By Presidential action in March 1961, the interim ceiling of 39,600 on the authorized strength of the Regular Army officer corps (male and WAC) was removed. The authorized strength is flow 49,500 (male and WAC). This change in the authorized strength of the Regular Army has resulted in changes of the Regular Army AMEDS corps (table 12).
1Excludes 49 officers participating in Registered Nurse and Army Student Nurse Program.
Accessions to the Regular Army are controlled gains which consider annual gains and losses, authorization, requirements for specialists, and other factors which are instrumental in providing for a balanced structure. There were moderate gains in the Medical Corps and the Medical Service Corps in fiscal year 1961, and little or no change in the Dental, Veterinary, and Army Medical Specialist Corps as compared to actual strengths at the end of fiscal year 1960. The Regular Army Nurse Corps experienced a net decrease of 90 during the year, and this decrease was part of the decline in ANC strength as mentioned previously.
Medical Corps.?Manpower requirements are determined annually and availability of specialists is projected for a 5-year period to provide guidance for procurement and training objectives. Requirements do not change significantly, as a general rule, from year to year. The projected availability is one of the basic considerations in determining inputs from the Berry plan and the Army residency program. The variances between current requirements and projected strengths as shown in table 13 are due to variable factors which can be adjusted to some degree from year to year. In some of those instances where strengths exceed requirements, heavy losses at the end of the fiscal year will bring these two elements into approximation. The resignation rate for fiscal year 1961 of the Regular Army Medical Corps increased to 3.4 percent from a 1.8-percent rate in fiscal year 1960.
Dental Corps.?The fact that the Regular Army Dental Corps did not manifest a net increase during the year was due, in part, to losses. The resignation of those former interns who were required to become Regular Army dental officers in order to participate in the internship program more than offset gains to the corps. The impact of the resignations of these former interns can be seen in the fact that the resignation rate of the Regular Army Dental Corps increased to 4.4 percent from a 1.8-percent rate in fiscal year 1960.
science officers as reflected by an increase in strength from 12 in fiscal year 1959 to 19 in fiscal year 1961.
inception of the program, these gains have not been in sufficient numbers to offset losses and the ANC numerical strength is declining in a steady pattern.
The strength of 250 male ANC officers on duty as of 30 June 1961 was slightly higher than the strength of 228 at the end of fiscal year 1960 and that of 219 at the end of fiscal year 1959. The 30 June 1961 numerical strength of the male ANC officers represented 7.6 percent of the total ANC numerical strength.
Army Medical Specialist Corps.?The Army Medical Specialist Corps continues almost wholly dependent on its procurement education programs to maintain its strength. The fiscal year 1961 AMSC (Army Medical Specialist Corps) procurement figure of 55 officers included 48 students and 7 qualified officers. Procurement reflects the national shortage of dietitians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists compounded by the increasing demand for their services; national organizations do not anticipate relief in the foreseeable future. The AMSC yearend strength of 423 included a 7-percent shortage of dietitians and a 6-percent shortage of occupational therapists. These shortages had an adverse effect on services to patients throughout the year. The male strength of the Corps on 30 June 1961 was 24-3 dietitians, 15 physical therapists, and 6 occupational therapists.
Warrant Officer Program.?In fiscal year 1960, MOS 3506 (field medical assistant) and MOS 4490 (medical supply officer) were discontinued. The impact of this action on the Medical Service Corps became more pronounced in fiscal year 1961. With the deletion of these two MOS?s from the warrant officer career field, procedures were initiated to change TD?s and TOE?s in order to reflect the actual need in these two fields.
were participants in the Army Senior Medical Student Program. A total of 367 applications were received during fiscal year 1961 for the 182 spaces authorized for the fiscal year 1962 program. This represents an increase of 39 applications over the number received during the previous year?s program. Of those interns matched with the Army for the fiscal year 1962 program, 64 are Senior Medical Student Program participants, and 2 are USMA graduates, on excess leave to attend medical school, who had also participated in the fiscal year 1961 Senior Medical Student Program.
For the fiscal year 1961 Senior Medical Student Program, 199 applications were received, and 72 were selected to enter the program in September 1960 (2 of this number were USMA graduates on excess leave to attend medical school) During fiscal year 1961, 183 applications were received for the fiscal year 1962 program starting in September 1961; 73 were selected (3 of this number are USMA graduates). Participants in the Excess Leave Program may now apply during their junior year of medical school for participation in the Army Senior Medical Student Program and, if accepted, will be entitled to full pay and allowances during their senior year. Participation in the Senior Medical Student Program carries a 3-year active-duty obligation following internship.
however, was somewhat lower than the preceding year. This again is due to the reluctance of the selection committee to select unqualified applicants just for the sake of filling authorized spaces.
Forces; (2) geographic redistribution of troops; (3) expansion or consolidation of the hospital system; (4) entry of specialists into a military career (that is, Regular Army Medical Corps); and (5) voluntary extension of tours of active duty by Reserve officers.
The Army anticipates an overage of approximately 104 physicians deferred under the Berry plan who are available for active duty during fiscal year 1962. These physicians have completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology, urology, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, pediatrics, neurology, ophthalmology, and radiology. All of them were informed of this overage early in fiscal year 1961 and were given the option of either transferring to the Department of the Air Force or the U.S. Public Health Service, who have requirements for their services, or they could affiliate themselves with a TOE or TD Reserve unit, in order to fulfill their military obligation.
No problems were encountered in the procurement of dental officers for active duty, or for participation in the Dental Intern Program. A total of 100 applications were received to fill the 28 fiscal year 1961 dental intern training spaces. All active-duty spaces for dentists were filled from volunteers or from participants in the Dental Officer Commissioning Program.
A Medical and Dental Corps Distinguished Military Graduate Excess Leave Program was approved by the Department of the Army, and the provisions therefor were published in AR 601-112, dated 17 May 1961. This program is to be administered similarly to the Excess Leave Program authorized for USMA graduates, with the exception that 2 years? active duty is not required prior to placement in an excess leave status. Distinguished military graduates of the ROTC (Reserve Officers? Training Corps) may be appointed in the Medical Service Corps, Regular Army, upon graduation from premedical or predental school and granted excess leave without pay and allowances for the purpose of completing medical or dental school. Upon fulfillment of requirements of AR 601-124, these officers may be reappointed in the Medical or Dental Corps, Regular Army. This program is separate from the personnel procurement program for the Medical and Dental Corps announced in AR 601-107, which remains in effect. Distinguished military graduates may apply under either program.
in an attempt to meet the yearend strength of the Veterinary Corps. During fiscal year 1961, Regular Army VC accessions were 12.
Direct procurement for officers of the Pharmacy, Supply, and Administration Section of the Medical Service Corps was restricted during fiscal year 1961 to a limited voluntary call to active duty for Reserve component officers and to a limited program for direct appointment the Regular Army Medical Service Corps. Only 14 officers were obtained for the Section during this fiscal year. The balance of annual requirement for the Pharmacy, Supply, and Administration Section was filled from ROTC graduates. Direct procurement was primarily directed toward those non-ROTC graduates who possessed technical or professional background not available for participants in the ROTC program. Prior to the beginning of fiscal year 1961, it was anticipated that vacancies would exist in the specialties of podiatry, social work, and optometry. However, before the fiscal year 1961 program was announced in DA Circular 601-3, dated 15 September 1960, spaces for these three specialties were filled and were omitted from the circular prior to publication. Direct procurement quotas were essentially filled, except those of clinical psychology and some of the specialties included within the scope of medical laboratory officer.
The input of officers into the Regular Army Medical Service Corp was below that of the last few years. This was due to the restricted number of spaces in all but the current year groups (1960 and 1961). Fiscal year 1959 and earlier groups are being considered filled, and only an occasional outstanding officer in those year groups was approved during the past fiscal year.
During the fiscal year 1961, a USAR (Army Reserve) Warrant Officer Program was initiated, and 10 spaces were authorized for the appointment of qualified enlisted men as USAR warrant officers, with concurrent call to active duty as medical equipment maintenance officers (MOS 4890). Three of these spaces were filled. Approved applicants are required to serve a minimum of 3 years on active duty.
Total applications for the Army Student Nurse Program decreased during fiscal year 1961, and only 219 of the 250 vacancies were filled. Inability to interest an adequate number of qualified applicants this year means fewer nurses will be entering the AMEDS hospitals from this source during fiscal year 1962. This program provided 70.2 percent of the nurse personnel entering upon active duty in fiscal year 1961.
students. The program remains unchanged for student nurses enrolled in 3-year hospital schools. Revision of the program for baccalaureate participants provided payment of tuition, books, and incidental fees for up to 24 months; enlistment in grade E-1, with promotion to E-2 and E-3 after appropriate time in grade; and appointment and active duty as a second lieutenant, ANC-USAR, 6 months prior to graduation. Assignment to the 8-A-C20-C ANC Officer Basic Orientation Course and Army hospitals is made upon completion of State board of nursing examinations.
Of the ANC officers reporting to Brooke Army Medical Center for orientation in fiscal year 1961, 243 had participated in the Army Student Nurse Program; 70 were direct appointments with active duty; 9 were from the Registered Nurse Student Program; and 1 was a transfer from another military service. Of those assigned directly to the hospitals, 23 were ANC-USAR officers returning to active duty. While procurement results indicate a gain of 47 more nurses assigned to Army hospitals in fiscal year 1961 than in fiscal year 1960, a rise in the number of losses has offset gains by approximately 55. Forty-four ANC Regular Army applications were received during fiscal year 1961, or eight less than received during fiscal year 1960.
Procurement for the Army Medical Specialist Corps did not meet requirements. On 30 June 1961, there was a shortage of 12 dietitians and 5 occupational therapists with authorizations of 175 and 80, respectively. A higher than anticipated retention rate, the result of intensive internal procurement, was a partial solution to the problem.
Seven qualified AMSC officers came on duty during fiscal year 1961?one dietitian, three physical therapists, and three occupational therapists. Of the previously procured students, 43 entered the Army in August 1960-19 dietetic interns, 17 physical therapy students, and 7 occupational therapy clinical affiliates. In addition, 5 dietetic interns entered training in March 1961, bringing the AMSC gain to 55 officers. The gain was offset by a loss of 53 officers.
Student procurement did not produce the number of applicants necessary to insure the degree of selectivity desired or the desired numbers of physical and occupational therapy students. A total of 22 dietetic interns, 13 physical therapy students, and 3 occupational therapy clinical affiliates have been selected to enter training in August 1961; 22 dietitian, 16 physical therapy, and 8 occupational therapy students are programmed for the fall of 1961; and 6 dietitian and 4 occupational therapy students are programed for March 1962.
however, lost some of their effectiveness because of a DCSPER decision which required the utilization of a civilian-employee space for each civilian student taken into the program.
Nineteen qualified junior or senior college students were enlisted in the WAC (Women?s Army Corps) to participate in the Student Dietitian Program, bringing the number on duty to 23 on 30 June 1961. Of these, 12 will enter the dietetic internship in August 1961 and are included in the aforementioned August 1961 class. Of the 24 in the fiscal year 1961 class of dietetic interns, 10 had participated in this student program.
Promotion Policies remained unchanged during the year. All zones of consideration for the temporary promotion of AMEDS officers continued to be identical with those established for the APL (Army Promotion List) with two exceptions. Selections for promotion to the grade of captain could still be made 18 months earlier than provided by the APL in the Veterinary Corps and in the Medical Service Corps (in the case of those with a Ph. D. in a science allied to medicine).
Selections for temporary promotion to grades of major and lieutenant colonel in the Medical and Dental Corps were continued on a ?fully qualified? basis. Selections for the grade of major in the Army Nurse and Army Medical Specialist Corps were made on a ?best qualified? basis, and for the grade of captain in these corps on a ?fully qualified? basis. Selections for all other grades were made on a ?best qualified? basis, with the selection rates governed by those established for the APL.
The Surgeon General continued the policy of advancing medical and dental officers when they attain the professional experience required for promotion to higher grades. These officers were considered for temporary advancement to the grades of captain, major, and lieutenant colonel upon completion of 1, 10, and 17 years of experience, respectively, subsequent to graduation from medical or dental school.
An AMSC officer was promoted to the permanent grade of colonel for the first time. Two AMSC Reserve officers were selected for promotion to the grade of lieutenant colonel, another first as a result of Public Law 86-559.
Research and development, clinical, command and staff, preventive medicine, and aviation medicine. These patterns have been reproduced and are included in each officer?s career planning folder for guidance in determining the type of assignment or training that an officer should have.
Papers published during this fiscal year in The Surgeon General?s technical bulletin brought pertinent information regarding career management to the attention of the officers in the field. Fact sheets pertaining to aviation, airborne, and preventive medicine were also prepared for inclusion in a brochure for officers coming on active duty.
The shortage of officers in the preventive medicine field has been alleviated somewhat by graduates of the Preventive Medicine Orientation Course (8-A-F11); 15 officers completed this training during the year. A shortage continues to exist, however, among career officers, and this will be alleviated when additional career reservists have received training in preventive medicine.
As a nonroutine function, the Medical Corps Branch, OTSG, was given responsibility in connection with Project Mercury, with the chief of that Branch becoming The Surgeon General?s representative for this project. Forty-five officers and enlisted men of the Army Medical Service have been selected for participation in support of the project; designated individuals are placed on temporary duty at the request of the DOD representative for each ?shoot.?
5th Evacuation Hospital, Fort Bragg.
36th Evacuation Hospital, Fort Meade.
3d Field Hospital, Fort Benning.
7th Field Hospital, Fort Knox.
12th Field Hospital, Fort Leonard Wood.
15th Field Hospital, Fort Bragg.
47th Field Hospital, Fort Sam Houston.
51St Field Hospital, Fort Lewis.
2d Surgical Hospital (MA), Fort Bragg.
7th Surgical Hospital (MA), Fort Jackson.
Assignments.?During the year, an alltime high of 1,807 officers were on duty in the Regular Army Medical Corps; at the end of the year, 1,780 were on duty. Of the present number, 531 are board-certified and 515 are board-qualified officers. Thirty-six officers were awarded the ?A? prefix to their MOS and a certificate of achievement in their specialty, making a total of 83 holding this award.
There continued to be a shortage of qualified officers in certain specialties. This was especially true in command and staff, otolaryngology, and preventive medicine.
Assignment problems were complicated by the nonavailability of officers to attend military schools, work required for the projection of assignments, and correspondence relating to the movement of individuals to insure proper staffing at all installations. Many problems are generated by the large number of Reserve officers (2-year obligated volunteer) in the corps, most of whom (85 percent) enter active duty during the first quarter of each fiscal year. A particularly heavy workload results during the first and fourth fiscal quarters.
Training.?With the increasing retention of Regular Army medical officers, some training spaces in the professional areas have been reduced, and more emphasis is now being placed on military training. Changes in the program of military career training in schools of the arms and services have eliminated the company and advance levels of training in favor of a single branch career course. During the year, the Medical Service Center Course was changed to 34 weeks. The first class under the revised program will begin in September 1961. Every attempt is being made to motivate the young medical officer to accept military education.
able for attendance at the senior service colleges. Table 15 contains a list of the schools and courses which medical officers attended during fiscal year 1961.
Policies.?The policy regarding the award of ?A? prefix was altered by the present classification board, and this prefix is no longer authorized for Reserve component officers not on active duty.
A policy was established by the Department of the Army to include a movement designator code in all PCS (permanent change of station) orders.
PCS restrictions.?The DA policy, governing PCS moves which prohibited intra-CONUS moves unless officers concerned had been at their CONUS stations for at least 2 years, and the restrictions imposed, owing to PCS fund limitations, caused a considerable number of moves to be postponed until the beginning of fiscal year 1962. The net result was a slight shortage at CONUS stations and some difficulty in providing the best qualified personnel to fill vacancies as they arose.
24 months in the case of company grade officers, and from 36 to 48 months in the case of field grade.
MOS shortages.?The constant turnover of pharmacists and optometrists created problems of shortage which were largely met by the end of fiscal year 1961. Improvement continued to be made in procurement of sanitary engineers and clinical psychologists. New problems arose due to losses of experienced medical supply and personnel officers. Training of medical supply officers continued in a formal course, but on-the-job training was discontinued. Increased emphasis was placed upon selection of officers for personnel and registrar career fields.
