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Vol. 32, No. 2

January 23, 2015

Remembering the Dream

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: A Day On, Not a Day Off LANESSA HILL

USAG PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”

Dr. King promoted community, respect and supporting each other for the wellbeing of mankind. Each year, on the third Monday in January, Americans across the country answer that question by serving their neighborhoods and volunteering their time to make a difference and spark change.

In Frederick, this year was no different.

At an event sponsored by a local farm and the Frederick Transit at the Bernard Brown Community Center, over 40 children from the surrounding area volunteered their time to benefit the community of Frederick and give back. The morning began with planting seed trays and building bird houses for community beautification projects and was followed by art pieces for senior citizens and letters to wounded Soldiers. The day ended with a Martin Luther King, Jr. poem and essay contest.

Three members of the Fort Detrick Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program visited during the letters to wounded Soldiers segment and spoke to those in attendance about how important these letters are and how they make a Soldier feel.

“When you are away from your family for a long time you miss them. They miss you.

To receive a letter lifts up our spirits and reminds us why we do this. To receive a letter thanking us for our service or telling us what is going on at home reaffirms that you care,” said Spc. William Collins.

“Having Soldiers here is a highlight for me,” said Michael Dickson. “Martin Luther King, Jr. promoted selfless acts. He promoted unity and community. Everyday members of the military put their lives on the line for the big picture, so we can do things like this today. That’s selfless and we should be doing more things to support our military.”

During a question and answer session, Pfc. Haroldo Palma was asked about an event where he was scared and receiving a letter like this would have helped.

Tyler Shuler of Frederick, Maryland, writes a letter to a Wounded Warrior during a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration Jan. 18.

Photo by Lanessa Hill, USAG Public Affairs

“I didn’t know I was afraid of heights until I was in a drill and was 10 feet up. That doesn’t sound like its high, but when you’re up there it is. To receive a letter thanking me for my service and reminding me of why I joined and the importance of this career would have eased by fears. I completed the activity by pulling within myself, but to know that what I do is respected and thought of by others would have made it easier,” said Palma.

In the end, these few hours opened the eyes of many children. They now realize that what may appear to have little to no meaning has the potential to snowball and affect the lives of many in positive ways that may never be understood.

As said in one letter; “Dr. King would be proud of us here in Frederick today. We made projects to make the elderly smile, encourage our military to hold their heads high and sow seeds that will grow into food to help those who need the help.”

On Jan. 19 it was a day on, not a day off.

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Soldiers from Fort Detrick took part in a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event sponsored by a local farm and the Frederick Transit at the Bernard Brown Community Center, Jan. 18. Over 40 children from the surrounding area volunteered their time to benefit the community of Frederick and give back.

Photo by Lanessa Hill, USAG Public Affairs

What’s Inside

USAMMDA Weighs in on Healthy Living, p. 4

Altitude App Prepped for Nett Warrior, p. 5

Information Exchange, p. 5

Women in Service Review Rollout due January 2016 AMAANI LYLE

DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

Following the 2013 repeal of the Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule, the Secretary of Defense is scheduled to announce final decisions to integrate remaining closed occupations and any approved exceptions to policy on or about Jan. 1, 2016.

Juliet Beyler, the Defense Department’s director of Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management, reported “good progress” in the Women in Service Review, which validates all occupational standards to ensure they are operational, relevant and gender-neutral by September 2015.

“Throughout the course of the review of the regulations governing women in the military, we determined that the time had come to do away with the direct ground combat rule and open all positions to women instead,” said Beyler .

The goal, she explained, is to expand opportunities to ensure that all Service Members are eligible to serve in any capacity based on their abilities and qualifications, and to “remove those old gender-based barriers to service that no longer made sense.”

DELIBERATE, MEASURED APPROACH When Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta removed the direct combat ground rule in 2013, they realized the need for a deliberate and measured approach to ensure the smoothest transition, said Beyler.

The services, she said, have been conducting various studies in order to review, validate and complete

their occupational standards by the fall of 2015. “We’re on track and moving toward that goal,” said Beyler.

Since rescission of the definition and rule, said Beyler, the DOD has notified Congress of the integration of about 71,000 positions previously closed to women.

