MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD NEWSLETTER MARCH 2012 VOLUME 7 I SSUE 2 FAMILY PROGRAMS THE OTHER “MARCH MADNESS” With tax season already geared up, Mili- tary OneSource is sending this special announcement to inform you about free tax filing services! Military OneSource is pleased to an- nounce the return of the Military One- Source version of the H&R Block At Home Online tax preparation service. If you are eligible under the Military One- Source program, you can complete, save, and file your 2011 federal and up to three state returns online for free with the H&R Block At Home tool. To access this free service, you must start your return from the Military OneSource H&R Block At Home link. Once you click the link you will be required to log in to Military OneSource (new users need to create an account). From the login page you will be directed to a site con- taining additional information on tax preparation, including the link to the Mili- tary OneSource free H&R Block At Home service. You can also prepare and file your taxes at your own pace. Once you create your own secure log-on user ID and password through the Military OneSource H&R Block At Home service, you will be able to save, close, and return as often as you need to. This means that if you don’t have all of your tax documents ready when you start, you can stop, gather what you need, and return as often as necessary. This is the same free tax preparation pro- gram you may have used through Military OneSource before. If you created an H&R Block At Home account last year, your login credentials for that account still work and you will be able to access last year’s tax information. I NSIDE THIS ISSUE : MILITARY R ECOGNITION L ICENSES 2 S TATE Y OUTH 3 S TATE WORKSHOP 4 Y OUTH SYMPOSIUM 4 T RICARE UPDATE 5 T UTOR . COM 5 OPSEC 6 Attention Single Soldiers! The singles weekend workshop is back and better than ever with Got Your Back! March 17th & 18th in Red Lodge at Rock Creek Lodge. If you would like additional information and would like to register please contact Aimee Enos at 406-324-3202 or [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there! Commitment is the enemy of resistance, for it is the serious promise to press on, to get up, no matter how many times you are knocked down. ___________ David McNally
Transcript
MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD
NEWSLETTER MARCH 2012 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 2
FAMILY PROGRAMS
THE OTHER “MARCH MADNESS”
With tax season already geared up, Mili-tary OneSource is sending this special announcement to inform you about free tax filing services!
Military OneSource is pleased to an-nounce the return of the Military One-Source version of the H&R Block At Home Online tax preparation service. If you are eligible under the Military One-Source program, you can complete, save, and file your 2011 federal and up to three state returns online for free with the H&R Block At Home tool.
To access this free service, you must start your return from the Military OneSource H&R Block At Home link. Once you click the link you will be required to log in to Military OneSource (new users need to create an account). From the login page you will be directed to a site con-taining additional information on tax
preparation, including the link to the Mili-tary OneSource free H&R Block At Home service.
You can also prepare and file your taxes at your own pace. Once you create your own secure log-on user ID and password through the Military OneSource H&R Block At Home service, you will be able to save, close, and return as often as you need to. This means that if you don’t have all of your tax documents ready when you start, you can stop, gather what you need, and return as often as necessary.
This is the same free tax preparation pro-gram you may have used through Military OneSource before. If you created an H&R Block At Home account last year, your login credentials for that account still work and you will be able to access last year’s tax information.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE :
M ILITARY
RECOGNITION
L ICENSES
2
STATE YOUTH
3
STATE WORKSHOP 4
YOUTH SYMPOSIUM 4
TRICARE UPDATE 5
TUTOR .COM 5
OPSEC 6
Attention Single Soldiers! The singles weekend workshop is back and better than
March 15, 2012, is the NEW DEAD LINE to apply for special deer and elk permits. Now you will have drawing results by the end of April for the special drawing.
Dead line for the antlerless Deer “B” , Antelope, and Antelope “B” license remains June 1, 2012.
Additionally, for those of you who apply for Moose or the highly coveted Sheep, Goat, or Bison permit, May 1, 2012, remains the dead line.
Good luck to all applicants and, as always, to those who are successful, let’s be careful out there.
In accordance with 87-2-803(12) MCA, Montana resident members of the Montana National Guard, Federal Reserve or Ac-
tive Duty who participated after September 11, 2001 in a contingency operation as provided in 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(13) that
required the member to serve at least 2 months outside of the state are eligible for a free sportsman without bear licenses or a
free fishing license for up to five years.
To take advantage of these licenses you must obtain the license in the year that you returned from military service or in the
following year. If you were released from active duty on or before 2007 and did not take advantage of this license by 2008,
you are no longer eligible.
