Wrestlers Offers Free Tickets to Troops

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – Servicemembers can take advantage of the generosity of professional wrestlers by getting free admittance into World Wrestling Entertainment events worldwide. Members of the military can receive a free ticket to WWE events, based on availability and excluding WrestleMania events, when they provide valid identification to the box office on performance day.

"As a company, we feel that if it wasn't for troops laying their lives on the line we couldn't do what we do every day here in the states," said Sue Aitchison, senior manager for community relations.

WWE became a corporate partner with the Defense Department's America Supports You program in May 2005. America Supports You connects the nation's support of the troops directly to servicemembers and their families.

World Wrestling Entertainment has been a long-time supporter of the armed forces by visiting the wounded in military hospitals overseas and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.

For the past three years, WWE superstars have traveled to Iraq to tape a televised holiday special that was broadcast to Americans and troops around the globe. They also have sent millions of dollars worth of T-shirts, videos, promotional items, magazines and compact discs to military personnel operating on the front lines.

"It is our philosophy that it doesn't matter what one's political preference is; we have to support these guys," Aitchison said.

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European Command Deputy Strengthens Partnerships in East Africa

By Tech. Sgt. Devin L. Fisher, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – A week-long visit by the deputy commander of U.S. European Command to five East African nations focused on fostering relationships and improving bilateral military engagements in the region. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward returned March 3 from a trip that included meeting with Ethiopian and African Union officials, as well as addressing the Africa Center for Strategic Studies' Senior Leaders Seminar, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He also met with senior leaders in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

U.S. European Command has responsibility for U.S. operations in most areas of Africa.

Ward reinforced the importance of fostering partnerships as he presented the Senior Leaders Seminar attendees with a brief look at the current security environment, followed by a top-down approach to U.S. engagement in Africa. He also provided an overview of the recently announced U.S. Africa Command, designed to focus the Department of Defense, Department of State and other U.S. government institutions in cooperating with African partners to achieve a more stable and secure environment for Africa.

Ward visited key leaders in the four other East African nations to get perspectives on issues affecting bilateral military engagements in the region. The nations "play an active role in maintaining security and stability in the region," Ward said. "We support these nations' contributions to the cause of peace in the region."

Ward met with the presidents, ministers of defense, chiefs of defense and U.S. ambassadors in all four nations.

The general's visit in Uganda included a tour of the Kasenyi Training Site. He also toured Rwanda's Gako Training Academy, where the country's forces train for peacekeeping missions in Sudan.

In addition, he participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Gisozi Genocide Memorial that acknowledges the loss of the Rwandan people during the 1994 genocide.

"We came to pay our respects to all those who died during this tragic time in Rwandan history," Ward said. "Our responsibility is to do our very best to stop cases where humankind does such terrible things to other members of the human race."

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Michigan Auto Shops Offer Free Oil Change for Military Families

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – Military family members in Michigan don't have to squeak by anymore when it comes to routine auto maintenance thanks to eight auto garages throughout the state. "We offer a full-service oil change with a brief safety inspection," said Rob Hopp, owner of Auto Advantage. "We're offering them to any military dependent, active or reserve."

The services are free once every 90 days with an appointment and a military dependent identification card, he said. The Oil Change Help program began just a few months after the fighting started in Iraq and will continue until at least Dec. 31.

Tom Ham, who owns Ham's Automotive, was the key player in getting the program going, Hopp said. "He (Ham) has three children who are Marines," he said. "Two of them have been to Iraq and back."

Hopp had his own reasons for wanting to help out though.

"Gratitude for one thing, for the freedom that we enjoy," he said. "I know that our military is one of the primary reasons that we're able to have the freedom we have today."

He said a customer made the need for his and the other garage owners' services apparent. "(We) just got to talking about things that don't get done, or things that she wonders if they're done right," Hopp said. "(Car maintenance is) one thing that tends to fall to the bottom of the priority list."

News about the free service mostly has been spread by word of mouth, though the local newspaper and radio in the Grand Haven area have given it mention, he said. So little publicity has kept the numbers of those taking advantage of the service at Hopp's garage to about one a week, though he's sure he can handle more.

"I've never hesitated to think that we could handle all (the dependents) that were in this area," he said. "We would need to set appointments, of course, and spread it out a little bit."

Military dependents also can find participating garages in Grand Rapids, the Oak Park area of Detroit, and Marshall. Other garages are welcome to join the program, though there are some requirements that must be met, Hopp said.

"I'm open to others (participating)," he said. "There are some specifics that need to be maintained as far as ethics, (for example) not using it as a tool to lasso people in."

Garages interested in becoming part of the free oil change program can e-mail Hopp through the contact link on the Oil Change Help Web site. The Web site also has contact information for military dependents wanting to make appointments.

