Inside this issue:

205th MI BN Volume 2, Issue 8 Week ending 12 March 2010

A&C Open House Car Wash News/Comm. Briefs New CC Rules Misc Info Women’s History Motherhood Award MWR /BSC Info ACS Information

1 2 3 4-5 6-10 11 12 13-19 20-22

Misc Info

23-30

The contents of this binder are strictly for informational purposes and does not imply endorsement of any private or commercial organization by the 205th MI BN, 500th MI BDE, INSCOM or the Department of the Army.

Special Points of Interest: • Car Wash, pg. 2 • MyCAA update, pg.

8 Attachment: News You Can Use

THE VIGILANT VOICE

If you don't like how things are, change it!

You're not a tree.

~Jim Rohn

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Honolulu Festival — The 16th Annual Honolulu Festi-val will showcase cultural per-formances, exhibits and a pa-rade at four locations down-town, March 12-14. The festival promotes un-derstanding, economic coop-eration and ethnic harmony between the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Rim region. For a schedule and list of events, visit www.honolulufestival.com. AER Kickoff Rally—The 2010 Army Emergency Relief kickoff rally is set for March 19, 10-11 a.m., at the Nehe-lani Conference Center, Schofield Barracks. All brigade, battalion and unit commanders and com-mand sergeant majors, project officers and interested Sol-diers are requested to attend. Call 655-7132. Art and Essay Contest — The Armed Services YMCA’s annual art and essay contest invites students in grades 1-12 to write an essay about “My Military Hero.” Entries must be postmarked no later than March 19. Winning en-trees will be displayed in a

number of locations in the Washington D.C. area, and winners will be recognized at a luncheon on Capitol Hill. Entry forms are available at www.asymca.org. Tropics Closure— The Trop-ics Recreation Center will close for renovations March 15. Renovations are sched-uled to end May 21. Call 655-5698 for more info. Splash Day—All Armed Ser-vices YMCA Playmorning groups are invited to join for a day of wading pools and water toys at 1262 Dumont, Wheeler Army Airfield. Bring swim-suits, towels, sunscreen and a dish for a potluck lunch. Call 624-5645. Women’s History Month— The Women’s History Month observance will be a one-woman theatrical perform-ance at Sgt. Smith Theater, Schofield Barracks, March 24, 10-11:30 a.m. Kate Campbell Stevenson will portray the characters of Bessie Coleman, the first black female pilot; Saca-gawea, a Native American guide and interpreter and El-

eanor Roosevelt, humanitarian and First Lady. Call 655-4797 for more info. Easter SeaHunt— Families are invited to Waikiki Aquar-ium, March 27th from 0830-noon for Easter fun. Visit www.waquarium.org/newsevents.asp.

Ongoing Tax Center — The Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter tax centers are open to all service members, family members, and retirees. Schofield Bar-racks hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., on a walk-in basis only. The Schofield Barracks Tax Center is located in Building 648. Call 655-1040 for informa-tion. The Fort Shafter Tax Cen-ter is located in Building 1599, Fort Shafter Flats. Fort Shafter hours of operation are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., by appointment only. Call 655-1040 to make an appointment.

News and Community Briefs

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Federal Voting Assistance Program

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HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA: Schofield Barracks Education Center will have a 6‐week High School Diploma program from 8 JUNE‐22 JULY 2010, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 0900 ‐ 1200 hours. Program Cost: $20 for books and $75 for G.E.D. end‐of‐course testing. Visit an Army counselor for information and enrollment procedures.

High School Diploma Program

FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Application

Spouses can apply for the Military Spouse Fellowship Program to increase finan‐cial knowledge and support of military service members and their families. Spouses can earn the Accredited Financial CounselorR (AFCR) designation, to provide financial counseling and education within the military community. Apply at www.MilitaryFamily.org for the totally funded fellowship toward training and testing.

MyCAA Update A Message from the DoD In the days following the announcement of a temporary pause of the Career Advance-ment Account - MyCAA - we have heard your feedback, suggestions and concerns. We are pleased to announce that the MyCAA program will resume operations on March 13, 2010, at 12 p.m., noon (EST), for military spouses who currently have ex-isting MyCAA accounts. Those who have an existing account will have access to the entire Web site, including the ability to create and have financial documents ap-proved. We are currently developing long-term options for the program and expect to an-nounce the details soon. Until then, no new accounts can be created. During this time, Military OneSource Spouse Education and Career Consultants will continue to be available to provide education and training, career exploration, assessment, em-ployment readiness and career search assistance. Please visit our MyCAA site (http://www.militaryonesource.com/Default.aspx?tabid=486 or contact an MOS education consultant at 1-800-342-9647 with any ques-tions.