Publication of career patterns.?During this past year, career patterns (graphic presentations of the progression pattern in specific functional areas) were published for the psychology, aviation, and nuclear medical science career fields. This completed the program of establishing definite progression patterns for each of the 17 MSC career fields. A consolidated pattern, covering all 17 fields, was also prepared for publication in a DA pamphlet on officer career management.
the officer which provides him with an explanation of the progression pattern in his particular field. During the year, all officers in the following career fields were covered: Registrar, personnel, hospital administrator, medical operations and training, supply, and entomology.
AMEDS Personnel Management Course.?During the period of 5-9 June, the Medical Service Corps and WO Branch, Military Personnel Division, OTSG, conducted a course of instruction for approximately 50 AMEDS personnel officers at WRAIR. The course was attended by the personnel directors of all AMEDS class II activities, CONUS Army and oversea surgeons? offices, and selected class I activities.
Reclassification actions.?Of the MOS reclassification actions taken, 893 were on commissioned officers and 20 on AMEDS warrant officers. Proficiency prefix letters were awarded to 61 officers in the Medical Allied Sciences and Sanitary Engineering Sections as follows: A, 2; B, 19; C, 18; and D, 22. In order to distinguish between the medical physiologist and the psychophysiologist, the qualifications of all officers with MOS 3327, physiologist, were reviewed, and those who were actually psychologist/physiologists were reclassified to 4-2230, research psychologists.
Training of nuclear medical science officers.?In anticipation of a known fiscal year 1963 increase in the requirement for nuclear medical science officers (3308), steps were taken to train additional officers in the specialty. One officer was entered in the U.S. Navy Nuclear Engineer (Effects) Training Course at Monterey, Calif., and one was enrolled in the Radiation Biology Course at the University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y., in fiscal year 1961. Six other officers were selected and enrolled in courses to start in early fiscal year 1962?one for Ph. D. training in nuclear engineering at the University of North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering, at Raleigh; two for M.S. training in radiation biology at the University of Rochester; and three for M.S. training in radiation biology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
at Sandia Base, and 2 at USMA. Inactivation of the U.S. Army Hospital, Camp Hanford, Wash., resulted in a reduction of 10 ANC spaces.
Retirements.?There were, during the year, 57 mandatory and 49 voluntary retirements of Regular Army personnel. There were 34 mandatory retirements of Reserve personnel.
Increased requirements.?Due to the withdrawal of all Navy Nurse Corps spaces from the command, Tripler General Hospital was authorized an increase of 20 spaces in the first quarter. The U.S. Army Hospital, White Sands, N. Mex., was authorized an increase of six spaces in the second quarter, and three additional procurement officer spaces were authorized?one each to First, Second, and Fifth U.S. Armies. Twenty additional spaces were authorized for medical specialists advanced courses. Faculties for courses at Walter Reed, Brooke, Fitzsimons, and Letterman General Hospitals were increased from four to six officers. Additional courses were authorized to be started (two pet year) at Madigan General and Womack Army Hospitals; each is authorized six ANC instructor spaces.
Personnel classification.?Changes No. 1, AR 611-101, dated 27 December 1960, authorized changes in classification of ANC officers; and DA Circular 611-30, dated 6 February 1961, authorized deletion of letter prefixes affixed to Army Nurse Corps MOS?s, pending the revision of AR 611-103. By the end of fiscal year 1961, a review and award of MOS?s under the new criteria had been conducted for approximately 20 percent of ANC officers on active duty, and the review will continue into fiscal year 1962.
The most severe shortage in clinical nursing specialties is in obstetrics and pediatrics. Formal training for young officers in the 2 specialties is conducted at William Beaumont General Hospital, but with a full complement of students, this will prepare only 16 officers per year. Changes to be made in classifications from MOS 3430, nurse administrator, and MOS 3449, nurse, general duty, to clinical nursing MOS?s will be beneficial. Approximately one-third of the nurses now on active duty are awarded MOS 3430 or MOS 3449. In the reclassifications to be made, MOS 3430 will be awarded to fewer than 100 officers, and MOS 3449 will be restricted to newly commissioned officers with little or no prior graduate nursing experience. It is anticipated that a complete review will show that many nurses now classified for administrative or general duty are actually qualified and performing as obstetric and pediatric nurses. The requirements for, and availability of, key ANC officers are shown in table 14.
AMEDS (less MSC) officers.?Public Law 86-559 amended certain provisions of ROPA (Reserve Officer Personnel Act) of 1954 as pertain to members of the Army Nurse Corps and the Army Medical Specialist Corps in the permanent Reserve grade of major or below. The act formerly required the release of officers in the grade of captain or lower at the end of the month of attainment of age 50, and the release of majors upon completion of 28 years? service, which in most instances was age 53. This act now requires the release from active duty of all officers in the Reserve grade of major or below upon completion of 25 years? service. Of 14 ANC officers qualifying for active-duty retirement during fiscal year 1961 who were eligible for retention on active duty until completion of 28 years? service, only 8 were eligible for retention following passage of Public Law 86-559. The three officers selected for retention will be relieved from active duty 3 years earlier than the date they would have been released had Public Law 86-559 not been enacted.
MSC officers and warrant officers.?Of 225 MSC officers attaining active-duty retirement eligibility during fiscal year 1961, 16 were selected for retention in the outstanding and other categories; 2 declined retention, and 14 elected to remain on active duty until mandatory release is required under the maximum service provisions of ROPA.
Of 42 warrant officers (AMEDS) attaining active-duty retirement eligibility during fiscal year 1961, 7 were selected for retention; 2 declined retention, and 5 elected to remain on active duty until attaining 30 years and 60 days of active duty or age 62, whichever is earlier.
Early release of medical officers.?In June 1957, the Department of the Army approved an early release policy for Reserve medical officers desiring to accept resident and fellowship positions in civilian institutions.
Officers could be released up to 90 days prior to the expiration of their service commitment.
Because of the large numbers of officers requesting early release each year under this program to begin their training on 1 July, which resulted in a critical shortage of medical officers during the summer months, and because of increasing worldwide commitments of the Army Medical Service, it became necessary in November 1960 to discontinue this policy.
Authority to command outside AMEDS.?A legislative proposal was initiated in August 1960, as a part of the DOD legislative program for 1961, to amend Section 3579, Title 10, United States Code, to provide authority for officers of the Medical Service Corps to exercise command outside the Army Medical Service when directed by appropriate authority.
The Medical Service Corps was established by Public Law 337, 80th Congress (approved 4 August 1947). Since that time, MSC officer have been assigned in increasing numbers to branch immaterial duties These assignments cover such fields as research and development, supply, intelligence, military assistance advisory groups, military missions, and Army aviation, as well as the Army General Staff. In addition, since the establishment of the Logistics Officer Program by the DA, certain officers of the Medical Service Corps have been approved for participation as logistics officers, and it is anticipated that many others will continue to be nominated for this important career field.
of troops which are not part of the Army Medical Service.
By the end of June 1961, after committee hearings had been held, the proposal was unanimously approved and referred to the floor of the House. Indications were that the amendment would be approved by Congress in early fiscal year 1962.
legislation would abolish the statutory requirement for sections in the Medical Service Corps and the statutory positions of chief and assistant chiefs of the Medical Service Corps, and would include the Medical Service Corps among the corps of the Army Medical Service permitted to have officers in a regular grade above colonel.
Regular Army commissions for male officers (ANC and AMSC) and removal of other restrictions.?A legislative proposal for the 1962 program was initiated in June 1961 that will amend Sections 3069, 3070, and 3291, Title 10, United States Code, thereby providing for the appointment of males in the Regular Army of the Army Nurse and Army Medical Specialist Corps and, similarly, to remove the requirement that females only may be appointed chief of corps, and assistant chiefs of the Army Medical Specialist Corps.
Strength.?The authorized strength for enlisted personnel in the 23 medical military occupational specialties was 38,765, of which 1,813 were enlisted women, at the end of the fiscal year. The actual strength was 40,597, including 1,590 enlisted women, making an overstrength of 1,832, of which 1,690 were in a transient status and not chargeable to personnel authorization. The net overstrength, therefore, was only 142. There was a significant shortage of 1,046 medical corpsmen and 160 pharmacy specialists. However, the former was more than offset by an overage of 1,460 of other more highly trained medical specialists, leaving only pharmacy specialists in critically short supply.
Reenlistment program.?The Surgeon General continued to emphasize the importance of retaining qualified medical enlisted personnel in whom valuable training time and funds have been invested. Retention rates have continued to improve. The Surgeon General?s overall command (class II installations and activities) won the fiscal year 1961 award (AR 601-280) for the technical service effecting the greatest improvement in its retention rates. Of those personnel under The Surgeon General?s command, 44 percent reenlisted the day following their discharge, as opposed to only 34 percent in the previous year. Among the career Regular Army soldiers, 91 percent reenlisted; 31 percent of the first-term Regular Army soldiers, 39 percent of the Reserve component soldiers, and 5 percent of the inductees did likewise.
personnel attended more than one course the total number of enrollments was 37,578.
U. S. Army Medical Training Center.?A total of 17,452 personnel attended this facility for preservice school and for medical corpsman medical specialist training. This total included 10,582 active-Army personnel and 6,870 RFA personnel who enlisted for 6 months of active-duty training under the Reserve Forces Act of 1955. Of particular significance is the fact that the number of active-Army personnel tending both medical corpsman (MOS 910.0) and medical specialist (MOS 911.1) training increased from 2,387 in the prior year to 4,666 this year, and the number of RFA personnel attending both courses increased from 2,232 to 5,663.
Service school courses.?A total of 4,477 individuals participated in AMEDS school courses during the year, many of whom had just completed preliminary training at the U.S. Army Medical Training Center, Brooke Army Medical Center. Of this total 3,476 were given basic specialist training in an MOS, 824 attended advanced courses, and 177 attended functional-type courses to extend or refresh their knowledge in their present specialty. Of the total number trained, 4,210 students were active-Army personnel, 43 were from Allied nations, 133 were enlistees under the 6-month RFA program, 54 were from units of the Army Reserve and National Guard, and 37 were from other sources. Of the 4,210 active-Army students, 85 percent were Regular Army soldiers who will, in the long run, reduce total training requirements because of their 3-year-or-more active-duty commitment.
Attrition rates.?Attrition rates for most service school courses were significantly higher than they were during the previous year, indicating a need for better selection of students. For the basic specialist courses, it is believed that the higher rates are attributable to the new selection procedures established by AR 611-259. Previously, such students who were sent to the U.S. Army Medical Training Center for preliminary training were evaluated and interviewed by medical personnel during the preliminary training, and then scheduled for the course for which they were best qualified. Under the new procedure implemented in September 1960, personnel must be trained in those courses for which The Adjutant General has selected them, unless they do not meet the specified prerequisites for the course involved. Since sufficient applications were not received to fill requirements for advanced specialist training, it was necessary to accept those personnel who applied, even though some of them were not considered to be well qualified, and as a result, attrition rates rose. Further studies will be conducted relative other causes of attrition and appropriate corrective actions initiated.
Changes to service school courses.?The annual training capacity for the Medical Specialist Advanced Course (8-R-911.3)?which was increased from 150 to 350 last year?was further increased to 550 for fiscal year 1962, with the addition of Madigan General and Womack Army Hospitals to the facilities conducting the course. Additionally, the program of instruction for this course was revised, the prerequisites for attendance were changed, and it was shortened from 46 to 40 weeks in length. This course has been widely publicized through several media to encourage attendance by NCO?s (noncommissioned officers) and specialists in an attempt to meet shortages for personnel trained at this level. A need for aggressive recruiting for students will exist during the coming and future years in order to meet requirements for specialists and to qualify technically NCO?s now holding MOS 911.
Because of projected shortages of optical laboratory specialists (MOS 453), a 20-week course (8-R-453.1) was established at the U.S. Army Medical Optical and Maintenance Activity to train 30 personnel every 6 months. Since 45 percent of the first class failed, the prerequisites have been changed to require that all students have high school mathematics in order to attend.
Since the shortage of pharmacy specialists continued to increase, and since induction and training in the Navy?s course could not meet the Army?s needs, a 20-week Pharmacy Specialist Course (8-R-932.2) has been established at the Medical Field Service School to train 144 personnel during the coming year. This course will have an annual capacity of 192 for fiscal year 1963 and thereafter.
Training capacity in the Medical Laboratory Procedures (Advanced) Course (8-R-931.2) has been increased from 40 to 80 students per year for the coming year. The additional 40 personnel will be trained at Brooke, Letterman, and Walter Reed General Hospitals and at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.
The prerequisites for attendance at the AMEDS NCO (8-R-F10) and Food Inspection Procedures (Basic) (8-R-934.1) courses were revised during the year. The programs of instruction for, and prerequisites for attendance at, the Operating Room Specialist (8-R-913.1), Neuropsychiatric Specialist (8-R-914.1), Clinical Psychology Specialist (8-R-915.1), and Physical Therapy Specialist (8-R-921.1) courses were revised during the year.
Specialized on-the-job training.?Several medical specialties do not lend themselves to formal service school courses, either because of the small number of personnel required in the specialty or because of the specialized personnel and facilities needed to conduct the training.
Accordingly, 27 personnel were trained at WRAIR and the Army Medical Research Laboratory to perform the duties of veterinary specialists (MOS 084.1) in medical laboratory facilities. Letterman and Valley Forge General Hospitals trained 11 physical reconditioning specialists (MOS 922.1) and trained 16 occupational therapy specialists (MOS 923.1). Also, one individual was trained as an orthopedic bracemaker (MOS 451.3), and two were trained to fabricate plastic eyes (MOS 002).
Training at civilian institutions.?The Surgeon General continued to sponsor the training of enlisted personnel at civilian educational institutions under the Army?s 2-year college program (AR 350-260). Twenty-five individuals continued training begun in previous years, of which 15 completed training and 1 was eliminated for academic deficiency. Eight new individuals were placed in training during the year, leaving 17 in training at the year?s end. Twenty additional personnel will be placed in training for medical laboratory technology, food technology, and nuclear engineering studies during the coming year. Thirteen enlisted men were trained at civilian institutions in such short courses as specialized crown and bridge work and fabrication of orthopedic appliances. Nineteen individuals attended courses conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service in venereal and other communicable disease control methods.
Classification and assignment.?Studies continued to be conducted as a preliminary to the revision of the veterinary (084), medical (911), pharmacy (932), and food inspection (934) occupational specialties. Final action, however, has not been completed.
Imbalance between noncommissioned officers and specialists.?The overage of NCO?s and shortage of specialists continued to exist in every one of the advance-level medical MOS?s. Consequently, it was necessary to utilize a significant number of NCO?s in specialist positions. Retirements of senior NCO?s during fiscal years 1962 and 1963 are expected to adjust these imbalances.
Status of AMEDS supergrade NCO?s.?There are now 145 sergeants major (E9) positions authorized throughout the Army in the medical specialist MOS (911), and 108 personnel hold this new grade. Additionally, there are 493 first and master sergeants (E8) positions authorized for AMEDS personnel in 9 different MOS?s, and 465 personnel hold this new grade.
(second), neuropsychiatric, clinical psychology, social work, dental assistant, medical laboratory (third), pharmacy, preventive medicine, food inspection, and X-ray. The remaining medical MOS?s will be tested by 30 May 1962.
Beginning with tests administered during February 1961, all individuals tested who attain a modified Army standard score of 70 on a combination of the MOS test score and the commander?s evaluation score are officially considered to be qualified in their MOS and skill level. Experience with the six medical MOS?s tested since February indicates that most of the individuals failing to qualify on the MOS tests do qualify when the two scores are combined.
Proficiency pay.?Proficiency pay of $30 or $60 per month was authorized under the Military Pay Act of 1958 as an incentive to retain enlisted personnel in specialties requiring long-term technical training and in which the reenlistment rates for first-term Regular Army soldiers are low. Such pay was also authorized for a limited number of personnel who are outstandingly proficient in noncritical specialties. A total of 6,249 AMEDS enlisted personnel are receiving proficiency pay, of which 5,913 receive $30 per month and 336 receive $60 per month. The medical laboratory specialty?for which formal training required for award of the 931.2 level is 70 weeks and for which the first-term Regular Army reenlistment rate is extremely low?is the only medical MOS authorized $60 proficiency pay.