As for the servicemembers, Hopp has a simple message for them: "Keep up the great work."

Editor's Note: Military families can also avail themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their families. A listing of these groups and information about their efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.

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VA Seeks Volunteers to Play 'Taps' at National Cemeteries

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – Hundreds of volunteer buglers and trumpeters are being sought to participate in Armed Forces Day observances held at veterans' cemeteries nationwide and overseas, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs official said here yesterday. The event, called "Echo Taps Worldwide," will be held May 19 and is co-sponsored by the VA's National Cemetery Administration and "Bugles Across America," a volunteer group, said Michael Nacincik, the cemetery administration's chief of communications and outreach support.

"Echo Taps" will take place at VA-operated national cemeteries, U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service national cemeteries, and American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries located overseas, Nacincik said.

"It is an extremely important event for a number of reasons," Nacincik said. "It honors the service of veterans to our country."

The initiative also encourages musicians to perform as live buglers at veterans' funeral ceremonies year round, Nacincik said. In 2006, 688,000 veterans died in the United States, he noted, with most belonging to the World War II generation.

"There is overwhelming popular support to have 'Taps' played at veterans' funerals," Nacincik said. "And, obviously, with that many burials taking place, there are not enough buglers to provide a live bugler at every burial."

Nevertheless, Bugles Across America has done "a very good job" of obtaining volunteers to play "Taps" at military funerals, Nacincik said.

"It is important that our nation preserves the tradition of a live bugler to play final military honors," Leslie Hampton, a Navy veteran and Bugles Across America volunteer, stated in a recent VA news release.

"Hopefully, 'Echo Taps' will go even further and help to identify people who know how to play 'Taps' or are willing to learn how to play 'Taps' and motivate them to want to provide the service when they're available at veterans' funerals in the future," Nacincik said.

Volunteer buglers and trumpeters must register through the VA's website, which is attached to the "Echo Taps" site at www.echotaps.org, Nacincik said.

The VA operates 124 veterans' cemeteries across the United States, Nacincik said. Generally, persons who've received other than dishonorable discharges after completion of military service are eligible for burial at a VA-operated national cemetery, he noted.

Related Sites:
Participate in Echo Taps Worldwide
Echo Taps
Department of Veterans Affairs Burial and Memorials information

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General Officer Assignment

The Army announces the assignment of the following general officer:

Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick, Fort Detrick, Md. to commanding general, North Atlantic Regional Medical Command/Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, effective March 3, 2007.

Bush Dispatches USNS Comfort on Goodwill Mission

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – The hospital ship USNS Comfort will provide health care to disadvantaged citizens at several Latin American and Caribbean ports of call this summer, President Bush announced here yesterday. "The United States military is a symbol of strength for this nation, but it's also a symbol of the great compassion of the American people and our desire to help those in our neighborhood who need help," Bush told members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The Baltimore-based hospital ship's doctors, nurses and support personnel expect to treat 85,000 patients and conduct up to 1,500 surgeries during its voyage, Bush said.

The USNS Comfort will depart in June and make port calls in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Haiti, Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana and Suriname, Bush said.

Bush said the United States has nearly doubled the amount of foreign aid to Latin America and the Caribbean region since he took office, noting that $1.6 billion was spent last year. The United States also is launching several new medical, economic and educational initiatives to assist poverty-stricken Latin Americans and Caribbean citizens, the president said.

"These are people who need help. These are people who might not otherwise get the basic health care they need to realize a better tomorrow," Bush said. "The Comfort is also going to partner with the Department of Health and Human Services on a new initiative to provide all care to the region's poor. Dentists and hygienists will fill cavities and treat infections and provide treatment for the young children."

He added that military medical teams will be operating inland to help bring care to other communities. "These teams do everything from vaccinating people against disease to building new medical clinics," Bush said.

He highlighted a current humanitarian mission in Nicaragua, where 250 U.S. airmen, soldiers and Marines are partnering with 30 Nicaraguan army soldiers to build a new medical clinic.

Through the deployment of the Comfort and the work of military medical teams throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, "we're making it absolutely clear to people that we care," Bush said.

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IRS Offers Free Tax Assistance for Troops, Families

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – With income tax deadlines quickly approaching, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding troops and their families that free assistance is available to them at military tax centers worldwide. The IRS has provided the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program to servicemembers from more than 25 years.

Bill Cressman, an IRS spokesman, said the revenue service wants to help lift the burden of tax filing from members of the military who often run into complicated tax exemptions.

"The IRS offers volunteer income tax assistance to both military servicemembers and civilians," Cressman said. "We want to make tax compliance easier."

