News Briefs 03/27/2015

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WELCOME HOME VIETNAM VETERANS DAY

The Inland Empire Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 47 and Allied Veteran Groups are hosting a motorcycle ride tomorrow, Saturday, March 28. Registration for the ride is from 7:30 – 9 a.m. and riders will depart from American Legion Post 79 at Fairmount Park, 2979 Dexter Ave., Riverside, Calif. 92501 at 9 a.m. for the Riverside National Cemetery. The RNC will host a patriotic ceremony from 10 – 11 a.m. followed by the 6th annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day event at the March Field Air Museum at 11 a.m. All veterans, families, friends and the public are invited to attend. The Museum will offer free admission and lunch to Vietnam Veterans and their families. Attendees are invited to American Legion Post 79 for rest and relaxation following the day’s festivities.

FREE TAX PREPARATION AND FILING

If your household income is $53,000 or less, you qualify for free tax preparation and filing through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. There is not a VITA office at March ARB this year, however, the District Office of Assemblyman Jose Medina is offering this service today only, Friday, March 27, from 1 – 5 pm. The office is located at 1223 University Ave., Ste. 230, Riverside, Calif. 92507 and an appointment is required. Call 951-369-6644 to schedule an appointment and know what to bring.

If you are unable to attend or need more information on the VITA program, call the state Controller’s office at 213-833-6010. Military members may also find help at www.militaryonesource.mil and visit Military OneSource’s tax services page.

FATHER-DAUGHTER MASQUERADE BALL

Calling all “dads” for a special evening with your princesses. Team March is holding a masquerade ball for fathers and daughters in April. Details are:

Who: Anyone who is the father or father-figure to a young lady

What: A Father/Daughter Dance

When: April 11, 2015, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Where: 163rd Reconnaissance Wing Regional Training Site building (Directions – Enter the Main Gate on Cactus Ave. Proceed down Graeber St. and make a left on Minuteman Way. The 163rd RW RTS building is straight ahead, through the chain link fence opening. Entrance at the Red Carpet.)

Why: To have fun, share special moments, make memories and help others.

**Donations: $15 per person (all donations will benefit the 1st Sergeants Council’s Airman Relief Fund and two local girl’s charities selected by active duty and the 163rd RW)

Dress: This is a Red Carpet event, so dress accordingly. Military – Mess Dress or Semi-formal; Civilians – Suit and Tie; Daughters – dress or evening gown

Invitation and POC: POC for the event is MSgt. Darryl Willingham at 951-858-3246 or marinewithwings@gmail.com. RSVP not later than April 1 at https://einvitations.afit.edu/inv/anim.cfm?i=229879&k=00634B017C5E

Request for dads: Fathers are encouraged to bring a cherished gift for their daughters and wear masks with their daughters.

Arrive early: Military “paparazzi” will be at the red carpet entrance from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. only so please arrive early so you don’t miss out on capturing a special memory on film!

FAQs:

*Can we pay online? Everyone pays at the door.

*Can we reserve our spot? Everyone must RSVP to the website address listed above under “Invitation and POC” by April 1 to attend. Due to allotted space, only 400 RSVPs will be accepted.

*Do volunteers have to RSVP? Yes, all volunteers must RSVP and put “volunteer” in the guest column to receive info on where and when to meet. Military volunteers are required to be in ABUs.

*Since it’s a masquerade ball, are masks required? No, if you or your daughter are uncomfortable wearing a mask or you can’t find one, come and enjoy spending the evening together without one.

FORCE SUPPORT SQUADRON UPDATES SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE

The 452nd Force Support Squadron has updated and merged its Facebook page and combined all upcoming events in one, easy-to-find location. Visit them at www.Facebook.com/MarchFSS to keep up on events and outings.

FITNESS CENTER GOES VIRTUAL

The March Fitness Center has received the Wellbeats Virtual Group Fitness Kiosk. This kiosk allows participants to participate in a virtual fitness classes. The first class scheduled is a virtual spin class at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays. Contact the Fitness Center at 951-655-2292 for a schedule of upcoming classes or more information.

FITNESS CENTER NEWS

*April – Extramural golf at General Old Golf Course

*April 11 & 12 – Mud Run (mud pits, 6- to 8-foot walls, tunnels, sand bag & rescue-dummy carry) for individuals and teams

*May – Intramural softball (Letter of Intent available at Fitness Center or call 655-2292.)

For more information, visit the Fitness Center or call 951-655-2284.

HAP ARNOLD CLUB NEWS

*The Hap Arnold Club will hold an Easter Luncheon on April 5th from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are required. Call 951-653-2121 for more information.

