journal 022714

Vol. 26 No. 8 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ February 27, 2014

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

During her town hall meeting atWalter Reed Bethesda on Feb. 19,Rear Adm. (Dr.) Raquel Bono, directorof the National Capital Region Medi-cal Directorate (NCR MD), asked staffmembers at the “flagship of militarymedicine” to do three things: focus onmaking it easier for beneficiaries to getaccess to care; decrease private sectorcare costs; and decrease deferrals.

Walter Reed National Military Med-ical Center (WRNMMC) is one of themilitary treatment facilities (MTFs)within the NCR MD enhanced multi-service market (eMSM) network, whichalso includes Fort Belvoir CommunityHospital (FBCH), the Joint Pathology

Center, Naval Health Clinic Quantico,Washington Navy Yard Branch HealthClinic, Naval Health Clinic Annapolis,Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center,Andrew Rader Army Health Clinic,Fort McNair Army Health Clinic, Mal-colm Grow Medical Clinic and Sur-gery (779th Medical Group) Center,Pentagon Flight Clinic, Bolling Clinic(579th Medical Group) and the Penta-gon DiLorenzo Health Clinic.

Bono said within the NCR MD mar-ket, there are approximately 453,000eligible beneficiaries with nearly271,000 enrollees. She added her goalis to bring those nearly 200,000 pa-tients “with our fingerprints on them”not enrolled, back into the militarydirect care system. Those eligible ben-eficiaries may be currently receivingtheir health care from purchased care

contractors. The admiral explainedthat bringing these eligible beneficia-ries “back home” will lower costs toDepartment of Defense, increase readi-ness and improve overall care.

“Every one of our patients, oncethey get in to see you, have nothingbut good things to say,” Bono contin-ued. She said this is directly relatedto the patient-centered care providedat WRNMMC, but access to the careremains a challenge for beneficiariesthroughout the region.

The NCR MD director added she isworking closely with WRNMMC Di-rector Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clarkand FBCH director Navy Capt. Jenni-fer Vedral-Baron to not only improveaccess to MTFs within the region, but

Region Medical Director: ‘Make Access to Care Easier’

Rear Adm. Raquel Bono Challenges Staff to Bring Back Eligible Beneficiaries

Official Navy photo

Rear Adm. (Dr.) Raquel Bono,MC, USN

By Chief Mass CommunicationSpecialist David RushNavy Public Affairs

Support Element West,Detachment Hawaii

Although great strides have beenmade in motorcycle safety gear andtraining programs in recent years,Sailors and Marines continue to incurinjuries and, in extreme cases, losetheir lives while riding motorcycles.

According to the Navy Safety Cen-ter, motorcycle injuries and deathshave decreased in the last five years,but there is still room for improve-ment.

In 2013, there were 17 Sailor mo-torcycle fatalities, a dramatic de-crease from the 33 fatalities in 2008.Nonetheless, one fatality is too manyaccording to Cmdr. Leo Murphy, Com-mander, Pacific Fleet safety officer.

“Even when riders wear the propersafety equipment and complete themandatory training and refresher

courses, motorcycle riding remains aninherently dangerous mode of trans-portation,” said Murphy. “Riding mo-torcycles is a high risk activity. Therisks are inherent to riding and can-not be feasibly eliminated. The bestpreventative measure that a ridercan take, is to increase their ridingskill level. That is best accomplishedthrough training provided by profes-sional instructors. Statistically, thereis a direct correlation with the train-ing the Navy provides and a reductionin motorcycle mishaps.”

He emphasized the importance ofmaintaining a high level of alertnessand proficiency in order to avoid be-coming a statistic.

“Riding a motorcycle is not like rid-ing a bicycle, it is better to learn thenecessary skills to safely handle a mo-torcycle on a designated road course,than learning through ‘trial by fire’ onpublic streets,” Murphy said. “Preven-

Motorcycle Safety: Staying Alive to Enjoy the RideSee BONO page 9

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Johans Chavarro

A Sailor rides a motorcycle at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickamwhile following Navy safety procedures and protocols.See MOTORCYCLE page 4

2 Thursday, February 27, 2014 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appearanceof advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage without re-

gard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap,political affiliation, or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lowerlevel, Room 41, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-400-2488. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by telephoning 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiActing Public Affairs Officer NSAB: John EppersonPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-400-2488

Journal StaffStaff Writers Sarah Marshall

Sharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderRyan HunterKatrina Skinner

Managing Editor MC2 John Hamilton

NSAB Editor MC3BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

NSAB Ombudsman

Michelle Herrera 240-370-5421

Sexual Assault Response

Coordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:

https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-

National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Uniformed Services University of the Health

Sciences page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/

Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-

Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Code White/Active Shooter ExerciseThere will be a CodeWhite/Active Shooter exer-

cise today at Walter Reed Bethesda. Code Whiteis used to notify personnel of an active shooterand to shelter in place. During the 15-minuteexercise, movement in the hospital should stop,and staff and departments must take shelter inplace. For more information, call ChristopherGillette at 301-295-3115.

Patient Safety WeekMarch 2-8 is Patient Safety Awareness Week,

an annual educational campaign focused onhealth-care safety. The patient safety staff atWalter Reed National Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) will observe the campaign with anevent on March 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. inBuilding 9, first floor near the escalators. Therewill be patient safety representatives and infor-mation on how patients can improve their abilityto act as their own health care advocates. Therewill be a cake-cutting ceremony at noon. All staff,patients and visitors are invited to attend.

Command Climate SurveyWalter Reed National Military Medical

Center’s (WRNMMC) Command Climate Surveykicks off Monday with a ceremony at noon inBuilding 10’s quarterdeck (lobby). The survey,scheduled to run through March 24, is designedto assess staff concerns, morale, job satisfactionand quality of life at WRNMMC. The confiden-tial and voluntary survey can be completed atany workspace computer via the Internet. AllWRNMMC staff are encouraged to participate.For more information, call Lt. Cmdr. PandoraLiptrot at 301-295-2178.

Irish American Heritage CelebratedThe Bethesda Multicultural Committee cel-

ebrates Irish American Heritage with an eventon March 5 at 11 a.m. in the America Buildingatrium. It will feature traditional Irish dancingand is open to all staff, patients and visitors.For more information, call Sgt. 1st Class JasonZielske at 301-400-3542.

Bethesda Notebook

Greetings all, I’m SteveJames, the Naval SupportActivity Bethesda (NSAB)Director of Operations(N3). The N3 organizationis made up of four distinctNSA Departments; Secu-rity, Fire & Emergency Ser-vices, Emergency Manage-ment and Safety.

N3’s mission is to providethe full spectrum of publicsafety in order to protect and safe guardour military members, civilian employees,visitors, family members, patients, facili-ties and equipment aboard NSAB.