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Rucks in focus when Saints take on Dogs
AFL June 13, 2020
As Brett Ratten continues to ponder St Kilda's best ruck set-up, the coach has urged Rowan Marshall and Paddy Ryder to make the most of their opportunities against the Western Bulldogs.
Sunday's clash at Marvel Stadium shapes as a key audition for the pair, with most clubs going with a lone ruckman with longer in-game breaks and shorter quarters this season.
"Do they play, both of them, each week? I don't think so," Ratten said on Saturday.
"It's horses for courses and we'll play with that throughout the year … I don't think we'll go in and say that it's going to be Paddy and Rowan each week.
"It might just be Rowan and we'll do something different.
"It will depend on how dominant they are in the middle, so when you get your chance to ruck, put your best foot forward and really give us first use."
Sunday's match pits two sides against each other who have had a long time to stew on disappointing season-opening losses.
The Saints led North Melbourne by 31 points before suffering a gut-wrenching two-point defeat, and the Dogs were widely criticised after they were brushed aside in a 52-point loss to Collingwood.
While that defeat was nearly three months ago, Ratten is confident the lessons learned will be fresh in his players' minds.
"Maybe if we did win we might've wallpapered over some cracks, so it's allowed us to reflect and get a bit pointier with some things," he said.
"We've got to be accountable for that result, me included.
"It was a game that was in our hands and we let it slip … we had to address it to become a better team.
"There were some really good lessons, but whether that transfers into victory straight away? I don't know, but what it does do is it helps us know what makes us a good team."
St Kilda made three changes to that side, with Jake Carlisle, Nick Coffield and Nick Hind replacing Dean Kent, Dylan Roberton and Luke Dunstan.
For the Bulldogs, Easton Wood (quad) and Lachie Hunter (suspension) couldn't be considered and Ben Cavarra, Lewis Young and Zaine Cordy were dropped.
Billy Gowers, Ed Richards, Laitham Vandermeer – who will debut – Lin Jong and Patrick Lipinski were added to the line-up.
China sentences Australian man to death for drug smuggling
Eels, Cowboys forwards set for suspensions
AFL September 24, 2020
North's Higgins free to explore AFL offers
A day after putting four-time club leading goalkicker Ben Brown on the AFL trade table, North Melbourne are open…
Pies, Tigers relaunch AFL with stalemate
AFL heavyweights Collingwood and Richmond have played out their first draw in more than 100 years as football made…
Titans' starting role coveted by Wallace

