ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Registration is open for the Association of the U.S. Army’s Hot Topic event Dec. 7. 

“Holistic Health and the Soldier: An Army Medical Hot Topic” is an in-person, daylong event that will take place at AUSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

Throughout the day, attendees will be able to participate in a professional dialog with Army leaders, industry and academia as they explore Army medicine’s support of the service’s operational missions and readiness.

A combat medic stationed in Hawaii was honored Nov. 17 for her superior leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Staff Sgt. Margot Gebers, who enlisted in 2016, is assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center at Schofield Barracks, where she ensures that units are medically ready to deploy or redeploy, works with the reserve component and processes incoming soldiers. 

She was honored at the Angels of the Battlefield Awards, an annual event hosted by the Armed Services YMCA.

The command team for Army Medical Command will speak April 12 at a webinar hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army.

Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, the Army surgeon general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Diamond Hough, senior enlisted leader for Medical Command, will provide updates on COVID-19 vaccinations, talk about soldiers’ contributions to the fight against the disease, and discuss medical readiness.

Retirees and eligible beneficiaries who use Tricare can now enroll in or make changes to their health care coverage.

Tricare open season began Nov. 9 and will run through Dec. 14. During this time, beneficiaries who use Tricare Prime or Tricare Select can make changes as needed. Any enrollments or changes go into effect Jan. 1.

This year, some retirees who use Tricare Select must take action to make sure they don’t lose health care coverage in the new year. 

Military retirees affected by new monthly enrollment fees for Tricare Select health care coverage can now set up their automatic payments.

The monthly enrollment fees kick in Jan. 1, 2021.

Mandated in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, the change applies to Group A retirees, whose initial enlistment or appointment occurred before Jan. 1, 2018, and their beneficiaries. This marks the first time this group of beneficiaries will be charged such fees.

Soldiers learned valuable lessons on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight in hard-hit New York and New Jersey earlier this year, and they remain ready to respond again if needed.

“I’m really proud of the work that was done there,” Col. Kimberlee Aiello, commander of the 44th Medical Brigade, said during a recent press briefing.