My team accomplishes its missionthrough the planned and integrated appli-cation of our core programs and throughteamwork and dedicated service to ourcustomers.We are fully committed to elim-inating threats to life, safety and propertythrough education, prevention and safeand effective response. With recovery ac-tions utilizing an all hazards approach, weconstantly strive to improve in our mis-sion execution through active leadership,liaison, teamwork and commitment to thepersons and facilities we serve.

This issue of The Journal is released aswe wrap up a very successful Solid Cur-tain-Citadel Shield (SC-CS) exercise. SC-CS is a Commander, Navy InstallationsCommand and Fleet Forces CommandNavy-wide antiterrorism exercise. Dur-ing the exercise, everyone aboard NSABwas tested on various crises we couldface, based on how we respond to elevatedforce protection conditions.These senerioscould include an active shooter/hostagesituation, to how you report suspiciouspackages, vehicles or people.

As with any major security trainingevent, some delays and other inconve-niences may impact your normal routinedue to closed parking lots, increased iden-tification and bag checks, rerouted traffic,additional barriers, etc. N3 worked hard tominimize and mitigate the recent delays,but we needed to keep the response and re-

actions to the training eventsas realistic as possible so ourability to keep everyone safecould be adequately tested.Exercises of this nature areessential to measure theactual readiness capabilityof the installation. Withoutthem, the mistakes or defi-ciencies made during a realworld event may prove costlyin terms of public safety and

property damages.During SC-CS, NSAB pushed exercise

updates and messages out to stafff via theEverbridge system. If you didn’t receivethe Everbridge updates and messages,you may not be enrolled in the system.Everbridge messages can be sent to asmany as ten different devices: home andcell phone, TTY/TDD phone, pager, fax,and personal and work emails. Thesemessages also provide official updates onbase delays and early departures, as wellas other mass notifications that affect thebase population. If you haven’t signed upfor Everbridge alerts, please do so todaythrough your commands Emergency Man-agement Representative.

NSAB participates in two full scalebase-wide exercises per year, SC-CS andCitadel Gale (HURREX). This year’sHURREX will take place from May 6-16and will give us all the chance to exerciseour destructive weather plans and makeadjustments from lessons learned prior tothe start of the annual hurricane season.The Everbridge system will be used ex-tensively during this exercise as well.

Whether NSAB tenant, staff or guests,military or civilian, antiterrorism andforce protection (AT/FP) readiness mustbe continuously pursued. Please don’t ac-cept the status quo; remember, we needconstant vigilance by all hands. If you seesomething, say something! AT/FP is an allhands effort and it takes all of us workingtogether to keep us safe.

Steven James,NSAB Director of Operations

Operations’ Corner

The Journal Thursday, February 27, 2014 3

By Ryan HunterNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

In preparation for the upcoming Ac-tive Shooter Drill, emergency manag-ers across all Naval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB) tenants and com-mands have been busy updating, in-tegrating and unifying the base-wideemergency notification system knownas Everbridge.This platform is unique in its abil-

ity to store and utilize multiple pointsof contact for base residents and staffquickly, efficiently and electronically.Depending upon the information pro-vided by the individual, it can sendalerts using work telephones, homeland landlines, personal cell phones,email, text messages and fax machinesin the event of an emergency.Everbridge is not a new system to

NSAB. Tenants like the Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center(WRNMMC), Uniform Services Uni-versity of Health Sciences (USU) andNavy Medical Professional Develop-ment Center have operated these plat-forms for quite some time. However,the commands operated these systemsindependently of each other and ofbase-wide services and support.Dialogue between commands, follow-

ing world events and a push for basereadiness in preparation for the SolidCurtain-Citadel Shield, prompted the

commands to integrate their Ever-bridge systems. This joint operationwill allow base emergency services toquickly mass-contact individuals andwill be tested simultaneously across allcommands for the first time, during theFeb. 27 active shooter drill.Personnel at USU are well prepared

for Everbridge testing during the exer-cise. Faculty and students are recordedin the system as soon as they are en-rolled or employed, said Departmentof Military and Emergency Medicinedeputy at USU, James Schwartz.However, the information on file

only includes contact information fromsources provided by the University,such as office phone numbers and workrelated email. Personal contact infor-mation, such as cell phone numbersand private emails are excluded.

Schwartz strongly encourages staffand students at USU to voluntarilysubmit more information. “I, person-ally, have many different points ofcontacts in the system,” he admitted.“Even if I’m not at my work computeror sitting by my office phone, I want toknow what’s going on; especially if I’mat home and I’m not sure whether ornot to go into work.”Staff at WRNMMC will not be re-

quired to interact with the Everbridgedatabase as much as other tenants onthe base. Emergency contacts for thehospital are believed to be mostly ac-curate, due to regularly updated recallrosters, but staff are encouraged to pro-vide as many forms of contact possiblewhen updating rosters.At the end of each month, hospital

directorate liaisons compile personnelinformation and submit them to Chris-topher Wyatt, the emergency supportspecialist for Walter Reed Bethesda.“If anyone leaves or joins the staff, Iknow about it and it’s reflected in thesystem,” said Wyatt.In a test completed Feb. 20, Wyatt

contacted WRNMMC staff using infor-mation submitted to Everbridge andreceived a 70 percent confirmation ratefrom hospital staff.

“No system is going to get a 100 per-cent response rate … but in the eventof a real emergency we need to reach asmany people as possible,” said Wyatt.He advises hospital personnel to

keep their contact information up todate, by reviewing them with depart-ment directors whenever a contactroute changes or becomes ineffective,as well as, actively participating in thequarterly contact reviews.All other personnel on base are ex-

pected to directly input their contactinformation into the online databasemanually, says NSAB Emergency Man-ager Ron Kunz.Utilizing work emails obtained from

department heads around NSAB, theemergency manager has recently con-tacted both civilian and service mem-ber personnel on base. The notifica-tions directs staff and residents to theEverbridge website where they cancreate secure accounts and input otherpoints of contact.“Everyone, with the exception of the

hospital staff, should go online andupdate their information,” said Kunz.“The information we currently havejust does not use the full potential ofthis important system.”Once information has been captured

by Everbridge, Kunz recommends keep-ing it up to date by reviewing it twice ayear alongside other emergency notifi-cation databases, like the Navy FamilyAccountability and Assessment System.If you work or reside on NSAB and

would like to submit or update yourpersonal contact information on Ever-bridge contact Kunz at [email protected]