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S. 475: Military Spouses Residency Relief Act was signed by the President on November 11, 2009. Summary: Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) ‐ Amends the Service members Civil Relief Act to prohibit, for purposes of voting for a federal, state, or local office, deeming a person to have lost a residence or domicile in a state, acquired a residence or domicile in any other state, or become a resident in or of any other state solely because the person is absent from a state because the person is accompanying the person's spouse who is absent from the state in compliance with military or naval orders. Prohibits a service member's spouse from either losing or acquiring a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation because of being absent or present in any U.S. tax jurisdiction solely to be with the service member in compliance with the service member's military orders if the residence or domicile is the same for the service member and the spouse. Prohibits a spouse's income from being considered income earned in a tax jurisdiction if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of such jurisdiction when the spouse is in that jurisdiction solely to be with a service member serving under military orders. Suspends land rights residency requirements for spouses accompanying service members serving under military orders. Each state has its own implementation rules and there is no detailed guidance from OPM. Our legal staff is assisting with research of each state and U.S. territories to ensure our guidance and workaround will not conflict with any of the states. We are having internal meetings to discuss the research that we have done, system capabilities, communication and next steps. Shortly after that, we expect to have information ready for dissemination. Contact our help desk at 1‐800‐538‐9043, M‐F 0730‐1800 EDT with any questions.

Military Spouses Residency Relief State Tax Changes

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Do you know a deserving military mother that you would like to nominate for a special award? Operation Homefront and Lockheed Martin Corp. have partnered to‐gether to recognize the service and sacrifices of military mom’s with the Mili‐tary Motherhood Award. This award honors mothers in military families who un‐derstand sacrifice and service. The winner will be flown to Washington, D.C., for the $5,000 award and special recognition ceremony on May 6, 2010. Anyone can nominate a deserving mother for the award, but the nominee must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility System, DEERS or show other eli‐gibility. To nominate a military mother please visit www.homefrontonline.com between now and March 22, 2010. Please visit www.operationhomefront.net for more information.

Military Motherhood Award

A STRONG WOMAN A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape —

But a woman of strength looks deep inside to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything —

But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her —

But a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future —

But a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be blessings and capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure footedly —

But a woman of strength knows when to ask for help.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face —

But a woman of strength wears an aura of grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey —

But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.

~Author Unknown

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MWR Briefs Check out what’s new at

MWR!

www.mwrarmyhawaii.com Visit the link above to view the Discovery and receive informa-tion about: FMWR Furlough Fridays, New Aquatics Programs, Na Koa Snack Bar, Pililaau Army Rec-reation Center and more! PLUS: New EDGE Programs this month - Sign-ups are available for Outdoor Adventure, Bowl-ing, Archery, Sweet Treats, Duct Tape Art and UH Sports. For more information visit www.mwrarmyhawaii.com Guard Start Program — This program prepares chil-dren ages 11 -14 to learn what a lifeguard’s duty is and starts them on a journey for a possi-ble career in water safety. Classes will be held at Schofield Barracks on Mar. 15 – 19 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Cost is just $60 per child. Par-ticipants must be able to swim proficiently in the deep end of the pool. Registration ends on Mar. 10. A Chorus Line — The daz-zling complex fusion of dance, song and amazing drama, A Chorus Line continues on

Mar. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. each day. Tickets cost just $15 to $28 and are available online at www.armytheatre.com. Call 438-4480. *This perform-ance may contain some material that may be inappropriate for children under 13. Earth Day Recycled Art Con-test — April 22, 2010 will be the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. To celebrate, the libraries will be hosting a 100% Recycled Art Contest. Enter your art made of recycled materials to any Army library or the Schofield Barracks Arts & Crafts Center by March 30. Contest is open to all ages. Call 655-8002. Antiterrorism Awareness — Please continue to report the fol-lowing to appropriate law en-forcement agencies: suspicious personnel, particularly those carrying suitcases or other con-tainers, or other personnel seen observing or photographing ac-tivities/ facilities, or asking questions about military opera-tions or security measures, uni-dentified vehicles parked or op-erated in a suspicious manner on or in the vicinity of U.S. Army installations, units, or fa-cilities, abandoned parcels or suitcases and any other activity considered suspicious or out of place. Call 655-7114. Sgt. Yano Library — The li-brary on Schofield Barracks is

closed temporarily until Apr. 30 for new carpet installa-tion. During this period, the library will be open Monday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. only to clear de-parting personnel. Materials may be returned through the outside book drop. Call 655-8002. Tropics Recreation Cen-ter Closure — Tropics Rec-reation Center will be closed for renovations starting on Mar. 15. Renovations are ten-tatively scheduled to end May 21. For any questions or concerns call 655-5698.

