Nevadan earns Navy’s Wings of Gold

Dick Benoit

Thursday, July 14, 2005 | 8:57 a.m.

Navy Lt. j. g. Tyler Tennille, son of George Tennille of Las Vegas, was recently designated a naval aviator while serving with Training Air Wing One, Meridian, Miss.

Tennille was presented with the coveted Wings of Gold, marking the culmination of months of flight training. Tennille followed a training curriculum that included basic studies in engineering and navigation, training flights in simulators, aircraft familiarizations, basic and advanced instrument training, extended navigation flights, and landings and takeoffs aboard an aircraft carrier.

Tennille, a 1998 graduate of Lincoln County High School, and joined the Navy in May 2002. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Death gratuity increase

The Defense Department recently announced a significant increase in the death gratuity for the survivors of service members killed in action and the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage for service members deployed to designated combat zones.

The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief Act 2005 (Public Law 109-13) increases this immediate cash payment from $12,420 to $100,000 for survivors of those whose death is as a result of hostile actions and occurred in a designated combat operation or combat zone or while training for combat or performing hazardous duty.

The supplemental also increases the maximum amount of SGLI coverage from $250,000 to $400,000 for all service members effective Sept. 1, 2005, and provides that the department will pay or reimburse the premiums to service members, who are deployed in a designated combat zone for $150,000 of SGLI coverage.

"No amount of monetary compensation or level of assistance can replace a human life," noted a July 1, Defense Department news release. "However, it is our country's duty to recognize the loss of a service member with dignified and appropriate support for the family members left behind.

In brief