacy organization based in Washington.

Many military families are middle-income, she said, and “middle-income families are very much left behind in this country.”

Pre-K Now and the Military Child Education Coalition issued a joint report July 11 at the coalition’s annual conference here, titled “Pre-K for Military Families: Honoring Service, Educating Children.”

Doggett said research has shown that all 3- and 4-year-olds benefit from high-quality pre-kindergarten education.

Several states, including Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma, provide pre-K education for all 4-year-olds. The Texas legislature passed a law in 2006 making military children eligible for the state’s pre-K program. That includes children of National Guard and Reserve members who have been activated, said Mary Keller, executive director of the Military Child Education Coalition. Their children would remain eligible when the service member returns from deployment.

The Kansas legislature in 2006 approved a test program that includes serving military children in six counties, including Geary County, near Fort Riley.

A pre-K education could give military children a foundation to help them adapt later in the educational process, Doggett said.

“Military families have more stress. They may move from a state with lower education standards to a state with high standards. If the child has a strong start, they have more chance of catching up,” she said. “This is learning that lasts a lifetime.”

Pre-K education can be expensive for parents in the private sector, but it varies from one location to another. A family in Texas, for example, could pay more than $8,000 a year for pre-K.

In 2006, Texas was home to 5,395 3- and 4-year-old military children, half of whom did not meet the previous requirements for the state pre-K program. If all eligible military children had participated in the program, it would have cost the state about $7 million, Keller said.

She estimated about 500,000 military children worldwide might be in the pre-K age range, although it is difficult to pinpoint how many military children would be eligible for pre-K because of the fluid nature of the population and the number of Guard and Reserve families with children that age.

She said states can work with military child development centers so that children can go to pre-K for half a day, then roll over to the child development center staff.

Doggett said the pre-K programs are growing not only in schools, but in conjunction with child care centers.

“The military child care program is the premiere child care program in this country, but it’s is still not pre-K and is not tied to pre-K standards,” she said. “There are also a number of military families who don’t have access to military child care.”

Saving Money and Pinching Pennies in the Military

It's that time of year again. Thinking about putting the kiddos back into school... dreading fighting with other parents to get through crowded isles and picking through the left over school supplies at whatever store you choose to shop at. Here's some helpful advice:

1. Get Organized. Don't wait until you get to the Wal-Mart to look for the school supplies list on the rack. Go online to your school's website and download it. If you've got more than one kiddo, download them all. Print them off and compare them, then make a master list. (One list is easier to keep track of than three) Chances are, your kiddos are going to need some of the same things. If your kiddos have color preferences for stuff, jot that down too.

2. Shop Smart. Get a Sunday Paper with all the advertisements in it. Pull out the ones from places like Walgreen's, CVS, Wal-Mart, OfficeMax, Office Depot, etc. Compare the advertisements to your master list and put check next to the items you find in the ads with a little note beside the item saying what ad you found it in. Keep all your ads and your list together. Take a pocket calculator with you "just in case".

3. GO ALONE. If you don't HAVE to take the kids to the store with you, don't. Get a sitter, get a spouse, a relative, something to watch the kiddos for you. Remember last year when you took the kids with you? How much hair did you pull out of your head? How many margaritas did you drink after you put the kids to bed? All the "OH, mommy look!" and "Ooh, I want..." and "Aw, can't I have..." will distract you, wear you out, and slow you down.

4. Shop Early. Don't wait for the "Tax Free" weekend. Everybody and their grandmother's dog is going to be shopping that weekend. Besides, at your PX/BX, you don't pay sales tax anyway.

5. Go Shopping. Usually, you can get 90-95% of everything you need at the PX/BX. Take all your fliers, your list, and your method of payment to the PX/BX. Get an AAFES flier on your way in and glance through it. It's not unheard of for sales items prices to be in the flier and not in the computers. Grab a cart and start checking off items as you throw them in.

6. Check Out. Here's where your fliers come in handy. I'll almost guarantee that the prices in the other stores fliers are going to be less expensive than the shelf price. The PX/BX will price match ANY advertised price for the same item. AND there's no sales tax. AND you didn't wait to fight the hoarding mobs. AND if you're lucky, the kiddos are watching cartoons or something under the supervision of another responsible person who owes you a favor. ;)

That's just for the supplies. Of course, you're going to have to take the kiddos with you when you buy their school clothes. I do my school shopping in two trips. One by myself for supplies and one with the kids for their clothes. Limits the amount of stress on everyone involved. ;)

One thing I did not mention above (intentionally) was coupons. But now, I'm going to address that as well.

If you have a Star Card and you want to use it, DEFINITELY find that coupon in the AAFES flier that says "$10, $20, or $30 off your purchase when using your Star Card". And while you probably won't find coupons for pens, paper, folders, or glue, you can certainly find coupons for other products like hand sanitizer and facial tissue. And don't forget about the "$1.00 of any Exchange Select Item" coupons.

The Coupon Master

This website performs a "coupon collection" service. Basically, they collect and cut whatever coupons are available and many times get shipments directly from the manufacturers. There is a very minimal charge for their services and it is more than made up for in the savings. The first time I visited this site, I spent roughly $6 and change and saved almost $90 at the commissary!

