The White Falcon - 23.04.1976, Blaðsíða 1

Volume XXXII Number 16
Kehavk. Iceland
April 23. 1976
Evad ers sought
The military services have told the
states that computer tapes containing
1975 military payroll information will
be made available to state income tax
officials.
State officials will be able to use
the information to see which servicemen
should be paying state income taxes this
year, and go after those who don't.
Unlike federal income taxes, state
taxes are not withheld from military
pay. State tax officials say that be-
cause of this and the lack of infor-
mation given to the states by the mili-
tary, tax compliance by the serviceman
has been poor and there's little they
I can do.
| In addition to the computer tapes,
the tax officials are also pushing a
bill currently in the U.S. Senate that
would authorize the withholding of these
taxes from Military pay. The bill al-
ready has passed the House.
A government commission last year
urged that Congress adopt withholding
procedures for the military. The com-
mission also recommended allowing the
states to garnish the military pay of
service members found to owe state in-
come taxes.
Department of Defense officials say a
"withholding alternative" is awaiting
approval from Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld. The alternative is
believed to be a form of allotment
that will enable a service member
to have a portion of his pay sent to his
home state to cover his taxes.
Although the deadline for filing most
state income taxes was April 15, Naval
Station Legal Officer, Lieutenant Edward
Studzinski advises personnel who have
not paid their state taxes to submit
them. Tax forms for many states are
available at the Naval Station Legal
Office, bldg. 752.
"It is better to have a late penalty
fine for state taxes than to have more
drastic legal action* taken," commented
Lt. Studzinski.
The statute of limitations offers no
relief— it does not even begin running
until you do file.
This means that when you do get out
of the service in 1985. for example, you
can still be prosecuted and billed for
1975 state income taxes.
Sixty days sell back
Under provisions of the Fi/6 Depart-
ment of Defense Appropriations Act which
went into effect February 9, 1976, mili-
tary personnel may receive payment for
no more than 60 days unused accrued
leave per military career. Leave sold
back prior to February 10, 1976, how-
ever, does not count toward the 60 day
total.
At the end of an enlistment, indivi-
duals either may sell back their unused
leave or carry it over into their next
enlistment. Under current law, no com-
bination of sell-back and carry-over is
possible.
Currently, the payment for unused ac-
crued leave for enlisted personnel is
computed utilizing basic pay plus 70
cents per day Basic Allowance for Sub-
sistence (BAS), with E-5s and above
(with dependents) also being eligible to
receive $1.25 per day Basic Allowance
for Ouarters (BAQ)<\(1946 rates).
Congress is considering leg-
islation which would make all enlisted
personnel eligible to receive BAQ at
time of leave settlement, would increase
the BAQ/BAS rates to those in effect at
time of discharge and would make it pos-
sible for an individual to combine leave
sell-back and carry-over as long as the
total leave sold back does not exceed 60
days.
The bill, which was passed by the
House in December, must be passed by the
Senate and signed by the President be-
fore the new provisions will become ef-
fective.
AIR FORCE CHAPLAIN (CAPTAIN) RICHARD HIGGINS dedicates the new chapel at Rock-
ville. The guests of honor at the ceremonies on Tuesday included Rear Admiral
Harold G. Rich, Commander Iceland Defense Force, Captain John R. Farrell, Naval
Station commanding officer, Colonel William Lindeman, Commander Air Forces Iceland
and Lieutenant Colonel James Young, Commander 932nd AC&W Squadron at Rockville.
The Rockville chapel was moved to its present location in October 1975, in order
to provide a larger area for worship services for personnel assigned to the site.
The work of moving and refurbishing the present facility was accomplished primari-
ly during off time by Rockville volunteers.
Duty Preference Cards make a difference
The majority of Navy men and women
would be delighted to choose their own
duty assignment, yet more than 35 per
cent dc nothing about making their pref-
erence known to the one person who can
help them — their detailer.
Completing ar Enlisted Duty Prefer-
ence Card (DPC) is the surest way of
guaranteeing that your detailer knows
where you want to be assigned when your
projected rotation date (PRD) arrives.
According to EWCM Lionel V. Duke,
master chief of the detailers' command,
the "dream sheet" is very important.
Detailers must assume that a person who
hasn't filed one doesn't care where he
is assigned.
Some Navy people have the miscon-
ceived notion that they need not file an
updated DPC if they were recently trans-
ferred. "Nothing could be further from
the truth," said EWCM Duke. "There are
many situations that could arise immedi-
ately after transfer that would cause a
detailer to take a second look at an in-
dividual's DPC."
