The Bolling AFB Tax Center opens Feb. 5 in Suite 219 at Bldg. 20.

The staff will begin accepting appointments today. Manned by legal office personnel and trained volunteers, tax center services include income tax assistance and electronic filing. Active-duty members and their family members, retirees, and Reservists on active duty are eligible to receive tax center assistance.

To e-file and have the refund directly deposited into an account, customers need to bring copies of their W-2s and⁄or 1099R, any other tax-related documents and a voided check for proof of a bank account.

Customers can ensure a smoother visit to the tax center by taking a couple of steps. The Tax Preparation Checklist lists all necessary items customers need to bring to an appointment. A completed Intake & Interview Worksheet (Internal Revenue Service Form 13614) will also expedite the process.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 202-767-5297.

(From 11th Wing Judge Advocate)

Air Force Band opens Guest Series

Country music legend Restless Heart headlines the season opener of The United States Air Force Band' s Guest Artist Series at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C.

Performances by other artists will continue each Sunday through March 2: Feb. 17 – Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro; Feb. 24 – baritone Jubilant Sykes; March 2 – Empire Brass quintet.

Each concert is open to the public. No tickets are required. Doors open at 2 p.m. DAR Constitution Hall is located at 1776 D St. N.W. For more information, call the USAF Band concert line the week before each concert at 202-767-5658, or call DAR's event line at 202-628-4780.

Troops to receive retroactivepay next month

Active duty troops will receive retroactive earnings in February, followed weeks later by a supplemental payday for non-active personnel, a Pentagon official said recently.

The National Defense Authorization Act signed into law Jan. 28 by President Bush stipulates a 3.5 percent military pay raise. This hike is 0.5 percent higher than an executive order the president signed Dec. 28 to increase pay by 3 percent, which took effect Jan 1.

In mid-February, Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials will pay active duty service members the extra 0.5 percent raise earned since the start of 2008. Non-active members will receive the supplement “a couple weeks later,“ said Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary for military personnel policy.

Carr said Pentagon officials are “delighted“ with the act and praised cooperation by Congress. Disagreement between the president and Congress over non-defense-related earmarks and controversial language about the Iraq war had delayed the bill's enactment.

“I think it's good news for everybody in uniform,“ Carr said. “This Congress has been terrific in working with us in terms of providing to the troops the things that they need.“

Between 2000 and 2007, private-sector pay increased by 29 percent, while military pay jumped 42 percent during the same time, Carr said. Meanwhile, wages paid to noncommissioned officers, which includes corporals and all grades of sergeant and petty officer, spiked by about 52 percent.

“We've made considerable headway, in terms of increasing the value of military pay, to the point where we're now frankly in about the 70th or 80th percentile of similarly educated American earners,“ Carr said.

He noted that the most recent raise, by virtue of exceeding the current inflation rate, will increase servicemember recipients' purchasing power.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the retroactive payments ensure “that our forces are compensated commensurate to their service and sacrifice.“

In a news conference at the Pentagon, Morrell noted that troops will benefit in various ways by provisions codified in the act.

“It lets us resume offering bonuses to new recruits and re-enlisting troops,“ he said.

The act also includes funding to improve health care and benefits for wounded troops and veterans.

(By John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service)

Technology on the march at AAFES

‘‘Televisions are getting thinner, more feature-rich and less expensive. GPS, digital photo frames and Blu-Ray players will be growth categories in 2008 and convergence will be the buzzword for the year.” These are just some of the findings from a team of Army & Air Force Exchange Service managers and buyers who recently returned from the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

‘‘We will be selecting all of the latest and greatest gadgets to meet military families’ wants in the coming year,” said AAFES’ Electronics Divisional Merchandise Manager Chris Burton. ‘‘Military shoppers are generally more ready to embrace the latest the marketplace has to offer. Because of this, our team is dedicated to staying one step ahead of the changes to ensure we are sufficiently meeting military families’ technology expectations. Our aim is to be leading edge.”

As part of this effort, more than 20 personnel, including AAFES Commander Brig. Gen. Keith Thurgood, converged on CES to get the scoop on the newest electronics available and get them to BX⁄PX stores shelves as soon as possible.

Beyond senior leadership and buyers for AAFES PowerZones, personnel from the Exchange Online Store, at www.aafes.com, and the Exchange catalog program also made the trek to Las Vegas to put their hands, eyes and ears on the very best the electronic category has to offer in 2008.

‘‘With a mobile customer base that includes active duty, retirees as well as Guard and Reserve members, we must find new and innovative ways to take the exchange benefit beyond a military installation’s gate and into the homes of authorized customers,” said AAFES’ Direct Marketing General Merchandise Manager Bill Eddings. ‘‘With that said, catalogs and Web sites are not strictly about convenience. All of the merchandise offered has to contain the ‘latest and greatest’ products available in order for the exchange benefit to remain relevant to early adopters of technological innovations.”

So, what’s on the horizon for exchange shoppers? Whether in store, online or over the catalog’s toll-free number, the AAFES team that visited CES foresees TVs getting thinner this year (1.5”) and even thinner in 2009 (0.75”). There will also be more networking and wireless capabilities throughout the home, office and automobile categories. Additionally, photo frames will deliver MP3 capabilities and wireless technologies as GPS units begin offering voice activation and traffic monitoring services.

AAFES saw consumer electronics grow considerably in 2007 as sales increased more than 9 percent and topped $720 million year to date. The top selling electronic items at AAFES exchanges last year were LCD TVs, iPods and GPS units.