This development, she said, can positively affect the force by allowing people to serve based on their ability.

“Expanding opportunities to women, to include the 71,000 we’ve already opened since 2013,” said Beyler, “[gives] a wider pool of qualified people so that commanders have greater flexibility ... and it’ll strengthen the all-volunteer force.”

More than 280,000 women have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, including Beyler, who’s a twotime combat veteran.

“I like to say that women have been serving in combat since the Revolutionary War, but the 280,000 that we’ve recently seen deployed have contributed in immeasurable ways,” said Beyler.

She said there were various ways in which women were restricted from occupations under the direct ground combat rule, primarily preclusion from assignments to combat units below the brigade level.

“But there were other restrictions, such as for physical requirements or positions associated with special operations or long-range reconnaissance,” she added.

“We are reviewing all of the occupational standards.”

The services, she said, “are expending a good amount of their time on those 100 percent closed occupations.”

EXCEPTION TO POLICY Historically, the department had opened positions by exception, but it now has acknowledged it would make more sense to “flip the presumption,” said Bey-

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ler, so that all positions will be open to women unless there’s a reason that they should be closed.

Guidance to the services and to the U.S. Special Operations Command includes a provision in which a military department secretary or service chief can request an exception to policy to keep a position closed, said Beyler.

“But any exception is going to have to be rigorously justified and will have to be based on the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the duties of the position,” she said.

TAILORING TRAINING ACCESSION NEEDS Regarding assignments, training, and accessions, Beyler said those elements have been, and will continue to be, service responsibilities.

As defense secretary, Panetta directed each of the services and the SOCOM to develop individual implementation plans tailored to their unique requirements, Beyler said.

“As we have with the positions we’ve already opened and the ones that we’ll continue to open throughout the next year and beyond,” said Beyler, “each service will use the regular accession and training assignment pipelines and timelines that they’ve always used.”

The process of opening more military occupations to women is about maintaining the all-volunteer force and readiness, said Beyler.

“More than 90 percent of our occupations are already open to women and 15 percent of our forces are women,” she said. “By removing these antiquated gender-based barriers to service, it can only strengthen the all-volunteer force and allow people to serve based on their ability and their qualifications.”

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Fort Detrick Standard January 23, 2015

Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

Command Staff Maj. Gen. Brian C. Lein

Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick

Col. Steven P. Middlecamp U.S. Army Garrison Commander

Editorial Staff PAO Staff

Domestic Violence Advocate Emphasizes Programs to Empower Community SHANNON BISHOP

USAG PUBLIC AFFAIRS

No one ever plans to be in an abusive relationship. Despite this, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The Department of Defense is committed to addressing and ending domestic abuse; offering victims assistance through educational information, resources and other services. Tina Saunders-Gauff, domestic violence victim advocate at Fort Detrick, manages multiple programs for victims and family members who find themselves in abusive relationships.

Saunders-Gauff brings with her many years of experience spent working for non-profit organizations where she gained the necessary understanding of

how to support victims of domestic violence in a meaningful way.

“I’ve always been in touch with the community resources that are available and I have been able to bring those resources to people here,” said SaundersGauff. “One of the resources I brought here are HopeLine phones.”

A HopeLine phone, powered by a nationally recognized cellular service company, provides victims of domestic violence access to a cell phone with 3,000 anytime minutes. These phones allow victims to make appointments, contact family members and use available resources to find help.

Saunders-Gauff works closely with each of her clients to evaluate their situations and needs individually.

“My job is to be able to point clients in the right direction for the resources that they need. When someone comes in for assistance, it is a 2 or 2.5 hour long assessment where I can figure out what is going

on in their lives and what they need,” said Saunders-Gauff.

Saunders-Gauff also serves as an application assistant for the Maryland Safe At Home Program. This program, according to Saunders-Gauff, gives victims the ability to receive their mail at a confidential location in the event they have left an abusive relationship.

“The little green cards at the post office actually give people the ability to track you,” said Saunders-Gauff. “This program lets you have confidentiality with your mail. All of your mail goes to a P.O. Box in Annapolis and they are the only people who have your real address. The program then sends your mail to your home address.”