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Dannel Gomiller: Lord of the… Dance?
Feel free to navigate above to check out all my different things.
Watch my videos, listen to the podcast, see my pictures. ENJOY!
Here's my viral video from before they called them viral videos, Tunak Tunak Tun!


This gorgeous 4,300 sq/ft fully renovated family home boasts spectacular summit views! Situated on a huge 11,000 sq/ft sun filled lot. The back yard is open & perfect for entertaining. The home features 6 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms along with a gourmet kitchen, H/W flooring, crown mouldings, 2 F/P's vaulted ceilings, extensive attention to detail throughout. There is also a nanny or in-law suite. A sensational opportunity, only minutes away from Coquitlam Town Centre & Port moody's Newport Village. Close proximity to Elementary and Secondary Schools.


Hi, I'm having an issue where my pc will not boot past bios, it is a brand new build and I can't for the life of me figure out what to do. I have tried multiple drives to boot from and in BIOS it registers all of them but will not allow boot. As in it sees them but even in boot override it won't list them and the list is empty.
I tried putting in a windows 10 install USB drive and it can't find a drive to install to, despot there being an SSD in there which the pc does see. Please help as I'm completely stuck.
I also tried updating the BIOS on the mobo but it only says something along the lines of 'BIOS drive not recognised' and will not update via usb, ez flash 3 or internet. Wondering if this maybe a mobo issue or something? Don't know?
in bios it see ssd as first boot you need to activate the usb as first boot to get the os on and install on the ssd .
Hi, thanks for the suggestion but I just worked it out. After trying my SSD and HDDs in my other rig I discovered they were ALL completly corrupted 😂 god knows how it happened but I installed a new drive, reinstalled windows and it now works like a charm.


text:
Number of homeless Mass. families in hotels surges
PUBLISHED: December 2, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: July 11, 2019 at 12:00 a.m.
GREENFIELD (AP) — The number of homeless Massachusetts families being placed by the state in hotels has surged to an all-time high, despite efforts to reduce the number.
The state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development reports that nearly 2,100 families per night on average were temporarily housed in hotel rooms in October.
The demand is so great that some homeless families from the Boston area are being placed in western Massachusetts hotels.
Aaron Gornstein, state undersecretary for housing, tells The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/1cMNAjG ) the surge has followed cuts in state and federal housing subsidies, soaring rents in the Boston area, and still-high rates of unemployment and underemployment among the poor.
In the past five years, state spending on motels has exploded to more than $46 million from about $1 million.
Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com


