President President West Jax

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

PRESIDENT PRESIDENTWEST JAX

FRA BRANCH 126 FLEET RESERVE HALL INC

JAMES J. THOMAS ALVIN D. ROBY

Phone 291-1575 Phone 264-6270

VICE PRESIDENT UNIT 126 PRESIDENT

HERMAN ELROD VERALYN THOMAS

Phone 655-2211 Phone 291-1575

SECRETARY BRANCH CHAPLAIN

MARTHA KLINIKOWSKI Vacant

Phone 221-7691 Phone 291-1575

TREASURER / EDITOR MEMBERSHIP

WILLIAM T. KULIER EDWARD H. GRIBBIN

Phone 771-5237 Phone 269-3845

ADDRESS ALL MAIL TO: FLEET RESERVE HALL, 7673 BLANDING BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32244-5111

HALL TELEPHONE (904) 771-2126 BRANCH WEB SITE:

MARCH 2015 EDITION

NOTICE: The items or opinions published in the Branch 126 Newsletter are those of the contributor of that particular article, and not necessarily that of the Editor, FRA Branch 126 Inc., or the Fleet Reserve Association.

MARCH 2015

Monday 02 Mar 1930 West Jax Inc Board of Directors meeting

Wednesday 04 Mar 1930 Branch Board of Directors meeting

Saturday 14 Mar 1600 St Patrick’s Dinner (page 2)

Thursday 20 Mar 1930 Americanism Awards & Branch meeting

Tuesday 24 Mar 0700 – 1900 Election day

Saturday 28 Mar 0900 Retiree Seminar at NAS JAX at Deweys Club – across from the VP

Hangers – follow the signs

APRIL 2015

Wednesday 01 Apr 1930 Branch Board of Directors meeting

Sunday 05 Apr Happy Easter.

Monday 06 Apr 1930 West Jax Inc Board of Directors meeting

Saturday 18 Apr Flag Retirement Ceremony

Saturday 18 Apr Steak Burn

Branch Flag Retirement Ceremony will take place at 1630 on Saturday, 18 April 2015 to be followed by a Corporation sponsored Steak Burn at 1700. You bring your steak, hamburger, or chicken and use our grills. The Corporation provides everything else. Open to FRA Branch /Unit 126 members and theit invited guests

The Vietnam Veterans of American Chapters 1046, 1059, 1084 are hosting a town hall meeting on March 27, 2015; starting at 6:30pm; at7235 Bonneval Road, Jacksonville, Florida.

The purpose of the meetingis to bring awareness of the health problems associated withexposure to Agent Orange. This forum will be conducted byprofessional speakers from VVA National Headquarters.
Veteran Service Officers will also be on site to assist with the filing of claims. These three chapters cover Duval, Clay,and St Johns counties. No reservations are needed, just show up!

The Korean War Veteran’s Association meets at the Branch Hall on the 4th Tuesday of each month. The hall opens at noon and the meeting starts at 1300. The POC is Shipmate Henry Moreland at (904) 384-2031.

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

THE Editor’s CORNER

Bill Kulier ………………….….…771-5237

1.WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service wrapped up the 2015 "Dirty Dozen" list of tax scams today with a warning to taxpayers about aggressive telephone scams continuing coast-to-coast during the early weeks of this year's filing season.

The aggressive, threatening phone calls from scam artists continue to be seen on a daily basis in states across the nation. The IRS urged taxpayers not give out money or personal financial information as a result of these phone calls or from emails claiming to be from the IRS.

Phone scams and email phishing schemes are among the "Dirty Dozen" tax scams the IRS highlighted, for the first time, on 12 straight business days from Jan. 22 to Feb. 6. The IRS has also set up a special section on IRS.gov highlighting these 12 schemes for taxpayers.

"We are doing everything we can to help taxpayers avoid scams as the tax season continues," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "Whether it's a phone scam or scheme to steal a taxpayer's identity, there are simple steps to take to help stop these con artists. We urge taxpayers to visit IRS.gov for more information and to be wary of these dozen tax scams."

Illegal scams can lead to significant penalties and interest for taxpayers, as well as possible criminal prosecution. IRS Criminal Investigation works closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to shutdown scams and prosecute the criminals behind them.

Taxpayers should remember that they are legally responsible for what is on their tax returns even if it is prepared by someone else. Make sure the preparer you hire is up to the task.

2. Do It Yourself income tax returns are best done online as the information flows from your computer directly to the IRS compter. You can do them at Free File: Do Your Federal Taxes for Free
Free File does the hard work for you, eitherthrough brand-name software or online fillable forms. Give it a try! ...