Commanders throughout the services have supported the program by providing personnel, space and equipment for tax centers. The IRS provides tax software and training.

The program, overseen by the Armed Forces Tax Council, works to train military volunteers on installations through a series of intensive training sessions so they can understand current laws and offer tax advice, preparation, return filing and other tax assistance, Cressman said.

IRS tax laws provide special benefits to active-duty servicemembers, particularly those in combat zones. For federal tax purposes, "armed forces" includes officers and enlisted members in regular and reserve units controlled by the secretaries of Defense, Army, Navy and Air Force, in addition to the Coast Guard.

According to the IRS Web site, three combat zones have been designated by executive order from the president in areas where armed forces are or have engaged in combat, this includes the air space above those areas. These are the Arabian Peninsula, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

The Defense Department also has certified locations for combat zone tax benefits due to the direct support of military operations during operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. A listing of these locations can be found at www.irs.gov/newsroom by clicking on the "Armed Forces" tab.

Those who qualify for combat zone provisions can apply for military pay exclusions, deadline extensions and miscellaneous provisions by writing "combat zone" and their deployment date in red ink on the top of tax returns.

Qualifying taxpayers may directly notify the IRS of their exclusion status by e-mailing combatzone@irs.gov. Servicemembers should provide name, stateside address, date of birth, and date of deployment to the combat zone. They should not include social security numbers in an e-mail. This notification may be made by the taxpayer, spouse, or authorized agent or representative.

Enlisted members and warrant officers serving in a combat zone for any part of a month qualify to have all military pay for that month excluded from gross income tax. Officers' monthly exclusions are capped at the highest enlisted pay rate, plus hostile fire or imminent danger pay received.

Deadline extensions are not confined to those serving in combat zones. They also apply to civilian personnel acting under direction of the armed forces and spouses who are stateside.

Telephone calls originating in combat zones by members of the armed forces are also exempt from federal excise tax and must be certified for exemption by the telephone company. If servicemembers already have filed, they can still apply for a refund.

Recent law changes also have allowed military members to count tax-free combat pay when determining contributions to Roth and traditional individual retirement accounts. This also can apply to taxes filed since 2004. Troops are allowed to go back and make contributions for those years.

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Officials' Testimony Focuses on Fixing Health Care System

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

March 6, 2007 – Questions to top Army and DoD officials before the Senate Armed Services Committee today focused on how to eliminate the bureaucracies that many say permeate servicemembers' outpatient health care. The committee questioned top defense officials regarding reports of substandard living conditions and delays in outpatient services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

Army and defense leaders did not dispute the claims. The Army's top officer, Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, compared the system's bureaucracy to "running in hip boots in a swamp."

"It sucks the energy out of you," he said.

Schoomaker said the Army is acting quickly to fix the problems it can, and the service will work with DoD and other agencies on those that cross service boundaries or require legislative support. "I stand accountable. All of our energy is going into making sure the proper actions are taken," he said.

Schoomaker offered up a list of steps taken by Army leadership so far that includes installing a new commander and deputy commander at the center, as well as a new battalion commander and command sergeant major, all combat veterans.

A one-stop family assistance center there now allows soldiers and family members access to all of the services they need in one spot, he said.

Also, officials opened a telephone hotline that allows anytime access for reporting problems.

Two teams have been dispatched to review services at in- and out-patient facilities across the Army, Schoomaker said.

Assistant Defense Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., said his office's top priority is finding and fixing the problems, and he wants patients to speak up about the quality of care they have received. "We welcome public scrutiny, even when it's critical and painful to hear," he said.

"Defensiveness and explanations are not the route to getting things done," Winkenwerder said.

He divided the problems into three categories for the committee: facilities, the disability determination process, and care coordination.

Winkenwerder said he believes the Army is fixing the facilities that were not up to standards.

Changes to the disability determination process cross organizational boundaries and will not happen quickly, but the process should be fair, consistent and timely, and not adversarial, he said.

When pressed by a committee member, Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley conceded that some soldiers have probably been shortchanged by the Army's disability evaluation system because it is set up to recognize the value of a "loss of limb" but not designed to understand the "nuances" of post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries.

To aid the process of care coordination, officials are hiring more case managers and other staff to lower the ratio of patients to staff. "No servicemember should ever have to work through a maze ... to figure things out," Winkenwerder said.

Kiley said a complete system overhaul is required. "We really need to reinvent this entire process," he said.

The individual obstacles of the system are being fixed by Kiley's office, but the way disability compensation is awarded, which is governed by regulations, needs to be revamped, he said.

Kiley said he shared in responsibility for the failures in outpatient care at Walter Reed and "accepts the responsibility of rapid corrective action."

"I am committed to fixing it," he said.

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