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MediaVideosNews
Over an hour of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive footage ready for viewing
By Ryan Reynolds	• 8 years ago
Intel has released over an hour's worth of footage from Valve's highly anticipated competitive shooter, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The footage was taken at the Intel Extreme Masters Global Challenge, a tournament that pit a team from the United States against a team from Europe in one of the world's most competitive E-Sports. The footage obviously comes from the PC version of the game, but we expect the XBLA version to look very similar when it launches in the spring of 2012. Take a look at the pwnage in the video above, and remember to stay tuned to XBLAFans for more Counter-Strike: Global Offensive coverage.
Valve Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Counter-Strike Hidden Path E-Sports CS
Ryan works in management and currently serves on the Village Board where he resides in New York. Ryan has contributed to various gaming websites since the age of 15 and is excited to be involved once again at the age of 25. As a contributor to XBLAFans, Ryan enjoys delivering news and his perspective on games and the industry to fellow fans once again. Follow Ryan on Twitter @RyanReynoldsIII.
FeaturesFeature List
XBLAFans anticipated 2012 game release master list
Head of Xbox division doesn't view Valve 'Steam Box' as a...
Head of Xbox division doesn't view Valve 'Steam Box' as a console competitor


text:
Our examinations
Cultural outings
Balsamine Theater | Todos caerán
From 16 February 2022 at 20:30 to 26 February 2022 at 20:30
Balsamine Theater
In some words...
In February, discover "Todos Caeran", the new creation of the Balsamine theatre !
At the beginning there is only a theatre room, three people, a text, Chekhov perhaps: nothing extraordinary, it could be a rehearsal. Suddenly a fourth character arrives.
He claims to be a knight errant and calls himself Don Alfonso Quichano. His horse is a wheelbarrow and his sweetheart is called Andy. This is the beginning of a series of adventures in which these four beings are both the authors and the subjects.
Todos Caerán is about a stubborn search for identity that is undeterred by failed attempts and bitter disappointments. It is an absurdist road trip through different eras, situations and literary styles. The only landmark is the theatre: that's where the protagonists keep coming back to, as if it were only in the place of performance and sharing that there was any hope of meeting oneself.
Exhibition | On Display
From 12 October 2022 to 05 March 2023
As an object of design and architecture, both a place of exchange and a social marker, the store plays a central role in our urban landscape and in the history of our commercial practices. From October 12 to…
The best way to learn French
Latest update on 31.08.2022
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Barsuk Records is een onafhankelijk platenlabel uit Seattle, Washington, VS. Het label werd opgericht door de leden van de band This Busy Monster. Deze bandleden zijn nog steeds de eigenaren van het label. Het logo van het platenlabel bestaat uit een hond met een lp in zijn bek.

Bands en artiesten die onder het label hebben gewerkt
(Alfabetisch geordend)
 All-Time Quarterback
 Aqueduct
 Aveo
 David Bazan
 Blunt Mechanic
 Death Cab For Cutie
 Abigail Grush
 Harvey Danger
 Jessamine
 Kind of Like Spitting
 Kurt Cobain about a son
 Lackthereof
 Little Champions
 The Long Winters
 Mates of State
 Menomena
 Travis Morrison
 Nada Surf
 Jim Noir
 Pea Soup
 Pearly Gate Music
 Phantogram
 The Prom
 Ra Ra Riot
 Ramona Falls
 The Revolutionary Hydra
 Rilo Kiley
 Say Hi
 Smoosh
 Starlight Mints
 Sunset Valley
 Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter
 They Might Be Giants
 This Busy Monster
 John Vanderslice
 Viva Voce
 Rocky Votolato
 Chris Walla
 What Made Milwaukee famous
 The Wooden Birds

Externe link
 Officiële site

Amerikaans platenlabel
Popmuziek-platenlabel

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Glenford K. Adams was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. At the age of 14 he left Mt Hope Junior secondary moving to Buffalo, New York where he continued his education at Hutchinson Central Technical, one of the cities premier high schools. In 1998, he pursued a film degree at Brooklyn College, focusing on screenwriting, producing, directing and production. In late 2004, Kevin began an internship with SONY Music where he later became a production assistance on numerous music videos. In 2005. he created TriniGoodfellas Film & Video as his independent production company where he contracts video production services .
In March of 2010, his screenplay No Soca NoLife, was one of three production that was chosen (out of over 80 submitted) to be developed TTFC. "No Soca No Life" won best actress in the TT Film Festival. In 2013 launched a series of TV shows that includes Models of the Caribbean, Carnival Climax and Local Addicts and a direct to DVD video production on Carnival events.
Check out Kevin's video for one of this year's soca hits, below.


20 Second Timeout: What is a Good Shot?
A couple months ago I did a post titled Is Gilbert a Gunner? That came shortly after Gilbert Arenas scored 60 points against the Lakers and Kobe Bryant questioned Arenas' shot selection. Of course, most people jumped on Bryant for being a sore loser as opposed to actually considering whether or not what Bryant said may actually be true. Looking at Arenas' stats--and watching him play--it is pretty clear that he is a gunner in both the good and bad senses of the word: he scores a lot of points, including making big shots at key moments, but he also fires away from all angles regardless of the game situation. That post prompted a lot of comments and Agent Zero's defenders argued that his good three point field goal percentage makes up for a multiude of sins. My response to that is that if your point guard shoots 6-9 on three pointers in one playoff game and 1-9 in the next that his percentage is .389 but his team will be 1-1 at best and possibly 0-2 in those contests.
Notice that the shooter's field goal percentage is just one of four things that Collins considers. The amount of time left in the game (and on the shot clock) and the score are important; if your team is winning, then it might be advisable to pass up even shots that are open in order to drain the clock and give the other team less of a chance to come back. If none of your teammates are in position to get an offensive rebound then if you miss the shot it is basically a turnover and an invitation for the other team to start a fastbreak. On the other hand, if the floor is balanced in such a way that no one is in position to get back and the missed shot is not rebounded by the offense then the other team will get an uncontested layup.
Of course, no player always takes good shots. Above average players, because they have the ball in their hands more than good, mediocre and bad players, take more bad shots than other players--but if the best player on your team regularly takes bad shots it can seriously limit the team's opportunity to be successful.
I think this would be a great question to explore in depth.
I wonder if you asked coaches and their players, if the answers would match?
It would be a great indicator of the player's understanding of the team/coach's philosophy or of the coach's ability to relay that info to his players.
I'm pretty sure that in many cases the answers given by players and coaches would not match. Arenas and Eddie Jordan just had a public mini-feud about how much Jordan emphasizes the importance of defense and in Cleveland LeBron James wants the Cavs to push the ball more while Coach Brown wants the team to focus on playing better defense and creating high percentage offensive opportunities that way. Talented players think that they can make any shot and score in any situation, while coaches look at the big picture and want their teams to play in a way that offers the maximum chance for success in the long run. When Tex Winter used to try to get MJ to run the triangle offense by saying that there is no "I" in "team" MJ would respond that there is an "I" in "win."
I am not too sure I agree with Coach Collins. Two out of the four criteria essentially boil down to "what happens if I miss" rather than "what can I do to not miss", and another one is strategy rather than tactics, having little to do with the actual play except regarding the shot clock and such.
I think all those criteria are valuable, don't get me wrong, but I also think that he should stress the "getting the ball in the net" aspect a bit more; only the first criteria deals with it, and it's plain old shooting percentage.
The point is that even the best shooters are going to miss half of their shots or more, so what happens after the miss is hardly trivial. If the miss comes at a time when the court is well balanced then the other team will not be able to fast break. There is a reason that no team has yet won an NBA title with the approach of just jacking up threes from all over the court.
The NBA is the highest level of the game and you can't win in the NBA by just rolling the ball on the court. There has to be some kind of a philosophy that a team adheres to offensively and defensively. Phil Jackson likes the triangle offense and has certain defensive principles that he uses. Jerry Sloan has his system, Popovich has his, etc. Just shooting the ball whenever you feel like it because you have a decent shooting percentage--the approach advocated by Gilbert Arenas and his devoted fans--is not a championship-winning philosophy. It can work on some nights and it can work against poor opposition (or even good opposition once in a while) but it does not work consistently against good opposition in the playoffs.
The Houston Rockets champion teams were pretty close to the "shoot treys without a conscience" approach. Well, not really, but you know what I mean.
Having proper balance so that the opposition cannot just run counter time and again is crucial, and it has been so since the Lakers and Celtics in the 80s. But I still can't help but think that coaches are increasingly leaning towards doling out shots as if they cost actual money. Specially when taken by non-star players.
You still need more than .400% of your shots to go in if you want to go home with the W, but other than Jackson's triangle I don't see coaches focusing on getting his players higher percentage shots.
I think that Coach Collins' criteria are sound and valuable, but I also think that execution of the offensive play should also factor in somewhere. After all, the aim of the offensive play is still scoring.
There must be a balance between taking pot shots without a conscience and running a play based on what you'll do when it fails.
The '94 Rockets did lead the NBA in three point field goals made and attempted, as did the '95 Rockets. The difference between those teams and, say, Arenas' Wizards is that the Rockets had a premier post player (Olajuwon) who ranked third and second respectively in scoring during those seasons. He commanded double and triple teams that led to wide open three point shots, meaning that the Rockets had excellent floor balance; a missed three pointer was not going to become an easy layup for the other team because most of their players were clogged in the lane trying to stop Hakeem. When Arenas and other current gunners launch threes the other team can release one or two players on the fastbreak, grab the rebound and score. Again, the issue is not just shooting percentage or number of shots but the quality and timing of those shots, as Collins indicated.
By the way, the Rockets' rankings are a little deceptive because they did not shoot as many threes as the current league leaders shoot.
The aim of the offensive play should be to penetrate the opposing defense by posting up or driving, which results in a breakdown that leads to a high percentage shot. That shot may be by the post player, the driver or someone shooting an open three pointer after the defense has been compromised. Dribbling up the court and shooting from 27 feet without probing the defense is just a bad shot, unless there are only seconds left in the game.
On Sunday Arenas was 4-22 vs the Timberwolves. Sometimes you have to stop shooting. Like I said in your gunner post of course he is a gunner.
"The aim of the offensive play should be to penetrate the opposing defense by posting up or driving, which results in a breakdown that leads to a high percentage shot."
I fully agree. That's what is was `[ineptly] trying to say regarding Collins' comments: I miss such a criteria in his list. To me, a good shot is above all a shot that culminates some kind of advantage the offensive has gained over the defensive - a mismatch, a player free after a screen, a first step that leaves your mind behind etc. You have an advantage and you try to press it home with the shot.
Arenas, on the other hand, seems to have the "itch": high volume shooters quite often get the itch if they don't get the ball after two or three plays, and their body language starts saying "next time the ball goes anywhere near me, I'm shooting it". No advantage over the defense, no consideration of the situation, no nothing.
"that leaves your mind behind".
I was trying to say "man", but it looks almost better that way.
I agree that Gilbert has what you so aptly described as the "itch." I think that he leads the league in the "itch," at least among All-Star players. Guys like Eddie House and Earl Boykins have it, too, but they are pretty much one dimensional players who are brought off of the bench to shoot and are not expected to do much of anything else. Guys who have the "itch" can be quite entertaining to watch at times--I just wouldn't vote for one for MVP, unlike the "analysts" who have been propping up Arenas' case for MVP the first half of this season. As Illest's running countdown of Arenas' recent shooting shows, I think those guys are going to be rushing to destroy any record of them touting Agent Zero as the best player in the league. Supposedly Arenas was making Butler and Jamison better, but without his two All-Star level cohorts Arenas seems quite helpless--unlike Kobe, who has been carrying an All-Star-less team for the better part of two years now. I'm sure that Arenas is not going to shoot 3-18 for the rest of the year but I'm equally sure that he is not close to being the most valuable player in the NBA, either.