*Volunteers are needed to participate in the Club Advisory Committee. Have a say on what goes on at your Hap Arnold Club. If you are interested, contact Phil at 951-653-2121 or Philip.navratil@us.af.mil.

OUTDOOR RECREATION NEWS (SINGLE AIRMAN PROGRAM)

*April 4 – 3/4 day fishing trip – Spend a day with friends competing to see who catches what on a fishing trip on the Pacific Ocean. $25 per person, age limit 10, deadline to sign up is March 27. Transportation, which is included, departs March ARB at 4 a.m. and returns at 6:30 p.m.

*Apr 17-18 – Black Canyon Colorado River canoe trip – Venture down to the waters emerging below Hoover Dam and explore incredible Black Canyon on the Colorado River. $55 per person, age limit 10, deadline to sign up is April 10. Participants will be camping Friday and Saturday night. All camping gear and transportation is included. Bus departs March ARB Friday night and returns Sunday (times TBD).

These trips are open to everyone but single Airmen have priority. For more information or to sign up, call March Tickets and Tours at 951-655-4123. Don’t forget to take your cameras so you can post your pictures to www.facebook.com/TeamMarch or tweet them @March_ARB.

OUTDOOR RECREATION CONTEST

March Outdoor Recreation is sponsoring a contest to help them improve their programs. To enter, answer the question, “What makes Outdoor Recreation vital to you?” Send responses to cary.kerr@us.af.mil and put CONTEST in the subject line. Responses will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a wrist watch from the Grenade Watch Collection (a $130 value). Contest ends April 30, 2015.

CONCERT FOR HEROES

Riverside National Cemetery will host its annual Concert for Heroes on July 2, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the cemetery’s amphitheater. The concert is free and open to the public.

THE A&FRC OFFICE HOURS REMAIN THE SAME

The Airman and Family Readiness Center’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

DEERS ID OFFICE HAS MOVED

The March DEERS ID office has moved to Building 441, Room 6. The DEERS ID office will re-open on March 30th.

APRIL YELLOW RIBBON EVENT

The Air Force Reserve Command Yellow Ribbon Program invites you to a Regional Yellow Ribbon Training event to be held in Orange County, California, April 24-26. This event will include activities, referral information, education, vendor booths and interactive breakout sessions that span the concerns and issues faced by reservists and their loved ones before and after a deployment, including: Tricare, Airmen & Family Readiness, ESGR,  legal assistance for wills & powers of attorney, Military Family Life Consultants, Personal Financial Consultants, and more. For information on the event and the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, contact the 452 AMW Yellow Ribbon Representative, 2nd Lt Shelley Lawrence at 951-655-4615 or shelley.lawrence@us.af.mil.

2015 CIVILIAN TSP CONTRIBUTION LIMITS

Calendar year 2015 has 27 pay periods since the last pay day falls on Jan. 1, 2016 (a Federal holiday), which means you will be paid one day earlier on Dec. 31, 2015. 

If you are under the Federal Employees Retirement System and you wish to receive the maximum agency matching contributions for 2015, you must ensure you do not reach the $18,000 contribution limit before the last pay day of the year.  If you reach the contribution limit before the last pay period you will not receive matching contribution for the pay period (s) that no contributions were made.

If you want to distribute your TSP contributions over the remaining pay periods in 2015, update your election in the Employee Benefits Information System (EBIS).  If you decide to change your election, take into consideration the effective date of your election and how many pay periods remain in the year.    

For additional information on contribution limits and effective dates, visit the MyPers website and search “Thrift Savings Plan contribution limit”.

VOLUNTEER TO PACE RUNNERS

The Rising 6 is looking for volunteers to be part of its Fit to Fight Pacing Program for Airmen. Their mission is to help people improve F2F test run times. To volunteer you must score 90 percent or better on your last two F2F tests and have the confidence to pace at the desired time requested by the tester. You don’t have to be a fast runner to be a pacer. For more information or to volunteer, contact Tech. Sgt. Ygnacio Garcia at ygnacio.garcia04@gmail.com or 714-721-7683.

E-MAGAZINE FREE TO MILITARY, FAMILIES

Chronicling Greatness has just finalized its first issue of an E-Magazine, “The American Heroes of War World War II History From Those Who Lived It.” In conjunction with the non-profit International Urban Exchange Center (IUEC), they are offering the E-Magazine to all military personnel and their families for free. This E-Magazine presents first-person accounts from veterans and civilians who lived during, and participated in, the most monumental event of the 20th century, World War II. The accounts are from personal interviews by Adam P. Kennedy. You can access the EMagazine by visiting http://online.3dpageflip.com/wjhm/oxhr.