Again for more information on other FMWR Programs

and Activities, visit www.mwrarmyhawaii.com

FMWR is now on Facebook!

Find us and friend them today!

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Serving the USAG-HI

Community

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1 Articles are for information only and do not reflect endorsement of referenced sites,

products, or services contained therein.

“NEWS YOU CAN USE” USEFUL INFORMATION FOR SOLDIERS, CIVILIANS & FAMILIES

March 2010

INFORMATION & REFERRAL: Soldiers and Families Could Face Cuts in Base Services Soldiers and their Families on Army posts around the country could see cutbacks in trash pickup, lawn mowing and other services as the military tries to hold down non-war spending while escalating the fight in Afghanistan. As total defense spending rises, the portion of the Army budget dedicated to running its bases is down 20 percent this year. Budgets for individual bases are not yet final, and proposed cuts vary in size and can be as much as 40 percent at some major installations. To learn more about base funding, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/Cutbacks. Military Families Can Use Sitter Site Free The Defense Department now is paying for an Internet service that helps military Families find in-home child care, nannies, tutors, elder care providers, pet sitters and other services in their local communities. Active-duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps members and their Families, as well as National Guard and reserve members and their families, can receive a free membership to the service, which costs an average of $120 a year. Retirees are not eligible. You must go to www.sittercity.com/dod to activate your free membership. 4-H Hosting Six Easy Bites for Military Children Fairfax County 4-H will again be offering Six Easy Bites this February and March. Six Easy Bites is series of six cooking, nutrition, and food safety workshops for 9 - 13 year olds and 14 - 18 year olds. For more information about this program and to register, please call the Fairfax County Extension Office at (703) 324-5369.

Army’s Posture Statement The Army's posture statement for 2010 is now online and available for download, use and reference at https://secureweb2.hqda.pentagon.mil/vdas_armyposturestatement/2010/index.asp. From the forward: "America’s Army continues to answer the Nation’s call, as it has since it was established nearly 235 years ago. Today our Army is fighting two wars, assisting other nations as they build their own security capacity, supporting civil authorities at home, helping the people of Haiti rebuild after a devastating earthquake, and preparing to deter and defeat new threats. The Army’s Soldiers, Civilians, and Families faithfully shoulder the load that our Nation asks of them. With the support of the Congress, we are on track with our four-year plan to put the Army back in balance."

RELOCATION: National Resource Directory Web site The US Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs are pleased to introduce the re-designed and enhanced National Resource Directory Web site, www.NationalResourceDirectory.gov. The National Resource Directory provides access to over 10,000 services and resources at the national, state and local levels to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration. The content on the NRD are reviewed regularly by a content management team that includes several Veterans and subject matter experts.

Military Spouse Residency Relief Act Links by State This act provides that when a Soldier is on military orders, the Soldier’s spouse may retain residency in his or her home state for voting and tax purposes, after relocating from that state to accompany the Soldier. When the military orders Soldiers to move, spouses who move with them may have to pay taxes in a new State or locality, and may lose the right to vote in the place considered home. This law

2 Articles are for information only and do not reflect endorsement of referenced sites,

products, or services contained therein.

alleviates these and other burdens on our military Families. This legislation is an important means of maintaining the morale and readiness of our Armed Forces, and significantly enhances the ability of our military to effectively recruit and retain these highly valued Soldiers.

DEPLOYMENT & FAMILY READINESS Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Training Extended to Families Resilience assessment and training is now available online for family members of Soldiers. The Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program has been available to Soldiers already for several months. Now their Family Members can participate, as well, beginning with a specially designed assessment tool -- a private, online assessment designed to measure strength in four dimensions of fitness. Comprehensive Soldier Fitness aims to improve people's overall strength in five dimensions: social, emotional, spiritual, family and physical. This online training comes in the form of Comprehensive Resilience Modules. These modules were created with the intent to provide people with tools and skills needed to immediately begin enhancing their coping and communication skills, among others needed to more effectively communicate with their spouse or deal with adversity. To take the Global Assessment Tool (GAT), go to www.army.mil/csf/family.html.

