Misawa kicks off Military Saves Week

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Allison Day
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
On March 2, Col. David Stilwell, 35th Fighter Wing commander, became the first person at Misawa to make a pledge to save, helping kick off Military Saves Week, a seven-day event dedicated to financial awareness.

The focus of the week is to encourage, motivate and educate servicemembers and military families to increase personal savings, decrease debt and develop sound financial readiness habits, according to Deanna Dlugiewicz, 35th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant.

"Developing habits like this will lead to improved financial stability and ultimately military readiness," said Mrs. Dlugiewicz. "Our goal is 500 pledges during the week-long event."

The goal is also to have every person realize that the fundamentals of Military Saves are putting aside funds for emergencies, paying off high cost debt and buying a home, according to Mrs. Dlugiewicz. Additionally, it is important for servicemembers to contribute to retirement plans such as Thrift Savings Plan or a 401(k), and saving through the Savings Deposit Program when deployed.

The center has teamed up with the base exchange, the commissary, the youth center and the office of special investigation to make this week successful, according to Mrs. Dlugiewicz. Financial institutions on base have also joined the effort.

"Representatives from the financial institutions and OSI will host classes during the week-long event at the AFRC on saving, avoiding identity theft and basic investing," said Mrs. Dlugiewicz. "By attending classes and making the pledge, I want every person to know that they can save, even if it is just $25 a paycheck."

The classes are aimed at giving individuals the knowledge they need to make sound financial decisions as well as protect their future by safeguarding their investments, according to Special Agent Matthew Ferguson, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 23, who is presenting a class on identity theft.

"There are millions of victims of identity theft each year, especially online, due to scams," said SA Ferguson. "Scams are successful because they prey on vulnerable and unsuspecting individuals. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

"The best way to prevent identity theft is to use common sense," said SA Ferguson. "Keep all personal identification numbers to include social security, credit card and bank account numbers in a secure location and shred any correspondence prior to throwing it in the trash."

In addition to the identity theft class, individuals on base can learn how to save when they do their weekly grocery shopping during Military Saves Week. To increase shoppers' awareness of what they can save, Mrs. Dlugiewicz has volunteers who will post coupons on products throughout the commissary.

"Coupons can be a big savings, but sometimes shoppers don't take the time to use them." said Mrs. Dlugiewicz. "Shoppers who save the most this week will be awarded prizes. Details are available at the commissary."

For those who are interested in using coupons after Military Saves Week, they are available at AFRC and also at the front of the commissary.

"Shoppers at the commissary save 33 percent and it is especially important when people return stateside and have a wide variety of other places to shop," said Gregory McGruder, Misawa Commissary director. "Even with all those choices, they still need to realize that many times the commissary is the better place to shop."

This year for the first time, Military Saves is piloting a program for the youth of Misawa.

"We are targeting the children who attend elementary schools and teaching them about saving through questions and songs," said Mrs. Dlugiewicz. "Children are never too young to learn about saving."

From the young to the old, AFRC has come up with something for everyone to learn about building wealth and not debt, according to Mrs. Dlugiewicz.

"I hope people will have a greater awareness of saving and paying off their debt," said Mrs. Dlugiewicz. "I am hoping that they will focus more on saving and less on spending. We as a society are so wrapped up in consumer buying that we forget to save for retirement, a home and emergencies. With today's economic challenges, it's important to give individuals the knowledge they need to make decisions about saving."