Another resource Saunders-Gauff emphasized for women who are victims of domestic violence is the Women’s Empowerment Group that meets here on Fort Detrick each month. The goal of the group is

to assist in overcoming barriers which prevent self sufficiency and a safe productive lifestyle. The group is structured to support women who have experienced, or are experiencing, intimate partner violence by providing education and networking opportunities with people who understand the challenges.

During her professional career working in this field, Saunders-Gauff has faced some tough cases. She described some of her cases as heartbreaking, but her goal is to work with each client to have a happy, safe ending.

“Leaving an abusive relationship can be dangerous,” said Saunders-Gauff. “With these resources and with the right help, it can be done safely. That is what I am here for. I am a lifeline to safety, support and service linkage.”

For more information about any of these programs, call (301) 619-2408.

Legislation changes UCMJ for victims of sexual assault DAVID VERGUN ARNEWS

The fiscal year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, signed into law last month, significantly changes the Uniform Code of Military Justice, known as UCMJ, in cases pertaining to rape and sexual assault.

All of the UCMJ amendments contained in the NDAA pertain to investigating and prosecuting sexual assault crimes and victim care, said Lt. Col. John Kiel Jr., chief of policy branch, criminal law division, Office of the Judge Advocate General.

A big change involves Article 32 preliminary hearings, said Kiel. First, some background: The purpose of an Article 32 investigation was at one time “to provide discovery to the defense,” he said. Then, the FY14 NDAA directed that the purpose of an Article 32 be “to determine whether probable cause exists to believe that an offense under the UCMJ has been committed and that the accused committed it.”

Article 32 hearings are now modeled after preliminary hearings in the federal criminal system, said Kiel. The FY15 NDAA requires that the preliminary hearing be conducted by a preliminary hearing officer who is a judge advocate and that qualifying victims, as defined in the statute, have a right not to testify at the hearing should they so choose.

This right applies to both military and civilian victims.

SPECIAL VICTIMS’ COUNSEL Over a year ago, the defense secretary directed that each of the services create a special victims’ counsel program, whereby each victim of sexual assault would be entitled to free legal counsel to represent them during all phases of the investigation and courtsmartial proceedings.

“By all accounts, the services and Congress are pleased with the success achieved by these programs thus far,” said Kiel.

The FY15 NDAA made three additional modifications; First, Congress directed that the military rules of evidence be amended to reflect that wherever a victim has a right to be heard, the victim may exercise that right through his or her counsel.

Second, Congress directed the service secretaries to publish procedures to ensure that special victims’ counsel receive adequate notice of the scheduling of hearings, trials and other courts-martial proceedings.

Third, victims may now petition the service court of criminal appeals for a writ of mandamus in cases where the victim believes the military judge erred in a ruling pertaining to rape shield evidence under the Military Rule of Evidence, known as MRE, 412 or violating the psychotherapistpatient privilege under the MRE 513. Writ of mandamus is an order from a superior court to a subordinate government court to do or refrain from doing something.

Regarding the MRE 513, Kiel said the NDAA requires that the existing privilege between a psychotherapist and patient be expanded to include other licensed mental health professionals. It also requires that before any protected information may be released, a military judge conduct a closed hearing and apply a number of legal factors first before ordering the production or disclosure of any information.

In the FY14 NDAA, Congress required that commanders who have the discretion to dispose of offenses committed under the UCMJ can no longer consider the general military character of the accused in doing so. In this year’s NDAA, Congress went even further by prohibiting the consideration of general military character during the find-

ings phase of courts-martial proceedings except for a limited number of enumerated offenses where that kind of character evidence would be relevant to the charged offense(s), said Kiel.

CONVENING AUTHORITY Congress also created a system in the FY14 NDAA whereby any decision not to refer a sexual assault offense to court-martial by a convening authority will be reviewed by a superior competent authority, he said.

In the case where the convening authority and his or her staff judge advocate disagree about the referral decision, the case will then be sent to the service secretary for review. In the case where both the convening authority and the staff judge advocate agree not to refer, the case will be reviewed by the next higher convening authority.

