March UTA News & Notes Published March 2, 2011 MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. -- Airmen and families can use this compilation of news bits to prepare for the upcoming UTA weekend. Welcome New 129th Members! - 1st Lt. Philip Smith, 129 RQW - Senior Master Sgt. James Bachmann, 129 LRS - Tech Sgt. Marcos Labuguen, 129 LRS - Staff Sgt. Eric Fowler, 129 OPS - Staff Sgt. Frederick Salonga, 129 LRS - Staff Sgt. Jason Stout, 561 Band - Airman 1st Class Michael Arm, 129 MXS - Airman 1st Class Robert Fowler, 129 MXS - Airman 1st Class Christopher Paup, AMXS - Airman 1st Class Christopher Welcher, 129 SFS Congratulations! The following members have recently been promoted to their current rank. - Master Sgt. Michael Bendle, 131 RQS - Tech Sgt. KeAndra Abdul-Rahim, 129 FM - Tech. Sgt. Jesus Fernandez, 129 MXS - Tech. Sgt. Huy Nguyen, 129 CF Thank You for Your Service! We wish the following retired, separated and transferred members well - Lt. Col. Robert Kinsey, 129 RQW - Senior Master Sgt. Michael Lavigne, 129 RQS - Staff Sgt. Marylou Agustin, 129 AMXS - Staff Sgt. Mark Stokes, 129 SFS - Staff Sgt. Daniel Urtraga, 129 LRS - Senior Airman Johnathan Whitney, 129 LRS Well Done, Graduates! The following Airmen graduated from Professional Military Education this month. - Capt. Mario Montero, 129 LRS, Squadron Officer School - 2nd. Lt. Raymond Torres, 129 LRS, Air National Guard Academy of Military Science 2011 UTA, ORE and ORI Schedule Use the following schedule for drill attendance as opposed to the TAG special order M-1. April 9-11: CRTC War College/Exercise Training - April 9-10: UTA - April 11: Annual Training (as designated by Commander) May 14-20: Phase I/II ORE - May 14-15: May UTA - May 16-17: July 2011 RUTA (as designated by Commander) - May 18-20: Annual Training (as designated by Commander) June 4-5 July 9-10: RUTA (May 16-17 as designated by Commander) August 6-7: Ancillary Block Training September 10-11 October 1-7: Phase I/II ORE - Oct. 1-2: UTA - Oct. 3-4: February 2012 RUTA (as designated by Commander) - Oct. 5-7: Annual Training (as designated by Commander) November 5-6 December 3-10: Phase I/II ORI - Dec. 3-4: UTA - Dec. 5-10: Annual Training (as designated by Commander) Religious Services Schedule Chapel services have been moved from the MXG classroom to the new Family Reception area of bldg 669. Services take place every Sunday morning of UTA drill weekend in Building 650. - Catholic Mass: 10:15-10:45 - Non-denominational services: 11:00 - 11:30 Commanders National Prayer Luncheon Come experience an uplift! Lt. Col. Norris Burkes, the North Highlands chaplain, will be guest speaking Sun. Mar 6 at 11:00 in the Security Forces Classroom in Building 653. Established in 1953 by President Eisenhower to recognize our moral and religious values upon which our nation is founded. This Interfaith event also fosters a greater sense of community among our diverse Wing Members. Please contact the 129th chaplain's office at 650-603-9140 for more information. Free Tax Preparation Resources for Military Personnel Most military installations have a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance office that provides free tax advice, tax preparation, and assistance to military members and their families. If you prefer to do your taxes yourself, there are several options to e-file your taxes online: Military OneSource Tax Program, which provides free access to a customized version of the basic H&R Block at Home electronic tax-filing product; TaxSlayer.com offers free e-file of federal and state returns for active-duty military; TurboTax Freedom Edition and IRS Free File are available to taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $58,000 or less. USAA Financial Management Workshops USAA will be coming to Moffett Federal Airfield in March to offer Financial Management workshops to members of the 129th RQW. Topics will include investments, insurances and information on debt and credit scores. The workshop will cover all aspects of investing, the importance of starting early and how to come up with a basic plan and sticking with that plan. Investments information will include tips on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market accounts and information about the government TSP plan. The USAA representative will also discuss what you should know about policy benefits and how to save money on policies for life, auto, home and renters insurances. Topics discussing comparisons between various types of life insurance and annuities, information on DIC and SGLI/VGLI life insurances will also be presented to attendees. Attendance is not mandatory however this is a great opportunity to get some FREE advice. Please contact CMSgt Kristina Keck at Kristina.keck@ang.af.mil with any questions. 6th Annual Veterans and their Families Resource Fair The San Jose Veterans Center Advisory Council would like to cordially invite you to the 6th Annual Veterans and their Families Resource Fair. The fair is slated for Sat, Apr. 16 from 10:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds located at 344 Tully Road in San Jose. This annual event provides military veterans and their family's access to much needed information about resources available to them for their service to our country, all under one roof for this one day. I would like to say that this event is one of our ways of supporting the military veterans and thanking them for putting their lives on the line for freedom, justice, and liberty. Golden State Warriors Military and Veterans Appreciation Game The Golden State Warriors are hosting their Military and Veterans Appreciation game Sun. March 27 at 6:00 p.m. against the Washington Wizards at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Please read the following, get a group together, and have a great time! Tickets for three sections of the arena are available at a reduced rate for military members and veterans. Groups of 10 or more will receive a food voucher for a hotdog, bag of chips and a soda. These groups will also be entered into a drawing to