3. Those who like to do their returns on paper can find Income Tax Forms and instructions online at WWW. IRS. GOV.

4. You can view current and past Branch news letters at: There you will also find photos of past Branch events and links to other useful sites.

5. The Branch news letter is available to Branch 126 Shipmates and their widows/widowers either by snail mail or email as desired. TheEmail edition comes ten days earlier and in color. Contact me if you want to get on the email listing. Bill Kulier

BRANCH ACTIVITIES

AL Roby …………………264-6270 James J. Thomas …………... 291-1575

1. Saturday, 14 March 2015

St. Patrick’s Dinner – Come and enjoy a traditional St. Patrick’s Day Dinner. The menu is corned beef, spuds cabbage, carrots, salad and a desert prepared by Shipmate Al Roby, Veralyn Thomas and the leprechauns.

Dinner starts at 1600 on an “all you care to eat” basis. Tickets will be available at the

door for a donation of $5.00 per person.

This is a “Closed Function” for Branch and Unit 126 members, their significant others, and their invited guests!

VA Prescription Tracker ► 24/7 Online Access to Status - Veterans can now track the status of most of their prescriptions online. The new 24/7 service allows online tracking for most prescriptions mailed from the VA Mail Order Pharmacy (

More than 57,000 Veterans are currently using the service through My HealtheVet , an online feature that allows Veterans to partner with their health care team. The number is expected to grow as VA starts to educate Veterans about the new feature. Later this month, the tracking feature will include images of the medication that dispensed. Over the next year, a secure messaging alert will be added so that Veterans know when a medication was placed in the mail. “VA prescription refill online is an excellent example of how one employee looked at the process of VA prescription tracking through the eyes of our Veterans and came up with an idea that better serves Veterans,” said Interim Under Secretary for Health, Carolyn M. Clancy. “This idea is both innovative and transformative, and it is certainly one, when put into action, improves customer service for America’s Veterans.” [Source: VA News Release | Feb. 04, 2015 ++]

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

LAFRA Unit 126 celebrated their 60th Birthday with a catered dinner at the Branch Home on 12 February 2015. This was a very nice event with an impressive slide show of the Units history presented by Unit President Veralyn Thomas.

Pictured are Unit 126's youngest member Bridget Winn, oldest member Frances Ray and Unit President Veralyn Thomas.

This event was well attended by former and current National & Regional Officers of the LAFRA & FRA along with the Shipmates and Ladies of Branch and Unit 126.

Birdies for the Brave - Active, reserve, veteran and retired service members and their families are eligible for free or discounted tickets at some of the nation's top golf tournaments this year, including this years AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in Monterey, California, and The Players Championship in Florida in May. Birdies for the Brave, the PGA Tour-supported military outreach charity provides the tickets in conjunction with sponsor Quicken Loans. Ticket offers vary by tournament and type of service, ranging from free entry for a service member and multiple dependents to discounted admission for a single military veteran. Get a rundown of the offers at .

Nationwide Scam Affecting TRICARE Beneficiaries

Courtesy TRICARE

TRICARE beneficiaries need to be aware of a telephone scam affecting beneficiaries over 65 and on Medicare nationwide.

A caller will usually identify themselves as being an official Medicare vendor, and will then offer to sell you back braces. The caller may have specific information that makes the call seem official, typically your address, phone numbers and doctor’s name. The caller is hoping this will convince you they are a legitimate vendor and that you will give them your social security number and additional personal information.

If you receive a call like this, DO NOT give any of your personal identifiable information, such as birth date, social security number or banking information. TRICARE never asks beneficiaries for this information when calling for an official Department of Defense survey.

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) Program Integrity Office is closely monitoring this situation. If you receive a call of this nature, please do not provide your information and contact the DHA Program Integrity Office directly. For more information on fraud and abuse reporting visit,

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

Small Increase to TRICARE Pharmacy Copays

New copayments for prescription drugs covered by TRICARE will go into effect February 1, 2015. The Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires TRICARE to increase most pharmacy copays by $3. Drugs from military pharmacies and generic drugs from TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery still cost beneficiaries $0.

TRICARE pharmacy copays vary based on the class of drug and where beneficiaries choose to fill their prescriptions.

Home Delivery copays for formulary brand name drugs are going from $13 to $16, and for non-formulary from $43 to $46. You can get up to a 90-day supply of drugs through Home Delivery.

At the retail pharmacy network, copays for generic formulary drugs go from $5 to $8, brand name formulary go from $17 to $20 and non-formulary from $44 to $47. You can get up to a 30-day supply of drugs at retail pharmacies.

Some pharmacy copays are not changing in 2015. Military pharmacies remain the lowest cost option for beneficiaries, with no cost for drugs, and generic formulary medications at Home Delivery remain $0.