Nominate a Dad Nominate a Dad for the 2010 National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) Military Fatherhood Award. National Fatherhood Initiative will be accepting nominations for the 2010 Military Fatherhood Award, presented by Lockheed Martin, starting on Tuesday, January 19th at 12pm, but NFI will only be accepting the first six hundred nominations. To learn more, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/NominateDad.

Support the Military Child Toolkit The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) released a toolkit called "Supporting the Military Child" to help school leaders meet the needs of children whose parents are deployed or in transition. This free resource is available online on the American Association of School Administrators website at http://www.aasa.org/MilitaryChild.aspx.

EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY MEMBER PROGRAM: DisABLEDperson Scholarship Competition DisABLEDperson, Inc. announced the Spring 2010 scholarship competition for college students with disabilities. The competition for the $1,000 scholarship award will end on March 1, 2010. To qualify, a student must be a U.S. citizen and be enrolled full-time in a two-or-four year accredited college or university in the U.S. Upon winning, the student will prove disability through the Disability Student Services department. Disability is defined as "A disadvantage or deficiency, especially a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents normal achievement in a particular area, something that hinders or incapacitates." Entries are due before the March 1, 2010 deadline. The winner will be announced on the disABLEDperson website at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/Disabled. on March 15, 2010.

TRICARE Introduces New Benefit TRICARE introduced several new programs recently to include the TRICARE Assistance Program (TRIAP), which provides short-term professional counseling assistance. TRICARE's new Extended Care Health Option (ECHO), which provides benefits for eligible Family members diagnosed with extraordinary physical or psychological conditions. For information about TRIAP and other behavioral health resources, visit the TRICARE Mental Health Resources Center. For more information on TRICARE's new dental program and pharmacy benefits, visit the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Program website at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/ADDP and the TRICARE Pharmacy Program webpage at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/TRICARE.

Our Military Kids

3 Articles are for information only and do not reflect endorsement of referenced sites,

products, or services contained therein.

Our Military Kids (www.ourmilitarykids.org) has some exciting news to share with you, and we need your help to get the word out. Our organization applied for a grant from the Pepsi Corporation called "Refresh Everything". In 2010, Pepsi will give millions of dollars to fund good ideas that make the world a better place. Our Military Kids applied for a $50,000 grant award to provide grants to cover fees for enrichment activities for children of members of the Armed Forces who have died while serving our nation. Our Military Kids receives many requests from the families of these fallen service members, but to-date, our organization does not have the funding to award grants to these children who so richly deserve our support. The good news is that the Our Military Kids' idea for a grant to fund this new project has been accepted by Pepsi. Now Our Military Kids needs your help in order to receive the grant. Starting on March 1 (at 12:01 a.m.!) you can go to the www.refresheverything.com site and vote for the Our Military Kids project to support the children of fallen service members.

FINANCIAL: AOWCGWA Offers Scholarships for 2010-2011 Academic Year The Army Officers Wives Club of the Greater Washington Area (AOWCGWA), along with the Fort Myer Thrift Shop, is accepting applications for scholarships to be awarded for the 2010-2011 academic year. Applications must be postmarked by March 31. The scholarships are available to spouses and qualified graduating high school seniors and in-college students (who are sons or daughters) of active duty, retired or deceased Army personnel. More information on eligibility and requirements along with the application form and contacts is at www.aowcgwa.org. E-mail questions to AOWCGWASCHOLARSHIP@gmail.com.

Military Spouse Fellowship Applications for the 2010 FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship for the Accredited Financial Counselor® Program are being accepted March 1 – April 15, 2010 for military spouses. Please pass this information on to friends and colleagues who may be interested in applying to be a 2010 FINRA Foundation Fellow to earn the AFC® certification. Information about the program can be found at http://www.militaryfamily.org/get-info/support-family/spouse-employment/financial-counselor-fellowships.html.

Free Tax Filing through MOS/Tax Law Changes/Combat Zone Tax Errors Military OneSource (MOS) again offers service members H&R Block At Home® (formerly TaxCut) online tax filing through the MOS web site and telephonic tax consultations by calling the MOS tax hotline at 1-800-730-3802. You can prepare your 2009 state and federal taxes with this easy-to-use program. Provided by the Department of Defense, H&R Block At Home® is free to active duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members and their Families. If you have questions, click FAQs. Tax consultants are available to answer your questions 7 days a week from 7 am - 11 pm ET by calling the Military OneSource Tax Hotline at 1-800-730-3802. NOTE: You must use the link on the Military OneSource Web site to access our customized product and create your account. Do not go to the public H&R Block Web site to create a user account. For more information, or to begin your tax preparation, go to: http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/TaxFiling.