These licenses are available at any regional FWP office or at FWP headquarters in Helena. You must provide proof of resi-
dency and your DD form 214 verifying your release from active duty and documentation showing that you participated in a
contingency operation as provided in 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(13). Free sportsman without bear licenses require a payment of the
resident hunting access enhancement fee of $2.00.
Once certified in the system, you can obtain the military recognition licenses at any FWP license provider in the stat for the
next four years.
FWP has had many calls from returning Soldiers to get their free license; they tell them that they need a copy of their DD214
to prove they are off Active Duty.
Explanation of DD 214 Release from Active Duty:
Proof of release from Active Duty with your DD214 means that you have to be totally off Active Duty not home burning up
leave. YOU MUST BE TOTALLY OFF ACTIVE DUTY AS PER THE DATE ON THE DD 214. If your date is still in the
future you are still on Active Duty. Your five years of free license will start the year following your release from Active
duty. This is a onetime offer so any Soldier that is coming back from his or her 2nd, 3rd or whatever tour if they started the
5 years before from a previous deployment they do not get to start over again.
Hunting Season Military Recognition Licenses
PAGE 3 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 2
www.montanaguardfamily.org/html/
The First Tee is offering free golf instruction combined with character education and life skills training to children of military personnel. This program is being made
possible through a two-year agreement with the Department of Defense and is part
of an overall program that is being implemented throughout the country and over-
seas. For locations in MT visit: www.thefirsttee.org
Sara Cease
State Youth Coordinator
Montana National Guard
(406)324-5120
Heidi’s Corner…
Heidi Spritzer is the Child & Youth Behavioral (CYB) Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) for Mon-tana. She is a member of the Joint Family Support Assistance Program (JFSAP) Team. Heidi is here for you! Need someone to talk to? Feeling ‘weird’ about your deployment experiences? Call her! Text her! Email her! (406)438-3736 or [email protected]
For other great resources for your mental health… Check out: “SOFAR.” SOFAR: Strategic Outreach to Families is a pro bono, mental health project that provides free psychological support, psychotherapy, psychoeducation and prevention services to Youth and Parents of Reserve and National Guard upon returning home from deploy-ment.
Birdies and Bogeys, Courtesy of The First Tee!
National TEEN Delegates!
Summer of 2011 two MT teens got to take a trip of a lifetime! Representing MT at the National Guard Bureau ~
National Youth Symposium were Airika Nugent (Army Guard) and Katherine Leonard (Air Guard).
See www.montanaguardfamily.org for more information on 2012 Delegate opportunities and applications.
Airika:
Most Memorable moment?
“Seeing everyone from re-
gionals, we made great
friends”!
Thing that was most fun?
“The concert… being so close
& that they recognized mili-
tary kids was awesome”!
Katherine:
Most noteworthy: “Went to
my 1st country concert. It ’s
all about new experiences”!
Advice for other military
teens: “Get involved! You
meet people, learn a lot, &
it is fun”!
*** CA
MP
NE
WS: P
lease visit website or em
ail Sara for a schedule of FR
EE
camps this sum
mer!! ***
PAGE 4
The 6th Annual State Family Readiness Workshop
and Volunteer Recognition Ceremony
This weekend will filled with Facts, Fun and Friends (old and new). The Facts are what you will walk away with that will empower yourself as you empower others, Fun well what more has to be said about that and nothing makes a better weekend even better when you are able to reconnect with old friends and make new friends. Don’t miss out on this weekend. Registration opened on February 3, 2012 on www.jointservicessupport.org
Don’t Miss Out!
Questions or concerns please contact Misti Dauenhauer at 406-324-3234 or
Noteworthy national youth speaker, glowing activities, and fun that is worth a round applause! Join other military kids FREE for a rocking good time!
1-5 Grade Youth Event
6-12 Grade Teen “Lock in” event
Information Registration forms at : www.montanaguardfamily.org
FAMILY PROGRAMS
PAGE 5
Transition to MetLife:
On May 1, 2012, MetLife will take over the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) from United Concordia (UCCI). Those who are already enrolled in TDP will remain en-rolled and not need to re-enroll. Active Duty Family Members who had the TDP withdrawing from the sponsor’s payroll deduction will not need to do any paperwork to change payments. Guard and Reserve Members/Family members who were using Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs) or Recurrent Credit Cards (RCCs) will revert back to direct billing. On March 21st, MetLife will send out enrollment letters to all current enrollees explaining the changes and provide the necessary paperwork to re-authorize EFT or RCC. Also on March 21st, the MetLife Website and call centers will be activated. Beneficiary calls for enrollment, disenrollment and general inquiries should contact 1-855-638-8371 for assistance. POC’s for our regional Dental Benefit Advisors (not for public release) are:
WA, OR, MT, ID, WY, CA, NV, UT, CO, NM, and TX: Kevin Brown 720-239-2034 [email protected]
These POCs can assist staffers with difficult cases (that could not be resolved through the general inquiry line) or if you would like to request an in-person briefing for an event with 50 or more personnel attending (needs a 14 day minimum advance notice).
