Vol. 79, No. 4
VITA tax office open at NASP By Janet Thomas Gosport Staff Writer
It’s time to start thinking about filing your taxes. Free help is available at the NAS Pensacola Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) office and online. The NASP VITA office, which opened earlier this week, will be offering free tax help through the April 15 deadline. The self-serve office is located in Bldg. 680, Room 225E (on Cuddihy Street across from the NEX mini mart). Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday. The service is available to active-duty and dependents, retirees and dependents with an adjusted gross income of less than $57,000, reservists (activated 30 days plus and pre-demobilization) and entitled former spouses. Here is what you need to bring: • All forms, W-2s and 1099s. • Any information regarding other income. • Information regarding deductions and credits. • Social Security cards. • Proof of identification. • Bank information. • Last year’s return, if possible. Volunteers are also welcome. For more information, call 452-2209 or 452-8753. United Way of Escambia County also offers free one-on-one and online tax services. For more information, go to www.unitedwayescambia.org/taxhelp. Military OneSource also offers no-cost tax consultation, preparation and filing to service and family members, as well as to reservists regardless of activation status, survivors, and separated service members until 180 days after their retirement, discharge or endof-tour date. If you have questions about the tax services available or about preparing your own tax returns, call 1 (800) 3429647 and ask to speak with a Military OneSource tax consultant. Trained tax consultants are available seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (CST). Information is also available online at www. military onesource. mil/ taxes.
VISIT GOSPORT ONLINE: www.gosportpensacola.com
January 30, 2015
NASP plans for readiness exercise (CNIC) on all continental United States naval installations from Feb. 2 through Emergency officials at Feb. 13. Naval Air Station PenAccording to CNIC sacola (NASP) are prepar- and USFF Public Affairs, ing for Solid the exercise will consist of Curtain-Citadel Shield about 130 simultaneous 2015, an annual exercise field training exercise atfocused on training and tacks across the country, readiness. each designed to test dif“We are not immune to ferent regional ATFP operwhat happens every day ations. out in the This anworld. We EXERCISE nual exercise need to be prewas develpared,” said oped to enChris Steinhance the necker , N7 training and Training and readiness of Readiness cothe Navy seordinator at curity personNASP. nel while N A S P, establishing a NASP Corry Station and learning environment to Saufley Field will partici- execute functional plans pate in the anti-terrorism and operational capabiliforce protection (ATFP) ties. Exercise Solid Curexercises that will be con- tain-Citadel Shield is an ducted by Commander, annual scheduled event U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) and is not a result of any and Commander, Navy In- specific threat, officials stallations Command said.
By Bethany Chestnut NASP PAO Intern
SOLID N I CURTAE CITADLDL SHIE
2015
NAS Pensacola security personnel enter a building during a sweep for an “active shooter” during a previous Solid Curtain exercise. Photo by Mike O’Connor
Burt Fenters, emergency manager at NASP, said that repeating these exercises annually makes NASP a little better prepared for emergencies. “We use these (exercises) to meas-
ure how well we are prepared. We always find something we can improve on.” Steinnecker said the planning process for the 2015 exercises started in
August 2014. USFF directs the U.S. naval bases through these exercises and NASP tracks completion during the exercises and
See Exercise on page 2
350th CACOM welcomes new command sergeant major By Master Sgt. Dianna Anderson 350th CACOM UPAR NCOIC
The 350th Civil Affairs Command (CACOM) held its change of responsibility ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum, onboard NAS Pensacola, Jan. 11. Soldiers, CACOM leadership, civilians and family members bid farewell to their outgoing command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Gray, and welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Richard T. Schoenberger as the new command senior enlisted of the 350th CACOM. Schoenberger, born in Spokane, Wash., comes from his previous assignment as the command ser-
Brig. Gen. William B. Mason III, 350th CACOM commanding general, passes a noncommissioned officers sword to Command Sgt. Maj. Richard T. Schoenberger during the unit’s change of responsibility ceremony Jan. 11. Photo courtesy 350th CACOM
geant major, 321st Civil Affairs Brigade in San Antonio, Texas. His prior assignments include
command sergeant major, 228th Combat Support Hospital, senior operations NCO G3/5 HHC, U.S.
Army South, senior operations NCO observer controller/trainer HHC, 2nd Brigade 75th Division (TS) drill sergeant with D Battery 1st Battalion, 355th Regiment 95th Division (IT), instructor with the 4164th U.S. Army Reserve Forces School, and drill sergeant with 3rd Battalion 413th Regiment 2nd Brigade 104th Division. Prior to separating from active duty and joining the Army Reserve in 1989, Schoenberger began his career with B Company, 1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. He completed basic infantry training at Fort Benning
See 350th CACOM on page 2
CID Sailors help inspire next generation of Navy information warriors at Cyberthon Story, photo by Ed Barker NETC PAO
Center for Information Dominance (CID) Sailors mentored local high school students in the inaugural Cyberthon competition Jan. 23-25 at the National Flight Academy onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. Hosted by the Blue Angels Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications Association (AFCEA),
agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, businesses and organizations joined forces in a competition designed to test the students on their abilities to use computer skills they learned in their classrooms to defend and defeat cyber-attacks on websites. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Department of Homeland Security Of- IT1 Kyle Gosser, instructor at the Center for Information fice of Cybersecurity Dominance Unit Corry Station, mentors a local high
See Cyberthon on page 2
school student participating in the inaugural Cyberthon competition.
CNP to hold worldwide all-hands call ... The Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) is scheduled to speak with Sailors around the world in an all-hands call broadcasting and streaming online live Feb. 3 at noon. Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) Vice Adm. Bill Moran and Fleet Master Chief for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPT&E) April Beldo will update Sailors on the issues that affect them and their families and open the floor to live questions from the fleet via satellite and social media. Sailors are encouraged to begin sending in questions and comments now by tweeting @USNPeople or mailing usnpeople@gmail.com. For more information, go to http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=85284.
NAMI hosts U.S. Naval Aeromedical Conference By MC2(SW) Kaitlyn C. Boland, NMOTC PAO
More than 300 aeromedical specialists attended a four-day conference at the Mustin Beach Club aboard NAS Pensacola. The conference was designed to further a key aspect of naval aviation. The United States Naval Aeromedical Conference (USNAC) and Carrier Health Services Leadership Training Symposium (CCHSLTS), the premier annual Navy Aeromedical
See USNAC on page 2
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