With Valentine's Day approaching, men and women all around the country are making mad dashes to restaurants, live performances and flower shops to show their love for each other. And why shouldn't they? Placed in the shortest month of the year, February, Valentine's Day is an opportunity to show significant others, objects of affection, spouses, partners, boyfriends and girlfriends that you care. Also—who doesn't relish a little bit of romance? It's good for the body, mind and spirit and makes us feel rejuvenated and alive.
Candles are a big part of romantic life, as anyone planning an evening with "just the two of you" know all too well. Whether it's Urban Re-leaf candles made from coconut wax cannabis essential oils, they are truly an ideal pick for this important holiday celebration of Cupid's arrow. How perfect would the tantalizing aroma of English garden and bamboo found in the popular candle Zen Garden be strategically lit over a romantic dinner? What about arranging a few of the best-selling Salonka candle, known for its spicy and exotic properties, all along the bathtub to honor a lifetime or a short time of being together? The possibilities are endless, especially when it comes to new and inventive ways to impress your loved one with the variety and nuance of Urban Re-leaf cannabis candles.
Is it no surprise that a former lover we refer to as "an old flame" or a current and lifelong partner as "the love of one's life"? The connection between candles and romance has been in the zeitgeist for hundreds of years and rightfully so—low levels of light tell our bodies it's time to relax. This opens the gateways for love and romance.
However, candles aren't all that romance has in store for February 14th. What better to pair with the candle My Oud—jam-packed with notes of floral, plum and agarwood—than a dozen red roses? Such a combination is tough to beat, especially from an established and praiseworthy company like Fiore Designs, who specializes in succulent flowers and plants for special events. Want to try something other than roses—why not spice up your Valentine's Day with other romantic flowers, such as tulips, orchids or lily stargazers?
Whether you're celebrating 40 years of marriage or a burgeoning new and exciting relationship, cannabis candles and fresh flowers clearly send a strong signal to Cupid to line his arrow up sooner.


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Home / unitedkingdom / Glastonbury Festival bans single-use plastic bottle sales
Glastonbury Festival bans single-use plastic bottle sales
united kingdom February 27, 2019 unitedkingdom
More than a million plastic bottles were sold at Glastonbury 2017, organizers said
Single-use plastic bottles are to be banned from sale at Glastonbury.
An announcement on the festival's website said the containers would not be supplied backstage, nor to catering or production staff.
Festivalgoers have also been urged to carry "as little single-use plastic as possible."
Organizer Emily Eavis encourages ticket holders to bring reusable bottles and said "hundreds of free water taps" would be available.
Glastonbury spokesman said more than one million plastic bottles were sold at 2017's event.
Ms. Eavis said it was "paramount for our planet" to reduce plastic consumption.
"I'm thrilled that, together, we'll be able to prevent more than one million single-use plastic bottles from being used at this year's festival."
Acts confirmed for this year's event include Janelle Monae, Stormzy and Kylie Minogue.
The festival, held in Pilton, Somerset, since 1970, had a "fallow year" in 2018 to allow the ground to recover.
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text:
Q: Why aren't my images being added to my JButtons? I have a program that consists of four JButtons in a JFrame. I want to add images to the JButtons. The problem is that I can't seem to add them, despite trying multiple methods. When compiled, the output is input == null. The images are stored in the same folder as my .java files, so I can't figure out why they aren't showing up.
Main class:
import java.awt.GridLayout;
import java.awt.Image;

import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.swing.BoxLayout;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;

public class AutoProgram extends JFrame {

    private static String[] files    = {"workA","programmingA","leisureA","writingA"};
    private static JButton[] bIcons  = new JButton[4];
    private static Image[] bImg      = new Image[4];

    public AutoProgram() {
        super("Automation Project V.1");

        JPanel autoIcons = new JPanel();
        autoIcons.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2));

        // Initialize the four buttons (w/ images)
        for(int i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
            bIcons[i] = new JButton();
            try {
                bImg[i] = ImageIO.read(getClass().getResource(files[i].toLowerCase() + ".png"));
                bIcons[i].setIcon(new ImageIcon(bImg[i]));
            } catch (Exception ex) {
                System.out.println(ex);
            }
            autoIcons.add(bIcons[i]);
        }

          JPanel mainPanel = new JPanel();
          mainPanel.setLayout(new BoxLayout(mainPanel, BoxLayout.PAGE_AXIS));;
          mainPanel.add(autoIcons);
          add(mainPanel);

          pack();

}}

Window class:
public class Window {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        AutoProgram frame = new AutoProgram();

        frame.setSize(315,315);
        frame.setLocationRelativeTo(null);
        frame.setFocusable(true);
        frame.setResizable(true);
        frame.setVisible(true);
    }
}

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A: Before going into the answer to your question, please read the following recommendations:

*

*private static JButton[] bIcons  = new JButton[4]; Creating static fields could break your program, so be careful when to use them. Not really needed in this case, please read What does the 'static' keyword do in a class?

*JFrame is a rigid container which cannot be placed inside others, and you're not changing it's functionallity anywhere in your program, so there's no need to call extends JFrame, it's better to create a JFrame instance then. See: Extends JFrame vs. creating it inside the program for more information about this.

*You're correctly calling pack() but later in the code you're calling frame.setSize(315,315); which "destroys" the changes made by pack(), use one or the other, not both, I recommend you to leave pack() call.

*You're not placing your program in the Event Dispatch Thread (EDT), you can fix it by changing your main(...) method as follows:
public static void main (String args[]) {
    //Java 7 and below
    SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
        //Your code here
    });

    //Java 8 and higher
    SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
        //Your code here
    });
}

Now, let's go to the solution:
Your code works fine, I think that your errors might come from the following posibilities:

*

*Calling files[i].toLowerCase() (.toLowerCase() method might be breaking your program, Java is case sensitive).

*Your images are not PNG but JPG or JPEG (look at the extension carefully)