I'm not ashamed of saving money. In fact, I rather enjoy it. I usually check this site every couple of weeks for new updates. Most of the time there is no limit to the number of coupons of a certain product you can order. (Unless it a really hot product) I already save between 30-40% just by shopping at the commissary. And when I coupon, depending on what I buy, I save another 22-28% off of that.

Granted, I have some pantry space available for me to use as well as a chest freezer. I tend to buy in bulk when something is already on sale and coupon it down.

Sometimes, though, the commissary's prices aren't the best. So the grocery store ads that you didn't look at when making your school supply list are going to be your friends now. Don't make special trips to out of the way grocery stores. If you're already running an errand and pass by a store that you know has a sale, stop in there, get the sale items, present your coupons and go on home. I keep a notebook with my coupons, a calculator, and the weekly fliers in the car "just in case".

Here's some grocery store shopping tips:

1. Get Organized. Don't wait until you get to the commissary/grocery store to decide what you're having for dinner for the week. Plan out a menu. Take suggestions from family members. Create a shopping list based on that menu and add other necessities. (bath tissue, laundry detergent, etc.) It takes me about 20-30 minutes per week to make a list and sort my coupons.

2. Don't Shop Hungry. This leads to impulse buying and you end up with more in your cart than you planned on. The commissary usually isn't like this, but other grocery stores are. That DANGED BAKERY right in the front of the store. You walk in, smell warm fresh bread and impulsively buy more.

3. Shop Smart. Check the sales fliers for the grocery stores that come out of the Sunday Paper. Look at those coupons too. On your shopping list, put a check next to the items that you have coupons for and pull those out. But go ahead and take your entire coupon book into the store in case you find an unadvertised sale as well.

4. GO ALONE. Same reasons as above plus a few others. Candy aisle. Cereal aisle. Ice cream aisle. Plus, kiddos are ALWAYS hungry.

5. Go Shopping. Take your calculator. Look at the unit price, not the items price (per ounce vs per box). The best deals aren't always in the larger packages. Look up and look down. Usually, the most expensive items in a category (pasta sauce for example) are at eye level. Less expensive items will be above or below that. There are certain things that my wife and I absolutely insist on having name brand stuff for. Other stuff, we don't care.

6. Now, you've taken your calculator for this very reason. When you apply a coupon to the shelf price of an item, it will change the unit price. Enter the shelf price, subtract the amount of the coupon, then divide by the number of units in the item. There's your new unit price. At this point, the larger item may now become the better value for your dollar.

7. This is very important. Just because you have a coupon doesn't mean you have to buy the item. Don't clip coupons you won't use. You can take the extra coupons you're not going to use and leave them at the front of the store if you like. Other shoppers will pick through them and take what they want.

Good luck and have fun shopping and saving money!

The Coupon Master

Being a Deployed Military Wife

OK. So I'm not a wife. I'm a husband. But I assure you, the worries are the same, the responsibilities are the same, the stress is the same. I'm a full time student as well as a full time single parent of 3 great kids. But biggest and foremost, I'm a full time deployed spouse.

All of our dynamics (deployed spouses and families) are different, but our needs are basically the same. We want to be able to communicate with our spouse that is deployed, however it is possible. If we have kids, we want our spouse to be able to communicate with them also. We knew what we asked for when we signed up, but we're not afraid to take help when it's offered.

Your first stop, if you haven't already, is to go to the Family Readiness Center at your local base. They'll have a list of programs and benefits that you can utilize.

After that, go here. http://www.iraqwarveterans.org/free_for_troops.htm and see what all you can do for your family and for your deployed Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine.

Additionally, many states have extra benefits for families of deployed service members. Check your local state governments web page for details.

If you'd like to help out my family or my deployed spouse, e-mail me at drexxell@hotmail.com and I will send you the information you need. Put "I want to help" in the subject line. These same services can be applied to any deployed service member or their family as long as you know their address.

Also, don't forget to look into Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA)(Formerly Soldiers and Sailors Act). This is especially use full for guard and reserve members who have been activated as it relates to their debts incurred prior to being called to active duty (Credit cards, car loans, mortgage loans). Many times, credit card companies will follow the directions of the SCRA for active duty members who have been deployed. Call your credit card company and ask.

As for cell phones, check this out http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/06/military_cellphone_cancelcontracts_070628w/.
This was just passed in June of 2007. Deployed members can have their cell phone accounts put on "Military Suspense" for the duration of their deployment. That means no monthly service charges on their phones (which they can't use because they have no coverage). It doesn't effect phones you're still using at home. Basically, call your cell phone provider and see what they require to make this happen.

My many thanks go out to the organizations that donate their time, money, and effort to supporting our deployed troops and their families.

Special thanks and praise goes out to the deployed Service Members themselves and the families they've left behind. God's safety to you all and God's speed home.

If there's anything I can do for your family or for your deployed member, please let me know.

For spouses and their deployed members, just remember this "It's not worth getting into a pissing contest on who's got it worse." The situation sucks from both sides, but for different reasons. Remember that you love each other. Remember that you love your family. Remember that war has bad effects on people and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

http://www.militaryonesource.com/skins/MOS/home.aspx will give you a lot of tips on how to cope. Additionally, they'll give you 8 sessions of personal or family counseling, no questions asked, all billed to TriCare.

Find the support groups. Get involved in your spouses group at your base. If one isn't active, make noise and help create one. Best of luck to you all.