participate in the "Courtside Shootaround" program from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. to watch the players warm-up! Specially discounted tickets and group seating is available. Go to www.warriors.com/military to order your tickets now! For more information or questions please contact Alisha Valvanis at 510-986-5704 or aavalavanis@gs-warrios.com. HQ USNORTHCOM Force Protection Directive - Mexico Travel The USNORTHCOM Commander has released the newest "off-limits" states in Mexico. Force Protections Directive 11-059, prohibits the states of Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and San Luis Potosi for all routine non-official travel (leave and pass). Emergency non-official travel (leave and pass) may be authorized upon approval of commanders. USNORTHCOM strongly recommends that all non-official travel to Guerrero state, including Acapulco, be postponed for a later time, though it is not off-limits. This travel directive applies to all active duty and reserve component personnel when traveling in an official capacity. For traditional guardsmen, the 129th Rescue Wing cannot officially restrict personal travel, however it is strongly recommended to abide by all travel prohibitions and advisories. For more information regarding traveling in Mexico, please refer to the information provided by 2nd Lt. Maria Tubergen, the 129th Antiterrorism Officer, in her previous article at http://www.129rqw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123197665. Officials to Issue New Camouflage Uniforms to Deployers Airmen deploying to Afghanistan in 2011 will see a new uniform issued to them as part of their deployment gear beginning in March. While Airmen have been faced with a slew of uniform changes in recent years, this new uniform is not a matter of image or heritage but instead has resulted from a joint initiative that ensures all outside-the-wire deployers in Afghanistan, regardless of branch of service, have the best ground combat uniform in order to enhance combat effectiveness. Air Force leaders collaborated with Army experts to develop a solution to meet evolving camouflage and fire-retardancy demands in theater. The new uniform, called the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern, or OCP, is the same uniform recently fielded in Afghanistan to U.S. Soldiers. The plan is for the OCP uniform to eventually become the only ground-combat uniform worn by Airmen in Afghanistan both inside and outside the wire, she said. This also will minimize the number of bags Airmen will carry into and out of the theater. Read the full article at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123240205. Air Force 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Training Detailed Air Force officials will soon begin training Airmen in anticipation of the repeal of the law and policy commonly known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This training will help Airmen understand what is expected in a post-repeal environment. The first tier of training will focus on Air Force experts responsible for implementing policy changes and personnel providing repeal-related services to Airmen. This group includes several functional communities including chaplains, judge advocates and benefit counselors. The second tier will focus on Air Force leaders, and will assist commanders, senior NCOs, and civilian supervisors in preparing for and implementing repeal. The final tier will train and prepare the broader force while reinforcing expectations of professional and personal conduct through engagement by experts and leaders at all levels. To read more about the slated training please read the information provided at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123242364. Antivirus Software Can Now Be Downloaded at Home Department of Defense military and civilian personnel can download free antivirus software for their home computers from the DOD Patch Repository website. Note that contractors are excluded from using the software at home or on any other system not belonging to the DOD. Users can first contact their local help desk for a copy of home use antivirus software. If the help desk does not have copies of the anti-virus software for home use, users may download software. Visit the AF Portal for details. Government Facebook Pages: Quick, Easy, Beneficial While on Facebook, take a moment to search the realm of government agencies offering easy access to their help and information. These pages can be used to connect to their official websites, gather contact information and often post or send messages for quicker responses. Below is a list of helpful Facebook pages to search: - 129th Rescue Wing - The Post-9/11 GI Bill, U.S. Department of Veterans - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - United States Air Force - Airman Magazine - Department of Defense (DoD) - Military OneSource - AAFES, Your Military BX/PX (Official Page) - Tutor.com Online Tutoring for Military Families - Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program (TAP) A Story Before Bed Give Away! A Story Before Bed is giving away 100,000 free recordings to parents in the U.S. military who are spending time away from their kids, more than 6,000 stories are still available. The team behind A Story Before Bed is dedicated to connecting children with parents, grandparents, and loved ones through reading. And we're especially dedicated to connecting families and loved ones who can't always be together. When parents give up seeing their children for weeks or months at a time in the service of their country, we want to do our small part. Parents who are members of one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces who are deploying or already deployed away from their children for any amount of time are eligible to sign up for free recordings from A Story Before Bed. Please go to www.astorybeforebed.com/military to fill out the application. An e-mail will be sent to you confirming your subscription to our newsletter and instructions to redeem your free recordings.