*Your images are damaged

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text:
PR4PR Podcast
Owlwitness News
PRHSTunes
The Owl's Eye
PRHS Night Watch
Change is Inevitable: Six Years in the Lives of Seventh Graders and Seniors
Smriti Gounder, Staff Writer|October 15, 2019
Lilly LaRocca- 12th grade
As students reach new milestones, like senior year and seventh grade, they start to reflect on their accomplishments. To get a better understanding of what students have to overcome, the NightWatch Newspaper posed questions to the seniors and seventh graders at Park Ridge High School to see what they believed were the highlights of their past six years.
Seventh graders, Ishwar, Balraj, and Bennett, and seniors, Lilly, Desera, and Amanda reflect on their development of character over the past six years. To begin, the interviewees were asked how they developed as a person in the past six years. They all agreed upon the fact that they learned and matured a lot as the years passed. Seventh grader, Bennett Adel, went into depth on this topic saying how he has learned to accept "that people are better than [him] at certain things," that they have more practice in and that it is fine to ask for help from those who are more skilled in an effort to improve yourself. Amanda Hopper also noted that she "gained confidence, … and [became] more talkative." This growth of mental strength is found in many students as they find their own identity and become their "own individual person" as Lilly LaRocca reflected. This development of character is fueled by major events and decisions in a student's life. Balraj says that one of the biggest events for him was that he "won a national doubles tournament" and Ishwar expands upon that saying that he was proud he "decided to stick with tennis" and was "getting better at [it]".
"I gained confidence … and [became] more talkative""
— Amanda Hopper, 12th Grade
Having strong and healthy relationships helped these students build a better image of themselves. Bennett articulated that his best decision was when he "helped out in the mornings at East Brook to open car doors for them." This allowed him to reach out to the younger students of his school community. All three seniors agreed that joining a club like Girl Scouts or Marching Band was a big moment for them to develop relationships with others. Both Amanda and Bennett felt that the death of their family members took a big toll on them. The passing of his grandparents really resonated with Bennett, forcing him to realize that he "can't take my loved ones for granted." Relationships that students develop with their teachers, friends, and family helped make these changes easier to handle. Bennett thanks his "kindergarten and first grade teacher[s] … [because] they helped [him] to realize [his] love of reading."
As Amanda, Desera, Lilly, Bennett, Balraj, and Ishwar go on to face new obstacles and changes, they were asked to advise the younger kids who are going to have a similar journey. Ishwar says students should "Always do [their] best in everything [they] do, and strive [to be] better" as elementary school "was a good experience which helps for the future." Balraj explained that this time of his life was "short and fun" and wants others to "embrace it" by "following [their] dreams". Upperclassmen, on the other hand encouraged students to try hard without over exerting themselves. Desera says that since the time period between seventh and twelfth grade was "annoying and hectic" students should learn to "relax" and take "one piece of the puzzle at a time." Seniors, Amanda and Lilly, are looking towards their future in college. Amanda hopes to "get good grades in [her] classes, try [to] be very involved in school activities, and get into college for [her] major." Lilly adds that she also wants "to finish [her] gold award… and ultimately become a Trauma or ER Nurse."
My time between seventh and twelfth grade was "annoying and hectic" and students should learn to "relax" and take "one piece of the puzzle at a time.""
— Desera Carr, 12th Grade
To get a better understanding of what they have overcome, Ishwar, Balraj, Bennett, Lilly, Desera, and Amanda were asked to reflect on their development over the past six years to explain what they took away from it. They highlighted how they have learned, matured, strengthened relationships, and developed a greater character as they went down a path to develop their unique identity. They also talk about how other people in their lives helped them have a smoother change and gave advice to other students who are going to walk down a very similar path that they did. Their advice encouraged students to to be an individual who follows their dreams, get involved with the community, and to remember that a minor set-back is not going to be the end of the world as long as they work hard and enjoy their time in school. These pieces of advice are very important as students can use them to set goals and know where to go for support.
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K&D Mine Suppliers (Pty) Ltd, has been supplying the Mines and Local Industry since June 1970. The Company is a family owned and operated business, and already has a third generation manager in the Safety Equipment Supply division.
Situated at 96 Hefer Street, Ooseinde, Rustenburg where they have been trading since December 2005. A new Bulk store has been added to the premises allowing the stock holding of PPE items to be increased. The increase in stock holding allows for a decrease in turnaround times for deliveries of safety related products.


Marketers have long thought about the emotions of their customers in relationship to selling products or service. However, human beings respond to all written information with their emotions. In fact, we use our emotions to make decisions and then maybe use data to support those decisions. This fact is true whether a customer is reading a bank statement, a marketing brochure, or terms and conditions for a credit card. Those of us who create content need to understand the types of emotions that engender trust and loyalty and how to write content that reinforces those emotions.
Join Scott Abel, The Content Wrangler, and Deborah Bosley, Ph.D, Principal of The Plain Language Group, for this free one-hour webinar. Deborah will explain the connection between emotions and language and offer examples of content that empathize with customers to create true relationships and vital customer experience.


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Guest Blog: Melodie Gives Back in Los Angeles!
Home // Philanthropy // Guest Blog: Melodie Gives Back in Los Angeles!
July 9, 2013July 6, 20170 Likes
in Philanthropy
We are so proud of our communications intern Melodie Tamse, who spent a good chunk of her summer doing service projects in Los Angeles. She just arrived back in the office on Monday and is sharing her experience with us!
"For the past ten days I experienced Los Angeles from a unique perspective. Instead of just doing the traditional touristy activities I set out on an adventure with 17 teenagers and two other counselors and helped the communities of Los Angeles.
On our first full day in Los Angeles we headed to Hermosa Beach. We biked along the bike path all the way to Manhattan Beach and watched the surfers catch some waves. That night we headed to Hollywood and saw the famous Hollywood sign and placed our feet in the footprints of the most celebrated celebrities such as, the cast of Harry Potter, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and even Donald Duck. After a fun-filled day exploring Los Angeles we prepared for our first service project.
The next day we worked with the Orange County Rescue Mission, which is a beautiful transitional facility for the homeless. The guests stay on the campus for 18 to 24 months and rebuild their lives. While at the Orange County Rescue Mission we met with one of the guests, Erica. She told us how her kids kept on being taken away from her while she was on the streets and finally she was sent to jail. After her time in jail she realized that she did not want to lose her kids again, so she decided to straighten up and apply for a spot at the Orange County Rescue Mission. Since her time at the Mission, Erica has become one of the key admissions administrators and talks to perspective guests about how their lives will change for the better after entering the campus. After listening to Erica's inspiring story, we started our service project that would last two days. We ran a food drive at three locations, Albertson's, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. After two days of collecting food, we received over 3,000 pounds of food donations for the homeless.
After two successful days of service at the Orange County Rescue Mission we headed out to our next adventure, Venice Beach. At Venice Beach we walked along the boardwalk and took in the sights. There were street artists, street performers, and even celebrities along the path. Some of our trip members met Frankie Muniz while he was filming a short film in the middle of Venice Beach. Also at the Beach, we saw the huge body builders exercising at Muscle Beach. Our day at Venice Beach was very exciting to say the least.
The next day we started our second service project at The Boys and Girls Club of Harbor City. Before we started interacting with the kids we learned about the background of Harbor City. We learned how difficult the kids living in Harbor City have it. The directors of the club mentioned that they go into lock down whenever they hear helicopters hovering above the city because that means that the police are trying to find criminals that are on the loose. They then explained that they go into lock down at least twice a week. One of our trip members asked, "how do the kids feel when they go into lock down?" and everyone was surprised at Ebony's response. She said, "It is a normal part of their day, they don't worry or get anxious because it happens so frequently." After our talk with Ebony and Bobi, we appreciated everyone and everything in our lives a little more. We then spent the rest of our day at The Boys and Girls Club playing basketball, jump rope, and foosball with the kids.
As a way to celebrate a successful first day at The Boys and Girls club we drove to our next adventure, Temescal Canyon where we hiked to the top of the mountain and took in the idyllic views of the Los Angeles skyline on our left the Pacific Ocean on our right. The next two days at The Boys and Girls Club were filled with more fun as we played different games with the kids and held a Penny Carnival on our last day. At the carnival we all led different booths such as face painting, the cupcake walk, dot drop, and soccer shoot out. The kids' faces lit up when they won their prizes at each booth. It was great to see the kids and the teenagers enjoy the carnival together.
After our three fun-filled days at The Boys and Girls Club we celebrated at the Santa Monica Promenade and Pier. While at the Promenade we surprised one of our tip leaders, Teddy for his birthday by performing a flash mob in the middle of the Promenade. He was so surprised, all of our practice and preparation paid off.
Finally, it was our last day and coincidentally the Fourth of July and what better place to enjoy our last day in Los Angeles than Universal Studios Hollywood. While at Universal Studios we took the studio tour, saw the set of Desperate Housewives, went on Transformers, The Mummy, and Jurassic Park. At night we had our banquet at Buca De Beppo where we reminisced about all of our fun times we had on our trip. Then in typical Los Angeles fashion we ran into another celebrity, Bella Thorne from Disney's Shake It Up. And like a perfect allegory we watched as the fireworks lit up the Los Angeles skyline for the Fourth of July, just as we brightened up the lives of the homeless at the Orange County Rescue Mission and the kids at The Boys and Girls Club of Harbor City."
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Josh felt miserable and a little anxious and afraid. His name had not been announced in the top three students of his class at the annual School Prize-Giving night this year.
He had seen Rosh's shock and incredulity at the announcements turn into anger. His father had been silently seething as they drove back home.
"What happened?" was all he had asked Josh on the way.
"I don't know", was all Josh had been able to reply.
Rosh fought internally to control his temper as the family gathered around at the dinner table. His knew Josh was intelligent.
But it was clear that he hadn't worked hard, letting supposedly lesser talented kids in his class overtake him. "They aren't in my league," he had said at the beginning of the school year.
Dinner was eaten in silence. As the empty dishes were being removed from the dinner table, Rosh began to speak, "Whether we like it or not, our education system has become a race."
"Sometimes it's just luck Rosh," interjected Isha, sensing his anger.
"I think I got over-confident Pa," said Josh, slowly getting up from the dining table to walk away. Hosh got up with him. As they walked out towards the garden together, he put his arm around him. The brothers were quiet for a long time, sitting very still on the step leading into the dark garden.
"You didn't study in the holidays Josh, and you didn't focus during the year. Things were too easy for you, so you digressed. You had to keep up your momentum, but you didn't."
"If you give someone a head start, Zeno argues that technically you can never catch up to them, no matter how fast you run. This is because by the time Achilles reaches the point at which the Tortoise started, the Tortoise has already advanced ahead of that point."
"You might laugh away the conundrum, but leaders in a any race do have a psychological advantage that becomes quite hard for followers to overcome in most cases. That is why stories are made and told where they do overcome these odds."
"Yeah, that they won't," answered Rosh, "Did you know a version of this fable was written about a hundred years ago by Lord Dunsany in his book called "The True History of the Tortoise and the Hare". What you fear is what happens in that version. The hare realises the stupidity of this challenge and refuses to run."
"But the show must go on, so the tortoise starts alone and finishes his race eventually. He is crowned the victor. But things fall apart when animals decide to dispatch their fastest on a critical mission. They send the Tortoise, and their world is annihilated."
"You can't create speed where no potential exists. But the society wants its competitions. It must create winners and losers. And then it opens doors for winners and closes them for losers."
"You can create doctors by reserving seats for the children from historically oppressed sub-classes within society or by giving the non-meritorious Medical College admissions if they pay appropriate donations, but will you go to such doctors for treatment when you need care yourself?", Rosh fumed.
"That's an issue for another day, my love" Isha sighed, "Isn't it possible that we could have over estimated our child's potential? We are definitely unaware of the potential in others."
"He may not be a hare afterall. That will not make him less of a man, nor make you love him less. But if he is a hare as you foresee, we need to focus on ensuring he doesn't go to sleep again. Now come, let's sleep on it."
She took him by the hand and tucked him in his bed for the night.