Emergency Resource Unifies Commands


staff writer

One hundred and forty-three yearsof service to the nation will be cele-brated when the Navy Medical CorpsBall is held on March 8 at the Bethes-da Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Md. Allservices, corps and civilians are en-couraged to attend the ball.Marine Gen. John M. Paxton Jr.,

assistant commandant of the MarineCorps and second highest ranking offi-cer in the U.S. Marine Corps, is sched-uled to be the keynote speaker at theMarch 8 ball. A native of Pennsylvania,he graduated from Cornell Universitywith a Bachelor and Master of Sciencein civil engineering and was commis-sioned through officer candidate schoolin 1974. He served as director, J3 - Op-erations, The Joint Staff and Chief ofStaff, Multinational Forces-Iraq, inaddition to several different commandand leadership positions. He is a grad-uate of the U.S. Army Infantry OfficerAdvanced Course and Marine CorpsCommand and Staff College. He hasalso served as a Commandant’s Fellow

at the Brookings Institute as well as atthe Council on Foreign Relations.The Medical Corps of the United

States Navy is a staff corps consist-ing of military physicians in a varietyof specialties. It is the senior corpsamong all staff corps, second in prece-

dence only to line officers. The corpswas established on March 3, 1871 withthe passage of the Naval AppropriationAct. The act can also be credited forcreating the title “Surgeon General ofthe Navy,” according to Andre B. Sobo-cinski, historian for the Navy Bureauof Medicine and Surgery (BUMED).“In the early years of the Medical

Department, Navy medical men wereclassified simply as ‘surgeons’ or ‘sur-geon’s mates’ and did not have relativerank with naval officers,” according toSobocinski.“The Act of May 24, 1828 for the

‘Better Organization of the MedicalDepartment of the Navy’ marked thefirst time the status of personnel in theNavy Medical Department received se-rious attention,” Sobocinski explained.“In the Act of March 3, 1835, Congressfirst considered surgeons and assis-tant surgeons as officers when thesepositions were finally subject to thesame pay scale as Navy line officers,”according to the BUMED historian.“The General Order of August 1846 fi-nally conferred relative rank to physi-cians serving in the Navy.”Today, more than 4,000 active duty

and Reserve physicians serve withboth the Navy and the Marine Corpsthroughout the world, providing ex-emplary care to all services members,their families and other beneficiariesof the military health system, accord-ing to BUMED.Vice Adm. (Dr.) Matthew L. Nathan,

the 37th Surgeon General of the Navyand chief of the BUMED, said sincethe Navy Medical Corps was estab-lished, it has “grown in complexityand value. Navy physicians serve fromthe sea to the battlefield all the wayto the halls of Congress and the WhiteHouse. They serve in the aviation andundersea medical communities and asastronauts exploring the frontiers ofspace. The Navy Medical Corps contin-ues to pave new frontiers in biomedi-cal research, medical education andtraining, and patient care delivery atour clinics, hospitals, aboard our afloatplatforms and in combat theaters.”For cost and ticket information for

the 143rd Navy Medical Corps Ball,visit the website https://sites.google.com/site/2014medicalcorpsball/ oremail [email protected].

Navy Medical Corps Prepares to Celebrate 143 Years of Service

Official photo

Gen. John M. Paxton Jr.


tive training pays, especially for inex-perienced riders who are most at riskduring the first year of riding. Riderskills training is the best tool we havein preventing motorcycle mishaps”

In addition to increasing the neces-sary skills needed to get safely to andfrom your destination, being in posi-tive control regardless of level of expe-rience and type of motorcycle is vital,according to Murphy.

“First, those who choose to ridemust understand the risks they areassuming. Once that fact is acknowl-edged, a rider can then develop effec-tive risk management practices. Riskmanagement is an essential part ofsafe riding. Lessons learned from mo-torcycle mishaps highlight this fact.Riders must recognize their skill leveland develop a ride plan that limitsthemselves to within their safe oper-ating limits.”

All Sailors know how to implementOperational Risk Management totheir jobs at sea and shore. The sameapplies to risk management when rid-ing a motorcycle.

“This limit might be daytime grouprides only, not riding on highways orsome other self-imposed limitation

on when, where and how a rider willride,” said Murphy. “Understandingyour limitations and determining therisks you are willing to accept will de-fine safe riding and should be done be-fore you get on a motorcycle. The useof sound risk management practices,rider vigilance and training reducesthe probability of motorcycle mishaps.”

Although military personnel receivetraining, obey the rules of the road andwear personal protective equipment(PPE), that doesn’t necessarily meanthat others on the road will have thesame level of alertness. According toMurphy, when we’re behind the wheelof motor vehicles, everyone needs topay attention to what’s around them.

“In Hawaii we call that ‘Aloha Spir-it.’ It means for other four wheel ve-hicles to be careful and look out formotorcycles to help keep the roadssafer for them. It’s sharing the road,slowing down and not falling into lazyhabits like not using turn signals. Rec-ognize that mirrors in a car still allowfor blind spots and to ensure a space isclear. The best practice is to turn yourhead and look into the blind spot.”

Unfortunately, that doesn’t alwayshappen and it leads to life ending con-sequences.

“Tragically, two fatal motorcyclemishaps occurred when the driversfailed to see and turned into the rider.Changing the driving habits of motor-

ists and motorcyclists alike will helpdecrease the number of motorcycle ac-cidents. Motorcyclists are remindedto make sure that they are visible tomotorists and that they strictly followthe rules of the road,” said Murphy.

As for Sailors and Marines who in-tend on riding “two up,” training isn’tjust recommended, it’s mandatory.

“Motorcycle riders must completethe two mandatory courses within 60days after declaring intent to ride,then complete refresher training ev-ery three years,” said Murphy. “In fact,COMPACFLT policy directs servicemembers who have not completed therequired training to cease riding untilall training is completed. Failure to doso is a violation of a general order. Thetraining is designed to make you safer;why not want that and take advantageof it?”

Command Master Chief of the Na-val Safety Center, Paul Kingsbury,echoes Murphy’s sentiments.

“As a non-rider, I would offer thateach mishap has an impact on theSailor, their command and their peers.When a Sailor is involved in a seriouscrash resulting in injury or fatalitytheir parents, siblings, spouse, chil-dren and other relatives are affected,”said Kingsbury. “A deceased Sailor willnever have to deal with the personalrepercussions of their death. A Sailorwho sustains life altering injuries may

put additional burdens of health careand financial loss onto those samefamily members.”

“Additionally, the Sailor’s commandloses an asset, a piece of the team, awatchstander, a subject matter expertor an influential leader. In some cases,this gap cannot be filled by the com-mand and can result in the depart-ment or command unable to be fullymission capable,” Kingsbury said.

“The loss of a Sailor also meansother Sailors have to fill that void.Someone has to pick up the duties andresponsibilities; someone has to standthe extra watch. The death or loss of aSailor also has psychological and emo-tional impact on the other Sailors atthe command,” Kingsbury added.