The FY15 NDAA created an additional review mechanism, said Kiel. It mandates that in any case where a convening authority decides not to refer a sex assault offense, the chief prosecutor of the service may request that the service secretary review it, and if such a request is made, the secretary must review it. The judge advocate general of each service may designate a chief prosecutor for purposes of this provision if such a position does not already exist within their respective service.

CARE FOR VICTIMS Two other changes in the FY15 NDAA apply to the treatment and care of victims of sexual assault.

The first mandates that victims of sexual assault crimes be given an opportunity to express a preference as to whether their case is tried by the military or by the local prosecutor, said Kiel. If the victim chooses the latter, the convening authority must ensure that the local prosecutor is made aware of

Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

the victim’s preference, understanding that the preference is not binding on the prosecutor. The convening authority must inform the victim about the prosecutor’s decision to prosecute or not.

Second, he said, Congress recognized that in the past some victims of sexual assault may have been discharged from the service and given a discharge less than honorable. The FY15 NDAA directs that the service secretaries develop a confidential review process utilizing boards for the correction of military records to review the characterization of the discharge or separation of any individual who wants to challenge the characterization of their discharge on the grounds that it was adversely affected by the individual being the victim of a sexrelated offense.

Finally, there are some congressionallyappointed panels and a panel appointed by the defense secretary to study various aspects of sexual assault in the military and the military justice system in general, said Kiel.

“Those panels have and will continue to make recommendations in an effort to continue to improve our system. It is important to note that the military remains cognizant of that fact and continues to seek ways to improve itself,” said Kiel.

“A number of the most significant reforms contained in the FY13, FY14 and FY15 NDAAs originated in the Department of Defense,” continued Kiel. “Congress codified them later. The military will continue to seek ways to improve how it handles the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault crimes and how it cares for the victims of such crimes. It will also remain vigilant in protecting the constitutional rights of the accused as it does so.”

Fort Detrick Standard January 23, 2015

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USAMMDA Weighs in on Healthy Living LISA MORRIS

USAMRMC PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Employees at the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity decided to challenge themselves over the holidays and hold a competition to maintain or lose weight.

Lt. Col. Michael Ingram, USAMMDA deputy commander, was inspired with the idea when he went to Vanderbilt University in 1998 to complete a postdoctoral fellowship. Everyone on campus participated in a weigh-in challenge for accountability during a time of plenty of delicious temptations.

Bringing the challenge to the USAMMDA this past holiday season, Ingram enlisted the help of Maj. Mabel Salas, chief of technology transition at the Tissue, Injury and Regenerative Medicine Project Management Office, to help lead the effort.

Twenty participants weighed in the week before Thanksgiving and the week of January 9 with the goal of gaining no more than two pounds or losing weight.

“I was very impressed that the group wanted to participate, and now they want to continue it and check in every two months,” said

Salas. “That’s beyond the need to control their weight; they want to change their mindsets and help themselves and their families by being healthier.”

Everyone who won the challenge received a special treat in the form of a healthy breakfast cooked by Ingram, Salas, Deputy Commander for Acquisition Kathleen Berst and Col. Stephen Dalal, commander.

A couple of participants exceeded the competition’s base goal for an advanced challenge to lose more weight than Ingram, established by Ingram himself.

“Let’s not talk about that,” joked Ingram of his loss.

With the competition’s success, Ingram and Salas are envisioning a Weight Watchers-like program for the USAMMDA in the future.

The USAMMDA’s healthy lifestyle initiatives complement the Surgeon General’s Performance Triad plan of promoting sleep, activity and nutrition among the entire Army population.

“We’re trying to come up with fun ideas that are not only in line with the Surgeon General’s Performance Triad, but also in some way help with team-building,” said Ingram. “The breakfast especially is a fun team prize.”

Col. Stephen Dalal, U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity commander and Lt. Col. Michael Ingram, deputy commander, prepared a healthy breakfast for the USAMMDA weigh-in challenge winners.

