SAN ANTONIO -- "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes," said Andy Warhol, pop artist. As a world-wide NAF employee, 15 minutes is all the time it takes to reap the benefits of fame: peace of mind, comfort and security.
To achieve this, all NAF employees are encouraged to spend their moment in the spotlight reviewing and updating their personal information with their local garrison Human Resources Office now and at least annually.
The U.S. Army NAF Employee Benefits office handles retirement annuities, medical insurance, life insurance, long-term care, 401K accounts, flexible spending accounts and other complex aspects of employee matters. HRO makes certain the correct information is in the database handling benefits elections.
Anne Bright, NAF Employee Benefits Operations manager, is coordinating an effort to encourage 19,000 employees in the United States and around the world to meet with their HROs and make certain their personal information is complete, accurate and reflects their wishes.
"You would be surprised to know most people don't understand the importance of routinely reviewing their personal information," Bright said. "Most employees go in one time only to set their benefits, but how many times do they review and update their information throughout their career?"
"It's not enough to just look at the leave and earnings statement," Bright said. "It is important that the employee know how much is being withheld, for what coverage and for which beneficiary."
A 15-minute review at your HRO will start with the verification of your social security number, birth date and hire date. The date you were hired is the basis for calculating years of service and other eligibilities, such as retirement benefits.
Follow on with a review of your dependents' information, especially if any relationships have changed due to family events or marital status. Pay close attention to who you name as the primary beneficiary of your life insurance and retirement benefits, but also review or add secondary beneficiaries. "Who was named a few years ago may need an adjustment," said Michelle Macon, NAF personnel specialist at the U.S. Army Installation Management Command. "It's best to come in at the beginning of each year, so there are no surprises."
Even small changes can make a huge difference to the employee. The incorrect spelling of a beneficiary's name or an error in a social security number can delay the delivery of benefits when they are needed most.
The review with HRO only takes a few minutes and most things can be easily corrected, but there are some errors in your personal information that can't be remedied, such as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, if it is too late. That is reason enough to satisfy your curiosity right now.
"Peace of mind now, comfort during an emergency and security in retirement are the goals of this effort," Bright said. "It will be the fastest 15 minutes of your life and doing this right now could make you famous."
For more information about NAF Benefits, go to www.NAFBenefits.com or contact your local garrison HRO.
About the U.S. Army Installation Management Community:
IMCOM handles the day-to-day operations of U.S. Army installations around the globe -- We are the Army's Home. Army installations are communities that provide many of the same types of services expected from any small city. Fire, police, public works, housing, and child-care are just some of the things IMCOM does in Army communities every day. We endeavor to provide a quality of life for Soldiers, Civilians and Families commensurate with their service. Our professional workforce strives to deliver on the commitments of the Army Family Covenant, honor the sacrifices of military Families, and enable the Army Force Generation cycle.
Our Mission: Our mission is to provide Soldiers, Civilians and their Families with a quality of life commensurate with the quality of their service.
Our Vision: Army installations are the Department of Defense standard for infrastructure quality and are the provider of consistent, quality services that are a force multiplier in supported organizations' mission accomplishment, and materially enhance Soldier, Civilian and Family well-being and readiness.
To learn more about IMCOM:
Homepage: http://www.army.mil/imcom
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