In order to help minimize the possi-bility of injury, Kingsbury emphasizesthe need for both beginning and expe-rienced riders to take the risks seri-ously.

“Riding a motorcycle has uniquerisks. Although PPE does providesome amount of protection, the highspeeds, instability and exposure to theopen environment, motorcycle ridersare exposed to make the impact of anycrash much more severe.”

Bottom line, according to Kings-bury, there’s nothing better than con-sistently applying proper techniquesand lessons learned to enjoy the roadsafely.

MOTORCYCLEContinued from 1

01041189

7976 Old Georgetown Rd.Suite 6ABethesda, Marylandwww.rmtgcpa.com

Office: 301.986.1772 x8Fax: 301.986.1774

Toll Free: [email protected]

Robert M.T. Gibbs, P.C.Certified Public AccountantsRobert M.T. Gibbs, CPA, President

• Proudly serving military families for 18 years• Located .7 miles fromWRNMMC• WEMAKE HOUSE CALLS

104149310414931041493


By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

The Walter Reed BethesdaTax Assistance Center offersfree tax help Tuesday throughThursday between 9 a.m. and3 p.m., until April 10 for activeduty taxpayers, retirees andtheir spouses who qualify.The center expects to save an

estimated 400 filers a minimumof $80,000 in tax preparationcosts this year. Unlike previousyears, the center offers a new,computerized self-assistanceservice at six stations withinthe tax center. The center is lo-cated in a temporary modular inBuilding 10A, outside of Build-ing 10, across from Building 55,the patient parking garage.“We can help more people,”

explained Navy Chief MattWalker, who runs the tax cen-ter of nine military and civilianvolunteers, who are trained andcertified with the IRS VolunteerIncome Tax Assistance (VITA)

Program. “Under the self-helpprogram, we get [filers] start-ed [at the computer], then wemove around like waiters [asthey need assistance]. To date,we haven’t had a question wecouldn’t answer before they left.”Walker said some people are

hesitant about preparing their

own taxes and later commentthat the program, “really walksyou right through it. In the end,most people leave quite happy.”Happy like Army Sgt. Arael

Lopez, and his wife Jenniferwere among those satisfied withthe services as they preparedtheir return Feb. 19. Although

volunteers at the tax servicecenter prepared the couple’sreturn for them last year, theSoldier said the program wasincredibly user-friendly as theyworked on their own taxes. “Ev-eryone has been very helpful,”Lopez smiled.The target audience for the

service is active duty person-nel earning less than $100,000gross adjust income and own nomore than two rental proper-ties; a military retiree, age 52or younger, earning less than$58,000 gross adjusted income;a Reserve or National Guardon Active Duty orders for morethan 30 days; or a spouse of oneof the aforementioned. Accord-ing to Herman Dyke, a WalterReed Bethesda legal assistanceattorney who serves as the sitecoordinator for the tax servicecenter, self-employed filers (ex-cept certified family child careproviders), and those who owna business remain ineligible fortax assistance.“We’re not refusing help to

anyone who may not fit theseguidelines,” Walker explained.“The amount of money isn’tthe issue, it’s where it’s comingfrom. Having assets like multi-ple properties, which makes fil-ing complicated, is often beyondthe scope of our expertise.”“We can still assist people

who make more or are olderthan 52, but it won’t be free,”explained Army Sgt. BryanEngland, a tax center volunteer.Fees range between $40 and$80 depending on their adjustedgross income, or state taxes. “Intown, [a commercial tax serviceoff base may charge] $200-300or a percentage of your incomereturn,” he added.Coast Guard Lt. Eric Rivera

was struggling at home withhis taxes when his wife Will-marie called him about the “taxservice” sign she saw at WalterReed Bethesda. The lieutenantsaid he decided to tackle histaxes himself this year to save

Free, Self-Help Tax Service to April 10

Volunteers Offer Free, Self-Help Tax Service

See TAX page 10

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

First-time volunteer, Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rdClass Tahir Seeba reviews a tax guide at the WalterReed Bethesda Tax Assistance Center, open Tuesday-Thursday until April 10.

1036374

RentalTownhomes

Less than 3 miles to WRNMMC

1041252

Featuring: Oversized 2 & 3 Story Townhomes21/2 & 31/2 Baths

3, 4 & 5 Bedrooms . 1,400 to 2,100 Sq. Feet

q Pre-wired for FIOS cable &high-speed internet

q Newly redesigned kitchen& appliances

q Hardwood floors w/inlayq Ceramic tiled bathq 2" Plantation blindsq Cherry finish kitchen cabinetryq Self-cleaning ranges

Included Amenitiesq Side-by-side refrigerator/freezerq Garbage disposalq Stainless steel sinksq Built in Microwaveq Dishwasherq Full-size washer & dryerq Private entry patio w/additional

storage

11300 - 11476 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895 . www.rcptownhomes.com301-949-4466



staff writer

The Bethesda Multicultural Com-mittee hosted an African AmericanHistory Month celebration featuringspoken word and musical performanc-es by Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC) and NavyMedicine Professional DevelopmentCenter (NMPDC) staff on Feb. 19 inthe America Building atrium.

“It is good for us to gather, and to-day we gather to celebrate our diversi-ty, specifically, African-American heri-tage,” said Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B.Clark, WRNMMC director. “It is goodthat we’re pausing to think about all ofour contributions to this great countrywe are privileged to live in.”

This year’s overarching theme forAfrican American History Month is“Civil Rights in America,” said Sgt.1st Class Jason Zielske, WRNMMC’sEqual Opportunity advisor and com-mand advisor for the Bethesda Multi-cultural Committee. “This year, Amer-ica will celebrate the 50th anniversaryof the Civil Rights Act, one of the great-est legislative accomplishments of the20th century,” he added. “The act rep-resents a fundamental precedent thatnot only halted many unjust practices,but also led the way to subsequentlegislation that further ensured equaltreatment for all. The act did not re-solve the problems of discrimination.However, it opened the door to furtherprogress by halting the practice of ‘JimCrow’ laws that imposed racial restric-tions on the use of public facilities, jobopportunities and voting. It also lim-ited federal funding for agencies prac-ticing discrimination.”

At the Walter Reed Bethesda Afri-can American History Month obser-vance, NMPDC Hospital Corpsman(HM) 1st Class Marcus Love was themaster-of-ceremonies, and Army Chap-lain (Maj.) Denise Hagler provided theinvocation and recitation of Maya An-gelou’s autobiographical poem “I KnowWhy the Caged Bird Sings.” The poem,which Angelou credits African-Ameri-can poet Paul Laurence Dunbar alongwith William Shakespeare with form-ing her “writing ambition,” containsthe stanza, “The caged bird sings withfearful trill, of the things unknown butlonged for still, and his tune is heardon the distant hill, for the caged birdsings of freedom.” During the CivilRights Movement, Angelou workedwith the Southern Christian Leader-ship Conference, Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr., and Malcolm X.