Photo by Erin Bolling, USAMMDA Public Affairs

Small Business Procurement Recognized

On Jan. 20, Rear Adm. Bruce A. Doll, director of the Defense Health Agency’s Directorate for Research, Development and Acquisition and deputy commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, and Jerome K. Maultsby, associate director with the USAMRMC and Fort Detrick Office of Small Business Programs, distributed plaques to USAMRMC and Fort Detrick organizations recognizing their contributions in helping the command meet its small business goals in fiscal year 2014.

The USAMRMC exceeded targets in the categories of small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business and service disabled veteran owned businesses. In a letter from Maj. Gen. Brian Lein, commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick, to award recipients, Lein noted that the organizations’ achievements were “unprecedented” given the drop in procurement actions and reduced funding during the fiscal year. Doll and Maultsby echoed this sentiment in their remarks, saying that each organization contributed to the command’s collective efforts to provide opportunities for small businesses which, in turn, helps advance military medicine.

Photo by Heather McDowell Duong, USAMRMC Public Affairs

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Fort Detrick Standard January 23, 2015

Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

Altitude App Prepped for Nett Warrior DORA M. SEARS

SENIOR TECHNICAL WRITER, USAMMDA MSS PMO

The Medical Support Systems Project Management Office, in support of the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, is spearheading efforts to add the Altitude Readiness Management System application, known as ARMS, to Nett Warrior, making it the first externally-developed app to be added to the situational awareness and mission command system. Thanks in part to work by the MSS PMO, mission planners will have the power of more than 20 years’ worth of statistical research on acute mountain sickness at their fingertips.

The ARMS is a decision-aid application designed to assist commanders with planning operations in high altitude environments. The ARMS, a joint project with the U.S. Army Research Institute on Environmental Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, contains three separate tools designed to assist commanders with planning effective missions at high altitudes.

These are an altitude decision illness aid that estimates the risks of AMS; a work performance decision aid that estimates performance impairment when operating at high altitudes; and an acclimatization decision aid that provides acclimatization guidance to mitigate the risk of AMS. For an application to be added to the suite of tools available on Nett Warrior, it must first undergo a rigorous testing and validation process. The MSS PMO is currently directing that process for the ARMS to ensure it is a suitable fit for the Nett Warrior system in regard to both form and function.

“We are the connection between the USARIEM and Nett Warrior, the liaison in a way,”

said Alan Harner, product manager with the MSS PMO. “We get involved, because they have these products that would work great in the field but need to go through that ruggedize process.”

Nobody knows “ruggedize” better than 1st sgt. Nathaniel Chipman, first sergeant at the Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, Vermont. the MSS PMO is working closely with the AMWS to get feedback on the ARMS in a user environment. “[We] test it at the user level with not only the instructors here at the school house, but also the students that have come through here,” said Chipman.

Usability and durability are the primary focus with AMWS testing.

For example, recent testing at the AMWS identified sticky slide bars for data entry. According to Harner, MSS is working to address that issue.

In July 2014, Chipman took the ARMS app with him to Mt. McKinley, Alaska, where its accuracy was tested in an unofficial trial at high elevations. Each day Chipman and his eight-man team plugged in ascent information for the next day’s climb into the ARMS app on a Samsung Note II, the current end-user device for Nett Warrior.

According to Chipman, the app advised the climbers that they were going to have mild AMS. “So the data we collected out of it was spot-on to what the actual reality was for the next day,” he said.

While Mt. McKinley extends over 20,000 feet, the statistical data behind the ARMS currently limits the app’s effectiveness up to 14,000 feet. According to Chipman, the ARMS told them exactly what they needed to know up to that altitude.

Before the ARMS can be added to Nett Warrior, the MSS PMO must ensure the app is interoper-

The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s Medical Support Systems Project Management Office is working to add a decision-aid application designed to assist commanders with planning operations in high altitude environments to Nett Warrior, a situational awareness and mission command system.

Called the Altitude Readiness Management System application, the app will give mission planners the power of more than 20 years’ worth of statistical research on acute mountain sickness at their fingertips.

Photo by Erin Bolling, USAMMDA Public Affairs Assistant

able with the Nett Warrior system.