Home Delivery is a low cost, safe and convenient way for TRICARE beneficiaries to get their maintenance medications. Copays at non-network retail pharmacies will also change, based on the changes to retail copays. For more details, visit theTRICARE pharmacy costs page.

These changes in the NDAA overrule previous rules passed by Congress in 2013 that connected TRICARE pharmacy copays to the retiree cost of living adjustment (COLA).

FLAG SALES

Al Peter …………..……. (904) 777-0781

Bill Kulier………………(904) 771-5237

All Nylon and the Cotton Bulldog flags have sewn stars & stripes while the other Cotton flags have printed stars & stripes. We have the following flags in stock.

3x5’ Nylon Flag---$21.00

4x6’ Nylon Flag--- $30.00
5x8’ Nylon Flag--- $40.00
3x5’ Cotton Flag Set-- $15.00
3x5’ Nylon POW/MIA Flag---- $ 25.00
8x12’ Nylon Flag ……………………… $120.00

We now have the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard 3x5 Flags in stock for $22.00
Contact Shipmates Al Peter or Bill kulier to purchase a Flag.

The Medical Equipment locker:We have many wheel chairs loaned out with a few available for check out at this time. These are high demand items so please be sure to bring them back as soon as you are done with them. We also have a good supply of canes, crutches, potty chairs & assorted equipment to loan out. Call Shipmate Johnson at 771-1736 or Al Roby at 264- 6270.

IN MEMORY OF OUR DEPARTED SHIPMATES

Shipmate PT1 Charles V. Burgess, USN, retired, age 89, reported to the Staff of the Supreme Commander on 3 September 2014.

He joined the Navy in 1943 and retired in 1963 as a Photo Intelligence Specialist.

Shipmate Burgess was preceded in death by his brother Jim and sister Virginia. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Bernice: a son, 2 sisters, 3 step-children, 5 step grand children and 7 step great grand-children.

Petty Officer Burgess was laid to rest in Riverside Memorial Park in Jacksonville, Florida.

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers- The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $53,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.

In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.

Before going to a VITA or TCE site, see Publication 3676-B for services provided and check out the What to Bring page to ensure you have all the required documents and information our volunteers will need to help you. *Note: available services can vary at each site due to the availability of volunteers certified with the tax law expertise required for your return.

Find a VITA or TCE Site Near You - VITA and TCE sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and other convenient locations across the country. To locate the nearest VITA or TCE site near you, use the VITA Locator Tool (see editors note) or call 800-906-9887 to find a VITA or TCE site near you.

At select tax sites, taxpayers also have an option to prepare their own basic federal and state tax return for free using Web-based tax preparation software with an IRS-certified volunteer to help guide you through the process. This option is only available at locations that list “Self-Prep” in the site listing.

Find an AARP TCE Tax-Aide Site Near You - A majority of the TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide program. To locate the nearest AARP TCE Tax-Aide site between January and April use the AARP Site Locator Tool (see Editors note) or call 888-227-7669.

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

Editors Note: I copied this from Hot Topics, “Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers”. There you will find “button Links” to the various sites.

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

Air Evacs Are Covered When Medically Necessary and Only to the Nearest, Safest Place

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

Following retirement from active service, many retirees and retiree family members decide to travel or live overseas. If they do, it is important they understand that if they need air ambulance services (aeromedical evacuation or “air evac”), TRICARE only pays if the transport is medically necessary and to the closest, safest location for medical care.

Retirees overseas have to pay for the service upfront and then file a claim for reimbursement. TRICARE won’t cover the cost for non-medically necessary air evacuation and won’t move a patient to a location of their choosing. TRICARE won’t pay to move a retiree or retiree family member from overseas back to the U.S., unless the medically necessary care is not available in their current location or the U.S is the closest location that can provide the necessary care.

FRA BRANCH 126 NEWS FOR MARCH 2015

If retirees want to return to the U.S. from overseas for personal reasons (e.g., to be closer to family), they pay the air ambulance company and TRICARE won’t reimburse them. Air ambulance service can be very expensive. If you are planning to live or travel overseas, you may wish to consider other options for coverage of air transport for circumstances not covered by TRICARE.

Active-duty family members (ADFMs) using TRICARE Standard should also consider health care costs before opting for air evacuation. ADFMs using TRICARE Standard may have to pay up front for the air evacuation; the evacuation must be medically necessary; and must be to the nearest facility capable of providing the needed care in order for TRICARE to cost-share on the aeromedical evacuation.

For more information about receiving care overseas, visit the TRICARE Overseas Program page on the web.

This is page 5!