Following Hagler’s words, Staff Sgt.Christopher Nelson, of the NuclearMedicine Department, gave a spokenword presentation with a reading ofa quote from Pan-Africanist Ameri-can writer, historian and ProfessorJohn Henrik Clarke. “History is noteverything, but is a starting point,”

he said. “History is a clock that peopleuse to tell their political and culturaltime of day. It is also a compass thatpeople use to find themselves on themap of human geography. History tellsa people where they have been andwhat they have been; where they areand what they are. Most importantly,history tells a people, where they stillmust go and what they still must be.”

The Department of Medicine’s HM1Delyn Scott then provided a rendi-tion of Sam Cooke’s song, “A Change Is

Gonna Come.” The song came to epito-mize the 1950s and 1960s Civil RightsMovement with such lyrics as, “It’sbeen too hard living, but I’m afraid todie, ‘cause I don’t know what’s up therebeyond the sky … I go to the movie andI go downtown; Somebody keep tellingme, ‘Don’t hang around’; It’s been along, a long time coming, but I knowa change gonna come, oh yes it will.”

After Scott, NMPDC Command Mas-

Walter Reed Bethesda Celebrates African American History Month

Photos by Bernard S. Little

Capt. Randolph Copeland performs “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as “The NegroNational Hymn,” during the Walter Reed Bethesda African American History Month celebration onFeb. 19 in the American Building.

Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Brownperforms “Summertime,” and“The Impossible Dream (TheQuest).”See CELEBRATION page 9

Members of The Bethesda Multicultural Committee cut cakes aspart of Walter Reed Bethesda’s African American History Monthcelebration.


By Susan D. HensonCenter for Personaland Professional

Development PublicAffairs

Sailors working on complet-ing a degree should ensure theirschool has the appropriate typeof accreditation or it could costthem money later, said Centerfor Personal and ProfessionalDevelopment education profes-sionals Feb. 24.

“Most students know theschool they attend should havesome sort of accreditation as away of ensuring the quality oftheir education, but they don’tunderstand how important thetype of accreditation is in theirschool selection,” said ErnestD’Antonio, director of Navy Vol-untary Education at the Centerfor Personal and ProfessionalDevelopment. “I’ve seen way toomany examples of service mem-bers using their tuition assis-tance or G.I. Bill education ben-efits to earn a degree at a schoolwhose credits aren’t transfer-rable to or recognized by otherschools. And when a Sailor’sbenefit is spent, it’s spent.”

According to Raymond Sayre,director of the Navy College Of-fice in San Diego, there are threekinds of accreditation. One isregional, which is granted by

an accrediting organization inone of six regions in the UnitedStates. “Regional accrediting or-ganizations review educationalinstitutions as a whole,” he said.“Schools with regionally accred-ited programs focus on academic

theory for a full range of degreesfrom accounting to zoology at alleducational levels.”

National accreditation is an-other type. Sayre said nation-ally accredited institutions fill adifferent educational need than

those with regional accredita-tion. “The real difference is thatnational accrediting bodies focuson operational/technical skills.These accreditors tend to focuson a particular discipline suchas business, technical skills ordistance learning,” he said.

The third kind is accredita-tion for specialized programsand single-purpose organiza-tions. A specialized accredita-tion is typically granted for aparticular section or disciplinewithin a regionally accreditededucational institution, such asfor a school’s law, medical or en-gineering program.

It’s confusing because it’scomplicated, claims D’Antonio.“The key for Sailors is to under-stand how accreditation direct-ly relates to their educationalgoals,” he said. “This is part ofwhy Navy College Programeducation professionals exist —to help Sailors make the bestchoice for them.”

Sayre pointed out that onetype of accreditation isn’t nec-essarily better than the others;it is simply contingent on thestudent’s objectives. “It dependson what professional path Sail-ors are choosing,” he said. “Ifthey want a hands-on careerin the vocational or technicalworld such as auto repair, elec-tronics, nuclear technician, etc.,

they may benefit from choos-ing a school with national ac-creditation. If their choice isthe academic world — teacher,law, business or doctor, for ex-ample — they ought to chooseregional accreditation. Manynationally accredited schools of-fer advanced vocational or tech-nical education and trainingprograms that are excellent andmeet the needs for which theywere designed.”

A handful of schools haveboth regional and national ac-creditation, but according toSayre, it isn’t common.

Gary Henwood, an education-al services specialist at NavyCollege Office (NCO) WhidbeyIsland, Wash., said it’s impor-tant for Sailors to view theirschool choice in the broaderspectrum of their current -and future - educational goals.“When Sailors apply for commis-sioning programs such as Medi-cal Enlisted CommissioningProgram or Seaman-to-Admiral21, the participating universi-ties and colleges are regionallyaccredited and may not acceptcredits from nationally accred-ited schools.”

For this reason, Henwood ad-vises Sailors specifically tryingfor a commission to ensure they

College Accreditation Type May Affect Sailors’ Wallets

U.S. Navy photo illustration by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jayme Pastoric

Navy Tuition Assistance pays for one associate throughmaster’s degree and only pays if a degree at a particularlevel wasn’t already earned using personal funds. Educa-tion professionals at Navy College Offices and the VirtualEducation Center serve as an impartial resource to assistSailors in making wise choices about their education.

By Ed BarkerNaval Education andTraining Command

Public Affairs

Delivering on their goal ofproviding access to Navy train-ing anytime, anyplace, the NavyEducation and Training Com-mand and the Sea Warrior Pro-gram Office, announced Feb. 13,the availability of direct Inter-net access to Navy e-Learning(NeL) content.

“Most Navy learners werepreviously accessing NeLthrough Navy Knowledge On-line (NKO),” said Hank Reeves,NeL project director. “That wasa multi-step process that is nowsignificantly streamlined withthe ability to access courses di-rectly, without going throughNKO.”

Using the direct NeL linkof https://www.aas.prod.nel.training.navy.mil, will take youdirectly to the ‘My Learning’ and‘Course Catalog’ tabs of the NeLlearning management system,after you login.

“Going directly to NeL willmake searching for their desiredcontent much easier,” said Bren-da McCreary, NKO service deskmanager. “If you enter throughNKO and use the NKO searchengine looking for courses, youmay get numerous returns thataren’t very helpful. Going di-rectly to NeL lets you use theirsearch engine, and that gets youstrictly to learning-related re-turns. This streamlines findingthe course you are looking for.”

Although direct access toNeL is available through the In-ternet, a Common Access Cardis still required for NeL login.Courses on NeL have been stan-dardized to run using the Inter-net Explorer (IE) browser.