To accomplish this, the MSS PMO has scheduled the ARMS for ‘Certification of Networthiness’ testing, as well as integration testing to ensure that it does not interfere with other Nett Warrior applications.

Additionally, the decision-aid application received a green light in an independent verification and validation process completed in September by a separate MIT Lincoln Laboratory group.

Accessibility is another key consideration in the testing and evaluation process. According to Harner, the ARMS app is a standalone tool. Once the app is installed on the end-user device, no further connectivity to the Nett Warrior system is required.

“No internet access is required to operate it,” said Harner.

The power behind its operating independence is based on more than 20 years of predictive modeling and an idea that originated from lectures on compression sickness. Inspired by diving hyperbaric tables developed at Duke University, the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division team at the USARIEM, led by Dr. Stephen Muza, looked at high-altitude data available from USARIEM studies as far back as 1991 to create predictive models for altitude sickness.

“In total, we had done 29 human-use studies, and we have well over 600 subjects in our database, and it’s subsets of that

data that we used,” said Muza.

“Those predictive models were originally designed for use as tables in print publications, which operational leaders could then use to determine the effects of altitude sickness.”

The USARIEM later transformed the tables into an interactive online tool that MIT-Lincoln Labs subsequently converted into a mobile application.

The current platform allows the predictive model to be easily updated as more data becomes available. According to Muza, the USARIEM plans to update the equation behind the altitude illness decision aid based on data from studies done in 2012 and 2013.

Harner also hopes to add different variables to the equation in the future, such as the use of altitude sickness medicines like Diamox.

While the ARMS may prove useful in existing operations -altitudes in Afghanistan reach as high as 24,580 feet -- its potential value is not limited only to the current theater of operations.

As Muza notes, primary security concerns for the United States going forward will likely continue to come from non-traditional adversaries who fight and shelter in mountainous areas and jungles.

“Outside of Afghanistan, that is virtually every continent except Australia,” says Muza.

As the U.S. Army is a globalbased organization, decision-aid tools like the ARMS are continuing to make that mission easier.

“Anything that helps us move forward...that will arm us to make a more informed decision...it’s going to be a good thing,” said Chipman.

The MSS PMO estimates the ARMS decision aid will be available on Nett Warrior for operational use as early as fiscal year 2015. A U.S. patent is pending.

Information Exchange Commander’s and directors from across Fort Detrick gathered at the Community Activities Center Jan. 21 for the Commander’s Information Exchange. The CIE provides an opportunity for commanders and directors to hear updates from U.S. Army Garrison activities and programs.

Patrick L. MacKenzie, director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security for the U.S. Army Garrison, briefs commanders and directors during the Jan. 21 Commander’s Information Exchange at the Community Activities Center.

Photo by Lanessa Hill, USAG Public Affairs

The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick commanding general, Maj. Gen. Brian Lein, speaks during the Commander’s Information Exchange Jan. 21 at the Community Activities Center, as Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Jessup, U.S. Army Garrison Command sergeant major. looks on.

Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

Photo by Siegfried Bruner, USAG Visual Information Fort Detrick Standard January 23, 2015

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Free Income Tax Assistance for Military Personnel and Families BRETT C. CONYERS

LEGAL ASSISTANCE ATTORNEY

The Fort Detrick Tax Center opens Jan. 26 to assist active and retired members of the armed forces-including mobilized reservists-and their families with filing both federal and state income tax returns.

Taxpayers eligible to use the center must bring a completed questionnaire/intake form, a military identification card and a social security card (or photocopy) for each person named on the return. The intake form is available by clicking on the calculator icon link on the Fort Detrick homepage, www.detrick.army.mil. Additional documents you will need to bring to make your visit a one-stop success may be found by clicking the “what to bring” tab.

The Fort Detrick Tax Center is both a personal readiness and quality-of-life program that operates with the support of unit commanders. This year, commanders have detailed seven Soldiers to staff the center, five of which will serve on a full-time basis, along with five civilian volunteers.

If you have not visited a military tax center before there are some good reasons to do so this season.

First, the services are free; we estimate we saved our clients a total of $250,000 in commercial fees in 2014.

Second, refunds are deposited on average within 7-10 days after the return is electronically transmitted.

