OCR Text |
Show nn 4er Hill AFB, INSIDE: Bus route hearing set Page 2 Auction scams noted Page 4 O Hill graduates honored Utah Vol. 55 No. 18, May 4, 84056-582- 4 2000 Government Visa Retreat travel card now required WASHINGTON (AFPN) By law, all Air Force members traveling on government business must use their government Visa travel card as of May 1. However, not having received a card yet wont keep people from official travel and also wont interfere with reimbursements for official travel, according to Michael Weber, program manager for the Air Force travel card program. Theres a rumor going around that if you dont use the card you wont be reimbursed, Weber said. That is not true we will pay people regardless ofwhether they use the card. However, not using the card can subject travelers to disciplinary action from their commanders, according to Air Force policy guidance. The Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 requires all government travelers to use the card. For the Air Force, this means all active duty, civilian employees and members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve in federal service should be pre- pared to use their government travel card. While travelers can still make ATM withdrawals and arent expected to put every minor expense on the Page 7 IMAs promoted Page 14 - V, card, Weber said officials are requiring it be used for what they call the big three: lodging, car rentals and airline travel. According to Weber, it will be up to indiyidual major commands whether to use either a centrally or indi- vidually billed account for airline tickets. MAJ-COM- s using a centrally billed account will pick up the 388th Fighter Wing Fighter Country Pages A-- C tab for airline tickets when the reservations are made and the traveler will never be directly billed. Those MAJCOMS electing to use an individually billed account will continue to have travelers bill tickets to their individual card. Convenience for the customer is key to the government travel card program, said Weber. Worldwide acceptance of the card is one of these conveniences, Were even starting to see the card accepted in fast food restaurants, he said. And I expect once they start using it, people will find the card is just conve- nient why take time to find an ATM to get cash when the plastic works. A repayment program known as split disbursement is another convenience. Split disbursement allows a traveler to designate a See Card, page 2 Photos by Tech. Sgt. Timothy Trager The 649th Combat Logistics Support Squadron moved with precision as they conducted the base retreat ceremony recently. The 1 Base tax center helps save $229,174 ceremony, held at 4:30 p.m., involved lowering, folding and presenting the flag. Im honored to be a member of the first squadron to volunteer for retreat in the new millennium, said flag detail NCO, Tech. Sgt. Keith Miller. Now that we have volunteered, hopefully other units will pick up on it and volunteer themselves. Employees are reminded that when the retreat music plays, they should stop, face the flag and by Steven R. Ford Hilltop Times Cartoons reflect artists life Page 15 staff While the passing of the April 17 tax deadline means that most Americans can breath a sigh ofrelie- f- the Hill Tax Center will continue to be open to help base perissues. sonnel with other . Were available to help people all year long, not just that three month period that everybodys concerned and worried about, said base tax advisor, B. J. Qasertano. They say that numbers dont lie, and the numbers generated this year by Hills Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program are impressive. This tax season, VITA volunteers helped 3,345 active-dutretirees. Guard Hill members and Reservists. The personnel saved an estimated $229,174 from the cost of paying a commercial tax preparer outside the gates. The VOA volunteers also electronically filed over 2,000 tax returns. The military supports the VITA program for their servicemen throughout the world, and the purpose of the VITA program is to help people who ordinarily couldnt afford to pay to have their tax return prepared by a paid preparer, said IRS Tax Education Specialist Mark Zito. A lot of times, the military personnel dont have a lot of income, theyre away from home for the first time, it might even be the first time theyve ever filed a tax return. Theyre kind of lost, not knowing what to do, See Tax, page 11 tax-relat- Engineers win volleyball tourney Page 17 show respect. ed v 1 ? rJ ' y, Summerfest! June 9 x L 1 i da- i AV 1 & - t 4 ' I rf ilk t 1 r 1 u V . -- A . , ,1 t |