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Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, announced 30 employers as finalists for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is the DoD’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve employees. A review board comprised of military and civilian leaders selected the 30 employers from the 3,236 nominations received earlier this year from Guard and Reserve service members, or family members acting on their behalf.

The 2012 finalists’ supportive initiatives include establishing a military relations council to internally advocate for Guard and Reserve employees, adjusting work schedules to accommodate military training days, and even driving the pregnant spouse of a deployed service member to the hospital when she went into labor and setting up a computer connection so the service member could see his newborn child.

The DoD will announce the 15 recipients of the 2012 Freedom Award early this summer following completion of a national selection board comprised of senior DoD officials, business leaders and prior awardees. The 2012 recipients will be honored with the 17th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in Washington, D.C. in September. Past recipients of the Freedom Award have met privately with the President and Vice President of the United States, and the Secretary of Defense.

Read the full release, including a list of finalists, at the FreedomAward.mil Website.

Born from a sense of inspiration over 90 years ago, Wonder® bread has been a part of American households for generations. This rich heritage inspired them to look for ways to honor those who go above and beyond in their local communities.

That’s why they’ve partnered with the USO, an organization that shares our passion for supporting and honoring America’s heroes. Together, they’re looking for an upstanding citizen to be our Wonder Bread Hero.

From now through June 8th, Wonder bread is looking to honor everyday American heroes who go the extra mile.

Visit www.wonderbreadheroes.com to nominate an everyday hero in your life for the chance to have $50,000 donated to the USO in the winning hero’s name!

The winning hero will also win $2,500 cash and a year’s supply of Wonder bread. You can also visit their Facebook page for details: www.facebook.com/wonderbread.

Oklahoma is OK as far as MOAA is concerned! Check out the good work our chapters are doing in Lawton:

The MOAA auxiliary group in Oklahoma is working with the Armed Services YMCA to open a welcome center at the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport. After much organizing and fundraising they are just about at their $70,000 goal, and an official opening ceremony is scheduled for next week.

The welcome center is a partnership between Armed Services YMCA and the Military Officers Association of America auxiliary and for one member of the MOAA it is a dream come true.

“For me, it means everything to see this come to fruition,” Rutti Cramer said.

Most of the time when you hear the words “dream come true” it’s about a personal achievement. The Military Welcome Center at the airport didn’t become a reality just because Rutti wanted it too, a lot of people have helped, but maybe this is personal, her husband Robert who has since passed, was a Vietnam War veteran.

Find a local MOAA chapter near you and get involved in your community!

As part of the Applebee’s Thank You Movement, Applebee’s team members kicked off Military Appreciation Month yesterday with the delivery of 101,000 Thank You cards – 1,200 pounds of thanks – to the nation’s military.

Applebee’s guests and team members personalized the cards at nearly 1,900 U.S. restaurants. Applebee’s team members then delivered the cards in person to veterans at the headquarters of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Cold Spring, Ky.

DAV, a non-profit partner of Applebee’s, will distribute the cards to veterans and troops to ensure that each heartfelt expression of thanks is presented to a real American hero. DAV has worked to improve the lives of veterans and their families for more than 90 years and will deliver these messages of thanks through its range of programs, services and publications.

The card delivery is part of the Applebee’s Thank You Movement, an ongoing initiative to collect millions of thanks for U.S. veterans and active duty military. So far, the movement has collected more than 2.6 million thank you texts, posts and videos. Military personnel can visit www.thankyoumovement.com to see and hear the genuine thanks from the grateful nation they serve.

For more information, visit www.applebees.com and www.thankyoumovement.com.

Capt. Donald R. Freese, USN-Ret., President of the Florida Council of MOAA Chapters, discussed the stresses put on the current military through ten years of war, and highlighted the need for advocacy on behalf of servicemembers and their families.

Until the draft ended in 1973, most American families had some connection with someone in the military. Now, it’s only about one family in 30, he said.

The association has also advocated against making extreme changes to the military pension system and against large increases to Tricare, the health-care system for military retirees.

The Bradenton MOAA Chapter then awarded $1,000 scholarships to seven JROTC cadets from Manatee County high schools and $500 to four others at the ceremony in front of parents, friends, and JROTC instructors.

Read the full story, “Official defends armed services budget at Bradenton awards luncheon.”

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, announced that 133 employers have been selected as semifinalists for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is the highest recognition given by the DoD to employers for exceptional support of their Guard and Reserve employees. This year’s semifinalists stood out among an impressive pool of 3,236 nominees.

Freedom Award nominations come directly from Guard and Reserve members, or family members acting on their behalf. The Freedom Award provides service members with an opportunity to recognize employers for going above and beyond what is required by law. Employers chosen as semifinalists support their Guard and Reserve employees through a variety of formal and informal initiatives, including developing internal military support networks, providing full benefits to employees fulfilling their military obligations, caring for the families of deployed employees, and granting additional leave to Guard and Reserve employees preparing to leave for or return from deployments.

ESGR will announce the 2012 Freedom Award finalists next month after a review board comprised of military and civilian leaders selects the 30 most supportive employers from among the 133 semifinalists. The 15 award recipients will be announced early this summer and honored in Washington, D.C. at the 17th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Ceremony on September 20, 2012.

A complete list of Freedom Award semifinalists from each state is available at www.FreedomAward.mil under the Media Tab in the Press Releases section.

MOAA chapters are always leading by example in their communities, and the Dover Chapter is no exception!