NMFA Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Spouses of Soldiers, including active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retiree and Survivors, are eligible for the 2010 National Military Family Association (NMFA) Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship. Scholarships of up to $10,000 are available for military spouses to use to obtain GED or English as a Second Language (ESL) training; vocational training; professional certification; post-secondary; and graduate school. These scholarships assist with tuition, fees, and school room and board. NMFA sends funds directly to the accredited educational institution. In 2009, NMFA awarded more than three hundred scholarships. For more information or to apply for a scholarship, visit http://www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/military-spouse-scholarships/.

4 Articles are for information only and do not reflect endorsement of referenced sites,

products, or services contained therein.

First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended, but with Some Changes The President extended the First-Time Homebuyer Credit that was set to expire November 30, 2009. The $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers proved to be quite popular. In order to keep the positive effect on the housing market going, the President signed the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, extending the tax credit until April 30, 2010 ( you must have a binding contract by that date; the closing must take place by June 30, 2010). The new law still offers the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, but does have some additional provisions, as well. To read more about the new law, go to http://www.myarmyonesource.com/news/2009/12/HomebuyerTaxCredit and click on “Homebuyer Credit” in the rotating display.

FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM TRICARE Expands Behavioral Health Care Options TRICARE has made the valuable treatment option of psychiatric partial hospitalization available to more beneficiaries by streamlining its certification procedure for this type of behavioral health care. Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) at TRICARE-authorized hospitals are now considered TRICARE-authorized providers and no longer need a separate certification. Freestanding PHPs, however, must be certified and be participating TRICARE providers. To learn more, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/BehavioralHealth.

OUTREACH: DoD Trains Thousands to Help Millions with Registration to Vote The Defense Department’s Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) began training voting assistance officers at military bases worldwide recently. Thousands of voting assistance officers will help an estimated 6 million uniformed and overseas citizens vote absentee this year. DoD and Department of State directives require a voting assistance officer at the unit level and at every embassy and consulate to facilitate this effort. Because the law has changed significantly since last year, voters need to be aware that they will not automatically receive ballots from absentee ballot applications submitted in previous years. Military voters should submit a new federal post card application every year, and every time they move, deploy, or redeploy. Overseas civilian voters should submit an application before every federal election. Military and overseas voters should only use the Federal Post Card Application (available from voting assistance officers and at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/FVAP), and not state registration and absentee ballot application forms; the FPCA provides specific federal rights and guarantees that the state forms do not. Voters should use the http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/FVAP web site and check the “Voting Assistance Guide” to make sure they get it right.

EMPLOYMENT READINESS PROGRAM: Army Spouse Employment Partnership Initiatives for 2010 The Army Spouse Employment Partnership (ASEP) is designed to help spouses realize their dreams of having a career. The ASEP has numerous initiatives to advance the program during 2010. Development of a promotional ASEP video for use in multiple venues to highlight the program, and help make ASEP a household name with Army spouses in 2010. For more information about the ASEP program, visit http://www.myarmyonesource.com/EducationCareersandLibraries/default.aspx .

SFAC / AW2 American Red Cross’ Armed Forces Casualty Travel Assistance Program The Service to the Armed Forces Casualty Travel Assistance Program (CTAP) is a one-time grant available to up to two immediate Family members who are not on Invitational Travel Orders (ITOs) or government-funded. The program provides assistance for travel, lodging and food expenses for travel to the bedside of a service member injured in a combat zone in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility

5 Articles are for information only and do not reflect endorsement of referenced sites,

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(AOR), who is hospitalized in a medical facility in the continental United States/U.S. territories. Assistance will be provided upon the recommendation of the attending medical authorities; and, Travel to the funeral or a memorial service for a service member killed in action in the CENTCOM AOR. For more information, individuals should contact your local Red Cross chapter. To locate a local chapter, visit http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/RedCross. Sesame Street PBS Special: When Families Grieve When Families Grieve, starring Elmo and Katie Couric will air on PBS April 14, 2010 at 8 pm (check local listings). The show will lead off the Talk, Listen, Connect: When Families Grieve outreach efforts. More details coming soon. Military Pathways Helps Soldiers and Families with Mental Health/Alcohol Issues The Department of Defense launched Military Pathways to provide free, anonymous mental health and alcohol self-assessments for Family Members and Service members in all branches including the National Guard and Reserve. Military Pathways is available online, by phone, and at special events held at installations worldwide. Self-assessments include a series of questions that, when linked together, help create a picture of how an individual is feeling and whether they could benefit from talking to a health professional. The primary goals of the program are to reduce stigma, to raise awareness about mental health, and to connect those in need to available resources. The self-assessments address depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use and bipolar disorder. After an individual completes a self-assessment, referral information is given about services provided through the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. To read more about Military Pathways, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/MentalHealth. Toolkit Helps Answer Service Members’ Healthcare Questions One in five service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from major depression or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. To help service members affected by a behavioral or other health condition, TRICARE created the Toolkit for wounded, ill, and injured service members. The Toolkit is located at http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/TRICAREWII and is a good resource for wounded service members seeking information about healthcare.

VETERANS Veterans Owed ‘Stop-Loss’ Special Payment Must Apply to Receive It About 185,000 veterans forced by wartime “stop loss” orders to serve on active duty beyond their approved separation dates are due a retroactive special payment of $500 for each extra month they served. However, these veterans must apply by October 21, 2010 to receive the extra money which was set aside in appreciation for the extra time they had to serve. Through December 2009, only about 15,000 veterans and current members had applied for “Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay.” The average lump sum payment made to eligible Army veterans so far is $4500. That suggests an average stop-loss period of nine months, considerably longer than required by any other service. To read more, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/StopLossPay.

NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE Respite Child Care Expands The Armed Services YMCA Respite Child Care program recently expanded to all 50 states. The program provides up to 16 hours of child care for families of deployed Guard and reserve personnel. It?s meant to be a "short break" for the parent or guardian responsible the child's care and not a substitute for full-time or daily care. For more information including a list of available locations, visit the Armed Services YMCA Respite Child Care Program webpage. http://www.asymca.org/Programs.aspx?PgmID=3&mid=27

6 Articles are for information only and do not reflect endorsement of referenced sites,

products, or services contained therein.

DEALS OF THE DAY: A General Military Discount Available Locally Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse stores provide all active, reserve, retired and medically discharged military personnel and their immediate families a discount of 10% off at all times for the purchase of any in-stock or Special Order merchandise up to $5000 ( the maximum discount for items costing $5000 or over is limited to $500). The purchaser must show valid military ID or VIC card at the time of purchase to receive the discount. The offer is shown at: http://www.lowes.com/cd_promotions_452036367_ Other chains and individual stores have military or senior discounts. These may not be advertised in the store. It does no harm and may result in savings if one asks. A list of major chains “known for offering discounts, but not all locations may participate” is at: http://www.4militaryfamilies.com/militarydiscounts.htm A much longer list is at the Army Times site: http://www.armytimes.com/marketplace/discounts/6/

Walt Disney World celebrates the U.S. Military in 2010 As Disney Parks ask “What Will You Celebrate?” and invite guests to turn their personal milestones into magical Family vacations in 2010, America's military personnel will have more reasons to celebrate: Special offers on theme park tickets and accommodations. For information, go to http://myarmyonesource.com/News/2010/02/WaltDisney.

FREE ADMISSION SUMMARY Any active duty, activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the Here's to the Heroes program. He or she need only register, either by going to http://commerce.4adventure.com/store/os_application.asp and submitting his or her information or in the entrance plaza of participating parks, and show a Department of Defense photo ID. As many as three direct dependents of military personnel also are entitled to free admission. Dependents may take advantage of the offer without their service member, though an adult must accompany minor dependents, and dependent ages 10 and over must present valid dependent I.D. Busch Gardens Williamsburg and SeaWorld San Antonio are seasonal operations that will remain closed until spring 2010. Military personnel interested in visiting those parks should check operating schedules. Go to http://www.buschgardens.com/bgw/Plan/Calendar.aspx for Busch Gardens Williamsburg; http://www.seaworld.com/ParkHours.aspx?locID=2 for SeaWorld San Antonio. http://www.sesameplace.com/sesame2/park-info.aspx?id=park-hours for Sesame Place. The remaining parks, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld San Diego are open year round. Valid for one complimentary single-day admission per person, per year, during the regular operating schedules at one of the following: SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego, or San Antonio, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay or Williamsburg, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, Adventure Island. Not valid at Discovery Cove and Aquatica. Christmas Town at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. is not included as part of this program.

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