MetLife brochures will be available on the TRICARE Smart Site by early March www.tricare.mil/smart . Walgreens Update: The contract between Express Scripts (ESI) and Walgreens did expire on 12/31/11. Walgreens is no longer a TRI-CARE Retail network pharmacy. There are still over 56,000 other retail network pharmacies that are available to our beneficiaries. For more information or to find a nearby network pharmacy please go to www.express-scripts.com/TRICARE or you can call ESI at 877-885-6313.
TRICARE UPDATE
Students in grades K-12, college students and job seekers can connect to a qualified tutor or career tutor from a
computer or mobile device (iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) for one-to-one, on demand help in math, science, social
studies, English, resume help and other career services. There are no appointments or schedules. Tutors are avail-
able online to provide assistance with homework, studying, exam preparation, projects, essays, standardized tests
and much more.
Montana students also have 24/7 access to the Tutor.com SkillsCenter™ Resource Library which includes thou-
sands of tutor-vetted materials. Whether a student needs a study guide resource, a worksheet for extra practice
or a video tutorial about a specific math concept, they’ll find it in the SkillsCenter. Students may also rate the re-
sources they use and these community ratings are displayed for all users. Job seekers will also find template re-
sumes, cover letters and interview tips. Tutor.com powers tutoring and homework help programs for the De-
partment of Defense.
For more information, please go to http://www.tutor.com/.
PROCTECTING THE HOMEFRONT OPERATIONS SECURITY — OPSEC
In World War II, the Army would censor the mail going to loved ones. They would black out sentences containing information that related to operations in the country.
This practice continued in Korea and in Vietnam, however with today’s technology it’s not practical to censor all communications. Email and cellular phones allowed frequent communication between soldier and loves ones.
But I’m not a soldier, I’m a spouse, what information do I know?
*The name of your Service Members unit
*Type of unit (Engineer, Armor, MP, Infantry)
*The unit’s location (i.e. Baghdad, Tikrit)
*When they are coming home
*What your Service Member is doing (i.e. patrolling in Najaf, daily convoy’s to Kuwait)
What can I do?
*Know who you are talking to. Don’t dis-cuss information with just anyone.
~FACT: Several family members have received phone calls from individuals asking:
*What do you think of the war?
*What does your soldier do?
*What is the name of his/her unit?
*Be careful where you talk about your Ser-vice Member.
~FACT: When one of the units was re-turning, spouses were discussing date, time, location of the unit’s flights openly on Face-book and in local business establish-ments.
*Watch what you display.
~FACT: To you this sticker means you miss your loved one, to a criminal it shows that you are home alone.
OPSEC Tip of the Month
Adversaries surf the internet looking for information that will help their efforts. Think before you post, once its out there it’s there forever! Limit details that you
PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR SERVICE MEMBER
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY, WATCH WHAT YOU DO.
PAGE 6 FAMILY PROGRAMS
FAMILY PROGRAMS STAFF
State Family Programs Director Airmen & Family Readiness Program Mgr 1LT Kevin Dighans 406-324-3239 Holly Wick 406-791-0867 [email protected][email protected]
Family Assistance Center Helena Senior Family Readiness Julia Holder 406-324-3232 Misti Dauenhauer 406-324-3234 [email protected][email protected]
Family Assistance Center Helena 1889th Family Readiness Aimee Enos 406-324-3202 Bret Anderson 406-324-3358 [email protected][email protected] Family Assistance Center Missoula State Youth Coordinator Holly Swartz 406-324-5121 Sara Cease 406-324-5120 [email protected][email protected] Family Assistance Center Kalispell Christina Ryan 406-324-5180 [email protected] Family Assistance Center Glasgow Linda Sundby 406-324-5530 [email protected] Family Assistance Center Billings Russell Pettit 406-324-5450 [email protected]
Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) Director of Psychological Health (DPH) Kerrie Wheeler, LCPC 406-696-5202 Carol Josephson, LCSW/LAC 406-422-6131 Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) Military OneSource Consultant (MOS) Jennifer Hurwitz, LCPC 406-403-6676 Bill Carroll 406-781-4986 Child & Youth Behavioral (MFLC) Heidi Spritzer, LCPC 406-438-3736