Such situations include: a reduction
in the command's manning requirements; a
requirement for transfer imposed by the
Fleet Readiness Improvement Program or a
change in a billet's Navy Enlisted
Classification (NEC).
"Some people erroneously think that
detailers pay little attention to DPCs,"
stated EWCM Duke. "On the contrary, de-
tailers rely heavily on the information
they contain."
The master chief added that most de-
tailers don;t have the time or oppor-
tunity to talk with each of their con-
stituents personally even though they
must determine where a person would like
to be stationed based on the information
on the DPC. However, manning require-
ments sometimes prevent detailers from
assigning individuals the duty they
choose, so they try to assign them to
locations near their choice.
"If a priority billet must be fill-
ed," said EWCM Duke, "we have to put a
qualified person in it even if it's not
where he wants to go. However, if there
are two qualified persons available
transfer, and one has filed a duty pref-
erence card and the other hasn't, here
again, we have to assume the one who
hasn't filed doesn't have a preference."
That special duty assignment you're
always wanted may be as close as your
PRD. To fill it nut, just call your
command career counselor for an appoint-
ment eight to 12 months prior to your
PRD.
CONSTRUCTION NEARS COMPLETION on the new S3.5 million B0Q. The construction
began in November 1974 and is scheduled to be finished in June. The BOQ will
house 103 persons in rooms with private baths and kitchenettes The building is
made of reinforced concrete with a steel roof on wooden trusses.
USO President
visits Iceland
The President of USO, General Michel
S. Davidson (USA, Ret.), and his wife
arrived in Iceland yesterday to get an
overview of Iceland's USO needs and be-
come acquainted with the local commun-
ity.
During his visit, Gen. Davidson toured
various facilities — visitine the Rock-
ville radar site and Grindavik as well as
the NATO Base.
He met with Rear Admiral Harold G.
Rich, Commander Iceland Defense Force
and Captain John R. Farrell, commanding
officer of the Naval Station, as well as
members of the staff at the USO and
recreation facility staff members.
Social activities for Gen. Davidson
and his wife included a tea at the USO
and a social gathering at the home of
RAdm. Rich.
The USO President is touring several
USO Centers overseas on a trip to Ger-
many where he will be the guest of honor
for German-American week which will be
celebrated May 8 in Stuttgart. The Gen-
eral and his wife are traveling as the
guests of the Mercedes-Benz Company.
They depart for Luxembourg tonight.
Term V starts
The Navy Campus for Achievement Term
for the University of Maryland and Los
Angeles Community College Oversea
(LACCO) will start May 3 and continue
through the first day of classes, May
17.
The University of Maryland will be
offering freshman English Composition
for the first time this academic year.
There will be two classes— one Monday
and Wednesday and one Tuesday and Thurs-
day. University of Maryland resident
professor, Dr. Randal Freisinger, will
be instructing. A selection of intro-
ductory and upper-level sociology and
psychology courses will also be offered
with both resident and local lecturers.
LACCO is offering a wide variety of
courses this term. While continuing the
certificate programs in administration
justice, accounting, finance, advanced
electronics, management and real estate,
they are also offering meterology, a
three semester hour natural science
course which is transferable to most
four-year colleges as a basic science
credit.
Also on the schedule are courses of
general interest: Automobile Tune- up
and Carburation, Black and White Photo-
graphy and Basic Business Data Proces-
sing. There will be a noon hour Super-
vision for Managers class offering cur-
rent information for military super-
visory personnel.
Information brochures containing
course and registration details are in
circulation to all commands and are
available at the NCFA Office, bldg. 752.
Contrary to local rumor, Navy Tuition
Aid is available under the limitation
of assistance for one course per in-
dividual.
For more information, stop by or cal
the NCFA Office 6226 or 7795.
The G.I. Bill continues
There is some controversy over who is
entitled to receive GI Bill education
benefits. The Department of Defense has
offered some clarification of the el-
igibility rules.
DOD Officials said "that under a bill
passed by the house, educational ben-
efits would not be available to persons
entering military service after December
31, 1975." However, the senate has not
acted on this legislation. Officials dc
not expect the senate to pass a b’* 1.3
that would deny benefits to persons in
military service at the time legislative
action is completed. GI Bil1 benefits
will continue for all qualified service-
men until Congress acts to end them.