BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The commander of Air Mobility Command, Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, has established readiness and enabling warfighter lethality as a primary focus for AMC. He describes full spectrum readiness as the way the Air Force maintains the skills and knowledge required to deploy quickly and operate effectively in a full range of combat environments. Each of us are required to ensure our technical training and Air Force Specialty Code specific task certifications remain current and that all personnel, medical, and financial aspects of our lives are ready to respond to any domestic operation or deployment tasking.
Full readiness is also ensuring that we are prepared in all aspects of our personal and family life as well. One of the primary areas that must be taken care of prior to deployment is life insurance. This is not always a pleasant topic but it is a melancholy fact that each of us will die at some time. Experience has taught us that it often happens without warning. Just recently, I lost a very close friend whose life was very similar to mine. We were the same age, family situation, and level of health. He had not been sick, was not experiencing any long term illness, and seemed to be happy and full of life. Then most unexpectedly, he suffered a massive heart attack and died. I know for a fact that the morning of the attack, he had no idea it was his last day on earth. I can only hope that he was prepared for his death. The reason I tell you this is to illustrate that it can happen to anyone at any time and how imperative it is to be prepared for it.
All members of the 117th Air Refueling Wing are familiar with Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance. You should all be participating in that program. SGLI is an outstanding program, but it may take up to 90 days to receive the death benefits after a death certificate is submitted. Anyone who has experience with planning a funeral understands that funds are required immediately to take care of expenses, not three months later. But did you know that you are also eligible to participate in an Alabama National Guard State Sponsored Life Insurance program? The National Guard Association of Alabama Insurance Trust offers an optional group term life insurance program that pays claims within 24 hours of notification. The most important aspect of this program is a death certificate is not necessary to initiate the claim! Also, it is the only insurance program where the premium can be deducted from your drill check just like SGLI.
An additional important fact concerning this program is every member of the 117th Air Refueling Wing is covered for $1,000.00 of life insurance under the program with no premium required. That’s right…every person in the Alabama National Guard, Air or Army, is insured for $1,000.00 at no cost to the member. The NGAAIT offers up to $50,000.00 of life insurance for Alabama National Guard members in their group term life insurance program. Spouses can be covered up to $35,000.00 and dependent children can be covered up to $10,000.00 and the children are covered until age 25 if they are full-time students.
This exclusive benefit for members of the Alabama National Guard is not meant to replace SGLI, but to provide an invaluable supplement to your personal full spectrum readiness. For details, contact the NGAAIT office located next to the Southern Museum of Flight at 205-836-9997