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Entertainment News: The Evolution Of Defense Of the Ancients 2
One of the most popular online games today is without a doubt, Defense of the Ancients 2 or DotA 2. A lot of people are becoming more and more engaged playing this unique game and DotA 2 is not showing any signs of slowing down. A lot of entertainment news has talked a lot about this game for the past 5 years. In this article, we will be talking more about this amazing game and why it is getting so much attention.
DotA 2 is a unique strategy game and is an upgrade to the ever popular Warcraft 3. The objective of the game is to destroy the opposing team's Ancient while protecting your own. The game is usually played by 10 players (5 for each team).
When you start the game, you will be required to pick a hero. The three main categories of hero you will have to choose from are intelligence heroes, strength heroes, and agility heroes. As the game progresses, you will be earning experience and gold and you will use these to upgrade your hero.
DotA 2 is very similar to chess, the better your opponent is, the more competitive and difficult the game becomes. This is why so many tournaments have been held during the past couple of years.
Majority of DotA 2 players are from Asia. Thailand and the Philippines are two of the most popular countries in Asia where players love to play DotA 2. Players from Sweden and other Northern European nations also spend a lot of their time playing DotA 2. Since DotA 2 did not make a lot of noise in North America, a lot of teams disbanded and very few tournaments were held in this country.
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One big reason why DotA 2 is very successful today is because of it's map The creator of this map is Steve Freak but he later on passed the torch to Ice Frog (game developer). Even if this is true, he is still an icon and a key creator of DotA 2.
Despite the fact that DotA 2 has no official support, multiple updates are still being made every now and then. The game lives because of the dedicated players/ users from all over the world, they share their opinions and suggestions to the game developers in order to make the necessary changes when it comes to heroes and items.
No one can deny the fact that Defense of the Ancients 2 is one if not the most hottest topic in gaming news today. This game is undoubtedly one of the greatest games created and if you have yet to play it, you should give it a shot soon.
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Patience came to see Prudence!
Simone Wood, Thomas Quigley, Adam Lavis, and Samantha Costin are part of the RQYS Youth Development Programme and loving their Etchells experience.
It was quite the thing. If yesterday had been marvellous, then what could you possibly say about the Wednesday, other than it was the day for the now world famous David and Sue Healey BBQ? These have become a must do component of any Brisbane Etchells event, and Wednesday night's one was just as good as the others, and also included some mid-regatta prize presentations, as well.
Yet the conundrum remained. Perhaps even the weather God's heard of the issues. For whilst there has been a lot of concern over whether there would be enough breeze to complete a series of seven races, and every model had dire looking predictions, the second day of racing in the 2019 Etchells Australian Championship got two absolutely glamorous races in to take the overall tally to five. Importantly, this now brings in the drop to the equation, but we'll come to all of that in a minute.
Magpie goes of to test the wind before ht start of Race Four today.
You see, just before it was all so, so good, and even the tide decided to be nice and gentle with everyone again today, you needed to have a sit down, and wait to chat with Patience. You see, she had come to catch up with her sister, Prudence, who ruled yesterday, when three races were completed and set the scene. Well done to PRO Louise Davis and her Race Management team, and their smiles today were just about as big as those of the competitors.
So with a little bit of waiting time done ashore, soon it was time to be towed out to the course. A little more waiting eschewed, not much, but the breeze wanted to go right a tad, and eventually 050 degrees held sway, and six knots got dialled in. It remained in the Nor'east zone all day, perhaps having a wee look further right, and built all day too. It settled in for a classic 12 to 15 knots by the end of the third work in the second race, and 0.75m sheep in the paddock (waves) were sliced by the Etchells oh-so-effortlessly. Perhaps that constant cooling from the harsh sun is what also had so many smiles on display.
Lisa Rose and those blue PFDs. In third place presently.
If it was all so good, then why would you want to sit it out? It's true, but the U Flag once again claimed some victims. As for the racing, well it was intense as usual, and many did well. Some of those in turn were very happy, for they had not done so well yesterday, and thus after meeting with Prudence and Patience, were looking for some redemption.
Gen XY are the overnight leaders with just two races left to coplete.
Corinthian leader, Animal House (AUS 832) with Tango (Chris Hampton, Sam Haines and Charlie Cumbley) to weather of them.
Doing well overall too is, Animal House, from the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth. Dirk Van Der Struyf is one elated skipper. Regrettably his normal crew could not make it, as they had expired all the leave and brownie points in the World Championship campaign, but Dirk has gelled well with his replacements from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club in Victoria. Tonight, together with Ben O'Brien and James Hannah they can be justly proud of being the Corinthian leader in 11th place overall, and five points clear of their nearest rival, Land Rat.
Showing that consistency may well be some sort of family member with Patience and Prudence today, was Lisa Rose. Martin Hill, Julian Plante, Mat Belcher and Sean O'Rourke collected a third and a seventh place today to see them be in third place overall for the evening. Clearly there is some enviable talent on board, but the smiling ninjas, and reigning World Champs, seem to be very much eying off the top position, and are only seven points astern of Gen XY.
Hill commented once back ashore, "A great day's sailing out there; so wonderful we could have done two more races! We had speed in the lighter conditions, and just have to find some more in the stronger stuff." In the end, all I can say is, look out for the blue PFDs!
Racing continues tomorrow from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Manly, with timing and number of races to be determined based on the weather. There are just two more races to be completed, and it is still very tight on the scoreboard. Please keep and eye on Facebook and the fleet website for updates.


Deferred annuities are designed for long-term accumulation purposes. Early withdrawals may be subject to surrender charges and if taken prior to age 59 1/2, a 10% federal penalty may apply. Money distributed from the annuity will be taxed as ordinary income in the year the money is received.
National Life Insurance Company and Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, both members of National Life Group, offer various types of annuities, each designed to help meet specific personal and business needs and objectives.
Indexed Annuities: An Indexed Annuity is usually a fixed (i.e., not a variable) annuity with alternate methods of determining and crediting interest. While traditional fixed annuities typically declare interest in advance for premium payments based on the performance of the company's underlying investments for those premiums, an IA's interest is determined, at least in part, by the performance of a specified index of marketplace performance (frequently the S&P 500 Index® or Russell 2000®)* over a stated period. For instance, the interest credit for an IA might be defined as 70% of the rate of increase in the S&P 500 Index® over each one-year period. Different IAs present different methods of determining the interest credits.
Unlike traditional fixed annuities, the policy owner may receive zero interest for a single period on a specific premium payment if the index performs poorly. However, with most IA designs, the premiums are protected and guaranteed to grow over time **. This is a feature unavailable with any form of direct participation in the marketplace, such as through a mutual fund or a variable annuity. Moreover, in better market conditions, the owner of an IA may experience interest credits that outperform traditional fixed annuities. Because it is an annuity rather than a mutual fund, the IA offers important insurance features including tax deferral, a death benefit that may be paid outside probate, and annuitization.
In order to settle down comfortably into retirement, one can use individual retirement accounts (IRAs). These are standalone tax-deferred accounts used for the purpose of saving up money for retirement. You fund an IRA by occasionally making contributions--deposits from your savings, deducting from payrolls, making a lump sum deposit, using annuities, etc.
Traditional IRA: Zero Tax on contribution; Tax-deferred Growth; help to reduce tax reduction on the year and taxed as ordinary income on withdrawal; must be under age 70 and a half to contribute. If you think future tax rates will be lower, then saving today on a pre-tax basis, such as a Traditional IRA, or your employer's retirement plan, makes a lot of sense.
Roth IRA: Tax on contribution; Zero tax on growth; increase leverage on savings; no age limit on how long you can contribute. If you think future tax rates will be higher then you may want to consider a tax-free retirement strategy using financial products such as a Roth IRA or permanent life insurance.
*Guarantees are based on the owner's ability to pay claims.


Barnhill Landscaping sells a wide variety of nursery supplies including plants, shrubs, trees, mulch, pine bark, potting soil, irrigation, pond pumps, and landscaping tools.
Designing and installing unique landscapes is a challenge that we look forward to at Barnhill Landscapes. We have installed landscapes for over 15 years. Bobby Barnhill, owner, has had the opportunity to design amazing landscapes and water features for over 9 years. In 2015, we launched the retail landscape supply store and nursery to help supply people with the tools to create their very own landscape paradise.