Third, the Fort Detrick Tax Center is controlled by the IRS as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site and managed by the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate. Each preparer has received 40 hours of instruction and passed a rigorous IRS-required certification test.

The training and certification is limited to tax issues encountered by taxpayers with low to moderate income as well as those encountered by taxpayers in our military community. For instance, each preparer is certified to file a Schedule E so you may report rental income received for a home rented because you could not sell after receiving change-of-station orders. Should you need assistance with a matter that exceeds the expertise of the preparers at the center, you will be referred to an attorney in the Legal Assistance office.

However, even the legal assistance attorneys are prohibited from preparing a Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, because Army policy prohibits assistance with any matter related to a personal business or enterprise, to include filing a tax return. So, if you own a business and earn money as sole proprietor or independent contractor, the Fort Detrick Tax Center cannot assist you.

However, the center may prepare a Schedule C-EZ for a family child care provider enrolled under the Child and Youth Services Program.

Walk-ins appointments are accepted.

The best way to receive assistance is to call (301) 619-1040 and make an appointment.

If you have any questions, contact the Legal Assistance Office at (301) 619-2221.

Looking Back

Palm Sunday Snow NICK MINECCI

USAG PUBLIC AFFAIRS

As we head into more winter weather in the coming weeks, we are hopeful to have an early spring with warm weather and sunshine unlike the spring of 1942.

During March 29-30, 1942, the “Palm Sunday Snowstorm” dumped the Maryland’s heaviest March snow in the state’s record.Beginning as rain, temperatures dropped and a wet heavy snow began to fall. The snow stuck to power lines, trees and shrubs, damaging them under its weight. Over 20 inches fell over northern Anne Arundel, Howard, Southern and western Baltimore County, Carroll County, eastern and northern Frederick County and north-central Washington County.

In Clear Spring, Maryland, approximately 32 miles from Fort Detrick, where just two weeks earlier temperatures had reached 79 degrees, 31 inches of snow was reported.

Thirty-two inches fell at Westminister and Frederick County had 30 to 36 inches covering it. Baltimore City received its greatest snow in 20 years with 22 inches measured.

Hagerstown and Westminister reported 22 inches in 24 hours.

Photos courtesy National Archives

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com

ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Busy Mt Airy acctng and tax firm seeking new team member.

Must have Qbooks, exce/office knowledge.

Experience with payroll and payroll taxes.

Must understand jrnl entries, bank recs. QB. No college degree req’d.

Pay range is $14-$16 per hour.

Fax resumes to 240-241-6425

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Fort Detrick Standard January 23, 2015

Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

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Creating Beautiful Smiles for the Entire Family FAMILY DENTISTRY • COSMETIC DENTISTRY • ORTHODONTICS

Grand Opening!

Dr. Renju Alex Thackenkary U.S. Army Reservist

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Exam, X-Rays, & Cleanings

Free Implant & Orthodontic Consultation

New patients only.

Not valid with any other offers.

Expires 2/23/15

New patients only.

Not valid with any other offers.

Expires 2/23/15

$

Now accepting MetLife, State insurance for kids and adults

99

$

Whitening

with paid exams, x-rays, & cleaning New patients only.

Not valid with any other offers.

Expires 2/23/15

CONVENIENT EVENING & SATURDAY HOURS MON - FRI 8 AM TO 7 PM & SATURDAYS 9 AM TO 1 PM

1700 Kingfisher Dr. Suite 11 • Frederick near Panera off of Monocacy Blvd.

Call Today! 301-501-5600 www.opalridgedental.com

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Our Services Include:

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Cleanings & Examinations • Cosmetic Dentistry • Crowns & Bridges Dental Bonding • Dental Implants • Dentures & Partials Emergency Dental Care • Family Dentistry • Pediatric Dentistry Periodontal Disease Prevention & Treatment Porcelain Veneers • Root Canal Therapy • Six Month Smiles Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatment • Smile Makeovers Teeth Whitening • TMI and Bruxism Therapy • Tooth-Colored Fillings

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Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

Fort Detrick Standard January 23, 2015

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Fort Detrick Standard January 23, 2015

Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development