“Many of our courses takeadvantage of the latest in multi-media content to improve thelearning experience,” Reevesadded. “In order to ensure com-patibility with these courses,NeL provides configurationguides for many of the latestversions of IE. NeL also providesa plug-in analyzer to help cus-tomers confirm they are able to

access and run the multi-mediacontent. Both of these servicesare on one page. To access them,customers may simply click onthe ‘Browser Configuration’ link,located in the NeL Help section,on the right-hand side of the ‘MyLearning’ page.”

According to Reeves, NeLis the world’s largest learningmanagement system in terms ofvolume.

“Virtually every Sailor, gov-ernment civilian and contractoruses NeL to keep current with

required general military train-ing, including the newly-updat-ed Department of Defense CyberAwareness Challenge Course,”said Reeves. “Last year, the Cy-ber Awareness Challenge coursehad more than 232,000 comple-tions, and last year we had morethan four million completionsfor all courses.”

“From the beginning, it wasa goal as we implemented ournew Learning Management Sys-tem to offer direct access to ourNeL users, in addition to access

through NKO,” added Reeves.“Although NKO was designedas a one-stop-shop portal for the‘lion’s share’ of Navy electroniccontent, allowing access optionsfor our customers only makessense.”

Since 2001, Sailors have de-pended on Navy e-Learning(NeL) to help advance theircareers and stay current withtraining requirements. Coursesrange from Privacy and Person-ally Identifiable InformationAwareness Training - requiredof all Sailors, Marines, civilians,and contractors - to specifictraining for individual units.Trainees using NeL completebetween four and five milliononline courses annually froman offering of more than 8,700courses. The Naval Educationand Training Command relieson NeL for use in schoolhousesfor individual skills and skill re-fresher training.

For more information aboutNETC, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/ and www.navy.mil/local/cnet/.

Navy e-Learning Now Offers Direct Access Without NKO

U.S. Navy file photo

See MONEY page 10


By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

This is the second of a two-part Black History Month serieson African-Americans in mili-tary medicine.

The history of African–Ameri-cans in military medicine spansmore than two centuries. SusieKing Taylor and Ann Stokesnursed Soldiers and Sailorsduring the Civil War — servingthe same country that once en-slaved them. African-Americancontract surgeons treated thewounded, ill and injured of theU.S. Army during the SpanishAmerican War, and were deniedappointment application for per-manent commission.Despite challenges and op-

position, African-Americansgained ground and momentumin the following decades as thecountry’s needs grew duringWorld War I and II. Eventually,they served their country in uni-form as enlisted and commis-sioned officers, rising to attainleadership positions in militarymedicine.

African-Americans inWorld War I and IIWhen the nurse shortage

became critical during WorldWar I, the War Department con-sented to authorize 18 African-American nurses certified bythe Red Cross to serve with theArmy Nurse Corps, cites theU.S. Army Medical DepartmentOffice of Medical History. Nineactually served. During WorldWar II, military medicine sawan increase in African-Ameri-can physicians, nurses, dentists,medics and corpsmen.In his article, “Separate, but

Almost Equal,” appearing in theJournal of the National MedicalAssociation, Sanders Marble,senior historian, Office of Medi-cal History, Headquarters ArmyMedical Command (MEDCOM),explained the plight of AfricanAmericans in military medicineat the time.“Before World War II, the

Army had no African Americanmedical units and no plans toutilize African American per-sonnel. A first plan to sidelineblacks into menial support po-sitions was implemented butthen overruled in the middleof the war. Separate units wereformed, [Negro Medical FieldUnits] called Sanitary Units,”Marble wrote.According to the MEDCOM

historian, these units, whichperformed some support func-tions, also focused on preventivemedicine work — mainly, insect

control. Other duties includedcross-loading litter patients inthe evacuation chain, a labori-ous but morale-boosting job forwhich some units received com-mendations. Several ambulancecompanies were organized, per-forming solidly.“Working in a segregated

country and army, these mentook the role they were given,gave it their best and overcameobstacles,” Marble said.

Commission and RankIn 1941, retired Air Force Col.

(Dr.) Vance H. Marshbanks, Jr.entered the U.S. Army at FortBragg, N.C. “At that time, andup to 1949, all medical officersassigned to the Army Air Corpswere in the Army,” he wrotein the Journal of the NationalMedical Association. Accordingto Marshbanks, Dr. MauriceJohnson was the first black med-ical officer at Tuskegee ArmyAirField. Another first at Tuskegeein 1942, 1st Lt. Della Raineybecame the air field’s first chiefnurse. The following year, John-son went on to become the firstflight surgeon when he servedoverseas with the 99th PursuitSquadron.In 1943, John Andrew

Haskins, Jr. became one of thefirst African-Americans to enterHospital Corps School in GreatLakes, according to Andre So-bocinski, historian, U.S. NavyBureau of Medicine and Sur-gery (BUMED). He was the firstAfrican-American to receive theNavy and Marine Corps Medalfor heroic conduct in 1944. Thesame year, Margaret E. Baileyaccepted a commission to theArmy Nurse Corps. During her27-year career, she became thefirst black nurse to attain therank of both lieutenant coloneland colonel. Also in 1944, Dr.Thomas Watkins, Jr. becamethe first African-American den-tist commissioned in the NavyDental Corps, and Dr. ArthurLee Thompson became the firstAfrican-American physician inthe Navy.In 1945, Hospital Apprentices

2nd Class Ruth Isaacs, Kather-ine Horton, and Inez Pattersonbecame the first African-Ameri-can women to graduate HospitalCorps School in Bethesda, Md.That same year, Phyllis MaeDaley was sworn into the NavyReserve, becoming the first Afri-can-American nurse.President Harry S. Truman

issued Executive Order 9981 in1948. “There shall be equality oftreatment and opportunity forall persons in the armed servic-es without regard to race, color,religion or national origin,” itread. The order ended segregat-ed units and African-American

nurses were able to serve in in-tegrated hospitals.