Home of the Brave serves homeless male veterans, giving them a temporary shelter from the streets. With a $500 donation from the Dover Chapter, Home of the Brave will start working on a shelter for female veterans with children.

Read more online: Dover MOAA donates to Home of the Brave.

ALERT FROM DFAS:

There are emails being sent to individuals, including military members, military retirees, and civilian employees, which appear to be sent by a DFAS employee. Although the email appears to come from a DFAS employee and displays a dot mil address it is actually from a non-government email account. This is an example of what’s called “spoofing.”

The emails indicate that individuals who are receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be able to obtain additional funds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These emails are not issued by DFAS and will likely result in a financial loss if you comply with the suggestions in the email. Bottom line – do not send your personal information or copies of your tax returns and 1099s to the individual listed in the email.

The email indicates that individuals receiving VA disability compensation can receive additional funds from the IRS. The email states that such funds can be obtained by sending copies of your VA award letter, your income tax returns, your 1099-Rs, your RAS statements, and a copy of your DD 214, to a so-called retired Colonel at an address in Florida. Do NOT follow the suggestions in the email because you will be providing a significant amount of your personal information to a complete stranger, which could result in a financial loss to you.

The 1099-Rs that are issued by DFAS reflect only the taxable portion of a member’s retired pay. DFAS is not aware of any legal basis for the alleged additional funds that the IRS would supposedly pay over. By ignoring the email, you will avoid frustration, the release of personal information to a stranger, and the possibility of financial loss. If you have any questions or concerns about these or any other tax issues, you should contact a known, reputable tax consultant, tax attorney, or legal assistance officer for advice and assistance. Read our agency email policy that has been developed to protect customer privacy.

++++++++copy of text of scam email+++++++++++++

Sent: Thu, March 17, 2011 7:04:17 PM
Subject: FW: Income Tax

Sandra,

here you go!

I been informed that you can receive additional funds from IRS for SM who retired with 20 years of AFS, information required to receive this entitlement is as follows:

Copy of your VA award letter (note: if your VA rating has been increase within the last three years, you’ll need to send all
ratings).
Copies of your 1040′s for tax years: 08, 09 and 10
Any copy of your 1009R for year 08, 09 and 10
Copies of your RAS statements (Retired pay statements) for year 08, 09 and 10
Copy of your DD Form 214

This information should be mailed by Priority Mail to:
>
Willie Brooks
726 Mayflower Ave.
Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32547-3175
850-862-1673.

Mr. Brooks is a retired AF COL who worked for IRS and charges you 10% of what you receive. I have known of several within the AW2 program who has received from $8.000.00 to $19,000.00. See additional information concerning this matter.

Pass this on to any of your friends who has a VA rating and 20 or more years of AFS!

Congratulations to all the nominees:

3,236 Guard and Reserve members nominate employers for highest honor!

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, received 3,236 nominations for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense’s highest recognition for employers supporting members of the Guard and Reserve. Up to 15 recipients will be announced this summer and honored in Washington, D.C. on September 20 at the 17th annual Freedom Award Ceremony.

Guard and Reserve members, or family members acting on their behalf, nominated their civilian employers for the Freedom Award during the 12-week nomination season. Guard and Reserve members, who stand ready to serve whenever our Nation needs them, often put their civilian lives on hold when they answer the call to duty. Supportive employers provide a tremendous amount of stability and peace of mind to these Citizen Warriors and their families, enabling them to continue their dedicated service to our country.

“Guardsmen and Reservists continue to receive outstanding support from their employers,” said ESGR National Chair James G. Rebholz. “America’s employers have not wavered in their commitment to these Citizen Warriors.”

Almost one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of the Guard and Reserve, and while most employers proudly support their military employees, Freedom Award recipients go above and beyond what is required by law. Last year’s recipients were nominated for superior acts of support including driving a deployed employee’s children to school, replacing a military employee’s broken family refrigerator while he was serving abroad, and working overtime to cover a service member’s shifts so they could take part in military training.

A list of nominations from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia are available at www.FreedomAward.mil. Semifinalists for the 2012 Freedom Award will be announced later next month.

At the age of 21, Hershel Williams was a young Marine sergeant in action against enemy forces on the island of Iwo Jima during World War II. Daringly, Williams went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine gun fire from unyielding enemy lines.

Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines and back, neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment. His actions aided vitally in enabling his company to reach its objective, and for his valiant devotion to duty, Corporal Williams received the Congressional Medal of Honor in October 1945.

In 1966, Specialist Fourth Class Alfred Rascon was assigned as a medic in Vietnam when his platoon came under heavy enemy fire. Disregarding his own safety and ignoring directions to stay behind shelter until covering fire could be provided, Rascon repeatedly made his way forward to reach injured comrades and provide ammunition to others. Although severely injured, he only allowed aid to be administered after being placed on the evacuation helicopter. For extraordinary valor in the face of deadly enemy fire, his heroism in rescuing the wounded, and his gallantry by repeatedly risking his own life for his fellow soldiers, Rascon was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in February 2000.

On March 22, American Airlines is providing transportation for these heroes and 16 other recipients of the highest U.S. military honor for valor – the Medal of Honor – from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Washington, D.C., in conjunction with National Medal of Honor Day, March 25!

Learn about the history and controversy surrounding the Medal of Honor in our December Military Officer magazine feature “History of Heroes.”