Afterburner retiree newsletter back after 3-year hiatus

  • Published
SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) --  After a three-year hiatus, the hard-copy Afterburner retiree newsletter is back.

Special funding was granted to provide news and information to retirees and surviving spouses. However, those with computer access are urged to forego a hard-copy version to save money.

There are approximately 770,000 Air Force retirees and surviving spouses entitled to receive the Afterburner. Printing and recent postage increases have pushed the cost above $250,000 for one issue.

"We understand that many of our retirees and surviving spouses do not have computer access so they rely on a printed version," said retired Lt. Gen. Steven R. Polk, co-chair of the Air Force Retiree Council. "But we need to do everything we can to keep the costs down."

Subscribers to the e-Afterburner, the online version, are asked to forego receiving hard-copy editions by allowing their names to be removed from the postal mailing list.

To be removed from the hard-copy mailing list, people who receive the e-Afterburner should send their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the last four digits of their Social Security number to afpc.retiree@randolph.af.mil.

For retirees and annuitants who receive the hard-copy version, the Air Force Retiree Services staff relies on the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to provide current mailing addresses.

"Not only is keeping your address current with DFAS important in order to receive an Afterburner, but DFAS also needs to know where to send you important documents about your pay," said Pat Peek, chief of Air Force Retiree Services.

With nearly 9,500 retirees living abroad without U.S. postal privileges, mailing them their Afterburner is very expensive.

"Several hundred Afterburners that we send overseas are returned to us because of faulty addresses or the person is no longer at the address," explained Ms. Peek. "This wastes thousands of dollars.

"If our overseas audience can get their copy online, it would really help cut our postage costs," she said.

General Polk and his fellow council co-chair, retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray, will continue seeking funding for future hard-copy Afterburners for the non-wired retirees and surviving spouses.

"The council will continue to rally for the three hard-copy issues a year we enjoyed in the past," said Chief Murray. "We need your help with cutting costs as much as possible."