Vietnam, onwardAfrican-American medics and

nurses served in the VietnamWar, like Air Force Capt. OliviaTheriot, who remained in theAir Force Nurse Corps. She re-tired as a lieutenant colonel.Many were awarded for their

valor. Army medic Spc. Law-rence Joel received the Medalof Honor for treating his unitdespite his own wounds whenthey were ambushed in 1965.Army Col. Marie L. Rodgers wasa major when she volunteeredto serve in Vietnam. The nursereceived the Bronze Star fromPresident Lyndon B. Johnsonin a White House ceremony inDecember 1967 for her distin-guished service in connectionwith group operations againsta hostile force in Vietnam. As afirst lieutenant Army nurse in1970, Diane M. Lindsey receivedthe Soldier’s Medal for heroism.Army Col. Clotilde Bowen be-

came the first black woman phy-sician to hold a military com-mission in 1955. She served asthe Army’s chief psychiatrist inVietnam in 1970, remaining theArmy’s only black woman physi-cian at the time, according to Dr.Judith Bellafaire, chief histori-an, Women’s Memorial. In 1977,Bowen became the first womanto command a U.S. military hos-pital when the Army assignedher to Hawley Army Hospital atFort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., in1977.On Aug. 10, 1970, Dr. Joseph

Alexander led a team of five

other transplant surgeons atthe former Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center (WRAMC) inWashington, D.C., to performthe Army’s first kidney trans-plant. He came toWRAMC as anArmy major, and became chiefof the Organ TransplantationService, serving as a lieutenantcolonel until 1971. In 1973, JohnD. Robinson became the first Af-rican-American psychologist inthe U.S. Air Force.In 1978, Joan Bynum became

the first African-American cap-tain in the Navy Nurse Corps.She was also the first femaleblack officer to attain the rankof captain. The Navy commis-sioned David Lawrence Kenne-dy as its first African-Americanuniformed social worker in Jan-uary 1980. Kennedy retired asa Captain in 2004.Army Brig. Gen. Hazel W.

Johnson-Brown became the

Binding Wounds, Fighting to Serve: African-Americans in Military Medicine

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Maj. Gen. (Dr.) NadjaWest, was the first Armydeputy commander at theformer National NavalMedical Center, and thenthe first female African-American two-star gen-eral in U.S. Army MedicalCommand.

U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Cappy Surette

Former U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin (left)speaks with former Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm.Adam M. Robinson Jr. during the 116th annual meet-ing of the Association of Military Surgeons of theUnited States in November 2010.

Courtesy photo

Phyllis Mae Daley (third from right), the first Afri-can American nurse to win a commission in the NavyCorps, stands with other recruits beside a poster.

U.S. Navy photo

Hospital Apprentices Second Class Ruth C. Isaacs,Katherine Horton, and Inez Patterson (left to right)are the first black women to enter the Hospital CorpsSchool at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda,Md., 1945.

See MEDICINE page 10


ter Chief Clinton Garrett showcased his rappingtalents. The master chief explained how poems hewrote as a youth evolved into his raps. “Whenever Idid something wrong, my grandfather would have mewrite a paper about something right,” Garrett said.He realized when he was in the 11th grade that theassignments his grandfather gave weren’t so mucha punishment, but an education. “The papers he hadme write would later become poems, then songs withmessages I would be able to share in music.”

Garrett was joined by Yeoman 2nd Class CedrickSauls in raps saluting black history makers and cau-tioning about the dangers of drugs and crime. “Some-times life’s circumstances can mount up, so it’s incum-bent we go to our brothers and sisters and try to talkthem through those tough times,” Garrett said.

A frequent performer at Walter Reed Bethesdaevents, Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Brown, helped closeout the celebration with inspirational performance ofGeorge Gershwin’s aria “Summertime” from “Porgyand Bess,” and the song “The Impossible Dream (TheQuest).”

“There are a lot of impossible dreams being real-ized, and that will be realized,” Brown said. “Somepeople could not have imagined there would ever be ablack president of the United States. When I sing thissong, I think about the years our parents, grandpar-ents and the ones before them struggled so that wewould have a chance to take a bite out of that apple, a

chance to break through the glass ceiling, and I thankthem,” the sergeant explained.

Army Capt. Randolph Copeland capped off thecelebration with a piano solo of “Lift Every Voiceand Sing,” often referred to as “The Negro NationalHymn,” written by James Weldon Johnson and hisbrother John Rosamond Johnson.

According to Department of Defense’s Director ofDiversity Management and Equal Opportunity sourc-es:

• African-American active-duty enlisted membersand commissioned officers serving today across theservices number 223,378 members or about 16.3 per-cent of the active force;

• African-Americans serving as commissioned of-ficers today number 18,470 members across the ser-vices, comprising 8.4 percent of the U.S. military’scommissioned officer ranks;

• There are 3,518 African-American warrant offi-cers serving across the military services today; and

• African-American enlisted troops serving today

constitute 201,390 members across the services or17.8 percent of the enlisted force.

The origins of Black History Month can be tracedto 1926 when historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson and theAssociation for the Study of Negro Life and Historychose the second week of February to be “Negro His-tory Week,” because it included the birthday of Presi-dent Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Feb. 14, the dayabolitionist Frederick Douglass chose to observe ashis date of birth since being born into slavery. Thereis no official record of his birth.

In his 2014 proclamation for National AfricanAmerican History Month, President Barak Obamastated, “Every American can draw strength from thestory of hard-won progress, which not only definesthe African-American experience, but also lies at theheart of our nation as a whole.”

For more information about the Bethesda Multi-cultural Committee, call Sgt. 1st Class Jason Ziel-ske at 301-400-3542.

CELEBRATIONContinued from 6

also decrease deferrals of beneficiaries to providersoutside of the military health system (MHS).

Clark explained this was his focus during his townhall meeting earlier this month. He said WRNMMCand FBCH, along with the regional MTFs, are part-nering to provide “patient-friendly, high quality healthcare.” As part of this partnership, less complex testsand procedures, not requiring beneficiaries to come toWRNMMC, will be provided by WRNMMC surgeonsand specialists going to other MTFs to treat beneficia-ries at the facilities closest to the patient, accordingto Clark.

“We should partner to think about the entire marketas opposed to Walter Reed Bethesda or FBCH work-ing independently, [which means determining] whereit is best for patients to receive their patient-friendlycare,” Clark said. He also encouraged staff to attend aclinic optimization course at WRNMMC by contactingSheena Walker at [email protected]. Thecourse is designed to assist providers in best optimiz-ing WRNMMC services to meet the needs of patients.

Bono also stated, word-of-mouth is the best adver-tisement to bring eligible beneficiaries back into theMHS. “We have a great opportunity to make history,”she added. “We have a lot of young active duty [servicemembers and their families] who come here for theirfirst duty station. I would love for them to have thetime of their lives so that they know what the art ofthe possible is. When they leave here, they can helpspread the word about the things we are doing and theopportunities that exist at a joint facility.”

As the NCR/eMSM’s “academic medical center,”WRNMMC must capitalize on its teaching and re-search power for the future of military medicine. Thiscan only be done if eligible beneficiaries are broughtback into the system, Bono added.

“I think our patients are anxious to find a way backhere, and we need to make that as easy as possible forthem,” she said. “My goal here is to make sure everyone of you is successful, and to that end, I’m all ears.”

BONOContinued from 1

1041509


money instead of using the com-mercial tax service he used in thepast. “Compared to what theycharge, … I can’t afford to pay. Ichose to do it online myself, butI hit a brick wall. My wife calledabout this service, then I camehere.”

Rivera said the tax service hasbeen more than helpful. “I calledthis morning for an appointment,they gave me an opening and I’mhere,” he said. “They were prettygreat. We own a few properties inother states, and I needed some-one with the expertise to help.I’m working with [Angela Grant];she’s been phenomenal.”

England estimated the newself-service takes 50 to 90 min-utes to complete for an individualfiling jointly. For a single servicemember with a W-2 and pay stub,it only takes 20 to 30 minutes, hesaid. “Most of that time is spenttyping in their personal informa-tion,” the Soldier explained. If pa-trons of the service are unable tocomplete the tax return at the taxcenter, they can save it and comeback later, or complete it at home.

“That’s the advantage of this,”

Dyke explained. “They can dotheir taxes at home.” Englandadded that the entire return canbe initiated and completed usingthe center’s online program; theycan bring the completed returninto the tax center for review be-fore finalizing it and sending it offto the IRS.

England mentioned some ofthe most common documents in-dividuals forget when they comein to prepare their taxes. “I rec-ommend they make sure to havetheir W-2’s, Roth IRA, [documen-tation] for gambling winnings andsocial security numbers for alltheir dependents.” They also needinterest and dividend statementsfrom banks, he said. The sergeantalso urged individuals with rentalproperty to obtain a depreciationchecklist from IRS.gov.

According to England, filingtuition assistance (TA) can some-times cause confusion. “If theyuse Army [or a service-related]assistance, they don’t need a form1099-T for tuition, but if they getany grants or scholarships, thatwill show up on those forms. Alot of people think that they needto bring something in, but TAthrough the military is covered. Itdoesn’t count for or against you,the military picks up the bill,”England explained. He encour-

aged students to bring paperworkfor grants and scholarships whenthey arrive at the center to pre-pare their taxes.

The tax center also coordinateswith the inpatient wards andwounded warriors in Building 62,to ensure clients there have ac-cess to the service. “Anyone who isa complex case or needs a review,typically are here on Friday. [If]they come in with missing docu-ments, we can review them andsend them out,” England added.

Walker expects a rush in April,based on previous tax seasons. Healso encourages those who qualifyfor the free tax service to makeplans to use the service before itends, five days before the IRS fil-ing deadline. For more informa-tion or to schedule an appoint-ment, call the tax center Tuesdaythrough Thursday at 301-319-2955 or email [email protected].

Civilians, service members andretirees can access the same web-site used by the tax center to pre-pare their own taxes. Go to www.myfreetaxes.com. Active dutymembers should click on “basic” toavoid a fee. Civilians and otherscan have their taxes prepared ata nearby VITA site for free. Visithttp://irs.treasure.gov/freetax-prep or call 1-800-906-9887.

TAXContinued from 5

first African-American woman to attain general offi-cer rank in American military history. She served asthe 16th Chief of the Army Nurse Corps from Septem-ber 1979 until August 1983. In 1993, retired Air Forceflight nurse Maj. Gen. Irene Trowell-Harris was select-ed to become the first female African-American generalin the National Guard.

In recent history, African-Americans continue toachieve rank in military medicine.

In September 2007, retired Vice Adm. (Dr.) AdamRobinson, the first African-American physician toserve as commander, National Naval Medical Center,became the first African-American Surgeon General ofthe Navy and chief, BUMED. In November of the sameyear, Navy Master Chief Laura A. Martinez became thefirst African-American and second woman to serve asForce Master Chief and director of the Hospital Corps.

In June 2013, Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Nadja West becamethe first female African-American two-star generalin MEDCOM. The modern-day achievements of West,Robinson and Martinez honor the long legacy of Af-rican-Americans who fought to serve their country inmilitary medicine.

Upon receiving her second star, West said, “If any-thing at all, I hope I can be an inspiration to any oneor any group that has not seen themselves in certainpositions. We all want to see people who look like usdoing certain things to give us inspiration. Hopefully,I can inspire someone to be able to say, ‘I can do that’.”

To learn more about African-Americans in militarymedicine, along with photos, visit us on Facebook:http://on.fb.me/14KgLCS.

MEDICINEContinued from 8

attend an accredited school whose cred-its are transferrable to other programssince each school decides what transfercredits it will accept.

Sailors not applying for a commis-sioning program should still carefullyconsider how they’re using the TuitionAssistance program to complete classestoward their degree, or it could result inbad news. Henwood gave an example ofa Sailor he worked with last year whocompleted a Bachelor of Science in Busi-ness from a nationally accredited school,which he used Navy Tuition Assistanceto complete. He then applied to a region-ally accredited school’s MBA program,but that school didn’t honor his bache-lor’s degree. “Because the Navy only paysfor one bachelor’s degree, he will have togo back and pay out-of-pocket for a re-gionally accredited degree program orreturn to the original school for its MBA,which limits his choices.”

While this is one example, there isno steadfast rule. Sayre pointed outthat some regionally accredited schoolsdo accept credits earned from nation-ally accredited schools. “A degree frommany nationally accredited schools canmake you eligible for a commissioningprogram, depending on which school youearned your degree from,” Sayre said.“Also, a high-tech degree from a nation-ally accredited school may make youmore competitive for employment aftercompletion of military obligation.”

The U.S. Department of Education has

a College Navigator (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/) on its website to as-sist students in evaluating schools in ar-eas such as costs, financial aid access andgraduation rates. Navy students have anadditional resource — education profes-sionals at Navy College Offices and theVirtual Education Center.

“Degree types are an individualchoice,” Sayre said. “Our job as counsel-ors is to provide information that en-ables the individual to make educatedchoices.”

Sayre said Sailors should thoroughlyresearch schools and ask the right ques-tions. “Any school an individual is goingto invest in should be checked out to en-sure the institution is able to meet theneeds and long-term goals of the indi-vidual. Impartial, professional counsel-ing and advisement is critical,” he said.

According to D’Antonio, VoluntaryEducation and Navy College Programprofessionals are committed to helpingSailors reach their educational and cre-dentialing goals. “We provide the neces-sary academic programs that meet theneeds of an educated force and providethe needed academic advice and counsel-ing that guides our Sailors toward theirlife-long learning goals,” he said. “Whenwe are successful in this mission, wehave served the Navy and the Sailor.”

For more information about the Cen-ter for Personal and Professional De-velopment (CPPD), visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/cppd/, www.navy.mil/local/voledpao/, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Personal-and-Professional-Develop-ment/100056459206 and via Twitter @CENPERSPROFDEV.

MONEYContinued from 7

T6616610

Rockville

1041488


journal 022714

Documents

medical clinic

receivingtheir health

naval health clinic

naval health clinic

overall care

care system

gon dilorenzo health

ncr md director